Unsatisfactory dinner parties & Some Good Street Food from Panama

A very good friend reminded me how unsatisfactory dinner parties could be and the cause of much grief. She told me how upset a few guests were at a dinner they attended during the carnival days here in the city. The problem, she said, was the eccentricity of the dishes which were not catered to the crowd. Anyhow, it reminded me of the following quote:

They make a rare Soop they call Pepper-Pot; its an excellent Breakfast for a Salamander, or a good preparative for a Mountebanks Agent, who Eats Fire one day, that he may get better Victuals the next. Three Spoonfuls so Inflam'd my Mouth, that had I devour'd a Peck of Horse-Radish, and Drank after it a Gallon of Brandy and Gunpowder, I could not have been more importunate for a Drop of Water to cool my Tongue. (Edward Ward 1667-1731)

That being said, let me show you what I found the other day while visiting La Chorrera, a city 30 minutes from Panama City, during their annual State fair.

I normally go there during the last days to purchase organic roses and orchids, as they have an array of "viveros" or greenhouses just for the event, AND...during those last days they offer better prices. For example, here in the city the orchids are sold for $25.00 US, at the state fair the same ones are sold for $15.00 each and the last day you can get them for $10.00! The roses and other flowers /plants are very inexpensive there, you can get them for $1.00 - $8.00 according to the size.

I remember four streets full of little improvised restaurants or "fondas" and many people walking selling their goodies too. The offering was mostly regional food, the kind that is prepared in the countryside with all the spices and traditional methods they have been using for decades.

In the photo to the left, the sign of the vendor reads "Rey del Tasajo." Tasajo is a kind of smoked seasoned meat, which is air-dried, then heated in the grill and sliced. It is served with boiled or fried yuca (cassava) or patacones (fried plantain).

From Todas, the blog for girls: An Interview with Chef Melissa

We invite you to visit "Todas: The Blog for Girls" where Amaya has posted an Interview with the author of this blog: Chef Melissa! It is in Spanish, but hey didn't you mention not too long ago that you want to practice more this beautiful language?

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Les invitamos a que visiten "Todas: La Bitacora para Ellas" en donde Amaya ha publicado el di­a de hoy una entrevista con la autora de este blog.

Que tengan una linda semana!

Melissa

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · February 21, 2007 · 10:27 AM
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From the Tropics: Vino de Palma (Palm Wine)

My father had come from a small village in the Panamanian countryside, but he has always been very fine with life in the city. He brought us up with a sense of his family's ancient traditions, including the love for the land, nature and learning new things. It was that same spirit what made all of his children artists of creating and exploring. Curiosity is the beginning.

Now in my thirties, I still have as much of that curiosity as I had at the age of five. That's hot and it is not easy to get...But it is NOT impossible. Just opening your mind to trying new things will be your first step on this marvelous quest that is "life."

Let's start here: Vino de Palma, or Palm Wine

I have heard stories that made me really thirsty to try this juice from the heart of the rain forest. But it was not until yesterday when I had the intriguingly yummy opportunity to experience it at its fullest. As my sister was coming back to Panama City from Colon, she found a very little stand run by an older woman, smiling her problems away...cheerfully selling some unique goodies; Palm Wine among others.

I happened to be in their town, getting my weekly share of raw, organic-tasty-fresh milk, so I paid them a visit. To my surprise, Paola, my sister, greeted me with a bottle of palm wine and a bottle of freshly made Habanero Pepper Relish. It was out of my hands. I could NOT resist it. They know for sure how to get my attention.

It was an ethereal moment, when I saw those bottles, I forgave her for all the times she wore my clothes and evaporated my perfumes, without permission...when we were teenagers. Holy smokes, ...it was such a soul awakening moment, ...and I didn't have a choice other than to smile (and take the gifts of course!).

Happy Valentines Day! I'll be posting some delicious recipes (in Spanish) soon, so stay tuned!

Con amor,

Melissa

For more information on Palm Wine visit: Wikipedia. Or How to extract Vino de Palma: a pictorial review!

Ok, Ok,---I know you are a coconut lover...The following posts were specially designed for you:

• Flan de Coco y Chocolate
• Coconut Meringue Pie (EN), Pie de Coco al Merengue (ES)
• Nuts about Coconuts!
• Pudin de Naranja y Coco
• Pan de Coco
• Keki de Coco y Miel
• Cake de Zanahoria y Coco
• Delicia de Coco

P.S. you see, I do not only post in English! :)

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · February 13, 2007 · 08:34 PM
Permalink · Comments (18) · TrackBack (0) · Categories: Adventures with Wine · Ethnic Cuisine: from Latin America · Tropical Fruit and Vegetables

Huevitos de Leche re-visited (Panamanian Milk Candy)

Just to make our sweet tooth happy: the reason why I do it, and a recipe to prepare the sinful "Huevitos de Leche" or "Milk Candy" that I have stuck in my childhood memories.

For many of us, sweetness is to the taste what beauty is to the eye. It has always been so.

Sugar is one of the most universal flavors of food stuffs known. Over one-half of our food taste sweet or sweetish; that is, they contain sugar in some form. About one-third taste salty; not more than one-tenth taste either bitter or sour. (Dr. Hutchinson, Success Magazine, 1909)

Now, older and wiser, I can not believe how I have any teeth at all. The amount of sugar we used to eat when we were young children at school was unbelievable. Just the thinking of it gives me a stomac ache now. My guess is that we were just lucky, because believe me, it was NOT the toothpaste. The toothpaste has always been full of sugar, and other ingredients (read fluoride) that should be banned for the harm they do to our health. Learn about fluoride by visiting the Flouride Action Network.

So, to make the long story short, let me tell you about something else that I have learned: If you can not live without your desserts, just do it in moderation, it will be fine. Or if you are like me, the one that can not eat one cookie, or one slice of bread....NO, you've got to eat the 24 cookies and the whole loaf of bread, right? Well, if that is your case, just quit cold turkey. It is tough thing to do, but it will save your life and your $$$ because you won't have to go shopping every week for larger size clothes.

So, here it is, finally...I built up enough courage to prepare these milk candies for you. After I took the photos and ate almost half of them, I packed the few left in a beautiful tin and called my brother to take the sinful treats away from my presence asap before I decided to eat them all. I am now sugar high. I feel so guilty and happy of course, that I have scheduled an appointment at the spa to do a facial and all kind of body pampering treatments that are well known to remove an array of body impurities and the guilt. Yes, only after that will I be back to my real self, the sweet and loving chef you all know.

This is the recipe: