London Gastro Tour: Borough Market

The day was perfect and the company fantastic! We (The Nokia Food Bloggers) went on a tour of the Borough Market in London. The charming Celia Brooks Brown was our guide. To give you an idea of what we experienced, next follows an excerpt from Celia's website:

...Hear the extraordinary history of this ancient market and share an insider's view. We start the day with elevenses / brunch at the glorious ROAST restaurant perched above the market, then follow with lots of specially arranged tastings: scallops, rare breed meats, olive oils, Ceylon tea, exotic Mexican chillies, Italy's most prized Parmesan cheese, and many more, plus a chance to hear the stories behind the creation of these fabulous artisan foods. We'll sit down for a wine tasting at Bedale's accompanied by a spread of delicious French goodies, concluding with a tasting of simple tapas combinations at Brindisa Spanish Foods. Head over to her website to learn more about her gastrotours...

Now enjoy the photos, they were all taken with my new N95 8GB:

1. Girl Interrupted Eating & The Cooking Diva, 2. Maria Luisa from Mil Sabores, 3. Perfectly round mini carrots, 4. Stylish purple-orange carrots, 5. Mushrooms, tasty mushrooms!

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · March 20, 2008 · 11:47 PM
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A Taste of Panama - Culinary Tours

Our tours are designed to provide unique and exotic gastronomic journeys, a once-in-a-life time experience in our country, better known as the "Bridge of the World," where modern life beautifully blends with nature's bounty.

Experience the flavors of the unique and traditionally loved culinary jewels of Panama on a gourmet tour. Our itineraries are designed with the food-lover in mind and include casual cooking classes by international Chef Melissa De Leon and other local professional chefs, tastings, visits to markets, exclusive visits to artisan producers as such as: bakers, cheese makers, coffee plantations, organic fruit and vegetable gardens, edible insects and edible flower farms.

We offer non-cooking options for companions who don't want to spend time in the kitchen. This tour is also perfect for the people who have just made Panama their home, for the tourists, for the locals, high school students and YOU. Tours available in English and Spanish.

Private and Custom Culinary Tours
 
If you want to enjoy a private or custom tour, tailored to your needs, this option is the answer to your prayers. We will design a special edition of any of our tours or a totally unique itinerary to fit your calendar, destinations and activities you want to include. We invite you to consider this option when planning: corporate team-building events, business meetings, business incentive trips, weddings, family reunions and friend gatherings. It will be an unforgettable adventure. Tours available in English and Spanish.

For details of our tours and other services please contact Panama Gourmet.

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · June 14, 2007 · 02:35 PM
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For the love of farmers' markets

There is an almost romantic relationship between a cook and the food markets. It is an idyllic, prolific desire to find the veggies, fish, seafood, meats and other ingredients in their most natural environment. We want to talk to them.

Since having a vegetable garden, or raising a few cows in our backyard is not always a choice, we chose to visit the farmers markets, dairy farms so we can have the freshest produce, milk and meats from animals which have been grass feed and raised humanely.

Farmers markets are a traditional method used by farmers worldwide to sell their produce directly to consumers. By avoiding the increasingly industrialized food production, and the broker fees involved in the process of selling those products in supermarkets, the consumer gets the freshest ingredients at excellent prices.

This time we are sharing some photos we took a few weeks ago, while taking C.J. Schexnayder from Kleph blog (an American food blogger based in Peru) in a tour of Panama City's markets. We had so much fun!

From San Felipe Neri Public Market in Panama City, Panama:

From The Fish Market (Mercado del Marisco) in Panama City, built by the Japanese Government:

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).

The Farmer's Market International Parade (Update)

The Farmer's Market is an island in time and space. It is a feast of sensory delights, the beautiful colors, variety of textures, the music and gentle conversations, and the gustatory pleasures in store. Here, if you can walk or bike, you do. Here, you are happy to see other shoppers, you wait your turn politely, you are not in a hurry, you are helpful. (By KJERRINGA MOT STRØMMEN)

Thank you, thank you and a world of thank yous to all our fellow bloggers that have joined this event. I've got to tell you that although I have NOT posted my Farmer's Market visit post yet, I'll be doing it soon. You can do the same, AND please send us the info. on your post so we can add it to the next roundup.

To get the guidelines for this event in Spanish visit El Amor por la Cocina.

How to participate:

Just go to the fruit market, farmer's market, mercado, street market, super market, grocery store, or what ever you love to call those places with a colorful bounty of edible goodness to feed our bodies and the soul too. Do not forget to take lots of photos during your next visit, or dig out the ones stored in your computer that you took during 2005 too. Blog about it. We are dying to learn about the farmer's markets in your area, in your country. What can you get there, (Can you get an occasional free scorpion?) how much do the goodies cost? Just make us hungry :)

Then, send us the following information, and we will love to include your post in the International Gallery of Farmer's Markets.

1. The link to your post, including one or more photos of farmer's markets.
2. Your post should include a link back to this post or to the CookingDiva (http://www.panamagourmet.blogs.com) and specifying that it is your contribution to the Farmer's Markets Worldwide Parade
3. The photos should have been taken between January 1st 2005, and June 1st 2006.
4. You are free to submit as many entries as you want, following the same guidelines of course.
5. By June 10, 2006 we should have International Gallery of Farmer's Markets beautifully set up for the world to see!

Now, the roundup: