Foodie Adventures in Latin America: Panama, part I

For 9 days, I found myself traveling through the country of Panama. I was lucky enough to be there visiting a friend of mine who invited me to come and celebrate Carnival with him and his family. Our travels took us across the country from the province of Darien and the town of Torti, for a "Mantanza" (which will be in my second post- as I am eagerly awaiting those pictures), to Las Tablas where I stayed as a houseguest of two wonderful people named Chichi and Ferra.

In Las Tablas, my favorite meals were probably the breakfasts that Chichi prepared for us. At the back of the house, in the ranch, chickens and dogs milled about the yard while she chopped the maize (corn) in a grinder similar to making hamburger meat. Then she would form a large tortilla using her hands and cook it on the constructed grill. This was made of cinder blocks, a metal stand hoisted over the flames, and a circular surface for cooking.

The tortilla was then cooked on both sides till it started to blacken slightly, at which point she flipped it with a knife. She served this in warm wedges, with pork or chicken meat and broth and simmered vegetables. Combined with a cup of sweetened cafe negro, I was in heaven.

Chichi and Ferra are pretty self sufficient and don't have to rely on going to a market. From the rice and corn that they have stored and can use to meet their own needs or to sell, to the abundance of fresh eggs, and a property overflowing with fruits like noni and mangos, there isn't much to want for.

One of my favorite discoveries on the property was when my friend brought over a small brown pod that had just begun to open. When he opened it up, I saw that it was chock full of red berries. I recognized them as "annato" seeds that I had used in cooking school for pan frying in oil with tofu to create the yellow color for a vegan scrambled tofu breakfast.

The usage that I encountered in Panama however was unexpected, as the annato pods were used to color and flavor spaghetti! And I have to say that I think I prefer the taste of it over tomato sauce. I had to help myself to seconds! The spaghetti was served over rice, which was an odd combination for me, and with chicken and plantains (my favorite)!!!

  

Chichi sharpening her blade in preparation of cooking:

I put the location down at Las Tablas District because the actual name of the town appears to be too small to show up on the map. For information purposes, the name is: El Carate however.

Bourbon and Cigars= why not?

My friends are I are huge fans of the Owl Shop, and you can check out an earlier post about this cool spot. Go on and try it! The worn in leather chairs, dark lighting, vintage cocktail menu, and choice of cigars should be calling you right about now. It's the perfect place to escape to for a few hours on a dark new england evening.

The discovery of Huong Viet

Parkville is a neighborhood that is best described as an homage to the phrase: melting pot. The main strip, Park Street is chock full of interesting stores, bakeries and restaurants that represent the needs of this diverse community. Last night, my friend and I decided that we were going to try a relatively new arrival on the scene, called Huong Viet. Admittedly, it was the neon noodle sign that caught my attention more than anything! The cuisine, as perhaps you can infer from the name...is Vietnamese. We had held off on visiting the restaurant because we thought it was a take out place, but when we went inside we were pleased to see a sparkling clean restaurant decorated with flowers lining the ceiling (no joke), and a warm glow from the hanging pendant lamps. Our server brought out some warm tea and was exceedingly friendly and was willing to take the time to explain some of the finer points of the menu to us.

My friend decided to have the Hu Tieu Hai San soup. It came with a side of lettuce, sprouts, hot peppers and a wedge of lime to mix in. This soup, reminisent of pho...I was told was delicious and quite possibly the best that she had experienced lately. Instead of the beef broth in pho soup, this one was a chicken stock.

I was in the mood for something vegetarian, but didn't see anything on the menu that fit the bill. Our server was willing to accomodate. She suggested the Mi Xao Tom or Shrimp Chow Mein but substituting the shrimp for bean curd. I could not have been more happy with the dish. It was not greasy, the noodles were fun to slurp, and the flavor was well balanced. I usually add some heat to my entree, but chose not to because I didn't want to alter the taste of it.

We were extremely happy that we decided to give this place a shot, and are most certain that it will be at the top of our list! Especially since the two meals with tip included only came up to $19. What a steal.

Address: 2014 Park Street, Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 233-0888
** While on street parking is usually available in the evenings, there is a secured lot across from the restaurant which is available for patrons. Additionally, they do take credit cards, but only visa and mastercard, and they are closed on mondays.

As always, Martha Stewart knows the holidays...

"Why settle for ordinary eggs and toast when you can show your love with this version?"

Really, is there anything cuter than this for Valentine's Day breakfast with a mimosa? Leave it to Martha Stewart to come up with something so simple, and yet so perfect. Now to just come up with some sides to go with it. Hmmmm...

INSTRUCTIONS

"Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, remove the center of a thick slice of bread, and toast it. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Place bread slice in skillet, and cook until underside is lightly browned. Add another 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and flip bread. Fit cookie cutter, coated with cooking spray, in bread's cutout heart, and crack an egg into cutter. Cover skillet, and cook until egg is set, 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to remove cutter. Serve with toasted heart for dipping into yolk."

It's a DIY Valentines Day

Why go out to lavish dinners, buy hallmark cards full of blanketed statements of emotion, or buy expensive chocolates that might support child slavery in Africa? This year, why not approach the holiday with more of a personal touch? Pull out the doilies, construction paper, and old magazines and make your own valentines day cards! Look online for recipes to make a romantic feast. Check out http://www.liquor.com/ for some creative valentines day cocktails. And while you are at it, why not try your hand and making homemade truffles? They really are not as hard as you might think and made for an excellent gift. Here is the basic technique for making the ganache that I found on http://www.about.com/. Instead of rolling the truffles in cocoa powder, you might try crushed candy canes, coconut flakes, a cinamon mixture, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, and sugar. I also like the idea of adding some cordials to your truffles for variety.

"It doesn't get any simpler--or more delicious--than this. Dark chocolate and cream come together to form divine, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate truffles. Use good-quality chocolate for the best results. A tablespoon of rum or brandy can be added in with the vanilla, if desired. These candies, like most truffles, have several extensive chilling periods, so make sure you leave enough time when making them."
Ingredients:
•9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
•2/3 cup cream
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preparation:
1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl.

2. Place the cream in a small saucepan and scald it until bubbles being to appear around the sides of the pan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow it to soften and melt the chocolate for one minute.

3. Using a whisk, gently stir to incorporate the cream and chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir until well-combined, but do not stir too vigorously or you will incorporate air bubbles.

4. Cover the truffle mixture with cling wrap and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate until it is firm enough to spoon, about 2 hours.

5. Using a teaspoon or cookie dough scoop, form small 1-inch balls from the ganache and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ganache. Return to the refrigerator to chill for another hour.

6. Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl or pie tin. Dust your hands with cocoa powder and place a truffle in the cocoa, rolling it until it is coated. Roll the truffle briefly between your palms to form a round shape, then place it back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining truffles.

7. If you have different varieties/shades of cocoa powder, you can experiment with rolling the truffles in two different cocoas, creating stripes or dots of different colors. Truffles can also be topped with chocolate shavings. Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and bring them to room temperature before serving.