CookingDiva

I know, I know, I have been bad. I went on vacation and I didn't even mention where was I going, right?  The good part is that although you didn't know about this trip, the Wine Tour to Argentina and Uruguay, I have been gathering great information, photography and videos that you will just love. I'll keep you posted.

During my stay in Buenos Aires, I had the fantastic opportunity to meet SaltShaker, the only food and wine blogger in Buenos Aires I know. I have been following his blog since the beginning of the year, so it was a surprise when he talked about his travels to Uruguay and the reviews he made on the top wineries. Coincidentally I will be visiting most of them during this trip too. How exiting!

I will write more later about my meeting with Dan Perlman, the talented writer and chef behind SaltShaker. For now, I invite you to visit his blog and Casa SaltShaker's website (his restaurant) for great info, menus and fotos. If you are in the area, give him a call to schedule a visit...you won't regret it.

Have a delicious day!

Melissa

Tags: argentina, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, recipes, food & drink, food, chef melissa

Would you believe me if I tell you that I only watch TV when I want to take a nap? Well, it is the raw truth! That's why I am so happy because I found a link to Anthony Bourdain's show on Peruvian Cuisine on line. First I saw it at Chef Elena's blog, and to tell you the truth, I couldn't resist the temptation to post it here and share this great source of information with you.

One of my favorite Latin American Chefs, Gaston Acurio,  guides Anthony Bourdain through the best and most authentic places. The casual atmosphere of the conversation, the colorful sites of the city and the mysticism all over the air captivated my attention, and that sometimes is not an easy task. I was actually drooling while they talked about the ceviches, being the case that here in Panama we are very fond of ceviche too. Although the traditional Panamanian ceviche has its differences from the Peruvian, there is no doubt they both were born in our countries because of the abundance of the freshest fish and seafood.

On that same subject, I will tell you now what happened the other day. Believe it or not, I received a kind of nasty comment on my Ecuadorian Conch Ceviche recipe. The comment's author supposedly was from Peru and his complaint was about his "idea" that the "ceviche" is a strictly dish from Peru, and no one else in the whole world can prepare, write or talk about IT other than the Peruvians. Well, I wish I hadn't deleted it, but I did, and I also blocked his IP. Ha! Is this some sort of Blog RAGE? Just when I thought I was over the "I have been Cursed: The Revenge of the Guinea Pigs," the ceviche madness begins. This is a teaser for you my bellicose reader, just because you asked for it, next you will find a link to the most popular of the ceviche recipes I have published in this blog. I hope you enjoy them all

We are very proud of our internationally famous method of serving fish tidbits. A mixed assortment can include squid, octopus, scallops, clams, lobster, crab as well as longorones, a black shellfish similar to scallops. You can use what you have available or what you like the most..., what insures a variety of textures and flavors. Now the recipes:

• Ceviche de Pescado, Panamanian style (fish ceviche)
• Ceviche de Pescado y Pulpo with Pineapple and Golden Raisins (Fish and Octopus ceviche)
• Conch Ceviche from Ecuador. Yum!

Have a tasty day!

Chef M

Tags: ceviche, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, recipes, food & drink, food, chef melissa

I discovered Blyberg.net and its Catalog Card Generator today and immediately loved the vintage look of the cards. In seconds I was inspired to share with you this recipe to prepare delicious Fruit Cookies. They keep well for months, and like good fruitcake, improve with age.

Now, head over to Blyberg.net and enjoy the Catalog Card Generator service for free!

Estas galletas pueden guardarse en envases herméticos o congelarse en bolsas ziploc por varios meses. de hecho, el sabor mejora con el tiempo!

Ingredientes:

• 1 taza de mantequilla
• 2 tazas de azúcar
• 2 huevos
• 3 tazas de harina
• 3 cucharaditas de polvo de hornear
• 1/4 cucharadita de sal
• 1/2 cucharadita de clavito de olor molido
• 2 cucharaditas de canela
• 1/2 cucharadita de nuez moscada
• 3/4 taza de leche
• 1 taza cada uno de: piña deshidratada, pasitas, cerezas deshidratadas o dátiles, nueces. Todo bien picadito.

Procedimiento:

1. Pre-calentar el horno a 350° F por 10 minutos. Batir la mantequilla y el azúcar hasta alcanzar una consistencia cremosa. Agregar los huevos uno a uno, batiendo bien despues de cada adición.
2. Cernir los ingredientes secos y agregar a la mezcla alternando con la leche. Incorporar las frutas secas y revolver hasta que esten distribuidas uniformemente.
3. Colocar por cucharadas la mezcla en una bandeja para galletas engrasada, dejando un espacio de 2-3 pulgadas entre cada una.
4. Hornear  de 12-15 minutos o hasta que empiece a dorar. Retirar la bandeja del horno y dejar reposar las galletas por 10 minutos antes de removerlas a una parrilla para que se enfrien por completo.

Happy Cooking!

Melissa

Tags: cookies, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, recipes, food & drink, food, chef melissa