Happy Holidays with plenty love, the LATINO way! 
There is something about having "Latino blood" in our veins. There is something very special about being born in a Latin American country. My heart has deep roots of love and tears that travel deep,...to the center of our planet Earth. There is a cry of the long gone times that took away many of our traditions and childhood friends. There is a song with perfume of roses, and a thousand butterflies that travel along with the wind in this precious land.
When I was growing up, I used to ask my mom WHY I had freckles in my face. With a smile, every time she said..."you got them from me, and you can not change that.... In the family we all have freckles: we got them from your great great grandmother who came from France." I probably was ten years old or younger when I began questioning about my "turkey-egg-like" freckled face. I tried all the fading creams I could afford with the weekly saving of my daily allowance. None of them worked. Then, one day I woke up and realized I was wasting my time with all that nonsense imaginary war I had started with the freckles of my great great granny. Since that day everything made sense and I loved every sassy little caramel colored shade in my face. I loved my roots.
Too far the Land of Long Ago! BUT the people, the same people who one day came from far away lands and made Panama their home; they have brought gold to our culture. THIS time, I am not talking about "GOLD", the one that holds the atomic number 79. This time I am referring to the kind of "gold" that enriches a culture, the one that in silence shines (...sometimes loud too!) and shares the goodness of many lands in just only one.
This is our country: Welcome to Panama! And now, it is yours too! 
I have been working on an article with plenty delicious recipes to honor and celebrate the "Sweet Tooth" from Panama and Latin America, and I will post it soon...before the new year arrives. BUT, today after seeing what my friend and colleague, Chef Elena from the "El Amor por la Cocina" blog has rescued from her family memoirs and traditions, I thought it was a fantastic idea to share with you the LOVE and lust for our roots we have engraved in every cell of our body.
Today you will learn how to prepare: "MY FATHER'S NEW YEARS DAY BARBECUE" (or How to roast a pig the Cuban way). Including:
- Lechón Asado a la Cubana (Roast Pork, Cuban Style)
- Arroz Congrí (Red Beans with Rice)
- Yuca con Mojo (Boiled Cassava with Garlic Sauce)
We hope you enjoy the beautiful holiday season, with delicious meals featuring food from all over the world (including our recipes, of course!).
Stay tuned and make sure to come back to get a fantastic selection of holiday desserts from Latin America.
Do not forget to participate in our worldwide campaign "A Menu For Hope II", to help the people affected with the earthquake in the Kashmir region of Pakistan. Just donate $5 for a chance to participate in the raffle of fantastic prizes donated by food bloggers from all over the world. For more information visit my previous post: "A Menu for Hope - Un Menu por la Esperanza II".
God bless you!
Chef Melissa
Tags: a menu for hope, food blog events, cookingdiva, chef, panama, unicef, holiday menu, recipes, new years dinner, panamanian chef, roast pork, barbacoa
panama christmas latin america navidad chef felicidad happiness new year ano nuevo recetas receta recipe recipes delicious cooking cookingdiva diva chef melissa de leon douglass elena hernandel amor cocina academia artes culinarias fabian fabien charlie collins- by Chef Melissa
- December 15, 2005
- 5:45 pm
Huevo montao a caballo, pero de lujo!
Ayer cuando visitaba la casa de mi padre, nos reiamos al recordar los viejos tiempos. Aquellos tiempos cuando eramos chicos y mi madre salia de compras y nos quedabamos en casa a merced de las habilidades culinarias casi nulas de mi querido padre! El menu siempre era el mismo: arroz blanco con un huevo (frito a la perfeccion por supuesto!) montado -a caballo-.
Entonces, en ese mismo instante, fue cuando la iluminacion gastronomica me llego de repente---como un balde de agua en pleno carnaval! Y desde ese momento el huevo montao a caballo no fue el mismo. Yo me iba a encargar de reivindicarlo y llevarlo a la gloria culinaria. No desesperes, le suzurraba..., no sera mucho el tiempo que pase hasta que alguno de mis queridos cocineros de restaurantes en la localidad realice que te pueden servir bonito, bien vestido y sazonado como debe ser! Y el huevo con su arrocito sonrio y fue feliz, para siempre! Casi que lloro de la emocion. Y para demostrarles que no es un cuento de hadas, aqui les paso la receta. Que lo disfruten!
- by Chef Melissa
- October 24, 2005
- 2:05 pm
Return to the Top | Page 2 of 2 pages < 1 2
Links Favoritos
Panama
- Autoridad de Turismo Panamá
- Municipio de Panamá
- ETC Blog Panama
- La Prensa Web
- Presidencia de Panamá
- Panama America
Panama Food Lovers
- Anne Walker's Kalu Yala
- VaneValentine Food
- Bollo Preñao
- Blog de un Blogger
- Boquete Guide
- El Amor por la Cocina
- La Mesa de Freddo
- Cocinova
- Cocinerita - Aristóloga
- Sandy Dientes
Panama Restaurants
Personal Chefs
Latinolicious
Blogs That Cook
Comentarios
-
Paul dice en The Best From the Tropics: Organic & Fairly Traded Chocolate from Panama
Hi Melissa, as a self proclaimed chocholoic, I have a weak …
-
MÓNICA LAZCANO SANTOS dice en La Receta del Dia: Almond-Orange Pound Cake and Uchuva Sauce
UN GUSTO VISITAR TU PAGINA Y ASÍ CONOCER DE LA GASTRONOMÍA …
-
gaby dice en La Receta del Dia: Pastel de zanahoria Melissa, con cubierta de queso crema
Hola! Melissa,megusta tus recetas gracias por compartirlas
Quisiera saber la …
Archives
Recetas Deliciosas
- Holiday Cookie Exchange #2: Empanaditas de Guayaba, & Pineapple Mini Pies
- Dulces para Navidad: ‘Cake’ de guineo al ron
- La Receta del Dia: Pie de Zapallo con cubierta crocante de jengibre
- Nuestra Tradición: Flan Casero
- Best Fats and Oils for Cooking (Part II) & Coconut Shrimp Cakes
- Luscious Thai Curry Chocolate Truffles & Tamales Panamanian Style
- Ensalada de Brócoli y Tocino
- What’s cooking in my kitchen?
- Arrollado de Chocolate y Mango
- From the Tropics: Pavlova de Fresas / Strawberry Pavlova
