CookingDiva

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

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Dearest friends and visitors, I think it is time for you to know something about moi. Something I have tried to conceal, hidden very close to my heart drawer of likes and dislikes. I want to confess it to you today. Can not wait any longer because the anguish is not good for the body or soul :(

I am crazy about carpaccio! I love raw foods and quasi raw foods. That's what I always look for first in a menu! That's how you get all the nutrients and vitamins from food, in their natural state!

BUT, when it comes to fried eggs, I want them well done. That is the only exception I guess...No runny eggs for me, ...ughhh...yikes!!!

Now that the truth is out, AND if you are a  carpaccio fan like me, keep reading to find  one of the most delicious ways to prepare this delicacy!

CARPACCIO DE BUEY (BEEF CARPACCIO) served on a bed of baby greens with balsamic and olive oil).  Serves 4

• 1 lb. beef, tenderloin (filete)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp drained capers, rinsed, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• baby greens
• balsamic vinegar and olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, add: vinegar, garlic, capers, onion, parsley, oregano and Dijon mustard. Process until smooth, while slowly adding the 5 tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Season tenderloin with salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large fry pan or grill, over high heat add a little oil and sear tenderloin on each side for 10 seconds. Remove from heat and roll in marinade. Set aside and allow to cool. Wrap marinaded beef in plastic wrap, sealing ends to secure a cylindrical shape. Refrigerate from 1 to 3 hours.

To assemble:

Remove the plastic wrap from beef tenderloin with marinade and slice thinly, no thicker than 1/16 inch. Place on serving plate and top with baby greens. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top and decorate with Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Melissa

Tags: carpaccio, beef, cookingdiva, chef, panama, recipe

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My dearest friend, Beau, from "BasicJuice" tagged me for a great meme: The Ten Buck Gem, and to tell you the truth I couldn't resist!It was a delicious coincidence that yesterday was the first day of the two day wine event at my favorite wine store in Panama City, Felipe Motta Wine Store. You can take a look at the invitation here. You would be amazed of how many great gems you could get for $10 or less here!

Just to make sure I was going to write about and cook something delicious with a wine that Beau had not reviewed, I went through her list of South American vinos, and was thrilled NOT to find the one I had in mind.

We chefs have the eye to find other chefs, so...the first person I recognized at the event was my friend and colleague Rafael Julio Ciniglio, from the "Vino Club" and Trattoria de America. I didn't purchase the $20 passport that allowed me to taste all the wines, ... because I was driving and had to cook lots once home. So I had to make sure I returned in one piece and with all the wine and specialty meats and dessert ingredients! BUT, we are planning to go back there today, purchase a $20 passport and enjoy!

I talked to many of the vendors from all over the world and specially had a long and educational conversation with Paula Hernandez, the On-trade Manager L.A. for Concha y Toro from beautiful Chile. Did you know they have a new line called TRIO? I tried them sometime ago when I first saw them at the shop, ...I am always after trying a new wine and better if it comes with a beautiful label.

So, yesterday I purchased one of each TRIO variety wines and finally decided to feature the Trio Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Cabernet Franc 15%, and Shiraz 15%. The price for each variety is $6.95 per bottle. Nice.

South America is one place I love, one of the reasons is because we share the same blood. Once we were part of the same -country-: La Gran Colombia (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama y Granada). Now, we are all over the place, but we still share the same blood and the love for food. That is why you sometimes find the same type of dishes with variations from north to south.

Today, the fantastic wine we are featuring is from Chile, a perfect member of the $10 buck gem society. So, in honor to the country of origin, I am preparing "Empanadas Chilenas" with chimichurri sauce from Argentina. Empanadas are perhaps, one of the dishes persistent in the diets of most of the South American countries, including Argentina, Chile, Brasil, Colombia and Panama. In every country you will find variations in the ingredients list of the filling and the method of cooking. Some of them are baked, others are fried. In general, "empanada" is a Spanish term meaning pie or turnover. It is used in referring to the final filled culinary creation. These flaky meat pies are a much loved snack. Although they can be filled with anything from fish to fruit, a meat filling is most common.

Why does this wine go perfectly with my empanadas?  Well, we needed a wine that could stand up to the body of this dish that consists of almost 90% seasoned meat. For this reason I recommend, the one TRIO with a solid structure to the palate, combining Cabernet Sauvignon and the Shiraz that has fruity touches blended magicaly with earthy aromas. Its smooth and ample tannins marry perfectly with the multiple tastes of the queen empanada.

Now, la receta deliciosa!

Empanadas Chilenas con Salsa Chimichurri

Prep. Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8-10 large empanadas
Ingredients for the dough (**See TIP below):

Place in a large bowl or food processor:

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix with a fork or pulse until combined. Then add:

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces

  Cut the butter add shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If using the food processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Then, drizzle over the top:

• 11-14 tablespoons ice water

  Mix gently with a fork until the flour mixture is dampened enough to gather into a ball. Shape into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 min.

  (**)TIP: To save time you can purchase "frozen pie crusts" and use it to make the empanadas dough. You can also use canned refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, or my favorite PUFF PASTRY dough. In any case follow directions to shape empanadas - below.

Ingredients for the filling: Heat in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

  Add:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

  Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in:

• 1 pound lean ground beef

  Cook until the beef is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in:

• 1 cup diced peeled potatoes
• 1 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins or chopped prunes (optional)
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 

  Cook covered, over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. ncover the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook briefly stirring constantly to evaporate any pan juices. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
  Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.

To Shape Empanadas:
Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly fluored surface. Make sure that is thin, it makes for a better empanadas. Cut 6 inch rounds from the dough (you'll have to re-roll the scraps to get the 10-12 rounds). The plastic top from a #3 coffee can makes a good cutter. Right away spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling onto one side of each round. Moisten the edges of the rounds with water, fold each round in half, and press the edges together to completely enclose the filling. Press the tines of a fork around the perimeter of the empanada to decoratively seal the edges. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Brush the following mixture over the tops of the empanadas:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• pinch of salt

  Bake until nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on a rack and serve warm.
  ***If you're using canned refrigerated buttermilk biscuits: separate dough into 8 biscuits. Press or roll each to form 5" rounds. Spoon 3 slightly rounded tablespoons meat mixture in center of each round. Fold dough over filling; press edges with fork to seal. Place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg. BAKE at 375 F for 11 to 16 minuts or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

  For the Chimichurri Sauce, whisk together throughly in a small bowl:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

  Stir in:

• 1 small onion
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 4 cloves garlic, finelly chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste

  Cover and let stand fro 2-3 hours before serving to allow the flavors to mature.
  This sauce will keep for up to 2 days (covered and refrigerated).

Que lo disfruten!

Chef Melissa

Tags: wine, cookingdiva, empanadas, panama, chef

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