Our Travel Blog
I had no idea what to expect from my 3 night sailing adventure in San Blas. I hoped the weather would be fair and the snorkeling good. This was something new that I hadn't yet experienced in Panama.
Well, we did it again. The 5th Saturday Supper Club met last Saturday, the theme this time was SPAIN and we had a fabulous meal! We all choose a course and everything really complimented well.
Starters were by Jane-Elizabeth and Judd: spinach empanadas and cheese straws. The dough for the empanadas was very thin and light, not at all overpowering the fillings. Margaret...
I remember a quote that goes something like 'always take your diary when you travel. You never know when you will need something great to read.'
How do you choose a book to read when you are traveling?
My sister used to be a librarian, so I ask her to find me a list of books about the destination. This is not travel guides, but fiction or non-fiction, that has to do with the place. I...
You should never be without a good book while traveling. One never knows what one's traveling companions might be like, so at least with a book, you have something to retreat to after dinner. However, this group was so wonderful and we were all so chatty you didn't want to leave the table!
Books we are all reading
Dinner was at the restaurant at Miraflores Locks. This is the first of three locks from Pacific to Atlantic. They are Miraflores, Pedro Miguel and Gatun Locks. Miraflores, being the closest to Panama City, has a lovely visitors center, well worth a visit. The center houses a museum, snack bar, gift shop and a dining room with a view like no other in the world. We reserved a table on the outdoor...
The Three Sisters Cooking school with Chef Glenn Gamboa
Tomas Garcia – pioneer organic farmer in El Valle. This is an inspirational moment, when you meet someone, who with one hectare (2.5 acres) grows enough fruits, vegetables, herbs, and fish to feed not only his own family but he provides same for many of the restaurants, inns, and families in the area. Tomas has been using organic practice for over 30 years and back then, people thought he...
In the village of El Valle, we visited the market, an organic farm, and then learned how to cook Panamanian sytle. Our guide through this taste day was Reinhild Gamboa, a German-American who moved with her husband, Chef Glenn Gamboa, to El Valle along with the Three Sisters, their Vietnamese pot bellied pigs. We started at the market where we saw a lot of interesting veggies that we didn't...
We ran into Frank Gruber yesterday, while stopping at Bruschetta's restaurant in El Valle, Panama. His bicycle was parked on the street, it's wooden container advertising "Gruber's Jungle Oil". I turned around to survey the sidewalk cafe where we were sitting. I had no problem recognizing him. He is a striking man; tall, lean and strong with a handsome face.
Frank was born...
Come on down! There are currently no volcanoes spewing ash in the Central American skies. Reconsider your European vacation and visit Panama, Belize, Guatemala or any of the other places we feature!
Jean & I visited Chaa Creek in the fall of 2009. Boy, had it changed since I was there in the early 90's - back then it was a few thatched huts and outdoor deck / restaurant set on the banks of the Macal River. Of course the location hasn't changed! But there's tons more cabanas, an infinity pool that looks like it could be at a luxurious resort (which actually Chaa Creek is now), a proper...
Even though I live in Texas, it has been too cold to sit outside. This is the coldest and longest winter I can remember in Texas. I realize cold is a relative term and I don't envy anyone who lives on the East Coast and had to deal with so much snow these past few months. Although beautiful, it is too much for me to handle.
Last night we inaugurated the 5th Saturday Supper Club. We are 4 couples and there are always 4 5th Saturdays per year. The host gets to invite another couple so we have 10 people and the only rule is in the title, it falls on the 5th Saturday. OK - last night was not the 5th Saturday but everyone was busy that weekend, so we broke the only rule! However it was worth the wait!
Chef Diana Temple, owner & founder of Diana's Creative Catering of Malibu, visited Charlie Collins Cooking School December 2009. Her photographer husband Brian, took all these great photos. Here's her report:
What a tremendous opportunity to come across a cooking class in Boquete. I booked the class not even knowing about the chef, Charlie Collins. As a caterer in California, the...
FIND THE BEST WAY TO TOUR THE ISLANDS
What is the best time to visit the Galapagos?
The islands have a subtropical climate with two main seasons. The land and sea temperatures are affected by currents such as the cold Humboldt and the warmer El Nino. Each season provides an array of activities from snorkeling to watching mating rituals.
The Warm Season (December - May)
This is the...
Did you hear him mention ‘leche de tigre’? This is drinking the remaining liquid from cerviche, taken for curing a hangover!
The fish market was built by the Japanese – apparently had something to do with pre-payment for some canal transits!
Now, Isla Grande – this puzzled me as to why Anthony Bourdain chose to go there and who recommended it to him. We just visited in...
Back to the cookbooks - I just picked a few off my shelf to talk about -
1. The 100 Best Tapas - these are very simple recipes and all are listed in English and Spanish and there is a picture for each one! Did you know that Tortillas in Spain are an omlette/potato item? Here in Texas a tortilla is a bread substitute and we joke that we can go for days eating everything in a tortilla and...
Somehow I started collecting aprons. I was traveling in Spain a few years back and saw flamenco style aprons and bought all that I could find and gave them as Christmas presents along with a cookbook "The 100 Best Tapas". Of course I had to keep one for myself and that started what turned into a collection.
My most recent addition is from the Chef Charlie Collins Cooking School....
Angostino Cervice with Aji Amarillo and cilantro
Sweet Corn Seren with organic chicken Ropa Vieja
Grilled diver Scallops, Onion Carbonara with Berare's Guava Smoked Bacon
Boquete Oyster Mushroom Capuccino with Porcini oil foam (YUM)
Trout Pave with Rockshrimp cornbread pudding with caper sauce
Assiette of Zinfandel poached Tree Tomato, Farmer Cheese and Naranjilla Sorbet
Pam turned us on to Key West. This is our 3rd trip there to coincide with the Key West Holiday parade. We assume our position on the sidewalk in front of our favorite B&B, The Mermaid & The Alligator, and watch the holiday revelers pass by. Candy and beads are thrown from the floats bedecked with colored lights, church groups parade side by side with drag queens, cool cars, pirates and...
Boquete is a sweet little town in the highlands of Panama. The climate is cool, people friendly, and it has recently been known as the best place to retire or own a second home. But to me Boquete means coffee. While Panama grows only a small percentage of the world's coffee, they grow the world's finest. For 5 of the last 9 years, the number 1 coffee in the world has been grown in this small...
While reading about the climate talks in Copenhagen, I realize how fortunate I am to have traveled to a number of places where rainforest is protected. JB Journeys is proud to offer travel opportunities to several of the world's most rich areas in biodiversity. A few examples:
Machaca Hill Rainforest Canopy Lodge is an outpost in what is still considered 'wild Belize'. While we had read about the place and seen photos but none do justice to it. We have arrived at the end of the rainbow!
What words describe it? Pristine, untouched, tranquil, this is a true rainforest experience. And yet it is also the most luxurious rainforest lodge I have seen.
For those who want the...
November 2009
We rented a car in BZE and drove about 1 hour to the north to Orange Walk and then turned on a dirt/ caliche road through the farming Mennonite area. We passed about 15-20 buggies and wondered where are they all going? The carts have no lights only reflectors and as it was getting dark it was a bit scary. TIP: Decided it was best not drive to Lamanai Outpost Lodge. Take the...
I read a headline today that was all good news! 'Coffee brims with health benefits, researchers say'. Finally. I've known this for years and I am glad to see that medical science has come around.
Coffee
Girls Weekends rock!
Cindy Lou and I spent 4 fab nights in San Miguel de Allende this October. We helped stimulate the local economy by eating our way through the town! First was the market, where I bought fresh huitlicoche (corn fungus) and blue corn gorditas.
Huitlicoche is difficult to find in the states; I have bought it in a can at HEB and ordered it off the menu at Fonda...
Last weekend was the annual Goddess Weekend in the Texas Hill Country. We've been getting together for many years now and it is usually one of the highlights of the year, for a number of reasons:
1. Did I say the Texas Hill Country? Our buddy Melany has a family 'ranch' that is so peaceful and beautiful and we feel fortunate to share it with her. It's been in her family for over...
My first white water rafting excursion in Panama! I’ve been rafting in Costa Rica and Honduras - both loads of fun due to the rivers and the people that this type of activity draws. My Panamanian river of choice was the Mamoni, chosen because of it’s close proximity to Panama City (1 hours drive away) and because the day the tour operated fit my schedule.
Hi there,
I saw a program called “Man vs. Wild” on the Discovery channel last night and it was filmed in Panama with several members of my family, my father-in-law, Aseroy, and two of my brothers-in-law are on it, Erito and Ruben. They take the host Bear Grylls hunting in the jungle. I am sure they will re-run it so watch for it. The family had told me about...
Here is an excerpt from a short article in the November, 2007 Food & Wine magazine. Page 48. Warren Schwartz posted this Chef Dispatch from Nicaragua about fried plantains or "Patacones".
Chef Warren Schwartz of Whist at the Viceroy Santa Monica hotel in Los Angeles is such a travel fanatic that he has a separate menu, “Warren’s Culinary Journal,” to...
Our first nights in Kenya were spent in a “mud & dung mansion” overlooking the vast plateau eastwards towards towering Mount Kenya. Our good fortune was the result of years of collaboration with a former colleague who has built his home in the Laikipia District countryside, outside of the small village of Naro Moru. Terry and his partner Jane, opened their home to us and...
Our good friend, Chef Melissa de Leon, paid us a visit in Austin this September. She graciously offered to conduct a cooking class at the Whole Foods Market Culinary Center, “A Taste of the Tropics”. The class was well attended by 17 students eager to learn about Panamanian cuisine. Our desert hour was graced with special appearance by members of “Folklore y Ritmo de Panam...
I found this informative article: “Did Your Shopping List Kill a Songbird?” by Bridget Stutchbury, published March 30, 2008, Woodbridge, Ontario.
Ms. Strutchbury urges consumer to buy organic coffee and bananas from Latin America, and describes the impact of doing so. It’s such a minor adjustment to our buying habits, and one we should all immediately incorporate in our...
