Chocolate Contest Revisit
February/19/08 10:14
So I didn't post the photo of the entry and the recipe
on February 15. My bad. We made a yummy buttery toffee
with a chocolate nib and almond base and a chocolate
glaze and a sprinkling of the nibs and almonds on top.
We didn't win, but the contest overall was a huge
success. I had the location wrong. It was held at Hotel
Limbo on Isla Colon. Hotel Limbo bent over backwards to
support the contest and Cerutti and Family Chocolate.
There were 28 entries and over 200 people showed up to
taste the delicious entries. JoEllen Jeffers was this
year's winner for a second time. She won the first time
two years ago. Congratulations to JoEllen and to the
Cerrutti's for another great turnout.
Valentine's Day Chocolate Recipe Contest
February/12/08 15:46
Cerutti and Family Chocolate is hosting its annual
contest once again this Thursday, February 14 at the
Buena Vista in Bocas Town on Isla Colon. We have been
working diligently on a new recipe that has taken its
inspiration from a variety of sources. Today alone we
have prepared the recipe twice. I think this second
version is going to be the final version. It is both
fun and interesting to develop a recipe using the
ingredients we have directly available to us. Of
course, using the finest, deepest, darkest chocolate
around makes it even better.
And yes, I have intentionally left out what we are developing as the contest is anonymous so we don't want to put any spoilers out. We will post a picture of our entry along with the recipe on Friday, February 15.
Until then - Have a Happy Valentine's Day!
And yes, I have intentionally left out what we are developing as the contest is anonymous so we don't want to put any spoilers out. We will post a picture of our entry along with the recipe on Friday, February 15.
Until then - Have a Happy Valentine's Day!
Maduros
January/28/08 13:45
Platanos maduros are
sweet and sometimes a bit tangy. They need to be really
ripe in order to have the right caramelized flavor and
delicate texture.
Traditionally they are sliced in thin strips and fried. Throughout Latin America they are cooked differently - some places bake them to eliminate the need for the oil.
Here is one way to cook them.
4 ripe dark-skinned plantains
vegetable oil
1. Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat.
2. Fully peel plantains, and cut them diagonally into approximately 1-inch wide pieces, working your way down the length of the plantain. (NOT length-wise slices).
3. Carefully place pieces of plantain in skillet.
4. Turning when necessary, fry plantains until golden brown and caramelized on the edges. The plantains will be rather soft - they're supposed to be.
5. They will be sweet - the riper the plantains, the sweeter they will be.
Traditionally they are sliced in thin strips and fried. Throughout Latin America they are cooked differently - some places bake them to eliminate the need for the oil.
Here is one way to cook them.
4 ripe dark-skinned plantains
vegetable oil
1. Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat.
2. Fully peel plantains, and cut them diagonally into approximately 1-inch wide pieces, working your way down the length of the plantain. (NOT length-wise slices).
3. Carefully place pieces of plantain in skillet.
4. Turning when necessary, fry plantains until golden brown and caramelized on the edges. The plantains will be rather soft - they're supposed to be.
5. They will be sweet - the riper the plantains, the sweeter they will be.
Green Plantains
January/23/08 11:39
Platanos verde or plantos
maduros? Each have a different flavor, both are
delicious.
Plantains are not bananas. They tend to be firmer and lower in sugar content than bananas. Plantains are almost always cooked. Bananas are actually a sub-species of the plantain. There is a full explanation of the plantain and its origins here.
Platanos verde are frequently cooked into patacones. Patacones are twice fried little tastes which are probably the Panamanian equivalent of french fries. We use them in a variety of ways. Plain as a side to a sandwich. With pico de gallo (borrowed from our friends in Mexico) as an appetizer. With cream cheese, smoked salmon and a special cilantro sauce as an appetizer. A larger version as a tostado (or base) for a delicious seafood or chicken sauce.
The easiest way to make patacones is as follows:
4 large green plantains
vegetable oil
salt
Peel the plantains and cut into 3-4 pieces. Fry in hot vegetable oil. When they are golden, take them out of the oil and pound them flat. Return them to the oil and refry for a few minutes. Remove and place on absorbant paper. Sprinkle salt to taste.
Plantains are not bananas. They tend to be firmer and lower in sugar content than bananas. Plantains are almost always cooked. Bananas are actually a sub-species of the plantain. There is a full explanation of the plantain and its origins here.
Platanos verde are frequently cooked into patacones. Patacones are twice fried little tastes which are probably the Panamanian equivalent of french fries. We use them in a variety of ways. Plain as a side to a sandwich. With pico de gallo (borrowed from our friends in Mexico) as an appetizer. With cream cheese, smoked salmon and a special cilantro sauce as an appetizer. A larger version as a tostado (or base) for a delicious seafood or chicken sauce.
The easiest way to make patacones is as follows:
4 large green plantains
vegetable oil
salt
Peel the plantains and cut into 3-4 pieces. Fry in hot vegetable oil. When they are golden, take them out of the oil and pound them flat. Return them to the oil and refry for a few minutes. Remove and place on absorbant paper. Sprinkle salt to taste.
Pixbae Bread Recipe
September/18/07 09:10
Here is the recipe for
Pixbae bread. It is a delicious and moist bread that is
tasty for breakfast. In fact I had it for breakfast
this morning and my children "taxed" me so much that I
had to go and get another piece which they again taxed.
The joys of motherhood! This bread is delicious if it
is a little on the undercooked side so it has moist
pudding like pockets - but be careful as it needs to be
cooked through. We eat it as is, or toasted with a
little butter. This recipe came originally from my
Uncle Richard's first wife, Joan. I have fond memories
of this bread growing up and eating it around the
holidays. My dad likes it toasted with butter the best.
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
12 ounces pureed pixbae (or sweet potato or pumpkin)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons water
1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees or 340 for a convection oven. Blend dry ingredients through allspice. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and pureed vegetable. Dissolve the baking soda in the water and add to the mixture. Add the chopped nuts. Pour into a large loaf pan or two small loaf pans. Bake for about one hour or until firm on the outside.
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
12 ounces pureed pixbae (or sweet potato or pumpkin)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons water
1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees or 340 for a convection oven. Blend dry ingredients through allspice. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and pureed vegetable. Dissolve the baking soda in the water and add to the mixture. Add the chopped nuts. Pour into a large loaf pan or two small loaf pans. Bake for about one hour or until firm on the outside.
Pixbae - loaded with nutrition
September/18/07 08:56
Pixbae, as Bactris
gasipaes is called here in Panama is a delicious but
somewhat difficult to cook species of palm native to
the tropical forests of the South and Central America.
You can read a ton about it here in Wikipedia. It is a mean looking
tree but it produces some delicious food. The tree
has spines on it which are like long needles and
are not something you want to encounter in a body
part. The fruit of the tree comes in season once a
year. The natives cook it in boiling salted water
and then use it like a potato. We have taken
things to the next level. We take the fruit, cook
it in the boiling salted water, and then peel it
and puree it. Once pureed, we use it as you would
use sweet potato or pumpkin. We have made a pie,
ice cream, salad, and a delicious bread. When one
of the trees falls, we take advantage of it and
use the heart of the palm in salads. Yummy! Here
is the link for the bread we make
here at Tranquilo Bay.
Molten Chocolate Cake Recipe
September/08/07 11:17
Here is the recipe for Molten Chocolate Cake that we
serve at Tranquilo Bay. We make it using
our friend's Dave & Linda's delicious organic
chocolate. I think it is my favorite chocolate
cake as you really get to taste the chocolate. Use
the highest cacao content chocolate that you can
find. This recipe has plenty of butter in it to
compensate for the dryness of the high cacao
content chocolate.
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup sugar
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
1. Preheat the oven to 400 (360 convection oven) degrees. In a saucepan, bring ½ inch of water to a simmer. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over the saucepan until the chocolate is melted. Stir; remove from the heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix the flour and sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the flour and sugar, then stir in the melted chocolate until combined. Scrape into six six ounce ramekins. Bake for about 12 minutes until the edges are firm and the center is still runny. Serve the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center while still warm.
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup sugar
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
1. Preheat the oven to 400 (360 convection oven) degrees. In a saucepan, bring ½ inch of water to a simmer. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over the saucepan until the chocolate is melted. Stir; remove from the heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix the flour and sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the flour and sugar, then stir in the melted chocolate until combined. Scrape into six six ounce ramekins. Bake for about 12 minutes until the edges are firm and the center is still runny. Serve the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center while still warm.
food of the gods
August/12/07 22:31
We have some good friends here in Bocas del Toro who
own and graciously operate an organic chocolate farm.
They intended to retire here and tend a garden, but I
am quite certain neither Dave nor Linda ever expected
to be seriously into chocolate. And oh my is it good
chocolate. Nothing like you have ever tasted. I have
always been addicted to chocolate, but this stuff could
make even the strongest weak.
What do you know about chocolate? Did you know that at one time it was traded as currency. Did you know it was used for its medicinal properties. It has been considered as a food for the gods. The main ingredient in cocoa and chocolate is cacao.
Cacao beans grow within the fruit pod of the cacao tree. Cacao trees grow only in tropical climates and almost always within twenty degrees of the equator. Panama is at 9 degrees - perfect for cacao farming. Cacao trees develop better under a canopy of taller trees. There is a slippery membrane that encases the beans inside the pod. This membrane tastes similar to a sweet tart candy.
Cacao beans are removed from this membrane and then allowed to ferment to begin the development of the chocolate flavor. Once fermented, our local organic beans are placed in the sun to dry. Larger bulk chocolate production uses another method for drying the beans. Once dry, the beans are then roasted. Roasting cracks the beans a bit into small pieces - the resulting nut is called a chocolate nib. Chocolate nibs go through a process similar to grinding called conching which transforms the nibs into a liquid. This liquid is chocolate liquor.
Commercial chocolate production continues on with additional processes which add sugar, milk and other ingredients. The chocolate is tempered to develop its sheen and then placed into molds and wrapped. Our friend's artisan organic chocolate is processed a bit further into either bittersweet chocolate bars or unsweetened chocolate for baking, etc.
Here is a photo gallery of our friends' farm. I bet you can just taste it now. Here is the link for a great chocolate recipe.
What do you know about chocolate? Did you know that at one time it was traded as currency. Did you know it was used for its medicinal properties. It has been considered as a food for the gods. The main ingredient in cocoa and chocolate is cacao.
Cacao beans grow within the fruit pod of the cacao tree. Cacao trees grow only in tropical climates and almost always within twenty degrees of the equator. Panama is at 9 degrees - perfect for cacao farming. Cacao trees develop better under a canopy of taller trees. There is a slippery membrane that encases the beans inside the pod. This membrane tastes similar to a sweet tart candy.
Cacao beans are removed from this membrane and then allowed to ferment to begin the development of the chocolate flavor. Once fermented, our local organic beans are placed in the sun to dry. Larger bulk chocolate production uses another method for drying the beans. Once dry, the beans are then roasted. Roasting cracks the beans a bit into small pieces - the resulting nut is called a chocolate nib. Chocolate nibs go through a process similar to grinding called conching which transforms the nibs into a liquid. This liquid is chocolate liquor.
Commercial chocolate production continues on with additional processes which add sugar, milk and other ingredients. The chocolate is tempered to develop its sheen and then placed into molds and wrapped. Our friend's artisan organic chocolate is processed a bit further into either bittersweet chocolate bars or unsweetened chocolate for baking, etc.
Here is a photo gallery of our friends' farm. I bet you can just taste it now. Here is the link for a great chocolate recipe.