Roaming Foodies

New wine and tapas bar coming soon!

2010-03-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in quite awhile, and I plan to update tomorrow with some seriously yummy food and pictures. However, our big news is that within the next two weeks, John, Rick, and I are opening a wine and tapas bar here in Panajachel on Santander. We will have indoor and outdoor seating as well as a great selection of wines by the glass, the carafe, or by the bottle. Bottles are sold at practically wholesale prices, so get ready wine lovers! We also will be offering mixed beverages for you margarita types, cheap cuba libres, etc.
Keep an eye out here for more info!

Good Eats in Panajachel

2010-01-30T12:46:00.000-08:00

So, I thought a post on food that I have not cooked was in order. So, for the traveler that wants excellent eats for reasonable prices, here are some of our favorites.
Panajachel, Guatemala Lago de Atitlan
Pana is unlike most of the rest of Central America. It has a long history of ex-pats and backpackers, so you can get a huge variety of food for such a tiny town.
For the best pizza and atmosphere, I have to recommend Circus Bar. There are lots of pizza place here, but Circus Bar has a huge variety of pizza, pasta, and beverages. Unlike more tourist spots, you won't find a drink special, but you will get really amazing pizza. Plan to spend about 90Q for a large pizza (approx. $12.00), but you can have anything from anchovies to capers. Also, Circus Bar features live music most nights of the week. Typically you can hear salsa, jazz, or other Latin inspirations.
For the absolute best burgers and ribs I have had in Central America, you have to check out the Rotisserie. It is owned by Don, a Canadian who is married to a Guatemalan woman. We eat here probably every week. The burgers come either topped with anything or stuffed with blue cheese or bacon. They have amazing, huge fries. You can also grab an icecream float, a rotisserie BBQ chicken, wine, mixed drinks, beer, sandwiches...anything really. They bake their own bread. My only criticism is the bun on the burger tastes a little strange. But is the only place with a burger that is bigger than my mouth. Also, the prices are super reasonable. You can get a meal for about 25Q.
My favorite veggie/vegan option is Fuego del Lama, also called the Deli. This little green comedor is on Santander and has a sister restaurant at the end of Santander near the lake. You can get an amazing tofu or tempehh sandwich, burritos, breakfasts, pastas, or, heaven in your mouth banana curry soup. The soup is almost a desert. It is so rich and creamy you melt in your seat. Service is slow as everything is made to order, but it is well worth the wait any day. Also pick up their honey or jams for about 25Q.
For the sub lover, the place to go is Pana Meats (with the advantage that it is also next to my favorite hangout La Palapa- an outdoor sports/dance/hangout bar for the older, locals crowd). Pana Meats has US import lunchmeat (I don't know if that is always a good thing, but when you miss your roast beef...) Some of their best offerings include the Cuban, the Hot Italian, and the BBQ pork sandwich. As a southern girl, I have to say, the BBQ isn't North Carolina, but it is close enough!
One sandwich is enough to fill you up the rest of the day. Sandwiches run 20-28Q.
If you are a huge sushi fan like us, you will be very excited to find Hotel del Sol in Jucanya, about a mile across the bridge form downtown Pana. The Hotel is run by a very nice Japanese family. The hotel also offers masssage and yoga with my friend, and longtime Pana living US ex-pat Jennifer. The sushi restaurant is only open 6-8pm. We tried the tempura and sashimi plate. The sashimi melted in my mouth and was accompanied by a salad, a small potato salad, miso soup, and matcha green tea rather than the standard tea bags most people in Pana hand you. Unfortunately, since business is unpredictable, they were defrosting some pre-made tempura, but it was made in house by the grandparents. While the place wouldn't make it onto Bourdain, it is still great sushi for Central Am.
If you are feeling like you need some drink specials and comfort foods, you can always pop into Atlantis. Atlantis has a large bar, and great outdoor seating with private tables sectioned off by bamboo. Each setting features a handmade glass hanging lamp for a little mood lighting. This is one of my favorite date places with my boyfriend. Though pricey, they have good hummus, great 2 for 1 drink specials, and food options such as gnocchi, ravioli, salads, and soups. There are both meat and veggie options. And it is a relief from the sellers that plague many Pana restaurants.
Coffee!
For the absolute best coffee in town, you have to visit Mike at Crossroads. He is well-known in town and roasts in-house. Mike gets a lot of his coffee from Hue-Hue and has great stories of trying to harvest at times when the drug dealers aren't around. The coffee and marijuana fincas are in constant competition in the area. Mike is a fun and very excited New Yorker who lives just above the coffee shop with his beautiful South African wife, who makes amazing carrot cake and cheese cake, and two sweet daughters. You can also get your drip or espresso coffee to take home.
Desserts...
And now for the final course. Pana has many options for the sweet tooth. Check out Hotel Dos Mundos and say hello to Irene who makes the most fabulous cheesecakes, chocolate cakes, and so much more. They also have a great wine selection.
Just up the street, you can find a tiny bakery in front of Chinitas with ohmygod-eclaires, fresh baked breads, cakes, and lovely brownies.
You will also find a plethora of ice cream joints, a snow cone stand, and much more. But I will leave that up to you to investigate.
Next time...best eats in???

Dinner for One...or more if you wish :)

2010-01-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

Since moving to Central America, I have learned to make many things out of necessity: bagels, bread, and especially soups. In the States I took for granted things like Campbell's Soup (way back before I learned to really cook), and Trader Joe's (for quick easy lunches). Tomato soup has always been a comfort food, so it is of course on the top of my list. However, it isn't for everyone, and John would often rather pass on soups in general, but especially tomato. So, I often have made what I call "Soups for One" for a quick dinner. Here are two of my recent favorites. Note that you can always double up on this if you want leftovers or to invite a friend.

Chunky Tomato Love

Mince two cloves of garlic and begin sauteing in pan with a pat of butter or margarine.
Finely chop ¼ of a white onion and toss in with the garlic until they sweat.

Tomatoes- (For fast and easy soup, I don't even bother with steaming and peeling) Take about 4 medium sized roma tomatoes and chop into small bits; Add to the pot. Cook over Med High.
Chop up a half a handful of fresh cilantro and add to the mix.

Let all of this saute together, stirring every minute or so. After about 3 minutes, stir and add a cup of water for more broth (really I just eyeball it).

Add a dash or two of hot sauce (We love the D'Olancho hot sauce that we still have our Honduran friends bring us, but choose your favorite. You can also substitute for some powdered Chile Coban; or just let it be as is).

Let all this simmer for about 10 minutes and you are ready to eat!

Variation of Tomato Love- Creamy

Follow the same steps as above, but instead of water, add milk and turn to lower heat to avoid scalding. You should also a another pat of butter, margarine, or mantequilla for creaminess.

Mushroom and Scallion Soup

This soup resulted from having only odds and ends, an upset stomach, and a desire for comfort; This proved to be a kick-ass light meal that healed my tummy, my stuffy nose, and my soul. Also, it is vegan and veggie friendly if you sub sesame oil for the margarine.

First, chop 4-5 oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
Next, slice 1 and ½ green onions into about ½ centimeter pieces.

Mince ½ a clove of garlic.

Begin sauteeing all of the above with a pat of margarine/butter or sub in sesame oil (I don't have any or I would have used it).
If you have fresh ginger (I did not at the time), mince about 1cm of it it and add to the pot.
Otherwise, you should add a good shake of powdered ginger shortly, but we will get to that.
As soon as the garlic gets almost brown, add about 2 cups of water. Sprinkle in the powdered ginger, salt and pepper to taste, and a sprinkle of cumin.
Next, add 3tsps of soy sauce (mine was some homemade soy sauce from a friend, so you may want to use a low-sodium choice).
Stir it all up, cover, and let cook for about 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Desayunos Tipicos (Typical Breakfasts) and Variations

2010-01-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

Of all the meals in the day, breakfast is a high priority for me, especially on weekends. But the great thing about breakfast is that you can eat it anytime of day. So, I've decided to start this blog with some fun variations on the desayunos tipicos that we have had in Honduras and Guatemala.
The all time favorite of both John and I are baleadas. Baleadas are a specialty of Honduras and originate from the Garifuna people of the coast. They are basically a large pancake like flour tortilla filled with eggs, crema (mantequilla), beans, then you can choose to throw in chorizo, avacado, cheese, and hot sauce.
In Honduras, baleadas are made fresh (por supuesto), but you can also choose to do this recipe with store bought flour tortillas (use large ones).
If you don't want the hassle of a homemade tortilla, scroll down for the Quick N Easy Variation.
The Tortilla
We'll start with the traditional flour recipe as taught to me by Profe Breve in Juticalpa. There are many ways to make a baleada tortilla, but these have turned out the best for me.
Note that measurements are approximate as no one I've met down here really uses measuring devices.
Begin with about 2 cups of flour.
Add about 2tsp of salt and 2tsp of baking powder and mix it in with your hands.
Then add about a tablespoon of sugar (or less if you want them less sweet).Mix in.
(Our friends in Hondo use manteca which can be either vegetable lard or just lard. I am afraid of that, so let's use margarine instead. We can't really afford butter down here as it is an import.)
So, cube about 4tbs of margarine (which should be at room temperature) and mix into the flour with your fingers.
Slowly stir in with a fork about 1 1/2 c. of water. You don't want it to be too watered down or too dry. Just barely sticky.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until it is firm. Let it rest for about 20 minutes.
Pull off the dough and roll into small balls- about the size of a golf ball. This should make 15-20 tortillas depending on how big you have shaped them. Let them rest again for about 20 minutes.
Now for the tricky part.
To shape the tortilla, it is usually done by a method of patting it between two hands; however, for a beginner, this is ridiculously difficult unless you have someone showing you. So, what I recommend, is get out a round plate that is about 6" or more (depending on the size you want your tortilla). Oil up the plate and smooth out the tortilla to the shape of the plate.
Next, you want to put the tortilla onto a REALLY hot pan. Here we use a comal (usually a metal or clay round dish that goes over a hot wood fire). However, at home you can put it in your frying pan.
It should start to puff up and bubble. Flip it with your fingers, carefully, so it is lightly browned on both sides.
Then put in on a plate and cover with a cloth while you do the rest.
And now, the good stuff.
The Stuffing
If you are making your own tortillas, you should get your chorizo started while the dough is rising. Chorizo here usually comes in fun little links wrapped with string. I go for the spicy and squish it out of its wrapping so that it looks like ground sausage. Then, sautee.
If you want to skip the sausage, go for the eggs and beans.
Eggs.
My way of making eggs for the baleada is simple, but yummy. This is for about 2-3 baleadas, so double if you need to.
First, mince 2 garlic cloves.
Next, whisk together 4 eggs, a splash of milk and a shake of paprika. Add salt and pepper.
Sautee the garlic on med-high heat, but be careful not to let it burn.
Pour in the eggs. Make small slits with the spatula as it cooks to let the wet egg flow down.
Once the bottom is brown, you can fold it over omlette style to let it finish cooking.
Beans
The beans for baleadas are traditionally red beans, not black. If you don't know how to make beans, you will soon as John and I will post our favorite bean making styles. However, you can always sub in premade refried beans.
If you have whole beans, put them into the pan, and smash them in the pan. I have a handy round wooden pestle that is about the diameter of the palm of my hand that I use. You can add a little water to them so they can adhere. You want about two spoonfuls to put into each baleada.
Cheese
The cheese we usually use here is locally made. My favorites are the soft, salty cheeses or the quesillo which is sort of like mozzarella. However, you can use whatever is your favorite for where you live. Cheddar may overwhelm the dish though.
Filling the Tortillas
If you are using homemade tortillas, sprinkle into the middle the cheese, spoon on top the beans, eggs, and chorizo if using it. Then, if you are in Latin America or can find it in a local store, mantequilla is an amazing addition, along with your favorite hot sauce.

Quick-N-Easy Method
Our variation on this recipe is using the store bought flour tortilla, filling it with your choice of eggs, beans, and cheese, then folding it over and pan frying it. Add in some sliced aguacate for some extra flavor.

Next up... fritadas and empanadas!