Carolyn Tillie

Wolfert's method is to submerge them in milk and slowly heat the milk. I've done it -- it works...

I've flow to-and-from Panama twice in the past six weeks. While there is a hot food offering on both Taco and Copa, I have been less than thrilled with it and have now taken to bringing a boxed charcuterie plate with me; cured meats, a few cornichons and olives, a couple of hunks of cheese, some crackers or bread, and fruit. Perfect.

Not a liqueur, but Solutions sells a Green Tea Extract which might work.

I used to work at Ladera and can recommend them highly (obviously). But a day atop Howell Mountain will give you some amazing wines to taste: O'Shaughnessy, Neal, Outpost, Lamborn, et al were all favorites of mine during my tenure. Howell Mountain in general is getting lots of buzz and high ratings. The drive up is scrumptious and there are a number of wineries that will let you picnic on their grounds (no eating places up there to speak of).

All these responses brought back something I had completely forgotten about... When I was four or five, my sister taught me to macrame (it was quite the late '60s/early '70s thing to do). On a road trip to Oregon, I asked my folks to buy me some red vines (the long, thin kind) and gumdrops. I would macrame the red vines and using a toothpick, use the gumdrops as beads. Makes me want to try again, just to take a picture...

For your peaches, you might want to consider something I did with apricots... I shredded a large hand of ginger and macerated it with ginger brandy which was added with a dozen pounds of apricots. I don't see why peach/ginger wouldn't be just as lovely as apricot/ginger and it has been a great base for poultry as well as a charming condiment for scones. I am also reminded of a company that used to sell at the Renaissance Faire called Creature Confits. They made the most amazing Blackberry Cabernet, Plum Brandy, and Cherry Armangac jellies. I really miss them and am curious where they went...

Our final meal at The Wine Bar proved quite interesting. It did NOT have 1,000 different wines to choose from, as had been reported; more like 75 to 100, but still more than I've seen in most restaurants in Panama. What it did have which proved quite interesting was charcuterie -- and expensive charcuterie at that. We ordered a fettuccine alfredo for the table which was perfectly adequate but hardly more, plus their largest meat selection and largest cheese selection, both around $27 a plate. The meats were coppa, prosciutto, and salami and for $27, we probably got close to a pound of meat. There were four cheeses; one sheep's milk, an emanthaler swiss, a compte, and a hard Italian cheese which escapes me. There were two large hunks of each kind; again, probably a pound's worth of cheese. The cheese plate was served with half-a-dozen olives (martini olives!?!), half-a-dozen grapes, and a handful of walnuts. I think I may have to open a gourmet grocery store in Panama... The restaurant was swamped and definitely charging the high-end prices that normally only tourists pay ($12 to $25 an entree, which is hardly the norm). I did see a handful of additional restaurants that I'm anxious to try and will do so and report back after our next trip.

Welcome to eG. Regarding The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover and La Grande Bouffe; both are on DVD (I own both, so I know), they are simply not part of the Netflix line-up so a good local rental shop might carry them, or at least the Greenaway film which is slightly more mainstream and contemporary. You might want to look for them on eBay as well -- I'm pretty obsessive about wanting to own food movies and have acquired a number of them in that fashion.

Sitting here at the yacht club with a couple of old salts as I am reading your post. They said that the whole facility has been sold and is going to be replaced with high-rise apartments. Although it is still open, it prides itself on using the same fryer as Church's fried chicken. I hadn't heard of it and as this is our last evening here, probably won't have a chance to see it before we leave. Last night's meal at Los Bovedas was quite good; starters included escargot, a simple green salad with bacon, and ceviche. Entrees were a filet seared and served with a large portobello mushroom, a roulade of chicken with spinach, and duck confit with an orange sauce. Of all the duck confit was my favorite. On our afternoon note, having just returned from our sale to Taboga, the restaurant is called Venada. It is a hotel perched up above the cove, brightly painted a la Day of the Dead (orange, yellow, purple, green, blue). A surprisingly large, extensive menu included a whole fried corvina smothered in a rich tomato-based gravy with onions and green peppers. Their's was the best ceviche I've had on this trip. We also ordered a odd salad described as composed with chicken, pototato, apple, and celery with white sauce. It was nothing more really than a Waldorf salad with chicken. Two large pizzas were also ordered and to me these were the least successful, rather thin and flimsy but after a day of sailing, satisfying. While driving out to Flamenco Island yesterday we passed a newly-opened causeway of restaurants including one enticingly called The Wine Bar. The old salts told me that the one on Flamenco was the second and has the "best French-style steak, 1,000 bottles, and great cheese." Apparently it is also owned and operated by Chef Willy Diggleman who, I've been told, has a Panamanian cooking show! Should be fascinating...

Drove out to Flamenco island to check out development; surprisingly lots of construction with a disappointly huge amount of empty shops. Most of the restaurants out there are empty as well, save one; the Buckaneer which was teeming with tourists. Their Planters Punch punched quite a whollop and we ordered two appetizers; a sampler plate with fried miniature shrimp, mozzarella fingers, clams in some weird tomato-like sauce, fried plantains made like pizza slices with melted cheese and pepperoni, fried calamari, and a few additional items I could not determine. This, along with a mixed ceviche was the afternoon stomach ache... all this food was barely edible. The ceviche was served in nestled dish -- one would think they would nestle it in crushed ice but instead, there was this disgustingly artificial green liquid, reminiscent of creme de menthe. Beyond unappetizing and a waste of a visit. Off to Las Bovedas for dinner...

Actually, that was Vinobiondo who recommended Ten Bistro. Glad you enjoyed it. Hotel DeVille looks like a big step up from anything you could find in Caledonia. Calle 50 is a much nicer area. Nikko's cafes are great for good, solid, inexpensive food. The owner used to have only one restaurant on Via España, but he was awarded the contract to feed the thousands of Cuban refugees who were housed in the camps on the western side of the canal during 1994. With those profits, he built 2 more restaurants. My personal favorite is the one in Balboa. ← You are right -- I'm not paying attention... The whole reason to stay in Calidonia is that the Monaco Hotel is $15 a night which is good for a few days' worth of business in the area. Even though it only costs a dollar or two to get across town in a taxi, I don't mind a few nights in a really cheap hotel to save expenses and then be able to splurge a bit later. We did eat again at Ten Bistro last evening, three of us sharing the lentil soup, the garlic scallops, and a beef and foie gras spring roll for starters. Entrees included a sole with spinach, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes, beef Indochine with sauteed spinach and a spicy soy/miso glaze and large, fresh wild shiitakes, and pork tenderloin with balsamic glaze, capers, and green olives. As before, service was exquisite. Writing this while chomping down a hotdog at the yacht club and arranging for a boat provision for a sale to Taboga tomorrow. Apparently there is a Meditteranean restaurant on Taboga run by two Russian women so that will prove to be an interesting report upon our return...

I was always curious about the flavor of the jackalope... Would it taste like chicken, or have a more gamier taste?

Quick check-in from Panama... Great call on Ten Bistro, Beto! We started with lunch at Dos Mares where I had four huge langostino covered with chunks of garlic and fries on the side for $6.00. But you are right, Ten Bistro is an amazing restaurant. The decor is odd with its austere, modern geometry, white everywhere, and orage lights and accents. A few minor mishaps such as ordering three different wines they were out of, and some tough meat. For starters, we ordered an onion soup served with a crouton of duck and foie gras and roasted scallops on a garlic puree. The entrees included a veal tortellini and osso buco with wild mushrooms. In the case of the onion soup, the duck meat was slightly tough but the combination of flavors made up for it. The osso buco suffered a similar problem as it was obviously overcooked but the surrounding sauces and gremolata made for stunning flavors. Being so impressed with the atmosphere and service, the following day we checked out of our hotel near Caledonia and checked into the Hotel de Ville. Sitting here now, from room service I ordered two appetizers for our lunch; a creamy, white lentil soup studded with three large shrimp and four slices of house-made French sausage and the chef's version of tuna tartare, the marinade seasoned with soy, miso, sesame, cracked coriander, and pepper. We have already made reservations to return to the restaurant with a client on Thursday and staying through Sunday, I'm sure I'll have many additional reports!

Right you are. Las Bovedas (the vaults) were for storing valuables awaiting shipment to Spain as well as confining prisoners. Carolyn, did you get a chance to eat at Pizzeria Napoli? They have a wood-fired oven and it's some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. I've never been here, but it sounds intriguing. I need to get back to Panama for a visit. ← Thanks, Beto -- I did not get to Pizzeria Napoli but the general heat and humidity made pizza low on my interest list during my last visit. I'll be back in Panama on Tuesday for a week and will provide a more detailed eating itinerary. Your link looks interesting as well... we'll see how much I can get to again, but I've already been asked for a return visit to Los Bovedas just for the atmosphere!

Hmmmm... can I come to the party? I've had two Ridge from the 70s that were spectacular. And there is no reason to believe the Markhams haven't held up as well. I guess your Grgich chard is the questionable one as most chards don't necessarily hold up that long, although I was drinking Woltner chards from the 70s and 80s which I quite enjoyed. Please report back and let us know, but I have a feeling the Ridge wines will be the winners.

Not Carrie, but Nellie's is on 3rd, in the warehouse area in West Oakland. There's nothing around there at all. The great thing about the area is that even if the parking lot is full it's easy to get street parking. ← Thanks, Peg! I can almost taste those sweet potatoes now...

An extensively long day out started at the bar at the W [181 Third Street, San Francisco, 94103 - (415) 777-5300] -- just nibbling their chicken liver mousse was quite appetizing. They serve it with very thin, crispy toasts and topped with slivered cornichons and pickled shallots. I have had a pizza here before at the bar and always enjoy their offerings, thinking I should come back to the hotel. The first of a long-day of Gimlets and Sidecars... Then a stop at Murphy's [217 Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA 94108]. The bartender didn't know how to make a Sidecar and their Gimlets are VERY tart. We had stopped in here before as well and enjoyed their fish-and-chips, but not serving anything other than fried bar food prevented me from wanting to further that adventure. Another bar-hop found us at Azul [1 Tillman pl, San Francisco, 94108 - (415) 362-9750] which is located in an alley and always intrigued me. It is next door to a small bistro named Zaza and while the bar does not serve food, apparently Azul gets take-out from Zaza. I stopped in and chatted with the chef and lamented that it didn't open for another hour or so as my appetite was building. Oh yeah, just martinis at Azul as it was now happy-hour... Wandering around the corner and hunger building, we stopped in at Campton Place. Still too early to dine at the restaurant, I was satisfied with their torchon of foie gras from the bar menu -- served with large, brioche toast, a heavily-salted pile of micro-greens, and housemade quince paste. Coupled with my Green Tea Pear Martini, it was perfect. Business prevailed necessitated a hurried decampment. The sun setting and the wind kicking up, hot food was needed. We hopped on one of the antique streetcars and headed towards the Castro, an area I need to explore more extensively. A local reference directed us to 2223 [2223 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 431-0692] and our final stop. A great Sidecar and great Gimlet and even better food. I ordered a simple flank steak with a sherry sauce which was accompanied by sauteed spinach and portobello mushrooms and a mushroom bread pudding. Kevin ordered an appetizer but served well as a main course, fried calamari served atop greens. What propelled this dish was their version of cocktail and tartare sauce, with a Moroccan flair spiced with cumin and coriander. Also, the calimari were perfectly fried with not a speck of grease and incredibly tender. To put it simply, while essentially comfort food, we were bowled over with the quality of the meal. In chatting with the bartender, he was pleased with our compliments as it was the chef's night off so the kitchen was performing more than admirably. But more importantly, heartily suggesting we return for what is apparently known in the neighborhood as a most remarkable Sunday brunch. In handing us the menu and seeing homemade corned beef hash, we will definitely be going back -- hopefully this very weekend.

I was also a big fan and would make a point of driving to the Encinitas store before my parents passed away. I had forgotten about them so I appreciate the great memories!

I go to Nellie's in Oakland...

I had a Green Tea Peach Martini at Campton Place just last evening... Quite nice! I don't have an exact recipe, but the description included Fris Vodka (I thought Pear flavored, but there is nothing like that on their website), green tea in some flavor component, and pear juice. They floated a thin sliver of dried pear on top and all was quite nice.

David, I gotta agree... When I lived in SoCal, Surfas was my one-time-a-year Christmas present to myself. Yes, I could spend time surfing the 'net for the supplies, but it was great fun to give myself a budget and go to one store and peruse and choose and go home with a goodies bag. But there is nothing wholesale about it -- but it is fun to see what products they find and carry. And, the parking can be a royal pain!

I think you are right about Los Bovedas -- there was an info sheet they handed out about the history of the building, but it was in Spanish and I never had Kevin read it to me. Because it was right on the water, it probably was one of those holding cells... The hard part about the food we ate in Belize is that the bulk of what we ate there was prepared by us on our boat. What food we did eat in restaurants were far from memorable except for the locale. In Panama, now over six weeks later, what I remember most fondly was not our high-end meals in fancy restaurants but the Columbian meal we had on our last night. Nothing specifically Panamian knocked my socks off, but as it looks as though we will be travelling there every six or eight weeks, doing a lot more exploration will be quite fun. I am really looking forward to trying Ten Bistro and a few of the other high-end restaurants in Casco Viejo. I guess it is the fine line between the inexpensive tienda cuisine which makes up the bulk of what we ate last time and those formal sit-down, impress-the-tourists restaurants.

Vinobiondo, I appreciate the heads-up on Ten Bistro as I am heading back down to Panama next week and need to wine-and-dine a client. I didn't take nearly enough pictures last time and promise to next week, but two highlights I can share is the interior of Los Bovedas: and the crab that I ate there:

Throw it out...

The $35 did not include dessert -- dinner for four with two cocktails, two desserts, and a fairly decent bottle of wine cost about $230.