Okay, so I’ve been on this huge cooking kick lately, and I decided to dive headfirst into Panamanian cuisine. I’ve always been fascinated by the mix of cultures in Panama, and I figured the food would be just as interesting. I started with the idea of creating a “Salomas Panamanian Cuisine Menu,” a little project to document my culinary adventure.
First, I did some digging online. I needed to know the basics, the staples. I’m no expert, just someone playing around in their kitchen, so I gotta start somewhere, right?
I started to put a list of dishes together. And this is my first simple “menu”：
Salomas Panamanian Cuisine(very first try!)
- Sancocho: Gotta have it. It’s like the Panamanian soup.
- Ropa Vieja: I’ve had the Cuban version, excited to try Panama’s.
- Arroz con Guandu: Rice and pigeon peas… sounds simple, but I bet it’s delicious.
- Carimañolas: Yucca fritters? Yes, please!
- Hojaldras: Fried bread, sounds perfect for breakfast.
- Plantains: In every form possible. Seriously, they’re in everything!
Then, I start preparing the dishes.
I started with Sancocho. I chopped up some chicken, and a bunch of root vegetables. I threw it all in a pot with some culantro, oregano and let it simmer for hours. The smell filled my whole kitchen! It was amazing, though I think I put a bit too much salt. Gotta watch that next time.
Next up was the Ropa Vieja.
I found a recipe that used beef. I browned it and let it cooked slowly. And it looked delicious.
This one took forever, but was well worth the wait!
It was amazing, though I should have done more practice before the slow cook.
Next is Arroz con Guandu.
I found some frozen Guandu and cooked it with some sofrito and rice. It was simple and surprisingly tasty.
I messed up the rice-to-water ratio on my first try and it came out a bit mushy, but I nailed it on the second attempt.
Carimañolas, these were fun!
I boiled the yucca until it was soft, mashed it, and filled it with some seasoned ground beef. Then, I carefully shaped them into little logs and deep-fried them until golden brown.
They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside – pure comfort food. The shaping was a bit tricky; I made a mess at first. But hey, that’s part of the fun!
Hojaldras, I have to do it next time.
I’m planning to make them this weekend, so they’re still on my to-do list.
And then I try to make Plantains!
I fried some ripe plantains – those were sweet and caramelized. I also mashed some green plantains and fried them to make.
Honestly, I could eat plantains every day. They’re so versatile.
I burned the first batch of tostones, but I learned quickly.
So, that’s where I’m at with my “Salomas Panamanian Cuisine Menu” project. It’s very basic, and I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m having a blast learning and experimenting. I can’t wait to try more recipes and share my progress. Cooking should be fun, right? Even when you mess up, you learn something. And you get to eat something delicious in the end!
