Mesón de Santa Cruz

1. Make sure you are buying the right vehicle for your needs.

Take into consideration the reason why you are buying a car. This seems obvious, but you could end up unhappy car owner if it doesn’t suit your requirements. If you have a large family, you might need something like a van or if you are going to be carrying stuff from one place to another a pickup could be ideal.

2. Consider the worth of your old car.

Your current car can be an important factor in your budget, especially whether you plan to trade or sell it. Check the web, local newspaper and a couple car shops in order to obtain a realistic valuation. Selling it directly instead of just trading it may also mean a substantial difference in what you get for it.

3. Decide whether used or new is best for you.

If you have the money and are looking for an impeccable car, buy new, but if you are one a tight budget, consider the fact that used cars can be a good choice since most are built better nowadays

4. Think whether leasing or buying makes more sense.

If you don’t have money for a down payment consider the fact that you may be a good candidate for a lease.

5. Negotiate in several places before making your mind.

If you are doing it yourself, get bids from several car dealers, keeping the focus price, quality and style.

Lentils are a complete dish by themselves. Besides being in expensive and delicious, they are a good source of iron (the number one ally against anemia). They also have a high content of fiber, essential for the digestive system as well as vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and selenium (which is an excellent antioxidant mineral).

Lentils are ideal for any athlete because they contain a combination of basic nutrients and energy required to carry out any form of physical activity. They also produce great satiety and satisfaction due to their abundant quantities of carbohydrates. In general they are well known for being beneficial which is why some even believe that they can help keep a good mood and avoid depression.

There are many recipes that combine the lentils with a variety of ingredients which make their consumption in a true delight. In various parts of the world they are they served accompanied by rice, achieving a perfect combination and good source of nutritional elements. Consider including them in your regular diet as it has been shown that their benefits are huge.

Beans are inexpensive, nutritious, and delicious, the complete package for the perfect meal. When combined with other elements such as pasta, they create a powerful combination of protein and fiber, substantial enough for any appetite. Buy them dry from your local market directly from producers (to assure the freshest possible beans) and store them in an airtight container away from light.

Before cooking them, rinse them carefully to remove any dirt. Soak them for several hours (preferably overnight) and then drain the beans. Now, cover them with fresh, clean water and boil them until completely tender. To add flavor, you may use garlic, onions, tomatoes and your favorite spices. Wait until they are almost ready to add the salt to the pot since cooking them in salt can give the beans a funky, rubbery texture. You will know when they are ready because of their texture which should be firm, but not mushy.

When it comes to cheeses, we prefer the natural, produced without preservatives. Create the habit of reading the labels when shopping for food and purchase only real cheeses. Avoid products labeled with the word “processed”. Also, if available, select varieties which are low in salt. They often tend be almost as flavorful and more healthy. Cheeses made from skimmed-milk are also a great option because of their lower fat content.

Hard, dry cheeses like Romano and Parmesan are generally high in salt and fat content but can be used in small quantities. These two are great for imparting a stronger flavor in foods containing pasta. We highly recommend that you purchase it in wedges, grate and store them in air-tight containers in the refrigerator. This way, you can always have them ready at hand when in the mood for pasta cooking.

Goat cheeses are less common but have a particular tasty flavor many people enjoy. When buying Feta cheese made from goat or sheep milk, remember to store it in water inside the refrigerator to maintain its freshness. In general, most cheeses once opened should be kept well packaged and refrigerated.

A kitchen well stocked with all sorts of spices and herbs can be considered a cook’s playground. These can offer a flavorful touch to all your recipes and also bolster its content of minerals and vitamins.

As a matter of fact, pasta cooks (especially those with an Italian background) have a short list of recommended herbs and spices, they are the following: oregano, basil, rosemary, parsley and nutmeg. Keep in mind that for example, flat-leaf parsley, also known as Italian parsley has a more characteristic flavor than the other types. Dried red chili flakes are also a key ingredient for hundreds of pasta recipes. Next time you visit the supermarket, remember to pick up these basic pasta enhancing elements.

If available in your local market, we recommend that you also buy other essential items such fresh cilantro (also popularly known as Chinese parsley or coriander), Black pepper, Curry powder (for those who enjoy spicy cuisine) and Cayenne pepper which provides an extra fiery taste to strong flavored dishes.

Store all dried spices and herbs in an airtight container, away from light to preserve freshness.

The varieties between different types of tea are produced by fermentation, drying or wilting. These can be classified in the following ways:

a) Pure Tea:

- Black tea: characterized by its thick body and contractility.

- Oolong Tea: soft, semi fermented and digestive.

- Red Tea: Also known as Pu Ehr. Its name comes from the red color of the infusion. It is made ​​with roasted tea leaves which are sun-dried and then matured in caves. This final process is a second form of fermentation for the leaves.

This tea has beneficial properties to the body. Some consider it an effective tool to lose weight, lower cholesterol and improve digestion.

b) Green tea: its leaves are dried and then steamed. It contains antioxidants and vitamin C. As it is never fermented, there is never any change to its chemical composition. Additionally, it has diuretic properties.

c) White Tea: is only produced in China. Its flavor is quite subtle. It has a high content of antioxidants, reason why it is sometimes also called “the beauty tea”.

d) Flavored tea: are based on any of the above teas. To these, flowers (such as rose, jasmine or lavender) oil ingredients fruit or even chocolate are added to give it original flavors.

Home made ice cream need not require expensive and heavy ice cream machines, nor do you need to take the mix out of the freezer every five minutes to stir it. If you use a custard as the basis of your ice cream, you can produce a much smoother finished product, using easily obtained ingredients (and, if you want an even smoother ice cream, add a small quantity of alcohol to the mix, that will make the ice cream smoother … and may well improve the taste as well!).

To make a basic vanilla ice cream, you need to make up a custard, heat 600ml of milk with the seeds from a vanilla pod until it is just about to boil, then remove it from the heat. Leave if for about half an hour for the vanilla to flavor the milk. Beat 6 egg yolks and 150 grams of caster (fine ground) sugar until they are light and fluffy. Pour the milk through a sieve into the egg and sugar mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed. Put the mixture into a saucepan and heat, stirring until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. When ready, cool the mixture over an ice bath (float a bowl containing the custard mix in a large bowl, containing cold water and ice). Once cool, transfer the mix to a plastic bowl and put into the freezer.

After 45 minutes, check on the ice cream and regularly after that, until you see it start to freeze around the edges. You then need to stir it vigorously with a spatula or whisk (an electric mixer is fine if you have one). Continue to check and stir the mixture every 30 minutes. It will probably take 2-3 hours to be ready.

To create a real local flavor to your ice cream, you can include crushed or blended papaya, mashed banana and manjar de leche or mashed mango. Simply add the extra ingredients while cooling the custard is cooling, stirring them thoroughly into the mix.

There is nothing better than a “sancocho” or typical chicken soup after the excesses in these days of Carnival.  In order to enjoy this Panamanian dish, you do not need to sick or hangover. Even with the hot climate of our country, it remains one of the favorite dishes of Panama.

The sancocho, one of the emblematic dishes of our cuisine, is a soup made from vegetables and meat usually chicken, prepared in many Latin American countries, though, each with its own version. It varies according to the region where it is prepared.

The typical “sancocho” or the most popular, is found in small “fondas” or little restaurants in the capital city. It orginally comes from Los Santos, and is prepared with chicken, yams, oregano and coriander, the latter being grass that differentiates it from other “sancochos”  on the rest of the continent.  The best “sancocho” soups are made slowly, first to soften the meat of the chicken and then to crumble the yam inside the soup so that it acquires a thick consistency. Some cooks choose to add a part of the yams at the beginning to create a thick consistency and then add the rest of the yams in pieces at the end so that they still keep their shape in the soup.  This type of traditional soup can be found in small stands along the street sides at fairs, regional festivals and during the Carnival.

In the province of  Chiriqui they have their own version of the typical dish, which is commonly prepared with meat. They also add to it cassava, yams, otoe, squash and corn.

In these days of Carnival throughout the Interior of the country, you will find stands and “fondas” which serve this soup for the enjoyment of the thousands of people who move to different towns and cities to celebrate these holidays. For those who need to compose their stomach after excessive alcohol consumption, there is no better dish than a traditional Panamanian “sancocho” to recover.

It is not uncommon to see whole families gathered at the Meson de Santa Cruz on a Sunday afternoon for a lunch or a nice dinner, and the atmosphere of the place warrants it. The atmosphere, which is sometimes, filled with laughter and pleasant conversation screams “family”. But the truth is that bringing the family to the table has become a daunting task in these modern times where we are all so busy living our own lives.

Remember that time passes quickly and waits for no one and that one day we will not have those that we love the most at arms length, that the time to share should be now and not tomorrow, because nobody knows what that tomorrow will bring.

My recommendation is to always make time to call the brothers, grandparents, uncles, cousins ​​and all that we are fortunate to have close or far away but that can join us at a family Sunday dinner either in the privacy of our home, where women (and some men that like to cook) can gather in the kitchen to give a modern and different twist to an old family recipe that we have not tried yet, while the youngest of the house play in the yard or garden or listen to adults tell stories of how different things were when they were smaller or gather around the television to watch a game or play dominoes. The truth is that the activity is of little importance as long as we enjoy it as a family while we wait for the meal to be ready.

There are very few things that can be compared with the warmth emanating from a family table, where we know that we share a very powerful bond with the people sitting at that table, bond much more powerful than the trivialities that may separate us momentarily, where for some reason the food tastes better because we are sharing with those we want and we trust.

The next time you decide to eat out or you refuse to eat alone, remember how much fun it was the last time you were together as a family and make the effort to repeat the event.

Ingredients:

4 beef steaks
Pellets of whole black pepper, ground at the time of use
salt
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup of brandy
2 cups beef broth
½ cup cream
¼ cup of green pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons butter

How to prepare:

- Season the meat with salt and black pepper (to taste) pressing on the meat so that the pepper adheres well to the steak.
- In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat with olive oil, cook the meat for about 4 minutes on each side until it is “medium cooked”. When browned, remove the pieces of meat from heat and set aside.
- In the same pan, put the onion and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Then add the brandy over the mixture and stir. Later add the beef broth, green pepper, cream and chopped parsley.
- Complete this delicious recipe by adding butter. Reinsert the steaks in the pan with the sauce to reheat.

Finally your plate is ready to enjoy!