Archive/Honduras This Week
A third of the cooking surface should be very hot for searing and marking the product.

As the summer season progresses, the search for culinary excellence moves to the great outdoors with the barbeque grill taking center stage as the cooking equipment of choice. Outdoor grills come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be fuled by LP gas, charcoal or hardwood. I have witnessed some rather sophicated grills over the years, including a state of the art stainless steel model that costs as a my first car.
My personal preference? An open pit with a large grilling surface, fueled with hardwoods. Today I would like to share with you my top 10 basics for successful outdoor grilling.

TOP 10 BASICS:

1. Clean and season your grill before cooking
It is important to clean the grill surface with a wire brush and season the grill with vegetabel oil before you start cooking.

2. Preheat your grill to optimal cooking temperature
Preheat your grill and create a very hot grill surface. As the cold product comes in contact with the grill surface, the metal will naturally cool, so grill size is important, and yes bigger is better.

3. Define a hot side of the grill for searing and marking
1/3 to ½ of the cooking surface should be very hot for searing and marking the product. Searing is the natural caramelization of the sugars in products and/or marinades as they come in contact with the heat. Searing creates a seal around the product and keeps the good natural juices and flavors of the product inside. Marking is a process of placing a steak on the grill at a 45 degree angle, allowing it to sear for several minutes and then moving the product to another hot spot on the grill at a 90 degree angle, creating the highly desirable X pattern on your steak.

4. Define a warm side of the grill for slow roasting
Items on a grill should only be turned over one time. Therefore, once the product has been marked on both sides it should be moved to the warm side of the grill to allow it to cook slowly, absorbing the great flavor of the BBQ.

5. Coals are good, flames are bad
Spread your coals or flame pattern in the case of a gas grill from high (hot) side to low (warm side), allow the flames to die down before cooking. If you are using a marinade with a lot of oil, try to remove as much oil as possible before placing on the grill. The oil is highly combustible and will spark flames which lead to burnt as opposed to carmelization.

6. Season your product before cooking on the grill
Season your product before in goes on the grill, ideally rubbing the seasoning mixture into the product. Allow seasoned product to set at least one hour before cooking. Also, light on the salt, as salt extracts moisture and literally can dehydrate your product.

7. Cooking time depends on two factors: heat and thickness
Forget the recipe books on how long for each side and trust your own judgement. Once the product is marked and seared, the slow cooking process takes over. The thicker the product, the longer the cooking time.
When cooking steaks I learned a little trick to judge the doneness. If you open the palm of your hand and touch your thumb to the pointer (1st) finger, feeling the fleshy part of your palm under the thumb, that is exactly what medium rare will feel like touching the surface of the steak. The middle finger to the thumb is medium, the ring finger to the thumb is medium well and the pinky to the thumb is well done.

8. Timing and carry over cooking
Organize your grill so that everything is ready at the same time, which means thicker items such as steaks go on the grill before fish or seafood. Even after a product is moved from the grill it will continue to cook because it has absorbed a lot of heat, this is called carry over cooking. Slightly undercooking on the grill will allow the carry over cooking to serve at the perfect temperature or level of doneness.

9. Placing a cover on the grill allows for cooking on all sides
Covering the grill makes for a mini oven, allowing heat on all sides and reducing the overall cooking time.

10. Allow meats to rest several minutes before serving
This follows #8. Allowing the product to rest before serving allows the juices to recirculate in the product, and the thicker the product the longer the resting time.

Questions or comments? E-mail Daniel O'Connor at culinary_adventures@hotmail.com

Postmodern Honduran artist creates worldwide interest

Veronica Wood-Querales
Honduras This Week

Veronica Wood-Querales/Honduras This Week
Ciceron takes influence from post-cubist and realist art.

Art in Honduras is rapidly increasing in popularity, with many established artists creating interest around the world in what the country has to offer. New galleries are always opening, and if you know where to look, there is always an exhibition somewhere. It is gradually becoming easier for Honduran artists to make a living selling art. One such artist, Ciceron, has been painting professionally in Honduras for 14 years, and his name has become synonymous with the growing art world in Honduras. His work is strong and colorful, using acrylic on canvas. Current themes include androgyny, women, and nightlife. He insists he has ´a constant evolution of style´, yet his work is often portraits, using intense, vibrant color with visible brushstrokes and any outlines in black.
Ciceron sold his first painting in 1990 when he was only a teenager. He was then educated at Bellas Artes, and the National Academy of Art, in Tegucigalpa. Now art is his full time job and many of his paintings can be seen in national art galleries and in private collections all over the world. He also paints murals, notably in Plaza Millennium in Tegucigalpa and in the Holiday Inn in San Pedro Sula. People have also commissioned work from him, so it's possible to get your own Ciceron mural. Currently some of Ciceron's paintings are being sold in the Botticelli and Amazonas galleries in Tegucigalpa and the Botticelli and Pinceles galleries in San Pedro Sula.
His inspiration from other artists comes mainly from the post cubist and realist art movements but he also admires Picasso, Dali and Mexican artist Tamayo. Ciceron is proud to be a part of Honduran art, along with other contemporary artists such as Anibal Cruz and Gelacio Gimenes, whose work he admires. His work evokes Latin culture, especially in his use of color. Like Tamayo, he is confident in his use of primary colors. The way he represents people is reminiscent of Picasso, although not as detailed. He prides himself on being a ´free artist´, painting what he wants and not following what other people do. It is also important to him to encourage art in Honduras, so he teaches from time to time.
Ciceron is just one of many Honduran artists who are selling their work around the world and making a living from it. Honduras has an extensive art tradition and if it is opened up to the world, it could potentially be a lucrative industry.

 "Don't let your morale flag. Be daunted, but not defeated. Remember: the spirit, above else, counts. If you have the will to live, you will. Good luck!"

-- Survival tip, found by Piscine Molitor Patel,
 while adrift on a lifeboat with a 400 lb. Bengal Tiger,
Yann Martel, Life of Pi

We started out late that morning. Rule No. 1 of the book - the one about sailing from Ceiba to Hog Keys - clearly says: Do not leave the dock after 9 am. But I did not pay that one any mind. After all I had already done two trips, weeks before, having left after nine without any trouble. But this time, the trades had been blowing all through the night and as we turned to starboard coming out of the Boca Vieja jetty, I realized it might just be a mistake this time around.
I suppose I was into pushing my luck that day. After all, I was in my beloved, yet-to-be-proven un-seaworthy sloop, S/V Chelsea, with my 24 year-old nephew; boys bent on adventure. After planning the trip for some weeks, and being home on vacation from college, Nimo (pronounced like Captain 'Nemo') was chewing at the bits and rearing to go. We were set for three wonderful days of sailing and diving in the Honduran Caribbean.
The day before, I had dutifully checked up on sailing conditions on my favorite buoy weather web site. It was green flags all the way through Thursday. But Rule No. 2 of the book reads: Do not rely on day-old reports; the weather can change very quickly.
Things on a small sailing boat can go awry with unparalleled alacrity. Like many chain reactions, it all starts with the tiniest, most insignificant situation, like a sheet splitting or a bumper falling overboard, and then all hell breaks loose. Moreover, when you are heading into unraveled winds, any loss of concentration at the tiller can quickly find your bow suddenly swerving to lee: a broaching boat.
It began as we were motoring, still about six miles out of Cayos Cochinos. I had just checked the GPS and foremost in my mind was an evaluation for the best method of going below to pry open an ice-cold soda. My nephew - at the tiller - had been battling five-foot seas and 20 mph headwinds for the last hour. Then the jib began flapping. It had come unfurled.
Hurriedly heading forward, I clung to the lifeline. With the grace of a hung-over monkey, I swung onto the forepeak grabbing the forestay - which doubles as furling mechanism -- for life. One second I was dipping under the horizon, the next I was six feet above it. By then the jib was snapping fiercely. It sounded like Zorro on a whipping binge. It took about five minutes of wild, bucking bronco action on the bow to get the jib re-furled.
Back in the cockpit, after catching my breath, I took the tiller from my nephew and began thinking that indeed it was blowing a little hard and wishing we had left earlier. Particularly since the craft kept on climbing ever-higher seas, only to slam down hard enough to make my tooth-fillings rattle.
At some point, as I began to wonder about how much Chelsea's mainmast could take, the bimini top went. I looked up to see Nimo holding it down, but the thing was swollen up like a parachute and rapidly coming apart. I quickly checked the GPS again - still four nautical miles out. At first I figured he ought to hold on to it until we got there, but on second thought decided against it. I handed him the tiller and took the bimini apart.
At this point, I was starting to bite myself - kind of like admonishing God and the sea for the bad conditions, even saying, "OK, so what's next?" Nimo was just looking to get comfortable on the high settee aft.
Then I saw the boom come sliding back towards me. My mind simply didn't grasp it, at first. The mast came down with a crashing noise. The courtesy flag - an instant before flying high up on the spreader - knocked the glasses off my face and the pride off my mind. The other spreader glanced Nimo's head, opening a gash. Blood started pouring down his cheek. Half the forty-foot spar was in the ocean to stern, constraining my tiller movements and rubbing up against the outboard now. We were still in choppy, five-foot seas with high winds, and somehow the three or so miles to shore now seemed like a very long way to go. 
I had read about de-mastings in the ocean, but had always thought that it was something that only happened to globe-girdlers out in some roaring gale in the North Atlantic. Not to me. I was just making passage to Cayos. A cakewalk, 18-mile offshore jaunt into the continental shelf puddle. But here it was all happening, and amid the sounds of crunching gel coat, screeching fiberglass and thumping aluminum, I was momentarily suspended in disbelief.
Finally, I looked at my nephew and said, "Go ahead and stop the bleeding," he was already taking off his t-shirt to use for a compress as I began taking inventory of the damage. I wasn't quite sure we were going to make it, so a minute later I asked a dazed Nimo to call the resort, report the emergency, our position, and ask them to stand by. We used a cell phone since my VHF antenna was now in the water. Mauricio, at Plantation Beach, took our call. A few minutes later we received another call from Italo Bonilla -God bless his soul - in Cochino Pequeno. They were standing by.
The bleeding stopped, the slamming eventually decreased and after the longest half hour of my life we limped into Cochinos lagoon, and finally the resort's dock, in what I can only describe as listless shock, dazed bewilderment and unending gratitude.
As I write this, Nimo is sleeping, here next to me. The day's adventure behind him, he proceeded immediately to flirt with the English girls on vacation, played the resort owner at chess and pretty much made do with things as they were. Rio, the owner's son, put some antiseptic on his head-gash - luckily a superficial one.
The last time Nimo came out to Cayos Cochinos, he and his sister and their dad - my brother - all had to swim out of a fast sinking airplane that didn't quite make it off the runway and into the air. He was eleven at the time.
I think Nimo is a lucky boy. And I am very happy to be here with him.

Early in my culinary career and before children came into our lives, my wife and I went into the catering business in Tampa, Florida. While starting any new business can be stressful, the catering industry can be especially challenging with long hours, busy weekends, and typically most holidays as peak demand. The first couple of years were particuliary difficult and we decided to offer gourmet cooking classes to make ends meet. As a professional trained chef it is often difficult to get invited into someones home for dinner; as a chef who taught gourmet cooking classes, it was nearly impossible. There were really only two exceptions during our entire time in Tampa.
The first was a hotelier I worked with in Dallas who was living and working in Tampa around the same time we opened our business. His dinner party invitation was always by telephone and along the lines of I am at the gourmet market and they have this incredible fresh such and such, what do YOU feel like cooking tonight? A menu was created on the spot, wines paired and a guest list sorted á la minute. Everybody who was invited would be asked to participate in helping to prepare the meal, and the rate of success of these hands on dinner parties was porportionate to the amount of wine consumed. Early on, I learned that more wine = more participation and quickly incorporated wine tasting into our gourmet cooking classes. These dinner events were always fun, spontaneuos, and a little showy, albeit work for me.
The second exception is much more memorable, as much for the kind hospitality and generous nature as for the many meals consumed in their home. Maria Elena Johnson is a fearless, self-taught cook who often welcomed us into her home to dine with her beautiful family. Her home-cooked meals were always tasty and exhibited a unique combination of culinary talent and attention to detail coupled with geniune warmth and goodness. She loves to cook and has a very high passion quotient, a rare trait that seperates extraordinary from the average in the culinary world. Best of all, she insisted that I was their guest, and expected or allowed my help in her kitchen. After many years, my family was able to finally reciprocate her fine hospitality this week with a small dinner party in our home.

I chose a Thai menu for the ease and convenience of preparation. The first course was mussels poached in a coconut ginger broth infused with a green curry, followed by a chilled cucumber salad and a Peanut Chicken dish served over jasmine rice. Today I would like to share a couple of these recipes with you

Spicy Peanut Sauce for Chicken, serves 6
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
    cut into 1" x 1" strips (bite size pieces)
1 can coconut milk
6 oz chicken broth
4 oz crunchy peanut butter
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons for chinese barbeque sauce
1 teaspoon red curry paste

In a medium suace pot, bring coconut milk and chicken broth to a boil, reduce by one third of the volume, add peanut butter and stir until smooth, reduce temperature to a gentle simmer, add sugar and red curry paste, continue to stir for five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessay. Bring sauce to a boil, add the chicken, stirring constantly, reduce to a simmer and cook in the sauce for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over jasmine rice with steamed brocolli and snow peas. 
This is a crisp, cool summer salad that is an excellent compliment to the spicy peanut sauce and is served at the same time as the main dish.

Thai Cucumber Salad serves 6
4 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
2 pink grapefruits, peeled and sectioned
1 red onion, cut in half and sliced very thin
¾ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sesame oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt to taste

In a stainless steel bowl, dissolve sugar in rice vinegar, stir until all the sugar dissolves. Add the sesame oil, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and additional sesame oil as necessary, add remaining ingredients. Toss in bowl until all ingredients are coverd in the dressing and refrigate covered for at least one hour prior to serving.

Comments or questions? E-mail Daniel O'Connor at: culinary_adventures@hotmail.com

Here's to a sailor, plying the waters of life with a smile; a universal child running before the wind of curiosity in a restless journey of the soul.

Just the other night, as I looked out from the deck at Foster's, I saw the silhouette of a sailing craft lying at anchor in moon-kissed silvery waters. It made me feel tingly-warm all over!
God help me, I love it so. 
I just can't sing the praises adequately... sailing and sailboats, there's just so many things about it. All at once so alluring, so mystical and so evocative. I cannot call myself immune.
Ever sit at a dock and listen to the halyards gently clapping against their masts? A bell buoy clanging in the distance? Seagulls calling in the breeze... these impressions all beckon a smile to my lips.
They say that happiness is the feeling that results from the contemplation of goodness. If such is the case, my happiness comes from such goodness as a journey under sail. It is a journey that takes place on two levels. The first is on the surface of the water, if you will, and the other occurs within the soul. Some of us only book passage for the first, and hope to get there fast. But upon arrival, feel ill-at ease for having spurned the second. 
Still, the sights and sounds above the surface are always welcome, whether moving or at rest. For, what could be so handsome as a tall ship blooming under full canvas? What could ever be so comforting as a clean deck of teakwood, appointed here and there with flemished sheets?
And take the action... At the sudden cry of "hard-a-lee," you're grinding on the winch and pulling in that weather sheet until the foresail's trimmed and a new tack is joined; the vessel is alive with movement, and so are you.
And the competition... You jockey for position at the starting line, tacking here and jibing there, a yell (or two) 'starboard', and then the shape goes up, a horn blows, and off you go beating towards the windward mark. The boat is heeling and the crew is hiking hard: they're rail meat. You come around the mark and spinnakers are hoisted for the run downwind... such dazzling colors are carrying you.
And cruising... standing there at the bowsprit, leaning out, watching the spray of sunlit water; seeing the bow wave part and rush along the hull; no noise other than the wind in the rigging, and if you are lucky, the splash of porpoises playing tag with your ship. You turn around, looking up and aft, to see a white sail curving against the contrast of a deep blue halcyon sky.
Finally, at the end of the day, there is only silence and water, gently lapping against the hull... beer cans being pried open... a chuckle here and there, and the camaraderie of seafaring friends united in a timeless bond of affection and good will. And this is where the impressions transcend the surface. Because they gather strength in unspoken words, suddenly materializing into smiles: the proxy gestures of the eager proselyte of such a journey of the soul.
Whether you like motorboats or sailboats isn't what truly counts. It only matters that one recognize that sailing was first, and remains mostly, a sport of man*; the machines are complementary. The ship only carries the crew the first minute of the first leg of the first ride.
What carry a ship well beyond its tested limits are man, his endurance and his resolve. And as man is the measure of most things: his flight, his dream, his destiny and his relationship with the ocean-whence we all came -- will always remain fascinating mysteries.
An ambiguous motoring present-which has introduced hastiness and anxiety into our life-must not be allowed to prevail over our sailing past, when the journey and not the destination was what mattered. Insofar as we take into account the moment and live that journey at both levels to the maximum - wherever we may be going, we can count ourselves successful.
To quote Buckaroo Banzai, after all "no matter where you go... there you are."

* Sailing women know that the genderless noun "man" refers to both men and women; political correctness-with its attendant cynicism and distrust- has no sea room in the Leeward Course.

Jorge Agurcia/Honduras This Week
The silhouette of a sailing craft lying at anchor in West End, Roatan. 

Italian comedy in Manuel Bonilla

Veronica Wood-Querales
Honduras This Week

Veronica Wood-Querales/Honduras This Week
Amparo Ocampo and Freddy Calle in fast paced comedy Cornudo, Apaleado y Contento

Honduras is not a country particularly renowned for its love of the stage, however, the theater group Bocaccio is looking to raise the profile of the arts. They will be performing "Cornudo, Apaleado y Contento," a play based on Giovanni Boccaccio´s "Decameron," later this month. Written by Alejandro Casona, it is a comedy based in Italy during the middle ages. Combining love, disguise and deceit, it is typical medieval play, exploring relationships and fidelity. Lots of timeless themes are investigated that can be applied to modern life.

Amparo Ocampo, Darío Pinus and Freddy Calle play the three leads. Each represents a point of a love triangle, which is at the heart of the performance. The play is very short, and fast paced, often relying on melodrama to convey emotion.

Giovanni Boccaccio originally wrote his "Decameron" in the 14th century as a hundred narratives to be performed over ten days, but the ideas and the style have been copied ever since. This latest incarnation is being directed by Isidro España, renowned in Honduras as a writer and journalist, with over 40 years experience in directing. Incredibly, he managed on a budget of a mere 1,000 Lempiras, but sponsors helped out, providing some props.

Nevertheless, the set perfectly captures medieval Italy.

"Cornudo, Apaleado y Contento" will be performed at Tegucigalpa's National Manuel Bonilla Theater on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of July. Admittance is 80 Lempiras.

"No one dies of nausea, but it can seriously sap the will to live."

--- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Jorge Agurcia Fasquelle/Honduras This Week
"Bot dis one dere, she be an island garr-oboe. An iguana."

After weeks of fun in the sun, on the way to the pier that day I ran into Danny Jones, local raconteur and steadfast member of the island spirit committee. He was cooking meat on a spit over hot coals, like all pirate descendants do. When he saw me eyeing his lunch-to-be he figured he had to explain. But I guess he also wanted to include some advice for the traveler that looked somewhat fed up with paradise.

As he pointed at the makeshift BBQ, which actually looked like one of Danny's own dreadlocks being roasted on a stick, this is more or less the way it went.

"Ya George, you see dat dere lizard? She be no Monkey-La-La lizard, no, she be a garr-oboe lizard, mon. Like dey have on da meenland. Bot dis one dere, she be an island garr-oboe. An iguana.

"Well, dis iguana dere one day done tole oll hore lizard friends dat she be jeeded from oll da sun an' da sand an' whatnot, an dat she be goin' on a little trip. She tell dem she be goin' to da meenland. She say she never been to Ceeba, an' dat she got some family dere, an' so she gonna pack hore bags an' joss go.

"Truth mon! She be one jeeded lizard. Nobody go to Ceeba from dee island onless dey be jeeded, mon.

"She tell dem, hore oddar lizard friends, dat she gonna book passage on a took-took from Joneswill because she donna have no money to pee for da ticket on Islena, an' dat she's afreed of flying in a pleen anyhow, cos dem knows how dem pleens likes to stop in da middle of dee ocean sometimes. So she joss gonna take a dory, an' dats joss fine wid hore anyhow.

"So hore acquaintance, da gecko-who's alwees getting' high on ganja cos he live up on da rafter berm in da' Spliff Momma's house, y'know - he says to hore, 'How's you gonna get on a took-took when's you know you's getting sea sick an oll, joss by lookin' at da water from here? When last you get on a bo-att you damn fool iguana? Doan you know dat dere be only one cure fo' sea sickness, an' dats to go sit onder a tree?'

"Bot dis iguana, she be so jeeded dat she no care too much about dat, an she in no mood to listen to no patronizing reptile wid a head, so she done give da gecko a swift ass'n wid hore teel an' dat gecko, mon, he fly in between da trees an learns hisself not to mess wid no jeeded lizard ever again."

"Ya George, after seein' dat gecko fly tru da trees, da rest of dem joss torned around an' went back to dere holes dere, cos dey doan feel like getting' assed by no jeeded lizard thinkin' horeself better'n dem. So da iguana, she grob hore bag an' she teek off downhill to da ocean, an' dere she climb onto da dock an' begin to weet for a proper dory to teek hore across to da meenland.

"She know-dat lizard be jeeded, but she be no fool-dat if a Sponniard see hore she no gonna live long-cos dem Sponniards bod, mon, dem kills anyting dat move-- so she hide good; she tuck horeself underneath da berms on dat pier, an dere she weet. Until finally a bo-att come by, an' so she jump onboard an' scramble underneat dem thwarts an' into da aft motor box. Dere she done curl up on top an' ole calabash dat be floatin' oround on da bilge water, an she be happy for a while.

"Bot guess what, mon. Dat craft no goin' to Ceeba at oll! No sir. Dat cop'n joss goin' ot to da channel to cotch some conch for supper, dass oll!

"So after a while, dey be ot on da swells an' dat dere iguana start to feel hore breakfast risin' op. Ya mon, dat da truth! She begin to feel sick an' she no like dat movement, no sir, she no like dat rollin' an' swee'ing at oll. An dem vapors comin' ot of da motor, oooh mon, dey be stee'in inside da motor box, an' dat joss meek hore sicker still. Ontil dat lizard, she no longer be jeeded, mon, no' she joss wanna die!

"And then, when she canno' longer stand it, tinking to horeself dat Obeah done got hore for ass'n da gecko, she finally come ot… an' she joss pass ot on da deck! Yesss mon! Dere she be, lyin' on dem flour sacks which be my seel, joss pass'd ot, an' hore tongue be stickin' ot, an' she be all green 'round da gills an' oll dat, da poor ting.

"Yes sir, I be dat cop'n, mon, an' like a God fearin' Christian I done put hore out of hore misery right den an' dere wid my paddle. Oll dat happin dis mornin', right here, on dis hoppy an' beautiful island dat da Good Lord done give us… an' by da wee, am very hoppy to see you no longer lookin' so jeeded dere, mister George!

"Have yo'sell a nice dee."

Unprecedented Honduran visual pleasures

Alana Fearon
Honduras This Week

Alana Fearon/Honduras This Week
This piece is just one example of the work on show at the museum.

Standing in the dirt and dust of the downtown National Identity Museum last Wednesday, it was hard to believe that in just a few hours the museum would open its doors for the first ever Honduran Visual Arts Biannual. The 'Bienal', a regional competition which rotates between Central American countries every two years, is not unprecedented, but 2006 heralds the first year that Honduras has had the opportunity to display artists' works, among them the six artists selected to represent Honduras at the official Biannual in El Salvador in November.

According to Sebastian Lopez, Director of Daros Latinamerica in Rio de Janeiro, the importance of the 'Bienal de Artes Visuales de Honduras' cannot be overstated. "We have works from many artists, all Hondurans, some who no longer live here, and others who came to live here and have been here so long that they are now considered nationals." In addition to the unprecedented nature of the Honduran exhibition, the sheer variety of mediums on show adds to the originality of the Biannual. From sculptures to photography, the combination of origins and interests hosts the perfect mix between traditional and modern art.

As any enthusiast knows, interpretation of art is an intimate experience, and the Bienal de Artes Visuales de Honduras is no exception. What becomes apparent, however, is that migration is an important theme for many of the artists, perhaps unsurprisingly, as it is one of the greatest problems for Honduras and Latin America in general. Despite these similarities, Monica Kupfer, the founding director of the Panama Biannual in 1992 and a Dr. Of Art History, and Haydee Venegas, a professor at the School of Visual Arts in Puerto Rico, admit that they had no problems deciding on the six artists who would have their work exhibited in El Salvador. "Five of our original choices were unanimous, the sixth required a little discussion. The chosen works had to be of high quality and excellence, demonstrating originality in both their content and message. How a piece communicates something to a viewer is perhaps the most important criteria."

The organizers insist that the Honduran Bienal would not have been possible without the invaluable financial assistance from donors such as Banco Promerica and the Fundacion Ortiz-Gurdian and as a result the future of art in Honduras is very promising. The exhibition will be open to everyone for about one month and the 24 works on display from 14 different artists should not be missed.

"Entra a la punta… sal si

puedes!"

--- A pirate's warning,

North Coast lore

Archivo/Honduras This Week
Translated literally, Punta Sal doesn't mean "Salty Point" but rather "Point Leave."

I had always thought that Punta Sal, in Jeanette Kawas National Park, had been named for the tearful amount of salt that can be expected on any such ocean site. To the neophyte in me it was either "Salty Point," or "Bad Luck Point," as in Honduras salt is colloquially associated with a bad turn of fortune. But I have recently learned that the name harkens to much darker fonts, and - in another sense - to bad luck.

According to the oral accounts of those living there, perhaps based on earlier written records, the name refers to a warning issued by one pirate to another about a place called Puerto Escondido-or Hidden Port; a cove on the leeward side of that treacherous promontory and scattering of rocks which range into the sea on the westernmost tip of Tela Bay: a place known as Punta Sal. Translated literally it means "Point Leave" as the interpretation of the quote above would be "Enter the 'point… leave' if you can!"

Like anybody who has done some trekking - in time and space - along our coast and islands may have heard, Honduran shores were once filled with rather more surrealistic characters than the ones we see now (just the other day I witnessed some fantastic imagery that juxtaposed incongruous elements, during karaoke night in a popular La Ceiba restaurant). Some three hundred plus years ago, the most celebrated tourist to ever visit Honduras after Columbus was Sir Henry Morgan: captain, knight, rogue, soldier and, yes… pirate.

Having begun his career as a privateer-a licensed villain - Morgan reached full notoriety after having sacked, pillaged and burned Portobello - in what is now the Republic of Panama. Back then it was a fortified Spanish port city. Impregnable and rich in doubloons, melted and struck from captured Indian gold. He raided it with two thousand men and an imposing fleet commissioned by England for that very purpose.

The trouble was that by the time Captain Morgan got around to his assignment, a peace treaty had been signed between the Spanish and English monarchs. A scapegoat was needed, a head on the proverbial platter. So Morgan was quickly arrested by one of his less than devoted assistants and forced to change his PO Box address to "London gaol."

Of course, given the fickleness of politics at the time, this particular peace did not hold, and by 1674, Captain Henry Morgan was being tapped on the shoulder by the royal sword for all his troubles.

He soon sailed west again, towards the Spanish Main, on his ship, "The Satisfaction," in search of bullion and adventure. In those days, tourists to Honduras-known collectively as "the brethren of the coast"-didn't visit for the beaches. Mosquitoes were annoying, the heat was exasperating and so much sand and sea made for jaded buccaneers. There were no resorts to speak of, no welcome fruit punch, no a/c or fans, and no scuba tanks for rent.

Perhaps he did come and lay at anchor in Puerto Escondido, at some point-like my guide insisted - to refit from the many teak and balsa trees found there. He may have even taken advantage of the occasion to add some red trim on The Satisfaction's gunwales using the sap from the Blood Gamba, like present day Garifunas do. He may have had his share of conch soup, with the odd smoked boar on Tuesdays, or perhaps just Spanish ears with salt and pepper, washed down with rum. Later he may have enjoyed a smoke on a pipe cut from the local Corozo hard nut. Or maybe he just sat on deck, getting ripped with the fermented fruit from the Weezcoyol palm while counting shooting stars as they fell from the Milky Way. He may even have marveled at the Howler Monkeys, wondering-like I did - how such trite creatures, no larger than a cat, can make such a racket.

But these are only my musings, as I sit on the beach writing this article.

What I do know - for a fact - is that my guide was adamant about having seen two very aged five-pounder cannon, half-covered by sand and barnacles, just off the rocks in Punta Sal, as well as the man's story about a pirate, and the warning he once issued - in broken Spanish - many years ago. I also know now-from hard experience-never to stand under, much less look up at, an alpha Howler with the runs and a penchant for establishing his territory. My warning is: leave if you can.

SPORTS

Everything comes to an end:

Germany 2006 resumes with an unexpected final

Diego Vasquez
Special Collaboration
Honduras This Week Online

The game before the last was less than enthusiastic. Portugal and Germany: two teams fighting for the third place. Winning this title only meant who failed in a lesser degree in the struggle to reach the podium. This game was a joke for Germany who left everything to be done until minute number 118. As for its game with Italy, Germany noticeably sufferred physical distress after a vibrant and debilitating game against Argentina.

No one denies that the bronze medal seemed like a nice recognition prize for the organizers of such a beautiful sporting event. The last I heard, the beer kept flowing, maybe because it helps to celebrate as well as it helps to forget.

The final game took place in a “resignation” atmosphere. It was the game of all games, the celebration of all celebrations, winners or not, the Germans sure know how to organize a World Cup. Before we say our final goodbyes and before the final game takes control over all comments, I hope everyone enjoyed this World Cup to the maximum. It took place in a orderly, happy mood without violence. We saw a world united, regardless of their different nationalities, races and religions. Even though this seldom happens, I dare to say only every fours years, when everyone gathers to watch something as wonderful as football. Thank you football, thank you World Cup, thank you Germany! Till Africa 2010.

La Barbie

I have a hard time deciding who to root for in the World Cup final as both countries have made important contributions to the culinary arts and have greatly influenced my own culinary styling. I quickly concluded the best way for me to decide would be to develop a menu for the ultimate World Cup Brunch and tabulating a score for each French and Italian ingredient used, with the highest score earning my support for the final.

The best was to start any brunch is with Bellinis, a wonderful combination of sparkling wine and peach nectar. A purist would use champagne; however the Italian spumante is typically sweeter and more appropriate for this aperitif. I will use a ratio of three parts ice-cold sparkling wine to one part chilled juice or nectar. Score 1 point for Italy (spumante) and 1 point France (peach nectar).

Since the World Cup final is a usually a family affair, it is necessary to have some kid-friendly finger food readily available. I suggest French bread pizzas. They are quick and easy to prepare, and a favorite with the kiddies. Split loaves of French bread and toast in the oven, add a thin layer of a basil infused tomato sauce and top with freshly grated mozzarella and champignons (mushrooms), drizzle with olive oil and place in a preheated oven to melt the cheese. Score 3 pts Italy (mozzarella, tomate-basil sauce, olive oil) and 2 pts France (French bread, mushrooms).

For the salad course, I recommend a chilled asparagus and crumbled Roquefort (type of blue cheese) over fresh greens with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The vinaigrette is a ratio of three parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar. I will add one tablespoon of sugar for each cup of olive oil. In a stainless steel bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar in 3 ounces of balsamic vinegar, whisk briskly and slowly add up to 9 ounces of olive oil. This mixture will become slightly suspended or cloudy as it is a semi-emulsified dressing. Drizzle over top of the salad and serve chilled. Score 2 pts France (asparagus, roquerfort cheese) and 2 pts Italy (balsamic vinegar, olive oil).

For the main course of our brunch, I suggest a variation of the classical eggs benedict. Poached eggs on top of thin slices of proscuitto over a bed of sun-dried tomatoes and sautéed spinach with a tomato infused hollandaise sauce commonly known as sauce choron. Serve with a chilled Chenin Blanc. Score 3 pts France (poached eggs, choron sauce, Chenin Blanc) and 2 pts Italy (sun-dried tomatoes, proscuitto).

And for dessert, strawberries and blueberries macerated in Grand Marnier or Amaretto and topped with cinnamon infused whipped cream. At this point we have a tie, which leads me to believe we will have a 1-1 tie after overtime and the game will go to a shoot-out. Who will win in penalties? Using the culinary adventure approach, my preference is Grand Marnier with the berries and cream ensuring that France will win over Italy 2-1.

Comments or questions? E-mail Daniel O'Connor at: culinary_adventures@hotmail.com

SPORTS

Déjà Vu

Diego Vasquez
Special Collaboration
Honduras This Week Online

We are back in time: It is 1990, the World Cup is taking place in Italy. A German player throws himself in the Argentinean area and Codesal, moved by who knows what motives (although I can suspect which ones), claimed a nonexistent penalty, unfair in the eyes of any football connoisseur. This is how the American Continent lost all possibilities of having a World Cup Champion, this is how the Olympic round was given away to a German team that could n` t even believe it.

Today, more than a decade has passed, that same football player accepted that it was not really a penalty, but this apology only serves now as an anecdote, for the damage was already done by this and many more incidents not worth remembering. We were mislead by the FIFA thinking that they would not be in favor of the locals or European Countries, but we underestimated the power of ticket sales. Just to keep the attendance in the stadiums high, the referees ruled in in favor of Germany, Italy and Co. transferring the odds against them. This has nothing to do with the fact that we are sore losers and that we could not catch a good pass. Again, everything seems so familiar like in a Déjá Vu. America is left out the semifinal celebration, just because Fifa decided that upon doubt, the referees should rule in favor of the locals. Argentina however, was not alone, Brazil and Australia suffered from the same discrimination. Needless to say, Argentina was one of the teams that was giving a great performance and giving the audience a good spectacle. But that's it, its over, we will have to wait another four years to be able to feed our illusions again.

La Barbie

The 4th of July, America's Independence Day, is one of the most social holidays on the American calendar. Celebrated to mark America's independence, for the young and young at heart this is really the ultimate day of summer, an event to remember. Typically celebrated outdoors with friends and family, the day is filled with picnics and parades, concerts and carnivals, baseball, softball, barbeques, fried chicken and potato salad, ice cold watermelon, hot dogs and apple pie, but everything that happens during the day is just a prelude to the evening. For the evening is about the fireworks, and every city, town and municipality in America offers a fireworks display as the sun goes down. The more sophisticated displays will even choreograph the fireworks to music.

One of my most memorable 4th of July experiences was flying from Tampa to New York on a family emergency in the early evening. I was feeling sorry for myself that I was missing the best day of summer and equally concerned about what to expect when I arrived in New York. As the sun began to set the pilot announced he had a special treat for us and proceeded to lower the altitude. For the next hour or so we were treated to literally hundreds of firework displays along the east coast of the United States. Watching fireworks explode from 22,000 feet in the air and looking down was like a 2D perspective, an amazing visual experience that lifted my spirits.

Every year for the 4th I would create a specialty drink. One of the all-time favorites is a patriotic red, white and blue frozen treat called Old Glory. It is a layered combination of strawberry, lemon and blueberry daiquiris in a tall glass, topped with a strawberry injected with Grand Marnier. To pull this off you will need three blenders and lots of ice. The base liquor is white rum, to which you add sweet and sour mix, frozen fruit and ice.

The sweet and sour mix is a simple syrup of equal parts water and sugar, and for every two cups of sugar add one cup of fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, stir, bring to a boil and reduce by ½ the volume. Chill overnight. The ratio of sour mix, ice and fruit will take a little trial and error and will depend on the density and size of the ice cubes, and the capacity of the blenders used. I like to start with 1 cup of frozen strawberries, pack the blended with ice, add ¾ cup of sour mix, 3-4 ounces of white rum and blend to a smooth consistency. I will take and adjust the flavor by adding more fruit, rum and sour mix as needed. For the blueberries, I use about 2/3 cup of frozen blueberries, pack the blender with ice, 1 cup sour mix and 3-4 ounces of white rum. The lemon daiquiri is the sour mix, rum and ice. The consistency of the strawberry needs to the thickest, followed by the lemon, and finally the blueberry to suspend the blueberry on top. Spoon or pour into a chilled tall glass garnished with a Grand Marnier injected strawberry.

Comments or questions? E-mail Daniel O'Connor at culinary_adventures@hotmail.com

Missions to Honduras

Marco Caceres
http://www.projecthonduras.com

July 2006 / Danli

The Medical College of Virginia (www.mcv.org) of Richmond, Virginia will send a medical mission team to work at the Gabriela Alvarado hospital in Danli (El Paraiso) during July 2006. The team, which will consist of 12-15 physicians and 22 medical students, will perform free gynecologic surgeries. This will be the sixth year that MCV has sent its Honduras Outreach team. Contact: Jill Zackrisson, danli.hombre@gmail.com

July 1-8, 2006 / San Pedro Sula

Medical Ministry International (www.mmint.org) will sponsor a surgical mission team to San Pedro Sula (Cortes) during July 1-8, 2006. Contact: Gustavo Elicegui, g.elicegui@mmint.org

July 2-9, 2006 / Comayaguela

Lovers Lane United Methodist Church (www.llumc.org) of Dallas, Texas will send a 20-25 member mission team to work in Hope for Honduras, Inc.'s (www.hopeforhonduras.org) Life and Hope Project above Comayaguela (Francisco Morazan) during July 2-9, 2006. The work will vary from construction and repair and feeding children to medical/dental care and evangelism. Contact: Ron and Shelley Jones, hondoron@multivisionhn.net

July 8-16, 2006 / Lake Yojoa

The Friends of Barnabas Foundation (www.fobf.org) of Chesterfield, Virginia will sponsor a medical mission team to Lake Yojoa (Santa Barbara) during July 8-16, 2006. Contact: Rev. Linwood Cook, friendsofbarnabas@hotmail.com or Carlos Liceaga, (757) 223-7778

July 8-22, 2006 / Zacapa

Medical Ministry International (www.mmint.org) will sponsor a medical and dental mission team to Zacapa (Santa Barbara) during July 8-22, 2006. Contact: Gustavo Elicegui, g.elicegui@mmint.org