#1: Panama Guide reports on Charity Expat Social:

…We ate dinner with Sister Griselda Rios who has been working with the orphanage for more than three years. They have about 160 children there at any one time. She came to the dinner with Felipe Arosemena (hijo) who has been at the orphanage basically his entire life. His father, Felipe Arosemena (padre) has been working there for 36 years. The highlight of the evening was a donation by 14 year-old Elliese Judge who has been saving her spare change for more than three years. Tonight she donated $303.00 to the orphanage. How cool is that? Read the complete article…

I personally know Elliese Judge, her brother Carlton, Naomi and Phillip Judge, their proud parents. Elliese, at the young age of 14, is working on her first fiction book. Like many others, the Judge family came from abroad a few years ago and made Panama their home. As a Panamanian, it makes my heart beat louder when I learn about events as rewarding for all participants as the one cited above.

#2:  Diablo Rojo brings up a crude reality, 3 Billion and Counting:

I was asked a strange question yesterday:  “What kills more people in Africa than African wars (which have been  going on for thousands of years)?” I thought, well, accidents? AIDS?  A nutritional disease? No, my experts at  3 Billion and Counting tell me — it is  malaria. And then they asked me another question I couldn’t  answer: “Was it unavoidable that these millions”  – mostly children, they emphasized  – “die of malaria?” I wasn’t about to try to answer  that one; I know when I’m in deep water  and walking on thin ice! Their answer shocked me:  “No, it was entirely unnecessary.”
That brought terrible thoughts to my mind and I started “thinking out loud”: What you are saying is, there is a cure for malaria, it is a proven cure and it’s not being used.” So then I had a question: “How can that possibly be? I cannot accept that.” Continue reading…

#3: Pasión por el Café wins Gourmand  Award!

We are very happy and proud to announce that Pasión por el Café, written by  IACP member Patricia McCausland, has won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for "Best Single Subject" in Latin America. The book will now be competing for the "Best in the World" Award. The results will be announced on April 7 in Beijing, China.

Patricia is of Colombian origin but moved to Panama seven years ago and is an active member of the Panamanian IACP group. She is passionate about coffee and travelled the coffee plantation regions of Colombia and Panama while conducting research for this book. Read more…

Elizabeth posts on the Tajik tradition of bringing a plate of food to one’s neighbors whenever a large meal is made. The only catch is that one cannot return the plate empty.

The Glory of Carniola catches a cold (or something) and contemplates trying a number of Slovenian traditional cures (which, if proved inefficient, would get him tipsy, at least). Get well soon, Michael :)

Chileno on the ecstasy of discovering Chilean micro-brew: “So I’d pretty much resigned myself to beer austerity (satisfied with Escudo) until the flames of temptation danced up from the south. While traveling there earlier this month, I stumbled upon a decent pint of micro-brew, on tap, for 2 bucks … The way she said “Artisan Beer” (cerveza artesenal) sent a shiver down my spine.”

Tonight the Ace of Cakes is making a cake that looks like the Brooklyn Bridge and one that looks like a rat.

Tomorrow on The Martha Stewart Show, Elizabeth Faulkner from Citizen Cake in San Francisco will make Lovelova, a Persian meringue dessert.

Is anyone watching Dinner: Impossible? Tomorrow night Chef Robert Irvine will cook a "wild boar" with the help of some former Survivor stars.

On Friday, Rachel Ray is giving a TV tour of her hometown in upstate New York.

Getting ready for St. Patrick's day cooking? Bobby Flay's trip to Irelad might inspire you. It airs on Saturday evening.

Sunday is the Food Network's Seafood Challenge. Food Network is getting ready to crown the King of American Seafood and we're suspicious. These cook-off specials are all bark and no bite. Will you tune in for this one?

Arugula, also known as rocket, is a spicy winter green showing up this week in CSA boxes across the country, including the ones from Be Wise Ranch near San Diego.

Arugula goes by several other names, including roquette, rucola and rugola. The leaves are usually fairly small, with distinctively scalloped edges. Even though it's is a fashionable salad green, it's actually an herb and related to other spicy greens in the mustard family. Its sharp bite is more pronounced in the mature leaves; baby arugula is sweeter and more tender.

If you're trying it for the first time, don't make a whole salad out of it until you figure out how well you like that intense flavor. Mix it in with other greens, or truly use it as you would use an herb like parsley. Arugula's spiciness can be wonderful when paired with sweet fruits or cheeses in salads, or when tossed with a rich pasta.

If you like the flavor on its own, try some classic combinations. We had a delicious salad last weekend with tiny leaves of baby rocket, golden beets and goat cheese. This is a classic dish for good reason; the spiciness, sweetness and pungency complement each other perfectly. Check out Elise's recipe for Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese.

You could also pair it with goat cheese, but in filled ravioli. Wilt the arugula slightly with some garlic, chop and mix with a little ricotta and goat cheese. Fill pre-made or homemade ravioli wrappers, seal and cook for just a couple minutes. Serve with a butter sauce.

And finally, one other recipe has our mouths watering right now: Artichoke Arugula Souffle Squares, over at Food & Wine.

• More info and history: Arugula entry at Gourmet Sleuth

(Image credit: Covered Bridge Farm, Oley, PA)