"DuFord introduces us to the people of Panama, and he does it hilariously
and most perceptively."
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News Archive


10/11/12: Deep fried garlic and politically incorrect seasonings are analyzed in my review of the Garlic and Harvest Festival.

9/7/12: A recent visit to Ithaca revealed that the city is like both a smoothie and a jukebox. Today's blog explains how.

8/24/12: Street art fans: FatCap.com just published my piece on the street art of Panama City.

7/6/12: In March, I stumbled upon comfort food in an unusual place: Santiago, Panama. The Panama News has the story.

7/6/12: The San Francisco Chronicle just published my latest piece, in which I attempt to Search for the Golden Fleece in Guyana.

5/7/12: Yesterday, I roamed off the menu for a whole roast pig in Astoria, Queens.

3/27/12: The latest edition of The Panama News contains a piece I wrote about a visit to the Chocolateria y Bomboneria Sebastian in Panama City.

11/11/11: Juvenile delinquency or trendy fashion opportunity? I'm talking about stilettos hanging on a telephone wire.

9/14/11: Has goat meat just gone urban chic? At Matador Life, I discuss how the subjects of an experimental goat husbandry project in Vermont ended up on a spit in a Brooklyn, New York backyard.

9/12/11: On a recent visit to Montreal, I reunited with the Fresh Paint of the City's Street Art.

8/3/11: Got stencils and wheat paste? Matador Nights just published my photo essay on the Sick Street Art of Montevideo.

7/30/11: Reflecting on past travels in Texas, I explore the relationship between barbecue and crude oil here.

6/28/11: Panamanian langostinos find themselves on a Greek grill in my latest blog: Waiter, There's a Monster on my Plate.

5/28/11: My piece “I Was a Thai Travel Trinket” appears in USAToday’s travel section today, thanks to their partnership with Perceptive Travel.

5/3/11: My latest piece over at Perceptive Travel recounts a massage I received in an unexpected place in Bangkok. No, it’s not what you think. Really!

5/1/11: Asparagus have begun appearing at farmer's markets across the northeast. Why steam them when you can broil them with pine nuts?

4/11/11: A pepperpot says to a parsnip: "Where have you been all my life?" The recipe is here.

3/14/11: Observations from travel around Turkey: What’s so Funny about Death?

2/8/11: Here is what happens when a popular Guyanese sauce meets traditional American cooking: Baked beans with cassareep.

1/25/11: The geography of gastronomy reveals itself again during travels around Washington DC's East African communities: Washington DC's East African communities.

12/24/10: Reggae "Jingle Bells"? It must be Christmas season in Guyana.

12/7/10: The Chilean hot dog:too sexy for ketchup.

11/13/10: A walk through Hollywood farmers' market reveals killer snails and creepy lemons.

11/11/10: Today's blog: Curry and Karaoke in Long Beach's Cambodia Town.

10/31/10: Who says print is dead? Matador Travel Network just announced the launching of Beta, its new quarterly print magazine.

10/19/10: Over the weekend, I took a nostalgic trip down Connecticut's Pizza Belt.

10/11/10: Today's blog: thrills in a 99 cent store. Educational war toys! Something gained in translation?

9/30/10: Today's post goes out to all you Engrish hunters.

9/6/10: Anthropomorhic corn, dueling terrines, and beer made from carrots: that's what my wife and I found when we went locavoring in Quebec City.

8/26/10: Boring chicken dinner again? Try these four tasty rodents instead.

8/24/10: Food writer Alison Stein-Wellner interviewed me over at Perceptive Travel.

8/19/10: Get ready for green zebras, purple cherokees, and all the juice your belly button can hold: here are the Confessions of a Tomato Pervert..

8/5/10: Today's photo blog: Eye-catching warnings on Uruguayan cigarette packs. Collect them all!

8/3/10: Check out my new blog site, where I get a thrill out of sitting on Broadway.

8/2/10: Last week, I visited Pasadena without licking telephone poles.

7/12/10: Uruguay as a World Cup semi-finalist: could it be Full Circle Power?

7/9/10: The Psychic Octopus: He has nothing on NYC's local wildlife.

7/8/10: Is There a Hole in the Boat? is now available on the iBookstore for your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.

7/1/10: Grab your thermos and start dancing: in my latest piece A Dialog of Echoes in Uruguay, the music comes to your doorstep.

7/1/10: Travelers' Tales featured my medal-winning piece Showdown at the West Esplanade Canal as an Editor's Choice pick for this week.

6/4/10: In my latest blog entry over at Matador Travel, I reflect on how tar balls are like gold.

5/24/10: Is There a Hole in the Boat? is ready for reading on your iPad. All you need is a PDF reader like Goodreader (available at the iTunes App Store). Download the book here and go!

5/6/10: How many live chickens can ride on the back of a motorbike in Cambodia? Find out in my latest piece over at GoNomad.

5/6/10: The 10 Worst National Cuisines: analyzed, Nate Silver-style.

5/4/10: Lobster: it's not just for indentured servants anymore.

4/5/10: Click here to read how having brunch in Panama City reminded me of Joe Biden's loose-cannon larynx.

3/1/10: My piece "Showdown at the West Esplanade Canal" just scored a silver medal in this year's Solas Awards!

2/28/10: Here's a defense against an ornery Northeastern snow storm: Smoky Pig Foot Pea Soup.

1/11/10: Rumors are true: you can now follow me on twitter!

1/3/10: Edible Sputnik part II: You didn't think I'd forget the kohlrabi globes themselves, did you? Here's a simple Cream of Kohlrabi Soup recipe.

1/2/10: Kohlrabi: it's the sputnik you can eat. First, we'll eat the antennae like this.

12/18/09: Forget the fruitcake -- go for a sweeter treat, like I did: Fried Tarantulas. Taste the free-range difference!

12/06/09: During a craphole economy, travel funds have a tendency to dry up. But at least there's Pocket Change Travel.

11/23/09: Click here to uncover the noble mission of the the sacrifical vegetables.

10/26/09: Last month, I learned that crossing the street can be a bonding experience in Phnom Penh.

9/21/09: Cambodia: where the French have just been one-upped. I'm talking about Coconut waffles.

8/12/09: Sure, seafood paella takes a lot of work to make. But you know you want it. My take on the recipe is here.

5/29/09: What exactly do San Diegans do with waffles? I decided to cut through the kink in my latest blog entry over at Matador Travel.

5/20/09: Asparagus season is here! (At least for us folks in the Northeast.) Here's how you can make use of 'em.

3/9/09: Ready your camouflage outfit and your spit cup, because I just enlisted myself as a culinary patriot in New Orleans. "Showdown at the West Esplanade Canal" over at Perceptive Travel covers all the action.

2/28/09: This is my kind of breakfast: this morning, I found out I scored a silver medal in this year's Solas Awards for my piece "Subdued by Street Vendors."

2/23/09: Locavoring in the Northeast? In winter? It all starts with oysters on my latest blog over at Matador Travel.

2/10/09: Comic nerds and travel junkies have united forces! Sort of. My latest blog checks it out.

2/06/09: Do like comfy cargo pants? You might want to reconsider wearing them on the subway.

12/31/08: I finally added a bunch of new photos from around the States to my flickr account. More to come shortly. Happy New Year.

10/26/08: For all you farmer's market addicts out there: I bring you a recipe for sauteed vegetable crepes.

9/15/08: Look at the list of authors to appear at this year's multilingual New York Book Expo in Astoria, New York on October 3-4. Grab a souvlaki, have a beer, and stop by! See the events page for more details.

9/2/08: Unlike vice-presidential candidate Palin's penchant for moose stew, my taste-test of barbecued mealworms won't encourage any states to secede from the union. Check out my review of said snack in the latest installment of McSweeney's Reviews of New Food.

6/23/08: In an excerpt from Is There a Hole in the Boat? that GoNomad just printed, you'll read how I ended up eating dust for lunch.

6/22/08: Books and Beer: Who knew? Check out my events page for details on my appearance at the New York Book Fair Expo this October.

6/18/08: New York City finally has its own travel book store: Idlewild Books. And they stock Is There a Hole in the Boat?. If you're in NYC, check it out!

5/23/08: Grab a paper-thin complimentary bar of hotel soap. Nicaragua brought me adventures in hygiene.

3/20/08: I just found out I scooped up a bronze certificate and an honorable mention in this year's Solas Awards for "The Comb of Rebellion" and "The Peanut Fiends of Guayaquil", two of my pieces published last year!

2/07/08: Check out my latest myspace blog for a tale of muppets, birds of prey, and a moratorium on flip-flops.

12/26/07: Just in time for your New Year's feast, I posted a recipe for spiced tourtiere.

11/20/07: I'll be signing copies of Is There a Hole in the Boat? at the Independent and Small Press Book Fair, Dec 1 and 2 in NYC. Click here for details.

10/8/07: Is There a Hole in the Boat? won the silver medal in the Lowell Thomas Journalism Competition. I'm flattered to be in such medal-winning company as Paul Theroux and Tim Cahill.

9/9/07: Brooklyn area folks: I'll be at the Brooklyn Book Festival next Sunday, Sept 16. Stop by and say hola!

8/14/07: GoNomad just printed my article on Otavalo, Ecuador, where crabs remain on leashes, Castro hangs on strings, and guinea pigs fly (kind of).

7/5/07: There's nothing like hanging out with the locals, especially when they have three foot tails. Check out my latest piece The Peanut Fiends of Guayaquil over at Perceptive Travel.

6/2/07: Want to win an autographed copy of Is There a Hole in the Boat? Of course you do. Click here to enter the contest held by TCM Reviews. Hurry: the contest ends on June 30.

6/2/07: That's right, it's softshell crab season again. And to celebrate, I posted a beer-battered softshell crab recipe.

5/17/07: For all you librarians and booksellers: you will find Is There a Hole in the Boat? at Book Expo America (June 1-3) in the New Title Showcase. Order as many as you want. The printer will print more!

5/17/07: Am I a fashion victim or a supporter of local economies? Here's an article about Panama City you mite—er, might—like over at The Panama Report.

4/30/07: Look what I found today. "an engaging read," says Terry South of Quality Book Reviews.

4/5/07: SALIVARY GLAND ALERT: Lisa Kisner over at ReaderViews just wrote "Mr. DuFord...makes even the most questionable meal, such as bush rat, sound delicious."

3/7/07: And now, the latest praise for Is There a Hole in the Boat?: check out what Levi Asher over at LitKicks had to say about the book.

2/27/07: I have two upcoming appearances in the NYC area--one on April 14, and another on May 8. Details on the events page.

2/23/07: According to TCM Reviews, Is There a Hole in the Boat? takes the best of two types of travelogues--funny and informative--"and makes them into an entertaining yet substantial whole." Read the entire review here.

2/22/07: Today's edition of the Queens Courier ran an article on me. In the article, you'll find out, among other things, what risks I will take for a slow-cooked meal.
2/22/07: Do you hate killing orchids? I have an article for you...

2/21/07: ForeWord Magazine has selected Is There a Hole in the Boat as a Book of the Year Awards finalist!
2/9/07: Armchair Interviews posted a review of Is There a Hole in the Boat?. Check it out here.
1/27/07: I just added a new recipe: Shrimp Pizza on Flatbread. Get your broilers ready.
1/2/07: I'll be signing copies of Is There a Hole in the Boat? at the Big Art Show in Brooklyn, NY on January 27. Check the events page for all the details.

12/23/06: When Jalisco meets New England, you have a holiday recipe.

12/12/06: If you missed my interview on Travel Hub Radio, sweat not, my friend: Travel Hub Radio saved it in their mp3 archives. Choose "Segment 1."

12/12/06: Alright, I've been a little tardy with adding new recipes. So if you've been waiting, this one is for you: Papas a la Huancaina.

12/6/06: Don't forget: tomorrow, Travel Hub Radio will be interviewing me live in streaming internet audio. Check the events page for details.

11/13/06: Click here to check out the review of Is There a Hole in the Boat? from BookPleasures.

11/6/06: Travel Hub Radio will be interviewing me on December 7th. Check the events page for more info...

11/1/06: Is it possible to find a decent glass of Venezuelan-made wine? I checked it out.

10/30/06: I returned from a Panama City book signing, and I brought back tales of Spinach and Bribes.

10/4/06: Exedra Books in Panama City will be holding a book signing for Is There a Hole in the Boat? on Saturday, October 14th. Check here for the details.

9/27/06: I will be reading from Is There a Hole in the Boat? at the Pink Pony in NYC on November 6. Get the details here.

9/20/06: Who wants some frequent flier miles? In his latest blog entry, Tim Leffel posted a URL to score 250 free miles from Delta by just answering a survey question.

9/18/06: What do lucky soaps and Spiderman have in common? Why, the Panamanian city of Chitre, of course.

9/15/06: I've uploaded a few dozen of my travel photos to my flickr account. You'll find shots of Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela. Check 'em out! I'll post some shots from Peru soon...

8/28/06: Click here to read the review of Is There a Hole in the Boat? in The Panama News.

8/15/06: Do Venezuelans take their fervor for soccer a bit too far? Pictales just printed my piece on the subject, accompanied by the photo which raised the question.
8/6/06: Are you craving a frothy glass of chicha? You're in luck: GoNOMAD just published my article, Chowhounding Peru: from Anticuchos to Zaino. Go to the articles page for the link.

7/20/06: Earlier this month, I returned from Venezuela, a country more like America than one might think--an America of 25 years ago, that is. Read this to find out why.

©2012 Darrin DuFord