COSTA RICA-3ra. Parte.

MORE… I did mention that Costa Rica lacks of good food, that does not mean Costa Rica does not have good food, it does but the general “Cultural attitude” is very simple and without much flavour, the good thing is that there are lots of Europeans and they contribute to the simplicity of the meals but with a lot of flavour. Costa Rica does have great fruit and great pizza in many places. However, we were really fortunate to have Luis’ family teaching us about Costa Rica’s cuisine.

Here we go…

Arepas.
These are almost like hot cakes and most Costa Ricans use sour cream, jam or cream cheese on top. Very, very tasty but what made them great is that they were prepared by Luis’ aunt.

Snug Harbor Seafoods Pasta.
This is a great memory of our 1st. Anniversary on the Road… Thanks Megon and Kevin for providing us with this wonderful can of salmon prepared precisely by Megon’s family business.
The recipe costs (including the can of salmon) $3.5 dollars and it is prepared as follows.

Ingredients:
1 Can of King Wild Alaskan Salmon
Pasta
Sour cream from Costa Rica (Natilla)
6 Cloves of garlic
1 Small onion
1 Red bell pepper or “Chile dulce”
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:
1) Open the can and enjoy the smell while you cook the rest of the ingredients. Tourists were gathering around at this point, locals were evacuating.
2) Cook pasta al dente, my favourite method as it keeps the taste of the pasta.
3) Dice 6 cloves of garlic as well as a small onion and a red bell pepper. Fry all the ingredients with some olive oil and add them to the cooked pasta.
4) At the end add the can of salmon along with the sour cream (Ticos call it Natilla) and slowly enjoy this wonderful salmon… of course with the addition of salt and pepper to taste.
5) If you do not know Megon and Kevin you can substitute the salmon for something else of your preference.
6) Good luck!!!

Thanks Megon and Kevin, we really enjoy the salmon!!!

Casado Mahi Mahi.
This was the typical casado from Costa Rica but including Mahi Mahi. We were staying at Hotel Verde Mar in Manuel Antonio and had Chef Oman Ramon Gomez Vargas producing this delicious dish for us.

A little bit of background to all this.
Chef Omar took some courses through INA and other Institutions in Costa Rica. Since 1956 he has been practicing the art of cooking and throughout his career he has participated in different activities and festivals, one of them was the IV Festival Gastronomico Internacional in San Jose, Costa Rica. His life has been dedicated to improving himself and staying updated by reading books like “Mi Cocina” by Auguste Escoffier and attending cooking courses constantly.
For Omar, Costa Rican cuisine is nutritious and rich; however the common Costa Rican tends to put together lots of starches in the same plate. For him it is easy to make perfect combinations since he appreciates the variety of fruits and veggies that Costa Rica owns.
He prepared this Casado that is generally found in a popular restaurant or “soda”; this same dish is found in first class restaurants with the name of Platillo Tipico Costarricense: rice, beans, fried or boiled plantains, salad, and meat.
Our Casado was composed of: Mahi Mahi or Pez dorado found in the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica perfectly prepared and juicy, rice, some veggies (chayote and corn), fried plantains, beans and Turrialba cheese. Fish was prepared with a simple recipe of Salsa Lizano, lemon juice and pepper.
This dish normally cost 3500 Colones, Omar made a bigger plate for us for 5000 Colones.
Omar says that his speciality is Gastronomy in general because everything he prepares tastes delicious… he is right!!!
If you are in Manuel Antonio or Quepos don’t forget to stop by Hotel Verde Mar which is located at 200 metres before the heart of Manuel Antonio, Omar will be waiting for you with proper parking and with enough speed to ensure he satisfies your appetite. He is able to prepare a typical Costa Rican dish as well as an International request.
verdermar@racsa.co.cr

Flor @ San Vito.
Bread is something we enjoy very much. We found a bakery in San Vito, in the South of Costa Rica, that had some spicy tasty baked goods and some sweet queques (cakes). The prices range between 300-1500 Colones depending on size and complexity. The owner and the staff are very friendly and helpful; don’t hesitate to make a stop here since they also have coffee… Enjoy!!!

Liliana’s Pizzeria y Restaurant @ San Vito.
This pizzeria is famous in the country. We were here in 2005 and really enjoy the food and Italian accent. This time we could not forgive ourselves if we missed the excellent service and products they offer while being in San Vito. We had a large pizza (14 pieces) of De La Casa Pizza (meat and tomato sauce, cheese, bacon and mushrooms) and a Bavaria beer from Costa Rica. Pizza was 6700 Colones and beer 1200 Colones. These prices are plus 13% sales tax and 10% service tax. Worth it? Absolutely…

Rainy San Vito.
Yes it is rainy, really rainy but cooking is always a pleasure especially when nothing else can be done. Pasta is a staple but there are always variations to cooking pasta; we recently found this tomatoe sauce that is very convenient because it comes in a small plastic package and it is not heavy. Remember, when on bikes, the lighter the better. I have to say that in Costa Rica we are fortunate to find products in small sizes and light containers, I love it!!!

Ingredients:
Pasta
Salchichon ahumado (kind of sausage)
Salsa de tomate Ranchera Maggi
Cloves of garlic
1 Small onion
Broccoli
Turrialba cheese
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:
1) Cook the pasta al dente and use the hot water to simmer the broccoli.
2) Dice the onion and garlic and with a little bit of olive oil cook these ingredients, add the salchichon (cut in pieces of the size of your preference). Once all these are cooked add the tomato sauce.
3) Add this mix to the pasta.
4) Add broccoli in the side. Brian does not like to mix his pasta with broccoli, that is why is better just to place it in the side. I was really happy to finally find good broccoli.
5) Add cheese to this combination, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!!!