In 2005, I embarked on a new journey that opened the doors to the beginning of changing my life. . . Costa Rica will forever hold one of the most special places in my heart. It is where I learned to appreciate and live in the present moment, the key to living in a peaceful state that some label as happiness. During a semester abroad, I gained an understanding of the Costaricense motto: Pura Vida. In a place where there is no army, a landscape of mountains, beaches and rainforests as your backyard and family/friends are the epicenter of values, Costa Rica is a gem in a world that can often appear gloomy and will teach you to slow down and see the beauty that not only surrounds us, but that lies within us.
I was blessed to live with such a wonderful familia and form such a special relationship with my mami. Yadira and I bonded over cafecitos and our love for cooking. I spent much time shadowing her in the kitchen as we prepared comida tipica together. Each morning I would awake to a fresh pot of coffee and a fragrant array of tropical fruits, banana, papaya, pineapple, etc. This was the perfect way to start the day, sometimes adding a slice of healthy bread fresh from the bread maker or pan de banano that we baked the night before.
I was blessed to live with such a wonderful familia and form such a special relationship with my mami. Yadira and I bonded over cafecitos and our love for cooking. I spent much time shadowing her in the kitchen as we prepared comida tipica together. Each morning I would awake to a fresh pot of coffee and a fragrant array of tropical fruits, banana, papaya, pineapple, etc. This was the perfect way to start the day, sometimes adding a slice of healthy bread fresh from the bread maker or pan de banano that we baked the night before.
Central to Costa Rican culture and cuisine is gallo pinto, a plato tipico, that can be consumed for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. While Costa Rica prides itself in this dish, Nicaragua would beg to differ that it is originally their's. However, through my years in Central America, the best gallo pinto was most definitely in my own casita. It can be insufficiently simplified to a description of rice and beans but the cilantro, onion, garlic and red pepper, topped with Salsa Lizano brings the dish to a new level of satisfying comfort food. The dish is paired with great memories, wonderful associations, and the reminder of living as the ticos: pura vida!
It seems only appropriate to begin this blog with a recipe that appears simple but yet has so much depth. This dish is an integral part to a culture that slows down to have a meal with the family, meet friends to gossip over coffee and take a mid-day break for surfing. It is a place that enables self-reflection, teaches you to live in the moment and proves happiness can lie in the appreciation of simple things in life.
Gallo Pinto
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked beans
1 chopped onion
1 small chopped red pepper
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbs. oil
¼ cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Salsa Lizano
Sautee onion, red pepper, garlic and cilantro in vegetable oil for about 3 minutes.
Pour in the beans and add seasoning to taste. Let it cook for a couple minutes, without drying them out.
Add cooked rice and mix with beans.
Pour in the beans and add seasoning to taste. Let it cook for a couple minutes, without drying them out.
Add cooked rice and mix with beans.
Top with salsa lizano.
Serving suggestions: with huevos and/or platanos maduros
No comments:
Post a Comment