If I can, I’d like to give myself a pat on the back for embracing the flavors of Costa Rica and doing my best to replicate them. Granted, I’ve relied most on the internet for Costa Rican recipes but I’ve recreated them in our kitchen and they taste pretty close to the local dishes we’ve sampled. Gallo pinto is the staple of CR meals, breakfast in particular. And with the help of two tricks, Salsa Lizano and lots of cilantro, I’ve got it down.
My favorite recipe though is platanos maduros. These are ripe plantains (think very large black bananas) cut into wedges and fried in vegetable oil until they brown on all sides. They taste as though they’ve been coated in honey and sugar, but they haven’t. From what I’ve read, the magic happens as they ripen and cook. The darker the banana, the sweeter the dish. Apparently, the ripening creates more sugar in the plantain and longer you let it cook, the tastier it becomes. Our recent purchase of ice cream was to compliment the platanos maduros to make our own Costa Rican version of bananas foster. It’s a treat.
My next attempt will be ceviche which is really more a matter of proper timing and ingredients than culinary skill. For those that aren’t familiar with it, ceviche is a marinade of raw fish “cooked” for several hours by sitting in a blend of citric acids (lemon, orange and lime juice). Add a little onion, pepper and avocado and you’ve got a delicious appetizer (as long as you’re a fan of citric marinade, which I am). You’d have no clue the fish you’re eating hasn’t touched a heated pan.
There’s plenty more local dishes we have yet to try. Nachos and tortillas and flautas seem to dominate menus to fill tourist tummies. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy fajitas too…but we’ve quickly realized the best food comes from the cooks that look like moms serving you overloaded homemade dishes that cost no more than $3. Might be the reason why I have yet to shed the extra pounds gained from working at a culinary institute for three years…even with all the walking. Eh…it’s worth it. We’re on vacation right? We’re allowed to indulge.
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