The Perfect Day in Paradise

When I think about the perfect day, I have always wondered what it would involve. I experienced that flawless day recently on my trip to Costa Rica. It began with an early morning rise as I quietly slithered out of bed to take a nature walk of sorts and snap pictures of my glorious surroundings. I almost envisioned myself in the garden of Eden as I photographed pictures of hummingbirds, orchids, volcanoes and all the beauty around me. The sights, smells and sounds were amazing and very peaceful. The light is so majestic in the early morning!

Back at our private jungle bungalow I took yet another shower in my outdoor rain forest-like shower. I need one of those at home!

After a light breakfast I had booked a spa appointment for a hot stone massage. The treatment room was an open air treetop area which overlooked the jungle beyond. Needless to say, I was one with nature and totally relaxed for well over an hour. It just doesn't get any better than that. I thought! But, as the day unfolded, I found myself on a van ride to the canopy tour of a lifetime. Yes,. this was on my bucket list! I didn't know how I was going to pull this off. I had a real problem with heights and a few medical challenges that could prove disastrous. Going on the elevator at Barnes and Noble was a stretch for me. My knees usually buckled as I got closer and closer to the edge of the 2nd floor area.

A bunch of us from the van were met by our guides who fitted us with helmets (like they would help if we fell into a jungle crevasse) and an attractive harness outfit! Later when we reached the top of the tram ride and the starting point, I kept thinking, "What did I get myself into?". But, it happened so fast I didn't have time to be afraid for my life! It was so exhilarating I soon forgot to be scared! I was able to cross this activity off my bucket list and wanted more!

When all was said and done, I kept thinking that "today was one of the best days of my life" and I was truly thankful for that experience! The only change I would have made was that I should have had that hot stone massage scheduled after the zip line tour! Next time! One of my favorite sayings is: Life is not measured by how many breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away. That pretty much summed it up.

Okay, and because this is primarily a food blog I'm sure I had a great meal that night but the day's activities sure eclipsed it!

Sex on the Beach

Okay, so now that I have your attention! This was one of the Costa Rican libations that caught my eye, also, as I viewed a menu in Playa Flamingo. Who needs a margarita or mojito when you can have sex on the beach! And it's even better when you get 2 for 1! So, of course, I would try them! Delicious!

If you'd like to serve this to friends and family, it's quite simple. There are several ways to make this thirst quenching drink, but the easiest consists of vodka, cranberry juice and pineapple juice over ice! That's it.

All that's missing is the 80 degree weather and the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore! Enjoy!

A Costa Rican Fish Feast - Home Cooked Meal

On our recent vacation to Costa Rica we rented a house in Playa Flamingo on the Northern Pacific Coast. While I do love to cook, it's not one of those things that I like to do in a strange house on vacation. (I can be a snob when it comes to pans and cooking utensils, a sharp knife, etc) But, I did warm up to the idea after we figured out that the sun set very early (5:30 or so) and the not so great roads became even more treacherous after dark! So, instead of venturing out into the jungles of Costa Rica at night along with the howler monkeys we arranged to have several meals in our house.

Early one day Ralph and I went exploring only to find the one and only fish market in the area. A local excursion guide showed us the way to a little house where the fish was abundant in her own personal freezer type chest which sat on her front porch! When she opened this chest our eyes probably got as big as saucers! She had quite the collection of every type of fish that was caught in the area. Corvina (sea bass), slabs of fresh mahi mahi, bags of prawns, snapper and tuna. Yum! We decided on a large chunk of mahi mahi about two feet in length!

On the way home we stopped at the local market for items that would complete the meal. Back at the house everyone pitched in to help, with lots of chopping, marinating, attempting to fire up the grill, table setting, attempting to fire up the grill, again! Evidently there was a problem with our barbecue, so without a blink, plan B was implemented. Stove top grilling the chunks of marinated mahi mahi would have to do and it did. With our concerted efforts we sat down to a wonderful home cooked meal of grilled mahi mahi, gallitos de papa (potatoes) papaya and chips and guacamole.

Our marinade included:

juice of lime

garlic

mandarin juice and zest

cilantro,

olive oil

onion

Cost of meal around $20.00

Dining in Costa Rica, at home with good friends, PRICELESS!

Oh, the places you'll go and the people you'll meet

After our trip to Costa Rica I've had more time to reflect on our journey. One of the things about traveling with my husband (other than, never a dull moment) is that he tends to drink copious amounts of water. As he is always hydrated, that water needs to come out sometime, somewhere! I no longer have to wonder when the next bathroom stop will be. It will be soon and God knows where.

On our trip to Italy one of many bathroom stops was at Carlo's house in the rollings hills of Tuscany near Montalcino. My husband urgently did a "bat turn" onto a country road thinking we were going to a winery. Of course, there would be a pit stop at the winery. It turned out to be something out of a movie as we rounded the curve to Carlo's home. With soothing opera music playing we peered into the courtyard where Carlo was lounging amidst the Italian cypress and rose covered vines.

He hesitantly strolled over to our car. (It helped that we had rented a mercedes.) He welcomed us and proceeded to tell his story. One by one we excused ourselves to search for the guest bathroom in his villa. He also brought us down into his wine cellar where he produced his wine called Gia. Of course we purchased a few bottles since he was so obliging when he didn't have to leave his lounge chair for the American intruders!

Now, in Costa Rica we went to check out some of the beaches near Playa Flamingo where we had rented a house. Playa Grande was on our list so we ventured off in that direction. The beach is well know for its giant waves and surfers so we wanted to see it for ourselves. The town itself was a collection of surf shops and a few restaurants so we continued down the road. (drinking water the whole time) You guessed it, a pit stop was looming in our future! It was becoming jungle like as we approached more civilization near the actual beach. We stumbled upon our next stop which was an oasis, of sorts, called CANTARANA Hotel and Restaurant. The plan would be to order a drink so we could use their facilities without the guilt!

We were met by Marion and Freddy as we climbed the stairs to the open aired restaurant. We ordered a beer and margarita. With a puzzled look on his face Freddy proceeded to come up with some of the ingredients but not all. In all fairness I need to mention that the hotel was just opening up for the season and things were not stocked yet. We got to talking about their "story" and became friends. Between Ralph and Freddy they came up with a new cocktail we named "Freddy goes to the beach". I vowed I would write about our new drink and our experience so here's to you, Freddy, Marion and Reinhard, our gracious hosts for an hour in the jungles of Playa Grande. Thank you for your warm welcome.

When I got home I checked out the rooms at the Hotel Cantarana. The website is http://www.hotel-cantarana.com/ They appear to be as immaculate as the beautiful grounds, and the bathroom! The new drink consists of tequila, orange/fruit drink, fresh lime juice and ice, blended!

A Culinary Tour of Costa Rica....a condensed version

Zeno and his prized lasagna

cerviche

volcano rice

Typical Tican Meal

Zeno's lasagna

While I am back from the jungle, rain forest and beaches of Costa Rica, I am finding it difficult to settle back into the kitchen and blog about it. So, I will attempt to describe a culinary tour of Costa Rica. If you go there do not expect it to be one of the culinary wonders of the world. There seems to be a bounty of shrimp, mahi mahi, snapper and corvina or sea bass. I definitely had my fill of cerviche. Next on the menu would be beans, beans, rice & beans, rice and chicken, etc. A traditional breakfast included gallo pinto which is pretty much rice and beans, a little spice and an egg on top. I do like my oatmeal! You may have an appetizer of fried yuca, I believe a kind of root from Africa, or plantains. The coffee is very good. Some of the best coffee beans come from the highlands just outside of San Jose, its largest city.

Costa Rica is known for its pristine beaches, jungles, activities such as whitewater rafting, rappelling, zip line tours, hiking, surfing, waterfalls, thermal hot springs, howler monkeys, many snakes, hummingbirds, butterflies, volcanoes, beautiful flowers, orchids and even its peaceful friendly people. The food is not why you travel to this "garden of Eden". If you want varied and exquisite meals, go to Italy or France.

We did have a pleasant surprise awaiting us in Tamarindo. Our last night near the beach we stumbled upon an Italian Trattoria called El Lugarcito owned by an animated gentleman named Zeno. He showed us his lasagna and we were sold, at least I was. As much as we tried we were unable to get the recipe. (He probably doesn't have one.) So the game begins. I will make it my new challenge to duplicate this one. He was also very generous with his wine, orange flan and homemade Limoncello. Simply the best meal we had in Costa Rica and, of course, it was Italian. Go figure!