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Whew! Can you say huge thunderstorms? With the La Niña event, this year has been very wet here. And we haven't even reached the height of the season in October yet. However, if you've already planned your trip to the country, don't despair. It is always possible to enjoy the many sites with a little planning. |
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Also, if you're looking
for a summer break from the oppressive heat and humidity up north,
Heredia, at this altitude, it is always spring-like. Why not enjoy an
interesting cultural, Spanish getaway to a comfortable
climate?
Spirit Airways has just opened up service from Fort Lauderdale to San Jose Airport
for around $200US
round-trip. | ||
| Take One: Hollywood in Costa Rica
If you haven't been to Costa Rica yet, when you do arrive, you may feel oddly at home. Just this last week I saw on the Discovery Channel two programs filmed here : Man vs. Wild and "Killer Crocs of Costa Rica." (Don't worry they're no where near Casa Holanda!) It may be obvious to know that this country provides the setting for wildlife documentaries, but every other month, there's a new Hollywood celebrity in town. In the 2 years I've been here celebrities like: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Mel Gibson, Matthew McConaughey, and Madonna have made it their choice to come and relax. Proximity to the US and LA, a stable government, descent infrastructure and an abundance of steamy coastline jungles and beaches provide ideal movie sets . For fun, out of the following, name the one movie that was NOT filmed in Costa Rica. (Answer below.) a.) Jurassic
Park b.) Endless Summer II c.) Congo d.) The Blue Butterfly
From Our Garden: the Herb Wormwood
Don't let the name of this herb scare you,
actually it's very beneficial. Many common names of herbs were
given to describe what they cured. Absinthe Wormwood or ("Ajenjo mayor" en
Spanish) was used
medicinally for getting rid of worms. If you need to control weeds, it is useful because the roots emit a natural weed killer to those around it. You can also plant this herb close to your doors as a moth repellant. Wormwood falls under the sign of Scorpio. You might find on the Internet that
wormwood is mistakenly deemed a poisonous herb, but that is not true. More recently, it has been used as a flavoring for
many liquors like vermouth, and distilled , it is the prime
ingredient for the infamous, or famous, drink called "Absinthe" depicted in Degas' famous painting of the 1870's. For our
purposes, however, absinthe wormwood is a great herb that adds a
distinct flavor to many Spanish dishes, especially black beans,
chili, etc. I first found this culinary herb at
the local nursery, and loved the flavor when I tried it. With a
little digging, and a lot of asking around, I found out the
correct type of wormwood, for wormwood
had many different sub-types. Look at our previous recipes for dishes that taste great with a sprig of wormwood and enjoy!
From Our Garden: The Passion Flower Another herb that grows in our garden is the Passion Flower, or Pasiflora in Spanish . It is called this because it has 12 petals, the same number of disciples that Jesus supposedly had, and the center stem forms a cross. Regardless of the name association with Christianity, passion flower is a favorite of the local hummingbirds and butterflies . The butterflies larvae will eat back the plant, but don't worry this ones a grower and will come back easily. In some countries it is considered an invasive species.
Passionflower has the effect of a mild narcotic, though not as strong as in concentrated form, say in a pill. In the eighteenth century is was a favorite to use as a sedative for nerves. It contains properties to help depression. You can boil the flowers (3 or 4), leaves or roots in hot water to make a relaxing tea. The leaves and roots will be stronger than the flower itself. Taken in moderation it is non-toxic.
Passionflowers are the precursors of passion fruit. You need two separate plants to produce passion fruit. The variety you grow determines whether it is one of the more flavorful and edible, such as "granilla" (lingularis) fruit or more sour "maracuya" (edulis) available in the market.
Costa Rican Vegetables: The Chayote
This vegetable, actually a type of squash, is called "vegetable pear" in English. The Spanish name, chayote , has indigenous origins, but where the vegetable itself originated is not really known, probably here in Central America. In Costa Rica you will see it growing in fields of elevated fencing, where it is picked from underneath. The vine is so vigorous that it will begin sprouting on its own if left out on a counter. The chayote doesn't have much nutritional value,
but I assure you it is a favorite here in Costa Rica. They use them in
everything. Wouldn't you know that Costa Rica
is the largest exporter of Chayote in the
world? From the Kitchen: Casa Holanda's Picadillo Recipe
Picadillo means roughly "a little nibble" in Spanish. For all the international melting pot of borrowed culture Costa Rica has, the picadillo is unique to the country. Probably it is because of the abundance of different vegetables here that can be grown in the higher altitudes, whereas neighboring countries like Panama or Nicaragua are lower in elevations and more tropical. For something to be a picadillo, it needs to have some sort of starchy base like potatoes, boiled green plantains, or chayote and the usual Spanish dish vegetables and herbs of bell pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro etc. All must be finely cubed, with milk or English sauce to create cohesion, and flavored either with bits of hamburger or sausage. Healthy and hearty, these go great wrapped in tortillas. Also great for leftover vegetables you might have. Feel free to improvise by adding some favorite or omitting a vegetable you don't have. Just make sure you maintain the basic principles mentioned above. Since I've already told you about chayote, here is a recipe to use. Casa
Holanda's Picadillo de Chayote 1 large iron skillet Using a food processor, or by hand, carefully cube all vegetables. Sauté vegetable, except the tomato, in olive oil on medium low heat. Add ground beef (or sausage), then add the chayote. The chayote will soften and shrink during cooking. Now add your peeled tomato. At this point you can continue cooking with your skillet or throw the contents into a crock pot at low and cooked for about 3 hours. If you desire the skillet, continue cooking covered on med-low until the chayote is tender to taste. Stir in ketchup and sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with white rice and tortillas. So that's it for this edition. I hope to see you soon at Casa Holanda. It's time to get in your reservations for this upcoming winter. New things are happening
all the time, so check often the website to keep up-to-date, and if we don't
see you, please tell your friends about us.
Chao! James 
"Casa Holanda, Bed and Breakfast" You
have been included on this e-mail because you have some connection Answer to movie quiz: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the only movie NOT filmed in Costa Rica out of the list. |
*All photos in this newsletter are original and property of
Casa Holanda.
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