Meals & Recipe
"Very very important in any fishing trip..."
I am please to offer a mix of Local meals and International cooking basically French and Italian...
What for Dinner? Catch of the day, Bao, River Scrimps?
Costa Rica and Nicaragua are not Gourmet destinations... Meanwhile in San Jose, Managua, Granada there are some good restaurants.
I am living in the area since 20 years, I have my address book, Asseri ( Local Surtidas ), Le Chef Jacques ( Basic good French cooking ) , Fellini ( Really Gourmet Italian ) are some of the places I like and recommend.
Around and on our fishing ground where we will be most of the time, the basic of Meals is Rice and beans, Beans and rice... it is called Gallo Pinto, Casado, or Arroz con Frijolles whatever the name It is the same in all central America...
As in no way I can give to my guests rice and beans for Breakfast, Lunch and dinner during seven days I had to do something... What I done is than I decided to add some basic French dishes , and international cooking I learned from my Travel...
Meanwhile we have here some interesting Typical local Dishes: the Gallo Pinto, El Bao, The Tortillas, El Casado, Los Picadillos....
Basic daily " Menu "
n the morning Traditional Gallo Pinto with eggs, on witch I add hot fresh bread, Butter, Various excellent Marmalade , Fruits according to season Pineapple, Banana "Jardin", Mango , Fresh fruit juice..
At Lunch , Normally our lunch is at friends Ranchos on the river banks.. Obviously there will be some rice and beans around, but then we add Potatoes or Yucca or Tiquisque , and Morning catch that can be filet or whole..., Chicken is always around , and some eventual exotics surprises as Deer, Turtle or Turtle eggs... If around lunch time we have a tarpon on then we will go on fighting it and eat aboard...we always have enough ( Just in case ) in our coolers, various Fruits , a lot of Cookies, Ham, Marmalade, Butter, bread etc...
Dinner are more "sophisticated ", we generally have them at my lodge or in local restaurants, Kaoma, El Mirador in San Carlos, Hospedage in Solentiname and El Castillo... We generally have our catch of the day , It can be grilled , or filet, with different sauce, French style with wiping cream and Mushrooms, In tomatoes and Oignons, In Garlic sauce etc....We also may have some of our famous River scrimps, or Chicken, or meat ( some time deer..) All this can be cooked at La parilla o a la plancha, Pollo a la crema del Kaoma is also good.. etc.. What we do is than many time I pass in the Kitchen to be sure ..and eventually give all this cooking a French touch... If I do not go in the kitchen it's because I already teach the cook...
River scrimps, Langostinos, Camarones de Rio, Ouassou...
Cooking: My favorite French Sauce...
Will match almost all fish,
( A new experience for me to write a Cooking Recipe in English...not easy I hope it is understandable...)
Sometime I feel really sorry for my poor English...if something sound really strange or is totally impossible to understand please E mail me I WILL TRY TO EXPLAIN BETTER
* Bernie's favorite drinks..
They are "Classic" but so special when Bernie make them.. and so fast ... No show ...Efficiency!!!! ( Thanks Bernie... it's always with a great pleasure than we think of you and Don...)
# 1 Martini
a glass almost full of good gin..
1 small spoon full of dry vermouth.
3 or 4 large green olives.
1 small spoon full of olive juice.
pour all ingredients into a shaker of ice. stir and let chill. pour into martini glasses. if
you like, pour over ice (ON THE ROCKS)add 2 or 3 olives or a piece of lemon peel.
#2 a glass full of gin
small spoon full of sweet vermouth, or dry if you don't have sweet.
1/2 a glass of tonic water.
a bit of lemon juice and lemon peel.
mix all together and serve over ice. after 3 or 4 of these, get ready to dance, or fight.................
Bernie cook
GAR RECIPES..
14th of July 2003 I got this nice E mail from someone around Mississippi...
E mail is Gopapat@aol.com Thank You Philippe
I enclosed a couple of recipes you might like to try.
Here in Louisiana this is the bait we use to catch the really big ones. However, if you have never eaten alligator gar, you have missed a real treat. Here are a couple of recipes. This, as with most recipes, will take a couple of times to get the seasonings adjusted to your liking.
1 lb of ground alligator gar meat from a large one
1 lb of pealed and ground Irish potatoes
1/2 lb of finely chopped green onions
2-3 Tbls minced garlic
2 stalks of finely chopped celery
2 tsps salt and black pepper sprinkled over mixture
2-3tsps Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning or red pepper. Tony's is best.
2 Tbls of "Try Me" brand Tiger Sauce
Mix well with your hands. Roll into balls about 11/2" diameter then, flatten to about 1/2" thick. Roll in yellow corn meal or corn flour and fry. Hum-hum good. Try dipping your hands in cold water when fish begins to stick to them.
2 lbs of fresh gar from a large one.
Cut alligator gar meat into steaks about 1/2" thick. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic, onion and celery powder or Toney's Cajun Seasoning. Roll in yellow corn flour or corn meal. Fry until golden brown. Another hum-hum good.