Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts

Saturday, December 19, 2015

This is an original Emeril Lagasse recipe that I modified to add wasabi powder and an extra step to bake the nuts until dry. Otherwise, I think the humidity in Costa Rica leaves the nuts a little too sticky.

Ingredients:
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon wasabi powder (optional)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups unsalted mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds
3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Mix spices and reserve

Directions:
Preheat oven to 225°F. Heat nuts in a dry skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.  Add the butter, sugar, water and spices to the hot skillet and cook, stirring, until a glaze forms, about 1 minute.  Return the nuts to the skillet and toss to combine with the glaze.  Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, separating with a fork. Bake about 30 minutes until the nuts are dry. Let rest until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.
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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Here is a quick and easy substitute for Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing dry mix you can make at home in about 5 minutes. This is handy to always have on hand for a quick dressing or dip.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup powdered milk
1/3 cup of dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together with a fork until blended.

You can store the dry ingredients in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a year, or in refrigerator for up to 3 months.

TO MAKE RANCH DRESSING:
Combine 1 tablespoon of seasoning mix with 1/3 cup mayonnaise and 1/3 cup of buttermilk, and whisk to combine. You can also substitute plain yogurt for the mayo.

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Mix well and let stand 5 minutes before using.

Note: 2 tablespoons of this dry mix is the equivalent of one package of store bought mix.

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Thursday, April 30, 2015

This is my go to recipe whenever I need Taco Seasoning mix

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 tablespoon Chili Powder de la Casa (click on link for recipe)

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients and store in an air tight jar for up to 6 months.

One tablespoon of this mix is the equivalent of a package of store bought Taco Seasoning.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015

In 2008, our daughter Jenny stayed in our Casita for several weeks with some friends. While they were here, they planted a couple of citrus trees and a mango tree as "gifts" for us. One of the citrus trees did not survive, but the other two are having bumper crops this year. The citrus tree that did survive is a lemon tree that goes by several names here in Costa Rica. It is called Limón Real, Limón Limón, Limon Arrugada (wrinkled lemon,) and in Venezuela it is call Limón Francés.

This lemon has a very thick wrinkled skin and an unbelievable amount of juice. I'd have to say, these are about the best tasting lemons I have ever had.

Since we have this bumper crop, I've been coming up with ways to use all these lemons and this time I decided to try my hand at making Limoncello. Oh my!!! This stuff is awesome and so easy to make!

Ingredients:
10-12 large lemons
750 ml bottle of 80-100 proof vodka, or clear rum
1-4 cups of sugar
1-4 cups of water

Directions:
  1. Peel the lemons with a potato peeler. Try to only peel the zest from the lemons with a little pith as possible.
  2. Pack the lemon zest peels in a quart jar and completely cover with the vodka or rum. Place a lid on the jar to seal it.
  3. Infuse the alcohol with the flavor of the lemon by storing the jar in a dark place for 3-4 weeks. The longer you let it sit, the more lemony the Limoncello.
  4. Strain the lemon zest out of the alcohol by pouring it through a large coffee filter into a clean pitcher. Discard the zest
  5. Make a simple syrup with equal portions of sugar and water. Heat the sugar in the water until the sugar is completely dissolved, and then let the syrup cool completely.
  6. Add syrup to taste to the infused alcohol. I found that 1½ cups of syrup is perfect for our taste, but feel free to experiment to get it the way you like it best.
  7. Use a funnel to transfer the Limoncello into a clean liter bottle, and store it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours before serving.
Use it as an after dinner treat to cleans the palate, over ice cream, or just for sipping. The Limoncello should keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of months, or up to a year in the freezer.

¡Buen Provecho!


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Friday, April 3, 2015

We have a tree loaded with Valencia Oranges, so I've been coming up with more uses for the juice, in addition to the delicious glass of sweet OJ. This is my latest creation.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 juicy orange
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon fresh coarse ground pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Serve over your favorite salad. I like it poured over a chilled salad of sliced cucumbers, scallions, shredded carrots, diced sweet peppers and chopped almonds. It's also great over fresh spinach with mandarin slices and pecans. Use your imagination.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

This is my chili powder recipe that we used in the 2015 Atenas Chili Cook-Off. Out of 22 teams, we won the Peoples Choice Award!


Ingredients:
4 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili de árbol powder (Tree chili is a small Mexican Chili with a woody stem that are sometimes called bird’s beak chili.)
2 whole chipotle chili peppers with stems removed, minced and ground to a powder (Chipotle chili is a smoked Jalapeño chili pepper used primarily in Mexican and TexMex cooking.)
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons fresh finely minced oregano
1 tablespoon fresh ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground clove
4 tablespoon Hot Chili Powder (MySpiceSage.com brand. Ingredients: Chile Pepper, Salt, Cumin, Oregano, Garlic, Cayenne Pepper and Crushed Red Pepper)

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together until well blended. Store in an airtight jar for up to 6 months.

Yield ~ 1½ cups
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Saturday, December 13, 2014

We had some chocolate chips in the pantry, but I didn't have all the ingredients needed to make fudge. So, rather than run to the store, I decided to invent a recipe for salted chocolate caramels. These caramels make a delicious, salty 'n sweet treat.

Ingredients:

2 cups of sugar
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk

1 ounce can of evaporated milk
2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
2 cup of dark molasses*
2 teaspoon of vanilla

2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Melt the sugar, milks, butter and molasses together in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir every couple of minutes until it reaches a temperature of 235°F to 240°F on a candy thermometer. You will need patience for it to come up to temperature, and you'll need to be careful not to let it scorch.


Remove the pan from the heat, add vanilla and 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix until all the chocolate chips are melted.

Pour the mixture into two baking dish, or two cookie sheets, that have either been greased, or lined with parchment paper. Allow the caramels to cool at room temperature for an hour. Score the candy into bite size piece that you can break apart when it's completely cooled. Sprinkle Sea, or Kosher, salt on top after you score the candy and you'll have an awesome salty/sweet treat.

*Note:  Here in Costa Rica, I make my own molasses with unrefined brown sugar cakes called "Tapa de Dulce". This is crude sugar cane juice that is cooked down until it caramelizes. Then it's poured into wooden molds and left to cool and setup into brown sugar cakes. I melt the "Tapa de Dulce" with an equal part of water and let it simmer until it reached the consistency of syrup, about 225°F on a candy thermometer. 
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Monday, September 16, 2013

Graham crackers are not found in Costa Rica, let alone a Graham cracker pie shell. The pie shell can probably be found in one of the high-end super market that caters to expats with expensive imported foodstuffs. The lack of Graham crackers should not deter you from making a pie.

I remember years ago, my sons' Tica grandmother used to make a pie crust with Galletas Maria. The Galleta Maria is a very popular sweet vanilla cookie with the crispness of a cracker. You can find it everywhere in Costa Rica, and this is my substitute for the original Rev. Sylvester Graham's cracker.

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Crush about 25-30 Galletas Maria until you have about 1½ cups of fine crumbs.

Mix this with ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¾ of a stick of butter, melted.

Firmly press the crumb mixture into a pie pan making sure to evenly cover the bottom and side.

Bake for 15 minutes and allow it to cool to room temperature before you add your pie filling.

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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Many imported items are expensive to buy in Costa Rica. One of these items is Bisquick Mix from General Mills. I searched the web and found this recipe that was published in the Kansas City Star food section years ago. Try this simple recipe and you’ll never buy the boxed Bisquick Mix again.

Ingredients:
6 cups of all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons of baking poweder
1 tablespoon of salt
1 cup of vegetable shortening (Crisco)

Directions:
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt 3 times into a large bowl.
Cut the shortening in with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, or sand.
Store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 months.
Use as a substitute in any recipe that calls for Bisquick.

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Saturday, January 19, 2013


Found some beautiful sweet peppers at the Farmers' Market (Feria del Agriculture) in Grecia yesterday, so I picked up a couple of dozen for around $3 USD. Today I combined them with the Jalapeño peppers growing in our garden to make some hot pepper jelly. The recipe makes a delicious, mild hot pepper jelly. It's just not hot enough for our palates, so next time I'm going to kick it up a notch with about 3 or 4 more hot peppers.

7½ cups finely chopped sweet peppers
½ cup finely chopped Jalapeño or Serrano peppers (about 6)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 (1.75 ounce) packages powdered pectin
10 cups white sugar

Sterilize 6 (16 ounce) canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions. You can use any combination of jar sizes to come up with approximately 96 ounces. I usually boil the lids in a large sauce pans and boil the jars in the rack of the canning pot according to the manufacturer's instructions. I then just leave the lids and jars in the hot water until ready to fill.

The easiest way to chop the peppers is in a food processor. Remove all the seeds and membranes and cut them in large chunks for the food processor. You should wear gloves to trim the hot peppers and avoid inhaling the fumes. Thoroughly mix the hot and sweet peppers together.

Place the peppers in a stock pot over high heat. Mix in vinegar and fruit pectin. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to rolling boil. Quickly add the sugar. Stir constantly and bring it back to a full rolling boil for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and if necessary, skim off any foam.

Ladle the jelly into sterile jars, to within ¼ inch of the tops. Cover with flat lids, and screw on bands tightly.

Place jars into the rack in the canning pot. The water should completely cover the jars, and it should be hot, but not boiling. Bring water to a boil, and process for 5 minutes.

Remove the jars and allow them to cool completely at room temperature.

Server on crackers, over cream cheese, or mixed with cream cheese and/or sour cream for a sweet and spicy dip.

Experiment with all green, all red, or all yellow sweet peppers for a different eye appeal.
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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I saw a recipe recently for Caramel Candy and as usual, I didn't have the required ingredients. So, I decided to invent my own with the ingredients I had on hand and it is delicious.

Ingredients:

1 cup of sugar
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 stick of butter (½ cup)
1 cup of dark molasses*
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

Melt all ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir every couple of minutes until it reaches a temperature of 235°F to 240°F. Be careful that you don't let it scorch.

Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and allow it to cool at room temperature for an hour. Score the candy into bite size piece that you can break apart when it's completely cooled. Sprinkle Sea, or Kosher, salt on top after you score the candy and you'll have an awesome salty/sweet treat.

*Note:  Here in Costa Rica, I make my own molasses with unrefined brown sugar cakes called "Tapa de Dulce". This is crude sugar cane juice that is cooked down until it caramelizes. Then it's poured into wooden molds and left to cool and setup into brown sugar cakes. I melt the "Tapa de Dulce" with an equal part of water and let it simmer until it reached the consistency of syrup, about 225°F on a candy thermometer.
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012


This is an easy recipe for a Ranch Dressing or Dip. You can kick it up a notch by adding a hot Chipotle pepper. This is delicious on salads, or wraps. One our our favorite wraps back in the old country was a chicken wrap at Hungry's Cafe in Houston. This wrap was made with a whole wheat tortilla, diced grilled chicken, avocado, feta cheese, lettuce, tomato and black beans. The Chipotle Ranch dressing makes this wrap over-the-top yummy.

Ingredients:
¾ cup mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
¾ cup sour cream (I use natilla in Costa Rica)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice (I've used key lime juice as a substitute)
¼ to 1 cup buttermilk (You can substitute with 1 cup regular milk and a tablespoon of white vinegar)
1 small bunch of chives or 2 scallions, roughly chopped (I’ve used regular onion as a substitute)
Small handful of cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Optional Ingredient:
1 dried Chipotle Morita Chili pepper, finely minced (with or without seeds, depending on how hot you like it)

Directions:
Place all ingredients with ¼ cup of buttermilk in a blender and blend for 10 seconds. Check consistency and add additional buttermilk as needed. A Ranch “dip” should call for less buttermilk, whereas a Ranch Dressing for a salad will use more buttermilk. Store the dressing in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator. It should keep for 2-3 weeks.
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Sunday, May 20, 2012

After 2 days of aging

A couple of years ago, our daughter, Mary, gave us some wonderful homemade vanilla extract. As luck would have it, I dropped the bottle and broke the cap. I never did find a replacement cap, or bottle, so all of the contents evaporated while sitting in a kitchen cabinet.

Needing to replace it, I went to our favorite local grocery store Coopeatenas and found they only carry artificial vanilla flavoring. Not one to settle for less than the best, I started searching the internet for different recipes and finally cobbled this one together.

I just happened to have plenty of vanilla beans stored in a vacuum sealed bag that I had shipped in our sea container when we moved to Costa Rica last year.

Ingredients:
8 whole vanilla beans
1¾ cups of cheap vodka
¾ cup of cheap dark rum

Directions:
Slice vanilla beans in half and then lengthwise. Using a funnel, or a very steady hand, pour the alcohol into a clean, empty bottle. Add the vanilla beans to the bottle and store it in a dark place for a couple of weeks. Once a day, shake the bottle to help speed up the extraction process.

As you use the vanilla in your favorite recipes, you can top off the bottle now and then with some additional vodka and dark rum in a 2:1 ratio. The beans will eventually break down and dissolve, so add more vanilla beans when necessary.

Note to self:  Buy small bottles and more vanilla beans.  May need to make lots more of this for future gift-giving.

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Monday, January 16, 2012

I have been meaning to post this recipe for years. This was my Dad's recipe for his wonderful sweet, spicy and hot dill pickles. I don't think the original recipe was ever written down, so I wanted to document it before I forget how to make them.

Ingredients:
1 gallon of whole dill pickles, any brand, but not Kosher or Polish, just plain dills (I haven't a clue why you couldn't use Kosher or any other dill for that matter. Perhaps dad thought there would be too much garlic.)
2 kilos, or 4 pounds, of granulated sugar
1 whole pod of garlic
1 small bottle of Tabasco sauce

Directions:

Prep the Ingredients:
Drain the vinegar from the pickles. Just pour it out. Yes, that does means pour it down the drain, unless you can come up with some other use for the vinegar, in some other recipe. Cover your table with a waterproof table cloth, because it could get messy. Peel all the cloves of garlic and slice them into somewhat thin slices and set them aside. Now, slice all the pickles into ¼" disks and put them in a large bowl. Wash and dry the original jar and lid.

Pack the Ingredients:
Pour about an inch of sugar in the bottom of the jar, layer in some pickles and garlic, and cover it with more sugar. Keep building layers until the jar is completely filled. I know it will look like everything won't fit, but trust me, it will. You may have to shake the jar a bit to get everything to settle. Once you have the jar tightly packed, pour the ENTIRE bottle of Tabasco sauce in. Don't worry about mixing it. Wipe up any spills around the mouth of the jar with a clean damp cloth. You don't want the outside of the jar to be sticky with sugar, or you won't get a good seal. Now, screw the lid on nice and tight, and set it somewhere out of the way, but where you will see it everyday.

Age the Pickles:
You will need to leave the pickles in the jar for a minimum of 2 weeks. Every morning rotate the jar upside down onto the lid and every evening turn it back right side up onto the base. Do this for 2 weeks and don't cheat and don't taste them.

Enjoy!!
Once the pickles have aged you will be rewarded with the best sweet, spicy hot pickles you have ever tasted. The sugar will draw all the remaining vinegar out of the pickle slices they will be very crisp. You can repack them into smaller jars and store some in the pantry and some in refrigerator. I like these best when they are very cold. They also make a great homemade gift for the holidays.


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Saturday, January 1, 2011

A quick and easy sauce for grilled sausage...

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Yellow Mustard
1/4 cup Honey
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
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Saturday, August 14, 2010

I was looking for a great low calorie, low fat, Ranch Dressing I could make without using the typical Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix as the base. I needed something I could make from scratch, using basic ingredients readily found in Costa Rica. I finally gave up my search and concocted this recipe. I first served it to my official taster, John, and he loved it. Next, I served it to 3 of the grandkids, ages 6 through 11, and they thought it was the best too. It has just enough heat to spark the appetite.

Ingredients:
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, or 3/4 cup nonfat Greek style yogurt
2/3 cup lowfat milk
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon or Deli mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons of granulated Splenda (or 1 Splenda packet)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 dried chipotle pepper

Directions:
If using plain yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with a paper towel and place the strainer over a bowl. Let the yogurt drain and thicken for about 20 minutes.

Re-hydrate the chipotle pepper in warm water for 10 minutes. Remove the seeds and stem. Mince the pepper very fine.

In a medium bowl, combine the strained or Greek-style yogurt and all the rest of the ingredients. Chill for about an hour before serving. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Serving suggestions:
This is great on a grilled chicken salad, tossed salad, or as a vegetable dip.

If you want just a basic ranch salad dressing, leave out the chipotle pepper.

Yield: 2.5 Cups / 18 Servings

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: 36 Calories; 2g Fat (55.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 160mg Sodium.
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Sunday, July 26, 2009

This is a blend of spices I put together as a substitute for Lawry's Seasoned Salt. We think this one is actually better. It is the base for our Spicy House Blend*

Mix all the ingredients together. I find a food processor with the chopper blade, or a blender, works best to make sure the marjoram and parsley are finely ground.

2 tablespoons ground pepper
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon dry marjoram leaves
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ cup salt

Store in an airtight shaker to retain freshness.

* See recipe
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Friday, April 18, 2008

Tastes just like the real thing!!

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice (use Key Limes if you don't have lemons)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika (pimentón)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (ajo en polvo)
1 1/2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch (maicena)
1 teaspoon dry mustard (mostaza en polvo)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:
Use a blender or electric mixer to blend egg yolks, salt, sugar, paprika, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

Slowly pour in 1 cup oil, a few drops at a time, mixing thoroughly.

Add remaining 1/2 cup oil a little faster and when it is thoroughly blended, gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Mix the flour, mustard and vinegar together in a small saucepan, but don't cook it yet. Gradually add the boiling water and mix until smooth. Cook the mixture in the saucepan on low heat just until it forms a smooth paste (don't let it get to thick).

Slowly add this hot mixture to the mayonnaise and blend well.

Pour into a container and cool in the refrigerator.

This will make about a 1/2 liter
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Monday, March 10, 2008

When I first lived in Costa Rica almost 40 years ago every home and restaurant used a "Chorreador de Café" to make the best tasting cup of coffee I have ever had. Today, most folks are using electric coffee makers to brew coffee. But I still make coffee with the Chorreador because it just tastes better.

Chorreadors are usually made with a wooden base and either a wood or wire frame is used to hold a cloth bag for the filter about 12 inches above the base. We prefer strong coffee so we grind a dark roast very fine and place about 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds for every 2 cups of coffee. I bring the water to boil in a tea kettle and slowly pour it over the coffee grounds where it filters into the coffee pot sitting on the base below.

You can buy the flannel coffee filters in most grocery stores in Costa Rica, or you can make your own out of cotton flannel cloth. For best results, you should always start with dry filter and rinse it after use with just clean water. Never wash your filter with with soap or detergent because it will leave an aftertaste in the coffee. The filter will stain a coffee color, but this won't affect the taste in the least. After time, the oils from the coffee beans will build up on your filter. You can dissolve the oil by scrubbing the filter with salt. I prefer to use a course ground kosher or sea salt. Rinse the filter well to remove all of the salt before you use it again to make coffee.

John and I have three Chorreadors, one stays in our kitchen, one is used at John's office, and the third stays with our camping gear. Nothing beats the taste of fresh "Café Chorreado" with a tent side breakfast "en el Campo".


For instructions on how to make your own Chorredor de Café go to this link Duck Runner Resources
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Saturday, January 12, 2008

This is a blend of spices I put together one day to have on hand for seasoning meats and vegetables. It worked so well, I now keep a jar for adding spice to all sorts of foods. It's especially good on pork chops, steaks, avocados, guacamole, corn on the cob, tomatoes, salads, etc.

Mix together

3 Tablespoons of Wegner’s Seasoned Salt* (or Lawry's Seasoned Salt if you must)
1 Tablespoon of ground Cayenne pepper
1 Teaspoon ground Cumin (Comino)
1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
1 Teaspoon Onion powder
1 Teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Celery salt
1 Teaspoon Spanish Paprika (hot paprika)

Store in an airtight shaker to retain freshness.

* See recipe
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