la iglesia y la comida
So I have two things to report on... first, the Catholic church in Costa Rica, and second, learning to prepare the typical Costa Rican meal.
On Sunday morning, Luisa, Gaby, Faby, and I attended mass at the local Catholic church here in Barva. As far as I can recall, this was my first time attending a Catholic mass. I am not sure if starting off with a different language is the easiest way to comprehend, but oh well. I am all about jumping in head first. The service was very interesting to me - probably largely in part due to the fact that it was a traditional Catholic ceremony with the procession of the priests/fathers led by alter boys carrying incense. And there was a lot of reading and responding, liturgy, prayers, songs, and standing up and sitting down. The church was pretty big, and full of people too. There were people sitting on the floor, standing against the wall, etc. And Luisa said that wasn´t even a crowded service. I can´t imagine attending on a major holiday - say Christmas, in the middle of the summer. It´s safe to say I might have experienced my second ever fainting spell if that were the case. Anyway, it was very interesting to me, and I was proud of myself because I understood most of what the father said during his sermon. And I think it is rather amazing to be part of a church service in a different language. It gives new meaning to the understanding that God is God for all people, in all places, in all languages.
Today, after my usual morning Spanish class, I had a lesson in Costa Rican cooking. Luisa, Pili (my other teacher), and I made Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) and traditional salad and beans. The main dish (arroz con pollo) consisted of shredded chicken that had been boiled with water and vegetables and seasoning. We used the broth from the pot of chicken to cook the rice with diced carrot, onion, chile dulce (sweet chile - like red bell pepper), corn, peas, and the shredded chicken. The red beans (kidney) were cooked with 2 large beets in the pot. The beets were then removed and diced up and mixed with diced hard boiled egg and mayonnaise with limon (yup, it is a packet of mayo that has lime flavoring in it...interesting, i know). So this is the salad and it is a beautiful bright pink color and served atop lettuce. The cooked beans we puréd in the blender with a little bit of the juice and Salsa Lizano, which I might say is the best flavor ever and I will be bringing back a gallon when I return. So there you have it - homemade beans, salad, and arroz con pollo. Serve with a side of toasted potato chips and you have the traditional Costa Rican food that is often served at parties or on special occasions. I am definitely taking detailed notes of all the fine culinary skills and ideas I am learning here. I may try and reproduce a little bit of Costa Rica in my own kitchen someday! (That is of course, not until I finally ¨settle down¨ and actually start investing in houseware and kitchen products of my own!)
On Sunday morning, Luisa, Gaby, Faby, and I attended mass at the local Catholic church here in Barva. As far as I can recall, this was my first time attending a Catholic mass. I am not sure if starting off with a different language is the easiest way to comprehend, but oh well. I am all about jumping in head first. The service was very interesting to me - probably largely in part due to the fact that it was a traditional Catholic ceremony with the procession of the priests/fathers led by alter boys carrying incense. And there was a lot of reading and responding, liturgy, prayers, songs, and standing up and sitting down. The church was pretty big, and full of people too. There were people sitting on the floor, standing against the wall, etc. And Luisa said that wasn´t even a crowded service. I can´t imagine attending on a major holiday - say Christmas, in the middle of the summer. It´s safe to say I might have experienced my second ever fainting spell if that were the case. Anyway, it was very interesting to me, and I was proud of myself because I understood most of what the father said during his sermon. And I think it is rather amazing to be part of a church service in a different language. It gives new meaning to the understanding that God is God for all people, in all places, in all languages.
Today, after my usual morning Spanish class, I had a lesson in Costa Rican cooking. Luisa, Pili (my other teacher), and I made Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) and traditional salad and beans. The main dish (arroz con pollo) consisted of shredded chicken that had been boiled with water and vegetables and seasoning. We used the broth from the pot of chicken to cook the rice with diced carrot, onion, chile dulce (sweet chile - like red bell pepper), corn, peas, and the shredded chicken. The red beans (kidney) were cooked with 2 large beets in the pot. The beets were then removed and diced up and mixed with diced hard boiled egg and mayonnaise with limon (yup, it is a packet of mayo that has lime flavoring in it...interesting, i know). So this is the salad and it is a beautiful bright pink color and served atop lettuce. The cooked beans we puréd in the blender with a little bit of the juice and Salsa Lizano, which I might say is the best flavor ever and I will be bringing back a gallon when I return. So there you have it - homemade beans, salad, and arroz con pollo. Serve with a side of toasted potato chips and you have the traditional Costa Rican food that is often served at parties or on special occasions. I am definitely taking detailed notes of all the fine culinary skills and ideas I am learning here. I may try and reproduce a little bit of Costa Rica in my own kitchen someday! (That is of course, not until I finally ¨settle down¨ and actually start investing in houseware and kitchen products of my own!)
posted by Dynasty goes to CR at
5:49 PM
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