DRIVEN TO COOKING... How TicoFUSION(tm) flourished

I always loved to cook. And I have a discerning palette. And, because I have traveled around the globe many times, I have experienced the best that world cuisine has to offer. And, I get bored easily with many things including the meals I eat.

Here we are in the middle of a Costa Rican Jungle, in a quiet town by the Sea. There are a few restaurants, and only a handful of good ones. So, out of desperation and combined with my love for cooking, and my general creativity in all that I do...I have created such delightful and curiously interesting recipes. They are so yummy good I would like to share it with all! Buen provecho.

RECIPE: coconut sherbet

I googled "recipe for coconut sherbet from a fresh coconut". This was the one I chose because it uses fresh coconuts, rather than canned ingredients!

Fresh Coconut & Cachaça Sorbet

http://ceramiccanvas.com/2009/05/fresh-coconut-cachaca-sorbet/
The sorbet is light, refreshing and not too sweet. No one will be able to name the hit of cachaça – they’ll just notice something different that they can’t quite put their finger on.
2 coconuts (apprx. 2 lbs each – see yield notes below)
1 cup water
1 gelatin pack
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup syrup
1.5 oz Cachaça
½ tsp lime juice

Carefully carve out the flesh in chunks. Using a coarse grater, shred the flesh of one coconut (should yield about 2 cups in shredded coconut). Set shredded coconut aside.

Mix milk, water, gelatin in med saucepan and let stand until gelatin has dissolved (about 5 minutes). Add sugar, syrup and ¾ cup of the shredded coconut. Bring mixture to a boil just to dissolve the sugar. Stir, take off heat and let coconut steep, covered, for 25 minutes.

Stir in Cachaça and lime juice. After the mixture has completely cooled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instruction.

Meanwhile, dry toast the remaining cup of shredded coconut in a nonstick pan over medium heat, stirring periodically until the flakes are golden brown (about 7 minutes).

Yield Notes: One 2 lb coconut yields about 1cup liquid & 2 cups shredded coconut

"what is Cachaça?":
http://cocktails.about.com/od/spirits/p/cachaca_profile.htm
Cachaça (pronounced kah-SHAH-sah) is a distilled spirit from Brazil that is in a class of it's own but it is often associated with rum. The difference is that cachaça is made from sugar cane juice where rum uses molasses.

"are Cachaca and cacique the same?" "difference between Cachaca and cacique?"
http://www.ehow.com/info_8608377_liquors-made-sugar-cane.html

Cachaca: It is a clear liquor, distilled from sugar cane juice

Guaro: Guaro is a Costa Rican cane spirit. It is also distilled from sugar cane juice rather than molasses. Its flavor is very neutral, and in practical terms it is more a cane-based vodka than a rum. 

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A more general google search gave me these but they use canned ingredients:

Ming's Perfectly Simple Coconut Sorbet

needs an ice cream maker which I don't have...not so simple after all.
http://www.food.com/recipe/mings-perfectly-simple-coconut-sorbet-170147

Pineapple Coconut Sherbet

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/pineapple-coconut-sherbet-687740/

• Ming's Perfectly Simple Coconut Sorbet

  2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. 1
   In a medium saucepan, combine the ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. 2
   Remove from heat, cool, then refrigerate until fully chilled.
3. 3
   Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/mings-perfectly-simple-coconut-sorbet-170147#ixzz1i7kz494E

Hawaiian Ahi Tuna Burger in the Jungle

I started with this recipe for "Waikiki 'ahi (Tuna Steak) Sandwich":
http://www.instructables.com/id/Waikiki-ahi-Tuna-Steak-Sandwich/?ALLSTEPS

The sauce/dressing was what I was mostly looking for ideas for.
1/8 ONION, sliced, halved 
1 teaspoon SOY SAUCE (SHOYU) 
2 heaped teaspoon MAYONNAISE 
WASABI to taste (see Note [2]) 
We didn't have lettuce, so I needed to substitute w/ finely shredded Cabbage. NOTE: Lettuce is not in season at this time...we don't see very many, and what we see is wilted. The high-end supermercados do sell them at 3 times the normal price of the farmer's market. 


2. Combine the wasabi and mayonnaise in a small dish, set aside. 
4. Cook onions on flat plate with 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce (shoyu). When almost ready (soft), add further 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce (shoyu).
5. Whilst onions are cooking, place bun halves face down on BBQ until toasted. ...I cooked Italian / french bread in olive oil. Or substitute with a tortilla and make a wrap!


Variations:
(1) THAI SWEET CHILLI SAUCE instead of wasabi in the mayonnaise.
(2) Place a slice of TASTY CHEESE on tuna after the first turn.
(3) Add sliced TOMATO along with the lettuce.
(4) Pre-marinate tuna in GINGER-SOY or TERYAKI marinade.
(5) Add a PINEAPPLE ring (grilled also, if preferred). 

RECIPE: Double French Toast con Pina

Cook 2 slices of bread as you would normally do for French Toast. I prefer to slice a French bread.
On one slice, spread softened cream cheese.
On the other slice, spread Pineapple Jam to make it TicoFUSION.
Put slices together with cream cheese & Pineapple Jam on the inside.
Sprinkle confectioner sugar on top.
Bake at 300 for 15 minutes or until the cream cheese melts inside.
Serve with Maple syrup. I like to use the one from my friend's farm in Vermont :-)
Eat with TicoFUSION coffee (that's another post for another day!)

MENU: Tamarind Pork Roast, baked Platanos, sauteed Chayote garlic, brown rice

Tamarind Pork Roast

• Marinate roast in tamarind sauce for 24 hours (see other recipe, and I added ginger & garlic)
• Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.

baked Platanos

sauteed Chayote garlic

brown rice

MENU: Romaine salad with Tostadas and melted cheese

TICOfusion is about substituting ingredients when the required ingredient is hard to find, and/or you get an exquisite local alternative for an interesting taste-experience.

Romaine salad w/ Caesar dressing, olives, red onions, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese

Substitute the croutons with:
Milpa Real Tostadas (fried or bakes whole corn tortillas), grated white tipico cheese, baked until cheese is slightly browned.

ENJOY!

MENU: Masaman Curry w/ Chicken, brown rice, salad w/ Ginger Lemongrass dressing

Thai-inspired
Masaman Curry w/ Chicken

• Aroy-D Masaman Curry Paste
• Carrots, potatoes, yellow onion
• Tamarind juice, coconut milk, fish sauce

Brown rice

Salad w/ Ginger Lemongrass dressing

• Ginger/lemongrass/sugar w/ olive oil & balsamic vinegar
• Green lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomato

Iced darjeeling tea

MEAL: Grouper Parmesan, Parmesan Pesto Pasta, Salad w/ basil, Carrot cake w/ cream cheese toppingg

RECIPE: Tortilla Bruschette

Combine then set aside:
Diced garlic
tomato
Fresh basil thinly cut
1 TB olive oil

Bake the following on 325 until browned on top:
Monteverde White Cheese Tipo, grated and on top of
Flour Tortilla

Right before eating, put tomato garlic basil mixture on top of tortilla w/ melted cheese.

ENJOY!

RECIPES for guanabana

I googled "recipes for guanabana"

Shake: http://www.meals.com/Recipes/Guanbana-Shake.aspx?recipeid=122273

Margarita: http://www.examiner.com/tequila-in-national/guan-bana-passion-cocktail-recipe-the-jumex-healthy-margarita

Mojito: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=220143