another day

We made veggie burgers today...It is pure vegetables, no soy or dairy...A few days ago, I tried the recipe on the back of the soya packs and it was so awful, even the dogs didnt eat it..Lesson learned, I listened to Jose, and made it from plantains, beets, carrots and peppers. Now, I am working on a bread, because there is no wholewheat burger breads available here. I made a batch 10 minutes ago and they came out as dinner rolls...round and puffy...

 

I met Jose here, he had his raw food restaurant in San Jose (Costa Rica) for 7 years and now he is planning to retire here. He only eats raw food and critizes me for eating dead, rotten food, even it is vegetables. He is pretty far out and I have hard time explaning him that I am not planning to be a 100% raw food restaurant (at least for a while). So, he is helping me with ideas, how to get organized, recipes, he knows the cheap local produce and even showed me where I can find free ginger...He also discovered that I left the gas open for a couple hours...Pretty serious...

 

I posted a sign for "help wanted", I am no longer looking for a partner. Partnership is hard, I know myself, I would drive the other person crazy..So, I have me, I can do this by myself if I can hire good people. So, now the sign is help wanted...Anyone looking for a job?

 

We are running out of avocados so fast...I added Amor Avocado to the menu, as an open faced sandwich...Toasted wholewheat bread, avocado and seasalt...Yo hombre!

 

Yo hablar espanol muy perfecto! Nessesito mucho pratikar:) Mucho cliente entiende ingles so no problemo!

 

Back to work, I am usually at the cafe from 7 in the morning to 10 at night...it is a long day but there is so much to do....

 

Another special on the drinks menu is Amor Stefy, named after a customer...I am in love with beets here...They are sooooo amazing and good for you and that color, is just to die for!

 

I got another order for a birthday cake...December 31st...New Years is coming, 2007 will be soooo amazing, can't wait!

 

 

Holiday Special at Organico

I made avocado ice-cream!!! We are selling it in half avocado shells...The recipe made around 12, I have 2 left...it tastes really good, interesting and has an amazing color. One of those kitchen experiments turned into something fun...I was making a tart, it was so hot, i had to keep the mousse in the freezer, then i got busy and forgot about it...Now we have an icecream noone has around here...

 

No sugar added, dairy free, 100% organic....The recipe is from Raw Food Cookbook...Highly recommended...If you plan to visit me, please bring me coconut oil, agave nectar and maple syrup!

 

Happy Holidays!

SOLD OUT!

Tropical French Toast for breakfast...Yay! I am happy!!!

it is hard

it is going hard, but i am learning a lot....i dont get much sleep and need to work on my menu...but I am ok...

It all about pink!

It is all going amazing. We finished painting inside, almost done with outside. I am planning to open by Friday. I was shooting for December 15th, and it may really be happening! I have never painted this much in my life, and I hate hate hate the details, taping, edges...Those chairs are killing me....At some point I gave up and let Maritzio take over. He is so patient...(surf expert)...Tiana also finished the sign today. It is absolutely fantastic...I am really not exaggerating. I wish I could share the pictures. Hopefully soon....

 

I need to get going with baking and fine tuning the menu, things are a little bit rough with a new kitchen and a new oven. I baked my signature vegan mint cake last night, and it turned out great. Then, I baked oatmeal cookies and burnt chocolate chips today...I need an oven thermometer...I am happy, very very happy...So far, everyone seems so open to the idea, having a changing menu, vegetarian food, shakes....One thing that upset me the most is, I dont have the ice-cream maker anymore. I wanted to make sorbets....We can't always get what we want, but I got my own CAFE and that is plenty! I am so dirty right now, I need to leave this place and hope for a ride to take me up home...

 

Hasta Luego!

 

 

 

I got the keys!

I got the keys to Organico! Now the board says "Organico Coming Soon!"

 

I started at 8 and now it is 8pm. I had lunch for 30 minutes and worked non-stop. We tried our first meal, Gallo Pinto con Arroz Integral...Gallo Pinto is a typical Costa Rican food, rice with pinto beans. I will serve it with scrambled eggs but will use brown rice instead of white. Margerie, she is Costa Rican and my first employee got terrified when she heard brown rice. She has never cooked with brown rice before. So our first trial was ok. I liked it though, so it will be better as we continue practicing. We are painting tomorrow, so went up to Cobano and bought paint. I salute people who pick colors....It is extremely hard to decide...So many shades, so many combinations...I got some, will see how it will work out. Dagmar, Maritzio and Tiana are helping me paint tomorrow...We are having a party!!!!

 

After I picked the paint today, I came down to the cafe and started scraping the old paint. I have 8 tables and each table has 4 legs! It took me an hour to do one. We got an acid to remove the paint...I had no idea how to use this stuff so in two minutes all my skin was burning. Luckly my next door neighbor, Armando had some plastic gloves and he gave them without hesitation. I only met him today. In two minutes he came out with a brush in his hand and started to help me with the scraping. Tiana came down to talk about the paint and the sign and Armando finished cleaning all the tables. It is amazing to be around people who offer to help without any expectations. A piece of good quality chocolate helps too:)))

 

Same thing with Roger, he is another amazing guy from England who leaves on the beach. He plays guitar and does all kinds of artwork. He found a piece for wood for me on the beach to the sign. He helped me to build the lamps....And all this is happening so easy, I am just riding the wave. I love it. I am so grateful to the universe....

 

About my cough, I found Daniel Frankson in San Jose. He is the most amazing human being I have ever met in my life. Seriously, no one has touched my heart this deep in such a short time, I am speeches. The cough is almost gone and he has opened my eyes so much. He spent 2 hours with me and we did motion therapy, polarity and acupuncture. I am going to San Jose to meet with him again. Life is really fun, it is challenging and exciting. Just the way I wanted it to be!

 

Pura Vida!!!!

From San Jose

San Jose reminds me of Istanbul, before I left for San Francisco...I wanted to be away from Istanbul, now I am back 7 years...Taxi drivers are very nice here though, they dont ask where you are going, they take you even if it is a short ride...

I am here for lawyer stuff also have to start buying ingredients because I am taking over officially by next week. Between now and next week, I will start baking and changing the menu, redecorating, reorganizing, ect...That is the fun part...So, I thought I could buy a couple ingredients here and take it with me. I did some comparison shopping, AutoMercodo (like safeway), Saecco(maybe like Cala Foods, thought I found things cheaper here) and Pricemart (costco)...Pricemart was dissapointing because I couldnt find a good juicer or salad bowls...I need salad bowls. The current place dont have any. Costa Rica is famous for its wood bowls but they are expensive, 30 a piece...I dont want to pay that much, maybe I should, I dont know what is reasonable investment....wood at least wont break but I am confused....Universe bring me some good salad bowls.. I was happy to find a big bag of Ghiraldelli Chocolate though....Chocolate chip cookies!!!!

Meanwhile I am fighting with summer cold....Painful... Really mean one, but it is getting better. The hard part is the cough that keeps me awake. I dont like taking medicine and with my "entiendo poco esponol" phrase, I dont see myselfy in a healers office...So I relied on fresh mint tea with lemon. Nada! Cough is taking over my lungs, I am taking over this hotel...I have to admit, it is nice to be in a home, away from bugs and mosquitos:))) Mom started to think I have a issues with Costa Rican weather (!), so I needed to get better immediately to prove her wrong:)

I emailed Sarah and she was very kind to send me some tips to heal bad cough. And today, I broke down and went to a pharmacy, bought Perebron. I also wanted to get Aloe Juice, but the pharmacist sent me to this natural herbs store 100 meters away. I found the aloe and also something with eucalyptus for broncolito and fenugreek for the lungs...Happly went back to the pharmacy and tried to explain with my spanish that I didnt want the Perebron anymore . He got so mad....(reminds me of Turkey again, this probably not true anymore but it was 7 years ago)...Good thing I dont know much spanish, I didnt let him get away with my C4,000 paid in cash because he didn't have any electricity...

Fenugreek tastes horrible, but it works...Feeling better already. A new day, so many dreams can come true today! Going back to Montezuma in a few hours.

Tica Food Recipes

A great blog....

 

 

Costa Rica Cell Phone Update

I can't believe this...

 

From Susan...

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) - our friendly local state-run telecommunications monopoly has decided to purchase an entirely new GSM cell phone network rather than expand the current network.

Why is this a big deal? Because with this announcement, we know that it will be at least another year… more likely two-three years before cell phone (telephone) numbers can again be purchased. Believe it or not, this is probably good news.