Tostada Francesa con Guayaba

I have been in Costa Rica for almost two weeks now. It is hard to believe that I have been here in this paradisiacal tiny country for that long. Yet, I have done so much in these thirteen days. Below are some pictures with highlights of my trip.

Food (Comida)

Dulce de leche gelato, I plan to become a regular at this gelateria in Atenas.

     A typical meal (minus beans)- avocado, salad, rice with salsa, a spicy zucchini-squash mixture, and plantains

A typical breakfast of tortillas with queso fresco, gallo pinto (rice and beans cooked together, often with herbs, onions, and/or tomatoes), crema (sour cream), and fried plantains (I will never get tired of these)

Chicken on a homemade tortilla with salad, avocado, and a boiled plantain

Banana liqueur at the Dole Plantation

Me (Yo)

Holding a cacao pod, the seeds from inside are roasted and used to make chocolate

On the hanging bridge at Monteverde

Places (Lugares)

Braulio Carillo National Park

El Rio Sucio, The Dirty River

A stream that we ate lunch by in Braulio Carillo

Animals (Animales)

Catching a bird at Centro Manu where we stayed

Hummingbird feeding at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

A coati, a relative of the racoon

White-faced capuchin monkey that followed us looking for food

One of the 500 species of orchids that live in Monteverde

 

But, back to the title, tostata francesa con guayaba or French toast with guava. I had been dreaming about making French toast since I got here and learned that we could use the kitchen to cook on Sundays. So, I had already planned on making French toast this morning and decided to put guava jelly on the inside so it was like a French toast sandwich. This morning after rising early at 6 am I got to the kitchen and realized that we were out of eggs. I was devastated. I tried to think of a solution, should I try to make it with something besides egg, abandon the idea completely, or go get an egg. I had already spread the guava jelly on bread and made it into a sandwich. So, I couldn’t abandon the idea completely; somehow, a stale jelly sandwich didn’t compare to the idea of eggy, hot French toast right out of the pan. So, I made a quick decision to run to the chicken coop and get an egg. I sprinted down the hill and battled some chickens to get an egg. I ran back to the kitchen and cracked the egg in some milk. I added honey and vanilla, giving it a good stir with a fork. I fried the French toast in butter in a hot pan and ate it right after I took it out of the pan. It was definitely some of the best French toast I have ever had, a welcome taste of home with a Tico twist.