I'm crazy about dips, and when I spent the holidays in Costa Rica, I fell in love with a black bean dip called frijoles molidos. While this specialty is served at many places, my favorite version was in Tamarindo at Eat @ Joe's. Basically frijoles molidos are refried black beans that are pureed and seasoned with cheese, then served hot with tortilla chips.
If you love black beans, you'll love this dip. It's creamy, rich, and insanely addictive. You could use canned black beans, but taking the time to soak and cook dried beans really does make a difference in flavor. The chef at Eat @ Joe's told me the dip is made with two kinds of Costa Rican cheese, but I found a combination of pepper jack and Monterey jack works perfectly.
This dip makes a delicious start to a Central American feast and it would be a wonderful addition to a March madness spread. For the recipe, read more
While I thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine of Costa Rica, one of my favorite parts of the trip was cooking! The condo that we stayed in had an amazing kitchen, and since cooking has always relaxed me, I made dinner practically every night. And breakfast every morning. I snapped a bunch of photos so I could share the experience with you. Here you'll get a taste of what it's like to cook in Costa Rica.
