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Huddled Masses Denied: A boatload of 52 would-be immigrants from Nicaragua detained Friday by police in Sarapiquí, a canton in north-central Costa Rica, headed to Los Chiles, Alajuela. They joined the 1,700 people sent back to Nicaragua by Costa Rican authorities in just two days. This followed a high-traffic two weeks on the border, with reports of some 60,000 Nicaraguans crossing back to their homeland for the holidays. |
| Photo by Guillermo Solano | Costa Rican Public Security Ministry |
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| New Tiny Friends Found In Costa Rica's La Amistad Park |
Three previously unknown species of salamanders were discovered in Costa Rica's La Amistad National Park, near the border with Panama, U.K. scientists announced Friday. |
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| Immigration Police Send 1,700 Nicaraguan Migrants Packing |
Costa Rican immigration officers and border police in just two days sent 1,700 undocumented migrants back to their native Nicaragua, the daily La Nación reported. |
| See More... |
| Costa Rican Soccer Team Girded for Uphill Road to World Cup |
A critical year for Costa Rican soccer kicks off this week with big goals in sight, namely South Africa 2010, the place and time for the next FIFA World Cup. |
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| Ticos Back to Work |
Traffic reports Saturday said roads were functioning more smoothly than expected, which probably meant one thing: Ticos were soaking up every last drop of precious holiday time before making the journey yesterday back to the city, and back to work. |
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Savory or Sweet,
Plantains Are a Versatile |
For centuries, plantains have been used as a staple food in tropical and subtropical regions from West Africa to Latin America. Their versatility lies in the fact that they can be eaten at any stage of maturity, and that yields are abundant in the right conditions.
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New Tiny Friends Found In
Costa Rica's La Amistad Park |
Three previously unknown species of salamanders were discovered in Costa Rica's La Amistad National Park, near the border with Panama, U.K. scientists announced Friday.
Two are about the size of a pinky – one with a bold red stripe, one with a “ballistic” tongue that it propels at its prey – and the third is smaller than a fingernail. All three are probably unique to the remote rain forest reserve, Alex Monro of London's Natural History Museum told National Geographic Traveler.
Two of the creatures are members of the Bolitoglossa genus, and the tiny, three-centimeter species is a Nototriton, or dwarf salamander.
Monro and his team of scientists recorded more than 5,000 plants and animals during three expeditions to Central America. Their latest findings in La Amistad, the biggest forest reserve in the region, bring the total of the known number of Costa Rican salamanders to 43. Some 300 species are known around the world.
The punier critter and its striped and ballistic-tongued cousins will be named and catalogued by scientists here at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), in the project funded by the British government's Darwin Initiative to promote biodiversity conservation, the BBC reported.
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-Tico Times
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Immigration Police Send 1,700
Nicaraguan Migrants Packing |
Costa Rican immigration officers and border police in just two days sent 1,700 undocumented migrants back to their native Nicaragua, the daily La Nación reported.
According to a separate report in newswire AFP, some 60,000 Nicaraguan residents of Costa Rica had crossed the border legally to spend the holidays in their homeland. Costa Rican police boosted their presence at the Nicaraguan border in anticipation of the massive return, and discovered many migrants attempting to bring undocumented friends and family members along with them, police said.
On Thursday and Friday, police detained hundreds of people who managed to enter the country illegally, have slipped through borders at Peñas Blancas, Guanacaste, in Costa Rica's northwestern corner, and Upala and Los Chiles, in the northern province of Alajuela.
In one of the operations Friday afternoon, police brought 52 undocumented Nicaraguan migrants by boat from Sarapiquí, a north-central canton, to Los Chiles (see photo), according to the Public Security Ministry.
“The Nicaraguans were led astray by the same ‘ coyotes' (human smugglers) to whom the foreigners had paid a sum of ¢5,000 for bringing them to Costa Rican territory,” read a statement by the ministry.
Police later found the smugglers after hearing the would-be immigrants' stories of entering clandestinely.
Return to Costa Rica continued through last night, coinciding with the many Ticos traveling back from holiday vacations in time to start work again today.
The police operations occurred at a time when tensions are mounting over Costa Rica's migrants from its northern neighbor. The arrests also came fresh on the heels of an accord signed by Nicaraguan and Costa Rican officials that would allow tens of thousands of guest workers to enter Costa Rica legally to help replenish flagging work forces in agriculture and construction.
Fernando Berrocal, the Costa Rican public security minister, was compelled to defend the arrests amid questions as to whether deporting manpower was in his country's best interest.
“We are grateful for the contributions to Costa Rican development from our brothers and sisters of the neighboring nation to the north,” Berrocal told La Nación. “But all those who wish to come here to work should do so obeying the law.”
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-Tico Times
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Costa Rican Soccer Team
Girded
for Uphill Road to World Cup |
A critical year for Costa Rican soccer kicks off this week with big goals in sight, namely South Africa 2010, the place and time for the next FIFA World Cup.
Players and fans are looking to move on from last season, which for many brought more tears than cheers.
Next Sunday will see the Costa Rican national team in an at-home friendly match with team Sweden, which is warming up for this summer's Euro Cup 2008.
Sweden will be the first trial of the year for a Tico club that still hasn't found its way in the eyes of the national press or the fans, despite completing a year with Coach Hernán Medford at its helm.
But the team will have to get in gear for 2008's decisive rounds leading up to the World Cup, particularly in June, when Costa Rica will play against the winner of the Grenada-Virgin Islands showdown.
Last year the team finished with less-than-desirable results. Costa Rica's one achievement was to win the Central American UNCAF Nations Cup in February on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw with Panama. But the team failed to pass the second round in the North and Central American and Caribbean CONCACAF Gold Cup in June.
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-ACAN-EFE
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| Ticos Back to Work |
Traffic reports Saturday said roads were functioning more smoothly than expected, which probably meant one thing: Ticos were soaking up every last drop of precious holiday time before making the journey yesterday back to the city, and back to work.
Civil servants, the courts, government and most shops and businesses in Costa Rica return to their normal routines today, a spokesman for the Judicial Investigation Police said.
Those who did not get their fill will have to wait until March 21 to 24 for the Semana Santa Easter break.
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-Tico Times
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Savory or Sweet, Plantains Are a Versatile |
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For centuries, plantains have been used as a staple food in tropical and subtropical regions from West Africa to Latin America. Their versatility lies in the fact that they can be eaten at any stage of maturity, and that yields are abundant in the right conditions.
The plantain (plátano in Spanish) is a type of banana. From the genus Musa, most edible bananas are cultivars derived from two species, M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. Of the major types of bananas grown worldwide, about 21% are plantains.
In plant classification, the plantain is actually an herb, not a tree. In fact, it is the biggest herb in the planet, reaching up to 50 feet high and producing bunches that can weigh up to 55 pounds. It grows best in humid, warm, tropical lowlands, where it takes nine to 12 months to mature.
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| Go Bananas: The versatile plantain can be used in a wide variety of dishes, such as Chef Marco's plantain lasagna with beef and tomato sauce. |
Marco González | Tico Times |
Bananas and plantains are considered the most important fruits traded internationally. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, they are worth more than $4 billion yearly in worldwide exports, making them the world's favorite fruit. In terms of gross value of production, bananas and plantains are the fourth biggest global food crop. Of the more than 1,000 species known, about 50 are cultivated worldwide, encompassing more than 25 million acres and yielding more than 100 million tons of fruit every year.
The biggest difference between a banana and a plantain is moisture content. The plantain averages about 65% moisture and the banana about 83%. Since hydrolysis, the process by which starches are converted to sugars, acts fastest in fruit of high moisture content, starches are converted to sugars faster in bananas than in plantains.
In unripe plantains, starch comprises more than 80% of the dry weight of the pulp. Sugars comprise only about 1.3% of total dry matter in unripe plantains, but this rises to about 17% in the ripe fruit.
Unripe plantain pulp contains a total of 3.5% dry matter as cellulose and hemicellulose and therefore constitutes a good source of dietary fiber. In relation to dry weight, the total protein value of plantains is about 3.5% in ripe pulp, slightly less in the unripe fruit and in bananas. Plantains are also a good source of potassium and vitamins A (carotene), B (thiamin, niacin and riboflavin and B6) and C (ascorbic acid).
With phenomenal culinary versatility, the plantain is used in the kitchen in a host of different ways, depending on ripeness. Green plantains are prepared in the same way as starchy foods such as potatoes, yams or yuca (cassava) and may be boiled, steamed, fried or baked for savory dishes. Their yellow or medium-ripe (when the sugars start to appear) counterparts can be combined with savory accents, creating an exotic approach to common dishes such as lasagna and sushi. When the fruit turns black, the maximum level of ripeness has been achieved, resulting in astonishing dessert dishes.
As a longtime staple food in many countries, the plantain has been developed into an amazing array of culinary combinations for its three stages of ripeness. Gourmet markets offer a variety of specialties, such as plantain chips, both green and ripe, plantain beer from East Africa, and frozen green and ripe plantains ready to fry, bake or grill, making the fruit's future as a tropical delicacy look promising indeed.
Costa Rican, other Latin American and African cuisines showcase plantains in many forms, with an exten-sive array of dishes ranging from savory to sweet and everything in between. In Costa Rica, plantains are particularly prevalent in the Caribbean province of Limón, where the fruit forms the base of many dishes, as well as serving as an accompaniment or garnish.
Green plantains are used for patacones (also called tostones), ceviche, chips, breads, soups and stews, while ripe ones are used mainly in sweet dishes. More and more, fusion chefs are giving the plantain the place it deserves in innovative cooking, using a combination of tradition and imagination to bring out the best in this truly incredible and once overlooked fruit.
Plantain Lasagna with Earthly Tomato Sauce |
Earthly Beef and
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups ground beef or texturized soy beef
7 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
5 medium tomatoes, chopped, peeled and seeded
3/4 cup green beans, finely chopped
3/4 cup carrots, cut in small cubes
3 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbs ground oregano
2 tbs tomato paste, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
3 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs each of sugar, ground ginger and Chinese five-spice powder (available in Asian markets)
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Brown ground beef (or soy beef following manufacturer's instructions) in a skillet. Drain well and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbs oil and sauté onions, garlic, red pepper, green beans, celery and carrots for 10 minutes or until al dente.
3. Add beef, soy sauce, sugar, spices, cilantro, tomatoes and tomato paste and mix well.
4. Bring to a light boil. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer until the mixture thickens.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust flavors, remove from heat and set aside.
Makes three cups of sauce. |
Plantain Lasagna
Ingredients:
3 medium-firm, ripe plantains, peeled and cut lengthwise into five long slices each Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese
3 cups prepared Earthly Beef and Fresh Tomato Sauce Butter (to grease baking pan)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the plantain slices, five at a time, in 2 tbs vegetable oil, for about two minutes on each side.
3. Drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining two plantains. Set aside.
4. Grease a nine-inch glass baking pan with butter and cover the bottom with the first third of plantain slices, making sure the edges are even.
5. Add half of the tomato-beef sauce.
6. Top with the second third of the plantain slices to create another layer.
7. Dot with cream cheese, then spread it uniformly and add the remaining sauce.
8. Add the remaining third of the plantains and top with grated mozzarella cheese.
9. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.
Makes six servings. |
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