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Loan for Limón: Trailer trucks waiting under this crane at Limón Port, on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, for which the World Bank has approved a $72.5 million loan which will go towards revamping the port city. |
Ronald Reyes | Tico Times. |
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| World Bank to Loan Costa Rica $72.5 for Limón Overhaul |
The World Bank approved a $72.5 million loan for Costa Rica to revamp its Caribbean port city of Limón, the government announced. |
| See More... |
| $60,700 Worth in Jewels Stolen from San José Shop |
| Three people acting as customers yesterday made off with about $60,700 worth of jewelry from the store Joyería Leonardo Da Vinci on Avenida 1 in downtown San José. |
| See More... |
| Nicaragua's National Assembly Opens Sessions Amid Political Crisis |
| Nicaragua's Legislative President René Núñez yesterday initiated the 24th session of the National Assembly by calling on all lawmakers to work together to overcome the political crisis that paralyzed the legislature late last year. |
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| This Weekend's Surf Circuit Switches to Playa Hermosa |
| José Ureña, president of the Costa Rica Surf Federation (FSC), announced today that the second date of the 2007-08 National Surf Circuit will take place Saturday and Sunday in Playa Hermosa on the Pacific coast. Called Trofeo Op, the three-star tournament will begin each morning at 7 a.m. in front of Hotel Backyard. |
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Savory or Sweet, Plantains Are
a Versatile Tropical Staple Food
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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.
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World Bank to Loan Costa Rica
$72.5 for Limón Overhaul |
By Alex Leff
Tico Times Staff | aleff@ticotimes.net
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The World Bank approved a $72.5 million loan for Costa Rica to revamp its Caribbean port city of Limón, the government announced.
Called the Port-City Limon Integrated Infrastructure Project, the loan is one of three initiatives for the region pushed by President Oscar Arias, said Casa Presidencial spokeswoman Eugenia Sancho.
It will help make the other two initiatives possible, as they include broadening social programs in such areas as public health and overhauling the ports to build the site into a mega-port, Sancho said.
The Arias administration has earmarked $7.5 million in Costa Rican funds to assist in Limón's renewal in conjunction with the World Bank loan.
According to a statement by the World Bank, the loan is meant to be invested in urban upgrade, restoring emblematic cultural heritage sites and providing basic services to Limón's poorest inhabitants.
It's also aimed at raising employment and income through the development of micro and small businesses, providing training assistance and buoying the region's cruise tourism sector.
Additionally, it is hoped that the fresh funding will improve transport to the Limón and Moín port terminals, including the repair of the bridge over the Chirripó River.
“The plan is really to change the face of Limón,” said Sancho.
The loan is to be repaid in 15 years, with a five-year grace period. |
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$60,700 Worth in Jewels Stolen from San José Shop |
Three people acting as customers yesterday made off with about $60,700 worth of jewelry from the store Joyería Leonardo Da Vinci on Avenida 1 in downtown San José.
The robbery occurred about 2:15 p.m., according to news portal Nacion.com, when the thieves walked into the store and asked owner Germán Benavides to create various items of jewelry. When Benavides began to prepare the design, the individuals pulled out a gun and ordered all six people in the shop to get down on the floor.
The thieves proceeded to tie everyone up.
Within 15 minutes, they had collected the majority of jewels in the shop, including several made of gold and other valuable materials.
After they fled, a customer managed to undo his knot and untied the rest of the people.
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-Tico Times
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Nicaragua's National Assembly
Opens Sessions Amid Political Crisis |
By Tim Rogers
Nica Times Staff | trogers@ticotimes.net
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Nicaragua's Legislative President René Núñez yesterday initiated the 24th session of the National Assembly by calling on all lawmakers to work together to overcome the political crisis that paralyzed the legislature late last year.
Núñez, a dyed-in-the-wool Sandinista, stressed the importance of dialogue to overcome the political tensions that have so far prevented the National Assembly from approving the 2008 budget.
Núñez also called for “harmony” between the legislative and executive branches, following accusations by opposition lawmakers that President Daniel Ortega is trying to usurp the powers of the National Assembly.
The Sandinista lawmaker said that he doesn't agree “100%” with legislators who claim Ortega is trying to marginalize the National Assembly, but acknowledged that there were “elements of concern” that legitimized lawmakers' complaints.
Núñez stressed that the National Assembly must “fight” within the context of the law and the Constitution to defend its institutional sovereignty.
“We are willing to fight to defend the institution,” he said. He added, however, that lawmakers should defer to the Supreme Court for the final word on the crisis between the legislature and the executive branch.
The conflict, which percolated for much of last year, reached a boiling point when the National Assembly voted to sever government ties to Ortega's Councils of Citizen Power (CPC) – a ruling the president has ignored.
Ortega today is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Nation address to the National Assembly, although the majority of opposition lawmakers, who have banned together into the “bloc against the dictatorship,” have said they will boycott the speech, raising doubts about whether it will really happen. |
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This Weekend's Surf Circuit
Switches to Playa Hermosa |
José Ureña, president of the Costa Rica Surf Federation (FSC), announced today that the second date of the 2007-08 National Surf Circuit will take place Saturday and Sunday in Playa Hermosa on the Pacific coast. Called Trofeo Op, the three-star tournament will begin each morning at 7 a.m. in front of Hotel Backyard.
“Hopefully, we are going to have the same number of surfers, or better, in Hermosa that we got in Jacó,” said Ureña, referring to the 180 registered competitors who came to the debut CNS date, the Copa Mango on Dec. 8 and 9.
“The waves in Hermosa this weekend are expected to be a little bit better,” Ureña added, noting that surfers will need to ride hard to surpass out-of-the-gate leaders such as Nino Myrie of Puerto Viejo, on the southern Caribbean coast. Sign-ups for the competition take place Friday at Jass Surf Shop in Jacó, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Costs are ¢6,000 ($12) for Open, Women's Longboard, Bodyboarders and Masters, and ¢5,000 ($10) for Boys, Juniors, Junior Women's, Grommets, Mini-Grommets and Novices. Additionally, first-time registrants must pay an annual FSC membership fee of ¢10,000 ($20).
Each winner receives $100 and a chance to earn the big title – and $1,000 – at the finals in April.
For more information on the circuit or the surf federation, visit the Web site: www.surfingcr.net.
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-Tico Times
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Savory or Sweet, Plantains
Are
a Versatile Tropical Staple Food |
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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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