Okay, I know that I am supposed to write about real estate and the nuts and bolts of living in Costa Rica sometimes (I will do so after I tell you about Valentine's Day), but food just keeps getting in my way! Valentine's Day 2011's dinner was no exception, and it was exceptional. Jason Elliot, the accomplished chef at our local Longhorn Grill, along with his business partner, Cindy Carroccio, put on an ambitious, over-the-top, 11-course Food and Wine Pairing Menu. It was amazing.
We began the evening with Cold Poached Sea Scallops with Citrus Tarragon Vinaigrette, paired with a Hugel Gewurtzraminer:
Course Number Two: Crab Cakes with Roasted Piquillo Remoulade paired with Kaya Chardonnay:
Course Number Three: Oysters on the Half Shell paired with Villa Maria Souvignon:
My personal favorite!!
Course Number Four: Smoked Salmon with Tomato Basil Coulis paired with Erath Pinot Noir:
Course Number Five: Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Pecan Lime Butter paired with two wines--Navarro Structura and Navarro Correas Malbec (as the lovely evening wore on, I tended to forget my photographer duties until things were half-eaten:
Course Number Six: Black Truffle Risotto paired with Antinori Solaia Cabernet (this was my second favorite course):
Okay, I know that's not a photo of Roasted Lamb, but my photo didn't come out well and so I decided to show Chef Jason enjoying some of the Alter Ego Bordeaux instead...
Course Number Eight: Roast Duck Confit with Pear and Ginger Sauce paired with Marqes de Caceres Gaudium Tempranillo:
Okay, folks, it was getting really late by this time and my photo of this course did not come out well, so I'm substituting a photo of the menu:
And finally, Course Number Eleven: Chocolate Cheesecake with Warm Berry Compote paired with Santero Moscato:
Okay, now for non-foodie news: Real estate at Lake Arenal: The good news is that we have the best inventory of listings available right now and very motivated sellers. If you are planning to purchase an investment property, a vacation home, or are planning to retire here in the near future, now is definitely the time to make your move.
Also, more good news is that the Costa Rican government has recently finalized an agreement with the Dutch government to do a full, comprehensive, $1 billion upgrade of the Port of Limón at Moín on the Carribean coast of Costa Rica. What this means to ex-pats moving to Costa Rica from the East Coast of the U.S., Canada, or from Europe is that there will now be a much more efficient port on the eastern side of Costa Rica for the shipping and acceptance of your personal belongings. You can read more about this on the amcostarica.com website at this link: http://amcostaricaarchives.com/2011/03/dutch-firm-agrees-to-put-1-billion-into-moin-docks/
In closing, I must share some very sad news about one of Lake Arenal's most energetic compañeros, Sr. Steve Kummert, a/k/a Estefan Kummert, El Dueño de (the owner of) Hectares Verdes (Green Acres) at El Aguacate con su esposa (owned along with his wife), Sra. Eve Kummert. Steve passed suddenly in his sleep last Monday in San Jose. Estefan, you are missed by so many, but never forgotten. My sincerest condolences to Steve's wife, Eve, and all of his family and friends. Our hearts are broken. Hasta luego y vaya muy bien, Estefan.
Tocar el timbre de su vida!
Laura
Laura Murray
Owner/Broker
Arenal Lake Partners
www.arenalbuyersrealty.com
www.lakearenal.blogspot.com
Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
Office: 506-2695-4511
Fax: 506-2695-4005
From the U.S. and Canada directly to our office in Costa Rica: (310)-929-7580 or send us your Skype name and we will call you back.
We began the evening with Cold Poached Sea Scallops with Citrus Tarragon Vinaigrette, paired with a Hugel Gewurtzraminer:
Course Number Two: Crab Cakes with Roasted Piquillo Remoulade paired with Kaya Chardonnay:
Cute Heart-Shaped Remoulade!
Course Number Three: Oysters on the Half Shell paired with Villa Maria Souvignon:
Course Number Four: Smoked Salmon with Tomato Basil Coulis paired with Erath Pinot Noir:
Course Number Five: Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Pecan Lime Butter paired with two wines--Navarro Structura and Navarro Correas Malbec (as the lovely evening wore on, I tended to forget my photographer duties until things were half-eaten:
Course Number Six: Black Truffle Risotto paired with Antinori Solaia Cabernet (this was my second favorite course):
Yep, I started before taking the shot again...
Course Number Seven: Roast Leg of Lamb with Minted Jus Lie paired with Chateau Alter Ego Bordeaux:
Course Number Eight: Roast Duck Confit with Pear and Ginger Sauce paired with Marqes de Caceres Gaudium Tempranillo:
Half-eaten, but still looks yummie!
Course Number Nine: Mediterranean-Style Grilled Vegetables with Herbed Viniagrette paired with Torbreck Factor Shiraz:
Que rrrrrico!!
Course Number Ten: Seared Flat-Iron Steak with Bleu Cheese Peppercorn Sauce paired with Chateau Montelena Zinfandel:Okay, folks, it was getting really late by this time and my photo of this course did not come out well, so I'm substituting a photo of the menu:
I cannot recall being so happy to be so full! And just for kicks, I'm throwing in a photo of me slurping one of the evening's courses, Oysters on the Half:
Okay, now for non-foodie news: Real estate at Lake Arenal: The good news is that we have the best inventory of listings available right now and very motivated sellers. If you are planning to purchase an investment property, a vacation home, or are planning to retire here in the near future, now is definitely the time to make your move.
Also, more good news is that the Costa Rican government has recently finalized an agreement with the Dutch government to do a full, comprehensive, $1 billion upgrade of the Port of Limón at Moín on the Carribean coast of Costa Rica. What this means to ex-pats moving to Costa Rica from the East Coast of the U.S., Canada, or from Europe is that there will now be a much more efficient port on the eastern side of Costa Rica for the shipping and acceptance of your personal belongings. You can read more about this on the amcostarica.com website at this link: http://amcostaricaarchives.com/2011/03/dutch-firm-agrees-to-put-1-billion-into-moin-docks/
In closing, I must share some very sad news about one of Lake Arenal's most energetic compañeros, Sr. Steve Kummert, a/k/a Estefan Kummert, El Dueño de (the owner of) Hectares Verdes (Green Acres) at El Aguacate con su esposa (owned along with his wife), Sra. Eve Kummert. Steve passed suddenly in his sleep last Monday in San Jose. Estefan, you are missed by so many, but never forgotten. My sincerest condolences to Steve's wife, Eve, and all of his family and friends. Our hearts are broken. Hasta luego y vaya muy bien, Estefan.
Tocar el timbre de su vida!
Laura
Laura Murray
Owner/Broker
Arenal Lake Partners
www.arenalbuyersrealty.com
www.lakearenal.blogspot.com
Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
Office: 506-2695-4511
Fax: 506-2695-4005
From the U.S. and Canada directly to our office in Costa Rica: (310)-929-7580 or send us your Skype name and we will call you back.
