Costa Rica!

Last night, I returned to 40 degree Chicago from 80 degree Costa Rica, where I'd spent the past several days with some close sorority sisters from my undergrad at Duke.  The trip was pretty amazing (if you'd like to see non-food-related photos, check my Flickr site here) and the food was, too... I think I ate more rice, beans, and sugar-sweet fresh fruit in the past few days than I have in the whole last year:

I ate a lot of "casada tipica de Costa Rica": black beans, rice, mahi mahi sauteed in lime and garlic butter, served with fried plantains and a tangy sauce. SO. GOOD. 

  

You can't really tell, but that's beef fajitas, with the standard bell pepper/onion sautee, but also fresh guacamole, plantains, and bacon to add zing. 

And, of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Costa Rica without some serious coffee...

... or a spring break without some sweet coconut water and rum!