Life in Costa Rica: Let me tell you about chiverre.

If you are looking for something you make with a mix, leave now because this definitely isn't it. From the outside it looks like a watermelon and is about the size of a large one. You start by charing it over a gas burner to soften the skin and make it easier to peel. Once it is peeled it looks like a giant potato. It is actually a type of squash with edible seeds - they look like pumpkin seeds. After you peel it and wash it good you cut it up, including the seeds but removing the stringy part around the seeds. Put all the pieces in a large pot of water and cook for an hour. Take the pieces out one by one and beat them with a hammer until they are soft and shredded. Now my thought is you just cook them longer and they would be much easier to shred but that may not be the traditional way. Let me just say I am now well experienced at hammering the squash. I did almost all the pieces. Rosita did the last two. Either she felt sorry for me or I was just too slow.

Once it is all shredded you wash it really good and leave it to drain till tomorrow.

Next step is to add 3 dulce de cana, one pineapple, figs and fig leaves and cinnamon and let it cook over low heat for 7 hours. It looks like a thick brown stringy paste with chunks of figs and is used as a jelly on crackers or in dabs on rice pudding or I am sure in many ways. It is only available this time of year and is a Holy Week treat. Vera said she would get 3 or 4 small ice cream tubs from what we cooked today. She also had another even bigger one to cook. I think she makes a variety of things including breads and rolls to sell. I am anxious to take in more cooking lessons from her. Between the English she knows and my little Spanish we managed to do quite well.

I made chocolate covered bananas to take along today and tomorrow I am making a pan of lemon bars. I plan to make a run to Cartago tomorrow. Ziomara is working and Emilio drew me a map to the restaurant supply place. I need more cranberries and want to check out the bags of coconut. What I find in the Super is little bags of finely shredded dehydrated coconut. What I bring from the states is a bigger shred and moist. That is what I am hoping to find in Cartago. Vera showed us a big box of coconuts. She must shred her own. I can only imagine how much work that is.