On my second night in Costa Rica my host mom invited me into the kitchen to learn how to prepare gallo pinto. She knew I was excited to learn how to cook popular Costa Rican dishes! I sat on a stool as she walked me through the steps. She even showed off her apron with the mascot from the University of Kansas, where I go to school in the U.S.
I was glad that she was so welcoming and wanted to share the kitchen with me. After cooking, she gave me a spoonfull of the rice and beans. It was surprisingly delicious for such a simple recipe! I was excited to eat it again in the morning, along with Costa Rican cheese and natilla, a type of sour cream. Since trying it the first time, I've eaten gallo pinto often for breakfast. I'm still excited to eat it every time!
First, onion and garlic are toasted in a pan, and red or black beans are added in. Next, pre-prepared rice is mixed into the beans, soaking up the juice from the beans and turning light brown. When the juice is soaked up, cilantro and a special green salsa are added. In my house, the gallo pinto is actually prepared the night before, then reheated over the stove in the morning to make some of the rice crispy.
Gallo pinto is served with a variety of foods. Sometimes, my host mom fries an egg and puts it on top. Other times she gives me queso terreno, a white Costa Rican cheese or natilla, sour cream. Finally, as my host mom says, it is always prepared with mucho amor, lots of love!
