Frijoles tiernos1 cebolla amarilla grande (cortada en cuadros de aproximadamente 1,30 cm)6 dientes de ajo picados1 zanahoria (cortada en cuadros de menos de un centímetro)1 chile jalapeño (opcional), cortado bien fino6 tiras de tocino o una salchicha ahumada (picante o suave) cortada en cuadritos o 2 ó 3 chuletas de cerdo ahumadas (¡Es tentador usar una combinación de estos tres ingredientes!)30 mililitros de aceite de cocinar liviano1 cucharada colmada de mezcla de especias cajún3 ramitas de tomillo fresco (o ½ cucharadita de hojas de tomillo secas)4 hojas de laurel

En una olla grande caliente, incorpore el aceite y el producto de cerdo que va a utilizar. Si usa tocino, déjelo dorar un poco. Revuelva y agregue los vegetales y la mezcla de especias. Revuelva a menudo los ingredientes y no deje que la mezcla de especias (ráspela) se pegue del fondo de la olla.

Agregue los frijoles y las hierbas (el tomate y las tiras de chile dulce asados si lo desea) y cubra la mezcla con unos 5 cm de agua. Déjela hervir y baje el fuego de manera que el caldo quede burbujeando. Cocine los frijoles unos 15 minutos y re-vise el caldo. Lo mejor es que el líquido se mantenga a unos 2,5 cm por encima de los frijoles. Trate de no usar el fuego muy alto ya que los frijoles pueden des-pedazarse. Es importante que los frijoles tengan suficiente líquido mientras se cocinan. No obstante, después de 30 minutos, a medida que los frijoles se coci-nan, debe dejar que el caldo se seque hasta que quede al mismo nivel de los fri-joles. Los frijoles están listos cuando pueden despedazarse al apretarlos con los dedos. Recuerde que los frijoles continúan suavizándose mientras se enfrían.

Los frijoles tiernos son excelentes para acompañar pescado o carnes a la parrilla, con embutidos o con un arroz bien condimentado para una versión de “gallo pinto” de lujo.

Spring Beans

1 Large Yellow Onion, cut in ½” dice6 Cloves of Garlic, minced1 Carrot, cut in ¼” dice1 Jalapeno Chile (optional), cut in fine dice6 Strips of Bacon, or 1 Smoked Sausage (hot or mild), cut in cubes; or, 2-3 Smoked Pork Chops (it is quite tempting to use a combination of the three)1 Ounce Light Cooking Oil1 Heaping TBS of Cajun Spice Mix3 Fresh Thyme Sprigs (or ½ Tsp Dried Thyme Leaves)4 Bay Leaves

Add the oil and pork products to a heavy pot and bring up to a good heat. If you are using bacon, try to get some color on it. Stir frequently and add the vegetables and the Spice Mix. Stir often, scraping up the spice mix if it should stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add the beans and herbs (and tomatoes and/or peppers, if you like) and cover by 2 inches with water. Bring the pot of beans to a boil and then reduce the heat until the liquid is just bubbling. Allow to cook for 15 minutes and then check the level of the liquid. It is best if it remains about an inch above the beans. Try not to let the beans cook at too high a heat or they will break up and not remain whole. It is important to keep the beans in enough liquid while they cook, but after about 30 minutes, as they get closer to being done, let the liquid cook down until it is just even with the beans. The beans are done when you can just squish them between your fingers. Remember that they will keep cooking as they cool.

Frijoles Tiernos are great served alongside grilled fish or meat, sausages, or along with either a highly seasoned and flavored rice dish for an upscale version of “gallo pinto”.

Recipe Corner

Rincónde laReceta

Dominical Days 34

Were it not for a ‘buddy’ movie, “A Riv-er Runs Through It”, centered around an obscure trout stream somewhere in Montana, Brad Pitt may still be wait-ing, like a young Brandon DeWilde, on an unknown dusty Main Street in the Heartland for Shane to “come back”, equally obscure and unknown. Imag-ine – no future on the silver screen (or bootleg DVD’s), no Jennifer, no Ange-lina, and no assemblage of a veritable United Nations of adopted kids - all this fame and fortune kick started by a fish-ing tale.

Fish and fishing play an integral part in the human experience throughout his-tory be it in literature, art, philosophy or humor. From the above noted book and film to Hemingway’s “The Old Man and The Sea”, and back further to “Moby Dick”, humankind’s hopes, fears, joys, sorrows, successes and fail-ures are intimately wedded to the seas, fish and marine mammals. Fishing is far more than mere sport and recreation.

According to Wikipedia the earliest English essay on recreational fishing was published in 1496, shortly after the invention of the printing press and contemporaneous with the fourth voy-age of Christopher Columbus along the Caribbean shores of Costa Rica. This seminal work composed by a wom-

an, Dame Juliana Berners, the prioress of the Benedictine Sopwell Nunnery (Bass Masters watch out!) bore the title “Treatyse of Fysshynge (fishing) with an Angle”. It was published in the “Second Boke (book) of St. Albans”. In addition to detailed descriptions of the construction and use of fishing rods and artificial lures, Dame Berners, well ahead of her time, deftly included discourses on conservation and angler etiquette.

In 1653, Izaak Walton penned “The Compleat Angler”, the most frequently reprinted book (300 editions) in the history of English literature. Walton placed particular emphasis on the tan-gential pleasures of fishing – tranquil-ity, friendship, verse, song, good food and drink.

Far earlier, during the 2nd century A.D., it is documented that Roman pesca-dores employed artificial lures created from bare hooks dressed with strands of wool and rooster feathers. Can you picture it - fly casting in togas? I won-der if a Roman equivalent to Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s existed in the Galleria Mall next to the Coliseum?

Fish and fishing, as subject matter for the visual arts, has flourished from pre-historic times. Its scope and diversity, from folk art to fine art and sculpture to contemporary design, illustration and commercial graphics is so vast as to merit a separate treatise.

For this column I leave the pantheon of potential fish and fishing art for an-other day to focus on a Whale’s Coast prominent representative painter of the genre, Brian Sylvester.

Brian, acclaimed fin and feather fine artist and gifted graphic designer, along with his wife Kelly and two daughters relocated south of Domini-cal one year ago. Brian creates from his whitewater-view studio while Kelly is out and about spreading the word. Last month while at Uvita’s Saturday morning Feria I adopted one of Brian’s Snook (Robalo) t-shirts for my own. Brian’s lifelong big love for fish and fishing, enhanced by his distinctive vi-sion to beautifully and dynamically por-tray aquatic species, comes alive in his original creations. See his portfolio at www.bsylvesterart.com, or email Brian at bart17bellsouth.net, or track down Kelly at the Feria, or on the beach.

Even if you are not taken by Brian Syl-vester’s striking paintings which I find impossible to imagine, spend a few minutes with Kelly, charming, upbeat and a heck of a marketer, and I am cer-tain you will head back to your casa with one (or more) of Brian’s superb shirts or prints.

Reminder: Think fish, and art, and buy local.

See you out there.

Captain Arthur DiPietrodipietro-moontides@gmail.com

Fishing in Art and Literature

Dominical Days 15

La Revista Original de Costa BallenaThe Original Costa Ballena Magazine

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