6 minute read
Cookbook Captures Flavors and Pura Vida Lifestyle
By David Karr Photos courtesy of Melissa Guzman
Advertisement
Born and raised in Costa Rica, Melissa Guzman has always had a passion for great food. Originally from a small, traditional farming town in the mountains of Cartago, she grew up with many traditional recipes that were shared together with friends and family.
Melissa Guzman’s cookbook is sold online and throughout Costa Rica.
Working in the tourism business in Jacó Beach, Melissa would often have requests from foreigners asking her about local foods and some of her recipes. One day a traveler told her, “you should make a cookbook.”
A couple of years later, Guzman published Living Longer, Healthier & Happier - Recipes from Costa Rica, which has been one of the top selling cookbooks in the country. In addition to being a collection of traditional and modern Costa Rican recipes, the book showcases the healthier and happier pura vida lifestyle centered around Tico food and culture. While the recipes are one step towards improved well being, foodies also receive bonus tips for living longer, in a happy and healthy state.
More ways to share
But Melissa did not stop there. Over the past year, she has been offering private cooking classes in Jacó. She shares not only her recipes but their underlying stories, all while providing a full immersion into the culture of Costa Rica. howlermag.com
Melissa teaching a live online cooking class.
With tourism coming to a halt as an unfortunate pandemic outcome, one silver lining has been the increased time people have to spend on activities they enjoy at home, including cooking and learning new recipes. Like many others who have found ways to adapt their hard-hit livelihoods, Guzman has begun offering on-line cooking classes for those seeking to try authentic Costa Rican dishes.
"These challenging times have been a wake-up call for a lot of us, showing us that there is not just one way to do things,” she said. “We can always change our path and learn to evolve. I heard about online cooking classes long before the quarantine, and I remember being very skeptical about it. Now that I have been doing it for a while, I can see that they work and that I can still connect to people and do what I love differently."
Escaping online for some Costa Rica culture might just be what many need right now. Learning to make some delicious ceviche might not hurt either!
Learn more about Melissa's book, recipes and classes at recipesfromcostarica.com
Melissa sharing her recipes with friends and family.
Jacó Impact at Home in La Casona Lodge
By Kate Hanley Photos courtesy of Yor Ureña
New Digs to Grow in New Directions
Most people know Yorgina Ureña in the Jacó community as the driving force behind Jacó Impact, the organization she started in 2018. It has been growing ever since. With graphic designer Jetty Bonilla on board, “Yor” has been forming alliances with various people and businesses. The common goal is to grow the community in different areas while meeting the needs of its members, as well as those in surrounding areas.
Recently, Ureña found a home at La Casona Lodge, a simple yet well structured and spacious hostel close to the center of Jacó and the beach. Always on the go with new ideas and helping others expand their business, Yor now has seven pillars under the umbrella of Jacó Impact: Ambiente (Environment), Educacion (Education), Arte y Cultura (Art and Culture), Deporte (Sport), Bienestar (Well-being), Emprendimiento (Entrepreneurship) and the newest addition, Bienestar Animal (Animal Welfare).
We visited Yor on a day she was settling into her new digs for Jacó Impact at La Casona Lodge. With two volunteers on site and plans to paint the new place, she took the time to show us around. Here are some excerpts from our conversation.
How did you find the new headquarters for Jacó Impact?
This space is a donation from La Casona Lodge, which has opened doors for me to be able to create the first Center of Operations for Jacó Impact. We have been open already for a week and are happy to see how the community is showing its support with all types of donations.
How do you plan to use the new space?
We are going to use it as an office as well as a place where people can go to donate things they don’t need (including clothing, furniture, appliances and groceries). The donations will find new life with families at social risk who need the items.
Your new campaign for reusable feminine pads has gotten a lot of attention. Describe how the idea originated and how these pads are made.
When we were donating food during the beginning of the pandemic, many women asked specifically for feminine products. These are expensive and something that most women need on a monthly basis. That is when the idea occurred to me that we could make pads from fabric in a way that could be washed correctly and used again.
The material inside is from recycled tee shirts and has an insulating fabric that does not allow liquid to pass through. They come in packs of three or four with instructions on how to wash and dry properly. The insulated liner and snaps are the only parts that need to be bought to make the pads. My mom, who has her own business Eco-Gi, is in charge of making the products.
What inspired you to add Bienestar Animal as a pillar of Jacó Impact?
This pillar originated last December because we heard so many reports of lost or abandoned animals, specifically dogs and cats. We decided to share flyers with the community asking for help. The community is always asking for support to find homes for abandoned animals. We receive donations to help these animals get neutered and provide food for them, in addition to finding them homes. So far we are experiencing success with posting the flyers through social media.
You recently started making eco-blocks as one of your recycling projects. What are these?
Eco-blocks are basically made from empty 2-liter plastic soft drink bottles. You fill them with pieces of discarded wrappers and other small nonrecyclable items that normally you would throw away. You keep filling up the bottle using a long stick pushing the trash down to keep it compact.
When the bottle is fi lled, it’s ready to be used for all sorts of things. Google eco-blocks and you will fi nd many uses. I saw a picture of a doghouse made with the reusable bottles. In the future we hope to do a workshop to teach the community how they can recycle this way right in their homes.
Want to help or donate?
Contact Yor Ureña at WhatsApp: 8438-4327 to coordinate donations of money, food, furniture, electronics and many other things that you no longer need.
She is also working with Rutas de Esperanza and the Jacó Civic Center for Peace to collect donations of laptops that can be used for school children who need them.
Read more in the Howler article
Jacó Impact: Making Waves in Ways That Matter
Pictured with Yorgina Ureña (far left) outside the newly opened Jacó Impact operations center are volunteers Catherine Bobiash (second from left) and Tania Guevara (far right). Both assist with the campaign to make eco-friendly feminine products available to local women.
