The Parsons Afoot - Food, Travel & Costa Rica

Paradise every day and every turn . . .

2010-03-18T10:08:00.001-07:00

Center piece staircase

2010-03-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

One Year in Costa Rica

2010-03-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

It has been exactly a year now since we left the beautiful Mercer Island, Washington to move to Costa Rica. I personally did not know for sure whether I will like living in Costa Rica or not. We arrived Costa Rica in March 1st of last year while our house was being built. It has been a very painful journey, but we managed to finished the house this year.

Rockin' and a Rollin' - Did the Earth Move for You?

2009-03-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

There are parallels between being in Seattle during the WTO demonstrations and an earthquake in Costa Rica. In both cases unless you are at ground zero, it is a mere curiousity - or annoyance.

During the WTO, my office was directly above the worst of the demonstrations. Watching CNN, you would believe that all of Seattle was chaos. Looking down from 20 floors up, I watched demonstrators and police play their parts. The sight of a news camera would cause a demonstrator to run at it and grimace menancingly. Aside from the tear gas that settled in our parking garage, the whole WTO debacle was interesting, news worthy and annoying. It did, however, spark a deluge of calls and emails to see if we had survived.

Today, we had two quakes in Costa Rica of 5.7 at 11:24 a.m. and 5.9 at 3:04 p.m. The first gently rocked Nim and I on the couch. During the second, Nim was concentrating on paint colors in a store - and never noticed it. (Being color-blind, Sousa and I were holding down a gently rocking chair.) The epicenter for both was about 100 miles away. (Granted, folks at the epicenter report a more attention getting effect.) Here in gentle Atenas, the quake was a curiousity. We are again flattered that friends from around the world noted the quake and inquired of our health and continued existence.

From any distance, Costa Rica is a mere speck on a map. It must unimaginable to some that an infinite number of angels can dance on the head of a pin or that there is enough room in Costa Rica for a few million people to ride out a quake without toppling each other like dominos or even noticng that it occurred.

It Is Only A One-Bedroom!

2009-03-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Houses and babies have a lot in common. During the first few months, you try to figure out the appendages and whether it is what you had hoped for. Now gestation has had its effect and our baby is starting to look like a home. (Our house is a bit of a premie, the Lovely Nim has used PhotoShop to “paint” our house a bit prematurely.)

Casa de Animas is not the home that we would have planned for in a financial meltdown. That home would have been our shipping container with sky-lights. Having taken the construction plunge, we are now “stuck” with our creation. Readers (plural?) of this blog will know that the gestation has been almost six years. It is only a one-bedroom home, but what a one-bedroom it will be.

We arrived at “just the right time. The contractor is now getting down to the fine details. In general, contractors will default to the expedient if not give clear direction to the contrary. By way of example, our contractor did not think that more than one color in or outside the house was necessary. Likewise, why mess with different types and colors of tiles, when one will do? The Lovely Nim has literally spent days with her chauffer (“at your service”) driving from one supplier to the next. Costa Rica is a small country. In a spiraling construction economy, vendors simply do not have unlimited stocks of materials – particularly imported items.

We have now been residents for a week. With the house, catching up with friends and actually practicing a little law, we have been amazingly busy. We are loaded with communications devices courtesy of Al Gore and the Internet. We have a landline, a Tico cell, a US cell, a Vonage Seattle number and my office phone. There have been a couple of times that more than one phone is ringing. More than once, the yell “Please get the phone.” Followed, by “What phone?”

To the recipient of my calls, it appears that I am sitting at my office desk rather than surveying a beautiful valley in Ticolandia. My assistant says it is spooky when I call her or am on the phone as her unit lights up with “He is busy”. This week as I spoke to several clients, the neighborhood rooster spoke up. “What is that?” “Nothing,” I replied. “My partners are under a lot of stress in this economy and have become a little chicken-shit.

In our short week, we have been disappointed and hugely pleased. One example, the house features a spiral staircase that swoops down from the second floor in about a 260 degree arc. Having seen a staircase by another contractor (really ugly), I was afraid that it would bounce. No problemo now, but ten years from now – who knows. I then discovered the staircase was to be of concrete. Ohmigod, concrete is ugly – what are we going to do? When we showed up, the artisans were putting the finishing touches on a truly elegant curving staircase with broad stairs that even a future geezer could navigate on Prozac. Who would have believed that you could sculpt such a majestic feature with a little steel and concrete?

A word from Sousa the Portuguese water dog. "While my domestic staff was getting regular updates from Continental, nobody told me anything. Here I am stuck in my kennel in a noisy aluminum tube with a nearby Chihuahua rambling on about his career in fast food advertising. No food on this flight! My water bowl was frozen and then sloppy. Hey! Isn’t this thing supposed to have oxygen masks? Finally, we arrive. I have no idea where the hell I am. My staff is there grinning like fools. I am tired and dehydrated. I look forward to going home and amusing Peter by chasing some tennis balls in the morning – he easily amuses. What a minute here, this place is warm. Who turned on the summer? I froze my butt off in Seattle with this summer clip – maybe Peter planned this from the beginning.

At first I thought, I will do the Porty mind-meld on Peter and he will take me home. For the first few nights, I stood by the bed and got as close as possible – people have bad breath. There I stood eyes wide open “Take me home, Peter, I chanted” For three nights, I tried. I managed to keep him awake by not compliant. The Porty mind-meld has never failed before. Peter has a weak mind and I can use the meld to get him to play, feed me or scratch my butt. No matter how long and hard, I stared and focused, we are still here. In fairness, I am getting used to it. There are some terrific butts to smell and the food better. Peter and I fixed some coconut/macadamia muffins this morning with fresh mangoes and some homemade chorizo. Now that is a dog’s breakfast if I ever saw it.

Watch my jowls. When the Obama's put a Portie in the White House, the world will be a better place."

Screw Your Courage to the Sticking Place

2009-03-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

We did it! If it were not for our mentor/savior George W. Bush, we would still be enjoying the unseasonal cold and snow in Seattle. Each morning, the gloom of a late morning would beset me until our northern skies brightened. Thanks to George, we are now officially gone.

Unfortunately, also gone is a good chunk of our nest egg. But with a little help from his friends (and predecessors), George screwed up the fundamentals of the US economy so badly that it became obvious that our time to vamoose had come.

Sometime after narrowly surviving a family reunion in South Carolina, the Lovely Nim and I looked at each other “What are we doing here?” Next came a rapid series of decisions involving job, house, dog, documents, container, cars and family.

Due to some work that I did pro bono on expat economic resources, I was asked to speak to the American Chamber and used the excuse to sneak down to Costa Rica to speak to the American Chamber (Thursday), rent an apartment (Friday), take my buddy, Mike Passage, to the beach to buy us a great home that he and wife Laura could own and pay for (Saturday-Sunday). Whoosh, we did it. Mike & Laura are signing a purchase agreement as I type this.

On February 25th a container was parked in our front yard and filled with our “stuff”. That is a lesson in itself. The Lovely Nim packed most of the really fragile stuff. For everything else, Chief Moving Character and Good Guy, Ian Cockle and his crew took over. This took days (before the 25th). Stuff, stuff and more stuff was packed. Fortunately, I was able to hid in the office for most of this, but found that a ton of garage stuff that could have been recycled into boat anchors was packed. No doubt there is a need for a Model A fender in Costa Rica and some really good skies. On the 26th, the house was empty.

On the 28th, we were airborne. A little back-story on this. Our Atenas house is not completed. The contractor will miss the penalty date (April 20). As I had rented a very nice apartment, the Lovely Nim wanted to make sure that we could survive. That meant luggage and more luggage. The final tally was 10 pieces – eight of which were large “LBC” boxes (let a Filipino explain them to you).

Pictures of my net worth (not much - thanks to George) evaporating danced in my head as we approached the airport. First stop, Continental Pet Services for Sousa. He went amiably into his kennel. He shed no tears. We did! It was like leaving your child for the first day of school. Would he be safe?, fed? Cared for? Do dogs get oxygen? Son Chris remarked that I did not act that broke up on his first day of school – or the time that I tried to trade him to gypsies for a Model A fender.

The Lovely Nim and I were basket cases as we slowly approached the outside Continental luggage counter. Would the agent laugh “Sorry, they may be essential, but they ain’t going.” We were in luck, the outside guy was a Pinoy!

Not all of you are lucky enough to marry a Filipino/a. (There is still time.) As we have traveled to exotic places – like Virginia Mason hospital, the Lovely Nim’s countrymen have gone overboard to treat us well - even pallid me. In this case, we were charged only for four of our six bags and none of them were judged overweight – you bet.

Waiting in Houston for the San José flight, we were paged. “I am sorry Mr. Parsons. Sousa will not be on your flight – Too much luggage.” What can you say? Something about your own petard? With the friendly help of Continental, I made calls to the pet guy in San José. We agreed that we would wait for Sousa’s flight a couple hours later. What can you do? We boarded the plane – that did not move.

Soon the gate came out to the plane and I am paged. Continental just wanted us to know that Sousa was on board. I cannot say too many good things about Continental’s pet transport service. They care.

Landing in Costa Rica more worries. Let’s see. Two large aluminum cases, eight humongous LBC boxes and a 100 lbs of dog/kennel that cannot be released until customs is cleared. Just how many hand carts is that and do they come with a back surgeon? Faster than you case say Pura Vida appear two young Tico porters with big carts. Everything is packed on them. We zip through customs to a waiting taxi van. More fretting as we approach the apartment in Atenas. We rented on the top floor! Again, no problem, the taxi driver and the caretaker Sherpa-ed all the stuff to the apartment. Taxi's in Costa Rica do not expect tips, but sometimes they earn them.

We were home! Thank you George.

Mumbai Karma: Do Things Come in Threes?

2008-11-28T12:02:00.001-08:00

A week ago, the Lovely Nim and I were staying in room 2062 of the Mumbai Oberoi. While attending a meeting of the Pacific Rim Advisory Council (PRAC), we saw the sights including visits to the Taj Mahal Hotel across the street from India Gate. Our India hosts were wonderful. At these meetings, we re-connect with friends from around the world. Still due to the business nature of the trip, it was exhausting. Flying for 30 hours for 18 hour days of schmoozing and meetings is not my idea of a good time.

The Oberoi chain includes fantastically opulent hotels. See www.oberoihotels.com. Notwithstanding what you hear on CNN, the Mumbai Oberoi is a very nice business hotel. It is not a palace – the Taj may fit that description (and the Oberoi in Agra certainly does).

I am not paranoid, but the fragility of life is sometimes brought vividly to your attention:

Close Call One: On Tuesday, I was at a luncheon in the Oberoi. Suddenly, my chair collapses throwing my head into a wall and an inch from a steel reinforced corner that might have split it. My neck and back are still sore. At 63, I am not quite as resilient as when younger. As the initial “thud” was diminishing, I assured the banquet manager that his job was safe. (The neck and back hit me in the evening.)

Close Call Two: Upon returning home, we picked up our dog, Sousa. To please him and combat my jet-lag, I took him for a walk in the nearby park on a beautiful day. Walking home, we were crossing a deserted street intersection. Suddenly a car comes out of a side-street and turns right at us. In fractions of a second, we make it across the line and the car keeps coming. Sousa jumps clear and I roll across the hood and down the driver’s side. Excepting a bruise on my right arm that hurts as I type this, no real damage. The driver “I am so sorry! I have a crick in my neck and could not turn my head in your direction!” If I had been a child or semi, somebody would be dead!

Close Call Three: As I type this, there is a terrorist still at large in the Taj. During the past 48 hours PRAC delegates have been sending their prayers and thoughts to our Indian hosts and friends in Mumbai. (One delegate checked out of the Oberoi the morning of the attacks.) Everyone is safe, but what a difference a week makes.

An alarming technological serendipity:

The Lovely Nim's iPhone burped this morning (Nov. 28) and sent the below email that had been unsent for unknown reasons. Obviously, she has followed up with the potentially concerned family member recipients. See photo.

-----Original Message-----
From: Nim Parsons
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 7:58 PM
To: April Hernandez; Henry Pacayra; Celia A. Pacayra
Subject: Greetings from Mumbai waterfront!

Dear All-

Enjoying Mumbai--right now on tour on ferry ride full of attorneys.

Cheers,

Our Thanksgiving celebration had a special meaning this year.

A scary footnote: We learned on December 1st that , the U.S. intercepted a cell call offshore Mumbai from the bad guys on the 18th. The Indians sent out a patrol and the terrorist put off their plans for a week.

But for a little NSA snooping, my presentation would have been tragically interrupted.

I may send flowers and candy to the Puzzle Palace. Phew!

Tip-Toeing Through the Bureaucracies:

2008-10-30T21:30:00.001-07:00

Costa Rican bureaucracies drive some people nuts. I do admit that the Lovely Nim and I do sometimes repeat the mantra “Its their country and they can run it anyway they want.” When that fails, I remind myself that when I was in law school many U.S. states had procedures that were more anachronistic. If you have spent time in India, you know that Costa Rica is comparatively streamlined in its processing of paper. Unlike India, bureaucracy is a process here – not an art form.

The Lovely Nim and I have been visiting every two months to inspect progress on our home. We have taken the occasion on the past two trips to take baby steps forward in essential immersions in bureaucracy.

An illustrative example:

Electricity. This was fun. As a foreigner, you cannot open a electrical account. I have come to the conclusion that foreigners must be smuggling out luggage stuffed with electricity. To curb this abuse only residents can buy electricity. Like most people, we have a CR corporation that is considered a resident entity. To open an account, we had to go the lawyer to get a persona jurídica establishing the existence of the entity and myself as its president. This document comes on really gorgeous paper and is embroidered with colorful official stamps. It is lovely. Not as lovely as the Lovely Nim, but suitable for framing. Armed with this document, a copy of your passport (they will not make it for you) and evidence that the corporation actually owns the property, you can get the juice turned on. With the driving to the lawyer’s office and time spent a ICE, it only took about 3 hours to become rate payers.

Our bags are sometimes searched while leaving Costa Rica. Every kilowatt counts, no doubt their efforts have done wonders to curb the illegal smuggling of electricity.

Incremental Construction Progress!

2008-10-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from ten days in Costa Rica. Wonderful – yes, Productive – yes, Restful – no.

As before, we stayed with Analia Anchia whose family has adopted us – adding about a 1,000 people to our Christmas mailing list. As the maiden aunt, it appears to be Analia’s job in the family to keep traditions alive. Many of those traditions have to do with food. Over time, the Lovely Nim and I have sampled dozens (hundreds?) of traditional Costa Rican and Anchia family recipes at Analia’s table.

On this trip, Analia decided to treble our gustatory repertoire in a few short days. While my culinary cultural knowledge is greatly enhanced, my waist is as well. Many of Analia’s offerings involved a fry pan or a significant percentage of CR’s sugar cane output. Coupled with many delightful meals with newly met neighbors, I ate an entire pig in not-so-small increments.

Casa de Animas progresses! Naturally, no visit would be complete without surprises. These are never a good thing and involve the flow of dollars beyond any reasonable expectation. It has not yet occurred to the contractor that the world financial crisis involves the Parsons world. Depending upon your interpretation of a contract provision, we are responsible for paying for a retaining wall – or not. As the contractor has a point, he has submitted a bid that seems designed to solve his financial concerns and create ours.

On this trip, we went with Photosynth in mind. The below was created with 243 pictures. As you can see we have moved from the Stonehenge to the Bagdad level of completion.

Saving Our Contractor From the World Financial Crisis

2008-10-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from ten days in Costa Rica. Wonderful – yes, Productive – yes, Restful – no.

As before, we stayed with Analia Anchia whose extended family has adopted us. As the maiden aunt, it appears to be Analia’s job in the family to keep traditions alive. Many of those traditions have to do with food. Over time, the Lovely Nim and I have sampled dozens (hundreds?) of traditional Costa Rican and Anchia family recipes at Analia’s table.

On this trip, Analia seemed to decide to treble our gustatory repertoire in a few short days. While my culinary cultural knowledge is greatly enhanced, my waist is as well. Many of Analia’s offerings involved a fry pan or a significant percentage of CR’s sugar cane output. Coupled with many delightful meals with newly met neighbors, I am sure that I ate an entire pig in not-so-small increments.

Casa de Animas progresses! Naturally, no visit would be complete without surprises. These are never a good thing and involve the flow of dollars beyond any reasonable expectation. It has not seemed yet occurred to the contractor that the world financial crisis involves our world. Depending upon your interpretation of a contract provision, we are responsible for paying for a retaining wall – or not. As the contractor has a point, he has submitted a bid that seems designed to solve his financial concerns and create ours.

On this trip, we went with Photosynth in mind. The below as created with 243 pictures. As you can see we have moved from the Stonehenge to the Bagdad level of completion.

Dive, Dive, Dive . . .

2008-10-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

How do you write a blog while holding your breath?

When the lovely Nim and I went on sabbatical last year, I put in stop-loss orders on everything. When we returned from our circumnavigation, we had entirely bailed out of the market at a Dow of 14,000. Smart? Wise? Lucky? I am a reasonably sophisticated guy with a smattering of degrees, practice in corporate finance and experience on the boards of public companies. What do I know about public markets – nothing! I was further convinced of my ignorance when attending a series of seminars sponsored by my law firm. Statistically, ¾’s of gains are made on the downside. Having nothing at risk, I had nothing to gain except some interest. You guessed it, back into the market I went with a “balanced” portfolio as recommended by the experts.

Our little account was the flap of a butterfly wing immortalized in chaos theory. Dive, dive, dive went the market. I am normally not a terribly retrospective thinker, but I have kicked myself every day. My office is in the Washington Mutual building. While painful, there are more than a few employees of Washington Mutual who had their entire retirement in WaMu stock. While our little pile is smaller, the WaMu folks have no pile at all.

I live on Mercer Island an affluent Seattle suburb apocryphally known as “Poverty Rock”. Seattle has been less affected by the downturn than most parts of the country. This morning I was in the lovely Nim’s beauty shop typically crowded on a Saturday. It was nearly empty and the owner had lain off half his staff. This is scary!

Our house proceeds apace. We have progressed from the Stonehenge stage to something that might be occupied soon -- in Bagdad. We are told that the steel and concrete may soon be joined by some wood.

We have had some serious missteps. If fretting could be turned into kinetic energy, we could have built the house on concern. I mentioned the pool problem in a prior post. While the revised pool will be beautiful, it may not work well for its intended use as a lap pool. I am a water guy – former competitive swimmer – SCUBA instructor – this does not please me.

We continue to personally like our contractor, but he has not kept his eye on our ball -- it erodes our trust. Like the pool, the most recent problem arose from a lack of attentive supervision. A beam was lower than it should have been. Our inspector, Alfonso Quesada, and the contractor have agreed on a fix, but it never should have occurred. The contractor has now promised to be on site every day. Hopefully, these oversights will soon become an unpleasant memory.

The economy is Costa Rica is undoubtedly poised for a nose-dive. The construction industry is going soft and will likely go dead in the next year. If done correctly, our house will be the stuff of magazines and a marquee house for the contractor. If we are both fortunate, we will get the home that was designed for us and the contractor will be able to proudly point to us as references.

When completed, the house will undoubtedly be wonderful and all these glitches forgotten. As we are only about a third complete, I worry that the lovely Nim and I may unduly age in the process. In the meantime, our prayers have become devotedly Dowist.

Connecting the Dots: Speak No Evil

2008-09-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

It has never occurred to the lovely Nim or I that we should not be part of the local community. The thought of being walled up in a Gringo Gulch is distinctly unappealing. When traveling, there is sometimes a tendency to strike of a conversation with English speakers. The comfort of speaking your own language after days/weeks of stumbling in another language and appearing to be slightly demented cannot be denied. As often, we avoid American tourists as they tend to be loud and boorish. Traveling and living in a foreign country are two different things. Like Florida, Costa Rica does have communities and condos that appear designed to keep the Spanish speakers at bay.

The concept of family in the U.S. has been greatly eroded, extended and articulated through geography, careers and serial marriages. A gathering of my own immediate family includes Germans, Guatemalans, Filipinos and creatures from both coasts of the U.S. If you are Filipina (as is the lovely Nim), the notion of family is a broad and sometimes elastic concept. If someone is family in the Philippines, you look out for them. You might help support, educate or shelter a shirt-tail relative that you might not speak to in the U.S. During fiesta time in Nim’s village, even the most distant (or hypothetical) relative is welcomed to gorge at the family table. Due to the influence of the Catholic church in the bedroom, it does not take too many families to equal a lot of people or to consume a ton of food.

Costa Ricans enjoy a “Catholic culture” in a society not dominated by the Catholic church. Ticos go to church and get divorced with about the same regularity as in the U.S. Unmarried couples living together is very common. In short, they are not Filipinos. That said, family matters in Costa Rica. Family members often live adjacent to each other forming small neighborhoods with a common surname. There is probably a reason that my four sibs and I live in five different states. In my family, adjacency might be a recipe for fratricide. In Costa Rica, it would not be remarkable to have ten sibs living happily in a residential row. Nim and I regularly stay with such family in Atenas.

The lovely Nim and I have had the pleasant chore of developing a modest network of Ticos who have become good friends. We have come to the substantiated conclusion that you cannot presume that any two Ticos are unrelated or unconnected. Like in the Philippines, family looks out for family. The successful take care of the less fortunate or incapacitated. Whenever I ask for a recommendation for a service or product in Costa Rica, I presume that person so recommended is a relative. (In the U.S., I would be miffed if a referral was not coupled with a “He is my brother-in-law” disclaimer.) In Costa Rica, family comes first without apologies (or disclaimer).

In a country the size and population of Western Washington, people in a social/business set know each other. Seattle is not hugely different in this regard, but we do not enjoy the family overlay. Hence as a Tico if you do not know Javier Hernandez Salas, there is a some certainty that someone in your family does. Even if Javier is not known to a family member, it is virtually impossible that a member of his family is unknown to a member of yours.

What does this mean? It means that you never, ever, say anything you want not want printed on the front page of the Tico Times. For that reason, I will skip the “hip bone is connected to the shin bone” litany of interrelationships, that have pleased and amused us to discover in Costa Rica.

Connecting the Dots

2008-09-04T17:24:00.001-07:00

It has never occurred to the lovely Nim and I that we should not be part of the local community. The thought of being walled up in a Gringo Gulch is distinctly unappealing. When traveling, there is sometimes a tendency to strike of a conversation with English speakers. The comfort of speaking your own language after days/weeks of stumbling in another language and appearing to be slightly demented cannot be denied. As often, we avoid American tourists as they tend to be loud and boorish. Traveling and living in a foreign country are two different things. Like Florida, Costa Rica does have communities and condos that appear designed to keep the Spanish speakers at bay.

The concept of family in the U.S. has been greatly eroded, extended and articulated through geography, careers and serial marriages. A gathering of my own immediate family includes Germans, Guatemalans, Filipinos and both coasts of the U.S. If you are Filipina (as is the lovely Nim), the notion of family is a broad and sometimes elastic concept. If someone is family in the Philippines, you look out for them. You might help support, educate or shelter a shirt-tail relative that you might not speak to in the U.S. During fiesta time in Nim’s village, even the most distant (or hypothetical relative) is welcomed to gorge at the family table. Due to the influence of the Catholic church in the bedroom, it does not take too many families to equal a lot of people or to consume a ton of food.

Costa Ricans enjoy a “Catholic culture” in a society not dominated by the Catholic church. Ticos go to church and get divorced with about the same regularity as in the U.S. Unmarried couples living together is very common. In short, they are not Filipinos. That said, family matters in Costa Rica. Family members often live adjacent to each other forming small neighborhoods with a common surname. There is probably a reason that my four sibs and I live in five different states. In my family, adjacency might be a recipe for fratricide. In Costa Rica, it would not be remarkable to have ten sibs living happily in a residential row. Nim and I stay with such family in Atenas.

The lovely Nim and I have developed a modest network of Ticos who have become good friends. We have come to the substantiated conclusion that you cannot presume that any two Ticos are unrelated or unconnected. Like in the Philippines, family looks out for family. The successful take care of the less fortunate or incapacitated. Whenever I ask for a recommendation for a service or product in Costa Rica, I presume that person so recommended is a relative. (In the U.S., I would be miffed if a referral was not coupled with a “He is my brother-in-law” disclaimer.) Family is presumed and comes first.

El Inspector

2008-08-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

When my father was building Florida houses in the 1960’s, the building inspector was required to sign-off on various stages of construction. If things were not quite right, there was a little bribe and an promise to correct it. This was often followed by the vending of moonshine from a car trunk. The building inspector did well for himself.

Several years ago, a brother-in-law headed the planning department that included the building inspectors in the same county. I rejoiced with him on his good fortune. I told him of my historical experience and congratulated him on his coming fortune. Being a total straight-arrow, he did not know if I was kidding, but assured me that everything had changed. A year later, he resigned from the job and joined the Peace Corps. Apparently, some truths are immutable. For a very funny and nearly truthful treatment of Florida building inspectors, read Carl Hiaasen’s Stormy Weather.

In Costa Rica, the building inspector does not exist per se. Instead, a engineer (often associated with your architect) is required to sign off on the contractor’s work. We have such an engineer. I know this because we wrote him a check and signed a form contract. He was not in that day. I have never met him. The lovely Nim does not believe that he exists. There is a document, however, the bitcora an official document that is regularly signed by someone purporting to be him. As the phantom engineer is not fully paid, I expect that our actually meeting is inevitable.

In our case, we really have two engineers. The one that I put faith in is Alfonso Quesada who serves as our owner’s representative. He is the guy that points out that more steel is needed or another course of bricks is necessary to achieve the required interior ceiling height. We sleep better knowing that Alfonso is there weekly to make sure there is more than a remote connection between the plans and the building.

When all the builders, engineers and workers have gone home, it is the lovely Nim and I that will have to live in the place. We spend a lot of time looking at pictures, traveling to CR and simply fretting over things large and small. Earlier this month, we happened to show up as the last brick went on the pool structure. Something was odd. What is it? OMG, they were using the old pool plans. Fortunately, the mortar was soft and the problem was largely corrected. It will not be the pool of our plans, but close enough.

Bridging the Gap & Offshore Drilling

2008-08-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Long ago, a partner referred me to an excellent Seattle dentist. He does fantastic work. I highly recommend him.

Recently, the aging Parsons bridge infrastructure gave way. An insurance pre-approval form indicated that the new bridge would cost about $3,600 of which I would pay $2,400.

As Nim and I were going to Costa Rica which is known for its medical system, I decided to authorize a little off-shore drilling. The dentist scheduled a quick series of appointments. I have a new bridge constructed with the latest of technology (and dentista artistry). Total cost was $500 of which our dental plan has reimbursed $250.

Savings are approximately $2,150. Airfare to Costa Rica is approximately $700. While we stay with friends, the cost of a B&B is about $50 per night.

Downside. You are not on the beach, canopy touring, river rafting or visiting birds/monkeys in the rain forest while going to closely-spaced appointments. Upside is that you can schedule your appointments in the morning and be a tourist with the remainder of the day and go to the beach on the weekend.

Should you be faced with a similar decision you may rationally chose whether you are going to pay for your own vacation or one for your dentist.

Peter

P.S. - In a prior trip, we visited an ophthalmologist with training in the U.S. and Israel. Total exam and prescription $60.

Buying & Building in Costa Rica – La Contratista

2008-06-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

In the Spring of 2007, we were finally ready to go out for bids. By this time, our original architect had left the firm and was devoting her energies to an expectant motherhood.

We became hugely focused on expectant homeownerhood. Our new architect selected three builders with whom her firm had prior experience, plus our developer (per our contract). Cool! Let’s get moving. Bid packages when out and . . . We waited.

Finally, the bids dribbled in. It was really hard to appreciate that all bidders where bidding on the same house. All bids were cost plus. The highest bid was a partial bid and 170% of the low bid. What gives? All in the fullness of (too much) time.

What we did not appreciate is that the bid was only the first step. Next the architect combed over the bids and negotiated with the builders to find areas where money could be saved. In many cases, they did not appreciate the design of a feature and put in a high number “just to be safe.” Prices dropped significantly.

May became September. We arranged a beauty show with the three builders (our developer’s bid was not competitive and discarded). It was a Goldilocks situation, but which of the contractors was “just right?” Each of the contractors bemoaned the inconvenience of our Atenas location. One company’s bread and butter was commercial, but did homes. Oddly, they were unprepared to arrange a viewing of their residential projects. “Senior, you have the fancy brochures. Why do you want to see a house?” We had no doubt, that they would deliver a home on time, on budget and that it would be entirely without a soul. Another contractor was very appealing, but had very severe doubts about Atenas and was not yet old enough to shave. The third guy was just right. He was smart enough to show is one of his homes in Santa Ana also in the Bali style and also owned by a lawyer. It was fantastic. This guy loved wood and embroidered his own creativity upon the architect’s plan. His price was doable. He gets the deal. Cool!

Great! We have our contractor. In a conference call, our lawyer asks him to send a contract with which he is comfortable. Super, he has a two pager that he will send. We will mark it up and bingo, ground-breaking in January. We wait. No contract! In October reminders are sent. No contract. Calls and emails, no contract. November? You guessed it. In December an email is received, “I am having personal problems and cannot start until February.” On no! Personal problems = divorce, drugs, alcohol or criminal arrest? Our architect calls, and reports he is have “personnel problems”. Phew! So where is the contract? In January, we pull the psychological plug. Whether the problems are personal or personnel, the result is the same. If the contractor is unresponsive now, what will he be like when we are stuck with him in “distant” Atenas?

There is a lot of comfort in having a builder your architect trust, but this was not working out. We know for a fact that there were several thousand homes in Atenas. Many of them built to North American standards. Much over our architects unspoken objections, we sought and received recommendations of contractors building in Atenas. This time, we went for a firm fixed price bid. (I am not sure this was the wisest move.) Again, we received three bids. This time, I handled the price-related conversations with the builders. Again, we let the developer bid – and again his price was astronomical.

Yes and again, we went with a builder who seemed to love wood and paid attention to fit and finish. His price seemed fair (if not the lowest), but we liked him. Both positive and negative was the fact that Edwin Delgado had teamed up with our next-door-neighbor-to-be, Bob Partain. The two of them formed Cornerstone Construction, S.A. which is the name of the entity on the contract. At least, Bob and Nancy are not in a position to complain about dust and noise. It does not take a rocket scientist to appreciate that this is either the best of arrangements or the worst. So far, so good, but that is a installment yet to come.

After a process too painful to describe, building permits were granted (more than a month after a ceremonial ground breaking).

Next, El Inspector

Building & Buying in Costa Rica – La Arquitectura:

2008-06-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

We met our architect through her husband, an investment banker. She was enthusiastic about building a “green” home. While we (as owners) had no particular interest in LEEDs certification, our home would be as green as possible. As we started the process, we appreciated the gem of an arquitectura that is Carol. Through pure serendipity, we later learned that Tico friends had been equally pleased with her.

Our developer retained a limited right to bid on building our home. Like other developer/builders, he employed a series of fledgling architects. As we did not particularly respond to the designs either executed or on the books, we did not go this route. I mention it as, we might have saved some money by consolidating the functions.

Building is inherently fraught with conflicts. Building in Costa Rica may offer challenges that are not typically encountered in North America. We took some comfort in the concept of having an architect that was independent of and looking over the shoulder of the builder.

Architects in Costa Rica are entitled to receive a percentage of the anticipated cost of the home. I have been told that some architects charge less, but Carol’s firm expected a little more. After brief negotiations, we signed a contract for her firm to design and inspect the building of our home. (We now have two engineers inspecting construction – and not Carol’s firm, but that is another story.)

My father was a builder who did not entirely appreciate the genius of architects. The homes that he built in Florida were highly regarded for their workmanship. I cannot say they were inspired. We wanted inspired.

The lovely Nim and I provided Carol with an articulation of concepts as to how space would be used, the values and functions that we wished to incorporate. We never said “Place the kitchen here.” The first concept was amazing. It featured a entirely open living room with a soaring ceiling and 270 degree views to the East-South-West. The lovely Nim and I chewed on this design for a few months noting problems and the improbability that a fully open living room was daring, but might be a bit too daring.

We suggested a few changes to our original concept. Carol’s staircase to the master bedroom was enclosed – we suggested that it be a design feature. A few weeks went by. I remember being on the phone with my mother, when the revised drawings arrived by email. While trying to maintain my conversation “Yes, Mom”, “No, Mom”, “You are right, Mom”, I clicked on the attachment icon and the image appeared. My mouth dropped! “Yes, Mom, I am listening to you.” My brain was going overtime, this looked nothing like the first iteration!

Carol had taken our now augmented concepts and come up with an entirely new design. It took me a few minutes and a delicate sign-off with Mom to digest what she had done. It was great! She had successfully incorporated all the ideas into a Bali-style home that was wonderful. We were pleased, very pleased.

The new home, Casa de Animas, was our first priority. It was not Carol’s. She let us know that they were trying to get pregnant. It was not long before Carol withdrew from the architectural firm and handed us off to a colleague. Like many professional relationships, competence only counts for so much. We like the new architect and she did a super job of refining the concept. That said, we seemed to switch to the “homework model.” As a kid (like many kids), I rarely started an assignment until shortly before it was due. The new architect seemed to adopt this model. Only when we had a foot on plane to return to Costa Rica, did the wheels start to turn in San Jose. In short, Carol had psychologically bought into our concept. Her replacement was only doing a job and appeared to be heavily overworked.

The design that is taking form is the product of a team of architects, but the genius is Carol’s. If now mommy Carol, returns to practice, we can recommend her, but this installment does not end with a recommendation of her firm.

Building and Buying in Costa Rica - El Lote

2008-05-05T18:27:00.001-07:00

Villa Picaflora is comprised of approximately 25 lots of which 15 sit atop a ridge projecting into the valley. In August 2003, we came to a handshake deal with the developer on a lot 13 midway on the ridge and enjoys a 270 degree view. Whoopee, closing in September! In retrospect, what I probably should have specified is “Which September?”

Often people who work in a particular field develop a folk knowledge of “the way things work.” That knowledge is often at odds with “the way things really work”, “the way things should work” and even “the legal way things work.” A case in point is the transfer of property in Costa Rica. Our seller had placed each of the lots in a separate Costa Rican corporation. It was his plan to sell us the stock of the corporation, thereby cleanly transferring the property without incurring transfer costs or taxes. Costa Rican corporations (or S.A.’s) are regularly used to hold gringo property as the resident corporation can easily do business in Costa Rica where the gringo may not.

When I was a wee lad, my mother scolded me “Don’t put money in your mouth, you do not know where it has been.” As a business lawyer, I often caution clients about acquiring corporations as “you do not know where they have been.” Do they have liabilities? Are the assets really there? It is impossible with a corporation to know what you do not know – and which may not even be known to the owner of the corporation. Our Costa Rica lawyers offered the same advice. It was good advice. Damn, good advice.

It soon developed that “our” lot had a lot line issue. Later, it became clear that the plat map had not been properly recorded and was redone several times. I will spare you the details, but we finally closed in January 2006 merely 2-1/2 years after our initial handshake!

Conceivably, we could have closed much early by simply accepting the stock of seller’s corporation. What an incredible mess that would have been!

Just a word about lawyers – I am one. I have lots of degrees, certificates and awards. I am immodestly wonderfully competent in nurturing young high tech/high growth companies and guiding them in their growth. Outside of my area, I can hold a good cocktail conversation about most areas of the law – that is a long way from being competent. I know very little about the laws of Costa Rica or their local interpretation.

Unlike many gringos, the lovely Nim and I did not try to find the cheapest lawyer in Costa Rica. In fact, we went to Facio & Cañas a “large” and internationally respected firm. Why? Because, we like to sleep at night. Do they cost more? Undoubtedly. In this case, Facio & Cañas saved us from some very costly mistakes. Would the really cheap Costa Rican lawyer have done as well? Maybe? If you needed brain surgery, would you select the cheapest doctor available? Nim and I are willing to pay for expertise. You do not always get what you pay for, but there is a high correlation.

What did we miss? We failed to nail down basic services. The developer promised to put in a paved road down the ridge. He was good to his promise, but it is not exactly where it was expected to be. The developer talked about the water system that he would install. Again, the water is in and good. What about administration of the water system, that is another matter. The home owners have discovered (along with the developer), that Costa Rica prizes the reputation of its water. Each water system (or ASADA) must be approved and is specifically governed by the laws. Missed that one! What about security? We have a nice gate that bars entry to the ridge? Who pays the guards? What about gardening in the common areas? What about fire suppression during the dry season? These issues would have been easily addressed when their was a single ownership. It is now a bit of a mess.

We have many different owners with their own views and interests. The perspective of a lot owner is different from a home owner. A Latin American will view their obligations and preferences different from a New Yorker or a Seattleite. A person who rents their home does not come to the community table from the same vantage point as a resident, etc., etc. With some friction, our little band of owners is working through these issues. With a little luck, goodwill and hard work by our neighbors, the lovely Nim and I will be able to move after these thoroughly surmountable challenges have been met.

Next the architects!

Chocolate Soufflé – A Bittersweet Seduction for Two!

2008-05-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

The lovely Nim and I were recently at the Arizona Biltmore Wright’s restaurant. A prior visit had been sadly (and expensively) disappointing, we were generously giving it another chance (and did not have a car to go elsewhere). We were pleasantly surprised as Wright’s treated us with both superior dining and a superb waiter. When we remarked on the improvement, our waiter said that there had been some “personal problems” in the kitchen during the timeframe of our prior visit. (Picture flying knives.)

Like many waiters in many restaurants before him, ours recommended the chocolate soufflé and warned that the order should be submitted with the entrée. We ordered. It was good, but frankly it was not distinguishable from many other “good” chocolate soufflés.

Confession time gentle reader. Until last weekend, I had never made a chocolate soufflé. If you have read prior posts, I have made many varieties of cheese soufflés. How hard could it be? Why the uniform request for a long lead time? The answers in sequence? First, it is easy? Two, I have no clue why the long lead, but takes a few minutes to make and bake, but not more than 15 (with ingredients at the ready).

In fact, a superior chocolate soufflé is so easy and quick that I had to write the above, just to keep you diverted while I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.

1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa) broken in small pieces
4 eggs, separated and room temperature (feed two egg yolks to the dog)
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (if you are in Costa Rica, orange liqueur can be had at the spirits store at SJO)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Powdered sugar, for garnish
Unsweetened whipped cream or a straw/blue/raspberry sauce or BOTH
Candlelight and Bolero playing softly

Thoroughly butter two 1 cup ramekins, put in a couple of teaspoons of granulated sugar (I use a organic or Demerara). Cover top with plastic wrap and roll sugar around until it adheres to all surfaces. Refrigerate until needed and discard any sugar that did not stick before using.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in two egg yolks (remember the other two went to the dog) and the liqueur. Depending on your ingredients, the chocolate may suddenly get sort of rubbery with these additions – if so, do not lose heart. She/he will be yours in 12 minutes.

Whip the four egg whites to soft peaks (a copper bowl does wonders). Add the lemon juice, the remaining sugar and whip to stiff peaks.

Mix about ¼ of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until reasonably combined. Now GENTLY fold in the remaining egg whiles.

Fill the ramekins with the mixture and run your thumb around the inside of the rim “cleaning” off about ¼ of an inch. Please both on a cookie sheet or pan and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Dust with the sugar to taste and serve with the whipped cream/berry sauce. Just to overload the sense, I added a truffle on the side. Bon appetito1

Serve immediately with the candlelight and music.

Your blogger cannot be responsible for anything that happens after this step.

Buying & Building in Costa Rica – The Search

2008-05-04T18:53:00.001-07:00

It is one thing to be a tourist in Costa Rica and quite another to decide to build a residence in a foreign country. We all have friends who have had homes built. They laugh, they cry and say “never again.” Extrapolate that experience to building in a country where you do not know the culture, laws, bureaucracy or language. The chances of disaster cannot be understated. Read on Pilgrim and learn from our mistakes – to date.

The lovely Nim and I had vacationed in Costa Rica. As we have aged, our tropical roots have expressed themselves. We are growing partial to sunlight and warmth – commodities in short supply in Seattle. Having ruled out a return to her native Philippines or my Florida beginnings, we thought of Costa Rica. (This is a bit less simplistic than it may sound, Nim and I have been fortunate to visit countries on every continent, New Zealand, Greece, Tuscany and Provence were also considered.) Costa Rica is in a convenient time zone, reasonably close to grandchildren and has not invaded any small countries recently. While I never plan to fully retire, there are many things that I can do in or from Costa Rica that would be unworkable on a different continent.

Nim and I set about on a course of study. We read all the Costa Rican retirement books. A couple of Tico novels. Costa Rican history and culture tomes. We read most postings on the Yahoo! CostaRicaLiving group and even the rantings on the GalloPinto group. Daily we read the online news from at least four sources. In short, we devoured every bit of literature that we could find that illuminated this tiny country, its history, culture and people. We love the beach, but not the heat and humidity. After some discussion, we knew that the higher altitudes should be where we focused our attention. A lot of armchair knowledge and discussion, but so what? It was time to get our feet wet. We needed to “try on” Costa Rica by checking out places where real people lived.

We made the reservations and I called our driver, Alberto, from prior visits. (From our first visit, I have driven in Costa Rica, but finding Arenal is easy. Finding locations in the Central Valley is not.) Alberto has good English, is a good driver in the Tico sense, but more importantly is sensitive to the values that define the communities of the Central Valley. The morning after our arrival, Alberto picked us up and off we went. Over the next few days, we toured Escazu, Puriscal, Rohrmoser, Santa Ana, Grecia, Alajuela, many more and finally Atenas.

Alberto is a wonderful guy and a good driver, but naturally wants to steer business to friends and family. In Atenas, a shirt-tail relative/real estate agent showed us several properties. None were at all appealing. Real estate agents in Costa Rica are not regulated in the North American sense. Before you get too uppity, regulation of real estate agents in North America is somewhat recent phenomena and was done in part, not to protect the public, but lessen competition. Given the boom in real estate and gringos with time on their hands, a substantial portion of the development and real estate sales involve Norte Americanos. “Ah!” says the tourist/buyer “You speak English! – You must be honest.” This is not to suggest that Tico’s are not equally opportunistic. If there is a pigeon waiting to be plucked, you can be sure someone will pluck it.

We in Atenas and about to give up. We were tired, cranky and the car was becoming less comfortably by the bump. Alberto had just driven through a nice residential area and came to the end of the payment. As he was about to turn around on the dirt road, Nim and I spotted a hand-lettered sign nailed to a tree “Villa Picaflora Eco-Development.” We urged the silently suffering Alberto on 300 meters to the development. In August 2003, the French-Canadian developer had built only one small house and was mid-way though the second. We were hooked. We would build.

Villa Picaflora is about 20 lots with the majority of them “stripes” on a ridge that juts out into the valley. Each lot is about 2 acres. Unless you want to build on the slope, the actual building lot is fairly modest. The views were stupendous. We settled on lucky lot 13 and began negotiations. In our next chapter, what we did right – and other failings.

Buying and Building in Costa Rica – The Prequel

2008-05-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

There are those who say that you should rent for at least a year in Costa Rica before buying or building. Those are the smart people. A intelligent group that does not include your faithful blogger.

I am the son of a home contractor. In 1955, my family moved to WPB, Florida. At the time, Snowbirds were buying swamp lots and those that had been already sold a time or two before. Building inspectors were (and are) corrupt. White people were carpenters, black people were laborers and their were no Hispanics. They all spoke Cracker, I spoke Bostonian. As the boss’s son, I received a remarkable education in language and life.

Never destined to amass a great or small fortune, my father was something of a contracting misfit as eschewed every shortcut. A job was not done unless it was done right. My earliest work experience at age 10 was spent trying to avoid same on my father’s job sites. I can dig a straight foundation ditch (or could), hammer 16 penny nails (or could), walk a beam (or could) and wheel barrow concrete to where it is needed (you bet!). I received much of my early education about life (and particularly the female gender) from my co-workers while at the working end of a shovel. My mother straightened me out on the language with a bit of soap and belt. Other women have been trying to correct me on other matters for decades.

My father had little patience with me or anyone else. I can remember watching ominous clouds approach while we were pouring a beam. Only two of the three necessary concrete trucks had materialized at the job site. My father was heard screaming at the dispatcher on the phone – and being laughed at! You did not laugh at my father. When he finally calmed down, the dispatcher explained that the truck driver’s route took him past his home. There was a new Cadillac convertible out front. The driver knew whose car it was and what was distracting its owner inside. Our load of concrete had been expended in giving the Cadillac a new, racy lowered look. It was probably the only time that my father forgave anybody. (It probably helped that a fourth truck had already been dispatched.)

The lovely Nim has never worked in construction. She was born in a bamboo home that was demolished by a typhoon that flooded her village. Slightly more affluent than when she was born, her father built a teak home that is still the family home in Barobaybay, Western Samar. A frightened child, Nim was old enough to remember her house being tipped over by the rains and flooding waters during the night. Everything was lost. Not surprisingly, Nim favors a solid home in a place where typhoons do not rage and floods do not flood.

We briefly considered the Philippines for retirement, but the distance from grandchildren, bad weather and the fact that doughy white guys are not entirely secure suggested we look elsewhere. Thus, our gaze turned to Costa Rica and the next installment.

As the Hacienda Turns!

2008-04-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

Stay Tuned! The reason that I have not posted commentaries on the progress of our home in Atenas is that there is so much to say and so little. Even today, I do not know whether to laugh or cry. It is possible that we will syndicate the story in a novella, As The Hacienda Turns. When I have a breather, I will bring you up-to-date - unless we sign a major studio deal for the soap opera.

Saludos,

Peter

Le Soufflé Parfait

2008-04-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

Nim and I just returned from four days in Paris. We have been privileged to travel in Paris before, but this trip was special - in a bad way - the food was terrible! I never thought it possible. To redeem our tastebuds with truly wonderful French food (albeit with an Italian ingredient), I prepared this soufflé yesterday. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Sunday brunch is a great time to celebrate with a fantastic soufflé. What makes this better than the simple recipe that I shamelessly filched from St. Alton is the Romano (I have not tried Tuscan) Pecorino cheese. This sheep’s milk cheese appears to have a higher melting point than the original cheddar (and a more sophisticated taste). Upon serving, the Pecorino soufflé quickly firms into a pleasing lightness and avoids the cheesy goo that often hides below the perfectly browned crown of the soufflé. The addition of seafood simply makes it scrumptious.

Butter, room temperature, for greasing the soufflé 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/3 cups milk, hot
4 large egg yolks
6 ounces Romano Pecorino cheese
8 ounces very fresh crab meat (substitute: shrimp or smoked salmon)
½ teaspoon dried dill
5 egg whites plus 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch soufflé mold. (A real soufflé mold with unglazed bottom does make a difference.)

Add the grated Parmesan, cover with plastic wrap and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Put into frig while you are preparing other ingredients.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter. Allow all of the water to cook out.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes.

Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil (and should have thickened), remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. (Do not dump in or you will get cooked yolks!)

Add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated. Gently combine crab with dill and fold into cheese mixture.

In a separate bowl (copper if you have it), using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm.

Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base. Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently. Pour the mixture into the soufflé.

Fill the soufflé to 1/2-inch from the top. Place on an aluminum pie pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Caveat: Once you have the ingredients ready, this recipe goes very quickly. Having made many variations of this recipe, I suggest reading each step first and preparing the ingredients beforehand. Except for the heated milk, all ingredients should be at room temperature.

A Requiem for Joe

2008-04-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Joe has been a faithful retainer to our family for two years. We loved him dearly. Every morning, he would greet me with an “Hola!” and a latte. When she would arise, Joe would greet Nim with a Tagalog Kumusta and a perfect mocha. Visitors to our home often commented on Joe’s talent and versatility. His coffee drinks were never refused. Our cleaning lady stays with us only because she is addicted to Joe’s coffee. After the coffee service, Joe would shyly retire with a simple “Goodbye.”

Sunday afternoon, Joe died. He had just served me what turned out to be his last latte. I briefly turned in the kitchen and heard a thud! Joe had exhaled his last breath in an explosive cloud of blue smoke. I slowly sipped my coffee as Joe’s LED flashed a last feeble “Goodbye.”

Nim and I wept and feared a morning without Joe’s cheery brew.

Joe’s remains were solemnly interred today in the chapel of Williams & Sonoma. Through the grace of the gentle people of Williams & Sonoma, we have a fresh face for our coffee server. He may also be a Jura Capressa Impressa Z5, but he will never be Joe.

Cheeky - Just for the Halibut

2008-03-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Halibut cheeks are to the Pacific Northwest what cod tongues are to my ancestral Newfoundland. One of the differences is that the halibut fishery is a model of resource recovery – the cod fishery is not – yet.

A dish with an Italian flavor and Asian sensibility. First, command your Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker to cook your favorite rice to perfection. (If you think this is an endorsement, you are correct. Rice becomes a different food with the Zojirushi. The unit of choice of the Iron Chefs and this flabby one. Click on the Amazon button to the right and get yourself one – it is worth it.)

This recipe works equally well in pouch, paper or broiler. Start boiling your water, heat your oven to 350 degrees or turn your broiler to high (quickest and what I used last night).

Ingredients:

2 tbs butter
5 cloves garlic chopped
1 red onion chopped

Saute until translucent over medium heat and add:

½ cup good white or rose wine
2 tbs fresh dill chopped
1 tbs fresh ginger minced
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon (or half of a large lemon)
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp white pepper

Cook over low heat until volume is reduced by half and remove from heat Add an ounce of olive oil and an equal amount of drained capers – combine.

Arrange your washed and thoroughly dry halibut cheeks into serving sized portions. Spoon the above mixture on a piece of aluminum foil, halibut portion, cover with more of the sauce and fold to form a tighly sealed pouch. Broil for 3 minutes on each side on rack in top third of oven.

If you have timed this properly, your Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker is playing its “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” song announcing the readiness of your rice. Serve pouch contents over bed of rice and garnish with some fresh dill.