A Tribute to Food

Have you ever felt that buzzing, energetic contentment that you get after an incredible meal? I feel that every day, 3 times a day, thanks to the Luna Nueva kitchen. I realized that I have been alluding to the fine dining facilities of Luna for some time now. Such an uncomparable experience deserves attention from lovers of food worldwide.

I roll out of bed each morning just in time to make an appearance for the 8am breakfast bell. Unlike the diverse spreads for lunch and dinner, I have come to appreciate the consistency of my favorite breakfast options. Each morning, guests can choose from beans, rice, scrambled eggs, toast, jam, fruit, cheese, yogurt, and granola. If production is large enough, the eggs will be from our farm hens, but the cheese and yogurt is always homemade. Unusual but scrumptous, the fresh yogurt has come to be my staple breakfast (as well as an after-dinner snack). I pour the yogurt into one of the over-sized coffee mugs, add freshly picked and chopped papaya, banana, mango, and pineapple, a few spoon-fulls of granola, and lastly a dollop of honey. Delightful. And the richness of our jam must be addressed- for starters, it's called Lubi Lubi jam. I mean, with a name like that, its gonna be fun. Tastier than the tastiest strawberry or blackberry jam you can imagine, this dark purple spread only requires the lubi lubi fruit and a little brown sugar to add decadence to your morning toast or pancake experience. And the plantains. With a drizzle of melted cheese stuffed inside, you will find me indulging in 1 or 4 of these treats. If I'm not too full, I've taken up the awefully wonderful habit of an after-meal cup of coffee. Organic, local, and potent, the coffee at Luna has converted me from coffee adversary to addict.

Right before 1pm and 6pm, you will find me salivating with anticipation for lunch and dinner. It would take a full book's length to provide the descriptions of each dish, but I'll give you the general layout. Always a meat dish, beans, rice (beans and rice for every meal; it's a Costa Rican custom), usually 2-3 vegetarian sides, and finally the magnificent rainforest salad, no one can possibly leave the table hungry. The food is laid out buffet style, allowing for everyone to pig-out on thirds. And without fail, a bowl of dessert will be brought out. I usually find the magical contents in this bowl almost too aesthetically pleasing to disturb. Almost, but not quite. Some of my favorite lunch and dinner dishes include: tilapia covered in ginger sauce, ceviche made with steamed plaintains and salsa, chia steeped in garlic and onions, and the rainforest salad, which is so bursting full of spicy, sweet, savory, and nutty leaves from the garden, I don't even need to put our homemade turmeric and garlic dressing on it. And if I do go for the beans and rice, I make sure to add the spicy halapeno and habanero sauce that Ana (one of my favorite chefs), has to prepare with a face mask and closed eyes. That hot sauce is no joke. My favorite dessert options is: coconut anything (especially home-churned icecream and pound cake), pineapple flan, candied mangos, and of course, the ever-present ginger cookies. The cookies can always be found kicking it at the kitchen counter, satisfying the whimsies of everyone's snacking dreams.

It is obvious to me why all this food tastes and above all, feels, so darn good: its grown either organically or biodynamically, and then cooked only in the healthiest methods and with love. About 90% of the food is grown on the farm itself, and the 5 permanent chefs are superwomen in my eyes. Even though I plan to copy down and take back with me some of my favorite recipes, I know that this tribute and celebration to whole, living food at Luna Nueva can never be quite reproduced.