When you are seeking a spiritual balance you must focus on more than simply your mind. Your body is half of your whole and the physical vessel that provides your daily transport, your physical conversation with life. Beyond the beauty of the jungle and its wildlife, the focus on meditation through yoga and the peaceful seclusion that Blue Osa offers its visitors, we also understand that in order to fully nourish the soul, the body must be balanced as well. The meals at Blue Osa are prepared with the healthiest, freshest local ingredients and the recipes are created by our special chef, Marie, who hails from France. “In my recipes, I use a pinch of originality, a spoonful of savoir faire and much, much love,” Marie says. We are proud to announce the collection of these recipes in our new cookbook, Eating Clean in Costa Rica.
Eating Clean at Blue Osa and Beyond
Marie was there at the beginning. She is the heart and soul of Blue Osa. She and her husband, Jean-Francois, were the original owners of the property when Aaron and Adam stumbled upon it one day with a wild dream of transforming it into a yoga retreat. At first she said no. But after a hearing more about the idea that would eventually spawn Blue Osa, she finally came around, and took over position as the head chef.
A native Algerian, she grew up in Biarritz, a lazy beach town in the south of France. Her father was Italian and her Mother, French—both cultures she’s now infused in her cooking. A self-taught chef, she has many years of culinary experience. Her husband owned a chic French bistro in San Francisco where Marie honed her culinary expertise, then further sharpened them at his elegant French restaurant in Cartagena, Columbia. Maria has cooked all over the world, but found her home in the jungle of the Osa Penisula, creating masterful dishes for a retreat whose genesis came about by the desire to offer a haven where anyone could feel safe asking the question, “Who am I?”
Eating Clean in Costa Rica covers a variety of cuisines, thanks to Marie’s extensive background, and each recipe consists of only a few ingredients. Of her recipes, Marie is the first to say that she keeps them simple, “The jungle is where I cook. Here, I don’t have the same ingredients that are available in big markets and city superstores. So I use local products and created an original cuisine that combines influences from around the world with French flavors.” Eating Clean in Costa Rica has a little bit of everything from salad dressings like the Orange and Basil Vinaigrette pictured above, to the Ceviche Mahi Mahi in the video below. The freshness and careful selection of every ingredient is integral to the wholesome nourishment these recipes provide. When you’re using quality ingredients, your recipe only needs a few for fantastic flavor. Marie discovered this and now she’s sharing it with you. You can see more sample recipes and buy your copy of Eating Clean in Costa Rica here. Take a part of Blue Osa life back home to your kitchen.
Want a sneak peak of Chef Marie’s creations? Check out this recipe:
About The Author
ABBY RONNER is a photographer and writer living in Brooklyn. She is a contributing writer for Narratively and VICE’s The Creators Project and her photography has been exhibited in group shows and juried exhibitions in NYC and DC. She has a hound dog named Daisy and spends her days knee-deep in folklore as a Gallery Director at City Lore in NYC. You can see more of her work on her website at abbyronner.com.
Photo via Christopher Haag
