It seems like every recipe-zine that I have received over the last couple of weeks is raving about “barbecue” and “rubs” so it was only a matter of time before I would have to experiment. Although I could (and have) done some grilling over a rack and 3 rocks, I decided to splurge and buy […]

I have been thinking for awhile that an good recipe for Eggplant Parmigiano would make an excellent vegetarian addition to the Gringo Perdido menu, so I read through several recipes and chose two to try. This was the first one. The eggplant was dredged in crumbs before being fried, then lathered with this excellent tomato/carrot […]

I have tried to make donuts since I have lived here. I had phoned Mom for her recipe and any tips she could give me, since I’ve never perfected the art of deep fat frying, all to no avail … after hours of preparation, they didn’t become real donuts at all! So, when I came […]

Since I bought 2 pounds of ground beef for the lasagna, and only used one, I decided to continue my walk down memory lane with a good old fashioned meat loaf. I loosely followed a couple of recipes that included lots of grated carrots and other vegies, as well as oatmeal (instead of bread or […]

For a variety of reasons, we seldom eat beef. However, I recently discovered that the Despensa (the local supermarket) is bringing in a quality beef product, so I occasionally splurge and cook a dish from the past. I haven’t made a lasagna in more than 15 years … and never here in Peten. I had […]

It’s mango season again, and I have been watching for recipes containing fresh mangoes to incorporate into the menu at Gringo Perdido. This recipe originally called for peaches with sugar and cinnamon, which was easily substituted for mangoes … without the sugar, of course … the mangoes are super sweet and juicy! The pie has […]

You would think that in a country that consumes as much chicken as Guatemala, you would find chicken wings on every corner … but no. Until recently, it was impossible to even buy a chicken wing that wasn’t attached to a chicken breast … which meant that in order to prepare Buffalo Wings for two, […]

Yes, its true. We have the world’s best pollo guisado right here in Peten! We discovered it shortly after making El Remate our home (13 years ago). In those days, we would go “to town” once a month for whatever supplies we needed. We would take the early bus in, and go to the market […]

I wanted to try a new dish today, but I haven’t been to town for supplies in a while so I was limited to things I could pick up in the local tienda. I had tried this dish once before, but I had used large muffin cups to bake it, and they overflowed. This time […]

This enchilada plate is also at the top of the “favorites” list amongst the Gringo Perdido clientelle. We call it “Enchiladas Giselita” … since Giselle taught us this recipe on one of her recent visits to the hotel. The enchiladas, which have been stuffed with shredded chicken breast and herbs, are placed on a bed […]

Gringo Perdido is this beautiful little ecological hostel in the middle of the jungle that I have the great good fortune to manage. You can check it out at www.hotelgringoperdido.com. This dinner is one of the house favorites and is so popular amongst our guests that we usually serve it for their first night’s dinner. […]

The other day I planned a menu of Chicken Chili and Pizza Muffins. I reached for the bottle of white beans on the top shelf, and as I began to open the jar, I realized that the beans were full of holes. One thing I have learned in the jungle is that, where there are […]