Nicaraguan-Italian Fusion Cuisine

Submitted by Kelly Ann Thomas on 6 April, 2006 - 22:34.
Nicaraguan-Italian Fusion Cuisine

Yes, this really is a package of spaghetti bundled with ketchup. It is a common scene in certain grocery stores. The picture is out of focus because I didn't have time to set the shot, lest I offend my fellow shoppers by my photographic mocking of their culinary traditions.

I have even had the unfortunate experience of sampling (one bite) this bastardaziation of Italian cuisine at a Nica-owned restaurant. As much as Pete's description of Nica Pizza offends my palette, the use of ketchup doesn't surprise me.

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Pizza and Italian food in Nica

Submitted by billc on 9 January, 2007 - 13:36.

You need to try Tele Pizza in Granada.

There was also an Italian restuarant in Granada when I was there 3 years ago. It was down towards the lake with a swimming pool. The food was great. It was owned and operated by an Italian couple.

pizza in Grenada

Submitted by dirtbag on 9 January, 2007 - 14:22.

I don't know by the Lake. but there is a really decent Pizza joint over from the "Zoom Bar" and also an Italian Hostel down from there on the Left Hand side. Italian Soccer really sucks, but I had a pleasant diversion watching a Game there on the Hostel's T.V.

Bilic and Dirtbag

Submitted by Giacomo Fiorino on 9 January, 2007 - 21:05.

Bilic the pizza you were talking about is probably dished out at the Italian hostel, as Dirtbag just suggested.

There is another pizzeria which has been raccomended to me from some italian people, and is called Monna Lisa, and the person who cooks you a pízza is a true Italian, so I guess has a bit more knowledge of the many pizzaioli I have seen trying to imitate the product all over the world.

Dirtbag this is for you I just posted your profile to all the Italian joints here in Nicaragua, so they will be waiting for you. Cursing about italian football is considered very serious matter, especially now thet we are world champions.:-)

NICALIBRE Jacko

swear to god that's the best pizza I ever had

Submitted by arlington on 9 January, 2007 - 13:41.

TelePizza - swear to god that's the best pizza I ever had - and I've eaten too much pizza.

Ummm

Submitted by Sam-nica on 9 January, 2007 - 03:24.

This sound yumy yumy......NOT..........only the though make's me feel bad, (I don't now why ketchup exist). Remember, I AM a Nica person, and have seen these for long time. All started on the civil war when there was not mush to choose to eat. So you can respect a little bit about habbit. YES, it is a horrifying dish, but....some people got used to that. AND...if everyone have the same taste.....?

Would you like to have a nice and realy taste of Italian dish? I may help.........jejejejeje... Sam-nica.

Not only the picture

Submitted by Giacomo Fiorino on 9 January, 2007 - 00:04.

is out of focus, but the combination is a very bad marriage.

Thank God for the divorce law.

You are lucky you did not try the cream, ketchup, spaghetti combination, I only heard about it and they tell me is quiet famous around those parts, pray you dont sample nothing like that.LOL

NICALIBRE Jacko

Do you mean this in everyway?

Submitted by Sam-nica on 10 January, 2007 - 04:09.

You say...."the combination is a very bad Marriage"...? My question to you....do you mean it in everyway? Couse, YOU are a Italian and in your profile you say your girlfriend is Nica...do you think this is why you don't get marriage?... :-) :-)

Sam-nica.

You assumed wrong Sam-nica

Submitted by Giacomo Fiorino on 10 January, 2007 - 07:46.

The bad marriage is between the bottle of ketchup and the spaghetti.

NICALIBRE Jacko

Tomatos ?

Submitted by AdamAnt on 9 January, 2007 - 10:57.

Is it too hot to grow your own down there?

||||, {' ;'} YUKS !!

Submitted by FORMER NL MEMBER 2 on 7 April, 2006 - 13:47.

What happen to Homemade & fresh; onions?, chop 1 onion ** get towel paper to wipe tears :) in 1/4" dice 1 - cloves garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons olive oil is not use Manteca 2 2 Lbs of peeled tomatoes then puree or put it on plastic bag and is hammer time until puree.. 1 - 6 ounce of tomato paste 7 cups water 3 tablespoons of Nica-seasoning 2 tablespoons dried basil 1 teaspoon white sugar 1/2 cup red wine 1 pinch crushed red pepper

,,,/ {' ;'} get a saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil or any "Manteca" - Pork grease is good, until soft. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, Nica- seasoning, basil,(Hierba Buena is Basil is not available) sugar, wine (No wine then a cold beer "Victoria", and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3

Add whatever meat this include fish you like and "BUEN APPETITE"

"KETCHUP" <|----------- Trow the bottle in a trash can.

"No more KETCHUP"

6oz Tomato Paste?

Submitted by carina_cisneros on 16 December, 2006 - 23:10.

Have your priced this in most of Latin America? The real problem is that while katsup is cheap there is only imported Spagetti sauce (not cheap by Latin standards) and tomato paste (definitely not cheap by Latin standards). There is no reasons I know which would make is so expensive to make tomato paste in country but as an imports it oftens costs as much as all the other ingredients combined! This is why pizza never has any sauce and "italian food" is usually unbearably bad - they use katsup as a substitute for real italian sauce!

Tomato paste

Submitted by Jack Davies on 18 December, 2006 - 00:03.

A gallon of any tomato product (paste, sauce, whole tomatoes) from Costco here is about $3.00. Does the Costco in Managua carry it?

Are you thinking of the

Submitted by FNLM on 18 December, 2006 - 07:35.

Are you thinking of the Pricesmart in Managua? I dont have a membership so I couldn't tell you.

but I have purchased spagetti sauces at Colonia and Union. I believe I have seen Tomato paste as well, next time I am in the supermarket I will check it out.

the sauce was something like $3-$4.

Gallon of paste for $3?

Submitted by carina_cisneros on 18 December, 2006 - 00:28.

Really? If you say so I believe you. I have not seen that. I am not in the country right now. Most of what I saw was ins much much smaller packages and the bigger ones were about $1. Enough for 2 people maybe. It is common for Latin companies to use the word "paste" but it is not actually paste as people uses the word in North America or Europe. It is already dilluted so of course it doesnt go as far when you goes to cook up. I hope what you say is true. But to me it does not make exact sense for different products in big quantity to be the same price. Just because I guess 1 gallon of real paste would need to be made from 4-10x as many tomatoes as it would to make only a type of sauce or catsup. I dont see how they can use so much more resouces and sell for the same price.

How they do it.

Submitted by Jack Davies on 9 January, 2007 - 05:23.

Mind you I don't know from personal experience but it seems to me that when they haul those big truckloads of tomatoes in from the farms that I see on I-5 that they must end up with tomatoes in every condition from fresh ones for the table to squashed ones that have to be made into sause or pasre. I am sure that they don't throw any out.

I gallon can is far more than I need at one time so I freeze the rest up in icecube trays and dump them into plastic bags for future use.

I don't know...

Submitted by toms on 16 December, 2006 - 23:22.

But the little alunium bags can be had in Ketchup or tomatoe patse in just about any pulperia...

Mixed with "Itallian" EYEtallian seasonings Lots of oraganio, garlic and thyme(local grown)..and throw in a lot of available vegies...and local cheese..

If you are hungry... It don't matter...

Lyin' Farmer John Wayne

Ketchup problem

Submitted by fyl on 18 December, 2006 - 07:52.

When I lived in Seattle I used to shop at a small grocery store named Rainbow Grocery. Besides being one block from my apartment it had bulk foods and lots of organic choices. I used to buy what was called "Johnson's Ketchup". Made with organic tomatoes and honey sweetened.

One day I went to buy another bottle and it was now called "Johnson's Table Sauce". I asked the store manager why the change. He explained that FDA regulations said that you couldn't call something ketchup unless it contained at least 37% refined sugar.

So, to make Italian sauces here I cook down my own tomatoes or buy tomato paste (which does not contain sugar) and thin it as needed.

Tomatoe Sauce

Submitted by Bobby on 18 December, 2006 - 08:57.

Both of the markets here ( Lacayo, Pali) usually have a rack or a stand where they sell their older produce that isn't "fresh" at a reduced price. A three to four pound bag of "turned tomatoes" cost me 5 cords. (same with the chilitomas). You can either simmer them for a couple of hours in water or pressure cook them and you end up with great tomatoe sauce/paste.

Pura Nica, Bobby

Does Lacayo sell anything

Submitted by no longer registered on 19 December, 2006 - 14:08.

Does Lacayo sell anything OTHER than "turned" produce?? Bleck bleck bleck. :~0

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I live in Granada, the "not real Nicaragua"

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Maybe

Submitted by carina_cisneros on 16 December, 2006 - 23:29.

Maybe it can be done and maybe it can be done easily or even cheaply but every place I have ever been there is nothing comparable to tomato paste which is sold cheaply in any useful quantity. Even if you discount the flavor which often isnot all that great you would still need 2-12 packages dependng on size to make one pizza but the real problem is that it isnt anything like italian tomato paste. There must be some inherent "paste problem" though because even imported food places which are usually tax free for imports like Little Ceasars and Pizza Hut and Papa Juans all skimp on the sauce, these places could never sell in the U.S. the pizza they sell every day in Central America.

Hell, I am not hard to please...

Submitted by toms on 16 December, 2006 - 23:35.

Been here to long I guess..

Grown accustomed to Ketchuped spagetti

Lyin' Farmer John Wayne

Maybe you can get used to it but I hope I don't have to

Submitted by Jack Davies on 9 January, 2007 - 05:29.

Way to much sugar in Ketchup to use with pasta. Good for dipping french fries in though.

New recipe

Submitted by tropi on 7 April, 2006 - 14:00.

I usually just go and buy ragu from La Colonia.

Our house help cooked spaggetti for lunch one time and she took some of that typical crumbly nica cheese and mixed it into the Ragu sauce. I was pretty pissed off when I saw what she was doing, but I held my breath and it actually wasnt that bad.

It just doesnt taste so good as leftovers. the Cheese clumps up and gets real nasty

Papa - Advice

Submitted by Miskito Alan on 7 April, 2006 - 13:57.

Miskito Alan &#174

You have been away from "Miskito Alan" too long and that also includes the great city of Puerto Cabezas. We are the capital.

I will have "snook" tonight with the recipe along with okra.

Thats it & Nothing else to say or talk about.

You act like you not Miskito; but, only South By-God Califorina or Carolina or where ever you are staying before the party in North (No Miskitos) Carolina.

Hey - By the way - the "Miskito King" loved the diving pictures

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