New Tita Dining Experience at Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection

There’s nothing like grandma’s cooking, especially while on family travel. A special new culinary experience at Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection ensures just that with its Tita, Tita: An Ancestral Culinary Experience.

© Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection

On Thursday evenings, up to 25 guests gather at El Cultivo, an on-property garden and interactive culinary space, for a communal dinner guided by local grandmothers — or titas, sharing cherished recipes passed down through generations. Three groups of matriarchs rotate hosting: two from nearby towns, Cedral and Cajón, with personal ties to the AltaGracia team, and one from Pérez Zeledón, connected to local restaurant Cosechas del Maíz.

The titas welcome guests to join them in shaping handmade tortillas, teaching the age-old technique by hand. Each course is presented alongside stories of family traditions and the origins of the dishes.

Menus will rotate weekly but staples, like Tamal Asado and Arroz con Palmito, will appear more regularly. Find recipes for the celebratory baked dish of sour milk, cheese and corn flour; and the layered rice and heart of palm casserole, both deeply tied to Costa Rican heritage, below.

Tamal Asado

• 1 ½ cups sour milk
• 1 ¼ cups sour cream
• 1 stick butter
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 ½ cups flour

In a pot over low heat, add sour milk, sour cream, butter, sugar and cheese. Stir until melted, then add flour and mix until it begins to boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to low, transfer to a baking dish and bake at 395°F. Insert a toothpick; if it comes out clean, it’s ready.

Arroz con Palmito

Rice:

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 3 cups parboiled rice
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup white wine
• 5 cups water

In a pot, add oil and sauté onion. Add rice and toast lightly. Stir in salt, wine and water. Mix well, cover and, once it comes to a strong boil, reduce heat and let cook until all liquid evaporates.

Heart of Palm Filling:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp margarine
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 heaping tbsp flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp vegetable bouillon
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups chopped heart of palm
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup white wine
• Chopped parsley

In a pot, add oil and margarine, then sauté onion. Add flour and stir until incorporated. Pour in heavy cream and milk, mixing well. Then add bouillon and black pepper. Stir in heart of palm and white wine. Remove from heat.

In a greased baking dish, add half of the rice, then half of the heart of palm filling. Add another layer of rice and finish with the rest of the filling. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and brown slightly in the oven under broil. Remove and garnish with chopped parsley.