RECIPE - Amaranth in Coconut Milk (Bredo do Coco)

Are you a fan of creamed spinach? We here at Flavors of Brazil are, bigtime, even though we know that creaming the spinach reduces its nutritional value significantly and piles on the calories. But it's sooo delicious.

This Brazilian recipe for the green known as bredo or caruru in Portuguese and green amaranth in English is in the creamed spinach family of recipes - greens cooked for a longish time in a creamy, fatty liquid. It's just as delicious as its steakhouse sidedish from the USA.

It's well-loved in northeastern Brazil, wherever African culinary traditions predominate, and in the state of Pernambuco, it's intimately associated with the Good Friday meal. Pernabucanans don't consider the Good Friday buffet table complete without a big bowl of amaranth in coconut milk, or bredo do coco as they call it.

Unless you live in the tropics, you'll not likely find a good source of green amaranth leaves. However, this dish is wonderful, maybe just as wonderful, made with spinach or any other substantial green, like collard greens, beet greens or mustard greens. The substitution of coconut milk for the cream used in creamed spinach also means that the dish can be served to vegans.
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RECIPE - Amaranth in Coconut Milk (Bredo do Coco)
Serves 6

2 large bunches amaranth (or other substantial green)
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
handful chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
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Wash the green thorough, then remove thick stems if present. Put into a large bowl, then pour boiling water over to scald and remove sap. Drain and rinse. Reserve.

In a large deep frying pan heat the olive oil, then saute the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft and transparent but not browned. Add the tomatoes, cook at medium temperature until the tomato breaks up and a sauce forms. Add the cilantro, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the reserved greens and cook, stirring frequently for about ten minutes, or until the greens are very soft. Add the coconut milk, raise heat and bring just to a boil.

Remove from heat, pour into decorative serving bowl and serve immediately.

RECIPE - Pineapple Kisses (Beijos de Abacaxi)

One of the most beautiful words in the Portuguese language is beijo. Pronounced something like BAY-zhoo, it means kiss. Perhaps what give it its charm is the soft sibilant of the zh combined with the oo which requires the lips to purse as if ready to kiss that gives it its charm - or maybe it's only the act described in the word that makes it so appealing. In any case, Brazilians love the word - it's a staple in pop song lyrics, it's heard every night on the extremely popular TV soap-operas called novelas, and it has even found its way into kitchens and cookbooks. In Brazilian gastronomy beijo, not surprisingly, is used mostly in the dessert kitchen, and usually to describe a very sweet, small pastry or sweet.

In this recipe, which comes from the state of Pernambuco, the kisses are made from fresh pineapple. Consequently, although they are very sweet, the sharp acidic bite of the fruit prevents the delicacy from cloying. One is fabulous, and for most people, enough. These treats are perfect as part of a dessert buffet, or on a platter of mixed cookies. As an added bonus, they are very simple to make.
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RECIPE - Pineapple Kisses (Beijos de Abacaxi)
makes 20

2 cups (300 gr) fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and very finely chopped
1 1/2 cup (300 gr) granulated white sugar
unsalted butter for greasing a cookie sheet
additional granulated sugar
fresh mint for garnish (optional)
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Grease a rimmed cookie sheet with unsalted butter. Reserve.

Combine the pineapple and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens sufficiently to pull away from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

When partially cooled, spread the pineapple mixture in the cookie sheet, and let cool completely.

When the pineapple is completely cool, using buttered hands, form the mixture into 20 small round balls. Fill a small mixing bowl with granulated sugar, and roll each ball in the sugar to completely cover. Place the completed balls back on the greased cookie sheet and let stand for several hours.

Serve in small paper cups, decorated with a sprig of mint if desired.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora.

Gastro-tourism Takes Off in Brazil

Tourism is a enormously important industry in Brazil. Visitors to Brazil from all around the world come in their millions every year to experience the natural beauty of this country and to participate in one of the most welcoming and enchanting cultures on the planet. In 2010 more than 5 million foreign tourists traveled to Brazil and while in the country spent a collective total of US$5.9 billion.

These are big numbers, but they are dwarfed by the size of the domestic tourist market in Brazil. There are a lot of Brazilians, just under 200 million of them, and apparently a good number of them like to visit other parts of their own country. Domestic tourist numbers in 2010 were five times the number of international visitors, totalling 51 million visits. While traveling outside their own state, Brazilians spent approximately US$25 billion in 2010. That's not chump change.

The federal govenment of Brazil and the governments of the 27 states of Brazil realize the economic importance of the Brazilian tourist industry, and there is a very active Brazilian national tourist bureau (EMBRATUR) and many state and municipal tourist bureaus throughout the country.

These tourist bureaus mount publicity campaigns inside and outside Brazil to stimulate tourism to Brazil. Traditionally the focus of these campaigns, which include TV commercials and print advertising, has been the elements of Brazilian that are the most well-known to tourists - the beaches, the natural wonders, the historic cities, the music and Carnaval. However, recently we've noticed that tourist bureaus have begun promoting what one might call gastro-tourism, at least to the domestic sector of the market. There is a large population, well-educated and well-off, in Brazil that wants to experience the culinary culture of regions of Brazil other than their own, and these new campaigns attempt to appeal to this sector.

Everyone knows, for example, that the afro-Brazilian cuisine of the state of Bahia is one of the most important cultural features of that state when it comes to attracting tourists. Every tourist who visits Bahia knows they must try acarajé  when they are there, and often it's the desire to have another acarajé that brings them back.

In the most recent issue of the Brazilian food and wine magazine Prazeres da Mesa, there is a full-page ad from the state tourist bureau of the northeastern state of Pernambuco which illustrates this trend of  promoting gastro-tourism. Instead of photographs of blue seas and deserted palm-lined beaches, or of the follies of Carnaval in Recife, the photos in the ad are of two of the most famous desserts linked to the culinary traditions of Pernambuco - bolo de rolo and bolo Souza Leão. The headline of the ad reads "Along with sugar, the Portuguese brought the sin of gluttony [to Pernambuco]. And so they had to build the [historic, baroque] churches." The text at the bottom of the ad explains - "The passion of Pernambucanos for sweets is, without a doubt, a heritage of Portuguese colonization. Sugar-cane cultivation gave birth to, in the kitchens of our sugar-cane plantations, a tradition of cakes and sweets. Recipes that are part of our history and, even today, a part of our table. Come try them."

This is sophisticated marketing of a destination aimed at a sophisticated audience. An audience that knows how important sweet-cooking is to the culinary traditions of Pernambuco, that recognizes the iconic recipes and one that might be tempted to travel to Pernambuco to sample bolo de rolo and bolo Souza Leão  in the land of their origin.

Here at Flavors of Brazil, we're all in favor of gastro-tourism and are enthusiastic participants ourselves. In the past twelve months, we've taken gastronomically-focused trips to Rio de Janeiro and São Luís, Maranhão, and reported on them on this blog. After seeing the ad pictured above, maybe our first gastronomic expedition for 2012 should be to Pernambuco. Who knows?

RECIPE - Sweet Potato Pudding (Pudim de Batata-Doce)

After two posts detailing the importance of sugar in the traditional regional cooking of the north-eastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco, could we do anything other than post a VERY sweet dessert recipe from that state? I don't think so...

So here's a fairly simple recipe for making a caramelized flan/pudding/custard with a sweet potato base. The only tricky part might be making caramel, which must be done correctly and carefully to avoid mishap and injury. It's not complicated to make, and you shouldn't be too nervous about making it. The only essential thing is to watch the process carefully, especially when the sugar begins to take on color. The caramelization process happens fast, and if it isn't controlled you will end up with burnt caramel at best and a nasty kitchen fire at worst. If you want a tutorial for this process, including good photos, click on this link.

As we've mentioned in previous posts here on Flavors of Brazil, there is a lot of confusion, even among vendors at markets and supermarkets, about what is a sweet potato and what is a yam. They are two different things, and this recipe calls for sweet potatoes, not yams. Click here for more information on sweet potato vs. yam.
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RECIPE - Sweet Potato Pudding (Pudim de Batata-Doce)
makes 10 portions

For the caramel:
1 cup granulated white sugar

For the pudding:
3/4 lb (300 gr) sweet potatoes, peel and cut into chunks
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp vanilla essence
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups whole milk
6 Tbsp granulated white sugar
6 Tbsp water
grated unsweetened coconut to decorate (optional)
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Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

Make the pudding: Boil the potatoes until very tender. Drain and let cool. Put the cooked potatoes into a blender or food processor along with all the other ingredients for the pudding. Blend at medium-high speek until completely mixed and smooth. Reserve.

Make the caramel: Have a tube cake pan or Bundt pan (preferably non-stick) ready at hand. In a heavy-duty saucepan heat the cup of granulated sugar until it melts over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and bring to a boil. Watch carefully once it begins to boil and let it continue to cook until it reaches a medium caramel color. Remove from heat and immediately pour into the cake pan, swirling the caramel around the interior quickly. The caramel will begin to harden very quickly, so do this step as rapidly as possible.

Pour the pudding mixture into the caramelized cake pan. Place the pan in a lasagne pan or other oven-proof rectangular roasting dish. Put it into the oven, and pour enough boiling water into the rectangular pan to reach nearly the top of the pan. Cook for about 25-30 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if it's done - a tootpick inserted completely into the pudding should come out clean.

Remove from oven, and place the tube or Bundt pan on a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely, then reverse the cake pan over a large deep cake dish. Sprinkle with some of the optional grated coconut if desired. Serve at room temperature.

The History of Sugar in Brazil - Part 2

(This is the second of two parts of an article on the history of sugar and pastry cooking in Brazil. The article was originally published in Brazilian food and wine magazine Prazeres da Mesa, and the first part of my (somewhat free) translation was posted two days ago on Flavors of Brazil. You can find the beginning of the article by clicking here.)


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Sugar From The Beginning - continued

by Bruno Albertim

Another triumph of  regional pastry cooking, the Souza Leão Cake (Bolo Souza Leão) is considered a milestone in the independence of Brazilian regional cooking. Created on the sugar-cane plantation belonging to the eponymous family, it was almost a culinary independence manifesto. For the first time native manioc substituted for white flour in a typically aristocratic European recipe. A deliberate gesture of brazilianization.

The other ingredients in a Souza Leão Cake demonstrate the colonial excesses in a region rich in sugar. "Between one recipe (for Souza Leão Cake) and another the quantity of the ingredients required varies drastically," says Pernambucan gastronomic critic Flávia de Gusmão .  In her opinion, every branch of the Souza Leão family recreated and reinvented the cake that was created by family matriarch Rita de Souza Leão. Whereas one recipe tells you to add a kilogram of butter another will say only 450 grams (one pound). If this one mentions 12 egg yolks, that one talks of 15. When the first one calls for the the milk of seven coconuts, the second calls for only four. These numbers become so confusing that you'd have to say that Souza Leão Cake is not a recipe, it is a family of recipes. "One thing, however, is unanimous. This hybrid sweet, a mixture of cake and pudding is one of the most treasured chapters in the history of Pernambucan cooking," says Flávia de Gusmão.

Even more recent traditions bear the weight of the past. Pernambuco is the only state in all of Brazil where a properly-celebrated wedding requires the presence of a dark cake. "Normally it's made with a dark batter laced with wine and including prunes, raisins and crystalized fruits, a British tradition that was carried to only a very few places in Brazil. It's covered with an almond paste and re-covered with white frosting, a rembrance of Victoria British cooking," points out culinary historian Maria Lectícia Monteiro Cavalcanti, author of História dos Sabores Pernambucanos. In the rest of Brazil, wedding cakes are very different. In the south, wedding cakes and white with a variety of fillings, a tradition that comes from Portugal.

The Pernambucan dark wedding fruit-cake became traditional only about the turn of the 20th century, when British engineers arrived in Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, to install streetlights, tramways and other engineering wonders. In proper Pernambucan weddings today, there must also be marzipan-stuffed prunes, although these are not restricted to ceremonial occasions and can be found in delicatessen display cases and on restaurant menus.

Closely linked the the historic elite class, sugar became the "sponsor" of an entire spectrum of sweetmeats. Various desserts are named in honor of aristocratic families - the Souza Leãos are merely one of many. "As a result of so much wealth from sugar cultivation, an aristocratic class developed in Pernambuco, one that Tobias Barreto called a 'sugarocracy'", comments Maria Lectícia Monteiro Cavalcanti. Consequently, prestige recipes were developed, culinary symbols of a family's wealth and social standing. "In some cases, recipes were created to commemorate social movements - the 13th of May, Cabano,  or Guararapes - or to famous persons, such as Dr. Constâncio, Dona Dondon, Dr. Gerônimo, Luiz Felipe, Tia Sinhá. Or, even, families would create their own recipes to honor themselves - Assis Brasil, Cavalcanti," says Lectícia.

The History of Sugar in Brazil - Part 1

Brazilian sugar plantation - 1816

Anyone with a smattering of knowledge about the history of Brazil is aware that in the first centuries of Portuguese colonization in Brazil, the impetus for the settlement of Brazil and the economic engine of the colony, and indeed of Portugal itself, was cane sugar. Particularly in the region of Brazil now known as the Northeast, enormous sugar plantations with their graceful and elegant "big houses" (casas grandes) and their multitudes of African slaves living in hovels (senzalas) produced thousands of tons of sugar and sugar products, for which there was a seemingly endless appetite for in Europe.

In the September 2001 issue of Brazilian food magazine Prazeres da Mesa, there is an article on the history of sugar in Brazil and on the importance of sugar in traditional Brazilian cooking. It was written by Bruno Albertim, from Recife, Pernambuco, which is located right in the middle of the traditional sugar-cane growing region of Brazil. Because it details the history so well, and explains how sugar is locked into local culinary traditions, Flavors of Brazil has (freely) translated it for readers of the blog and will post it in two parts - today and Monday.

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Sugar From The Beginning

by Bruno Albertim

"Without sugar," explains noted Brazilian anthropoligist Gilberto Freyre, "one cannot understand the man of the Northeast." This ouro branco (white gold) was the incentive and catalyst for the Portuguese conquests of the region, and also the key factor in the development of a Brazilian gastronomy of sweets. Enabler of Portuguese colonization on these shores of the Atlantic, sugar is evident everywhere in Brazilian cuisine. It was the element that enabled Brazil as we have come to know it to exist and, consequently, the keystone in the development of a cooking tradition that has evolved from its Portuguese roots. In Pernambuco, sugar is still paving innovations and traditions to this day.

With sugar cane growing literally in the backyards of the old plantations, sugar was commonly combined with the fruits of the earth in plantation kitchens. In colonial times, the Portuguese colonists believed that consuming fresh fruit could be harmful. Fresh fruit required sugar to "tame" it. A repertoire of traditional sweets and jams was developed at that time, and the same repertoire, trimmed of the original excesses, still holds prominent place in the palate of Pernambuco. "It is still very common to keep traditional  Pernambuco-style compote or pastry at home," says professor of gastronomy Cleonice Ferraz, who discussed this habit recently in Recife. At a recent trade show she demonstrated the process of turning tradition to innovation by using a jelly made from a fruit called umbu to make an acidic citrus ganache for filling chocolate straws. She was inspired by a traditional country recipe called umbuzada, a kind of soup made ​​from fresh umbu fruit, and turned it into something new. 

Celebrated throughout Brazil, Pernambuco pastry cooking comprises both local tradition and inspiration from the old country. The famous Pernambuco bolo de rolo (jelly roll cake) is a perfect example. It has been declared part of the state's cultural patrimony, but it really is nothing more than an adaptation of the Portuguese cake called rocambole or "bride's mattress".  What has changed in the adaptation of the Portuguese recipe is the substitute of Brazilian guava paste for the original marzipan and the culinary skill and techniques required. "A bolo de rolo must have layers of cake and guava filling that are as thin and fine as possible, and so it is no longer really a rocambole," says professor Ferraz.


(to be continued Monday)

RECIPE - Pureed Beans with Coconut Milk (Feijão de Coco)

 

A portion of beans is an almost-universal part of a Brazilian meal plate, along with rice, and if the budget allows, some sort of animal protein. If meat or fish is too expensive, which it is for many Brazilians, then the plate will consist of rice and beans alone, adorned perhaps with a piece of lettuce and a slice of tomato.

Nine time out of ten the beans are prepared dried beans cooked in water until soft, and then seasoned with onion, garlic and salt. But everybody likes a bit of varietyonce in a while, even those very conservative Brazilians who will tell you that they eat rice and beans every day, in the same style.

One unusual and unexpectedly delicious way to serve beans at any meal is this recipe for pureed beans flavored with coconut milk, which comes from the north-eastern state of Pernambuco. It can be made quick thick, sort of like Mexican-style refried beans, or with additional liquid can become a thinner puree - the choice is yours. Obviously, additional coconut milk will not only thin out the pureed-bean mixture, but it will also crank up the coconut flavor in the dish. If you want a thinner puree, but don't want to increase the flavor of coconut, you can use some of the water the beans were cooked in. See the photos accompanying this post to see the results of using less liquid (above) or more (below).

You can serve this dish, plus the obligatory plain white rice, alongside a nice piece of grilled fish, a thin steak or slice of pot roast, or a piece of roast chicken. To make it a perfect copy of a Brazilian meal, just add the piece of lettuce and slice of tomato to the plate and make sure there's some type of hot sauce on the table.

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RECIPE - Pureed Beans with Coconut Milk (Feijão de Coco)
Serves 4

3 cups precooked dried beans (pinto beans are best, but other types can be used)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup coconut milk, canned or home-made
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
chopped cilantro to garnish (optional)
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Drain the precooked beans, reserving their cooking liquid if desired. Put them in a blender or food processor along with the chopped onion, the coconut milk and the olive oil. Blend for about one minute at high speed, or until you have a completely homogenous mixture. Check for consistency and if it is too thick add additional coconut milk or some of the reserved cooking liquid and blend again for a few seconds.

Pour into a heavy sauce pan and cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning on the bottom and adding additional liquid as needed. Remove from heat.

Season with salt to taste. Spoon into a decorative serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired. Serve hot.

Probably Not a Great Idea - Brazil's Goat Fondue

Fondue, being of Swiss origin, is often thought of as a perfect cold-weather food. In its three major varieties - beef, cheese, chocolate - it's warming and filling in the way that a proper wintertime food should be. Dipping crusty French bread into a bubbling bowl of melted cheese with white wine is a sure way to warm anyone up literally and figuratively.

Brazil's currently in the middle of their Southern Hemisphere winter and according to a recent article in the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper an inn owner in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco (where, as the article points out, it gets as cold as 12C or 53F!) has come up with a uniquely Brazilian take on fondue.

Pedro de Oliveira Junior owns the Baixa Verde inn, located in the town of Triunfo, Pernambuco. The town sits in the interior highlands of Pernambuco, at an altitude of 1000 meters, or just under 4000 ft. Apparently Sr. Oliveira recently had a fondue revelation - he is quoted in the newspaper as saying, "Because it's so cold in our region - we have had days that go as low as 12V - we've always featured cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, other types. So one day I said to myself, 'Why not goat? since everyone in our neighborhood raises goats.'"

Goat meat has many virtues and is a meat that deserves to be more well-known in large parts of the world where it's not currently part of the diet. It is very flavorful, and quite healthy. But it seems to us at Flavors of Brazil that goat fondue isn't something that's going to set the gastronomic world on fire. Goat meat requires long cooking, usually braising, to make it tender. Undercooked, it can be extremely tough. A quick dip in boiling oil, a la beef fondue, really isn't enough to tenderize a piece of goat meat, nor to mellow its strong taste.

However, until we've had a chance to sample goat fondue, we'll reserve finally judgment. Best of luck in the meantime to Sr. Oliveira for his initiative and creativy.

The Memories of a Cook - Ana Maria Soares da Silva

Ana Maria Soares da Silva

In its May 19th online edition, the Folha de S. Paulo's food section published a transcription of the oral memoirs of a certain Ana Maria Soares da Silva from Recife, Pernambuco. Ms. da Silva is a well-known food personality in Recife, and has long been celebrated for her bolo de rolo, Pernambuco's famous guava jelly-roll cake. (Click here for more on the bolo de rolo). Notoriously difficult to master, the bolo de rolo requires a skill that takes years to develop. Those who are considered to be bolo de rolo masters are local celebrities in Recife, and people serve their cakes with pride at family parties, anniversaries and important holidays.

A young and vigorous 90 years old, Ms. da Silva recounted her story to Folha reporter Luisa Fecarotta. Here is Flavors of Brazil's translation of her story:

On March 26, I turned 90 years old. I couldn't tell you for how many of those 90 years  I've been making bolo de rolo. I learned how to in the house of Dona Joaninha, from Joana another maid there. Dona Joaninha was married to a Portuguese man.

Joana made the cake by hand, always after lunch. She saved it wrapped up in a dishtowel and only served it the following day. Once, when Joana was sick, Dona Joaninha asked if I could make the cake for her. That was the day I made my first bolo de rolo alone.

Later I was the maid in the houses of other Portuguese families. Here, at the Casa dos Frios bakery, I started out by making bolo de rolo at night. I had finally left Mr. Amorim's, another Portuguese employer, and started working only here. I would work until midnight, completing orders for bolo de rolo.

It was like running a race. I'd beat the cake batter, pour it into the forms, and place them in the oven. I'd have to watch them all the time. Meanwhile I'd make another batch, then take the first batch out of the oven and put another batch in. Then while that batch was baking, I'd be spreading the guava jelly on the first batch and rolling it up.

I'd to this every day, using only a small hand-mixer and a wooden spoon to make the batter. The mixer seldom worked right, so I depended more on the wooden spoon. Today, I don't make bolo de rolo anymore. And I don't even like to eat it these days.

I grew up in the interior of Pernambuco state. On a plantation. I'd wake up very early, and have to walk three miles to reach the fields. I woke up so early, I don't even remember the time. In our cabin, my mother would cook beans, cuzcuz, cornmeal mush, manioc, potatoes. At Christmastime, she would kill a piglet for all of us to eat.

What I liked best was country-style beans with pumpkin, the way my grandma made them, with mustard leaves that are slightly bitter. Do you know mustard leaves? They're small, tough and bitter. Today, people people load up their beans with lots of everything, until there's no taste of anything. In my grandma's beans, she'd add just a little bit, and the taste was just right. I don't know why it tasted so good - maybe it's because kids have such sensitive palates, and later they begin to lose some of their sense of taste. Who knows?

Leaving the country for Recife was a spur-of-the moment thing. When we were working in the fields, we'd see the train pass by, and I'd say "Some day I'm going to be on that train." We said it as a joke, but one day I went to the market with my mother - she was selling tapioca there for a woman who was going to visit a sick sister in the city. The woman asked my mother if I could come to the city to help her take care of her sister. I was crazy with joy.

I got on the train to Recife on January 29th. I don't remember the year, but I remember the date. I got very homesick in Recife, but I said to myself, "I'm going to stay and I'm going to work hard. No one is going to say that I didn't know how to do anything right."

I've been working ever since. But cooking, you know, there's days you like it and days you don't like it. There's days you're inspired, and there's day your mind just shuts down and you don't know what to do. I've decided I don't want to cook anymore (laughs). Now I want people to cook for me (laughs again).

RECIPE - Huntress-style Kid (Cabrito à Caçadora)

sertão

One more recipe for kid from Brazil's northeastern region, this time from the state of Pernambuco. Pernambuco is one of Brazil's smaller states, but was one of the first places on the continent settled by Portuguese colonists. Long and narrow, the state has a wide range of topography and climate which vary from the beaches and mangroves of the Atlantic coast to the harsh, stony semi-desert of the interior - the area known as the sertão. The word sertão itself is of obscure origin, but would best be translated into English as "outback". It's most likely that this dish originated there, as the domesticated goat is one of the few farm animals that can survive the difficult conditions of the sertão.

It's strange that this dish, kid braised in a tomato and red wine sauce, would be sub-titled huntress-style , as virtually all of the goats in the sertão are raised in farmyards, and there's little need to hunt them. Perhaps there's a connection to those Italian chicken and meat dishes cooked with a similar sauce called "alla cacciatora", which also means huntress-style. Something for a future doctoral candidate in historical gastronomy to write a thesis about.

Even if you're not a huntress, this dish would make a great way to introduce goat meat into your kitchen. Thickly-sauced and very substantial, it's best served with plain white rice, as they do in Brazil.

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RECIPE - Huntress-style Kid (Cabrito à Caçadora) 
Serves 8

4 lbs. (2 kgs.) boneless kid or goat meat, cut into large chunks
salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp dried oregano
5 bay leaves
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 cup tomato sauce
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bunch Italian parsley
1 bunch cilantro
2 green onions, whole
8 large leaves fresh basil
2 large cooking onions, coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic
1 lb. new potatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1 large carrot, cut into thick slices
juice of 2 oranges
2 cups pineapple juice
1 bottle dry red wine
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Place all the goat meat in a large mixing bowl. Boil a large quantity of water, and pour over the meat to cover. Let stand a few minutes, then drain, rinse and reserve the meat.

Season the meat with salt and pepper, then put it in a large saucepan with the oregano, mustard, ketchup, bay leaves, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Mix well, then heat over medium high heat. Cook until the meat has taken color and the sauce is thoroughly mixed.

In a blender combine the parsley, the cilantro, the green onion, , the basil, the chopped onions and the garlic with a little water, and blend. Add more water if required to complete the blending. Add this mixture to the ingredients in the sauce pan, stir completely to mix, then cook the mixture, partially covered, over medium low heat for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Add the orange and pineapple juices, the wine, the potatoes and carrots and bring it all to a boil. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the meat is very tender, the vegetables are cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora.

A 19th Century Brazilian Dinner

I'm currently reading a book entitled Travels in Brazil. It was published in 1817 and written by an Englishman named Henry Koster. It has long been out of print. Thanks to the technology of the 21st Century  world of e-reading, I was able to find a digital copy of the book online and add it to my Kindle. I guess that out-of-print books no longer need to be no-longer-available books.

This young Mr. Koster, for non-identified health reasons, was required to leave the cold and damp English climate and relocate to the tropics. Fortunately, it appears that money was no issue for him and he could pick just about anywhere on the globe for his new home. He chose the then-Portuguese colony of Pernambuco, which is now one of 26 Brazilian states.

Mr. Koster had connections as well as cash and soon became linked into the upper levels of Brazilian society - wealthy English merchants, Brazilian governors and captains-general, and Brazilian sugar barons. His book largely describes his travels in northeastern Brazil, visiting huge sugar cane plantations in the interior, and staying in governors' palaces in the capitals.

Notwithstanding all his money and elevated social position Koster is a sympathetic character, not filled with a sense of self-importance. He seems to treat his servants well, and invariably ingratiates himself with his Brazilian hosts when he travels. Here's what he had to say about one particular visit to a sugar plantation:

From Dous Rios, we advanced the following day to the sugar plantation of Espirito Santo, situated upon the banks of the river Paraiba, which becomes dry in the summer, at a short distance above this estate. I had letters to the owner of it, who is a member of the Cavalcante family, and the Capitam-mor of the captaincy of Paraiba. I was received by him in a very friendly manner. The house is in the usual style of the country having only the ground-floor, and no ceiling, the tiles and rafters being in full view. Supper of dried meat, and the flour of the mandioc made into paste, and called piram, was placed before me; also, some hard biscuits, and red wine. I was not then sufficiently a Brazilian to eat piram, and took the biscuits with the meat in preference, which much astonished my host. Sweetmeats were afterwards brought in, which are always good in the houses of persons of his rank in life; the opulent people in Brazil taking as much pride in their doces, as an English citizen in his table or his wines. The cloth was laid at one end of a long table, and I sat down by myself, whilst the Capitam-mor placed himself upon the the table, near to the other end, and talked to me; and some of the chief persons of his establishment stood around, to see the strange animal called an Englishman...One of his men supposed, that as I spoke Portugueze, either I must be an Englishman who did not speak English, or that any Portugueze,  on going to England, would immediately speak the language of that country, as I did Portuguese.

From Koster's description of that dinner it appears that he was served carne de sol (dried meat as he called it) and pirão (piram is an older form of the word in Portuguese). These dishes are still much eaten in northeastern Brazil, and with the addition of rice this dish would look absolutely contemporary if served today. As for the desserts (sweetmeats), things haven't changed much there either - Brazilian cooks still pride themselves on their doces (sweets), and most Brazilians regularly indulge their sweet tooth with multiple desserts.

The book is a fascinating read and shows both how much has changed in the past 200 years in this part of the world and, at the same time, how little has changed. In the next chapters I'll be reading, Koster visits my Brazilian home state of Ceará. It should be most interesting to find out what he discovers there.

In an early chapter of the book, Koster describes a dinner in the home of one of the sugar barons. It shows that the basics of the Brazilian diet haven't much changed in the past 200 years, and opens the door to a social world far removed from our own.

RECIPE - Pé-de-moleque (Ragamuffin's Foot), Version 3

Sofia Mota

Unlike the previous two recipes posted here on Flavors of Brazil, this version of Brazil's pé-de-moleque has nothing to do with traditional cooking, other than in inspiration. Created by chef Sofia Mota of Recife's Jalan Jalan restaurant, and featured at the Prazeres da Mesa Ao Vivo trade show and exhibition, this is a very up-to-date, deconstructed pé-de-moleque. Although the list of ingredients resembles the northestern version of traditional pé-de-moleque, the cooking techniques and the presentation make it very 21st Century.

(As in the northeastern version of pé-de-moleque, this recipe requires manioc-flour dough, unobtainable outside Brazil. For most readers of this blog, therefore, this is a recipe to fantasize about, not to make at home.)

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RECIPE - Pé-de-moleque Graças ao Açúcar
15 portions

500 gr manioc dough
400 gr roasted, unsalted cashew nuts, broken into chunky pieces
200 gr salted butter, at room temperature
200 gr mascavo sugar
150 gr grated, unsweetened coconut
100 gr good-quality instant coffee
100 gr roasted, unsalted cashew nuts, whole
2 gr baking powder
5 gr ground fennel
5 gr ground cloves
250 ml honey
200 ml coconut milk
150 ml water
50 ml molasses
4 small cinnamon sticks
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
butter and all-purpose flour
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Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the mascavo sugar and butter until homogenous. Add the manioc dough, the salt and baking powder and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the whole eggs and the yolks, blending them into the batter until completely incorporated. Add the coconut milk and the ground fennel and cloves, stirring and mixing constantly and completely. Reserve.

Make a strong cup of coffee with the instant coffee and the water. Add to the reserved batter, along with the honey and the broken cashew nuts. Blend in completely.

Grease a tube cake pan, or muffin tin, with butter then dust with flour. Decorate the bottom with whole cashews, then sprinkle on the grated coconut and pour over ribbons of molasses. Carefully pour in the batter. Place in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. (Individual cupcakes will take less time than a large single cake.)

Remove from oven, let partially cool in pan, then turn out onto cake rack and let cool completely.

Serve with cachaça ice cream decorated with spun sugar and mel-de-engenho (concentrated sugar cane juice).

Recipe translated and adapted from Prazeres da Mesa, September 2010.

Ragamuffin's Foot - Pé-de-moleque

One of the most interesting words in common usage in Brazilian Portuguese, to my mind, is moleque. It's pronounced mo-LEH-key, and the word originally came from the African language Kimbundu where it meant simply "boy." In colonial Brazil it took on the meaning of "black boy" or "slave boy", and was used to designate child-slaves who worked in the kitchens and laundries of the owner's mansions on sugar cane plantations. In time, it lost its connotations of race and slave status, and today it generally means a young boy, often a street kid, who is playful, impish, knavish and often dirty - a ragamuffin.

Interesting etymological discussion, you might say, but what does it have to do with Brazilian food culture? Well, one of the most traditional and common sweets in Brazil is called "pé-de-moleque" which when translated into English becomes Ragamuffin's Foot, or Street-urchin's Foot. Legend has it that the name was first applied to the treat in the northeastern State of Pernambuco in the 18th Century. As the story goes, a woman who often made a treat out of rapadura (raw brown sugar) and peanuts was in the habit of leaving it on her kitchen windowsill to harden and cool. There was a street kid who lived in her neighborhood who loved sweets, and who sometimes would run up to the windowsill, grab a piece, and run away. One fine day, the woman happened to see the thief in action, and as he ran barefoot down the street, she leaned out the window and shouted: "Pede, moleque!", which means "Ask for it, kid!". The name stuck, and over time "pede" (ask for) become corrupted and confused with "Pé de" which means "foot of." Thus, "Ask for it, kid!" became "Ragamuffin's foot." Or so the story goes. True or not, it's a charming story and has given a memorable name to this delectable treat.

pé-de-moleque southern-stye

Actually, I should say that it has given it's name to these delectable treats, because today the name pé-de-moleque refers to one of two entirely different sweets, depending on in which region of Brazil one is speaking. In most of Brazil, the south, southeast and center, pé-de-moleque is a mixture of melted rapadura or brown sugar with peanuts - kind of like peanut brittle. Hard, chewy, sticky and very sweet. In the northeastern region of Brazil, however, pé-de-moleque is a dense cake made with rapadura, manioc flour and nuts, similar to a molasses cake. What both versions have in common is the dark, rich raw sugar and the presence of nuts. They differ in whether flour is added to make a cake or not.

pé-de-moleque northeastern-stye

Shortly, I'll post recipes for both styles of pé-de-moleque, as well as a chef's contemporary take on a deconstructed one. Get out your sweet-tooth, as pé-de-moleque is always achingly sweet - just as sweet as that 18th Century street kid who gained immortality by stealing candy from the old lady up the road.

RECIPE - Red Rice with Eggpland and Miso (Arroz Vermelho ao Miso de Beringela)

A few months ago, the Brazilian food magazine Prazeres da Mesa held a gastronomic tradeshow and exhibition in Recife, Brazil. (See this post for a report on the Fortaleza edition of the tradeshow). In this month's print and online versions of the magazine, the Recife show is covered in detail, with stories and recipes provided by the many chefs who presented there.

One of the chefs featured during the event was chef Joca Pontes, of Recife's well-known Ponte Nova restaurant. A fierce advocate of local and sustainable food, Pontes was one of the first new-generation chefs in Brazil to work with red rice, and is an important part in the story of its renaissance.

At the Recife show, chef Pontes demonstrated the following dish, which in best 21st century tradition combines local ingredients and foreign inspiration, in this case Japan.

(As previously mentioned, Brazilian red rice is currently not exported from Brazil, but this dish works well with Wehani rice , available in North America and Europe.)

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RECIPE - Red Rice with Eggpland and Miso (Arroz Vermelho ao Miso de Beringela)
Serves 8

For the rice:
2 cups (400 gr) red rice
6 cups (1.5l) vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. (40 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste
2 bay leaves
1 pinch ground cumin
1 pinch annatto powder (sweet paprika may be substituted)

For the eggplant:

1/4 cup (50 gr) granulated white sugar
1/4 cup (50 gr) white miso
1/4 cup (50 ml) sake
1/4 cup ginger liqueur
1/4 cup (50 ml) light soya sauce
1 Tbsp. (20 ml) light sesame oil
1 Tbsp. (20 ml) neutral vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. green onion, chopped
8 medium-sized okra pods, cut into rounds
1 Japanese long eggplant, cubed
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into julienne strips
1 small red or green chili pepper, seeded and cut in half
1 small red onion, sliced

For the ginger vinaigrette:
1/3 cup (100 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup (100 ml) neutral vegetable oil
1/4 cup (50 ml) light soya sauce
1/4 cup (50 ml) fresh-squeezed lime juice
4 tsp. (20 gr) granulated white sugar
1.5 Tbsp. ginger, freshly grated
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
mixed baby greens
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Rice:
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic and saute, but do not let brown. Add the red rice, plus the salt, bay leaves, cumin and annatto powder, stirring well to combine. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover the pan and let cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, then allow the rice to rest in the pan for an additionaly 10 minutes. Remove the rice to a serving platter, fluffing it with a fork, and reserve, keeping warm.

Eggplant:
Im a small saucepan, add together the sake, the ginger liqueur, the soy sauce and the sugar. Bring quickly to a boil, then turn off heat and stir in the miso to dissolve. Reserve. In a non-stick frying pan, combine the sesame and vegetable oils, and briefly fry the chili pepper. Add the okra, eggplant and green pepper and stir-fry until vegetables begin to brown. Reduce heat, then add the miso mixture, stir well to combine and cook for 2 minutes. Reserve, keeping warm.


Vinaigrette:
In a blender, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, grated ginger and mustard. Combine the two oils in a measuring cup with a spout. Blend with lowest speed, adding oils in a slow stream to create an emulsion.

Assembly:
In a mixing bowl, combine the baby greens with the vinaigrette, tossing to coat all the leaves. In a large non-stick frying pan, reheat the rice with a small amount of olive oil. Add the eggplant mixture, and correct the seasoning, adding salt if required. Using 8 salad plates, divide the rice, then cover each plate with the dressed greens. Serve immediately.

Recipe translated and adapted from Prazeres da Mesa

RECIPE - Souza Leão Cake (Bolo Souza Leão)

One of Pernambuco's most well-loved gifts to the cooking traditions of Brazil is this decadently rich custard-cake, Souza Leão Cake (Bolo Souza Leão). Invented in the 19th Century by someone in the Souza Leão family, on one of their eleven sugar plantations, this cake is now served at wedding receptions, birthday and anniversary parties, and even funeral receptions around Brazil.

Their are innumerable variations of this cake, and many, many recipes for it, but this one, from Viagem Gastronómica Atraves do Brasil, was given to the author of that book by dona Rita de Souza Leão Barreto Coutinho, of the Moreno Plantation branch of the family, who is seen in the center of the photo at right seated between Izabel de Souza Leão Veiga and Eudes de Souza Leão Pinto, from the same branch of the family.

Unlike Luis Felipe cake, a similar custard-cake which requires only ingredients easily obtained in North America and Europe, Souza Leão cake uses a manioc dough called puba which means it is difficult to make outside Brazil. Puba is made from manioc that is allowed to ferment, covered with water, for seven days. After fermentation, the manioc is drained, washed thoroughly, and then grated. Finally the grated manioc is squeezed to remove all liquid from the pulp, wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to one week. At this point, the puba is ready to use.

So, notwithstanding the possibilities of problems in finding puba, you might enjoy reading this recipe which has a long history, and I'm sure a longer future ahead of it.
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RECIPE - Souza Leão Cake
Makes 22 portions

2.2 lbs. (1 kg.) granulated sugar
2 cups cold water
2 cups unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
2.2 lbs. (1 kg.) manioc dough (puba)
16 egg yolks
3 cups coconut milk
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground anise seed
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Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Grease a large round cake pan, with high sides, with softened butter.

In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in cold water, heat over high heat and, stirring constantly,bring to a boil. Stop stirring at this point, and cook the syrup to soft-string stage. Do not let color or caramelize. Remove from heat, and stir in the unsalted butter and salt. Let cool completely.

Place the manioc dough in a large bowl, then add the egg yolks one at a time, alternating with small aounts of coconut milk, making sure that each is incorporated before adding more. Finally, add the cold sugar syrup and mix everything completely. Pour the batter through a fine sieve, then add the spices.

Pour the batter into the greased cake pan, place the pan in a roasting dish and pour hot water into it to the height of the top of the batter and place in pre-heated oven for 50 minutes, or until it is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from heat, and let cool in the cake pan. When only warm, unmould the cake onto a serving platter and let cool completely, serving from the same platter.

The Story of a Cake - Bolo Souza Leão

Back in March, Flavors of Brazil featured a traditional cake from the state of Ceará called Luis Felipe Cake (Bolo Luis Felipe). It is a dense, moist cake, with a texture halfway between cake and custard. (Click here to read about Luis Felipe cake.) In that article I mentioned that I had no idea who Luis Felipe was, or why the cake was named after him.

In a state that borders Ceará, Pernambuco, a similar cake is made and it also bears the name of someone, or in this case the name of a family - Souza Leão. Unlike poor Luis Felipe whom no one remembers, the Souza Leão family is well known. According to family legend, someone in the family invented this cake, but no one is sure exactly who. In his book Viagem Gastronómica Atraves do Brasil, author Caloca Fernandes tells the story of this family, which has a long history in Pernambuco and which will forever be associated with the cake that bears its name.

The Souza Leão family, according to Fernandes, was a large colonial family during the era of the sugar cane boom in Brazil and the various branches of the family owned eleven sugar plantations, among them such interestingly-named plantations as Moreno, Tapera, Bom Dia ("Good Morning" in English), Xixiam and Alagodeiras. The family is still prominent in Pernambuco, though of course the sugar plantations as they were in colonial days are long gone.

In the next post on Flavors of Brazil, there will be a recipe for this delicious (and extravagant) cake. Like it's cousin from Ceará, Luis Felipe cake, Souza Leão cake is an orgy of sugar and eggs and is generally served only on special occasions. When you read the recipe, you'll see why.

RECIPE - Bolo de Rolo

In the previous post, I mentioned that making a bolo de rolo at home is not anything for an amateur or a weekend cook to try. It involves making six sponge cakes of an extreme thinness and then rolling all of them together to create a roll of up to twenty layers - without the whole damn thing falling apart! As far as bolo de rolo goes, I'm a firm subscriber to the "don't try this at home" theory.

That being said, I'm including a recipe here at Flavors of Brazil for this iconic cake from Pernambuco state in the northeast of Brazil because it's interesting to know just how this cake is constructed, and because someone might just be fool enough to want to give it a try. Should they do so and succeed, I can guarantee the result with definitely impress even the most jaded dinner guest.

This cake cannot be made with three identical baking sheets of approximately 12x18x1 inch (30x45x2 cm). You will also need three large, clean kitchen towels of the same size or larger for turning out the cakes once they are baked.

So here goes....
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RECIPE - Bolo de Rolo

1/2 lb (250 gr.) unsalted butter, softened
6 oz. guava jelly (can substitute other jellies or jams)
6 whole eggs
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) cake flour
1/3 lb. (200 gr.) sugar
granulated sugar for dusting cakes
2 Tbsp. water or white wine for diluting the jam
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Using a whisk or egg beater, beat the sugar and butter together in a large bowl until you have a light, fluffy cream. Add the eggs, one by one, making sure that the yolks are skinless, beating the mixture after the addition of each egg.  Using a silicone spoon, add the cake flour in small quantities, gently folding in each addition until you have a fine, light batter. Reserve.

In a small saucepan, break up the jam or jelly with a fork, then place over low heat. Add the water or wine and heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture is melted. Reserve.

 Grease the three cake pans (see above) generously with unsalted butter and dust with cake flour. Using a wooden spoon spread 6 spoonfuls of the cake batter in each pan - one spoonful in each corner, and two in the middle of the pan. Using a silicone spatula, spread out the batter to cover the entire pan with a thin layer of batter.

One at a time, cook each cake in a preheated 350F degree oven for approximately 10 minutes. The cake must not color. Check for doneness by touching the surface of the cake with a fingertip. If the cake is firm, remove from oven, and turn the cake out onto a new or clean kitchen towel that has been generously dusted with granulated sugar. Repeat this process for the two remaining cakes.

Trim the edges of each cake to make them even. Spread a very thin layer of the jam or jelly across the entire surface of each of the three cakes, reaching all the way to the edges.

Using the kitchen towel to aid, roll the first cake into a tight roll, rolling from the shorter side of the rectangle. Carefully place the roll at the end of the second cake, and roll the second cake onto the first, starting where the first roll ended. Do the same with the third cake, rolling all three together tightly. Wrap the completed bolo de rolo in plastic wrap and reserve.

Wash and regrease the three cake pans, and repeat the spreading of 6 spoonfuls of batter in each pan. Bake each for approximately 10 minutes as before. Turn out onto the kitchen towels, having redusted them with sugar. Repeat the spreading of jam or jelly on the three new cakes. Remove the bolo de rolo from the plastic wrap, and continue to roll and construct the log. One you have a roll of all six cakes rolled together, place the finished product in plastic wrap, place in refrigerator until firm.

To serve, slice the roll across the layers into thin slices, place two slices on each plate, and top with whipped cream if desired.

Recipe translated and adapted from "Muito + Receitas"
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See what I mean? As the saying goes, this recipe sounds like "a piece of cake."

A Nun's Kiss and Other Olinda Treats

About 5 miles (8 km.) north of the city of Recife in Brazil's Pernambuco state lies the small historic city of Olinda. With its baroque architecture and cobblestone streets remarkably preserved, it's no wonder that it has been honored with inclusion in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

During the February Carnaval season, Olinda is loud, crowded, packed and crazy, but during the rest of the year it's a tranquil small town of artisans, musicians, visitors and retirees. Many of the local houses have been converted into pousadas (small inns or hotels) or restaurants. Others house art galleries or craft shops. Some come for a day's visit from Recife, some stay a week, and some visitors never leave.

One of Olinda's architectural highlight is the number of baroque religious buildings still in use- a cathedral, many churches, convents and monasteries. A large number of these convents and monasteries are cloistered, shut away from the world outside the front door. And, in a tradition that can be traced back to Portugal, many of these convents and monasteries are famous for their sweets and pastries. These can sometimes be bought at the door to the convent or monastery, but are also often offered up for sale in local bakeries and pastry shops.

The Convento dos Amarantes is known for its Pão de Ló (Bread from Lo), a sponge cake made with an extraordinary quantity of eggs. The Convento de Santa Maria das Celas makes a famous manjar branco (blancmange), and the Convento de Vila do Conde makes the intriguingly-named Beijo de Freira (Nun's Kiss) which is a small shortbread cookie flavored with coconut.

The most famous cake of Olinda is not associated with any particular convent, but is known all over Brazil as a treat from Pernambuco and is called bolo de rolo (rolled cake). This cake is rarely made at home due to the difficulty in working with the thin layers of cake and filling, but can be bought at pastry shops and even supermarkets everywhere in Brazil. It is what we might call in English a jelly-roll cake, but an extremely refined example of that genre. A super-thin layer of cake is spread with guava jelly, then rolled up. A well-made bolo de rolo might have up to twenty layers by the time it is fully rolled-up. Slices or entire rolls are sold, but it's always served sliced to show the delicate spiral of jelly, and often served with whipped cream (nata) on the side.

Those who have been reading Flavors of Brazil for a while might remember my posts about acarajé and how it's been accorded national status as an Immaterial National Treasure (click here to read more). In 2002 the legislature of Pernambuco state accorded similar status, though not on a national level, to the bolo de rolo, declaring it part of Pernambuco's cultural patrimony.

Although almost no one attempts to make a bolo de rolo at home, I'll provide a recipe in my next post, just for information's sake. The equipment required and the necessary skill in handling the cake are usually lacking in the home kitchen, but perhaps some reader of Flavors of Brazil will be crazy enough to make bolo de rolo at home.

Farewell to Meat! - It's Carnaval time in Brazil

Carnaval officially begins today throughout Brazil and continues until Tuesday. It only dies in the ashes of Ash Wednesday. I'll be travelling with friends to Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco, where we'll celebrate carnaval there and in the neighboring historic city of Olinda. Thus, there will be no posts on Flavors of Brazil until the second half of next week.

Brazilian Carnaval is a gigantic national party of music, dance, fun and drink. Certainly it must rank as one of the LEAST food-related holidays in the world. Carnaval is all about those "other" appetites, and most Carnaval celebrants keep themselves fueled with street food or junk food. In fact, in most cities where there is a large Carnaval there are no other options for eating, as restaurants and stores are closed for the duration. If this blog were about beer, on the other hand, or about the samba, I would return from Recife with a huge amount of material for the blog - but since Flavors of Brazil concerns food, the reports from Carnaval will be limited.

The main connection between Carnaval and food, in fact, appears to be a rather negative one. There are various suppositions for the etymology of the name Carnaval. I had always heard that it comes from the Latin "carne vale" which means "farewell to meat" and refers to the fact that after Carnaval comes the fasting period of Lent, when meat was traditionally forbidden by the Church. Doing some linguistic research for this post, however, led me to a number of sources which offer alternative etymologies. One of the most common is that Carnaval comes from dialectical Italian "carne levare" which means "remove meat", again referring to the Lenten fast. Other sources indicate that although Carnaval comes down from "carne vale", the "carne" referred to is not the meat one eats, but the more sensual flesh for which Carnaval is famous. Most serious scholars, however, seem to be on the side of the derivation from Italian "carne levare". Nonetheless, I continue to prefer "Farewell to Meat." It's got such a nice culinary connotation, which in this particular case has nothing to do with vegetarianism.

So it's Farewell to Meat for me for a week. Postings on Flavors of Brazil will resume on Ash Wednesday.

Bom Carnaval para todos, Happy Carnaval!