Wine Pairing Suggestions for Salt Cod (Bacalhau)

Salt cod (bacalhau) and red wine

With the approach of Holy Week (Semana Santa), Brazilians' culinary thoughts turn primarily to two things - chocolate and salt cod (not necessarily together). These two foods are symbolic of the Easter season in Brazil, and in past years Flavors of Brazil has highlighted these food at this time of year. (Click here to read more about salt cod and here for Easter chocolates).

Although Brazilians drink much more beer than wine throughout the year, it's traditional to serve wine at the Good Friday and Easter feasts. As salt cod's traditional link to the Easter season is an inheritance from Portuguese culture, wine is the customary beverage, as Portugal has always been a wine-loving nation.

The problem is that pairing salt cod (bacalhau) with wine is a tricky business, and one can go seriously wrong. Salt cod's high salinity and complexity of the way it is normally cooked with other flavors such as onion, tomatoes, potatoes, olives, olive oil, etc. make it difficult to find a wine that stands up to the strong flavors and that complements them.

Salt cod (bacalhau) and white wine

In a recent article on the website of Prazeres da Mesa magazine, a number of Brazilian wine writers highlight some interesting suggestions. Here's a bit of what they had to say about suitable varietals to serve with salt cod (translations by Flavors of Brazil).
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Chardonnay (unoaked) - This white wine has a consistent structure and an agreeable freshness. It works well with dishes containing flaked salt cod which normally retains more salt than filets of salt cod.

Carménère -  This Chilean red-wine varietal stands up well to salt cod dishes which contain green peppers, a notoriously tricky flavor when it comes to wine pairings.

Pinot Noir - This grape, known for its smoothness and balance, is recommended when salt cod is roasted or served with few other flavors.

Vinhão (also known as Souzão) - From Northern Portugal's Douro regions, red wines made with this grape combine exceedingly-well with salt cod dishes that contain a lot of olive oil.

Touriga Nacional - Another Portuguese varietal, Touriga Nacional red wines are the perfect accompaniment for salt cod dishes containing cream, or other rich casseroles.

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.

RECIPE - Brazilian Eggnog (Licor de Ovos)

Here in the Southern Hemisphere we've just passed the equinox and autumn is upon us. In certain parts of Brazil that doesn't really mean much as the weather is tropical all year round. However, in the more southerly part of the country, especially in high-altitude regions of the interior, during fall and winter temperatures can drop precipitously, and it can be bitterly cold, especially at night.

The interior state of Minas Gerais is one place that has learned well over the years how to lessen the impact of cold weather. In the historic cities of Minas during the cold season people light fires in fireplaces, eat hearty and rich stews and soups and drink hot drinks, all in aid of keeping warm. During the same season, they also drink a home-made spirit called licor de ovos (egg liqueur), the Brazilian version of eggnog.

Eggnog is a cold-weather drink almost everywhere it is known - the combination of milk, eggs, sugar and possibly liquor is just too rich to be enjoyed in hot climes. It becomes cloying and overly-rich when the temperature soars. So this recipe, which comes from the small town of Joaquim Felício, MG, is just starting to be made in these early days of autumn. That will ensure that in a month or two from now, on those chilly mountain evenings, there will be plenty of licor de ovo to warm the cockles of everyone's heart.

The liquor used in Minas Gerais to make licor de ovos is, naturally, Brazil's own cachaça. However, if you can't source cachaça you can substitute rum, although the result will be substantially less Brazilian (and it will also be sweeter).
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RECIPE - Brazilian Eggnog (Licor de Ovos)
Makes about one quart (one liter)

6 fresh egg yolks, preferably free-range
1 lb. (500 gr) granulated white sugar
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
2 cups (500 ml) cachaça (rum may be substituted)
10 drops pure vanilla essence

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk just to the boil, then remove from heat and cool completely. Reserve.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and the sugar. Beat with a fork or a whisk-type beater until the mixture is consistent and frothy. Pour in the reserved milk, and stir to mix it in completely. Then do the same with the  cachaça. Finally add the vanilla essence and mix once again.

Pour into a sterile bottle or jug. Refrigerate for at least one month prior to serving to let the flavors develop.

Brazil Scores at Gourmand World Cookbook Awards (again)

Every year since 1995, the best books, worldwide, about food and gastronomy have been honored at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. The 2012 awards were announced recently in Paris at a ceremony held in the famous Folies Bergère theatre, and Brazilian authors and publishers took home a number of awards, including first prize in the prestigious Food Literature category. We'll feature some of these winners and publish some of their recipes in future posts at Flavors of Brazil (some we've already covered), but for now, here's a listing of the books and authors, and the awards they were given.

Food Literature - 1st place
O Ganso Marisco (The Seafood Goose)
Breno Lerner, Author
Melhoramentos, Publisher

Photography - 1st place
Saveurs du Brésil (Flavors of Brazil (sound familiar?))
Sérgio Coimbra, Author
Studio Coimbra, Publisher

Desserts - 2nd place
Confeitaria Nacional (Brazilian Confectionary)
Luíz Farias, Author
Ilma, Publisher

Vegetarian - 2nd place
A Cozinha Vegetariana (The Vegetarian Kitchen)
Astrid Pfeiffer, Author
Alaude, Publisher

Fund-raising or Charity, Latin America - 2nd Place
Gourmet & Sustentável (Gourmet and Sustainable)
ONG Banco de Alimentos, Authors
Cook Lovers, Publisher

Spirits - 3rd Place
A Verdadeira História da Cachaça (The True History of Cachaça)
Messias Cavalcante, Author
Sá Editora, Publishers

Wine Translations - 3rd Place
210 Coquetéis Essenciais (210 Essential Cocktails)
Evelyn Ray Massaid, Author
Melhoramentos, Publisher

Wine Education - 3rd Place
Conheça Vinhos (Know Wines)
Direceu Vianna Junior and José Ivan Santos, Authors
SENAC, Publishers

Corporate Publishers - 3rd Place
Sabores Brasileiras (Brazilian Flavors)
Tramontina s/a, Authors
Bocatto, Publishers

Latin American Cuisine - 4th Place
Guia Carioca da Gastronomia de Rua (The Carioca Guide to Street Food)
Sérgio Bloch, Author
Arte Ensaio, Publisher

If you want to see more winners of the Gourmand World Cookbooks Awards 2012, click here to be directed to their website. There you'll find all the winners and finalists in every category.

Rio de Janeiro's Dial-a-Popcorn Service

There's dial-a-ride, dial-a-cab, dial-a-pizza, dial-a-forecast, even dial-a-dietician. So why shouldn't there be dial-a-bag-of-popcorn service? Well, in Rio de Janeiro there is. Called Disk Pipoka, which means dial-popcorn in Portuguese, the service is run out of popcorn cart set up on one of the busiest corners in Rio's central business district. It's the brainchild of a certain Nelsinho Pipoka (don't think that was his surname a birth, though) who's been delivering popcorn to snack-starved popcorn aficionados in the office towers that surround his stand for more than 10 years now.

Nelsinho, like many of Rio's outdoor vendors (and cab drivers and waiters) comes from Brazil's northeast - in this case the state of Ceará. Historically the poorest part of Brazil, over the centuries the northeastern part of the country has provided a steady stream of emigrants traveling to other, richer, parts of Brazil is search of their fortune, or at least in search of enough money to get by.

Rush hour at Disk Pipoka

When he first got to Rio and set up his popcorn stand in the city's downtown, there were days when he almost didn't sell any popcorn at all, and he was in danger of losing his investment in his cart. According to Nelsinho, he was saved by a flash of inspiration - Rio already had delivery services for many other foods, why not try popcorn delivery. Why not, indeed! Nelsinho bravely hired a runner to deliver the popcorn, painted his cart with his cell phone number and hoped for the best. He hasn't looked back since. His cart is hopping from 3 to 10 pm M-F, and he claims it's his delivery service that has made the business the success that it is.

Nelsinho's local fame has grown to the extent that his cart, and his service has been featured on local TV. Being the astute businessman that he is, he's made sure that his TV interviews are available on YouTube, where he has his own channel. Here's a clip of one of his interviews in which his charm and his style shine through, even if you can't understand his Portuguese.

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SNACKS - Popcorn (Pipoca)

It's commonly known that corn (or maize) was first cultivated for food by native American Indians centuries before the arrival of European explorers in the Western Hemisphere. Corn (Zea mays) was first domesticated in what is today the country of Mexico sometime between 12,000 and 7,500 years ago, and cultivation of corn had spread both northward and southward from there among tribes settled in North and in South America long before Columbus began the process of European colonization in 1492.

What might be less well known is the fact that the Amerindian natives not only ate roasted and boiled ears of corn and dried corn ground into meal, they also, just like today's Cineplex movie-goers, loved popcorn. When and where this eating habit began is totally unknown, but wherever it was, the first time that someone let corn cook too long and it began to explode in the fire must have been a shocking and scary experience. However, the Amerindians soon learned that the explosion that creates popcorn creates a lovely, tasty snack, and by the time Europeans rolled up on these shores, the natives had a serious popcorn habit. A habit which the Europeans picked up as quickly and as permanently as smoking tobacco.

The Portuguese word for popcorn is pipoca (pip-OH-ka). It comes from the native Tupi language, an indication that the food predates Europeans in Brazil. Pipoca is one of Brazil's favorite snack foods, and it hasn't been relegated to cinema and home-theatre fare to the degree it has in North America. Cinema popcorn is available in Brazil, though a much smaller percentage of moviegoers in Brazil eat popcorn than in North America, and the portions are much, much smaller. Most Brazilians, anecdotal evidence would indicate, still buy popcorn freshly popped from street vendors - in parks, on promenades and during fairs and festivals. The vendors' popcorn stands are usually on wheels so they can move about in search of trade, and the popcorn is made the old-fashioned way, in a pot with a small amount of oil to aid the popping process. The popcorn is sold directly from the stand, either salted or with a caramel coating. A bag of popcorn normally costs about R$1, which is USD$0.55.

There is a second form of popcorn in Brazil, which we've not seen anywhere else. It's affectionately known as pipoca de isopor, meaning "styrofoam popcorn." This product is not made on the spot, but instead prepared industrially and sold pre-bagged. It's really not popped corn - a better name would be puffed corn. The process used on the corn kernels is similar to that used on rice and wheat to make puffed cereals like Rice Krispies and Puffed Wheat. The kernel retains its shape, it just expands and becomes airy. Pipoca de isopor is an acquired taste - many people dislike it intensely, though for many Brazilians it is a nostalgic snack, bringing back memories of childhood.

Brazilians don't eat anything like the 58 quarts per person that Americans consume annually on a per capita basis. But their love for this ancient native food miracle is intense, and it continues to pass from generation to generation as it has in this country for many millennia.

RECIPE - Bolivian "Rice" (Arroz Boliviano)

Call it the "blame-it-on-the-neighbors" school of recipe naming. It seems that in many cultures a hotchpotch recipe, in which a motley of ingredients are tossed together, heated and served, is often characterized as coming from a neighboring country, even if that country has nothing to do with the dish. A childhood friend's less-than-gourmet Canadian mother often dished up something that she called "American Chop Suey", a casserole that combined low-grade ground beef, elbow macaroni, chopped onions and green peppers and undiluted Campbell's Cream of Tomato Soup. (She was a lovely and warm-hearted woman, just not a great cook). In French-speaking parts of Canada, the dish called Shepherd's Pie is knwon as Pâté chinois, (Chinese Pâté in English.)

The Brazilians aren't blameless in this regard. They have a very similar naming tradition and have been known to take the name of neighboring countries in vain when choosing names for Brazilian dishes. This habit seems particularly strong, naturally, in parts of Brazil which border other South American countries. In an earlier post on Flavors of Brazil, we highlighted a dish from the Brazilian border state of Mato Grosso do Sul called Sopa Paraguaya, which is neither a soup nor Paraguayan.

This dish, called Arroz Boliviano in Portuguese, is from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, which unsurprisingly has a long frontier with Bolivia. Although Sopa Paraguaya isn't a soup, Arroz Boliviano at least does include rice. It does, however, also include many, many other things. The list of ingredients includes ground beef, plantains, hard-boiled eggs, Parmesan cheese and french fries. With the exception of plantains, none of those ingredients are commonly associated with Bolivian cooking. It appears that this dish is just one more exemplar of the "blame-it-on-the-neighbors" school.
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RECIPE - Bolivian "Rice" (Arroz Boliviano)
Serves 8

3 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil
1 lb (400 gr) ground beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
salt to taste
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup fresh or frozen greeen peas
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 chopped green onion, green part only
6 cups cooked long-grain white rice
2 ripe plantains, peeled sliced into rounds, and fried in butter until soft
1 cup fresh or frozen french-fried potatoes
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil, then add the onion, garlic and ground beef and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the beef, until the beef has lost all pinkness and the onion is transparent. Season for salt. Mix in the tomato paste, the peas and corn. Remove from the heat, then stir in the green onion. Reserve.

In a glass, ceramic or metal rectangular casserole spread out the rice in a layer. Spread the ground beef mixture over. Top with the banana rounds, the french fries and the slices of egg. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over all. Put in the oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese has nicely browned and everything is heated through. Serve immediately.