RECIPE - São Paulo-style Moqueca (Moqueca Paulista)

Although moquecas are associated with the Afro-Brazilian cuisine of Bahia in the minds of most people, there are numerous regional variations on the moqueca theme in traditional Brazilian cuisine. For example,  the state that is immediately south of Bahia, Espírito Santo, has its own way to make a moqueca - the liquid for the stew is made from tomatoes rather than from coconut milk and dendê oil as is done in Bahia.

The one thing that most moquecas do have in common is that they are cooked and served in a deep bowl of some sort, often clay, as they are normally rather liquid, soupy stews. However, there is one regional style of moqueca that dispenses with the deep bowl. In fact it dispenses with a serving dish of any type. Traditional paulista (from São Paulo) moquecas are served wrapped up in banana leaves, creating individual packages to be opened by diners at the table.

In the recipe archives of Fazenda Capoava, 100 km. from the city of São Paulo, there is a hand-written 19th century recipe for just such a moqueca. As part of her project of recreating recipes from the ranch's archives for use in the current-day restaurant at Fazenda Capoava, chef Heloísa Bacellar updated the old recipe for modern kitchens and modern cooks. The result - the recipe below - now has a place on the Fazenda Capoava menu.

Note: The recipe calls for the moqueca to be wrapped in banana-leaf parcels for cooking and serving. French or frozen banana leaves can often be found in Latin American and Asian food markets in metropolitan areas in North America or Europe. If you can't source banana leaves, the packages can be formed from aluminum foil, though some of their tropical charm will necessarily be lost. The same stores are good sources for farinha, also known as manioc flour, or cassava flour. This is essential to the dish and shouldn't be substituted with other types of flour.
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RECIPE - São Paulo-style Moqueca (Moqueca Paulista)
Serves 6

1 free-range chicken (about 2-3 lbs), in serving pieces, with giblets, or the same quantity of chicken pieces
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 cups water
2 Tbsp butter
4 very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
12 sprigs Italian parsley
2 cups manioc flour (farinha)
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
salt and pepper to taste
2 full-sized banana leaves, thawed if purchased frozen (can substitute aluminum foil)
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In  a large sauce pan, combine the chicken pieces, half of the onion and garlic, the bay leaf, salt to taste and the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken meat is falling off the bone. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve. Bring the cooking liquid back to the boil and cook at high heat until the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Reserve.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it by hand. Reserve.

In a large saucepan melt the butter and when it's hot but not smoking, add the remaining onion and garlic and saute them until they are lightly golden. Then add the tomato, the olives and parsley and the reserved chicken and cooking liquid. Correct for salt and add black pepper to taste. Slowly add the manioc flour, stirring constantly, and cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a thick paste that begins to pull away from the sides of the pan when you stir. Remove from the heat and let cool until no more than warm.

Preheat the oven to 375F (200C). Cut the eggs into three thick slices each. Have a large baking dish ready.

Cut the banana leaves into 12 portions, each one about 8 by 8 inches (20 x 20 cm). If using aluminum foil, cut squares of the same size. On each square, put about one 12th of the moqueca mixture in the middle, place one round of egg and a sprig of parsley on top, then close and seal the package (if using banana leave, cut ties from the banana leaves and use them like gift-wrapping ribbons to seal the packages.

Put the packages in the baking dish and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the banana leaves are nicely browned. Place two packages on each plate, serve, and let the diners open their own packages at the table.

Based on material written by Camila Bianchi for Prazeres da Mesa magazine.

Mining Gastronomic Treasures - Brazil's Fazenda Capoava Hotel

Casa Grande - Fazenda Capoava

Located in the hills of São Paulo state, only 100 km (60 miles) from the megalopolitan state capital, the city of São Paulo, the Fazenda Capoava hotel and restaurant offers guests a relaxing stay on a ranch that has been functioning since the 17th century, being at successive times a sugar plantation, a coffee plantation and a cattle ranch. Today, visitors come for the comfortable accommodation in chalets that surround the original casa grande (big house) built in 1750, as well as numerous leisure activities such as horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, bicycle touring, plus a spa and massage facility.

An integral part of the hotel/ranch complex is a building called the Espaço Memória Fazenda Capoava, meaning the Capoava Ranch Memory Space. This museum of the ranch's history is open to the public as well as to hotel guests, and is a repository for artifacts and documents from the ranch's past. The museums collection includes antique industrial-sized coffe grinders, farm implements, and valuable antique furniture from the casa grande. Alongside the artifacts, the museum has an impressive display of documents from the archives of the ranch. There are also many documents for which there is insufficient space to display. These, however, are available to historians and researchers.

Among the most interesting documents, according to Danilo Costa, the food and beverage manager of the ranch, is an extensive collection of 19th century recipes from the ranch's kitchen - four generations-worth of hand-written recipes. Sr. Costa has taken the initiative of inviting one of São Paulo's best-known chefs, Heloísa Bacellar, to study the recipe archive and to recreate several of the best recipes for 21st century cooks. These recipes are now being served in the hotel's restaurant.

Sra. Bacellar chose to begin her task by reinterpreting three 19th century dishes from the ranch - a Paulista-style moqueca, a chayote gratin and a sweet coffee-flavored pudding. The dishes are now available to diners at Fazenda Capoava and in the next few days Flavors of Brazil will publish these historial recreations for our readers.

Based on material written by Camila Bianchi for Prazeres da Mesa magazine.

RECIPE - Roast Chicken with Turmeric (Frango Assado com Açafrão-da-terra)

If you only reach for the turmeric on your spice shelf when you're making an Indian recipe, or perhaps a hand-me-down-from-Grandma mustard pickle recipe, then this traditional Brazilian recipe for chicken thighs marinated in a fragrant turmeric and cinnamon paste will be an eye-opener. Turmeric's earthy aroma and taste perfectly complement the sweetness that cinnamon brings to the rub. By using more flavorful thighs rather than breasts the recipe ensures that the strong flavors of the spice mixture do not overwhelm the chicken itself.

Brazilians have been using turmeric (curcuma or açafrão-da-terra) for centuries even though it's not native to the Americas. Turning a dish an appealing golden yellow is only one of the rhizome's qualities - try this recipe to discover how its contribution to the taste of this dish ranks just as high as its color-giving properties.
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RECIPE - Roast Chicken with Turmeric (Frango Assado com Açafrão-da-terra)
Serves 6

12 chicken thighs, skinned
2 Tbsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp powdered cinnamon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the turmeric, cinnamon, chopped onion and minced garlic, plus salt to taste. Stirring constantly, slowly add olive-oil in a thin stream, stopping as soon as you have a thick paste. Do not make the rub too liquid. Add the thighs, turning them over and over in the spice paste until they are completely coated.

Transfer the thighs to one or two large ziplock bags, squeezing out all the air to ensure that the paste adheres to the meat. Put the bags in the refrigerator and let the chicken marinate for at least 3 hours, up to 8.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator one half hour before you want to begin to cook to bring the meat to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Put the chicken in a large, non-stick baking pan, and cook in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the juices run clean when a thigh is pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife.

Serve immediately, accompanied by rice or potatoes and a green salad.

Recipe translated and adapted from Globo Rural Picadinho.

Mara Rosa - Where Brazil Grows its Turmeric

In the sparcely populated northern stretches of the central Brazilian state of Goiás, where the cerrado that covers much of central Brazil begins to give way to the rain forests of the Amazonian basin, lies the hamlet of Mara Rosa. Although Mara Rosa counts only about 300 families, almost all of them share an  occupation - they are all turmeric farmers.

Turmeric (called curcuma in Portuguese) is an essential spice in the Brazilian pantry, even though it originated in Asia, like its botanical cousin ginger. Brazilians use the spice not only for its earthy, almost musty, flavor but also for the way it imparts a brilliant yellow color to dishes in which it is employed. As a food colorant, turmeric often serves as a substitute for saffron, which also give dishes a golden hue, but which is infinitely more expensive than turmeric. Alternative Brazilian names for the spice, such as açafrão-da-terra  meaning saffron-of-the-earth, demonstrate the link between turmeric and saffron in Brazilian gastronomy. In fact, many Brazilians simply call turmeric açafrão, and are perhaps unaware of the existance of true saffron, which can only be found in the best, most expensive gourmet shops in Brazil's bigger cities.

Turmeric has been grown in Mara Rosa since the 17th century, but it's only recently that local growers have banded together as a turmeric-growing cooperative, Cooperaçafrão. The aims of the cooperative are to stabilize and increase the price they are paid for their harvest, to improve cultivation yields through techniques such as crop rotation, and to restrict sales from the co-op to pure, dehydrated rhizomes of turmeric. Very little whole turmeric is sold directly to consumers, and the bulk of the co-op's sales are to spice companies, who grind the rhizomes and package the spice for consumers.

For most North Americans and Europeans, the color and taste of turmeric is primarily associated with Asian food, especially Indian food in which turmeric is an essential ingredient of most curry powders. In Indian cuisine, however, turmeric is normally mixed with other spices in the creation of spice powders and pastes, so the flavor of turmeric doesn't shine through. In Brazilian cuisine, where it's used alone, the intense and distinctive flavor of turmeric is allowed to be the dominant spice note in many dishes. Tomorrow, Flavors of Brazil will publish a typical Brazilian recipe which gives turmeric a starring role.

RECIPE - Bolinhos de Chuva

This recipe for "little cakes of rain" (the direct translation of the Brazilian name bolinhos de chuva) comes from the website of the popular Brazilian morning TV show Mais Você, and is a very typical recipe for the sweet mouthful that is so popular in Brazil.

Tasting and looking very much like the American snack commonly known as doughnut holes, these little round balls are just the right size to pop into the mouth, and just like American doughnuts have a power affinity for a cup of coffee to accompany them.

Bolinhos de chuva must be deep-fried, and anything that claims the name without having been cooked in a deep-fryer is a fraud. That does mean that you'll need to have the proper equipment for deep-frying at home if you wish to make them, and that you know how to deep-fry safely in a home kitchen.
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RECIPE - Bolinhos de Chuva

1 large whole egg, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk, cold
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
neutral vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup granulated white sugar combined with 2 tsp powdered cinnamon (for dusting)
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In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, butter, sugar and salt, beating well to mix thoroughly. Add the flour in batches, beating in each batch before adding more until you have a uniform dough. Add the baking powder and mix in thoroughly.

Heat sufficient oil in a deep-frying to medium heat. Using a tablespoon, drop spoonsful of dough into the hot oil and fry them, turning them over once, until they are golden brown. Do not overcrowd the oil; fry them in batches if necessary. Remove the balls from the oil, place them on a wire rack set over several layers of paper towels to drain.

When completely drained and only slightly warm, dust the balls on all side with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. This is best done using a flour sifter and a wire rack. Let the balls cool complete and serve immediately, or keep at room temperature, covered tightly, for up to 24 hours.

Brazil's Beignets -the Bolinho de Chuva

Just as you can find variations on baked or grilled flatbread all around the world, from Mexico and its tortillas, to Lebanon's lavash, Italy's pizza and Indian naan, the idea of making a loose dough then dropping small balls of it into hot oil to deep fry can be found in countries and culture here and there on all continents. There's something deeply comforting (and addicting) about these sweet treats that seems to appeal universally to human's appetites.

Almost no one doesn't like a doughnut, America's contribution to this type of food. Canadians, though, have recetnly trumped the Americans and now have become the world's highest per capita consumers of doughnuts. The idea of visiting New Orleans and not eating a beignet is scandalous to many , and elsewhere in the American south you'll run across the charmingly-named hush puppy. The Netherlands has its oliebollen, and in Belgian Wallonie they've got croustillons. Quebec has chosen to call their version (rather rudely) pets de nonne. Presumably because the little balls are light and sweetly fragrant, Quebecs seem to think these sweets deserve to be called "nun's farts".

Brazilians too love these sweet treats, and have christened their version bolinho de chuva which means little cakes of rain. Bolinhos de chuva, dusted with plain or cinnamon sugar are a favorite accompaniment to late afternoon coffee in Brazil, and are considered to be the standard version. Numerous variations do exist, even including some savory recipes, though these are still massively outnumbered by recipes for sweet bolinhos. Because bolinhos are so light and airy, they are sometimes stuffed with sweet whipping cream or doce de leite. Brazilian cooks seem to have oringally inherited their recipe for bolinho de chuva from Portuguese sweet kitchens, where bolinhos de chuva are also found.

Emília

For many Brazilians there is a deep nostalgic connection between bolinhos de chuva and a long-running childrens' TV show called Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (The Yellow Woodpecker's Farm). The show was based on a classic book of Brazilian childrens' literature of the same name, written by Monteiro Lobato. One of the show's most-loved characters was kindly Tia Nastácia (Aunt Nastácia) who was always making bolinhos de chuva for rag doll Emília and the show's other characters.

Next post, we'll publish a typically Brazilian recipe for bolinhos de chuva.

RECIPE - Brazilian-style French Rolls ( Pão Francês Caseiro)

For the benefit of those home bakers who'd like to try a hand at making Brazilian-style French rolls (click here to read about them) or for Brazilians living outside Brazil who are dying of saudade for the aroma, the crunch and the taste of  pão francês, we're publishing below a recipe for a home-made version of that iconic Brazilian bread.

We've not tried this recipe, so we can't vouch for how closely the end product will resemble the bread that hundreds of millions of Brazilians buy everyday from their neighborhood bakery or supermarket. The source of the recipe, however, is from a trusted Brazilian source, Terra Culinaria, a large internet collection of Brazilian recipes. The translation and adaptation is by Flavors of Brazil. If any of our readers makes this recipe, we'd love to hear about the results. Just leave a comment below if you'd like to critique the recipe.
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RECIPE - Brazilian-style French Rolls ( Pão Francês Caseiro)
makes 20 rolls

8 cups (1 kg) all-purpose unbleached flour
1 cup ice water
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp dry active yeast
1 tsp granulated white sugar
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil
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Sift together the flour, the sugar and the salt. Place the sifted flour in a large mixing bowl. Proof the yeast in the 1 1/2 cup warm water, then add the vegetable oil. Slowly add the mixture to the flour in the bowl, mixing in each addition before adding more, using a wooden spoon. Then begin to add the ice water, again in small amounts, incorporating each addition before adding more, using your hands. When the dough becomes smooth and elastic, stop adding water.

Turn the dough out onto a floured working surface. Using floured hands, knead for 10 minutes. Alternatively, use a Kitchen-aid or similar home mixer equipped with a dough hook. Stop kneading when the dough is smooth, non-sticky, and springs back when poked with a fingertip. Form the dough into a large ball.

Put the dough in a clean large bowl, cover with a clean towel, and leave in a warm, undraughty place for 30 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured work surface. Divide into 20 equal-size portions. Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten it. Roll the flattened ball into an elongated, spiral shape. When finished, put the rolls on one or two non-stick baking sheets, well-separated, then cover with clean towels and let rise until they have doubled in size (normally about one hour).

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F (220C). As soon as the rolls have doubled in size, using a razor blade or very sharp knife, cut into each roll in the long direction. Put them in the hot oven.

Fill a clean spray bottle with water. As soon as the rolls begin to brown, quickly open the oven door, mist the rolls lightly with water, and close the door. Continue to bake the bread until the rolls are nicely browned and, if tapped, sound hollow.

Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool on wire racks.