Brazil Archives | Page 4 of 6

Big Papaya, Small Papaya – Same Fruit, Different Name

July 16, 2009

Most of us are pretty familiar with the papaya even if we don’t live in a place where they are regularly available. The papayas I had always been familiar with were about the size of a large white potato.

When I came to Brazil and started exploring all the fruits, I soon found papaya was widely available and very popular. It is the main component of salada de frutas (fruit salad) when you order it at a restaurant and I have yet to see a juice menu without it listed.

I found those small papayas I was familiar with right away in the supermarket. They are called papaya in Portuguese, too, but sometimes you will find it spelled papaia. Then I kept coming across this fruit that looked like an overgrown papaya and the signs always indicated it was mamão.

Here are pictures so you can see the size difference. The mamão is a huge fruit.

Upon purchasing one and trying it at home, I quickly realized it is really just a big papaya. I’ve asked around about the two fruits and that is pretty much what everyone here tells me as well. Although, the smaller papaya is supposed to be a bit sweeter. I can’t tell a flavor difference though. They look and taste exactly the same to me.

To tell you the truth, I’m not a huge fan of papaya. I enjoy it mixed in with other fruit in fruit salads and juices, but I don’t like the flavor enough to sit down to a big piece of it. Actually the most interesting thing about the fruit, the mamão specifically, is how it grows. I have been trying like crazy to get a photo because typically I only see them when we are driving. This is the best I have been able to do.

They grow on a tall, incredibly skinny tree that branches out with leaves at the top. The fruit grows in numerous bunches right at the top of the trunk.

Despite the fact that it isn’t my favorite, I do buy papaya or mamão every now and then. I consider it my duty to appreciate my access to all these good things and it usually goes into juice. However, the other day I was feeling a little creative.

I wanted to use the mamão, but wasn’t hungry for dessert. The thought of a bread entered my mind, and then, why not a breakfast cake. Who doesn’t want cake for breakfast?

This cake is full of whole grains and is hearty and filling. The papaya simply adds moisture as the flavor of the fruit itself isn’t very strong. I will say that it is very, very buttery. In fact, I think I’ll probably reduce the butter to a 1/3 cup the next time I make it. Because it is so moist, you’ll want to store any leftovers in the fridge.

Papaya Breakfast Cake

Makes a 10 inch round cake

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup mascavo sugar (unrefined cane sugar)
2 eggs
1 cup papaya or mamão, pureed
¼ cup steel cut oats, soaked for at least a half hour and drained
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar, then mix in eggs. Stir in papaya and mix well. Next stir in the soaked oats and stir until combined. Finally add in flour, baking soda and salt and stir to combine all ingredients.

I used a lightly greased 10 inch round, glass baking dish. However, given the amount of butter I think I could have gone without greasing it. Any square pan would work fine too. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes, until edges are browned and center is baked through. Allow to cool about 5 minutes, serve warm or at room temperature.

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Cowboys and Cow Ribs

July 13, 2009

Imagine if you were attending a local festival celebrating your culture. Perhaps it is a bit of a mini-family reunion where your extended family has traveled to join in the festivities. As you are seated around your table waiting for food, someone approaches the table to tell you that there are foreigners present and they need a place to sit.

Would you welcome them to your table?

Let me tell you about my Sunday.

Early in the week we had been told by some friends about a festival taking place just outside the city. Costela ao Fogo de Chão festival, or more a way of cooking and eating, that celebrates the Brazilian Gaucho, cowboys typical to South America and from what I’ve learned most prominent in the south of country. You will likely hear of them in Argentina too which creates a bit of a rivalry from what I hear.

We made the decision to attend the festival after Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day and arrived to look around, not exactly sure what we were in for. We knew the costela (ribs) were a big draw, but we didn’t know what else was involved. The day turned out to be quite the cultural and culinary adventure, one we weren’t at all expecting.

We soon found a gymnasium-type facility decked out in colorful decorations, overflowing with people and filled with dinner tables. In the middle of each table was a round base, and in this base was a massive piece of cow rib.

Throughout the dining rooms there were tables set up with vinaigrette (tomatoes with onion, lime juice and parsley), lettuce, mandioca (yucca, manioc), rice, farofa (toasted mandioca flour with bacon, onion and corn) and rolls. The idea was to surround your table with family and friends, fill your plate from the salad bar and then feast off the slab of ribs elevated in the center of the table.

We weren’t exactly sure how things worked. Many of the tables were reserved and we had started to think that it was a private event or maybe that we needed to have made reservations. Finally we saw a gentleman dressed in gaucho attire and we decided to ask him what we were supposed to do and if we could eat.

Immediately he asked us if we were German (as usual). My husband told him we were from the US and from that point things just happened so fast. Before we knew it he had grabbed a lady who happened to be an English teacher. She was asking us if we had someplace to sit and told us to hold on while she found the boss.

It turns out that the boss was the head of the CTG (Centros de Tradições Gaúchas) organization. He appeared very happy to see us and in a few minutes we were directed to the table of his family. As it turned out two members spoke English and even though my husband told them he spoke Portuguese and I spoke a little they continued to communicate with us in English. Incredibly hospitable, in my opinion. They were having a bit of a family reunion and let us know that their family was from Rio Grande de Sul (known for gaucho traditions) and had moved to both Curitiba and Maringá.

I have to say it was the most welcoming, gracious experience I have had in our two years here. Looking back, the whole event and how we were treated was unbelievable. Here we were complete strangers, foreigners at that, and we were simply wondering if we could get a table to eat. They welcomed us to the experience, and were clearly excited for us to witness a piece of their culture. We were even addressed during the announcements!

So let’s talk about this costela (the rib meat of the cow) as it was certainly the main attraction at this event. Our new friends told us that the ribs are salted the night before and then the cooking begins about 5:00 a.m. over the open flame. That means they cooked for about seven hours before making it to the table. Fogo de Chão, which you may be familiar with because it is the name of a popular chain of Brazilian restaurants in the US, is roughly translated fire of the floor, or fire of the earth.

The meat was coming out all over the place, and if you weren’t carefully, chances are you would get bumped in the backside with a big slab coming out on a long metal pole with a sharp hook which the meat was attached too. From there, on the table it goes and the designated carver slices off pieces for everyone around the table.

The meat itself was just okay. This was much more about the experience itself. It was very, very fatty and resembled a roast beef like my mom makes at home with the carrots and potatoes. I can appreciate the fact that it is loved around here though. I just can’t eat it like most Brazilians do, fat and all. I carefully picked around the fat to get to the better meat. As is the case at most parties here, a second portion was practically forced upon us, but after that I was done for sure. The rice, vinaigrette and farofa were much more to my liking.

At dinner the family was telling us about their horse. He was described as a champion and after we ate we went out with a large group of people to walk through the stalls and take some pictures of him. We were met by a barn full of horses, some wanting a bit of attention, others content to eat their hay and still others a bit moody.

The champion’s name turned out to be Zeus. Zeus fully met the criteria of being a self-confident champion. He was bit irritated at being bothered during his hay munching. As one of the men teased him a little, I have never in my life seen a horse practically bust through a stall gate to try to bite someone. Zeus may have been beautiful, but he was not all that friendly. In fact, they closed up the stall and I didn’t even get a picture. He looked like his day was going bad enough already and I didn’t think a photo would sit too well given his current mood.

We did meet some other friendly horses. The names were the best part because many of them were in English. My husband really liked Cowboy.

Hanna was my favorite; a sweet girl with her head out of the stall welcoming anyone who passed by to give her a scratch. I couldn’t help but laugh when two young boys walked up to give her hay and started calling her Hannah Montana. Apparently she is popular here too.

What a completely unexpected day. In fact, until about 10 minutes before, we weren’t even sure we would go. I’m so glad we did and it makes me wonder if I’ll ever have the opportunity to return this type of hospitality and cultural experience to a complete stranger someday.

This culture and culinary experience was a good fit for both my blogs so you’ll find this cross-posted at Blondie in Brazil.

Guest Post at 5 Star Foodie

July 6, 2009

Happy Monday!

I’m honored to have a guest post up at 5 Star Foodie today! Head on over to learn more about about Brazilian desserts and candy!

Cauliflower & Mandioquinha Soup

June 26, 2009

I’ve been trying to find a bit of balance lately. I’m talking about the fact that it is winter here. Well, more like a Kentucky October, but they call it winter. Despite the fact that temperatures aren’t plummeting into the 30s, I’m still having overwhelming cravings for cold weather foods. At the same time for many of you, it is summer and a darn hot one from all info I’m getting.

So as you can imagine, staying in-season with cooking and food posts is a bit impossible. Or is it?

This week I’ve been trying to think about my favorite recipes (or ideas for new ones) that may comfort me, but use all that wonderful produce that many people are harvesting from the garden. So yesterday this Golden Potato-Cauliflower Soup came to mind. I’ve been making it often ever since I found it in Health Magazine in 2004.

The good news is that it uses garden favorites, but is suitable for winter-warming. I’ve changed it a bit over the years and yesterday I decided to use it with some mandioquinha I picked up at the market last weekend.

You remember it, right? That golden, sweet root vegetable native to South America also called the Peruvian parsnip, batata baroa or arracacha. I’ve decided I need to overdose on it for the next three months while I’m still here, by the way.

The substitution worked wonderfully. It was the potato version taken up a notch, smooth and creamy, comforting yet still light. While I know most of you don’t have access to it, I started thinking about all the other root veggies that might work well in this recipe. Turnips, red potatoes, parsnips? I don’t know. It may be worth a try.

Cauliflower & Mandioquinha Soup
Adapted from Golden Potato-Cauliflower Soup, Health 2004

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup onion, diced
1/3 cup celery, diced
2 cups mandioquinha, chopped (or your root veggie substitute)
1 medium cauliflower with broken into small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups chicken stock
½ to 1 cup milk
Chives and grated parmesan for garnish

Heat olive oil in a soup pot and saute garlic, onion and celery for 2 to 3 minutes. Add madioquinha and cook for about 3 more minutes. Add in cauliflower and cook and additional 7 minutes. Veggies should be starting to brown a bit at this point, or at least getting tender. Salt and pepper to taste now or you can wait until the soup is combined.

Add three cups of chicken stock. This should almost cover the veggies, but not completely. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about fifteen minutes or until the vegetables are very tender.

Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender (or transfer to a standard blender) and blend all ingredients well, leaving no lumps. Turn the heat back on and stir in ½ to one cup of milk depending on desired consistency and heat through.

Transfer to bowls and garnish with chives and cheese. Take pictures. Oh, wait. You don’t have to do that one. Silly me.

Serves about 4.

Rice and Beans: A Not-Quite-Brazilian Version

June 16, 2009

I was fond of rice and beans before moving to Brazil, but I must admit that they typically came from a can and a box which often had the term “instant” or “minute” somewhere on it.

I have yet to find someone here to show me the proper way to make Brazilian rice and beans. It seems to be a method and recipe you are born with and few people my age or younger prepare them. Through my own trial and error I’ve got the rice pretty well down, but the beans remain a mystery. I do know many people use pressure cookers, but others don’t. I remain in the camp that doesn’t because they scare me a bit.

The first time I made my own rice and beans here I patterned it off a recipe from the Joy of Cooking Cookbook for Brazilian Black Beans. Funny thing is I’ve never had any beans here that taste anything like that recipe. Maybe they are like that in the north, I’m not sure. I think they were trying to mimic feijoada, but that isn’t it either. Over time I’ve taken that recipe and added my own touches to create rice and beans that I’m happy with.

I made them yesterday and realized I’d never shared it before so here you go. The beans are mildly spicy which I enjoy. A great addition would be some chopped jalapenos or you could use some colored bell peppers as well. Black beans are used for feijoada, but when it comes to plain rice and beans a red/white bean is used. I’ve asked friends here what kind of beans they are and the response I typically get is, “I don’t know, they are beans.”

Rice and Beans (The Not-Quite-Brazilian Version)

4 cups red/white beans, soaked overnight in 8 cups water
8 cups water
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp hot paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Juice of one lime
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water

For the beans:

Drain beans and return to cooking pot. Cover in 8 cups of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and cook onion, green pepper and garlic until tender. Stir in cumin, red pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Usually at about 1 hour 15 minutes the liquid is about gone in my beans. At this point I add the chicken stock. At 1 ½ hours I add the onions and peppers, then cook for an additional 30 minutes or until tender.

Once cooked squeeze the juice of one lime over the beans and mix in. This makes a lot of beans likely enough to feed six.

For the rice:

In a deep pan, heat olive oil, add rice and cook for about two minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. *You may need to double the recipe to have enough for all your beans. I tend to use my beans in soups and wraps too so I don’t need a lot of rice.

Last Stop Blumenau: German Food in Brazil

May 5, 2009

On our drive back from Floripa we took the opportunity to spend the night in the city of Blumenau, Brazil in the state of Santa Catarina. We had heard so much about it since moving to Brazil especially about the Oktoberfest there. The one here actually does take place in October, usually the first two weeks.

This part of the country is in an area called the European Valley. Here there are towns with residents which have held tight to their strong European roots. The area reflects the cultures of Italy and German and in many places Italian and German are spoken as much or more than Portuguese.

Blumenau still has some remaining German touches within it. The main street through the city has a German feel and there are some buildings that look like they are straight out of old Europe, however, it has changed a lot. We’ve learned that you really have to go to some of the smaller towns to experience the strong German influence and unfortunately we didn’t have time this trip.

Despite the lesser German feel of the city, the food was top notch. The best part about the area was the beer. Microbreweries are all over the area some featuring selections we can’t get anywhere else. We stopped for beer and snacks in the center of town to get some Eisenbahn which is brewed in Blumenau.

We can also get this beer in Curitiba, but I it was incredibly fresh from the source and tasted amazing. My favorite is the Weiss. Our snack was fried mandioca wrapped in bacon. This was something different for us and I’m so glad we tried it. Mandioca (manioc, yucca) is a really unique root vegetable for me and it was excellent prepared like this.

Aside from all the seafood on the rest of our trip, the other meal we couldn’t wait to have was at the restaurant Frohsinn which sits atop the city offering some great views. We were really expecting more of a beer garden, but this place turned out to be a bit of an upscale restaurant. Good thing it is hard to be underdressed in Brazil! Jeans are pretty much accepted everywhere.

We couldn’t resist the Oktoberfest Platter. Of course they said it was for two people, but four could have eaten it. Look at this thing!

It featured stuffed duck, sausages, pork knee, some other random pork meats, spaetzle, pureed peas with bacon, sauerkraut and potatoes. It was quite a feast! I think the pork knee was my favorite. It was actually a little better than the one I had in Vienna last summer.

Another highlight is that we got to try a beer called Schornstein from a small town nearby called Pomerode. This is one of those varieties we can’t get elsewhere and it was excellent. It was lighter than a traditional Weiss and had a lot of the same qualities as a Pilsen, but with more flavor.

Unfortunately we were too full for dessert that night. Don’t you think we should be! You’ve seen all this wonderful food from our trip and now it has finally come to an end. From pastries to seafood to German fare it was quite a food-filled adventure!

Mango Caprioska & Challenge Reminder

May 4, 2009

I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of Brazilian cocktails. This is simply because, in general, the quality of liquor here isn’t top notch. Well, unless you are drinking Johnny Walker, but that is because it is among the varieties that are imported.

There are a lot of name brand liquors here, but if you check the back label you find they are manufactured in Brazil. To put it nicely, let’s just say that the country does rice, beans, red meat and a myriad of desserts much better than it does alcohol. Of course, limited quality alcohol is a small price to pay for all those wonderful things the country does do well, but it is for this reason that I often stick with beer.

This brings me to that ever popular drink, the Caipirinha made with the sugarcane liquor, cachaça. (Note, it is nothing like the rum of the Caribbean, also made of sugarcane, because it typically isn’t aged). I’ve had a couple of these drinks and I have to say I enjoy the variety of fruits you can add. Both the kiwi and the passion fruit options are great. The one thing I don’t like about the drink is the cachaça.

Before we moved here I enjoyed it, but now I really can’t stomach the smell. You see, the smell of this liquor is the same smell you get when you open a bottle of rubbing alcohol often used to clean the equipment in the gym. It is also the same smell you get when you pull up to a filling station to top the car off with alcool instead of gasoline. So needless to say, I’m not a big fan of sitting down to a drink with the same aroma as all of these things.

Not to put a damper on the Caipirinha, or its rich history, it just isn’t my thing. My advice is that if you drink cachaça go for the high quality (read: more expensive) stuff.

If I do order a cocktail, I lean towards the Caprioska. This is the same drink, but made with vodka instead of the cachaça. During our time at the beach, in honor of the all the mango business going on around here, I treated myself to a Mango Caprioska.

They are easy to make yourself and you can substitute any fruit for the traditional lime. Pineapple, passion fruit, kiwi and mango are all popular here.

Mango Caprioska

Half of a ripe mango, cubed
1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar
Crushed ice
Vodka

Add the fruit and sugar to the glass and mull together. Fill the glass with crushed ice and top off with vodka.

Speaking of mangos, have you entered the Mango Challenge yet? I’ve gotten some great entries so far and it is going to be a tough competition. I can’t wait to see what you can do with mango! The deadline is May 22nd.

I also wanted to address the comments of disappointment I have received and I sincerely apologize that I can’t make this challenge worldwide. If it were simply a book I was giving away or a small item, I would certainly change the rules, but this box is going to be quite heavy to ship. I hope sometime in the near future I can offer an international competition, but right now I have to keep this one for participants with a US address.

You can check out the original announcement for full details, but here are a few highlights.

Be sure to email your submission to lori(at)fakefoodfree(dot)com (I will respond that I received it) and include the following information:

First Name:
Recipe Name:
Blog url:
Blog post url:
Picture: (about 450 x 340 px)

Feel free to use the logo above in your blog post. (If you don’t have a blog, just send your name, recipe and a picture.)

All entries are due by Friday, May 22nd, 2009 at 12:00pm CST.

Shrimp and More Shrimp: Food in Florianópolis

May 1, 2009

We’ve only been to the coast of Brazil about three times now and when we go we overdose on shrimp and seafood to get us through until the next trip. It is possible to find salmon and some fish where we are in the interior of the country, but many shrimp dishes consist of those tiny little salad shrimp and really don’t satisfy.

I love eating shrimp in Floripa because I know it is so fresh. If you drive around the island to some of the beaches in the early morning you can see the shrimp boats out collecting the daily catch. There is nothing quite like shrimp and cold Brazilian beer.

They get really creative with shrimp on the island – steamed, fried, sautéed with garlic and oil, in a sauce over fish. My absolute favorite dish in Brazil has been Camarão na Moranga which is a shrimp and cheese stew baked in a moranga. Moranga, not to be confused with morango (strawberry), is a variety of pumpkin. Unfortunately on our first trip to the island I didn’t have my camera with me to get a picture and this time we didn’t get to have it, but I am searching for a recipe so hopefully I can feature it for you soon.

My other favorite is the siri – a version of crab usually stuffed in the shell or in the form of a fried bolinho or ball like a hush puppy. I had plenty of that this trip and the pictures to prove it!

As I mentioned in my last post you tend to sacrifice restaurant availability by traveling to Floripa in the off season, but fortunately we stayed at a hotel that was more of a resort. They had fantastic food and wonderful service all at great prices. So we ate at a local restaurant one night and had the rest of our food at the resort restaurants.

We started our first meal out with some bolinhos de siri served with a delicious homemade sauce similar to a tartar sauce, but much more flavorful.

The main course was a moqueca. This time we had it with shrimp and calamari. It was fantastic and as delicious as the version our friends helped us make at home. It was served with seasoned rice, farofa (toasted mandioca flour) and a pudding made out of mandioca flour that was almost like a polenta.

Lunch at the pool consisted of huge baked oysters. They were filled with a cheese and baked off until warm and crispy on the outside.

This was followed by my very favorite casquinha de siri, or crab mixed into a stuffing and baked into the crab shell.

The last time we were on the island we enjoyed sequência de camarão which is about seven courses of shrimp and seafood. We weren’t in an area of the island where this dish was popular so we had to settle for the Festival of Shrimp instead. It was tough, but someone had to enjoy this feast of differently prepared shrimp, fish in shrimp sauce, bolinhos de siri, potatoes and rice.

Waiters often serve you your plate at restaurants here, so I had to get the full plate shot and then a half empty shot of the whole dish. They kept the clay dish under a flame to keep it warm while we were eating.

All of the food was fantastic! They do seafood so well in Floripa.

I hope you aren’t quite full yet. We made a stop in Blumenau on the drive back. It is a city known for its rich German influences and resides in an area known as the European Valley in the south of Brazil. There is stuffed duck, spaetzle and German, well, German-Brazilian, beer to come.

A Trip to Floripa Part 1: Fitness & Desserts

April 30, 2009

Thanks so much for all the well wishes regarding my trip. It was a wonderful holiday filled with lots of excitement and equal amounts of relaxation. I have so much to share that it was hard to decide where to start. I thought I would tell you a little bit about the event that took us to Florianopolis and then finish this post off with some food highlights by having a little dessert first.

Floripa (the local nickname) is an island off the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. It is an area that combines a major city with secluded beaches, and is a very diverse place for travel. South American tourists flock there in summer months, usually from December until Carnival in February.

Not being one for huge crowds I really like the off-season there. Last time we traveled in November which was closer to tourist season than our trip this time. Unfortunately you do sacrifice a bit for the peace and quiet this time of year can bring. Many restaurants close up for the season or are only open on the weekends. However, as you will see, we didn’t have trouble finding some amazing food.

The reason for our travel was that my husband participated in the Volta á Ilha, a 150km relay around the island. It was an exciting event! The company he works for had one team of seven (which my husband was on) and one team of eight to run in the race.

The course goes from road, to sand dunes, to beaches, to mountains. It is certainly an adventure and last Saturday it became more of an adventure than most of the participants were expecting. The day started out in pouring rain, but my husband managed to finish his first leg in record time. The team was doing really great overall until early afternoon.

The rain and rising tide caused water to collect in the dunes along the course and wash out the check points. At certain places along the way the runners had to wade through waist deep water! This slowed them down, of course. Actually the second company team had to drop out. Things got pretty stressful for those of us waiting at the finish line at the end of the night.

The event was started at 6:45 am (earlier by others) and had to be finished by 8:00 pm. This meant the last three runners, including my husband, had to make some great times on their final legs. The excitement was amazing as we saw them coming down the finish lane. They completed the race with 7 seconds to spare!! How awesome is that? I was so proud of him and the rest of the team. They worked so hard!

Here are a few pictures of the event. First, my husband finishing his first leg in the pouring rain, next a check point on the beach and some runners completing the beach portion of the 12th leg, then another check point on the beach. I don’t have any great pictures of the finish line because it was dark, but I assure you there was plenty of celebration. Many teams crossed the finish line with Brazilian beer in hand!

I have so much great food to share with you along with details of our vacation portion of the trip. I thought I would kick it off with dessert. I think you can tell by my blog that I’ve come across some great desserts in Brazil. This trip I encountered some that have quickly become my favorites.

This tart is from a French bakery in Curitiba. We spent the night there to break up our 11 hour drive. At first, this may not seem too rare, but chocolate chips are really hard to come by. I have never seen them where we are living.

This tart had a chocolate cookie crust and was filled with a banana cake topped with walnuts and chocolate chips. The best part was that it wasn’t overly sweet. The banana wasn’t strong at all which made the nuts and chocolate really shine through.

Next, was the refreshing Crème de Morango. This is a spinoff of Crème de Papaya which is very common in Brazil. The papaya version includes the fruit mixed with ice cream and topped with Crème de Cassis liqueur.

We chose to branch out and try morango (strawberry) this time and were not disappointed. It tasted like a fresh, homemade strawberry ice cream straight from an old-fashioned bucket with a hand crank.

My husband and I agree that this final dessert may be the best and most creative we have had in the country thus far. The combination of passion fruit (maracujá) and chocolate is a delicious one and we ordered this dessert knowing it came with passion fruit sorbet and a brownie. This is what we got…

A passion fruit hallowed out and filled with a creamy and tart sorbet. Next to it and incredibly rich and fudge like brownie with nuts. Along the outside is the sweetened pulp of passion fruit with the crunchy seeds. Both the flavor and the presentation were impressive!

I still have a lot left to cover including the seafood feasts we enjoyed, pictures of the island and some German food and beer right out of southern Brazil. More to come tomorrow!

Beaches and Seafood

April 23, 2009

I’m headed off to do a little traveling in this diverse and interesting country. I had hoped to get some more posts up this week, but I simply ran out of time.

Next week, I will be back to blogging and will share with you some adventures of beaches and seafood from Florianópolis, Brazil. You will likely get a few fitness related notes too, as my husband is all set to run in the Volta á Ilha – a 150 km relay around the island. In addition, I’m looking forward to experiencing some of the German culture that is so prevalent in the south when we stop in Blumenau.

We took a trip to Florianopolis in 2007 so here is just a little preview of the reports and foodie fun you can expect next week. See you then!!

Praia Brava – Where we stayed on our first trip.