Culture and Food History Archives | Page 3 of 4

Small Towns and Real Food

March 16, 2010

Once we moved into our house a whopping two and a half weeks ago, I had this overwhelming urge to immediately dive right into the local community. Perhaps it was because since I left grad school I’ve had these big ideas of volunteering, but have never actually done anything. Or maybe it was because when we moved to Brazil I had these big ideas of being involved in the community, but was too overwhelmed with getting accustomed to my new lifestyle to actually do anything.

Notice a lot of wanting and thinking, but not a lot of doing.

So now that our feet are on the ground with a very loose grip (I still have to travel!), I wanted to get in there before I started making excuses again. My first two steps were to join the Farmer’s Market planning committee (a small event with a handful of vendors) and attend a Farm-to-Table diversity conference offered by the county’s Women in Ag organization.

Let me first explain the setting. We’ve moved to a small, rural county that is about 40 minutes from a college town of about 300,000 people, and about 90 minutes from two major, metropolitan cities. So we aren’t way out there by any means, but far enough out that you know you aren’t in the big city anymore.

What do you think of when you think of the rural areas of the US?

I’ll tell you want I think of, more food from the farm, eating from the land and consuming more nourishing, whole foods prepared like they used to be. The way that advocates of real food are encouraging – butter, lard, whole dairy, grass-fed beef, pastured eggs and pork, freshly picked fruits and veggies, and home baked breads.

Fresh fruits and veggies – check. At least when I my garden gets-to-going. Humanely raised meat and eggs – check. I buy from a local farm and so far all the farmer’s market vendors I’ve met follow the same practices.

But now, let me tell you about the Farm-to-Table event this past weekend. I went to learn about worm farm composting, herbs and photography. However, I was equally excited about the Taste of the County sampling menu we would be having for lunch.

I snuck into the kitchen early to try and get some photos and speak with the cook. I only spoke with her a few minutes, but I learned an interesting story. She once owned a catering business in Berkley, CA which then turned into a private chef business. She then got into the Alpaca business, stopped catering and moved to Kentucky. Incredibly sweet lady and I hope to learn more from her in the future.

I was all about this meal. Here is what we got to try.

Spinach and Tomato Quiche, and Barbeque Chicken Salad in Tortilla Cups

Braised Lamb on Polenta

Beef Sliders with Onion Jam

Shredded Pork with Spicy Peach Chutney

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Garlic

Lemon and Black Walnut Pound Cake

After lunch a person from the planning team asked how many people had tried something that they had never had before. Half the room raised their hands. Completely surprised I looked back over the menu. Okay, well maybe it was the peach chutney or polenta. It was hard for me to believe.

But there’s more.

Two days later I attended a Farmer’s Market planning meeting and one of the farmer’s mentioned that his mother had attended the event. Her comment after lunch – I can’t wait to get home and have a bologna sandwich and a Pepsi.

Then it hit me. Perhaps my perception that rural life and real food go together isn’t entirely accurate.

Cola companies, convenience food, unidentifiable cheese products have also permeated our rural communities. Did I mention that our town center is about 6 buildings total, yet driving in you will see golden arches?

The sandwich comment was also followed by discussions of how farmer’s market customers have no idea how to use new varieties of cucumbers, eggplants or butternut squash which discourages them from buying these items. Now, curry paste and udon I would understand, but vegetables in a rural community?

Needless to say, I have a lot to learn, and for my own, tiny little mission, a lot of work to do. Much of it may begin with showing people how to enjoy these foods I would have thought were common; and then convincing them that there are A LOT of people out there dying to get their hands on the local produce, humanely raised meats and artisanal products they have to offer.

Unhealthy Obsessions with (Un)Healthy Foods, Part 1

February 23, 2010

Last week, I came across an interview with Michael Pollan from Active.com. Despite hearing or reading the same message about food and responsible eating, I never seem to tire of getting the message again and again. I always seem to find something new that gets me thinking.

This time it was the phrase, “an unhealthy obsession with healthy food.”

For a long time before I even had ideas for this blog, as I was studying nutrition and creating my own path to health, I felt that an obsession with healthy practices was as negative for wellness as not caring about what you put into your body. I remember verbalizing this thought to those around me at the time. Addiction comes in many forms and those related to overeating can easily be transformed into under-eating and counting every calorie, gram and milligram.

This phrase really brings about two different thoughts for me and today I’ll concentrate on the first one.

When we become so concerned about what a food will do for us, or how it will affect us we stop enjoying the food. Often in our society it feels that we are so desperate for perfect health that we’ll pay any amount of money and believe any bull to get it. So we’ve reached this point where we’ve forgotten about food, the art of making it, the benefit of eating it together and eating slowly.

Food is a thing, a thing that can make us fat or thin, disease-ridden or disease-free. A thing that must be consumed when our stomach growls, when we are stressed or when the clock strikes a certain hour.

The irony is that even when we have health as our number one priority those foods, those things, we are obsessing about aren’t even healthy. (Preservative-filled, artificially sweetened, artificially-thickened, fat-replaced yogurt, anyone?)

Sadly, the unhealthy obsession with healthy foods that I’ve battled from time to time made me miss out on some great stuff. The one thing that stands out in my mind is that I avoided some truly healthy foods because they were high in calorie only to eat fake foods with lesser nutritional value.

What was I thinking? Well, I’ll be easy on myself and say I was thinking what society and food companies wanted me to.

Nuts, peanut butter, olive oil, whole grain cereals and bananas are all examples of food that at one time or another I ate very little of because of the calories they contain. Instead I ate fat-free yogurt, low–fat crackers, processed cereal bars, frozen diet meals and light ice cream.

Just think about all those calories I was saving! Funny how my struggle with carrying a few extra pounds never changed. Not to mention the fact that I was getting very few nutrients when I could have been getting a multitude of vitamins and minerals, protein and heart-healthy fat.

An obsession in any form can be damaging to wellness, but can be especially so when directed at what the food industry and society convince us is healthy. An unhealthy obsession with so-called healthy foods can cheat us of both the enjoyment of food and of eating real food all together.

When we eat real foods, there is no need to obsess because health will naturally fall into line.

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Muesli is one of those foods that I knew about years ago, but wouldn’t eat because of the fear of calories, despite the fact that it is packed full of nutrients. Fortunately, we were re-introduced to it at a hotel breakfast while traveling around SE Asia last October. I’m so glad my views on healthy food have changed! Now I’m making my own and breakfast has never been better.

My Muesli

Rolled oats
Raisins
Dried cranberries
Chopped walnuts, pecans and almonds
Unsweetened, shredded coconut
Sprinkle of mascavo sugar

Two of Our Favorite Things: Kaya and Soup Tulang

January 14, 2010

Despite the fact that it has been two and a half months since our travel around Southeast Asia I still have plenty left to tell you about that amazing trip. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I’m constantly coming back to the question – What was my favorite thing?

I’m speaking specifically of food experiences here, and I’ve finally decided that if I had to answer that question there would be a tie. While everything was delicious and each food came with its own authentic experience, there were two very specific, very different things that stand out.

Kaya and Soup Tulang.

Let’s start with Kaya since it was what we began our day with every chance we were given. Kaya is a coconut jam made with egg and sugar or honey and often flavored with pandan leaf. I had read about it briefly before our trip not giving it a second thought or considering that it could end up being one of our favorite food finds of the trip.

I saw it on a menu at the first hawker we stumbled into while in Singapore, and recognizing the name, decided to try it. What we were trying here was actually kaya toast, or more specifically the best breakfast and snack ever!

We ordered kaya toast with butter and watched as the grill cook grabbed two slices of thick white bread, grilled them, slathered each piece with the kaya and placed a slab of pre-cut butter in the middle. It was assembled like a sandwich and sliced into fourths.

The kaya has a slightly gritty texture, is similar to custard in color and taste from the egg and has a strong coconut flavor. Combined with the butter on warm toast, it was delicious.

From that point on we had our eye out for it, stopping for a snack of kaya toast when we found it. And find it we did; in other spots in Singapore, in Kuala Lumpur and when we returned to Hong Kong on our way back to the US. We also picked up a few jars to bring back home and it is just as tasty on the hearty, whole grain toast I have for breakfast around here.

I was surprised how easy kaya was to miss when visiting these places. It seemed it was downplayed a bit in the resources I had read. The publications suggested trying it, but it wasn’t highlighted and I think it should be. Not only because of the flavor, but because it was so popular locally. The one spot we frequented while in KL had a line out the door every morning with locals eating kaya toast and soft boiled eggs for breakfast.

To find what ended up being our next favorite, I will admit we followed the Anthony Bourdain trail. Ever since seeing the episode of No Reservations in Singapore, my husband had wanted to try Soup Tulang, mutton bones simmered in a chili sauce, an Indian dish that has become a local favorite.

So one evening we made our way out to the Golden Mile Food Center which takes quite a bit of effort to get to, by the way. We took the metro for a bit of a ride and walked around a while before finally getting directions from a woman on the street. Then we walked for a couple blocks before finding the food center in the middle of a more residential area.

I’m pretty sure every stall owner in the place knew what we were there for. It seemed certain that people like us (as in Caucasian) most often go there for this specific dish. After circling the place a couple times we found the Haji Kadir stall which was featured on the show and my husband placed his order.

Going into this I didn’t really have an opinion about the dish. I wanted to try it, but I was a bit nervous about sucking marrow out of the bones. Oh, did I mention this is how you eat it? It’s the highlight of the dish. I wasn’t disgusted or anything. I was open to trying it, but expecting not to like it simply because I’m wasn’t sure I would be comfortable with the action of sucking on bones.

When we sat down with our plate, we realized that it was not at all a touristy place despite the fact that visiting foodies like us might make their way out there. We were surrounded by huge tables full of locals, sucking on bones, pounding them on the table to get the marrow out and leaving behind plates making the place look like a graveyard in a bad Halloween movie.

The plate itself is quite impressive to the eye. All that red chili sauce looked delicious and it was topped with just a little shredded cabbage. It was just barely spicy, but full of flavor. They also gave us a big plate of bread to dip in the sauce, a great combination.

I let my husband try the bones first and we decided to use the straw method to get the marrow out which, by the way, no one else in the place was using. I tried it next, not sure what to expect.

I picked up my bone, inserted the straw and sucked up some of the jelly-like substance that melted in my mouth like butter. I have to be honest with you, it was so good! The action of eating it felt odd and unfamiliar, but I definitely like bone marrow. The flavor of the chili sauce had cooked in, leaving a rich, slightly spicy flavor. We both walked away feeling that, if not our favorite food for the flavor, it certainly was for the experience.

So there you have it. I told you the two foods were very different! It was really hard to narrow it down to these two because I’m not sure we had anything that we truly disliked on this trip. We certainly confirmed what people are always telling us – Southeast Asia has some of the most amazing food in the world.

Tasting Antigua

January 4, 2010

I wrote this post back in 2010, but we have since returned to beautiful Antigua! We hired Roger, the tour guide mentioned in this post, once again and had another great trip exploring this stunning island!

“What would you like for lunch?,” our guide asked.

“Something local,” my husband and I said in unison.

I think our guide was a little surprised. There are a lot of food choices available on the island of Antigua, especially considering its rather European history. I had, however, read up on some of local, native foods of island before our trip and had been looking forward to trying them for months.

For the past several years we’ve taken a vacation in the Caribbean the week before Christmas. This year we made our first visit to the island of Antigua. We stay at Sandals resort, which we love, but as we’ve traveled more and more we find it important to get off the comfy resort and learn more about the places we are visiting. That, of course, also means having some local food.

This year we hired a private driver, a local named Roger. He took us out driving for the day and taught us so much about the history of his island. Probably due to the focus of my questions a large portion of what we learned was focused on food. For starters, he showed just about every fruit plant that grows in the area. I tried to make a list of the things we saw, but I’m sure I missed a few.

Sorrel, breadfruit, pomelo, lemon, lime, cacao, guava, passion fruit, pomegranate, custard apple, pineapple, banana, soursop, mango, avocado, ackee, papaya, tamarind and coconut.

That’s a lot of tropical fruit for one small island! In fact, Roger told us that many fruits such as the lemon and mango simply go to waste because they aren’t used in a lot of local cooking.

Midday we passed a few roadside stands selling fresh fruit, the highlight being the Antiguan Black Pineapple. Roger assured us that it would be the sweetest we’ve ever tried. I was skeptical considering all the delicious pineapples we were able to try in Brazil, but Roger was spot on. The flavor rivaled those of South America.

As you can see the pineapple isn’t black at all. It is small in size with a dark, golden skin when ripe. The owner of the stand we stopped at prides herself on only selling the Antiguan Black Pineapple. We got a plate of the pineapple and some finger bananas (as they were being called). The bananas were much like the banana maça we used to get in Brazil, but I’m not sure that they are the exact same variety. What a plate of nature’s goodness!

Roger came across as a natural, unprocessed food advocate and we had a lot of interesting, informative conversations throughout the day. He told us that because Antigua is so small many foods are imported. That also means that many food trends come along with it. For example, he said when he was growing up they made their own sea salt harvesting it from the water around them. Then all of a sudden they started receiving shipments of table salt and it began showing up in stores.

They began eating that type of salt being told that it was better, likely because of the iodine. Of course, today the focus is back on sea salt because of its beneficial mineral content. So what they had done as kids turned out to be the best practice.

I think we can all relate to that. Food trends whether for health or taste always seem to upset cultures and often healthy practices whether it be a large landmass or a small island.

For lunch we ended up at a small restaurant called Caribbean Taste. The best way to describe it was a home-slash-restaurant. Family and friends came in and out while we ate and groups of women sat in the main area of the building eating and preparing more food for cooking.

I was hoping to get to try the sorrel drink which is made around the holiday season, but they had not made it that particular day. Instead, we got some homemade ginger drink. This stuff was amazing. I’ve had ginger beer before which is carbonated, but this was like lemonade, but made with ginger instead. It was sweet with that spicy burn specific to fresh ginger root.

When I found out there was only one order of Ducana left for the day I quickly decided what I wanted. I had read about it prior to our trip and Roger explained it to us on the tour as well. Made of sweet potato, flour, sugar, coconut and spices it is a dumpling steamed in a banana leaf. Mine was served with salted cod in a red sauce and chop-up which is a mixture of veggies most prominently spinach. A delicious sweet and savory combination.

My husband tried the curried goat. Okay, I did try it. Since I had pet goats growing up and my parents still raise them I have a really hard time enjoying goat as a meal. However, I do understand the fact that it is a common protein source for many cultures. So in the spirit of being open to foods and culture I tried a bite.

I can’t say I loved it and that had nothing to do with the fact that it was goat. It reminded me of a roast like my mom used to make when I was growing up. Kind of fatty, but with tender yet slightly chewy meat. The flavor of the sauce was great, but I didn’t enjoy the meat, however, I think my husband would order it again for sure.

Along with the great food out on the island, the food at the resort wasn’t too shabby either. I will say we were disappointed that more local foods didn’t make the menu. We talked to Roger about this and he expressed that he wished the people of Antigua would demand that local foods be used on the menu. I’m speaking of local dishes/recipes here, not necessarily local ingredients. Apparently in Jamaica it is a priority so although you may not have something truly authentic it is likely you will find a version of escovitch fish, jerk chicken and ackee and salt fish even on the menus of all-inclusive resorts.

The one exception was the Caribbean rock lobster for which Barbuda (part of the same country as Antigua) is known. We had grilled lobster many times during our visit. I also had a bit of fungi for breakfast one morning which is a cornmeal similar to polenta. This version was formed into patties or cakes and served with okra.

Sushi with spicy crab

Fried Calamari

Seafood Chowder

Curry Lamb

Paradise Punch from the swim-up bar

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Deconstructed Tiramisu

I love foods of the Caribbean and Antiguan cuisine was no exception. If you find yourself there, head out and explore the island and eat some fantastic food while you’re at it!

Need a guide when you are there?

Our day with Roger was fantastic!

Roger’s Taxi & Tours

(268) 764 -6331

rogertaxitours (at) gmail (dot) com

Feasting on Pine

September 3, 2009

For a tropical country Brazil has some impressive evergreen trees, at least in the mountainous regions of the country. In fact, the claim-to-fame of the state we are living in is the majestic Araucaria tree. There are about 19 different types of Araucaria tree and each looks just a little different.

While some varieties can be found in other parts of South America, the type the state of Paraná is known for is the Araucaria angustifolia. It is also sometimes called the pinheiro-do-paraná (the Paraná pine). There are a few where we are living, but many more in Curitiba, about a 6 hour drive away, towards the coast. They can also be found in a few states north and south of here such as in Santa Catarina where the island of Florianopolis is located.

The trees have different shapes, but I love the ones that are more flat along the top. The branches extend out to make them almost look like a candelabra.

So what does all this talk about trees have to do with food?

Well, the pine nuts from the Araucaria tree can be eaten and happen to be quite popular around the area.

Typically available from May through July (winter), the pine nuts, or pinhão, are most often associated with Festa Junina events. This June festival celebrates rural life and is often equated to a hillbilly party. The hillbillies, so-to-speak, are referred to as Caipiras, a term which lends to the name for the popular Brazilian cocktail, caipirinha. Foods such as canjica, peanuts and popcorn are served at these parties as well as pinhão.

In addition, you can also find the nut in the supermarkets during this time of year. If you happen to be on a road trip like we were in late April you will also pass plenty of roadside stands selling cooked pinhão by the bag. The pine nut (still in it’s shell) is prepared most often using a pressure cooker and is seasoned with salt. It is also made into a soup, but I haven’t had the opportunity to try it.

When we were at the Curitiba Zoo last fall we were able to read a translated description of the pine nut including details about its nutritional value – rich in vitamin B, calcium, phosphorus and protein.

The pinhão are quite difficult to get into. Our friends here suggest biting off the end, spitting it out and then pushing the nut out with your fingers. We tried this, but I always ended up having to peel it.

The texture and flavor are like a cross between a nut and firm bean which is enhanced by the added salt. It is a great snack, but given the difficulty of getting one open only a handful tend to be consumed at a sitting.

This has most certainly been one of those local foods we won’t be experiencing anywhere else anytime soon. Even parts of Brazil aren’t fortunate enough to enjoy this winter treat. The pinhão and the Araucaria tree are big foodie benefits of living in Paraná.

Foods of Minas Gerais

August 20, 2009

Remember when the Internet was an incredibly scary place? When people would warn about being too visible and you felt as though you had to sneak around for fear that it was a world full of only the weird and unstable.

I’m so glad those days are gone! I mean, you still have to be careful, but the world of blogging, travel and food has been a wonderful thing. From the day I started my ex-pat blog, which expanded to this blog, I began meeting people; friendly, real people.

For the last few days I’ve been taking advantage of one of those connections I’ve made. Someone who reads my ex-pat blog invited to me to visit Belo Horizonte and Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Not only did I get to meet her and her family, I also got to meet another ex-pat family living there.

It was a wonderful trip filled with lots of history, a part of this country that I was sorely lacking. This included a history of both food and some things related to cooking. It was such a great experience to try some new foods, and some of the foods I’m familiar with prepared in a different way.

I thought I’d first share with you some of the best meals I had highlighting those things that are specific to that area of the country. In my next post I’ll expand to some of the food and cooking related goodies I got including those from the central market.

Before my trip everyone kept telling me that Minas food is very different. Looking back, I wouldn’t say it is very different because many of the same ingredients are used here. However, there were some dishes that I was able to taste for the first time, some of which I’ve never seen on the menus in Maringá, or at least I didn’t know them well enough to order them and they aren’t that visible on the tables around us.

While I was in Belo Horizonte we took a trip to Ouro Preto, a city I’ve been interested in since seeing a documentary on it before our move. It is only about 1.5 hours away so a great option for a day trip.

This place holds much of the history of the country and if you travel to Brazil I’d highly recommend making your way there. Yes, I’d even suggest skipping a few days at the beach for it. It was simply amazing with cobblestone streets, village-like architecture, historic museums and churches filled with ornamental gold-leaf. It reminded me a lot of Prague and it is where much of the gold mining was done for that which was then sent to the Portuguese Crown.

While I learned about the history, I’m not the best at creating the written word to capture it for an interesting story. If you want to learn more, head over to the Salty Cod. Mallory recently visited and has an extensive post about the history of the city and some amazing photographs.

It was in Ouro Preto that I got to try food that is specific to Minas Gerais. I was interested to learn from Emily, one of the U.S. ex-pats I visited there, that the food is very similar to that which we find in the southern U.S. It makes sense due to both areas having a strong African influence.

For lunch we went to Chafariz, a somewhat touristy spot which specialized in Minas cuisine. When I use the word touristy I mean that to say that a lot of Brazilian tourists eat there and you can find it mentioned on travel guides like Frommer’s. I don’t mean it to say it has been altered to be appealing to a variety of tastes like many touristy establishments. This is the authentic version for sure.

We started with a small shot of local cachaça that came with the meal. You know I’m not a huge fan of it, but this variety was actually pretty good. It was followed by Caldo Verde a soup found in both Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine. It has a thick broth and is filled with couve (collard greens), potatoes (usually mashed into the broth) and pork or pork sausage. It was also served in soap stone bowls which I will explain more about in my next post.

I have had this soup before and the one we had at Chafariz was one of the best I’ve tried. I have attempted to make it before, but I can’t get it quite right. You can check out this recipe from Pink Bites if you are interested in trying it yourself.

My goal was to try everything new to me, or that was prepared in a way I was unfamiliar with. Well, except for rice and farofa. A Brazilian meal just wouldn’t be complete without those. I did pretty well on the first plate, but I did have to go back for a tiny follow up to get it all in.

The first thing that caught my attention when the cuisine was being explained to me was Frango ao Molho Pardo (chicken in brown sauce which is actually blood sauce). This was very good, kind of like a beef stew with chicken. I have to admit the thought of the blood does bother my mind-to-stomach system after I think about it for a while, but I wanted to try it out and I’m glad I did.

I’d read about Frango com Quiabo (chicken with okra) after we first moved and while I’ve seen okra on some occasions at the market, this dish doesn’t stand out in Maringá. I was looking forward to the opportunity to try it. The way the okra is cooked makes it tender, but allows it to maintain a slightly firm texture without being mushy and the seasonings are outstanding. By far the best way I’ve had okra.

Feijão Tropeiro was a combination of beans, farofa, fried egg, garlic, onion, bacon and sometimes sausage though I’m not sure I got a piece of that in my taste. Each ingredient is cooked separately and then combined so each holds its own shape and texture. No mushy stuff here. I loved this. It was my kind of all-in-one dish. It is often equated to trail food or cowboy food. Just to pass on the history lesson I received the tropeiro was used to take the gold from Ouro Preto into other areas of Minas Gerais and the whole process was executed through the use of donkeys and mules.

The other things on my plate included angu (polenta, more of a cornmeal mush) and couve which was sautéed with garlic. I really like the couve this way because it changes the bitterness compared to the fresh couve often served and gives it a more complex flavor. I’m not a big fan of the polenta because it is cooked in such a way that it is more of a sticky paste. Then I couldn’t pass up the steamed mandioca com alho frito (fried garlic) because I love the flavor of the fried garlic.

My second trip I got very little because I just to try out what I missed the first time. The bean paste is Tutu à Mineira which is similar to refried beans and has been mixed with mandioca flour. It has a sticky, pasty taste similar to the polenta. The interesting green fluff is Mousse de Pepino (cucumber). I’ve never had anything quite like this before. It had that refreshing taste that you’d expect from a cucumber and a slightly grainy texture. It was a unique flavor, but for me, only good in small doses. I rounded out the plate with a slice of cooked banana.

The doces (sweets) in Minas are similar to what we have here, but they are often served in a more liquid, scoop-able from. Therefore, you will find bowls full of doce de leite, cocada (coconut with sweetened condensed milk), candied fruits like the fig I have there (the green stuff) and they also serve the goiaba (guava fruit) in a candied jam form or in a solid form with a gritty texture. This variety is also served with local cheese. Of course, there is little I can fault with the sweets.

The meal was followed up with a cafezinho (strong, dark coffee) and a small taste of local Jabuticaba liqueur.

I don’t think I’ve talked about Jabuticaba before. It is a small, dark purple fruit, a little larger than a concord grape. The outside skin is smooth and shiny, inside is a white, opaque pulp with a fairly large seed. Its textures are very similar to a wine grape, but the flavor is simply sweet. It isn’t distinct to me, just sugary sweet and the liqueur was the same way. We can buy it (and grow it) here, but I don’t even think I’ve taken the chance to get a picture of it. Hopefully the Wikipedia page will help.

Well, it looks like my two-part post will turn into a three-part post. I have another meal to describe in addition to my fun finds at the central market, but I think you’ve likely had your fill for a day. Obviously it was a very food-focused trip! Aren’t they all?!

The Coffee Dilemma

July 24, 2009

Tuesday morning started out just like any other day. I went into the kitchen first thing, grabbed a coffee filter, added some of a my favorite Brazilian grounds, poured the water and pushed the red button. The button illuminated so I walked away to straighten up the kitchen then start up the computer.

A few minutes later I thought, “Hmmm, I don’t hear anything. More importantly I don’t smell anything.” I have a very inexpensive model of coffee maker I bought here and usually within seconds of pushing the “on” button the water starts to gurgle and a little steam is emitted from the top.

Still positive I went over and felt the machine. Cold. I checked inside and out for some sign of proper function, and started it again. Nothing. My calm, positive attitude slowly evolved into a bit of frantic thinking, and rattling and shaking the machine ensued.

Alas, the machine won. Less than two years old and it has bit the dust.

What to do, what to do. One option included buying a new maker for my last two months in Brazil. A possibility, but it seemed a bit wasteful. I could try to sell it upon moving or just leave it. The quality of small kitchen appliances here isn’t something you would want to ship home, trust me.

Sadly, investing the money in purchasing coffee every morning isn’t even an option here. There was no to-go coffee within the city until the McDonald’s started serving breakfast and selling it last October. I’ve had it a couple times and it is tasty and inexpensive, but it seriously takes a half hour to get the order here with your only bonus being it comes in a to-go. (That has been quite a big bonus, though, on some occasions.)

Then I started thinking. Well…I do have one more option which would eliminate the need for me to buy a machine or support the golden arches.

Meet my morning coffee maker.

Several months after living here I learned about the so-called “artisanal” way of making coffee. There are several cafes around our city that still make it this way for the public. I enjoy going there and watching the women behind the counter serve it to the men there for a quick cup in the morning while standing. Once my interest was peaked I bought the supplies and made it a few times for myself.

It wasn’t until we met with some new friends in Curitiba, that I learned that this style of making coffee is considered old school and artisanal. Apparently it is a lost art in many larger cities in southern Brazil. For comparison Curitiba is a city of almost 2M and Maringá has about 300K. Not so small in the US, but small by Brazilian standards when you compare it to cities such as Sao Paulo with 18 to 19M the last time I checked.

The process is simple. You toss the coffee, which is ground very finely here, into a pot with water. I use about 2 scoops of coffee for 2 ½ cups of water. You throw in the sugar at this point too. For me, that is a rounded teaspoon. Then you boil. Not a hard long boil, but enough to get it hot and dissolve the sugar and some grounds.

Next comes the filter that looks like a mini-fishnet. Made of cloth, the coffee drains through it like a filter so your grains don’t go to the cup. You pour the coffee through the filter and allow it to drip directly into the cup.

The process isn’t much unlike a mechanical coffee maker except for the fact that the coffee is cooked directly in the water. The water isn’t simply flowing through the coffee and into a pot. Although you do have to be present throughout the whole process.

It is also similar to what we call cowboy coffee or campfire coffee back home. Well, except for the fact that I’m using delicious Brazilian coffee beans. I would imagine it is tastier than most made at campsites. The brewing process results in a much stronger brew. I enjoy it, but I always have it café com leite-style with milk.

The negatives are the clean up. I have to dump out all those grains, scrub the pot, clean the filter contraption well and allow it to dry after I make coffee each morning. I’m starting to get used to it though. I guess in this case I looked at going without the maker as a challenge. Why not enjoy the piece of culture I have for the time being? Even if it does mean an extra 10 minutes of cleanup in the morning.

Finally Feijoada

July 20, 2009

One of the best things about traveling or taking part in an ex-pat experience is that you get to try the real thing when it comes to the foods of the place you are visiting. This can be as close by as Memphis barbecue or as far away as pasta in Italy. While foods are imitated everywhere and a select few are exactly like the real thing, many aren’t.

I have yet to have a German sausage that was anything like those that I’ve had in Germany and Austria. There is nothing to compare to the freshness of a pint of Guinness in Ireland. No jerk chicken tastes quite like that which can you get made the traditional way in Jamaica.

I’ve mentioned before that since being in Brazil everyone always asks about feijoada, the national dish made of black beans and pork and accompanied by rice. I think this dish serves as a great example of one of those foods made elsewhere, but is never quite captured completely. This is mostly because with foods such as this we tend to take out those parts that don’t fit well with our culture.

I’ve been in Brazil two years and until Saturday I had never had feijoada. There are two reasons for this. One is because I really didn’t have any doubts that I would like it; I mean its rice and beans with meat. It really isn’t incredibly different. The second is because this is how a conversation typically goes regarding feijoada with almost every person we’ve discussed it with in Brazil.

Them: “Have you had feijoada?”
Me: “Not yet.”
Them: “Oh you have to try it. It is soooooo good.”
Me: “I’m sure it is. I’m just not too interested in the random pig parts that show up in there.”
Them: “Oh, I wouldn’t have feijoada out. I only eat the feijoada my (grandmother, mother, etc.) makes.”

Basically people tell us to go eat it, but that they wouldn’t. That really didn’t provide much motivation for me. However, my husband did want to try the real thing and I felt compelled to try it since we are living here and I wanted to be able to say that, yes, I had eaten feijoada.

So we headed out Saturday to a local feijoada buffet. The good thing about these buffets is that they separate out all the parts. Each of these crocks is filled with a different version of feijoada with different meats, including one that was simply black beans.

I ate only the variety that had calabresa (a sausage) and a little bit of carne seca (dried meat). However, if one were so inclined you could have pé (pig’s foot), orelha (pig’s ear), or rabo (tail).

The truth is I may be willing to try a bite of these mystery meats, and I did some digging around with the spoon to see what they looked like. However, as I pulled up the spoon to see a big piece of flabby pig ear, I knew I couldn’t do it. A bite is one thing, but having a huge piece of it staring back at me from my plate is something I just can’t stomach.

Below is a picture of my plate with calabresa and my husband’s with calabresa and carne seca. The best part of the meal for me is usually the addition of farofa (that toasted manioc flour) and the vegetable vinaigrette.

This meal is also served with orange slices to “help with digestion”. I’m not sure how technical this recommendation goes beyond that statement. However, I suspect it has something to do with the fact that vitamin C helps the absorption of non-heme iron like that found in dried beans.
I must cover the desserts as well. You know me.

There was a small buffet of cocada (coconut in sweetened condensed milk) and pudim which is a flan. There were some candied fruits such as abobora (pumpkin) which is one of my favorites. It is candied in a ton of sugar along with some spices, namely clove. Finally at the end of the table was a huge bowl of doce de leite.

As we were eating our dessert, a thought occurred to me. Back home we tend to put those decadent things like caramel or doce de leite in the center of the cake or in the frosting all the while wishing we could dig into a big bowl of just that. Well, here they go straight to the punch and do just that! Doce de leite is eaten as a dessert all on its own.

So finally, I’ve had feijoada, and yes, it was good. However, I still feel that there are so many dishes here in Brazil that are better than feijoada. So if you visit, try it, but don’t stop there. Venture out and try Moqueca and Camarão na Moranga (shrimp and cheese baked in a pumpkin), too.

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.

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.