Feijoada is often considered the national dish of
Brazil. The main part of it starts with
boiling a variety of meats – usually various cuts of pork and/or beef – I used thick
cut bacon and boneless pork spare ribs this year and added some onion, garlic,
and a bouquet garni. It simmers for about an hour before you put in the black
beans. I probably could’ve gotten away with only a pound of beans instead of
the two-pound bag. Black beans are really good for you; studies have shown that
they are really good towards the lower digestive tract and colon health and may
even prove lower rates of colon cancer. After I put in the beans, I let it
simmer for another hour and then pretty much served it right away.
 |
| Feijoada -- black beans and meat, simmering |
The beans are served on top of steamed white rice. I had
found a recipe which I modified a little by adding a little bit of minced green
onion (I used just the white part; I put the green part in with the beans) and
salt in with the rice and stirred before making it as normal. It added a little
bit of flavor and aroma to the rice. After the beans are served on the rice, it’s
usually topped with manioc flour. I couldn’t find it, so I mixed some bread
crumbs that I found at a Latino grocery store, mixed a little onion powder, garlic
powder, and parsley flakes in it. It worked for me.
 |
| Who doesn't like greens? Seriously. |
Feijoada isn’t just rice and beans alone: it’s always served
with a side of couve de mineira (collard greens). I found a better recipe this
year, and I used fresh greens. I started with sautéing minced garlic and kosher
salt in olive oil. (It called for 5-6 cloves, but I only used four, and to be
honest it would’ve been better with three.) I learned how to roll up the leaves
and slice it to create strips, then put these strips in the sauté skillet as
well. And at the end, everything is
served with a side of a few orange slices.
 |
| Feijoada completa. A picture of happiness. |
Brazil is also famous for a drink called caipirinha. Based
off of a word for “countryside,” it’s a drink that starts with lime wedges and
sugar smashed together in the bottom of a glass (I used a wooden spoon in lieu
of a pestle), then a shot (or two) of cachaça poured on top. I cut mine with
some water – I want to try it with coconut water next time – and a couple ice
cubes. Cachaça is a type sugarcane rum that can be found at larger liquor
stores. There are also a variety of ways to make the drink, from using
different fruits to using different liquors.
 |
| There's never a wrong time for a caipirinha. Too bad my work has a different idea. |
I saved the bread for today; the recipe was easy to choose:
pão de queijo. After boiling milk, salt, and butter, I mixed in tapioca flour
and parmesan cheese and two eggs. I had to add a little more milk because it
was too dry to mix together. I put a little of the mixture in mini baking cups
before baking. The outside was hard and the inside was gooey, and tasted pretty
much like I remember, but the kids didn’t like the texture. I guess that means
there is more for me. I was told it’s best to try it with black coffee. I’m
seeing this as my breakfast tomorrow.
 |
| My breakfast, lunch, and dinner. |
And finally, I made brigadeiros (I’ve sometimes seen it called
negrinhos). I had made these before for Partners of the Americas (www.partners.net) and for work pitch-ins. It
starts out with sweetened condensed milk, butter, and egg yolk and cocoa powder
boiled on low heat until it loosens from the bottom. I do it until I can scrape
the bottom with my spoon, and it doesn’t immediately fill back in. At that
point, I put it in a greased pan and let it cool completely (usually about an
hour or so in the refrigerator). Then I roll it into little balls and roll it
in chocolate sprinkles and put it in mini muffin cups.
 |
| So beautiful. (Wipes a tear away.) |
As I was making these different dishes, I kept thinking of
all the other Brazilian foods that I miss and should probably be mentioned. First
of all, there are churrascarias, which are also found here in the US.
Churrascarias are restaurants where they serve different meats off of a skewer
to your table in a rodízio style, that is, where you pay a fixed price, and
they serve you until you burst. Many restaurants give each customer a card –
red on one side and green on the other – and will only serve you if the green
side is up.
Another drink that bears mentioning – and having went to Rio
Grande do Sul, I don’t think they would let me forget – is chimarrão. It’s an
infused tea of yerba mate (similar to the mate tea from Argentina) that is
packed into a gourd and cool water is poured in. Once the cool water is absorbed, hot water is
poured in and then drank using a metal straw. It’s a communal drink, drank in
social settings, and passed around the group. It’s brought out especially when
there was a reason to celebrate or when guests come, or simply just celebrating
life. Some people add sugar or honey, but I was told that the “real” way to
serve it is bitter.
 |
| One day, I will learn how to make/serve chimarrao. It's on my bucket list. But I can drink it pretty well. |
Tropical fruits, such as maracujá (passion fruit), açai,
pineapple, oranges, mango, papaya, guava, are really popular in many dishes and
desserts. I had wanted to try to find caju, the fruit that cashew nuts come from,
but unfortunately, it was out of season for where I was and when I was there. And
of course, there’s always a snack I associate with Partners meetings which is
Romeu e Julieta, slices of white cheese served with goiabada (like a gel made from
the guava, the consistency of canned cranberry salad). All of these things
reminded me of Brazil, and it was really good to look through my pictures,
learn a few things, especially some of the history of how things got to be that
way, and relive one of the best trips I have ever taken. Now, I think I’m going
to go study up on my Portuguese again. But not before one more brigadeiro. Boa noite!
Up next: Brunei Darussalam
No comments:
Post a Comment