Whether it looks good or not .. eat it III

One of the evenings we spent on the farm we were treated to a traditional dish made with fresh caught "painted fish" from one of the local rivers in the Mineiros area.   Prepared in  a stew similar to how I have had cod and other fish in Brazil the flavor was wonderful with fresh tomatoes,  carrots, and potatoes,  it filled the house with a wonderful aroma.  The painted fish itself was a little unappetizing to the sight and I was not fond of the mushy blubber like texture.  But as the title of the post suggests, regardless of how it looks I am dedicated to give it a try and once I got past those two superficial observations the flavor was good.  Afresh water fish without being gamy or fishy. Another delightful local meal served with rice that you must try if you are offered in Goias.

Taste of Brazil - Teasers (little bites) II - Tapioca

Growing up my parents would often treat us to  delicious tapioca pudding.  I know several of my friends do not like the creamy desert with pearls of tapioca, but for my family it was always devoured quickly.  Mom would boil the right amount of water on the stove top. Add tapioca pearls and the rest of the ingredients,  cook, cool, and serve.  I guess you could say I was never concerned about what it was made from,  it just tasted good.  After seeing several booths at different street fairs in Brazil advertising tapioca I began to crave this creamy delight.  But as we passed by the first booth I realized it was quite different and so wikipedia here I come for some investigation into what tapioca really is.  Tapioca is a product made from the cassava root and originates from Central and South America.  The word
tapioca comes from the native Tupi people of Northern Brazil which called the process of detoxification: tipi'oka.  Yes the root of the cassava plant is toxic if consumed directly from the ground.  It has to go through a process called tipi'oka where the root is ground into a pulp, water is added and the mixture sets allowing the water to evaporate leaving behind a tapioca powder.  This powder is further processed into many different forms for cooking.  The pearls my family loved in good old  pudding form are created from this powder.  This process makes the starch edible and as the plant left its region of origin (Central and South America)  the word took on more applications and explained more uses in different dishes.

Now, to take a look at my tapioca experience in Brazil I have to head back to the city square and the fair.  These tapioca vendors take the moistened tapioca and strain it to make a coarse flour.  They sprinkle this flour onto a hot griddle where it fuses together into a tortilla of sorts.  Either doces (sweet) or salgados (salty) ingredients are added to the tortilla and it is folded over like a taco.  My first taste of this form of tapioca was filled with chicken.  The tapioca tortilla is quite white and looks kind of bland. I bite into the fluffy white food and I have to say it would not have a lot of flavor without the spices and chicken that fill it.  Since I love sweets,  I had to follow it with a  second tortilla filled with cinnamon and banana.   I was more impressed with this "tapioca" but I think the tortilla was made with a little butter and the banana and cinnamon made it so good.  I now have a new meaning for tapioca and know not to expect that wonderful tapioca pudding when I order it in Brazil.  All this talk about tapioca makes me hungry for that delicious pearl filled pudding.. YUM! I cannot wait!

Taste of Brazil - Whether it looks good or not -- Eat it! part 2

"Whether it looks good or not --eat it" is all about showcasing all the different Brazilian food I am tasting.  It has been a while since my first post on the subject but I think I have some more great foods to share with you and tempt your taste buds with.  This time I will just list the foods as there has not been a food which would take over the first (Camarao na Moranga) or second (Feijoada) or even my third favorite (broa) spots from my previous post.

Again I will look for a recipe if I can find one and if you have a great recipe for a Brazilian food listed and want to share, leave a comment with an email address (I will not post the comment) and I will create a recipe page on my blog.  Hope you enjoy.

A) Pequi - This orange fruit has found its way into a second posting on my food about Brazil.  Since it is a regional fruit and found in the Goias region of Brazil (where I am).  I have to give it the respect and mention it deserves.  Pequi has a very strong distinct flavor that is thought by many locals and non locals to be an acquired taste.  It doesn't seem like many Brazilians from other parts of the country find the flavor favorable but to locals they crave it driving several blocks to find the local grocer who has the fresh harvest of the day.  The previous post I shared about it cooked with rice and chicken and today the recipe is just straight up boiled pequi.  I actually like the flavor even though not to the extent of craving it and pequi finds its way into this post for how it is ate more then the flavor it gives.  After the fruit is boiled,  the little round fruit is picked up with your fingers and the small layer of flesh (only about 1/8 of an inch thick) is nibbled off leaving the hard but penetrable pit.   When I ventured to eat my first pequi, I was severely warned not to nibble too deep and by all means do not bite down.  Why you ask?  Well, after eating the outer edge we proceeded to cut the pit open and the answer was easy to see.  Lots of small needle like thorns laying in wait inside the core for anyone attempting to eat a little too much of the fruit and threatening the seed. These spines would not be a pleasant experience to your gums so my advice is to follow the direction of my friends.  I have read that you can dry the pits with spines and then open them up and eat the seed or roast the seeds.  Maybe someday I will be posting about that experience as well.

B) German Food - OK this is not necessarily something I would traditionally put on the Taste of Brazil post but I have to recognize a little known fact about Brazil.  Just like the United States,  many Europeans migrated here to escape persecution and the influence of those settlers is still seen today in corners of its cities and towns.  In Goiania we have found a wonderful German Restaurant "Natur Bier Haus Restaurant" that does an excellent job of mixing the flavors of Brazil with those of Germany.  Most of the ethnic food I have had in
Brazil,  seems to have lost the flavors that I would associate with its ethnicity for more flavors along the lines of Brazilian beans and rice.  This restaurant serves the most ethnically true food I have tasted here except of course for the Brazilian food. Cabbage, sauerkraut,  smoked pork loin, German potatoes and of course many different styles of sausage. Oh, and one cannot forget the good beer if you are talking German food can you.  The service is good and the buffet is all you can eat - not by weight like most places in Brazil.  I am not saying I eat a lot when it is our choice for food,  I just seem a little more adventurous when the food is not paid for by weight.  If you find yourself hungry and in Goiania,  you should check it out.

(link to website) 

C ) Kibe - Kibej - Kebbeh - or Quibe - This confused dish, well only confused by the different variations of its name and then by the different ways it can be cooked is another dish fixed for me by Chef Ana Maria and it sure made a great impression.  That girl has got skills!  Traditionally it is balls of spiced ground meat either lamb or beef mixed with bulgar wheat (cracked, parboiled and dried  wheat / very Middle Eastern) and then the balls are stuffed with a little cheese and some more ground meat.
The meat can then be fried, baked, or served raw.  I have tried it all three ways and to my surprise I like the baked (which is the best for you calorie wise) version the best or maybe it is just Ana Maria's tender loving care.  If you ever have the chance this Arab-Brazilian creation is definitely one that will tease your taste buds.
(click here to try recipe - for the fried kind)

D) Peixe a Cubana - This delicious dish made for me by my sweet dear Ana Maria was simply wonderful and could definitely make a run for one of my top three favorite dishes here in Brazil.  This dish is traditionally a Cuban recipe and Brazilians have added their own flavors.   Made with bananas, cod, cheese and lots of cream.  When she advised me there were bananas in the fish dish,  I have to admit I was skeptical and not sure about this one.  But as the title of this blog states - "whether it looks good or not - eat it" - and this actually looked good, it just did not sound appealing.  I tell you,  once those flavors hit my taste buds it was a home run of home cooked flavors.  May I say it again? DELICIOUS!   I searched the internet but could not find a recipe anywhere - I guess I will have to ask Ana Maria for it and post it later.  I think it is a dish that everyone should try at least once in their lives since I would never put banana and fish together, but then again Brazilians love banana on pizza.

E) Spaghetti Bar - This entry makes it in because of its originality and not for anything else.  At several of the local malls there are fast food restaurants that specialize in pasta.  Not like the pasta buffets found in the United States,  these are attended by a cook who loads your pasta choice into a small kettle of boiling water as she begins to add ingredients of your choice into a sauce pan to create the sauce.  The ingredients seem endless with cheeses, onion, ham, peppers, egg, heart of palm, tomatoes, spices, all possibilities just to name a few.  After you have breezed through all the possible options,  she strains the noodles and stirs the sauce and pasta together over a low flame.  Pouring it onto a plate it become a simple but wonderful meal which is quick and always fresh. I will have to think and watch when I am back stateside if I have ever had an experience like this. 

A) QG Meal - OK - how can I talk about food in Brazil without talking about at least one of the fast food franchises that call this country home.  Yes,  QG is a fast food restaurant that from what I can tell dreams of being McDonald's someday with burgers and fries being the main attraction.  I do find it refreshing that on all the local chain restaurant's menus,  there seems to be a traditional meal with beans, rice and meat. In this case it was chicken and although the wait was a little longer then I would expect at a "fast" food restaurant, it was fresh and the flavors were spot on.  There were actually spice on the meet and so it exceeded my expectations. 

Read Part 1 - click here!

German Restaurant 

German Restaurant

Taste of Brazil - Teasers (little bites)

Coffee... a time to have a cup of jo and try a little bite of something new to eat.  Brazil is full of small bite size foods that go perfect with the cup of coffee.  Below you will find a page of little bites that would compliment that break in the afternoon, finish a meal, or just stand alone on their own with or without coffee.  I did not put the little bites in any particular order (that means no ranking) and I am sure there will be plenty for another blog at some point (working on II now).  Please feel free to comment on little bites that I should try on a future adventure or share a recipe. 

 ** Fig - More of a sweet for after dinner coffee,  Luiz's aunt makes a great fig with a delicious clear sweet sauce.  Often served with a slice of cheese or drizzle of doce.  It is a perfect compliment for the after dinner coffee and the perfect way to end a meal.

**  Pit dog-  These sandwiches can be found in little shops all over Goiania, Mineiros and I am sure other cities in Brazil.  Hamburger or Chicken with a mix of toppings to create a hamburger like experience unlike any other.  Toppings to choose from include - lettuce - tomato - corn - egg - heart of palm - potato sticks - spicy mayo- mayo - ketchup - hot dog - bacon - all or none - they are a simple treat.  Really not much to do with coffee or very small - I needed to share about them somewhere.   Most popular in the evening and early morning. (No Waffle House here)

** Kibe - On our way to Caldas Novas there is the locally famous town of Piracanjuba where one can find delicious Kibe. It is a traditional Northern Africa or Middle Eastern bite filled with cheese, meat, vegetables or a mix.   The filling is surrounded by a chopped meat and rice shell fried until delicious.  Anyone making the journey through the little town would be hard to miss the restaurant with a history of excellent Kibe.  Although we have had this other places after our trip to Caldas Novas, this was my first and most enjoyable experience with this bite.

  ** Carmelized Banana - Have you ever gone to a Chinese buffet in the United States and after you have finished eating, you crave something sweet?  Disappointed to only find bland cake and no flavor treats as your only options to curve this craving.  Well - in Brazil the Chinese have a fried banana that would not disappoint any sweet tooth.  Obviously the banana is dipped in batter and fried until golden brown.  Then a caramelized coating is added to finish off this delicious (of course high caloric) treat.   Good thing they serve only one at the end of the meal even though an American can always manipulate a second pleading that they don't have these in the United States (wink, wink).
                                                                                                                                                   

** Mane Pelado -- this cake is made from yuca which is the starchy root of the yuca plant grown in South America.   Be careful if you venture into cooking with yuca as you must cook it properly to remove the roots toxicity.  The yuca in this cake makes it extremely moist and the texture a little bit grainy.  At first bite I thought it had coconut in it but it did not.  It has an unique flavor and I can definitely appreciate and accept it when offered the next time without reserve. 




** Baked Pastel  - We stopped for coffee in Rio at the famous Confeitaria Colombo and I had this delicious baked pastel (which I am sure it was much more healthy then the fried pastel I ate at the street market).  It was a perfect compliment to the environment as we sat and relaxed in the nestaljic surroundings  Oh the history of this place, but back to the bite size pastry.  The pastel was filled with cheese as a lot of Brazilian pastries are.  It is light and fluffy and would compliment coffee perfectly even if coffe was really the coke zero I was drinking today.  

**Cookies -  Baking bread occupies most of the ovens in Brazil and you don't often find cookies so I was excited when I saw these short bread like cookies at Della Bakery.  Texture was similar but the taste was not.  A little less buttery and actually a lot less flavor.  They almost tasted like a healthy version of a short bread cookie.  But since baking cookies is not common in Brazil, they were still worth it.

** Coconut Flakes - Here is that dang coconut again.  We sat at a nice  restaurant one evening and out came this interesting bowl of pre meal nibbles.  I can truly appreciate something to snack on as we peruse the menu and wait for our meal to come.  But these nibbles are roasted and salted coconut chips.  I hesitate to try them but remember my vow to give anything a chance.  I eat my first one and am surprise at how tantalizing the mix of coconut oil and salt are to my flavor pallet.  I soon regret eating one as we are shortly brought a second bowl while we wait for our main courses.  Once again I am surprised that I like something coconut.

** Cajamanga Popsicle You may have read earlier about my affair with the Cajamanga fruit and since I loved the fruit so much Luiz said I had to try this popsicle. Made from the cajamanga juice, it was a little sour.  They suggested adding salt so I did but adding salt to a popsicle was just a little different!  Don't get me wrong - it was good - just different.

** Jilo This is a locally grown green fruit in the eggplant and tomato family which is cooked like a vegatable.  (Imagine how confused it must be).  My friend Suely has been a proponent of me trying new tastes and every time we visit her there is something new in the kitchen ready for me to try.  One day when we arrive Suely had prepared Jilo and onions. I had not seen this before and I would compare the looks to brussel sprouts or okra.  I liked the Jilo and flavor wise would describe it as similar to an eggplant with a slightly bitter flavor.  (recipe from "the perfect pantry") It's a must try if you ever get the chance.  Thanks Suely.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed experiencing Brazilian bite size snacks with me and I look forward to trying some more.   My one wish is that you could not only see the photos but smell and taste the bites as well.  But since you cannot,  I will continue enjoying them for you and sharing my experience as I have already started on the second posting of bite size treats.  Brazil truly loves it coffee and compliments it with a wide variety of little bite size treasures - there are plenty to share!

Taste of Brazil - The country is quite Fruity!

OK - I love the fact that there are so many markets in the city of Goiania and there is always and I mean always a fruit that is in season and ready to seduce one's taste buds.  Here is a list of fruits I have had in Brazil -- Many to choose from -- juicy - sweet - sour - tart - gooooood! I would recommend them all if you ever travel to Brazil.

1) Cajamanga (This fruit grows on a great cajamanga tree and I had a love affair with this fruit during its ripe season.  I have never ate it before and cannot wait until it is in season again next year.  Slightly sour with a tough skin and as it ripens it gets sweet.  But watch out for the pit - it is quite prickly)

2) Pineapple (I know we have this in the Unite\d States but fresh is the best.  Grown on a spiky plant I would have to say the pineapple is my mistress - so sweet and irresistible -- hard to put it in second but since I have had it before she takes second place)

   



3) Tangerines (They are wonderful in Brazil and you can find them in the stands along side of the road in the stands positioned where one has to slow down for the occasional speed bump.  I eat these often and the ones picked straight off the tree - simple delicious)

4) Caqui (Only a brief encounter as I received a taste at a farmers market but it was good even if brief - it looks like a tomato, texture like and plum and taste your will just have to try yourself to figure that out)

5) Mango (I did not have this on this visit to Brazil but loved it in December on my visit so thought it had to be in the running - the other day a friend gave me a couple here and they were simply delicious but again, right of the tree take the cake-  it may be higher on my list on a different day)

6) Acerola ( A little red fruit that grows on a short bush.  Very similar to the cherry but not quite as sweet and not pit to get hung up on - they are good and I am not sure you can find them in the United States - I will definitely try and find them - savory and a great source of vitamin C)

   

7) Watermelon (Simply delicious - my favorite in the US had some tough competition here - refreshing and thirst quenching - although it got beat for top honors - it is definitely ate more then any other fruit on the list by me- I guess that would give it most congeniality honors)

8) Star Fruit (great texture and slightly tart flavor - I added it to a fruit salad and it added just the right tang to complete the salad)

9) Cashew fruit (yes you heard me right - I have found it interesting that most Americans don't realize that the cashew nut we all love grows on the end of a fruit.  The fruit makes a wonderful juice and when in season he cashew truly attract my favorite the toucan bird!)

10)  Bananas (need I say more -- they grow in banana trees all over the country - fresh and yummy but not unique to Brazil)

   

11)  Papaya (this fruit struggled only because of the great competition and fell some only because of its smell - they are wonderful but for me there was a little issue with the smell before it caressed my lips)

12) Fruta do Condo (As I pulled it apart and sucked the fruit off it had a nice flavor but a little starchy for me -  Don't get me wrong - it was good - it just had a lot of good competition)

13) Pequi (this is a local fruit that is known throughout Brazil as a Goias flavor -- I had it in rice and did not get a lot of flavor from it. will have to try again and see if it moves up or down in the rankings - it is probably lower in the rankings because of the # of people who do not like it more than my own opinion at this point)

14) Passion Fruit (Cutting this open it truly looks likes the insides of something - I understand that the passion fruit I tried was the tart kind and that is all I have gotta say about that, except next time I want to try the other kind)

  

Honorable Mention: Fruit Salad  - (I have had my share of fruit salad before and Brazil has their own version with all local fruits - the difference in Brazil is that you can buy it at a large number of corner deli's, coffee shops,  bakeries,  basically if you are craving this great refreshing delight - you don't have to look far to find it - in the United States I think you would have to make your own minus some on the list above - a must try on your travels)