Season Three, Winter 2007-2008

This recipe for Pao de Queijo, or cheese bread balls, is the perfect appetizer. The dough is made by mixing Minas and Parmesan cheese with yucca flour and some other ingredients, before being scooped into small balls and then baked for 15 minutes. When they come out of the oven they are soft inside with a gooey texture that is simply addicting. Leticia says that she gives these to her kids for breakfast.

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Moqueca is a style of making stew that utilizes palm oil (dende oil) and coconut milk. This recipe is for a flavorful fish stew. The fish is marinated in garlic, ginger, and some herbs for a few hours. It is baked slightly, before braising in coconut milk and fish stock with some vegetables. This is a great, more hearty sort of fish dish that is perfect for Winter and perfect for Lent.

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This recipe for a Portuguese- style almond cake uses a lot of egg yolks and simple syrup to create a sweet and tasty dessert. Finely ground almonds are cooked in a simple syrup, and then combined with egg yolks and baked. This reminds us of our Middle Eastern desserts that are heavy on nuts and sugar and satisfy that sweet tooth in all of us.

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The caipirinha is the typical drink of Brazil. Sugar, limes, and cachaca (a hard alcohol made from sugar cane juice) are smashed together and shaken to create a refreshing beverage that makes us believe we are walking along Ipanema Beach. Watch our video on how to make a caipirinha and make some for your friends this weekend. Tip* If you do not have a martini shaker, just smash everything together in a glass jar, close the lid, shake, and pour.

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