Brazilian Feijoada and Caipirinhas

The Beautiful Game

Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!
For those of you living a normal day-to-day existence, this week is like any other—although for some it is the last week of school, which makes this week (in the eyes of the kids) awesome. For us sports junkies, this week kicks of a month of pounding hearts, adrenaline spikes, heated debates, and hair pulling as the greatest sporting event in the world begins…the 2014 World Cup.

Aside from the Olympics, this is the only sporting event where the winners can legitimately call themselves a World Champion. Here in the U.S., soccer is well-loved by our younger generations, but for the most part takes a back seat to football and baseball. The rest of the world on the other hand, goes nuts for it. And I do mean nuts.,

This year’s games are being played in Rio de Jeneiro, which couldn’t be a more appropriate location. (Talk about a party!) Brazil has a long history of great soccer, and is looking to prove to the world again just how dominant they are in the sport.

For me, it’s an excuse to eat Brazilian food. I know. Not exactly the kind of fare you will find around every corner though you can find it—especially in the Bay Area. One of my favorite dishes is Feijoada.

Feijoada is Brazil’s most emblematic dish. It is stewed meat and beans with sausage and rice and collard greens. (My mouth is watering just thinking about it.) Throw in a caipirinha and I am a happy girl. Too many of those caipirinhas and I am too happy. (Be careful. Caipirinhas are the kind of drinks where you wake up in a road-side ditch…Don’t wake up in a road-side ditch!)

Authentic Feijoada can be time intensive and uses unfamiliar smoked cuts of meat not easily found by most Americans. (How’s that for diplomatic?) Below are two recipes for different versions of Feijoada. The first one is a not so traditional version from Chef Eric Ripert and is more approachable for the American home: the ingredients are more readily available, and the recipe is less labor-intensive. The second is a more traditional version for those who are up for the challenge.

And of course, the Caipirinhas…
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Feast or Famine Mac ‘n Cheese

Feast or Famine

April is the month of budding fruit trees, tulips, nasty yellow marshmallow birds and, sigh, taxes.

Some years we look forward to April ‘cause we naively think that Uncle Sam will contribute to our “Butt on a Beach” fund. (By the way, this is a cause I believe in wholeheartedly. Donate now!)

Other years? Not so much.

We’ve all been there. One week we’re cruising down our beautiful “well maintained” highways (that shrine to our tax dollars at work) on our way to a dinner of filet mignon with lobster. And the next week Turbo Tax is telling us that there is a Costco size case of Top Ramen in our future.

So, in honor of Feast or Famine month, I offer you two of my top recipes for a comfort food favorite, Mac & Cheese. True, the desperate can go the blue-box, plastic cheese route. But the real deal is easy to prepare, and you can make extra for the freezer.

For those whose fortunes have been favored, I offer a decadent version, and suggest you enjoy it with your favorite bottle of bubbly—while using your best Thurston Howell III voice. Read more…

Nitrate-Free Corned Beef

Corned Beef

Kiss Me, I’m Irish…Not Really.
When we got married, my husband knew that he was getting a wife who could cook. What he didn’t know was that he was marrying someone who is culinarily (is that even a word?!?) nuts. If I find some celebration, cuisine or ingredient that fascinates me, fasten your seat belts! Like it or not, you are going on this ride of discovery with me as taste-testers, guinea pigs, or unsuspecting victims. This is how the Moroccan Dinner came to be. It is also why I have pickles of many shapes and flavors decorating my shelves—there are too many to eat. It is also why my bookcase is filled with books I may only take out once a year.

Here’s the perfect example: Monday is St. Patrick’s Day. So do I go out and celebrate like the rest of the world with green beer and shamrock shakes? Nope. That would be the normal thing to do…though normal is relative.

This year I am going to corn my own beef for our St. Patrick’s Day dinner. You may first ask yourselves “why?”. The answer is I am compelled to do it, and resistance is futile. The second question may be “Is this a request from my family?” No. “Is it for a school project about St. Patrick’s Day?” No. “Are you Irish?” Nope. I’m just nuts.

I get these ideas in my head about wanting to taste things the way they are supposed to taste, the way they were originally prepared back in the day when you walked out into the pasture to get that night’s dinner, and before mass production was an option. I become obsessed with authenticity. So when I can’t find someone who makes things the “right” way, I give in to my psychosis and make it myself. This is why I’m corning my own beef.

It used to be that butchers would make their own corned beef and people would buy it by the pound—and not just on St. Patrick’s Day. For years we made it here at the store, until people just stopped eating corned beef regularly. Of course the last of our guys to do it took the recipe with him when he left.

I am trying a corned beef recipe I found in Michael Symon’s book Carnivore. It may not be “super authentic” but it’s my first go ’round. Next time I can be psycho authentic chick. It’s nitrate free (which is always a good idea) so the meat won’t have the usual pink hue. I am looking forward to the results and the corned beef hash. Read more…

Huevos Divorciados

Chicks Dig Me
For the past year, our “farm” has not been very farm-like. Yes, we have been growing fruits and vegetables, and we have a Rocket Dog. But one thing was missing—or should I say a few things. Chickens. We used to have six chickens of varying size and disposition who roamed my garden eating bugs, and occasionally a few tomatoes or a green pepper. They all were great layers, but apparently too tempting a prize to our local wildlife. One by one they were picked off, until there were none…

This week I ordered replacement chicks, and I am crossing my fingers that we don’t get a rooster by mistake. One thing is certain. I can’t wait to have really fresh eggs again. There ain’t nothing tastier than a 2 minute-old egg.

When we first started getting eggs from our chickens, there was a race to see who could get our eggs for breakfast, and who had to eat the store-bought eggs. I must admit that there were more than a few times when I was watching through the Chicken Window in my kitchen to see when one of The Girls went into the coop. I needed an egg, I was out of our eggs, and I just couldn’t bring myself to use the ones from the store. (Hi. My name is Amy, and I am an egg snob). While the flavor of a really fresh egg is fabulous, what they will do for any baked goods is astounding.

If you have never tried a truly fresh egg then you have never really tasted an egg. Personally, I like them prepared all sorts of ways, but more often than not I eat them with a little South of the border flavor. Salsa, chilies, cheese, and tortillas are regular accompaniments to my Huevos Divorciados.

If you have a chance to buy a fresh dozen at your local farmer’s market. I encourage you to do it. Then run home and make this:

Huevos Divorciados Read more…