makanandcomida

Last weekend we spent traveling to Ilha Grande, as the name says a large island some 150km south of Rio and voted as one of the top islands in Brazil. Ilha Grande is car free and therefore a wonderful contrast to the constant noise of the streets of Rio.

A 30 minute boat ride takes you to the island where you either opt for long trekking tours all around the island to the various beaches or as we did take a boat ride to the different bays, beaches and lagoons for snorkeling, sun bathing and beautiful scenery.

When it comes to culinary delights – there is both:

The simple fish monger selling his catch from a wheelbarrow:

or the secluded restaurant cum champagne bar that you only can reach by boat, preferably your private yacht!

This is the restaurants valet parking!

We had a little simpler lunch, but in an equally beautiful setting right on the beach with our feet in the sand and a wonderful seafood rice and a passion fruit caipirinha:

here comes the recipe for seafood rice (arroz de mariscos)

• 1 small can canned tomatoes or 3-4 fresh once skinned, deseeded and chopped
• 1,2 litres fish or vegetable stock
• 1 onion chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic pressed
• 500g mixed seafood such as prawns, mussels, baby calamari, scallops
• 250g white fish fillets diced
• 500g rice preferably arborio
• 150 ml withe wine
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 red chili finely chopped
• tomato, parsley or coriander for garnish
• slices of lime

These colorful graffiti paintings are all over a passage linking the Peixoto neighborhood in Copacabana with the surroundings:

and obviously Che cannot be missing

Saturday night we had another fabulous dinner with friends at Miam Miam restaurant (see post from March 30th) and there I got introduced to the cross over of brazilian caipirinha and japanese saque wine – a much smoother version of the brazilian national drink, either just with lime or mixed with any kind of fruits. Here is a kiwi version:

Recipe for chorizo, olive and dried tomatos muffins (18 small or 12 larger once)

• 100g chopped chorizo
• 50 g sundried tomatoes chopped
• 15 black olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 tbs chopped parsley
• 4 eggs
• 120ml olive oil
• 50ml white wine
• 450ml flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• salt and pepper

This week lots of cooking happened. I learned how to bake bagels – one of my and my daughters favorite breads – so no excuses for not putting that into practice on weekends. But not only did we bake bagels, we also whisked together a bacon and spinach egg strata, muffins, homemade sausages and ginger syrup for a lovely punch. No need to say brunch was a treat!

I should get myself more into baking bread as the quality and variety here in Rio are rather limited.

I finally found and bought this great stoneware traditional brazilian Moqueca pot:

Very rustic, suitable for the gas stove or oven and great to do any kind of one-pot wonders and serve it right from there. Love it!

Recipe for shiitake and beetroot risotto with prawns for 4

I love beetroot and the color it gives to risotto!

• 20g of dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in water reserving liquid or 150g of fresh shiitake
• 200g of diced beetroot
• 1 finely diced onion
• 2 pressed cloves of garlic
• 500 g of Arborio rice
• 1,5 litres of vegetable stock
• 200ml white wine
• 1 Tbs each fresh thyme and oregano
• 50g butter
• a good handful grated parmesan
• 1 dash of balsamic vinegar
• olive oil, salt and pepper
• 600 g of shelled and deveined prawns

Bring the stock to a boil. In a large pot fry the onions and garlic in some olive oil, add the beetroots and fry for a couple of minutes to allow them to slightly soften. Add the rice and the white wine and stir until the wine is evaporated. Add the thyme, oregano, shiitake and the soaking liquid and stir until evaporated. Now add about 100ml of the boiling stock while continue stirring until stock is absorbed. Repeat for the next 15-20 minutes until the rice is soft with all the liquid nearly absorbed. Remove from heat, add the butter and parmesan and stir well. Season with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Fry the prawns in some olive oil for a couple of minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper and serve on a bed of risotto garnished with some fresh herbs.

Coming back from the movies the other night we met Rogerio at the corner of our street – selling small antiques and nicknack from the top of his car. He parked the car conveniently in front of a bar, so that he could join in the bar crowd while waiting for customers. Truly Rio!

I just had to buy a small box and got a ring for free! nighttime bargaining at its best!

We just got back from what might be another top candidate for our most favorite restaurant in Rio – Brasserie Rosario in Rua do Rosario 34 in the Center of Rio, not far from the Cultural Institute of the Banco do Brasil. It is a french inspired bistro. You can chose from their vast selection of cheeses and antipasto, try their french fare or indulge like I did in Oysters with a glass of Chadonnay – what a perfect way to spent Saturday lunch.

For dessert there was this difficult choice of wonderful tarts, so my men took two:

Definitely coming back!

Recipe for salmon steaks with minted broad beans for 4

• 4 salmon steaks
• 600g of frozen broad beans
• 1 bunch of fresh mint chopped
• 2-3 spring onions finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic pressed
• 2 limes
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Boil the frozen broad beans for about 5 minutes in boiling salted water, drain and mix with fresh mint, garlic, spring onions, juice of 1 lime, a dash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fry the salmon steaks in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sone lime juice. Serve with the broad beans. Easy, healthy weekday dinner!

We finally used the free days over easter to walk around the 8km  Lagoa in Rio. Something we had meant to be doing for a long time and worth repeating as we came across a very good arab restaurant overlooking the water.

We tried some of their kebab which was absolutely delicious.

Right next to the restaurant the helicopters are taking off for the tour around Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf or the whole of Rio and surroundings – depending on your budget!

Yesterday was time for another walk to the beach of Flamengo – and no way to finish this tour without stopping for our favorite coconut man Emir for a coconut water:

Easter lunch was a most relaxed affair with friends, lingering for hours over great food, wines, good conversations and loads of easter chocolates for not only the kids! Thanks Nelleke for having us!

Not forgetting the tradition of egg painting

The organization of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil seems to have the same scriptwriter as the ever famous brazilian telenovelas (soap operas).

There is hardly passing a day without a new twist, turn or scandal emerging. Especially the month of March has been so loaded with suspense you did not want to miss any  episode:

Episode 314: As preparations for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have been showing large delays in the building of stadiums and infrastructure such as airports, hotels and local transport, the secretary-general of FIFA J. Valcke offended Brazilians in early March by saying local organisers needed “a kick in the …” to make sure deadlines and targets could be met. This led to the brazilian sports minister demanding resignation of Mr. Valcke and the freeze of planned FIFA visits to monitor the progress.

Episode 325: It would not be a good telenovela if the storms got followed by calmer waters through an emergency meeting between the FIFA president Blattner and the Brazilian president Dilma, assuring the Brazil will manage to meet all FIFA requests to host the World Cup. Now Valcke and the brazilian sports minister are talking to each other again!

Episode 331: FIFA has also become impatient about delays passing the World Cup bill which temporarily over-rides local laws which ban the sale of alcohol in stadiums and regulates discounted tickets for students and pensioners. This bill should have been passed years ago but finally last week got a step closer as it went through in the lower house of parliament and will go now to the senate and finally be signed of by the president – tbc

Episode 332: Last week FIFA put its entire Executive Committee onto its World Cup Organising Committee to assist with making sure the preparations for the 2014 event will go ahead as planned –  never happened before.

To be continued …..

Recipe for langoustine saffron pasta for 2

• 200 g spaghetti
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic pressed
• 1 red chili finely chopped
• 300 g shelled and deveined langoustines
• handful baby tomatoes halved
• 100ml cream
• dash of white wine
• 1tsp saffron threads diluted in some hot water
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• dill for garnish

Boil the pasta. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic and chile for a couple of minutes. Add the langoustines and fry for some minutes then remove them and reserve. Add the tomatoes, cream, white wine and saffron and simmer for some minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the langoustines back into the sauce. Pour over the pasta and garnish with dill.

What a great food and ambiance experience last night – we finally managed to have dinner at Miam Miam restaurant in Rua General Góis Monteiro 34 in Botafogo. Located in a charmingly restored old building, furnished with 60s and 70s furniture it must have been one of the best dinners I have had so far in Rio.

We had roastbeef rolls filled with rocket and parmesan and drizzled with herbed olive oil and asian style super tender baby calamari rings as a starter followed by beef medallions with gnocci as well as beef with mushroom sauce and truffled greens.

An all around great and delicious experience definitely worth repeating!

Recipe for hummus dip

• a can of chick peas, reserve the liquid
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 spring onion roughly chopped
• juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
• 2tbs tahini paste
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• coriander and red paprika powder or chili for garnish

Blend the chick peas, garlic, spring onion, lemon juice in the food processor, adding the tahini paste. Add the chick pea liquid should the texture be too solid. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with some olive oil and serve garnished with coriander.

Serve with grilled meat or with pita bread as a pre-drink snack.

This weekend we finally made it to THE churrascaria institution in Rio – Porcão – first opened in 1975. The name means large pig – I suppose for pigging into large amounts of meat even though mainly beef and lamb. The system is easy; you pay a lumpsum and help yourself with a wide variety of salads, sushis and sashimis, other seafoods and antipasti. The meats are served at the table and cut from large spits directly onto your plate.

The trick is to wait for the best cuts, not filing yourself up with to many delicious treats from the buffet and not indulging into the staples they bring to the table in order to save on meat. Who wants farofa (manioc flour), plain white rice or fries if you can have picanha, filet and leg of lamb?

You receive a sign with a red and a green side, informing the waiters whether you are ready for more meat or need to have a break:

As it was market day again yesterday, I asked my favorite fish monger – an above 80 very friendly guy always explaining me the different fishes and seafood – about the fish he likes best. He recommended the Anchovy. I had thought they come in smaller sizes but got hold of this nearly 2 kg fish for dinner:

Recipe for oven baked anchovy for 6

• 2kg anchovy, cleaned by the nice fishmonger with diagonal cuts into the skin
• 4 limes or lemons sliced
• mixed fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, coriander, dill, oregano chopped
• bunch of spring onions chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic sliced inserted into the skin cuts
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1kg of boiled potatoes with skin, cut into half

Place the fish onto some slices of lemon in an ovenproof dish. Stuff the fish with the herbs, some slices of lemon and spring onions, drizzle it with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes around the fish and drizzle with some olive oil as well. Bake in 200C oven for about 45 minutes. Serve with green beans or ratatouille.

Yesterday I shared our kitchen with 4 women for a cook together – great fun especially the eating part afterwards:

The menu was brazilian inspired, so we had fresh palm hearts (see 23rd november) and ceviche (see 21st november) as a starter and moqueca de peixe (29th november) as a main course:

It is definitely not true that too many cooks spoil the kitchen!

Picking up my kids from school I came across the presidents motorcycle guard, that seemed to be happy enough to not only have their picture taken

but as well offering me to pretend riding the large bike!

Recipe for fig, mozzarella and parma ham starter for 4

• 8-12 ripe figs
• 8 -12 small mozzarella balls
• 150g of finely sliced parma ham
• juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
• 3tbs of olive oil
• salt and pepper
• fresh basil
• 1 red chili finely diced (optional)

Cut the top part of the fig and criss cross it open without cutting all the way through. Place the mozzarella into the split and wrap the fig with a slice of parma ham. Repeat with all figs and place them on a nice serving tray. Mix the lemon or lime juice with the olive oil, salt and pepper and drizzle over the figs. Allow to marinate for a couple of hours. Garnish with fresh basil and optionally with the chili. Serve with fresh crusty bread to scoop up the juice. A recipe from Jaime Oliver who calls it the easiest sexiest salad – one of my all time favorites!

Last Friday a Singaporean friend living in Niteroi introduced me to the Sao Pedro fish market – an institution I had heard a lot about. People do cross the bay by boat regularly to buy their weekly stock of fish and seafood at this market:

I must say I had expected more – more stalls and especially more variety of fish and seafood – nowhere could I find my all time favorite scallops or other mussels but rather pretty much the same variety of fish I can find on my weekly monday fair in Botafogo.

Prices and freshness are good though and the whole place is blessed and guarded by this altar framed by two aquariums :

As my kids love salmon I stocked up on a salmon filet for that night’s dinner:

Recipe for salmon asian style with wasabi potato and pea mash for 4

• 800g of salmon filet
• 5cm piece of ginger finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic pressed
• juice of 2-3 limes
• 1 stick of lemon grass finely chopped
• 800g of potatoes peeled and diced
• 300g of frozen peas
• 1-2tbs wasabi paste
• 200ml of coconut milk
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• coriander for garnish

Marinate the salmon with the ginger, garlic, lime juice and lemon grass for 2-3 hours. Place in oven proof dish and bake in 200C oven for about 25 minutes. Boil the potatoes until soft adding the frozen peas just for the last 3 minutes. Drain and mash adding the coconut milk and wasabi paste. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the salmon garnished with fresh coriander.