Wednesday, July 23, 2008

*a different type of cheesecake*

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As in, my mothers. Made with ricotta and condensed milk, this doesn't require a crust. Instead, it stands alone. Serve chilled, with jam or pure.
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"Bolo de Queijinho"

4 eggs - separate whites and yolks
1 can condensed milk
2 cans milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
600 gr cream cheese or ricotta (the moist type)

Mix the yolks with the condensed milk, milk, cornstarch and the cheese in the blender.
Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until firm.
Add the first mixture, gently incorporating.
Grease a medium pan with oil and bake for about an hour on medium.
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Now picture some guava jam on that slice. Heaven.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

*typically...*

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Municipal Market - Joinville - SC - Brazil. Last Saturday.
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The region suffers influence of German, Italian, Portuguese, Swiss and Norwegian colonization. And it all shines through in the local cuisine.
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That probably was the tastiest pork sausage I have ever eaten in my whole life. The combination of spices was simply perfect.
Smoked local pork sausage with spices, Pirão'd'água (cassava flour cooked with broth or water until it acquires the consistency of porridge), egg fried in pork fat with bacon, and a vinaigrette with "cavalo" beans.
The pirão is the perfect creamy base for the otherwise fatty dish. What could have been overwhelming (in a bad way) becomes refreshing and filling. Something one could definitely consider comfort food.
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The local beers, strangely, all have a lightly fruity taste to them. Quite nice on a warm Saturday afternoon, to the sound of Chorinho. Now I have to go back to eat their sausage sandwich or fish dishes. Hmmm...


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Thursday, July 17, 2008

*homecooking*

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Simple and straightforward. Topside stew, with carrots and potatoes; whole grain rice, cooked with chicken gizzard, and beans; sautéed chard. And a plate full of beautifully coloured produce: lettuce, cabbage, raw beet stalks and carrots.


It was my first time eating raw beet stalks. Maybe its just that they're really fresh, but they were sweet and crunchy.
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Delicious, served with a side of food talk with mom. Not getting a second serving takes a whole lot of self-control.
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*pimenta de cheiro*

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Meanwhile, my mother cooks lunch.

Nothing beats the smell of home.
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