a brazilian feast

First, a reminder to enter your name in my drawing for a book and some fragrance samples here.

I have been staying with my brother and sister-in-law (who is Brazilian) for the past few days, and last day we had a traditional Brazilian meal. I have adored Brazilian cuisine ever since we went down for a month for my brother’s wedding, and was thrilled to be part of the cooking process. In Brazil, the cook made all the food for the household or we ate out, so I never got to see it in process, so to speak. The three of us put this meal together in a little over an hour, and it tasted SOO good, I had to share it with you all.

the meal pictured at left doesn’t look so great, but let me promise you, it tasted wonderful (I’m just not the best photographer.)

Here are the recipes:

collard greens: couve

1 bunch collard greens, cut lengthwise into small strips

1 onion, cut in small strips

garlic smashed to a paste in a pestle.

Cook onions on stove until soft.

 

Add collards and garlic paste to taste, and cook until somewhat soft but not mushy, with a bit of crunch still. Serve with meat.

(couve and garlic paste)

 

ground beef dish (I forget the name in Portuguese)

carrots, quartered and eighthed, then minced

onion, minced

garlic, and red pepper flakes if desired.

salt and pepper: cook all in a saucepan. That’s it.

 

also, make a rice pilaf with rice, onions, salt, garlic, and pepper, and black beans as sides.

Serve all these things on a plate, with a overeasy fried egg on top.

my beautiful sister-in-law in the kitchen

 

Now comes the best part: the decadent milk pudding or pudim de leite, which is very easy to make: 

In blender, 3 eggs, 1 (or a little less) can condensed milk, and a can of normal milk) –blend.

put in a bundt pan with caramelized sugar on the bottom--in a saucepan filled with water. Steam for roughly one hour—until hard--then chill for at least four hours. Invert the pan on the plate and serve your lucky guests.

 

 

 

 

the strands of leftover caramelized sugar on the saucepan. Mmmm!

It was so nice to share this special meal with my family, and it was made all the more special by my new fragrance combination of Shalimar and shimmering coconut lotion, which made me feel all the more tropical and happy.

 

 

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