Broinhas de fubá - a cross between cream puffs and corn bread?

After all this time (last post was May 2010!), here I come with yet another Minas Gerais specialty - the broa de fubá, or broinha. I prepared some at my mom’s house during my recent 40-day trip to Brazil, and they were delicious!

Fubá, from Kimbundu fuba, is the word in Portuguese for cornmeal, or corn flour (not to be confused with the white powder British English speakers call “conflour”, Americans “corn starch”, and Brazilians amido de milho). There are two main types of fubá in Brazil - the fubá mimoso, very finely ground (like corn flour), which imparts a finer texture to foods such as porridges and cakes, and the fubá grosso, coarser and sometimes simply referred to as fubá (in terms of texture similarity, somewhere between medium to fine ground cornmeal). There are several other kinds of corn flours and meals available, and most of them have a precooked version. Together with manioc (or cassava, or yuca) flours and starches, these are the second choice of starch in Brazil (after rice), and they are also widely used in baking goods both savory and sweet.

The word broa (broinha is the diminutive) is also used in European Portuguese and in some regions of Brazil to name a type of corn bread, large and round, that used to be more popular in the past. I remember being a child and going with my mom or dad buy broa de milho at the tiny armazém near our house in Guaxupé - I was so small I could not see the wood counter top, but I could see and smell the broas de milho, fresh and beautiful, laying behind the counter glass.

It’s hard to make an outstanding broinha like those you buy in some padarias in Brazil (on the left) in a noncommercial oven, as they require high and constant heat to rapidly puff before the steam cracks open the shell and escapes. But it’s worth a try, especially if you don’t know the other version of the treat.

Some decades ago, broinhas were often made with pork lard (some people still use lard), which imparts a nice flavor, aroma and texture to the product. The smell and taste of the aniseeds, though, is what characterizes both broas and broinhas. There are also the ones made with toasted, ground peanuts - DELICIOUS! But I’m still working on that recipe. For now, try this one and let me know how they come up!

Broinhas de fubá 

(Brazilian Cornmeal Puffs)

1 cup filtered water

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter (or unflavored pork lard, if you have access to a good one)

1 cup finely ground cornmeal (corn flour)

1 cup all-purpose flour (plus extra to roll the broinhas)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp aniseed

pinch of salt

5 large eggs

1) Combine corn and all-purpose flour, sugar, aniseed and salt in a bowl.

2) Combine water, milk and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

3) Add corn and flour mix at once and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it forms a uniform ball and pulls off the sides of the pan (see picture). Let cool until warm.

4) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition to incorporate air in the batter.

5) Preheat the oven to 400oF.

6) Oil the inside of a small bowl or rounded cup with oil. Add 1/2 tsp flour and shake to coat the sides well (do not shake off excess - this flour prevents the dough from sticking to the bowl). Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop spoonfuls of the dough inside the floured bowl and, working fast and continuously, twirl the bowl so the dough is coated in flour and forms a ball. Immediately turn the bowl upside down onto an oiled baking sheet, placing the broinha at least 2 inches apart from the sides of the pan and the other broinhas (see video - I'm working on a better one, though). Add another 1/2 tsp flour  into the bowl for each unit you make.

7) Bake immediately until deep golden brown. The inside will seem raw, but it’s not - it should be humid and hollow, like puff pastry. Serve warm or cold, plain or with butter, sided by a good cup of piping hot, strong coffee.

TIP: if the dough is too loose to apply this method, or if it starts sticking to the sides of the bowl, use the cookie scoop to place the portions of dough onto baking sheet and, using a small strainer, dust their tops liberally with flour.

Shrimp & Penne Pasta

My friend Amber simply loves this dish and makes it regularly, so I had to give it a try. I actually made it a few weeks ago and am just now getting a chance to post it on here (I know, it has been a while since I posted...between the holidays, traveling, pregnancy, and a toddler, I have not had as much time for new meals or blog posts). This is a simple dish, but it's delicious. The only part that took a little bit of time was deveining the shrimp, but if you bought shrimp that has already been deveined, it would be a quick dish to put together. We don't normally cook shrimp, so this was a fun treat to have one evening for dinner. The sauce has a great flavor, and is perfect with the shrimp. This is served great with a salad and some french bread. 

Penne a la Betsy
Slightly adapted From The Pioneer Woman Cooks


I N G R E D I E N T S :
1 pound penne pasta
1 pound shrimp (I bought uncooked shrimp that had already been peeled)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 whole onion (small), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cups white wine, or to taste (I used cooking wine)
1 can tomato sauce (14.5 Oz)
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. dried parsley (or use fresh if you have some)
1 tsp, dried basil (or use fresh if you have some)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper


D I R E C T I O N S :
Bring pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Begin by peeling and deveining the shrimp, and rinsing them under cold water.
In a small skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp. of the butter and 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil.
When the pan is hot, add the shrimp. Stir and cook on both sides until it is just starting to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly. 
Next, finely chop the onion.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
Add the garlic and onion. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.
Pour the rest of the wine into the pan. Stir and allow it to evaporate, about 45 seconds.
Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low.
Pour in the cream. Stir well to combine, reduce the heat to simmer.
Add the shrimp to the sauce and stir gently to combine.
Next, stir in the herbs. Add the cooked, drained pasta.
Stir gently to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a little milk to get it to the right consistency. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Be sure to taste the seasoning at the end, adjusting if necessary.
Serve directly out of the skillet, or pour the contents of the skillet into a serving bowl.

Soup du Jour

Follow my usual recipe.

Chop and sauté in 1 tbsp butter:

• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 turnip (optional)
• 1 bunch collard greens
• 1/2 bunch mustard greens

Cover with water and add:

• 1 Roma tomato (optional), cubed
  
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
  
• 4 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
  
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• salt and pepper

Cook in a pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes, or in a conventional "cocotte" for 30 minutes. Blend. Serve with crème fraîche.

I unfreeze 1 ladle of soup at a time,
and serve it to my kids as an appetizer
while dinner is cooking.

Muttai Omelet Kuzhambu (Egg Omelet Gravy)

Muttai Omelet Kuzhambu (Egg Omelet Gravy)
Those who love eggs will be excited to taste different recipes of eggs. I have tried to make gravy with the omelets. I have heard that in some parts of Tamilnadu this gravy is a usual one. I was not able to gather any authentic recipe of the same. So I have made a trial. The gravy turned out good. So you people can certainly give the recipe a try. An easy and handy recipe when we are short of vegetables or time.

Ingredients for the omelets
Eggs -4
Minced onion -1/2 cup
Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
Chopped green chili -1
Salt to taste

There are different ways of making this omlette. If you have time and patience it can be baked in the oven. As my readers know, I am allergic of using my oven; I made the omelets in my dosa pan. The thing to be noted while making the omelets is that it should be made thick.
Another way is to pour the mix in kuzhi paniyaram moulds and make egg paniyarams.
Easiest is the regular way of making omelets but little thicker. If you make like this or bake then after making cut into small pieces and keep aside
Ingredients for the gravy
Small onion -20 or chopped big onion -2
Garlic -20
Tomato -2

Tamarind –little (as shown) (too much of tamarind will not be good)
Sambar powder-2 teaspoons
Coriander powder- 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon
Curry leaf –little
For seasoning
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Fenugreek-1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure to make the gravy
The gravy is the normal puli kuzhambu that we make. But for the beginners sake I repeat.
Mix the tamarind and the salt needed in two to two and half cups of water.
Drain it and keep aside
Keep the kadai in the stove
Pour 1 table spoon of gingili oil or any other oil you use for cooking
Season the gravy with the items given for seasoning
Add the onion, garlic and tomato pieces one by one and sauté well for 5 minutes in medium fire
Now add the salt tamarind water into the kadai
After one boil add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
Keep the stove in medium fire
Cook for 10 minutes
When the gravy has turned to half the quantity add the cut omlette pieces.
Cook for 3 more minutes
Remember that the omelet pieces will become little big after boiling
So make the pieces little smaller.
Heat the gravy before serving

Clementine Christmas Cookies

Happy holidays everyone!

For about 40 cookies (depending on their thickness and the size of your cookie cutters)

• 250 g (2 cups) flour
• 200 g (1 cup) sugar
• 125 g (1/2 cup or just over 1 stick) butter
• 1 clementine
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 or 2 egg yolks

1. Cut the butter in small pieces and allow it to warm up to room temperature (you can use a microwave for a few seconds).
2. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Rub the ingredients between your hands to obtain a uniform "sand."
3. Squeeze the clementine. Add half of the juice to the flour mix and briefly kneed with your hands. Add more juice as needed to obtain a shiny, elastic dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Shape dough into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Roll the dough down to 3 or 4 millimeters. Cut out shapes. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet (or use parchment paper). Lightly brush each cookie with egg yolk.
5. Bake in a 360ºF (180ºC) oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Keep an eye on the cookies as they will rapidly change color. Uneven oven temperature and uneven cookie thickness will make them cook more or less rapidly.
6. Let the cookies cool down and enjoy, or store in a metal box for later.
   

Chestnut stuffing

When I see fresh chestnuts at the farmer's market or in the produce aisle, I can't resist: I buy a bag. They remind me of the "chestnut fair" ("la vogue des marrons"), a traveling carnival that takes place every fall atop the Croix Rousse hill in Lyon. Amidst the noisy, flashy rides and cotton candy vendors are fire-roasted chestnut vendors. They roast fresh chestnuts from Ardèche, the nearby producing region, in big barrels over a crackling and smoking wood fire. They serve the hot, blackened chestnuts in cones made of newspaper. You warm up your hands by holding the cone for a few minutes, then shell the chestnuts one by one, trying not to burn your fingers, and eat them while still steamy. What a treat.

Chestnuts also remind me of Christmas meals. Chestnut-stuffed roast turkey, served with sautéed apples and more chestnuts, is one of the traditional Christmas dishes in my family. Here is a recipe for the stuffing, adapted from my 1991 Larousse de la Cuisine.

The recipe is for a 9-lb (4-kg) turkey. Since this attempt was just for fun (and for the 4 of us), I didn't buy a whole turkey but two drumsticks, and baked the stuffing (or dressing, rather) around them. The turkey pieces were simply seasoned with salt and pepper and brushed with sunflower oil. I baked them for about one hour at 350ºF (180ºC), adding the dressing about 20 minutes before the end.

• one bag fresh chestnuts (1.6 lbs or 740 g)
• 4 strips bacon, diced
  
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 thin, boneless pork chop (about 1/3 lb or 150 g), diced
  
• 1 apple (Pink Lady for example), thinly sliced
  
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, 2 whole cloves, 1 pinch ground cinnamon

1. Cut a cross into each chestnut with a sharp, pointy knife.
2. Roast the chestnuts on a cookie sheet, cross facing up, in a 450ºF (230ºC) oven for about 30 minutes. Let them cool down a little then peel them (use your hands to break the shells and remove them). Crumble the chestnuts between your hands or chop them coarsely with a chef's knife.
   
3. Fry the diced bacon and chopped onion in a pan for a few minutes.
   
4. Add the diced pork and cook for a few more minutes.
   
5. Add the apple slices. Season with salt and spices. Toss well. Cook for a few minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and toss in the crumbled chestnuts.
7. Use as turkey or chicken stuffing, or bake separately as dressing for 20 minutes.
   

Karuppatti Paniyaram and Elai Mavu

Pillayar Nombu is fast approaching and many of my young readers want the recipe for this and Elai mavu. Elai mavu is karuppatti paniyaram mavu without water. As I go to nagarathar sangam, I don’t usually make this at home. But for the sake of my readers, I learnt it from my mom this week when I went to chettinad to attend a function. So there are no photos attached.
Ingredients
Raw rice -2 cups
Black jaggerry (powdered)-1 ½ cups (karuppatti) if you don’t get karuppatti in you area then try with vellam
Procedure
Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain and dry in a paper for 20 minutes and dry grind it in a mixie.Here in India we sieve the flour in a fine siever half and remaining half in medium siever.If you don’t have siever just finely grind and keep. Now powder the karuppatti and add ¼ cup water and keep in the kadai. Once the jaggerry gets melted and gets hot switch off. No need of any string consistency. If the pagu start boiling switch off. Wait for 2 minutes and then add the pagu to the flour and mix in the consistency of chappathi mavu. If there is ecess pagu it can be used for thirattu paal.Dont pour all the pagu atonce. slowly add. Sometimes there will be excess.
This flour can be made in advance and refrigerated. So make it the day before itself.
Karuppatti paniyaram
Take the paniyaram mavu in a bowl and mix it in the consistency in between idly and dosai batter. Keep a small flat kadai in the stove and with a proper ladle pour one ladle into the oil when the oil is hot. Allow some seconds to cook then with the ladle slowly pour little oil in the kadai on top of the paniyaram. Now the paniyaram will get nice border. Turn side and cook for a minute and remove from the kadai draining the excess oil from the paniyaram. After taking out wait for a minute and break one paniyaram and see to check wether it is fried well.If not fry little longer.