Panquecas: the name sounds familiar... but it is another matter entirely

Upon request, this post is about Panquecas. Yes, the word should sound very familiar to you, recalling those stacked, warm, fluffy concoctions topped with a good dab of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup you sometimes have for breakfast. But, apart from the fact that the batter uses similar ingredients - such as eggs, milk, and flour - the analogies between Brazilian panquecas and American pancakes stop there, as you can see from this picture:

There are many good things about panquecas, although one might find the preparation of the dough a little tricky and time consuming. But once you master this stage, you are ready to prepare your own assortment of panquecas, because the filling is what really gives them a character. In this sense, they are a good way to use meat, chicken and/or vegetables leftovers. Another good thing is that panquecas can be prepared way in advance and just reheated before serving. They freeze very well too - just remember to transfer the dish to the fridge the night before. As a matter of fact, they can also be successfully reheated in the microwave oven, the only downside being the fact that the cheese will not be as golden brown and the dough won’t get crispy on the edges.

Panquecas are a stand-alone dish, but can also be served with rice (and beans) and salad. If you want them to look fancier, prepare the discs in a larger frying pan and, instead of rolling up with filling, make little bundles, tied with a green scallion leaf or parsley stem wilted in the stove flame. You can then spoon some tomato or other sauce or coulis on a plate and place the trouxinha (Portuguese word for little bundle) in the center. Or use the dough as layers to build a savory cake with any filling you like. Another way to make them look different (and more nutritious) is to add herbs (such as parsley, basil and cilantro), cooked and squeezed spinach, powdered carrot and/or beet, paprika etc. to the batter. The only thing you will need to do, then, is to adjust the consistency. But you’ll have to do it anyway, as different flour batches and egg sizes will produce different batter consistencies.

The only way to adjust the consistency of the batter is by trial and error. The dough should be liquid enough to spread all over the frying pan as you twirl it before starting to set, but not so thin that you have big holes and/or a mushy, creamy final product that falls apart. Adjust it by adding more milk or flour to the batter, little by little. The next picture shows the first panqueca I prepared with my batter - you can see that there is a yellowish layer in the middle that started setting before I was able to spread it onto the pan, making the dough a little too thick. I added a tad more milk to the mixer cup and the next one turned out ok.

Lastly, I have to say a word about the “authenticity” of panquecas as a Brazilian national dish. Most Brazilians would never remember to mention panquecas as a “Brazilian” dish; some would even strongly disagree with this “upgrade” I propose here. But, hey, although they sure are a French legacy, the way Brazilians got hold of them and developed all sorts of new manners to prepare them is, sure, unique! And, as far as I know, panquecas are served all over Brazil. 

I hope you too become a fan of them - as Nina and Kristin already are! After all, imagination is the only limitation to how you can prepare them.

Panquecas de frango
(Chicken panquecas)

Filling:

2 boneless chicken breasts halves, or 2 leg quarters, or any combination of dark/white meat you like

1/2 tsp colorau or powdered annatto seed (optional)

1/2 tsp white wine or cider vinegar

1 Tbsp thinly sliced onion

1 tsp oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp tomato paste

1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 medium)

1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen or canned (drained)

1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen

3/4 cup shredded zucchini (1 small, optional)

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, annatto powder, vinegar, onion and 1/2 tsp oil. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. (You can also season the chicken with salt and pepper only right before cooking, but you’ll need to season the refogado very well to compensate for that.)

2. Heat remaining 1/2 tsp oil in a saucepan or pressure cooker and add chicken. Sear until golden brown on all sides.

3. Add enough water to cover the meat and cook on low heat until very tender (15 minutes in the pressure cooker; about 35 minutes in a regular pan, partially covered). Add more water if necessary.

4. Remove chicken from pan, reserving the broth, and shred the meat.

5. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a saucepan, add onion and fry until translucent. Add garlic and fry until golden brown. Add tomato paste and fry for a few seconds, just to mix it with well with the other ingredients in the pan.

6. Add carrots, corn, peas, and zucchini and refogue on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then.

7. Add chopped tomatoes and shredded chicken and cook, on medium heat, partially covered, until vegetables are tender and tomato is almost dissolved (about 10 minutes). Add reserved chicken broth as needed - there should be plenty of moisture in the filling, but it should not be watery or runny.

Batter:

1/2 cup whole milk

1 Tbsp butter, melted

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp salt

6-7 Tbsp all-purpose flour

vegetable oil for frying

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.

2. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a 8-10 inch non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add about 1/8 of the batter to the hot pan (1/8 of a cup, approximately) in a steady stream, twirling the pan in the air as you pour to spread the batter evenly on the bottom of the pan.

3. Cook until the sides begin to curl up and the bottom is golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side until golden brown.

4. Repeat procedure, stacking the discs as you go, until all the batter has been used (you should have 6 to 8 panquecas, depending on the size of your frying pan).

Tomato sauce:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 16-oz can crushed tomatoes, or 4 ripe tomatoes, very finely chopped

1/3-1/2 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add onion and fry until translucent. Add garlic and fry until golden brown. Add canned or chopped tomatoes, 1/3 cup chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste.

2. Cover the pan and cook, on medium heat, for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add more chicken broth, if necessary - the sauce should be thick enough just to stay on top of panquecas, not more.

3. Turn off heat and add chopped parsley.

Assembling:

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

- prepared panqueca dough

- prepared filling

- prepared sauce

1. Depending on the serving size you want (bigger for stand-alone entrées, smaller when served with side dishes and/or a salad), divide the filling among panqueca discs and roll them up.

2. Place cylinders side by side on an oiled baking dish, or arrange them on serving plates (oven proof, if you’re going to reheat them) and pour some tomato sauce along the center, crosswise.

3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake on preheat oven (375^oF) until cheese is melted and filling is heated through.

Yield: 6 large, thick  to 8 medium, thinner panquecas (2 portions, if served straight, or up to 4 portions, if served with side dishes and salad)

Other filling suggestions: prepared ground or shredded beef or turkey; any combination of shredded, cooked vegetables (such as carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, corn, hearts of palm, peas); chopped / small shrimp cooked in tomato sauce; spinach and white sauce.

  

Gluten-free, delicious “pão-de-queijo mineiro”

Pão-de-queijo (literally cheese roll) is an irresistible, addicting Brazilian comfort food: a treat to be savored at any time of the day. It is a very popular item in lanchonetes (more later) and padarias (Brazilian-style bakeries) all over the country, especially in the Southeast region - painted red in the map below. People have pães-de-queijo (plural) for breakfast, with coffee, as an afternoon snack, sometimes filled with different kinds of cheese (or other fillings), or at any time of the day they feel hungry and cannot or are not in the mood for a whole meal.

Pão-de-queijo can even be served as an accompaniment to main meals. When I was a child growing up in the country-side of Minas Gerais state (YES!!! I am “mineira”), people used to serve them at wedding parties with thinly sliced pernil (roasted ham) and maionese de legumes (Brazilian-style potato salad) - very “caipira”, and so so yummy!!!

“Caipira” (the same root found in the Brazilian national drink name, “caipirinha”) means “country person”, and/or “pertaining to the country-side”. People from Minas Gerais, or the mineiros (men) and mineiras (women), are known in Brazil as “the” prototypical country people, and there are many jokes and sayings about their proverbial cunning and shrewdness, as well as their cooking abilities.

Legend has it that the best and only authentic pão-de-queijo (the “mineiro” one) comes from the Minas Gerais state - the land of milk and cheese. The original recipe calls for polvilho azedo (“sour” manioc starch, sold in Latin markets as almidón agrio - see picture) and queijo da canastra, a tangy, flavorful, aged farmer’s cheese made with creamy milk from cows eating mainly grass and strolling freely in the pastures of this mountainous state (the picture below is from a farm in my home town, Guaranésia). Thus, to taste the authentic “pão-de-queijo mineiro”, you will have to visit Minas Gerais... (you won’t regret it, I promise!) But, for now, if you want a recipe to prepare a very similar one, here you are.

Actually, I decided to post two recipes here: one is an attempt to get as close as possible to the traditional pão-de-queijo mineiro (or, let’s call it “pão-de-queijo the hard way”). The second one, as I see it, is a recipe for the lazy (or not too versed) cook that does not care much for the tradition and/or does not have enough time to prepare the traditional, handmade one. It uses a blender and a different type of starch, the “sweet” one - polvilho doce (sold as almidón dulce in Latin markets).

One very important note: never ever attempt to bake pão-de-queijo in the microwave oven (I did, with terrible results!). On the other hand, they reheat very well in sandwich / panini makers, specially if you fill them with cheese!

Pão-de-queijo mineiro

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups whole milk

2 tsp salt (more or less, depending on the cheese mixture you're going to use)

1 lb (500 g) polvilho azedo (Brazilian sour manioc starch)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup shredded queijo da canastra (or you can try a mix of 2 parts sharp cheddar cheese and 1 part mozzarella, or 1 part mozzarella and 2 parts parmesan cheese, or any other mix of melting, strong-flavored cheeses you like)

1. Combine oil, milk and salt in a sauce pan. Heat to just below boiling point (watch closely - when the mixture starts to rise, remove immediately from heat and use mixture in step 3).

2. Place the polvilho azedo in a large bowl.

3. Pour boiling mixture all over the polvilho azedo and, using a wooden spoon, start stirring the dough.

4. When the dough is cold enough to be kneaded by hand (but still hot), add eggs and cheese and knead until it is very sticky and elastic, about 15 minutes (you will need a spoon or scraper to get it off your hands).

5. Let the dough rest while you preheat the oven to 450^oF (it is very important that the oven is at high temperature when you bake the pães-de-queijo; if they start to get too brown on the bottom before getting golden brown on top, reduce the temperature a little bit).

6. Oil two large baking pans. Oil your hands with vegetable oil and form golf-sized balls with the dough (40-45). Place them 2-3 in apart in the pan, as they grow considerably when baked. (You can, at this point, freeze the balls and then store them in zip lock bags to bake them straight from the freezer at your convenience - they will take a little longer to get ready, though.)

7. Bake until puffed and golden brown (about 15 minutes). Serve hot.

Lazy cook pão-de-queijo

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup whole milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, or a mix of mozzarella and parmesan cheese (or any other melting cheese you like, such as cheddar, gouda, etc)

2 1/2 cups polvilho doce (Brazilian sweet manioc starch)

1 tsp baking powder

1. Oil two 6-muffin pans (medium size). Preheat oven to 435^oF.

2. Beat eggs, oil, milk, salt and mozzarella together in a blender.

3. Add half cup of polvilho doce at a time and beat well after each addition. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides, if necessary. Add baking powder and pulse 2 or 3 times to mix well.

4. Divide mixture among muffin cups filling them about half way through (the dough expands a lot when baking).

5. Bake until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot.

Eita trem bão, sô!!!

Warm Portabello Salad

We all (probably) have a food out there that we really just do not enjoy. For me, I find mushrooms to be just unappetizing in every way. Periodically I try to eat them, but often find they return to my (very short) list of foods I avoid.

How then can you explain the mystery when in my produce box appeared this large almost romantically beautiful portabella mushroom? It sat in my fridge for 3 days. And every time I opened the door it seemed to be calling out to me, begging for my attention. One day, I couldn't take it any longer and I gave in. But, how would I enjoy this mushroom when half way through I knew it would once again feel slimy, taste dirty and remind me of its manure filled origin.

The only solution was to add as many of my favorite foods, while still highlighting this mysterious fungus.

First step: butter. I knew the taste would be a challenge therefore adding a bit of butter might help me to dive deeper into the mushroom. After I sliced the mushroom paper thin, I lightly sautéed them in a drizzle of coconut oil with just a bit of butter. The slices of portabella were ecstatic as they danced with the two fabulous fats, but I couldn't stop adding flavor. Thyme, white wine, and then as if a glorious cherry on top I splashed the mess with balsamic. It was a powerful punch and the sizzle and puff of smoke were almost overwhelming.

As the mushrooms melted with flavor I threw a large pile of one of my favorite, bitter greens, arugula into the middle of a salad plate. Once the portabella was satisfyingly hot I spread it onto the greens and watched them sigh and wilt slightly under the heat. I then shaved long slivers of parmesan cheese and a handful of crunched up fresh walnuts to decorate the top. My artwork was complete, but now for the taste by my worst critic... myself!

I loved it. The mushrooms are vinegary, but almost caramelized, the arugula bites back with bitterness that is sweetly met by the walnuts, which complement the rustic charm of the parmesan. So simple and yet my mysterious mushroom craving was finally met. Now, when I talk about mushrooms, I say I prefer not to eat them, unless of course they are in my Warm Portabella Salad.

Warm Portabella Salad
Serves 4-6

2 large portabellas, rinsed & dried to remove the dirt
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or other high heat vegetable oil)
1 tablespoon butter
3 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 cups argula and/or spinach
¼ cup walnuts, broken into pieces
2 ounces parmesan cheese, peeled

To begin, lay the portabella on the rounder side and slice thin. In a medium skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once it becomes hot and liquid-y add in the butter. As soon as the butter starts to sizzle, spread the mushroom slices in the pan. Allow to sizzle on one side for 4-6 minutes until it is lightly golden. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Continue until all slices are sautéed. When the pan is full of the cooked up mushrooms, add in the leaves of the fresh thyme and the white wine. Allow the wine to absorb for about 1 minute and then toss in the balsamic vinegar. Take care not to inhale the balsamic fumes.
Arrange the arugula and/or spinach on plates or in a salad bowl. Drizzle the balsamic sauce and portabellas on top of the greens, sprinkle with the walnuts and top with the Parmesan strips.

Here are a few other dishes for those who LOVE mushrooms:
Earthy Fig, Chicken & Mushroom Salad - I love the idea of adding Figs!
Bacon, Mushroom, Asparagus Salad -and adding bacon is always a good idea for masking a least favorite food ;)

Brain fry (Moollai poriyal)

Very easy to cook item. Children will love this. Similar to egg. So cooked along with egg to increase the quantity. Little bit sweet in taste. So those who want it to be hot can add chili powder to the recipe. This is made just like scrambled egg.

Ingredients
Goat brain-1
Chopped onions-handful
Green chili -3 or chili powder-1 teaspoon
Eggs-2
Pepper powder-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Chop the onions and the chili. Break the eggs and beat it a little. Add the brain into the egg and mix it well. I always use my hand to smash the brain and mix it nicely into the egg so that it gets mixed well. Add the pepper powder also into this. In a kadai in one teaspoon of oil sauté the onions and the chili and once it is sauted, add the egg brain mix and stir continuously. The whole thing will turn like egg scramble. Those who want the fry to be hot can add little bit chili powder into the egg brain mix. Brain will get cooked fast. So the cooking time will just be 5 to 6 minutes in low fire.

“Refogar” - a quintessential technique in Brazilian cooking

  

            Nearly all Brazilian dishes start with a “refogado”, that is, chopped onion and/or garlic (see variations below) sautéed in vegetable oil - or some other fat - until golden brown. To this, the ingredients to be cooked are added and briefly sautéed before the addition of liquids (if any). It is that simple, but it can make a huge difference in the final dish. For example: it is this initial step that sets Brazilian rice apart from other rice cooking methods, giving the grains a chewier and firmer texture, as well as a sautéed onion flavor.

            “Refogar” (the verb) can be the initial and, sometimes, the only cooking technique used to prepare a vegetable, as you will see from the recipes bellow. But most often it works as the “browning” step for braising (to cook food slowly in a small amount of liquid), a technique which is also widely used in Brazilian cuisine.

            The secret to a good “refogado” is: i) chop all the ingredients about the same size, so they will cook uniformly; ii) add garlic (if using) after onion, as it browns much faster; iii) sauté onion, garlic, etc. until golden brown, over moderate to high heat, without covering the pan - to sweat them (cook slowly in fat without browning) will not produce the desired taste and appearance.

            The fat of choice is, again, vegetable oil, although it was pork lard until a few decades ago, before vegetable oil became more readily available - very tasty, but not very healthy considering nowadays lifestyle. You can also use olive oil, butter (preferably clarified, so it will not get burned) and bacon drippings. Here are some other ingredients to include in your “refogado”:

• chopped bacon (use less oil, add onion, etc. only after bacon is golden brown)
• chopped scallion / green onions (add green parts after white ones, if using)
• celery (finely chopped)
• leek (sliced, white parts first)
• green bell pepper (finely chopped, in small quantities)

            Now, a couple of very simple recipes for you to try. They all pair well with Brazilian rice and beans and the protein of your choice (braised pork loin seasoned with salt, black pepper and lime juice, in this picture).

Abóbora refogada

(Braised Squash / Pumpkin)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 Tbsp thinly sliced onion

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

3 cups 1-in cubed peeled pumpkin, butternut or acorn squash

1/2 cup water, approximately

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 Tbsp chopped parsley and/or cilantro

1. In a heavy pan, heat oil over medium heat.

2. Add onion and sauté for a few seconds. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown.

3. Add squash and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add half the water, to start with, and stir well. 

5. Lower the heat and cook, covered, adding more water if necessary, for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated and the squash is tender and begins to fall apart.

6. Right before serving, sprinkle with chopped parsley and/or cilantro.

Verdura refogada

(Sautéed Green Leaf Vegetable)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

4-5 cups finely shredded collard greens, or kale, or escarole, or mustard greens, or cabbage, or any other tough, green leaf vegetable

salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large, heavy pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add onion and sauté for a few seconds. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown.

3. Add shredded vegetable and toss well so the onion and garlic are not in contact with the bottom of the pan anymore (or they will get too brown and become bitter).

4. Lower the heat, cover the pan and let cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally (or to the doneness of your preference - I like mine al dente). Add a few drops of water, if necessary.

5. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper (Brazilians would probably add pepper only to the cabbage) and serve.

Tip: if you are preparing cabbage, add 1 ripe tomato cut into wedges or cubed to the pan before covering it.

Bom apetite!

Black-Eyed Peas & Collards

I have spent very little time in the Southern states and I am always intrigued by the beautiful and well-established food culture that seems so foreign to my palate. I have cooked for a lovely Southern couple for quite a while now and at the start they commented that my cuisine is more California then Southern and if there is an opportunity to put fat or sugar in a dish- I should go for it. You have to enjoy that license to cook!

I love the idea of black-eyed peas and the simplicity of preparing them even from scratch. I am came up with this recipe when I was following a detox and needed a clean, vegetable-bean dish that felt hearty and filling. Since I am no longer on the detox I occasionally toss in a few ham chunks, but without them this dish is Vegan. To give a smokey flavor I add in one of my favorite spices, smoked paprika which I buy from the lovely Savory Spice Shop. I am sure my clients would tell me without the ham hock in this dish more 'Californian' but what can I say- I spent a few years there and maybe Black-Eyed Peas needed a little West Coast love... or interpretation.

Black-eyed Peas unlike other beans do not need to be soaked prior to cooking. You can throw them in a pot rinsed & dry, cover with water and cook up for 45 minutes to an hour. If you want to speed things up a Pressure Cooker makes beans cook up like pasta- since it is only about 10-12 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Creole Black-eyed Peas with Collard Greens

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans black eyed peas or 2 cups cooked black eyed peas
15 ounce can diced roasted tomatoes
1 (generous) teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tbls fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon hot sauce (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces ham, cut into chunks (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat drizzle in the olive oil, sauté the onion and celery for about 5-6 minutes until tender. Add in the remaining ingredients, except the spicy cayenne, hot sauce and black pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then start adding the spices seasoning to your desired taste. Stir in the ham chunks if using. Serve with the collard greens on the side.


Collard Greens
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced fine
1 bunch of collard greens, rinse of all of the dirt, shake dry & slice into short strips
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and garlic. Warm up and once the garlic starts to sizzle slightly (usually soon- so be ready) toss in the collard greens and sauté until the greens have just wilted.

Complete this meal with a side a cornbread! Maybe try out this Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cornbread.

Here is a Black-eyed Pea Soup with Collards that looks lovely as well!

The "rice-and-beans" of Brazilian food

Rice and beans are so important for Brazilian cuisine that when we say something is “o arroz com feijão” (the rice and beans) of something else, we mean “the basics”, “the foundation”. So, let me try and explain some of the most basic, general differences between Brazilian and North American eating habits and their food staples to start with.

Brazilians usually have three main meals a day - a light breakfast right after waking up, a substantial lunch between noon and 2 pm, and dinner around 7 or 8 pm - in general, lighter than lunch (a full size soup with bread, or a salad, or some pasta, etc).

For breakfast, most people have coffee (strong coffee!), or coffee and milk (called “média”, when it's lighter, or “pingado”, when it's darker), and “pão francês” (similar to a baguette, but smaller and with a softer center - see picture; I’ll write more about it later) with butter. Some people make the meal more substantial by adding some cheese and ham to it, but bacon, sausage and even eggs are regarded as lunch / dinner (or maybe brunch) items, not breakfast. A variety of fresh fruit and their juices, sometimes mixed with milk instead of water, may be consumed as accompaniments. And there’s also the “pão-de-queijo” (a savory tapioca starch roll with cheese)... But this is worth a post itself, so I’ll leave it for later.

For lunch, people usually have rice and beans, a small amount of protein (about 5 oz; beef, chicken and pork are the most popular meats), at least one cooked vegetable (frequently braised) - such as pumpkin, chayote, and broccoli, shown in the first picture of this post - and salad greens (lettuce, arugula, watercress), with tomatoes and/or other raw or cold additions, such as grated carrots or beets, hearts of palm, cucumber and sliced onion.

Well, this is the basic “rule” - which means there are countless exceptions. My point here is just to state that: i) rice and beans are the base of Brazilian cooking, and the preferred accompaniment to everyday meals, as opposed to, say, mashed potatoes in the U.S.; ii) although meat is an important part of the meal, it is usually consumed in smaller amounts. In a country where hunger has been an issue for so long, the “rice-and-beans” diet may have saved many impoverished people from starvation and even malnutrition, as rice and beans, when eaten together, constitute a high-quality, or complete, protein - containing the 20 essential amino acids.   

Brazilian rice is prepared more or less like a pilaf, but the fat of choice is vegetable oil (a plain, flavorless one, preferably) - as you can see in the recipe below. Beans are mostly cooked in a pressure cooker with water only and, after that, seasoned with garlic and salt, among other things (later I’ll post the recipe for cooking beans in a pressure cooker; for now, check the recipe with canned beans).

There are many types of beans in Brazil - the largest consumer and producer of the legume in the world, with approximately 3.5 million tons harvested every year. The most popular beans are “feijão carioca / carioquinha” (similar to pinto beans), with 85% of the market, followed by black beans, with 10% (more common in Rio de Janeiro state, but mandatory in the preparation of the Brazilian national dish, “feijoada” - more soon!). The remaining 5% of sales are specialty beans, such as “jalo”, “fradinho”, “rosinha”, “bolinha”, “branco”, “verde”, “azuki” and “roxinho”.

Brazilian white rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 cup white rice (long grain)

2 cups cold water, approximately (preferably filtered)

1 tsp salt

- If rice is not pre-washed, rinse it until water is clear and let it dry in a colander before using. Beware that you’re probably going to use less water to prepare it in this case.

- Heat oil in a saucepan and add onion. Fry over medium heat until it is soft and translucent.

- Add rice. Fry, over medium heat, stirring constantly, until grains are whitish and chalky (grains start forming lumps).

- Add 1 1/2 cups of the water and the salt. Stir well. When it starts boiling, lower the heat and cook, partially covered, until water has almost completely evaporated.

- Add remaining water (less, if rice was rinsed) and continue cooking until all water has evaporated and the grains are cooked but slightly al dente (cooking will continue after you turn off the heat).

- Cover the pan, remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Brazilian beans

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon diced bacon (optional)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 (16 oz) can pinto beans (or small black beans), cooked with salt only

1 cup water, approximately (preferably filtered)

salt to taste

1 tsp green onion or chives, finely chopped

- Place the beans in a colander and rinse in cold water until there’s no more frothing on top of the beans.

- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon, if using, and fry until golden brown.

- Add chopped garlic and fry until golden brown. Lower the heat.

- Add beans and, using the back of a spoon or ladle, smash some of the beans into a paste.

- Add about 1 cup of filtered water. Bring to a slow boil and cook until the broth is thick (heavy cream consistency) and brown colored - you might need to add a little more water. Season to taste with salt. Add chopped green onions or chives before serving.

Bom apetite!