Brazilian Couscous (Cuscus Paulista)

One of my " food memories" when I was a little boy in Brazil is my mother preparing a Sunday meal for the family. A favourite dish of mine was "Cuscus Paulista".
I only got to know the Moroccan Couscous version  later on, when I moved to London...
Very nutritious and cheap to make, it is a winner and it looks very impressive too!

I found out that the introduction of couscous into Brazil in the 16th sixteenth century, according to Luis da Cámara Cascudo was a result of the culinary influences of both Portugal and of African slave cultures (Cascudo, 1983, pp. 207–211). There are two varieties. Southern couscous (cuscuz paulista) is a steamed cake made from corn flour, vegetables, spices, chicken, or fish (prawns and sardines). The northern variety (cuscuz nordestino) is a steamed pudding made from tapioca flour and sugar and moistened with coconut milk. This is a popular Brazilian breakfast.

Now I will show few steps for a delicious Cuscus Paulista:

1-Choose fresh vegetables, peppers, peas, aubergines, whatever you like...

2-One of the essential ingredients is Hearts of palm which you can now find in good supermarkets in London!

This is the first step: cooking all vegetables and mixing it with fish stock, sweetcorn flaked flour.

You know when it is ready when it starts to bubble up and it isn't sticking to the pan any more.That is the final step.

Zucca Restaurant

I was about to lose my hope to find a nice modern Italian restaurant in London, well don't get me wrong, you can have a wonderful Italian meal but it will cost you!
Zucca restaurant in Bermondsey Street is a modest and unpretentious with simple white furniture and a open  kitchen.
The service is very attentive on the edge of being o.t.t., pouring water and wine for us, every 2 minutes, we couldn't relax much.
The food compensates for everything: fresh, flavoursome but delicate at the same time. Foccacia and Ciabatta was served without any charge!
My main dish was a slow cooked Octopus with Jersey Royals, it was tender and gentle on the palate.
My companion's dish was Monk fish with lentils and sautéed sea kale,the fish- firm texture and lovely grilled flavour ,wonderful!
You know that feeling, when you are not that full with a little space for dessert-but-don't-want- a whole-one?
I ordered a moist hazelnut and coffee cake, it was the"icing on the cake" with a double espresso.


184 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ
Telephone

020 7378 6809

Dalva e Dito - Alex Atala

I went to Chef Alex Atala's Dalva e Dito ( Dalva comes from Dalva Star and Dito comes from Sao Benedito)  restaurant . The idea is to bring back Colonial food , all dishes are made with typical regional Brazilian ingredients such as Jambu ( plant family of oval leaves, jagged and thick, pale yellow flowers. Is used in cooking in dishes typical of Northern Brazil, as the "tacacá" and "duck in tucupi" . When chewed, the tongue slightly anesthesia.)

I had Moqueca Capixaba (Espirito Santo  regional food) , white rice and Pirao, my fiend had Porco na Lata com Pure de Batata e Pequi (Pequi is a fruit, its pulp is a very popular food in Goiás and Minas Gerais, eaten by itself raw or prepared or used as an ingredient in cooking ) see picture below.

Only few steps from his flagship restaurant D.O.M. ( 18th  best restaurant in the world)
The signature dish is the roast chicken, roasted to perfection in what Atala calls "the Ferrari of roasters", a Rotissol rôtissoir flewn in from France.
If you visit Sao Paulo and would like to taste a real brazilian flavoursome dish;I recomend to make a reservation.
Rua Padre João Manoel 1115, São Paulo, 01426-000LocationJardim PaulistaPhone011/3064-6183

Last Breakfast in Sao Paulo

Before my trip back to London, my friends Luciano and Ricardo took me to a famous "padaria" to have my last breakfast in style in Sao Paulo- Brazil, I will show some of the delicacies I had there.
Starting with breads                                                                                           and cakes

I had to try the delicious Tapioca made with cassava root flour and condensed milk freshly prepared for you, I will miss Sao Paulo....

Bacalhau a Gomez de Sa' (my birthday lunch)

Bolo dos 41 ( my B'day cake)

Felling: cooked condensed milk with black plums

top: fresh coconut

Result: Heaven!

Esfihas da Mariliza (My mother's esfihas)

before and after

My mum makes the best Esfihas I have tried, one image is better than a thousand words...so I leave you with few...

sausage roll

esfiha and coalhada seca