Oct/Nov/Dec 2020 The English-Language Food Magazine For Portugal Lovers Everywhere
T HE CURIOUS CASE OF THE M YSTERIOUS SUGAR SPUD L OCAL H OLIDAY L ORE : T RADITIONS AND S UCH S USAN K ORTHASE …
THE
V ISA W HISPERER
COMES TO TOWN
T ABLE OF C ONTENTS I N E VERY I SSUE
F EATURES Food For Thought Marco Fernandes, Sagres Vacations
The Life Changing Magic of Food
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20
Mezze by Pão a Pão
Getting to the root of the matter: the curious case of the mysterious sugar spud
24
Luísa Oliveira for VISÃO
Product Spotlight Nectar of the Gods: Honey
Christmas Merriment, Portuguese-style
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10
Wine Vines Black Sheep Lisboa/ RealPortugueseWine.com
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Not From Around Here
14
Let’s Talk
16
My Town
19
Portuguese Makers
46
Perspective
Thailander
PracticePortuguese.com
Susan Korthase/ Americans & FriendsPT
Chocalhos Pardalinho
Mary O’Brink Schaffer
18
Guest Artist Alyson Sheldrake
Portugalist
Portugal’s Monster Wave Mecca, Nazaré
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NazareWaves.com
>>> Turn to pages 42-44 for Contributors/Recipe List/What’s Playing in Your Kitchen<<<
F ROM M Y C OZINHA If it’s Saturday, it’s farm market day in my neck of the woods. I love seeing the earnest conversations going on between farmer and consumer: tips on choosing the ripest and most ready of the bunch, ways to prepare the produce, even (sometimes not so) simple explanations of just what, exactly, that oddball looking fruit or veg is. Because I live in a location that sees very little seasonal climate change, it’s at the market that I really begin to notice summer sliding into fall. Portugal has their fair share of holidays but the traditional American Thanksgiving is not one of them. Too bad. Some of the world’s tastiest sweet potatoes and an abundance of chestnuts are to be had this time of year. Regardless of the calendar, I load up on all the bounty on offer and celebrate gratitude right then and there. And, even in these tumultuous times, there’s so much to be thankful for. For example, you’re reading our fourth issue, a full year of publication! I couldn’t be more grateful to our generous, informative contributors. Some, like Black Sheep Lisboa and Practice Portuguese, appear in every issue. The many others that we’re able to shine a spotlight on make the most of their moment, sharing their expertise and wit with our readers all across the globe. Inside this issue, they’ll share with you their take on everything from Portuguese firewater to a UNESCOrecognized handcraft to holiday traditions. We’re not talking turkey; we’re talking honey, humanitarianism, and monster waves. But none of this would matter without you. Thank you for taking the time to read Relish Portugal, sending me your thoughts and feedback, and sharing it with others of like mind. From our family to yours, we wish you a meaningful close to 2020. Boas festas … we’ll see you next year!
PS — We continue to rock our world with the super fun, mighty energetic, and always interesting What’s Playing In Your Kitchen playlist. If you’re looking for new tunes or simply love curated playlists, this is for you!
The local food and flavor magazine for English-speaking Portugal lovers everywhere! Relish Portugal is published four times a year plus two special editions. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, including electronically, without the prior written permission of Relish Portugal. ©2020 Relish Portugal Permission and info requests: evanne@relishportugal.com Advertising/PR and distribution: evanne@relishportugal.com Subscriptions: relishportugal.com https://relishportugal.com facebook.com/RelishPortugalMag @relish_portugal
What should we write about next year? Go ahead, bend our ear. Will it be citrus (probably), pumpkin (maybe), craft beer (definitely), or what? Tell us what you want to know more about … bomdia@relishportugal.com
Cocktail Hour Sipping Heritage Made from the fruit of the medronho tree, the wild strawberry tree (strawberry in name only) produces round, red, spiky fruits that more closely resemble a lychee. Handpicked between October and December in the heart of the Algarve, mainly the Serra de Monchique and the Serra do Caldeirão, it’s then fermented for two to three months. This process is considered a natural heritage of old cultural wisdom that is kept alive.
Medronho: Portuguese Firewater
This clear brandy is also known as firewater or agua ardente, because that’s exactly what it does: with its high alcohol percentage (around 50 percent), it burns your throat all the way down to your belly, where it will softly nestle. The locals like to start the day with a shot, to wake their spirit, and it is also commonly enjoyed alongside a “bica”, a shot of coffee, after lunch or dinner. Popular belief states that nothing beats colds and flus of the mountains like medronho and honey – a cure for any vicious cold. You can also enjoy the health-giving medronho fruit itself, which is high in antioxidants, or processed into jams and preserves.
Mary’s Magical Melosa
Authentic Southern Portugal In A Glass Melosa is a wonderfully heady drink. However, you MUST use real medronho to make it. That's the secret and main problem.
Combine water, honey, lemon, and cinnamon sticks in a jar and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the honey has dissolved, at least five minutes. Remove lemon and cinnamon. Allow to cool for at least one hour. Add medronho. Cool and serve in a small shotglass for sipping.
Good medronho is hard to find. 600ml medronho 500ml water 600ml honey peel of one lemon 3 cinnamon sticks
• • • • •
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Check out the Museu do Medronho's online store. It’s a great resource for quality medronho. Author and Algarve-lover Mary O’Brink Schaffer is a master of the Portuguese kitchen. She’ll often serve this after a satisfying meal among friends. Saúde!
Where Cod Is King
Considered the “bread of the seas,” cod fish has been essential in the Portuguese diet since the 15th century. During the Estado Novo, the blessing of the cod fishing ships was both a public ceremony and an act of propaganda of the political regime.
attacks. Life on board is also evoked through both objects and the oral testimony of fisherman collected from the archive of the Museu Maritimo de Ílhavo. The exhibits are available in Portuguese and English and are also on the Centro's app. Located in the north tower of Terreiro do Paço (Praça do Comercio), the museum is open every day, from 10am to 8pm (last entry at 7:30 pm), paying homage to cod, as a symbol of gastronomy, culture, and the history of a country that has long thought globally.
During World War II, given Portugal’s neutrality in the conflict, the Portuguese fleet was painted white in order to avoid
Learn more about the Centro Interpretativo da História do Bacalhau’s museum, grocery store or ticketing on their website or Facebook Page.
Through technology, the Centro Interpretativo da História do Bacalhau tells the story of the adventurous discovery of Terra Nova (Newfoundland) and the cod fishing campaigns carried out by the Portuguese in the icy seas of the North Atlantic.
Christmas Carol Come To Life
Quiosque Corner One of a charming group of hip quiosques, Quiosque do Refresco — Praça do Flores sits in the lovely leafy green space called Jardim Fialho Almeida, equal distance from the trendy Principé Real neighborhood and the posh São Bento area (and across the road from Black Sheep Lisboa). Sit and relax, enjoying a café, beer or other beverage and a snack as you watch the world go by. You can’t miss it, it's a real looker. Set up on classic calçada, the tables, chairs — and even the quiosque building — are purple. Reworked in 2009, it’s part of the revitalization of historic quiosques in Lisboa and the recovery of a tradition of time, flavor, and camaraderie.
If it’s only ever been a line in a Christmas carol, boy will you be thrilled to see chestnuts roasting on an open fire all across Portugal this holiday season. That’s how you can tell that summer’s slid straight into fall and winter. The street vendors are no longer selling those luscious cups of cut up strawberries and other summer fruit. Instead, they’ve parked their aluminum carts in heavy foot-trafficked areas, stoking a fire, sending up a plume of smoke, and selling these delicious nuts by the dozen, hot and served in a paper cone. You can also find chestnuts at the grocery stores and roast them at home, in the oven. Just make sure to carefully cut an x in the pointy base of the chestnuts before roasting at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or they might explode. When the skins have pulled back and curled, remove them from the oven, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and give them a squeeze to crack them. Let them cool for a few minutes then peel the shell and papery skin and eat! Go ahead, sing that sappy Christmas tune in your cozinha! OCT /NOV/D EC 2020 | RELISH PORTUGAL | 5
DON’T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE OF https://RelishPortugal.com
F OOD FOR T HOUGHT
Faith and Fátima Marco Fernandes, Vice President S AGRES V ACATIONS || Inspire Your Travels
Growing up in Portugal, traditions are not only a belief but a way of life. As a young boy living in a village, I learned to respect my elders as well as the traditions that they honored and revered. In a country rooted in history and religion (over 80 percent of the population is Catholic), it is no wonder that one of the biggest traditions is linked to our faith. There are many stories to tell, here is mine. When I was a toddler, my father had a motorcycle accident and was hospitalized for months with serious injuries. Thankfully he was able to fully recover, however, during the time he spent in the hospital he made a promise to pay penance (an act of devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin) if allowed to heal. Decades later, I learned that my father’s promise was part of a tradition, one that goes back generations. You see, we believe when you or your family member is gravely ill or injured he or she will promise to pay penance to God and Our Lady of Fátima. You may be wondering, how does one perform such a penance? The answer is directly linked to the concept of sacrifice, to acknowledge one’s belief that a miracle helped overcome such a difficult medical condition. For generations, one would honor this tradition by walking for days from their village
or small town to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima in the center of the country. Today, Portuguese people grateful for regaining their health and welfare commence a spiritual journey from as far away as the city of Chaves in the very north of Portugal (over 200 miles away) to pay tribute to Our Lady of Fátima and to say obrigado/a or thank you for protection. Many of the people honoring their promise are parents or grandparents who walk through fields, along dirt roads, enduring rain and wind to pay a promise, one that bears their heavy belief in faith and its traditions. Today, you will see these local “pilgrims” traveling in small groups, regardless of their social class, bound by the belief that faith has allowed them to embark upon this journey. During their travels on foot, they are met by cyclists and motorists who beep their horns at them as a sign of respect and appreciation. They travel hours at a time, mostly at night to take advantage of the cooler weather, especially in the summer months. Subjected to adverse weather conditions as well as the occasional distracted driver, they march on, one step at a time. Nights are typically spent at local churches and sanctuaries prepared to receive these pilgrims, where they are able to wash their aching feet, enjoy a sandwich, and rest. Some live relatively close to the sanctuary and will spend less than ten hours to get to the shrine, others, such as my father, are not as lucky and will endure three to four days of walking to reach their final destination. As
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hours become days, strangers become friends and help one another, discussing why they are walking to Fátima. Fellow travelers are encouraged when their feet grow tired and they want to give up, relying only upon their heart and faith to keep pushing them forward. As a young boy, I did not understand why these people would subject themselves to this human punishment – aches, bloody feet, weariness, and more – just to walk to a church, when they could comfortably drive or take a bus. Today, after learning of my father’s ordeal and the many others who pay homage to this tradition of a pilgrimage to Fátima, I am humbled by the sacrifice, the respect, and the responsibility of all those who have endured such a journey. In the past decades, millions of Portuguese have emigrated to other countries such as France, Brazil, South Africa, and the United States, taking with them the hope for a better life for their family with a dream of returning to Portugal one day. In the meantime, one absolute is that regardless of where he or she is currently living, they will one day return for a pilgrimage to Fátima, many of them walking from their local village or town, to say thank you and pay tribute to a tradition that endures the test of time. As a husband and a father to two amazing children, but also as a son of someone who was humbled enough to commit himself to this long journey to the Marian Shrine of Fátima, I look forward to the day where I can proudly honor this tradition. I will embark upon my own pilgrimage, paying homage to my father and all those who relied on faith to help overcome a very dark time in their life. One day I will share my own story with my children, so that they can understand the sacrifice of all those in the past, and how it has shaped their present and future. In light of the suffering the world has seen in recent times, a little penance and a simple obrigado/a holds the power to help all of us heal. Sagres Vacations designs personalized journeys, highlighting local traditions, cuisine, history, and iconic sites in Portugal and Spain. Each of their luxury itineraries is carefully curated with their client’s interest, budgets, and other criteria in mind. From individual to groups travel, special events and themed trips, Sagres Vacations helps you experience unique, unforgettable, authentic moments. Learn more at SagresVacations.com and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
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Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá • • • • • • • • •
1 pound salted cod, cooked and flaked 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8” thick 1 cup best-quality Portuguese extra virgin olive oil 2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced and sauteed freshly ground black pepper, to taste 12 to 15 oil-cured black olives, pitted 1 large handful fresh parsley, chopped 4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into wedges lemon wedges to garnish
Desalt the cod by soaking it for 48 hours. To do this, rinse it well under running water and place it in a bowl. Cover the cod fish with cold water and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate and change the water four times a day, until the cod is sufficiently desalted. Flake the cod into big chunks, removing any bones, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3-qt ovenproof casserole dish with olive oil. Add 1/3 of the sliced onions, then layer half of the potatoes, half of the cod fish, and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Repeat, finishing with a layer of onions and another good pour of olive oil. Cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, basting occasionally with the juices until the potatoes are tender and most of the excess liquid has evaporated. Remove the foil, add the hard-boiled eggs and olives and continue baking until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, top with fresh parsley, and serve.
On The Rocks || from Alyson Sheldrake's New Wave Collection
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W INE V INES
It’s Roasting and Toasting Season In Portugal
B LACK S HEEP L ISBOA W INE AND S PIRIT B AR + their new online shop R EAL P ORTUGUESE W INE bring you wines that are alive with flavor, a window into true terroir, and the bottled essence of a winemaker’s philosophy
The world over, it is harvest season and there are particular foods that go with harvest celebrations. As Americans, we think about wines to have with Thanksgiving dinner. Here in Portugal, the first big event of the “holiday season” is the celebration of the mighty chestnut and the festival specifically linked to São Martinho, and takes place throughout the month of November, with the main day November 11th. In the different regions of Portugal there are various customs associated with the chestnut festivals, but there is a common component aside from roasted chestnuts, and that is wine. Normally, this time period is associated with the new wine of the season that has finished fermentation and is ready to taste. There is even a saying associated with the day’s events: “No dia de São Martinho come-se castanhas e bebe-se vinho,” in other words: “On the day of São Martinho we eat chestnuts and drink wine.” Specifically, the new wine of the current harvest. There are three types of traditional variations on wine that are commonly served. They are águapé (a watered wine fortified with aguardente), jeropiga (a wine sweetened with grape must and fortified with aguardente), and vinho novo (young wine). The first two are an acquired taste, and due to the addition of brandy, can pack a punch. But vinho novo is a very special wine, made from that year’s harvest, and is usually poured directly from the barrel, tank, or talha. Similar to the tradition of drinking Beaujolais Nouveau in France, November is the time to taste the new wine, and celebrate a successful harvest. We are partial to the talha wines of Alentejo, where the tradition of São Martinho is especially strong and celebrated in many small villages. A talha, or amphora, is a large clay vessel in which the crushed grapes, skins, stems and seeds are placed to ferment. The talhas are tapped once fermentation has stopped, and the wines are sold until they are gone. Because the wine ferments with skins and stems, there is both freshness and structure. It is a young wine, but the skins and stems impart their tannins. You can visit many of the adegas throughout November and December, and even January, but the wines are usually gone by early February. For us, fall is the time for full-bodied whites such as the Lote X from XXVI Talhas, field blends, and red wines with a little more oomf such as Outeiros Altos Tinto Sem Sulfitos. And, of course, it’s never ever the wrong time for bubbles, which most definitely pairs well with roasted chestnuts!
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Portuguese American Thanksgiving Stuffing Our favorite kind of stuffing (or dressing, because Brian is from the southern US) has cornbread and toasted nuts, and over the past few years we’ve given it a Portuguese twist with fresh roasted chestnuts and broa, the traditional wood-oven baked cornbread. We don’t stuff the bird because we like a crunchy top. This is infinitely adaptable. You can use your favorite recipe and simply substitute the broa for bread and add chestnuts. I like to bake it in either a shallow Le Cruset or Alentejo pottery casserole. • • • • • • • • •
2 loaves of broa, cut into cubes and dried for 24 hours 3 dozen fresh-roasted chestnuts, peeled and chopped ¾ cup (170 gr) butter 2 medium yellow onions, diced celery (as much as you like), chopped Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. fresh herbs (sage, thyme, etc.), minced Add onions and celery; cook, stirring until onions 5 cups veggie or chicken stock are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add herbs; 3 cups parsley, minced cook 3 minutes. Stir in ½ cup of the stock; cook salt and pepper to taste until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl. Add remaining 4½ cups of stock, the chestnuts, broa, salt, and parsley; season with pepper. Toss to combine. If not stuffing turkey, transfer to a buttered 17x12-inch baking dish. Cover; bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until hot and golden brown, 30 minutes more.
Portuguese American Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Mash • 3-4 medium to large Portuguese sweet potatoes • ⅓ cup honey Cook (boil, microwave, bake) the sweet ¼ cup hot water (potato water if boiled) • potatoes, peel, and mash. ⅓ cup Azorean pineapple cubes, crushed • • 2 tbsp coconut (or brown) sugar Combine the honey and hot water. Add honey/ • real maple syrup to drizzle water to mashed sweet potatoes. Add crushed pineapple and then sugar to the sweet potato mixtures. Bake in a well-greased casserole pan at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup before serving.
Black Sheep Lisboa is Lisbon’s smallest wine bar and garrafeira. They have carefully curated one of the only selections of 100% Portuguese wines in Lisbon exclusively dedicated to small independent producers and genuine experiences.
Praça das Flores, 62 Lisbon, Portugal
Want Black Sheep’s thoughtfully curated wine delivered to your doorstep? Visit their new online shop, Real Portuguese Wine, catering to the natural, organic, biodynamic, low-intervention, small-producer-wine-lover like you!
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N O T
F R O M
A R O U N D
H E R E
Thailand has recently experienced an abundance of touristic interest. With their beautiful beaches, friendly people, and incredible food, it’s a dream destination for many. You could say the same for Portugal. There’s beauty and bounty from top to bottom. Portugal’s food receives rave reviews. From feijoada and tripe in the north to cataplana and roasted lamb in the south, where you eat determines what you eat. The elephant-shaped country of Thailand offers similar diversity. In southern Thailand you’ll find plenty of seafood, jasmine rice is their staple rice, and dishes tend to be very spicy. In northeastern Thailand they favor sticky rice, make a fabulous fish sauce, and are known for somtum, a papaya salad. If you are a Thai food fan (like we are at Relish Portugal), chances are you’re always on the lookout for a dish that tickles your Thai tastebuds, both in your hometown and along your travels. Porto people, pay attention!! There’s thairrific news to share from one of Iberia’s most cosmopolitan urban areas: authentic Thai food can be yours at Thailander. They recently celebrated their one-year anniversary and have amassed a welldeserved faithful following. Yok, the restaurant’s primary chef, hailing Tom Kha Soup from Songkhla (southern Thailand) with a stint in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Patt, the house manager, from Yasothon (northeastern Thailand) via Guimarães were both charmed by Porto’s international buzz, spectacular scenery, and welcoming, genuine, easy smiles, just like in Thailand. Two and a half years ago, Yok’s Italian husband received a job opportunity in Porto and they leapt at the chance to live there. Patt met her Portuguese husband while they were both postgraduate students in the UK, moved to Portugal 13 years ago, and eventually the two settled slightly south in Porto. As Yok and Patts friendship developed, they realized the Porto culinary scene was lacking an authentic Thai food option. They began testing the demand with small pop-up events and discovered that people were happy to both try Thai food for the first time or to remember their Thai culinary experience from
VISIT: Thailander Authentic Thai Cuisine Rua das Oliveiras nº 45 4050-449 Porto, Portugal Facebook: @thailander.porto
Pad Thai Shrimp
WHAT ELSE: Set lunch menu includes app+main, offerings change weekly
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traveling to Thailand. Their individual dreams of having a restaurant dovetailed. It was the right time to join Porto’s cultural food revolution. Thailander is the result of their combined vision. They’ve observed that culinary-wise, both Portuguese and Thais enjoy rice as the base of their cuisine. Furthermore, they both eat plain rice (it isn’t common, for example, with Italians). In Thailand, there are desserts that are influenced by Portuguese desserts, many are yolk-based sweets where some ingredients used in Portugal were replaced by more available ingredients, such as milk being replaced by coconut milk in the Thai version. Thai cuisine is famous for using unusual herbs and spices such as lemon grass, galanga and Kaffir lime leaves. These are, together with lime, chili, coriander, and garlic, the core flavors of Thai dishes. Combined, they are responsible for the rich aromas and unique taste of Thai food. Yok and Patt recommend both Supermercado Chen (Chinese) and Suasa (Indonesian) to home cooks looking for Thai ingredients for their at-home creations. It’s no surprise that Pad Thai Shrimp is their most requested dish, both by those who are having their first experience with Thai food and by those who have traveled to Thailand and fell in love with this popular Thai street food. In fact, you can never go wrong with traditional Pad Thai since it is a mix of simple and pleasing ingredients. Green curry is popular with those that want a stronger tasting dish. One of the more unusual menu items, and both of their favorites, is somtum. Firstly, because its main ingredient is papaya, more precisely unripened papaya. Secondly, because this dish, despite its apparent simplicity, is particularly rich in taste; a beautiful balance between spicy, sour, sweet and salty flavors, they all blend into a perfect harmony. In Thailand there are numerous variations of this recipe.
Somtum (Thai Green Papaya Salad) • • • • • • • • • • •
3 tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice 2 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp palm sugar 1/3 cup dried shrimp 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 small red or green chili, finely minced ½ cup green snake (long green) beans, cut into 1-inch pieces 3 cups shredded green papaya ½ cup shredded carrot 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half ¼ cup roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, dried shrimp, garlic, and chili, and whip until combined, making a dressing. Set aside. (If you have a mortar and pestle, don’t mince the garlic or chili, add the ingredients, and pound to make the dressing.) Blanch the snake beans, retaining color and crispness. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking. In a large bowl, add beans, papaya, carrot, and tomatoes. Toss with the dressing, sprinkle with peanuts, serve.
Unlike many Thai restaurants abroad, Yok and Patt don’t try to adapt their Thai food to match local taste, the only compromise they make is with the level of spiciness. The result is a Thai culinary experience as authentic as you’d find in their native country.
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L ET ’ S T ALK
Portuguese Tradition: Celebrating New Year’s Eve
P RACTICE P ORTUGUESE L EARNING S TUDIO — Strictly European Portuguese Since 2012 Click on the link to check out an unlocked Premium Feature New Year’s Eve Shorties episode!
In Portugal, A noite de Ano Novo (New Year's Eve) is full of traditions and superstitions. Normally, the Portuguese like to celebrate the arrival of the new year as a group, and they usually meet in the main squares of their cities where, in addition to socializing with family members, they also take the opportunity to hang out with their friends. Especially striking on New Year's Eve in Portugal are the countless foguetes e espetáculos de fogo de artifício (rockets and fireworks shows). But, even though there are celebrations in many cities, it is on the Ilha da Madeira (island of Madeira) that the most famous fireworks shows take place. The Portuguese are a very proud people (when it comes to) their traditions, so they like to celebrate certain festive dates in special ways:
Show Me o Dinheiro (the Money)! Superstition says that you can attract dinheiro (money) in the new year by eating chocolate (chocolate). Another superstition says that you should hold some money while stepping up onto a chair, using your right foot first, to signify moving up in life and attracting richness. An older belief that dates back to the 19th century says that you should put uma nota (a bill) inside your right shoe, and make the first purchase of the year with it. You can also attract money by tossing a coin in the air and/or hopping on your right foot at midnight. Just in case those aren’t enough, why not put uma folha de louro (a bay leaf) in your wallet and leave it there o ano todo (the whole year)? Interesting side note: In Brazil, they attract money by chewing seven sementes de romã (pomegranate seeds) on New Year’s Eve and wrapping them in a napkin to store in their wallet. Two More • Eat 12 raisins at midnight – one for each of the the 12 clock strikes. For each passa Feliz Ano Novo (raisin) you eat, you make one desejo (wish). (Happy New Year) Superstitions
• Don’t eat poultry as your last meal of the year or your happiness could fly away like a bird!
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Para Beber (To Drink)? Just like many other countries, Portuguese natives usher in the New Year with bebidas alcoólicas (alcoholic beverages), preferably sparkling wine, and never water. They say that alcohol brings vitality and health (even though modern science may suggest otherwise)! To renew your strength, you should save a cortiça (the cork) from the champagne bottle and only throw it away the following year. Some believe that at midnight you should jump three times with a glass of champagne in your hand, without spilling it, and then throw the liquid behind your back without looking. This is said to leave behind all the bad that happened throughout the year. If someone is hit with the champagne in the process, don’t worry – they are supposed to have boa sorte (good luck) all year around! Some of these traditions are hundreds of years old, and the origins of some are unclear. Although many realize that these are just superstitions, many choose to follow them anyway. They make the party more fun and help to give everyone a positive outlook for the year to come. If you’re reading this during o Ano Novo, Rui, Joel and the entire team at Practice Portuguese wish you Feliz Ano Novo! (Happy New Year!) … because as the saying goes, Ano Novo, Vida Nova! (New Year, New Life!)
Gin-Ginjinha Fizz 2 oz gin 1 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice ¾ oz ginjinha 1 egg white ¼ oz simple syrup or 1 tsp of sugar (sweeten to taste) • sparkling water • ice • • • • •
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker except the ice and sparkling water. Close tightly and shake well so the egg white gets frothy. Open carefully and add ice. Shake again to cool the drink. Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice (or a chilled glass). Top with a splash of sparkling water and garnish with pitted cherries and/or a thin shaving of orange peel. Saúde!
Vamos Fazer Barulho (Let’s Make Noise)! In some parts of Portugal, the tradition says that at midnight, you should run to the window and make as much noise as you can using tampas (lids) from panelas (pots). If you have one, you might even make some racket with a chocalhos (cowbell/rattle). This tradition of making noise is one of the oldest and most deep-rooted superstitions in the world, meant to scare away evil spirits and old ghosts that haunted the previous year. This is believed to have origins prior to the Roman Empire. In Lisbon, during the ‘50s and ‘60s, old pratos (plates) and panelas were thrown out the window, but this caused so much chaos that the ritual was put to an end.
“Like having a personal tutor”, "visibly stunned”, and “absolutely essential” are just a few of the glowing recommendations for the online learning resource, Practice Portuguese Learning Studio. Rui, Joel and their team specialize in strictly European Portuguese, offering over 400 lessons with more added frequently. Listen to dialogue and learn with native European Portuguese speakers, test your pronunciation with their speaking tool, master verbs, and quiz yourself. European Portuguese is a beautiful language that deserves to be made easily accessible to learners worldwide. Visit PracticePortuguese.com, review their free material, and check out their affordable and effective membership program.
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M Y T OWN : S USAN K ORTHASE … THE V ISA W HISPER 10 years ago Susan Korthase (pronounced Core-tah-sah) and her husband Craig came to Cascais for a month-long break and simply never left. One suitcase each. “This is the least planned-out thing we’ve ever done and we are so darn lucky,” she says. They moved from the US where they’d lived in 17 places. They were expats in Manchester and London for a year and she worked globally for her entire career, spending weeks at a time in China, Europe, Australia, South and Central America. To say she’s well-traveled is a vast understatement. You might know Susan as the whip-smart, generous, and knowledgable leader of the American & FriendsPT Facebook Group as well as a main presence on Expat Exchange’s Portugal Forum. It’s no surprise that the amazing resources she provides were born of her own frustration. It was nearly impossible 10 years ago to decipher the residency process from the many fragmented, untranslated sources. Lots of research and mistakes later, plus the experience of having been an expat and also having reassigned employees all over the world, Susan figured it out and wrote a research paper. And then many more papers and articles about related matters plus some city guides. Little did she know that the US was entering a love affair with Portugal. Her articles were going viral. Mainstream media interviews with the Wall Street Journal, Time, and Money magazines were sought and she was dubbed ‘the visa whisperer’. She tells us, “That’s when I knew how important this work was to others. My mantra is to share, which is what the Expat Exchange forum and our Americans & FriendsPT Facebook platform deliver. It’s an honor to have helped hundreds of people make the move and to see so many of our FB AFIP members knowledgeably reaching out to newbies to help and support their dreams.”
First living in Cascais’ Historic Center, the Korthases’ now live in (and love) Cascais’ Mt. Estoril neighborhood. “Cascais feels like an urban neighborhood of Chicago, with better winter weather,” she reports. “Imminently walkable from the string of pristine beaches to people-watching squares, you can’t go far before encountering friends in this casual, multinational community.”
As we do, Relish Portugal asked Susan to share some hidden gems in her town, Cascais. Now we’re the darn lucky ones! Beverage With a View: Reserve -- their patio overlooks Cascais Bay, offering a range of wines in three sizes of sample pours; Hotel Albatroz, where the bar overlooks Praia da Conceição and service is impeccable. Want an honest, real dry martini or margarita? Hífen, on Cascais Bay. Only Hífen. People and Petiscos: Everyone gets what they want when you chose Hífen with views over the Bay; The Tasting Room is where we end up spilling out the doors and mingling with passers-by on the pedestrian-only street. Secret Spots: The real secret is Mt.Estoril, the jewel on the paradao, tucked away from tourists yet a short climb from the train stop or the beach. At the top of Avenida Saboia you have Bos54 for beef, Tapas by Monte for small plates, and Vila Saboia for fine dining and sushi. 16 | R ELISH PORTUGAL | OCT /NOV/D EC 2020
From the Korthase Cozinha Chocalhos Pardalinho’s From Scratch Tomato Soup
Feta and Watermelon Salad • • • • •
ripe watermelon Feta cheese olive oil oregano/salt/pepper fresh basil
No measurements needed! Combine equal handfuls of cubed, cold, deliciously ripe watermelon with a chopped block of Feta cheese. Toss in a dressing of fine olive oil, a dash of oregano, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a chiffonade of manjericão (basil). Taste to adjust and refrigerate from two hours to a day before serving cold.
Seconds on Salmon Toss another salmon fillet on the grill, seasoned with salt, pepper and tomilho (thyme). Save it for tomorrow. The origins of this dish, however, is my inability to finish a restaurant-serving of grilled salmon. • • • • • • • • • • •
250 gr salmon, flaked or rough chopped 120 ml softened cream cheese (plain or salmon) 2 colheres de sopa (soup spoons) Greek yogurt 65-80 gr alcaparras (capers), rough chopped, with their juice 15 gr freshly-squeezed lemon juice 30 gr scallion, finely diced 15 gr aneto/endro (dill) 7 gr tomilho (thyme) 5 gr alho (garlic) powder white pepper and salt to taste Mafra bread
Mix all ingredients except the salmon into a saucy dressing, then fold in the salmon until all is well incorporated. Taste and adjust the herbs/cream cheese balance. Rest this in the refrigerator for a few hours. Serve on thin toasts of Mafra bread. Vinho: Minho/Vinho Verde Luis Seabra Granito Cru Alvarinho 2017: Pairs perfectly with these recipes and is a natural wine from Black Sheep Lisboa.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
2 kg ripe tomatoes 1 dl olive oil 2 large onions, cut into thin moons 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 green pepper (optional), diced 1 bay leaf 5 tbsp tomato paste 1.5 ltrs water 1 tsp oregano freshly-ground salt/pepper to taste 5 fresh eggs slices of Alentejo bread
In a large pan, begin boiling water. Cut a small x on the bottom of each tomato. Once the water’s boiling, turn down to a low simmer and add the tomatoes, allowing them to sit for 20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water. Peel the skin, cut in half, remove the seeds, and cut into small pieces. Place olive oil, onion, garlic, peppers (if using), and the bay leaf into a heavy-bottomed stockpan and sauté until the onion is tender. Add tomatoes and tomato paste, stir, and cook for 5 minutes. Add water and oregano. Stir and cook for 20 minutes. Taste for salt and add a pinch of pepper. Crack one egg into a small bowl and pour into the pan. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cover and cook until eggs are the desired doneness. Place a slice of Alentejo bread in a shallow soup bowl, cover with soup and one egg per bowl. OCT /NOV/D EC 2020 | RELISH PORTUGAL | 17
Moinho do Rogil from Alyson Sheldrake's New Wave Collection
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Alyson Sheldrake is a self-taught professional artist. Her collections offer a visually stunning range of modern style landscapes, seascapes, and familiar objects with inspiration found in the reflections of light upon water and color, especially the intense warm light of the Algarve, where her studio is located. From pet portraits to old doors and windows, flowers, and commissioned pieces, Alyson creates bright and modern paintings that delight the senses. Facebook: @ArtbyAlysonSheldrake Instagram: @alysonsheldrake Website: alysonsheldrake.com
P ORTUGUESE M AKERS The hands of a Cowbell Master will forever be heard in the fields…
It’s not every day that one can own an item that’s been listed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (In Need Of Urgent Safeguarding). The Portuguese cowbell is one such item. Millenary fire artists (blacksmiths and coppersmiths) in the Alentejo have been producing cowbells with a singular sound and a main purpose, to help locate animals scattered across pastures, for at least 600 years. Located in the village of Alcáçovas, one of the most important shepherding areas of the country, third-generation Cowbell Masters Guilherme Maia and Francisco Cardoso and their four workers operate the last remaining handmade cowbell factory in Portugal’s cowbell capital, Chocalhos Pardalinho, founded in 1913. It’s a time-consuming, technically complex craft that takes several years to master all the artisanal parts to manufacture these pieces. Each cowbell is the result of highly skilled handiwork. The cowbells are made from iron, which is coldhammered and folded on an anvil until it is cup-shaped. Small pieces of copper or tin are set around the iron and then it’s enveloped in a mixture of clay and straw. The piece is fired at 1300 degrees C for about 45 minutes, removed from the kiln and rolled on the ground to evenly spread the metal then plunged into cold water for rapid cooling. Once cool, the clay cast is broken open, the bell is polished, and the tone of the bell, using either a metal or wood clapper, is fine-tuned to not only sound pleasant but to be heard at a distance. Chocalhos Pardalinho welcomes In the past, visitors for factory tours as well as shepherds used Watch how a cowbell is made on this workshops of 10-15 participants. bells of different Chocalhos Pardalinho video special They ship worldwide and you can sizes, according purchase these fine works of history to the season. and tradition at their factory, by The greediest phone, via their Facebook Page, cow would use and coming soon, on their website. the “male bell” (chocalho macho – bigger with more bass sound) so that the shepherd would know when the animal went to eat the neighbor’s grass. Today’s cowbells aren’t just for cows. Chocalhos Pardalinho makes many shapes and sizes for horses, goats, sheep, ferrets (!!), chickens, and even dogs. They also offer a decorative line, just as musically tuned as the animal versions, and are beautiful on the wall, in the garden, or at your front door.
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The Life Changing Magic of Food
Who among us, that’s traveled from home for an extended period of time, hasn’t missed an old standby comfort food, something that represents home on a plate? It was exactly this, a longing for pita bread, that brought about a life-changing program and groundbreaking eating establishment that rocked a refugee community in Lisbon – Mezze Portugal. Mezze operates under the umbrella of the NGDO (Non-Governmental Development Organization) Pão a Pão Association, created and run by four founders — Francisca Gorjão Henriques, Rita Melo, Nuno Mesquita, and Alaa Hariri — that wanted to make a difference. Relish Portugal sat down with Francisca Gorjão Henriques, president of Pão a Pão, to learn more about this innovative project that’s making an impact on Middle Eastern refugees and thrilling Middle Eastern food lovers.
RP: First, congratulations on Mezze’s three-year anniversary and over 70,000 meals served, wow! What an ambitious project. How did it come about? FGH: It’s a great story. Several friends were gathered at a birthday party in April 2016 and we began talking about food. We asked Alaa, then a Syrian architecture student and one of the Pão a Pão founders, what she missed the most about Damascus. “Bread,” she said, “pita bread.” As we considered that, we began thinking, “ah, that’s interesting, there’s no Syrian bread in Lisbon. How come?” Perhaps we would open a Syrian bakery where we could make pita bread. Then we thought, no, how about a restaurant instead? On the Middle Eastern table bread is like a spoon, used to scoop up other delicious items. It’s not eaten alone like we do in Portugal. As we continued talking, we realized there were few to no Middle Eastern restaurants in Lisbon. That didn’t make sense to us. Middle Eastern food is healthy and delicious. So we decided to open a restaurant. This was a crazy impulse that could have gone the other way. None of us had any prior restaurant experience, but we did have passion. Collectively, we wanted to help the Syrian refugee community.
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There were a lot of variables. As we began developing the idea we became a non-profit association. Our circle of friends loved the concept but we knew they were biased. We needed to reach out to the general population for their feedback. The enthusiasm was great. We began to mobilize, setting up a crowd funding campaign, and raised more than 23,000 euros, which was amazing since we were unknown. To validate the idea with the public and to make sure we and our team understood the practical commitment, we hosted a series of Christmas dinners. We posted the dining events, held at Mercado Santa Clara in Alfama, on our Facebook page, noting that we needed a minimum of 20 diners and asked for RSVPs. We were overwhelmed with interest. To our amazement we never had fewer than 110 guests at the dinners. These events brought a large amount of press and, of course, that garnered additional interest. RP: So you were gaining attention. What kind of partnerships did you develop to further the project? FGH: Courses and funding were organized in partnership with Tourismo de Portugal and Câmara de Lisboa. The
former ambassador of the US Embassy invited us to a workshop. We were thrilled to be part of it (along with heavyhitters like Microsoft, etc.) to share our ideas. We didn’t even have our restaurant up and running yet and were pleasantly surprised that they were paying so much attention to us. Not long after that, they asked our permission to submit a grant proposal to the Julia Taft Refugee Fund on our behalf. We were honored to be considered and delighted when we won the prize. Our supporters also included the ACM – Portugal’s High Commission for Migration. As you’d imagine, this brought even more media attention, including from UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) and Aljezeera TV. Suddenly we were all over the world. It was crazy and very impressive. RP: With so much fanfare, everyone must have been eager for Mezze to open its doors. FGH: Yes. The media coverage made a tremendous difference, allowing us to become self-sustaining after only a couple months. We received help from many members of the business community and were humbled, allowing us to open in Mercado de Arroios with a true community feel.
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RP: How did you arrange your staffing? FGH: Alaa was involved with the Syrian refugee community and in the beginning she was integral to helping us recruit staff. We began with 12 people but soon, because of our success, we hired six more. The women and young men that joined our establishment had so much to give and yet needed support after fleeing harrowing circumstances. The women, supporting their families, have precious unique knowledge – cooking – but are considered non-skilled and have no work experience outside the home. The young men were unable to finish their schooling or pursue a career in their homeland. In no time, we became known. Again, the press we received was helpful and refugees began coming to us. As we got better at what we did, we streamlined our operation. Now we employ 13-14 individuals at Mezze. RP: Do you have an estimate of the number of refugees Pão a Pão has helped? FGH: We don’t like to use the word “help”. The individuals at Mezze work very hard and earn a salary. Certainly there’s joy and companionship but it’s a restaurant, complete with the accompanying stresses.
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That being said, when we consider the number of individuals we’ve been able to affect, we count the families. When you give work to a woman you are helping her, her husband, her three children, her mother, etc. Conservatively, more than 100 people, for sure. RP: What can diners expect when they visit Mezze? FGH: Mezze means sharing a meal with family or friends. It’s a party of small, colorful, appetizing dishes where bread is never lacking. Mezze can be hot or cold, sweet or salty, subtle or spicy and you can always count on it being delicious. People tell us our baba ganoush, hummus, and tabbouleh are the best they’ve ever tasted. And of course, our pita bread always gets rave reviews. For businesses or gatherings, we provide catering as well as take away. In the restaurant, we offer five different mezze platters as well as an à la carte menu, desserts, and drinks. We’re always busy so bookings are recommended. If, by chance, people stumble upon us and want to eat but don’t have a booking we often accommodate a queue that forms outside our door. , a project of the Pão a Pão Association, operates an authentic Middle Eastern restaurant, training and employing refugees, providing them tools so that their work and their identity are not only valued but celebrated. Learn more at their website and make your booking via their Facebook Page.
The sweet potato is a superfood for many reasons. On the one hand, it is delicious, with a sweet flavor and a creamy texture; on the other, it’s exceptionally nutritious, rich in vitamin A and beta-carotenes – essential for good eyesight, immune system, teeth and bones – and lacking in carbs, fats and calories. It is also a source of antioxidants, magnesium and calcium. And because of its high content in complex carbs and its low glycemic index and low caloric value, the sweet potato is a very satisfying food that will make you feel full quickly and for a longer period of time.
Getting to the root of the matter:
the curious case of the mysterious sugar spud In the curious case of the sweet potato, this root is not a potato at all. Once considered peasant food at best, the sweet-to-eat superfood has gone from beast to beauty. We’re headed to the Algarve to learn more about this sweet genius.
By Luísa Oliveira, VISÃO
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H
eading south, the car's thermometer registered two degrees C and began to flash, like an alarm. We worried about shivering when we eventually stepped onto the land of the largest national sweet potato producer, Atlantic Sun Farms, next to Carvalhal Beach in the southwest Algarve. Fortunately for us, the trip was 250 kilometers long and the further south we drove, the more the temperature rose. Upon arrival we allowed the winter sun to warm us while we buried our feet in the sandy soil that hides the potatoes. “They also grow in clay but then it is difficult to harvest them without damage, because they have very delicate skin,” teaches João Costa, the farm manager. Visiting in early in the year, one wouldn’t expect there to be enough sweet potatoes to fill the orders, but the 120 hectares that the company farms in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina and the different varieties they grow allow it. “We keep the soil well drained and we manage to have sweet potatoes almost the entire year,” explains Silvana Oliveira, the company's manager. This is something that does not happen with small producers, those who only dedicate themselves to a single variety. Slightly cooler and a little earlier, at daybreak, when we went to look at the fields that Helena Arsenio cultivates, we only found weeds and remnants of what was her small harvest last year. But we get ahead of ourselves. For the time being, we are still on top of the green tractor to see up close how part of the 2,700 tons that Atlantic Sun Farms (owned by Germans, who were enchanted with the region and the ideal conditions for this crop) is harvested. 80 percent of it will go abroad, primarily to Germany and the Netherlands.
From the top of the tractor, you can see the sea From this stretch of land that remains to be plowed, the blue of the sea can be seen nearby. But this is something that does not register for those who are looking at the sweet potato, in a concentrated silence, only interrupted by the hoarse noise of the tractor, which advances slowly over the growth. When the machinery passes over a vine it picks up whatever is on the ground and throws the collected specimens onto a conveyor belt on the attached platform. Two workers, with their faces covered and well protected from the cold, remove the growth that clings, plus the earth and stones. Behind them, another four are dedicated to identifying the top specimens, not every sweet potato goes to the warehouse. The best of the best fall into wooden boxes, 390 kilos worth. All of this takes place in the company of an elegant white heron, who walks at a steady pace, always behind the tractor.
This will be the routine until February, when the 31 hectares that still hide sweet potatoes are thinned. In May, sowing resumes on the land where the harvest took place. And in August, the tractors are back in action. Meanwhile, the Lira sweet potato as well as the white, orange and purple, are kept in the warehouse at an ideal temperature after being washed, calibrated, and packaged. Outside, a truck is waiting for
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them to load the roots, on their way to Germany. But this, we repeat, is a unique schedule for a farm that earns millions of euros, produces a lot of sweet potatoes, and aims to reach 5,000+ tons in the near future (nothing that compares to the king of sweet potatoes, which produces 240,000 tons in California. We’ll talk about His Royal Sweet Potato Highness later in the story.)
The protected Lira The remaining farmers in the municipality, who are also members of the Sweet Potato Producers Association of Aljezur, have another, more rigorous agenda. The product they remove from the land, the sweet potato called Lira, has been recognized since 2009 with the Protected Geographical Indication, and is only harvested once a year. “It is unique, genuine and sweeter. When cooked, its texture is non-fibrous and
For the approximately two-dozen producers of this sweet potato variety, January is the time they dedicate themselves to the nursery. In May, when the slips (sweet potato sprouts) are ready to be moved to the fields, they are transplanted where they will grow until harvested. And only in September do they start harvesting. The sweet potatoes are then stored in the association’s facilities in Rogil’s industrial zone in an environment where the humidity does not exceed 80 percent and a temperature of 14 degrees C is maintained. In these conditions, they can hold up until summer. The reality is, however, this just doesn't happen. The 250 tons that are harvested fill immediate orders, very few leave the region. Chef Susana Felicidade, owner of the restaurants Pharmacia and Cozinha da Felicidade in the capital, is one of those who obtain this tasty root vegetable from regional producers for her dishes. No wonder. She was born in Arrifana, a beautiful beach town in the municipality of Aljezur, and remembers sweet potatoes as part of the dishes at home as she was growing up. "Until I came to Lisbon, I thought that Portuguese stew was made with sweet potatoes, because in my region it is common," she recalls. The climate of Costa Vicentina and Sudoeste Alentejano, by the way, is perfect for growing sweet potatoes: very mild, with sun almost all year and a sandy, humid terrain.
Beast to beauty
is very well suited to sweets,” guarantees Manuel Marreiros, the association's president, who now also dedicates himself to this product, but previously chaired the City Council.
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The memories of Chef Felicidade, or from anyone that she grew up with during that time in the southwest Algarve, are from a time when sweet potatoes were looked down upon. It was thought that because of the sweetness in both the name and taste, it was fattening, unhealthy, and even forbidden for diabetics. With the growing importance of nutrition and scientific studies to determine the characteristics of this type of food that is called potato, but which is actually a root, we discovered it was a product of vast nutritional benefit. “Unlike the English potato, it is rich in complex carbohydrates low on the glycemic index, meaning that it is absorbed slowly, without causing spikes in
insulin production,” says the nutritionist Ana Ni Ribeiro. In a flash, the root came out of the shadows and became a gourmet item. It is now part of many restaurant menus, in its many preparations: fried, roasted, cooked, pureed, and even (forgive the redundancy) in sweets. In Portugal, between 2012 and 2014, two kilograms were consumed per capita (in Spain it was only 200 grams per person). With the increasing admiration of this vegetable, it’s with great displeasure that Manuel Marreiros and others interviewed for this article noted the arrival of what’s called in Aljezur, the Chinese potato. It does not come from China, but it is a variety similar to the Lira. There are differences, however. It gives not only one harvest but two per year and falls apart as soon as it is cooked, experts say. It is difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye, except after seeing how it loses consistency when being cooked. To assure genuine Aljezur Lira sweet potatoes, one must see the certification and seal of quality on the packaging. Without exaggeration, for the Algarve chef and foodies alike, “the potato from Aljezur is the best in the world, not only for its sweetness but for its complex flavor (some say it tastes similar to a chestnut when eaten raw). It is dense and solid because it takes time to grow. ”
For the love of sweet potatoes Like Chef Felicidade, producer Helena Arsénio, partner number one of the local association, cannot imagine her life without sweet potatoes and even uses the word “passion” when she talks about the years, or a life, that she has dedicated to this product. “My father planted them, and from the age of five or six, I was responsible, in part, for watering them. “It has always been a pet project,” she says, with some nostalgia. She planted an enormous field when she still had the help of her parents and brother, who are no longer living. Today, despite three herniated discs, she still dedicates herself to sweet potatoes: sow, plant, harvest, and cure. The result? A ton sold to the association, to be packed and resold in the market. This year, “old and tired,” she warns that she will only deal with one hectare (approximately 2.5 acres) of them.
family business, she insists on innovating at the expense of the most popular product in the region. On the shelves of a patisserie, sweet potato custard ensures regular customers. After tasting, we notice hers is less sweet and more firm than the traditional. Interestingly, Anabela does not use flour to make sweet potato bread, sliced cakes, packaged dumplings, broinhas, or the prince cake (her special version of bolo rei). “My products are made with all natural Aljezur potatoes, always certified.”
A healthy sweet Anabela Claro does not know if the sweet potatoes she uses to create her products, sold at Pão do Rogil, are from Helena. Since she took the reins of the 50-year-old
More than 16,000 kilometers from Aljezur, Maria Andrade is
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not very concerned with the authenticity of sweet potatoes that are eaten in Mozambique. The Cape Verdean researcher, who has a PhD in sweet potato genetics and physiology from the University of Arizona, in the US, has lived in this former Portuguese colony for 20 years. She focuses instead on the amount of vitamin A she can dispense to Mozambican children through this food. Maria is all too aware of the statistics. When the project began, nearly 70 percent of children under the age of five had vitamin A deficiencies, which can lead
to night blindness and a weakened immune system. UNICEF finances supplementation but not everyone is able to reach a place where it is dispensed. In an effort to overcome these obstacles, she developed a sustainable system to reduce the deficiency. There was already a tradition of growing sweet potatoes in Mozambique, but they weren’t an orange variety (the more betacarotene the sweet potato has the richer it will be in vitamin A). Taking advantage of the fact that most of the crops disappeared with the floods of 2000, she and her team introduced a new sweet potato variety and launched a promotional campaign, based on the slogan “O Doce que Dá Saúde” (the sweet that gives health). In 2011, “after laboratory improvements, we were able to identify 15 varieties tolerant to drought and viruses that give twice as much vitamin A as the traditional ones,” she excitedly tells us on the phone. The campaign also teaches Mozambicans how to leave behind the routine recipes of the past. They now consume them in juice,
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cakes, breads, desserts, and purees. It has been going so well that in 2016 the prestigious World Food Award was granted to this Mozambican project (and to four other researchers who developed similar programs in other latitudes). The 250,000 euro prize allows for the sweet potato to continue dispensing its magic to those who need it most.
The King is Portuguese At the age of 75, Manuel Eduardo Vieira is hailed as the King of Sweet Potatoes in the US. How did he find such success, this Pico-Island-Açorean who walked barefoot until he was 11 years old? “With the grace of God, my family, a rigorous, disciplined and efficient management, and the best team,” he says, as if he already knew the answer by heart, without hiding his pride. He has lived in California for almost 50 years, in a region where the land is light and sandy, the favored conditions for this crop. He’s the owner and president of AV Thomas, a company that currently produces 240,000
tons of potatoes (much of it organic) in an area that amounts to 2,500 hectares. When he bought the company from his uncle, seven employees worked there. Today it employs 1,100 people. North America must be served well, with a population estimated at 330 million. AV Thomas produces more than ten different varieties of this root and knows that “all of our sweet potatoes have a wide array of healthy elements.” Still, the orange pulp variety is the most popular. The world's largest producer has seen a substantial increase in demand in recent years. "The taste may be the same as the Portuguese product, but here they look better, and the eyes also eat." Portuguese farmers have visited him to learn from the king. And he is happy to teach. As a teenager Luísa Oliveira chose to be a journalist, eventually working in several newsrooms. She joined VISÃO’s society/lifestyle desk in 1999. She still hasn’t had enough of meeting people, listening to their stories, and writing them in the best way she knows how. VISÃO, part of the Trust In News family, is a leader in general information magazines with more than half a million readers. In addition to digital and online subscriptions to their current event publications, VISÃO and Trust In News offer must-read special editions including VISÃO Surf, VISÃO Açores, VISÃO Madeira, and VISÃO’s This Is Portugal. You can find them here.
Alyson Sheldrake’s Homemade Hummus on Sweet Potato Toast • large sweet potato, sliced into ¼ inch thick slices lengthwise • 350 gr jar chickpeas • 3 cloves of garlic, roughy chopped • 2 tbsp olive oil • juice of 1 lemon, freshly-squeezed • 2 tbsp honey • ¼ tsp sea salt • small handful of fresh parsley, chopped Toast the sweet potato slices in the toaster on full-heat setting, at least twice, until they are cooked. Drain chickpeas, reserving the liquid. Blend remaining ingredients until fluffy but still slightly chunky. If too dry, add a couple tablespoons of chickpea liquid and blend again. Plonk the hummus on the “toast” and scoff (put a spoonful of hummus atop the toasted sweet potatoes and enjoy). OCT /NOV/D EC 2020 | RELISH PORTUGAL | 29
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Nectar of the Gods
>> PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT << PORTUGAL’S HONEY Honey has always been associated with the gods
In ancient times, honey was considered elitist
Honey can refer to bee honey or (sugar) cane honey
Honey production was once mysterious and supernatural
Honey is a product of flower nectar and digestive enzymes of bees
In Portugal, sugar cane honey is only produced on Madeira Island The flavor and color of honey varies widely, depending on the flowers in which the bees collect nectar
Mix honey with coconut oil to condition and moisturize your hair and scalp and to prevent dry and chapped lips
Honey contains over 180 substances, some of which our bodies use very differently than other carbohydrates. It is not “just another sugar.” Honey is proven to have antibacterial and antifungal
Monofloral (or unifloral) honeys come from a single species of flowering bloom, each with their own unique flavor In Europe there exists more than 100 botanical species that can give monofloral honeys Cold (refrigerated) honey degrades slower than warm honey and freezing temperatures are actually your best defense against deterioration
The first possible honey recipes at the time of Portugal's formation were published by Ibn Razin Tujibi (1238-1266)
Developed, in part, with noted Portuguese food historian Virgílio Nogueiro Gomes
Honey is used to make chutneys and other preserves, syrups or liquors
Honey is used in the preparation of almost all foods, from soups to desserts, including fish and meat
Portuguese children were prepared a syrup for sore throats, consisting of raw slices of carrot covered with honey. This preparation was left for at least a full day, then a tasty liquid appeared, which did not seem like a medicine and was abused by spoonfuls. A 2020 study showed honeybee venom rapidly destroyed triple-negative breast cancer
Like the terroir of fine wines or the earthy flavors of regional olive oils, there are nine Portuguese honey-collecting regions that enjoy DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) – also known as PDO – status (as noted by the designation mark). Each of these regions produce honeys with distinctive flavors, scents, viscosity, and color. OCT /NOV/D EC 2020 | RELISH PORTUGAL | 31
Portuguese DOP Qualified Honeys
Mel das Terra Altas do Minho DOP,
Mel do Ribatejo DOP, Santarém District
Braga District This wildflower honey is dark in color, very fluid, and strongly scented with heather. It’s said that this honey was once used in place of money.
Mel da Terra Quente DOP, Bragança District Amber-colored honey derived from native Iberian Peninsula bees. Some say it’s one of the best in Portugal. Floral varieties include heather, eucalyptus, lavender, and especially rosemary.
Mel do Parque de Montesinho DOP, Bragança District Dark honey produced by the native Iberian black bee from the nectar of heather flowers, rosemary, and chestnut. It has a strong, genuine smell and a soft texture. The use of any kind of pesticide or repellant is strictly prohibited.
Mel do Barroso DOP, Barroso Honey produced by what’s known as the Spanish bee, from the nectar of the flowers characteristic of the Barroso mountain region. It has a very dark color, rich aroma, and almost a toffee flavor revealing the regional honey flora, with a strong predominance of heather.
Light yellow with an intense aroma and floral flavor of different combinations of Iberian wildflowers. The vegetation of the four regions with protected names include Serra d'Aire (rosemary, lavender, mint); Albufeira do Castelo do Bode (heather, myrtle, chestnut); Bairro (thistle); and Alto Nabão (eucalyptus), with combinations very enriched in species characteristic of the Mediterranean flora. It’s often used in local breads and pastries.
Mel do Alentejo DOP, Évora District Lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, and orange blossoms give this honey a beloved global reputation. The smell, taste, and color (transparent yellow to amber) vary depending on the respective pollen composition.
Mel da Serra de Monchique DOP, Monchique A mild honey, due in large part to the presence of citrus and plums. Rich in mineral salts, it’s dark yellow with a mild flavor and a bittersweet aftertaste.
Mel dos Açores DOP, Açores The most well-known Açorean variety of honey is incense honey, derived from the nectar of the sweet pittosporum tree. It’s color ranges from almost colorless to yellowish and dark brown.
Mel da Serra da Lousã DOP, Lousã
Famed Portuguese food historian, professor, and prolific author Virgílio Nogueiro Gomes Honey produced by the Iberian Peninsula bee recently released the final book in a trilogy species Apis mellifera iberiensis, from floral of Portuguese cookbooks, Petiscos de nectars of the spontaneous regional flora Açúcar e de Mel (Sugar and Honey (Lousã and bordering areas). It’s amber in Snacks), co-authored with the awardcolor – dark almost black amber – very thick, winning blogger known as Laranjinha, and has a strong flavor with some Isabel Zibaia Rafael.
astringency, due to the heather nectar. It crystallizes at low temperatures.
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As in previous books, they encourage readers head to the kitchen and, with an easy-to-prepare recipe, discover their culinary skills.
Part i r a loiça to da
Breaki ng all the dishes To be amazing, used when someone has exceeded expectations. For example, while eating the delicious honey cake (recipe on page 43), they told the baker she was “breaking all the dishes!”
Christmas Merriment, Portuguese-style
By P ORTUGALIST || Your complete guide to Portugal
Christmas in Portugal is a unique experience. For some people, particularly those that come from very cold parts of the world, it doesn’t feel Christmas-y enough. For others, the ability to walk outside and even get a little vitamin-D is a real Christmas miracle. The more time I spend in this beautiful country, the more I look forward to Christmas in Portugal. I eagerly anticipate having a slice of Bolo Rei or a sonho with my coffee and seeing the Christmas tree in Lisbon’s Praça do Comercio. It’s a wonderful time of year to come to Portugal. Let me share with you how Christmas is celebrated here.
Presépios The Portuguese love nativity scenes (presépios). You’ll find them all over Portugal around Christmas, often by the side of the road near roundabouts. Live nativity scenes, where people dress up as characters from the Christmas story, are also incredibly popular and a feature of many towns in Portugal. Interestingly, Portugal’s love for nativity scenes has even entered The Guinness Book of Records. In 2012, the town of São Paio de Oleiros set a Guinness record for hosting the largest moving nativity scene in the world. The record for the most mechanical figures in a nativity scene also goes to a Portuguese person, this time Manuel Jacinto from Santa Maria da Feira, in 2013. Even the smaller nativity scenes that people have in their own homes are taken very seriously. Rather than just set them up on the hall table, great effort goes into collecting moss, bark, and stones to create an authentic background. The pieces themselves are often passed down from generation to generation, and contain both religious figurines (Mary and Joseph, for example) as well as cultural figurines (i.e. farmers).
Bananeiro Braga has a very unique Christmas tradition where every year, on December 24th, people from all over the city come together to eat bananas and drink Muscatel at Casa das Bananas on Rua do Souto. The tradition, Bananeiro, began when the owner of a banana shop in Braga wanted to make a little extra money and set up a stall outside his shop, selling glasses of muscatel. One customer, after ordering a glass, asked him if he had anything to eat. The owner gave him a banana.
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The shop owner’s son really liked this story and, the next year, he brought his friends to the shop to eat bananas and drink muscatel. Word spread that this was the thing to do and it wasn’t long before it became a Christmas tradition. Now, every year on December 24th, hundreds of people gather to wish each other a Merry Christmas, eat bananas, and drink muscatel.
Umbrella Street Every year between July and September, Águeda hosts the Umbrella Sky Project, decorating its streets with brightly colored umbrellas, tinsel, and balloons, but did you know that Águeda also does a Christmas Umbrella Street as well?
Christmas Eve: The 24th The traditional Christmas celebration in Portugal takes place the evening of December 24th although, as a lot of it happens around midnight, it crosses over into the 25th. Shoes (as opposed to stockings) are traditionally laid out for the Baby Jesus (as opposed to Santa), and the house is decorated for Christmas. Part of this involves setting up the nativity scene, although the baby Jesus isn’t added just yet. Most families go to midnight mass (Missa do Galo), although some churches have masses that take place a little earlier. A big part of midnight mass is kissing the baby Jesus, and everyone in the congregation will queue up to do so. In some parts of Portugal, including Bragança, Guarda, and Castelo Branco, it’s not uncommon for there to be a large communal fire in the church parking lot. It gives everyone in the community a chance to gather around and wish each other a “Feliz Natal” (Merry Christmas). After that, it’s back home to see what presents the Baby Jesus (or Santa) has left for everybody. The Baby Jesus figurine gets added to the nativity scene (as he’s now officially ‘born’).
Traditional Portuguese Christmas Food Consoada Christmas dinner, or Consoada, takes place on the eve of the 24th. Portugal’s national dish, bacalhau, is probably the most traditional option for Christmas dinner, although polvo (octopus) is also common in the North of Portugal and in the Algarve. As Portugal is a Catholic country, meat doesn’t feature at all. The starters are likely to be fishbased salgados like Bolinhos de Bacalhau and Rissóis de Camarão. Regardless of the Catholicism, it isn’t surprising that bacalhau is eaten at Christmas: the Portuguese love bacalhau. What’s surprising, though, is the bacalhau recipe used for Christmas: Bacalhau de Consoada.
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There are more than 365 different recipes for bacalhau, and this isn’t the most popular bacalhau recipe. Made up of cabbage, boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, and bacalhau, it is very basic and non-indulgent, particularly when compared to Bacalhau com Natas, although the large amount of olive oil added usually jazz' it up a little. You don’t have to have this particular bacalhau recipe, of course. There are countless others – like Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá – that would be more than suitable for a Christmas meal. Christmas Day, December 25th, is a quieter day and most families usually have a meat dish like lamb, cabrito assado (baby goat), or even peru (turkey). Or, there’s the option to have bacalhau again. Bacalhau eaten on the 25th is known as Roupa Velha (old clothes) and is basically a mash made from all of the leftover bacalhau consoada, usually with an egg for good measure.
Holiday Sweets and Desserts Sweets, particularly sweet pastries, are a big part of the Portuguese Christmas celebration. Rabanadas or fatias douradas (French toast with a wine sauce) and sonhos are both deepfried and covered in sugar, and have a very festive feel to them, as do the azevias do grão e amendõa (fried chickpea and almond pastries), coscorões, and the filhós. There are also broas, often called broas de natal, which are oval sweet bread biscuits. These are normally made with sweet potatoes, ground almonds, eggs, sugar, and orange peel. Along with these sweets, popular desserts include flan, arroz doce (rice pudding), and aletria. Lampreia de natal, a dessert made almost entirely of egg yolks and shaped like a lamprey fish, sometimes makes an appearance. People say it’s just for the kids, but adults love it, too. It’s definitely one of Portugal’s most curious culinary creations. Two other cakes that you can absolutely expect to see are Bolo Rei and Bolo Rainha, two bread-style fruitcakes that are made of dried fruits and nuts. Bolo Rei (King Cake) also has candied fruits on the top. Bolo Rainha (Queen Cake) doesn’t have the dried fruits, but makes up for it with extra nuts. These cakes are mainly eaten between Christmas and January 6th, when the three wise men arrived, but you’ll find people eating them in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
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What To Drink at Christmas Many people who come to Portugal often don’t realize that there are so many different types of Port: vintage, tawny, ruby, white, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), crusted…the list goes on. As it’s Christmas, it’s a good excuse to splurge on a vintage bottle (or two) of Port. You’ll find these in every Portuguese supermarket or garrafeira, and they’re actually very affordable. Alternatively, a LBV tastes a lot like a Vintage Port but is much cheaper. In addition to Port, consider adding a bottle of Ginjinha to the shopping list. This Portuguese liqueur, made from ginga berries (a.k.a. sour Morello cherries), has a very Christmas-y taste. If you have a sweet tooth, Amarguinha, a liqueur made from almonds and tasting very much like marzipan, is another one to stick in the shopping cart.
The Season Close Christmas officially ends on the 6th of January, although for many people in Portugal, it’s back to work again on December 26th. Everything stops again for New Year’s Eve, or Réveillon, and most people have January 1st off of work. In many parts of Portugal, particularly the Algarve, people sing in the New Year (a custom known as Janeiras) between January 1st and January 6th. Groups gather in the town and wander around singing, wishing people a happy new year, and asking for leftovers (or money). Christmas is officially over on January 7th. The decorations, and the all important nativity scenes, come down and are put away until the next Christmas season. Celebrating the holiday season in Portugal’s bustling capitol, the cool and chic northern cities and towns, along the sunshine shore in the Algarve, or in the (possibly snow-covered) Serra da Estrela, Christmastime in Portugal will definitely leave a lasting impression. Boas Festas!
Whether you’re visiting Portugal for a few days or spending the rest of your life here, Portugalist covers everything you need to know about Portugal from tips for renting an apartment to must-try cuisine. This in-depth blog offers valuable insight and interesting tidbits via their Knowledge Hub, off-the-beaten-track, detailed Destination Guides, and practical resources that even seasoned expats can benefit from. Learn more on their website and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
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Portugal’s Monster Wave Mecca, Nazaré By N AZARE W AVES . COM || Made by people who love Nazaré
Close your eyes and imagine inhabitants of the small fishing village of Nazaré, Portugal standing atop Fort São Miguel Arcanjo, built in 1577, on an autumn/winter day watching a nearly 10-story wave approach. Many a fisherman’s wife was made a widow by these unpredictable monsters tossing small fishing boats against the craggy cliffs. Sítio da Nazaré, the 360 foot (110 meter) promontory where the fort (and now lighthouse) sits, separates two very different beaches. South of the lighthouse is a quieter beach, the main beach of Nazaré. But to the north of the lighthouse, the North Beach (Praia do Norte) has an angrier temperament due to the Nazaré North Canyon, one of the largest submarine canyons in Europe, a giant hole in the bottom of the sea 140 miles (230 kilometers) long with a maximum depth of 16,000 feet (5,000 meters). Shrouded in mystery, the Canyon belongs to a complex geological area perhaps related to the Nazaré fault, a fracture zone with movements that can cause earthquakes. With a deceitful topography, this giant submarine valley is able to change the direction and speed of the waves as they travel through the Canyon. The exit of those waves is not a peaceful one, as if it were a conspiracy, the inconceivable happens — a powerful wall of water, sometimes as tall as a 10-story building.
Predicting Big Waves
Learn about the North Canyon in this excellent video.
With the combination of several elements of nature, the Canyon’s presence creates special conditions for the build up of big waves. It will split a wave into two, increase the speed of the wave that travels the Canyon, and reunite them. The opposite ocean current coming from the beach also adds a few more meters. The right conditions – a wave period greater than or equal to 14 seconds, the predicted wave size above four meters (to the Nazaré zone), the wind (ideally weak), and the direction of the wave (ideally from W/ NW) — can amplify the wave size forecasts by three times. North Atlantic storms occurring during the autumn and winter are another important factor, bringing considerable swells to the Canyon. An innocent wave, destined for Nazaré, can triple in height.
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Riding the Waves In 2005, Narzaréan body boarder Dino Casimiro reached out to big wave surfing icon Garrett McNamara, famous for riding big waves worldwide and always searching for a bigger wave. Crickets. It wasn’t until 2010 that McNamara and Casimiro met up in Nazaré. Awed and astonished, McNamara accepted the invitation to explore the infamous Nazaré waves, looking for big wave event potential. In 2011 McNamara rode a 78-foot (23.77m) wave, taking the world record and remaining the record holder until 2017. That’s when Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa surfed the biggest wave ever surfed at 80-feet (24.38m).
Just this year another Brazilian, Maya Gabeira, achieved a new Guinness World Record in the category of biggest wave (female) – Largest wave surfed - unlimited (female) – surpassing the previous 2018 record. After rigorous scientific measurement in an extremely close race with fellow surfer, the French Justine Dupont, it was established that Gabeira rode a record-breaking 73.5-foot (22.4m) wave.
See For Yourself We’re officially entering autumn and the big wave season at Nazaré, running from October to March. As expected, all eyes worldwide are focused on this big wave mecca. Big waves are not always present, they depend upon storms on the high seas to bring big swells. Enthusiasts, top athletes, wave forecasters, and eager spectators are starting to scan the “wave radar” searching for weather bombs, very intense low-pressure systems that are able to produce large-scale swells towards the Portuguese West Coast. The resulting giant waves are both unique and uncertain. Surfers, however, will always be on the waves, surfing when any opportunity arises, big waves or basic breakers. It is not possible to have an accurate forecast more than a week in advance. Even then, a promising forecast may peter out. The best advice is if you are traveling to Nazaré specifically to see the big waves, allow two to three weeks to assure at least one day of monster wave magic. You can subscribe to notifications on NazareWaves.com for updates on expected big waves and regularly follow the alerts on the main page. While Nazaré certainly offers all the joys of a seaside holiday from beautiful beaches, great food, and a charming, historic town full of fascinating sites, it’s also the best spot in the world to experience the power and majesty of giant waves from just a few feet away. Come to see the surf and the incredible strength of the sea. It is always an unforgettable experience, especially for nature/sea lovers or surfers. Enjoy the abundant seafood, relax at a sidewalk café, or bring a picnic to the Sítio da Nazaré and settle in for some world-class surf watching.
NazareWaves.com shares stories of life in the small beach village of Nazaré. They pay special attention to the Big Waves in Praia do Norte (North Beach), considered the biggest waves in the world, as well as the great surfers and body boarders that defy those waves. Visit their website and sign up for Big Wave Alerts, read the latest surf forecast reports and surfing news, and watch eyepopping surf videos. You can even see what’s happening in Praia do Norte on their live NazareWaves webcam.
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Miguel speaks with a cadence that makes NazareWaves.com's everything he says sound like poetry. He has a lot of wisdom Caldeirada deto share. “I am fascinated by the idea Peixe da Nazaré of bringing back the ancient grains, the of making flour.fish, It isfilleted my kg ways assortment of fresh • 2old way of traveling back in time,” he and chunked told us. • 1 kg fresh clams large onions, • 2windmill His dates sliced back to 1810 but and thickly • 500 grinpotatoes, lingered ruins for peeled many years until sliced he restored it in 2008. Miguel was a • 1 red pepper, carpenter until hechopped fell in love with windmills. beganchopped restoring them, pepper, • 1 greenHe first as a hobby and later as a full3 cloves of garlic, chopped • time occupation. Hepepper, has restored red chili finely chopped • 1 small windmills all over Portugal but (remove the seeds and pith takes to tame the special pride in Moínho de Avis. It is heat) a beautiful windmill. Miguel shows us large ripe tomatoes or 1 400 gr can, • 4ingenious the gears that rotate the crushed sails towards the wind. The small dry white wine views of the • 400 mloffer windows expansive small bunch of parsley, chopped • mountain and the sea. • 2 bay leaves With his son Luís, Miguel is bringing of paprika • pinch back ancient oil wheat varieties that are • olive rich with and flavor: barbela, of coriander (cilantro), chopped • bunchnutrition nabão, and preto amarelo. “These stones have never milled modern grains so they have no trace of Add the ingredients to a clay pot or pesticides. My wheats are certified heavy-bottomed stock in several as biological, not by the pan government layers, in this come order:see.” He places but by nature, a handful of barbela grains at the onion, potatoes, peppers, garlic, chili, entrance of the mill. Soon, an army oftomatoes, ants arrives cart away thisbay loot. fish,towine, parsley, leaf, “The ants olive avoidoil. grains that have paprika, pesticides, but they love these ancient wheats,” “I am Cover and cook Miguel over a says. low heat, shaking also starting to find more and more the the pan from time to time but never stirring, for 45 minutes to one hour. Add a little water if you need to loosen the mixture during the cooking process. A few minutes before serving, add the clams and cover, steaming until they open. Discard any that remained closed. Sprinkle with coriander and serve.
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Portugalist’s Fig, Pear and White Port Mincemeat Mincemeat is a traditional ingredient in Irish and British Christmas recipes, particularly for mince pies. This recipe uses white port rather than most traditional recipes, which use brandy or whiskey. It also doesn’t use any suet or butter, again traditional ingredients, which makes it suitable for vegans or those that just want a lighter recipe. • • • • • • • • • • • • •
2 pears 150 gr glace cherries 150 gr mixed fruit peel 250 gr dried figs 200 gr sultanas 250 gr raisins 2 oranges, both zested, one freshlysqueezed freshly-squeezed juice of 1 lemon 200 ml white port 5 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg
Finely chop the pears, cherries, and dried fruit and place them into a mixing bowl, along with the zest from the oranges, the juice from one of the oranges, juice from the lemon, white port, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for at least three days (but ideally several weeks), stirring at least once each day.
Photo courtesy of James Cave/Portugalist
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C ONTRIBUTORS Alyson Sheldrake
Portugualist portugalist.com instagram.com/portugalist_com
alysonsheldrake.com instagram.com/alysonsheldrake
facebook.com/portugalistdotcom pinterest.pt/portugalist
facebook.com/ArtbyAlysonSheldrake
Black Sheep Lisboa / Real Portuguese Wine blacksheeplisboa.com / realportuguesewine.com
Practice Portuguese practiceportuguese.com instagram.com/practice_portuguese facebook.com/PracticePortuguese
instagram.com/blacksheeplisboa facebook.com/blacksheeplisboa / facebook.com/RPWnaturalandorganic
Sagres Vacations sagresvacations.com
Chocalhos Pardalinho chocalhospardalinho.com
instagram.com/sagres_vacations facebook.com/sagresvacations
facebook.com/chocalhospardalinho geral@chocalhospardalinho.pt
Mary O’Brink Schaffer/Author Two Suitcases and a Dream
Mezze by Pão a Pão mezze.pt instagram.com/mezze_portugal facebook.com/paoapao.associacao
NazareWaves.com nazarewaves.com
Susan Korthase facebook.com/groups/ americansandfriendsPT expatexchange.com/portugal
Thailander facebook.com/thailander.porto
facebook.com/nazarewavescom
Virgílio Nogueiro Gomes Did you know our virtual bookshelf is full of interesting and useful cookbooks that would thrill any cook? Have a look on the facing page and consider who on your holiday gift list gets the goodies! Our generous contributors strive to provide you with information and experiences that matter. Please take time to visit them online and partake in their offerings.
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virgiliogomes.com instagram.com/virgilio_nogueiro_gomes facebook.com/virgiliosngomes
Luísa Oliveira/VISÃO visao.sapo.pt
C OOKBOOK C OLLECTION
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Sr. Gomes’ and Sra. Rafael’s Parque de Montesinho Honey Cake • • • • • • • • • • • • •
50 gr walnuts 50 gr pine nuts 50 gr almonds, toasted with the skin 200 gr Parque de Montesinho honey (DOP) 200 gr yellow sugar 200 ml olive oil zest of 1 lemon 6 medium eggs 200 gr wheat flour (T55) 50 gr chestnut flour 25 gr rye flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon powder
Chop the nuts and almonds. Add the pinion. Reserve.
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Beat the honey with the sugar, oil, and lemon zest. Add the eggs, one by one, beating between each addition. Mix the flours with the baking powder and cinnamon and add to honey mixture. Sprinkle the chopped nuts with a little flour and fold into dough. Place the dough on a greased cake pan and bake at 180 degrees C for about 40 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
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F OOD , G LORIOUS F OOD Mary’s Melosa || Mary O’Brink Schaffer || 4 Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá || Sagres Vacations || 9
Recipe Index
Portuguese American Thanksgiving Stuffing || Black Sheep Lisboa || 11 Portuguese American Thanksgiving Mashed Sweet Potatoes || Relish Portugal || 11 Somtum || Thailander || 13 Gin-Ginjinha Fizz || Practice Portuguese || 15 Watermelon and Feta Salad || Susan Korthase || 17 Seconds On Salmon || Susan Korthase || 17 From Scratch Tomato Soup || Chocalhos Pardalinho || 17 Homemade Hummus on Sweet Potato Toast || Alyson Sheldrake || 29 Caldeirada de Peixe da Nazaré || NazareWaves.com || 40 Fig, Pear and White Port Mincemeat || Portugalist || 41 Parque de Montesinho Honey Cake || Virgílio Nogueiro Gomes || 43 Tabbouleh || Mezze by Pão a Pão || 47
W HAT ' S P LAYING I N Y OUR K ITCHEN ? Contributor-curated Spotify playlist for your Portuguese Afeto || Mayra Andrade cozinha endeavors. Livin’ On A Prayer || Bon Jovi Aankh Micholi || Cirque du Soleil G ET YOUR FRESH Sodade || Cesária Evora and Bonga M ERCH Thawret Shaab (Bella Ciao) || Nano Raies Sweet Emotion || Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon Wear your Portuguese proudly with R ELISH P ORTUGAL M ERCH . Vamos Fugir || Djodje and Cuca Roseta Designs available as long and Surfrider || The Lively Ones short sleeve t-shirts, tank tops, I Love Thailand || Mocca Garden sweatshirts, hoodies, and popsockets, Dreamsicle || Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit multiple colors to choose from, in both Fire and Water || The Wandering Hearts mens and womens sizes. Fairytale of New York || The Pogues and Amazon UK Relish Portugal Merch Store Kirsty MacColl Amazon DE Relish Portugal Merch Store Bohemian Rhapsody || Queen Amazon US and Int’l are still having COVID-19 issues. Not all products may be available.
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P ERSPECTIVE
When Everything Different Is Really the Same: Traditional Dishes Mary O’Brink Schaffer || Author || T WO S UITCASES AND A D REAM : F INDING O UR P LACE I N P ORTUGAL
“If I eat a real meal,” I told myself, “I will feel better about the world.” I was traveling alone on my first encounter with Portugal. I had just arrived in Lisbon after a day spent in a Spanish train station plus a 10-hour overnight train trip across Spain and into Portugal. I was still facing a ferry trip and hours more of train travel. After getting Portuguese money from a handy ATM, I set out into the brilliant Portuguese sunshine, dragging my suitcase behind me. Just across from the train station I saw several small cafés. I passed by them and then returned to the one that had a window display showcasing fried fish fillets and potato wedges. The food didn’t look particularly inviting, but it did look familiar. I had not one word of Portuguese but knew what I was seeing. I went inside.
The man from the counter was also my waiter. He brought a paper placemat, silverware, and a basket with several slices of fresh bread. He also brought a plate with my food and a wonderfully cold coke.
“Gracias,” I said, using the Spanish word for thank you. A frown crossed his face. He raised his hand in protest. “That is Spanish,” he said. “In Portuguese, a woman would say obrigada.” He said the word distinctly.
The café was long and narrow. The counter ran the length of one side and ended with the kitchen area. The walls were white tiled and very, very clean. Even the stainless steel vent over the stove was clean.
“Ahhh,” I said, “o-bree-gada.” He nodded his approval.
I stepped up to the counter and pointed to the fish fillets. “Two,” I said and held up two fingers. I did the same with the potatoes.
As I began to eat, a man came in and sat at my table, although across and down from me. His meal was served on a large deep platter. It was pinto beans, smoked sausage, carrots, and cabbage. I looked from his lovely meal to my fish and potatoes.
“Coca-Cola?,” I asked. The man nodded then motioned me to a nearby table. The tables were flush against the wall at one end. On each side were three chairs. I sat down and pushed my suitcase out of the way.
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“Excuse me,” I said to the waiter. “I want some of that.” I signaled from myself toward the beans. He looked at
me questioningly. “You want that?” “Yes,” I said with an emphatic nod. I signaled a small bowl. “Por favor,” I added, remembering that the word please in Spanish and Portuguese were similar. He smiled and went back into the kitchen area. When he returned, he had a cereal bowl of pinto beans for me as well as a plate for himself. It was his lunchtime, too, and he sat down to dine with us. As I finished eating, the man who had been the waiter said, “you are American?” I nodded. He, like many Europeans, had been to America, visiting New York and Boston. He apologized for his poor English. “I don’t practice speaking English much,” he said. I thought his English was very good and told him so, apologizing for my lack of Portuguese. “This,” he said, indicating the pinto beans, “is feijoada.” “Fey-zhoo-wada,” I repeated carefully. “Yes,” he said. “It is a traditional dish here in Portugal.“ I told him that in the US I lived in Arkansas. “There we call it pinto beans, also a traditional dish.” It is approximately 4,436 miles (that’s 7,300 kilometers) between a café in Lisbon and my kitchen in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but the food was the same. There is something amazing, amusing, and very comforting in that realization. In her true-to-life non-fiction series of stories, Mary O’Brink Schaffer tells about the many adventures found in building a life as American expats in Portugal’s Algarve region. Her partner and best friend, Richard, once told her, “Horizons are not scary places. They are where you need to go to see the rest of your life.” Mary urges us not to be afraid of the horizon.
Mezze’s Tabbouleh • 1 large bunch of parsley (about 250 gr), washed, dried, and chopped • 2 tbsp fresh mint (optional), chopped • 4 ripe and juicy tomatoes, chopped • 2 tbsp fine bulgur, soaked for ten minutes • juice of 1 lemon, freshly-squeezed • 2 tbsp olive oil • salt to taste In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Taste, adjust to your liking, and serve. OCT /NOV/D EC 2020 | RELISH PORTUGAL | 47
Whether you LOVE Portugal, LIVE in Portugal or LONG to experience Portugal, Relish Portugalâ&#x20AC;¨ is your foodie-focused friend. https://RelishPortugal.com
