Arroz de Feijão com Bacalhau e Espinafres - Bean Rice with Codfish and Spinach

Grândola is a small town about one hour south from Lisbon, located in the beginning of the Alentejo region, and well known for the song that Zeca Afonso composed during the dictatorship. Near the highway on the way to Algarve, less than a mile before Grândola, you’ll find a the restaurant called “A Lanterna”. I went there for the first time in 2001 and since then every time it’s possible, I go back. I’ve taken dozens of people with me and they all thank me very much in the end. Alentejo is a region well known for it’s amazing traditional food and tremendously good wine and this restaurant offers a good sampling of the region. 

On their menu you can find a lot of the northern Alentejo traditional recipes, from the wonderful Migas and Açorda, to Carne de Porco à Alentejana, and the list goes on. I've tasted a few of them and my favorite dish is still the Arroz de Feijão com Bacalhau e Espinafres (translated crudely it's rice with beans, cod and spinach). I've never found it anywhere else and I have attempted to replicate it many times. No matter my method, it's never tasted like the original but everyone seems to like it.  

In addition to their amazing entrees, the starters they bring to the table immediately after you sit are also extraordinary and include the region's traditional bread. The portions are generous so there is always plenty to share with your company. The wine selection is superb and inexpensive. 

This recipe is my humble attempt and interpretation of the restaurant's dish.  I've never had the guts to ask them how it’s done, even if after all the times I’ve been there, so here goes.

Ingredients:

Red Beans (already cooked)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Chili peppers

Onion

White wine

Garlic

Bayleaf

Tomato sauce

Rice

Spinach

Salted Codfish

Welcome to the flavors of Alentejo.

Arroz de Feijão is a side dish that you can find all over Portugal. It’s basically a big watery bean sauce that you cook the rice in. This recipe also adds spinach and slices of salted cod fish cooked in the sauce. It sounds simple but the result is much more than that. 

To make the rice, start the sauce by sautéing in olive oil some onions, garlic, bayleaf and add a bit of salt and pepper. A few minutes later, add a a little bit of tomato sauce and let it simmer. Add some white wine to make it saucier, and a bit of water if needed. You’ll need to make enough sauce to cook not only the beans but also the rice and the codfish. This is the tricky part because you don't want too much or too little liquid, so cook it slowly on a low temperature while keeping the lid on as much as possible.

Once the sauce has reached a good consistency -somewhat thick but liquidy enough for the rice- add the beans so that they can start melding with the flavor of the sauce. After a while add the salted codfish, already watered (soaked) and cut in small pieces. You should get the cod in small-medium pieces with your hands, removing all the fishbones you can. Let it boil for 10 minutes and add water or white wine if needed.

Add some water before you put the rice in. Depending on the type of rice (white, brown, etc) you’re using you’ll need more or less time to cook it. but try to add the spinach only once the rice is almost done. It doesn't need more than 10 minutes to be cooked. 

Garnish with cilantro and let it rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before serving.

Bom apetite!

The night’s selection:

The wine from Alentejo is strong and good, just like the hot sun that heats the region with temperatures over 90ºF during the summer. It’s perfect to go with full flavored food, just don’t forget to have some water, too.

For this dish we chose the white Pêra Manca from Quinta da Cartuxa, a white with a strong character that could easily be your best pal on any summer day. The varietals include the local Antão Vaz and Arinto. The blend is complex and fruity with a bouquet that is persistent and refreshing. 

It’s hard to think about Grândola without recalling José Afonso's “Grândola, Vila Morena” which was the song that symbolized the Carnation Revolution that ended after 40 long years of dictatorship and 20 years of a bloody war in Africa. The song was released in the 1971 album, “Cantigas do Maio” and it’s a symbol of the peaceful revolution that changed the life of the Portuguese.  This meal might not change your life but it will make your tummy smile. 

Clam Together - Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato

Spring calls for Clams, they taste like the ocean and kindly remind you that summer is on its way once again.

One of the most popular appetizers in any good restaurant or tasca around Portugal is this clam recipe. Fortunately, it is also one of the simplest ways to cook this marine mollusk. What really makes this recipe sing is the freshness of the clams, the quality of the olive oil, and the aromatic awesomeness of the garlic and coriander. It is usually served with a hearty portion of toasted and lightly buttered bread, which helps to sop up all the juicy goodness that comes along with the clams. It’s so simply delicious that you'll never again be able to walk by the market's seafood section without hearing the sirens serenade of the clams. If possible try to get some Vinho Verde, preferably from the Alvarinho varietal.

Ingredients:

Clams

Olive Oil

Garlic

Bay Leaf

White Wine

Coriander/Cilantro

Salt 

Pepper

Lemon

Bread

Butter (optional)

Clam Alchemy:

Start by soaking the clams in a large bowl of water with a bit of salt and a tiny bit of flour. The salt will help them breathe (you'll see their sweet little oxygen bubbles coming out of the water) and the flour will help them to get rid of the sand. Change the water and clean the bottom of the bowl if needed. 

While the clams take their last breaths, cover almost all the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil and over low-medium heat, add some smashed garlic cloves and a big bay leaf. After the garlic begins to get some color, carefully add the clams. Put the heat up a bit and cover the pan with the lid, preferentially a transparent one. 

Shake the whole pan with the lid on every once and again for a couple minutes. If you don’t have a glass lid, open it to see if the clams are opening. Add some white wine to make it saucy, shake the pan and let it simmer with the lid off so that the alcohol can evaporate. Taste the sauce to ensure that the alcohol flavor is gone, add salt and pepper to your taste and let it simmer a bit more. 

Cut the coriander (cilantro) in small pieces and add to the pan before closing the lid so that it can sweat for a bit. Squeeze some lemon juice just before serving with the toasted bread. If you want to go a little more low-cal on this meal you can cut down on the olive oil a bit and not butter your bread. I would say you could also go no bread, but honestly it's gonna be pretty hard to sop up that saucy yumminess with a celery stick. 

The night’s selection: 

Vinho Verde is a unique kind of wine that has as of late, been grown all around the world, but in Portugal  it is only produced in the Minho region in the western north. It’s called Verde not because of the color (green) but because it’s young wine, as opposed to mature wine. The Vinho Verde is made of different varietals and can be white, red or rosé, but from all of them our favorite is the white Alvarinho. This varietal, grown in Portugal exclusively in the region of Melgaço and Monção, produces one of the great wine wonders of the world. 

Unfortunately, is not that easy to find information about it and it can be even more difficult to buy it outside of Portugal. In California, we have spotted some at Trader Joe's. If you have the to chance try it, you wont regret it, just be sure to chill it before serving.

The vineyards around this Portuguese northern baroque palace produce one of the best Vinho Alvarinho. Named after the Palace, the Palácio da Brejoeira, Alvarinho. Check it out online or request it at your favorite wine shop. It goes perfectly with the Clams à Bulhão Pato and some good Portuguese traditional music, re-invented in a unique way by Gaiteiros de Lisboa. 

Combine the Clams, the Alavarinho and the music of Gaiteiros de Lisboa, and we assure you that you’ll have the feel of a real Portuguese evening. 

Maria de Lourdes Modesto

After this short spring break and the selection and preparation of the next recipes for our blog, we would like to share with all of our followers and visitors this interview that Maria de Lourdes Modesto, "the Portuguese Julia Child" gave to the New York Times in 1987.

Hope you enjoy it.

Empadão de Peru - Turkey Shepherd's Pie

This one became extremely popular after a wisdom tooth extraction and the orders to eat only soft foods for some days. In Portugal, an Empadão is normally made with a mix of ground beef and pork, but we adapted it to our taste and reduced the fat a bit with the substitution of ground turkey. We both LOVE mashed potatoes so any recipe that includes them always causes some smiles around here.

This is truly a comfort food, perfect for cold winter days, but we like it so much that it stays on the menu all year long. The only downside is that takes a while to prepare and will cause a bit of a mess in your kitchen, but the results and the leftovers are well worth it.

Ingredients for 4-6 portions:

For the meat sauce:

1 large Onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves 

2 bay leaves

¼ Pepper (we used an orange one) chopped 

Dried red pepper flakes, to taste

Tomato sauce (1 cup) divided

Bacon (we used two big slices, less than ½ pound/200g)

Ground Turkey (1 pound/450g)

Red Wine (at your preference)

Beer (at your preference)

Balsamic Vinegar- just a splash 

Salt

Pepper

For the mashed potatoes (Purée):

Potatoes

Milk

Butter

Egg

Salt

Cheese (We used Cheddar) for garnish

The Path to the Empadão Kingdom

Take a deep breath before starting the cutting of the onion, smash the garlic and add it and the onion to the pan with a little olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Add a bit of salt and dried red pepper, to your taste. Once the onions become translucent (4-5 minutes), add the chopped orange pepper, about ⅔ cup of the tomato sauce and a bit of red wine and let it simmer for a few more minutes.

While it’s simmering, cut the bacon and season the ground meat with salt and pepper (and/or red pepper). Add the bacon and a little more tomato sauce and reduce the heat to low for a while. Add the turkey and be sure to keep an eye on the texture of the sauce. 

If the mixture gets too dry add some wine and beer to soften the sauce. If it gets too liquidy let it boil with the lid off. Continue to stir the sauce occasionally, because the turkey is drier than the beef and pork it tends to collect into clusters. 

Pull them apart them with a fork if needed so that the meat is evenly distributed in the sauce. Let it boil and develop flavor for as long as time allows. Keep in mind that the sauce is going to the oven later and shouldn’t be too liquidy or too dry when you put it in the dish, look for the happy medium. 

The scent coming from the pan starts making everybody in the kitchen very happy and you should use that cue to start peeling the potatoes for the purée. The number of potatoes you need will depend upon the size of baking dish you’ll use. Remember that a good purée always seems to shrink in the pan, so get some extra potatoes peeled and if by chance you have too much you can always make potato pancakes the next morning.  

After the purée is done and the meat sauce is at the right point, transfer the meat to your baking dish and cover it with the purée. Bake it for 15 minutes at 350ºF then remove and add the cheese, grated or artistically cut. Return to the oven and bake for 20 more minutes. Let cool a bit before serving and Bom apetite!

The night’s selection: 

From Mendocino Brewery Company we chose one of their Select Collection, the IPA White Hawk. We found it at a good price and decided to give it a try. With a 7% alcohol volume, it pleases with the first intense punch of the hops and a bouquet that lingers for quite a while. Now we will be on the lookout for their Imperial IPA.

For the soundtrack to this recipe we choose the Corações de Atum 2011 double album “Romance Hardcore / Hardcore Romance”. This very unusual album features ear-catching lyrics by the peculiar almost candidate to the Portuguese Presidency Manuel João Vieira. The album includes two versions of songs like this one, with the first CD offering 12 songs appropriate for radio broadcast and the second CD including 9 songs with much more colorful language. It’s worthwhile to learn the language just to be able to translate the lyrics of this great Portuguese artist.

Curried Lentil Soup

This soup couldn't have arrived in my life at a better time. It was the day before moving day and my sweet sister-in-law brought it over to finish simmering while she helped me with packing. It could have been because I was famished and exhausted or just because it is truly delicious, but I fell in love with it. She found the recipe in bon appétit and we really haven't done much to improve upon it other than add a bit more carrot and of course, a lot more garlic. The unique thing about this soup is the garbanzo mixture that you add towards the end. It gives the soup great body and a hint of creaminess. The curry rounds things out with a lovely warmth that pushes it over the edge into yummytown. 

3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 for sautéing & 2 for the garbanzo mixture

1 medium onion, chopped

1-2 medium carrots, chopped

2 (or more to taste) large garlic cloves, chopped, divided - we used about 5

2 tablespoons (or more to taste) curry powder

1 cup French green lentils- we had regular green on hand which work also

4 1/4 cups (or more) water, divided

1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter- you can always leave this out to cut the fat a bit

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Sauté the onion and carrot in 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add half of the chopped garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add curry powder and stir for 1 minute. We always soak our lentils for a little while but it’s really not necessary if you’re in a hurry. 

Add lentils and 4 cups water. You can always add more water later if the soup is too thick for your 

liking. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender- this will depend on what type of lentils you are using. We used green which tend to cook a bit faster than french green. 

While the lentils are simmering get your garbanzo mix-in ready. Puree them with the remaining garlic and olive oil, ¼ cup water and lemon juice. This ends up being almost like a hummus minus the tahini. 

Once lentils are tender add in the garbanzo puree and the butter. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional curry powder, if desired. If you would like to thin the soup a bit, now is the time to do it. Start with ¼ cup water at a time until you reach the consistency you are looking for. We usually keep it on the thick side.

Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with a lemon wedge. Bom proveito. 

The nights selection: 

To go with so much warmth and flavor we needed to have some nice white wine to balance things out. We chose a 14.5% chardonnay called Toasted Head. The bouquet is strong which marries well with the full spectrum of flavor in the lentil soup. We felt that the sounds for the evening should have the same characteristics, so we chose Yo La Tengo’s 2000 album, “And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out”, just like the soup, it offers a great range of flavors to satisfy your hunger. Yum yum double yum.

Ahi Tuna Puffs - Empadas de Atum

This fish stuffed pastry was introduced to me as an appetizer or first course many years ago. Finding the puff pastry is easy, it’s usually fairly inexpensive and making the fish filling couldn’t be too hard, so we decided to give it a try with some frozen Ahi tuna steaks. The fish filling was a little improvised and mostly based around the white wine sauce, but it turned out well enough to share it with you. As the saucy fish filling is the part that takes the most time and attention, you can always make a bit extra for warming up later. 

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Chili peppers- dried 

Onion- ½ - ¾ of one, minced finely

White wine

Garlic- minced or pressed, to taste 

Bayleaf- dried 

Parsley- ¼ cup fresh and minced, or less to taste

Tomato sauce- a small amount, a ½ cup or so

Tuna steak- we used 2 good sized ones

Puff pastry

Feta Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Egg - for brushing on pastry 

Start the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Add enough tomato sauce to give some color to the mix and spice it up with some dried chili peppers. Add some white wine and let it simmer for a bit. 

Depending on the kind of pastry you find, remove it from the freezer and follow the appropriate thawing instructions. The shells we used needed about an hour for defrosting and then required an initial baking of about 20 minutes at 425ºF (220ºC). Once the pastry is done, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Carefully remove the little lid (found on the shell type) and it’s ready for stuffing. If you get the traditional flat sheets of puff pastry, you do not need to do an initial baking and can form an attractive envelope or turnover style shape around the fish stuffing. 

Put the thawed (or fresh) fish in to the boiling sauce and let it cook until the fish starts to flake apart 

and you are able to combine it well with the sauce. Add some more white wine to help develop a good texture. Continue to let it simmer until the fish has become part of the sauce. 

Your best friend here is the white wine, which allows you to simmer the stuffing for the time needed to give it flavor while still maintaining a moist yet hearty consistency that will hold up well in the pastry. It should be dry enough to stuff the pastry but saucy enough that it still can maintain moisture after being baked in the shells. 

Stuff the pastry with the fish sauce and add a little bit of feta (or your personal favorite) cheese and pepper before putting back on the little pastry top. After all the puffs are stuffed brush some beaten egg on their tops. Add some parmesan and bake at 425ºF (220ºC) for around 20 minutes and serve with a nice green salad. Yum.  

The nights selection: 

Back onto our favorite IPA’s, we chose the the Hop Ottin’ IPA from Anderson Valley Brewery Company. It’s a first choice both on tap and at the supermarket. Strong and with a huge bouquet, just like we like it. We can’t wait to go to Anderson Valley to visit the magic labrotory and enjoy a tasting. The found that the last The Dø album “Both Ways Open Jaws”, goes well with both the meal and the beer. We can’t stop listening to it since it came out worldwide in the end of 2011. This French/Finnish duo, was already was part of our playlist with their debut album “A Mouthful” and now they’re back on heavy rotation. Enjoy!

Kale Soup à la Californian-Portuguese

My mom is a saver of things, and this is usually something I might complain about, but in this case it's a good thing. The inspiration for this recipe comes from the Caldo Verde recipe in the Diamond Jubilee cookbook circa 1973. My grandfather, Fernando, was associated with the S.P.R.S.I., and the ladies of the organization created the book as a fundraiser. It's chock full of all sorts of good classic American and Portuguese (a lot of them Azorean) recipes. It is obvious that these ladies were all sorts of awesome, with “recipes for kindness” and “household hints” included in their offerings. I would be thrilled to sit at any one of their 1970's tables. They may not have known that kale was a “super-food”, but they knew it was good stuff. And so, we bring their recipe to the here and now, and of course, update it just a little bit. 

This soup is a staple at our house, and in the appropriate season, sees the table almost once a week. This is the first time (after many years!) that onion was added to the recipe and it was definitely a nice addition, but it is also great without any. The original version calls for linguiça, choriço or any seasoned and smoked sausage, but I've ALWAYS used soyrizo. We've tried a few different brands and the Trader Joe's one is both tasty and priced very well. We really like the flavor and appreciate the lack of limp nodes and salivary glands, like in the traditional beef varieties. Sometimes fake is good. 

Ingredients:

1 good sized bunch of kale. Our favorite is dino.

1/2 package of soyrizo (or 4oz of linguiça or other sausage)

3 medium-sized potatoes (about 1lb) peeled and sliced to 1/4 inch rounds

6 cups (or a wee bit more) good water

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup olive oil (you can use less, of course)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Optional: 1 medium onion, sliced finely

Serves 4-6

Wash the kale under cold running water. With a sharp knife cut along the stem on both sides and discard it.This takes a little bit of time, but it's worth it. Bunch the trimmed leaves together and cut them into the smallest strips possible. Set aside. 

Sauteé the onion (if using) in a small amount of olive oil for a few minutes and then add the soyrizo. I use my magic pan (thanks, Aunt Wendy!) for this, which is medium sized. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until onion is translucent and soyrizo begins to crisp. Remove from heat. 

Combine the potatoes, water and salt in a good sized saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes when tested, can easily be mashed against the side of the pan. Use a slotted spoon, and transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash them to a smooth puree. 

Pour the cooking liquid from the potatoes into the pan you cooked the soyrizo and onion in. Return the mashed potatoes to the liquid (now in the soyrizo pan) and combine, stir in the olive oil and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. You could add a litte more salt here if desired but this all depends on the saltiness of your soyrizo/sausage, so be careful. Add the kale and boil uncovered for about 7 minutes. Serve immediately accompanied by just about anything: grilled cheese, crusty french bread, broa or cornbread… it all works.

The nights selection: 

To go with this warming and slightly spicy soup we chose the smooth red blend by Bear Flag. This soup is reliably delicious and so is this wine. It’s a lovely blend of several varietals including Touriga, Tempranillo and Alicante Bouschet.  In addition to tasting yummy, the bottle is a looker! Do yourself a favor and bring some home. 

Our sounds for the night were provided by The Slip, and their 2002 album “Angels Come on Time”. This Indie-Rock, Jazzy-Folk trio from Boston provide some peppy fun with a side of sweet melodies. They have helped us cook many a meal, check em out.

Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo

The rough translation for the name of this recipe would be Barrel Joe’s Style Codfish. This one is a rockstar amongst the hundreds of ways that the Portuguese cook cod and according to a reliable source it came from Porto, in the north of Portugal. My mother has made it since I can remember. According to her, it’s a recipe that can sit and wait to be done and needs plenty of oven time. This makes it a great option when you are serving a lot of people and there are always those who never arrive on time, kind of the opposite of a souffle.

It’s pleases the masses because it has mashed potatoes, and is prettier than normal codfish dishes, which is partially due to the garnish of mayonnaise (my mother’s recipe also adds mustard). This preparation of the codfish truly highlights its best flavors . This time we were cooking for 6 people, so as a true Portuguese I planned enough food for 10 hungry men. For 6 people one tray is enough, but it’s also a good idea to make extra and have food for the next couple of days. You can’t get enough of a good Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo.

Ingredients:

- Salted Codfish (from Norway, Canada or anyplace you can find)

- Onions

- Olive Oil

- Pepper

- Salt

- White wine

- Milk

- Flour

- Garlic 

- Bay leaf

- Mayonnaise

- Mustard

for the Mashed Potatoes:

- Potatoes 

- Milk

- Eggs

- Butter

- Salt

The Cod Code:

- Put the codfish in a large bowl and cover it with water the day before cooking. Try to change the water every 6 hours or so, depending on how thick the pieces of cod are. The soaking will help to rehydrate the fish and get rid of excess salt. Try to use only the central parts so that you have only the main big fishbone. You can save the smaller pieces for another recipe. We will share an appropriate one, soon.

- Cook the codfish in enough milk to cover all the fish, this will depend on the size of your pan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let simmer in the milk for half an hour.

- While the codfish is boiling you can get your potatoes cooking and ready for mashing.

- Put the flour and the beaten egg on plates and dredge the codfish before frying in olive oil. Fry on each side for approximately 1-2 minutes until a light crust develops. Set aside.

- Use the olive oil that you fried the codfish in to start cooking the onion. Add garlic, bay leaf, salt, white wine and let it simmer until the onion is cooked.

- Put the codfish in a baking pan (we used two 9x13" ones), cover it with the onion and olive oil mixture and put it in a 200ºC/400ºF oven to bake for about 15 minutes.

- Finish the mashed potatoes mixing, salt, milk, butter and beaten eggs.

- Take the codfish from the oven and cover it with the mashed potatoes adding the mayonnaise and the mustard in a creative way. You will need to know later if the onions and codfish are boiling, so leave a space in the middle of the potatoes so that you can still see it.

- Put the potato-topped codfish in the oven and check after approximately 30 minutes. After you see that the onions are boiling, you will only need to let it cook another 20 minutes before turning it off. It can wait in the oven for a while (just don’t forget about it) and the extra time will help to reduce the onion sauce that surrounds the codfish and improves the flavor of the whole thing. 

The nights selection:

This savory and filling meal requires a full flavored wine so we chose the 2009 Quinta de Cabriz. Blending the varietals of Touriga Nacional, Afrocheiro, and Tinta Roriz, this wine shows all the possible flavors of Dão, one the most interesting wine regions of Portugal. To go with all this, we strongly recommend listening to some tunes by Deolinda, one of the most talented modern Portuguese bands. Their melodies bring new life to traditionally inspired Portuguese music, and their songstress Ana Bacalhau shares her name with our main ingredient, it’s naturally a perfect accompaniment.

Three-Bean Chili

It all began on a cold winter night. We had dinner guests coming the following evening and got the grand idea to think ahead and make chili for the meal. It’s even tastier the second day so it’s the perfect plan-ahead. We made a good size pot so that we could “taste” it that night. The smell warmed the house and right as the chili was coming to hot bubbling perfection, a friend stopped by just in time to help us with our taste test. It was such a hit that we were left with only two small portions the next day. All was not lost, we came up with a tasty on-the-fly meal for our guests that will be shared soon. 

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion

1/2 - 3/4 of an orange pepper (yellow and red also work well)

2-3 cloves of garlic (pressed) to taste- we used 5 

1lb (approx) of ground turkey

1 can black beans 

1 can kidney beans

1 can whole pinto beans

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 bottle of good beer:  we used Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

1-2 TB Chili Powder to taste

Ground Cinnamon- just a few dashes

Crushed red pepper to taste: we used some from the farmer’s market that we dried  

Salt & Pepper to taste 

Olive Oil for sautéing

Garnish:

Grated cheese

Green onion- sliced

Bean me up, Scotty! 

Slice the onion and chop the yellow pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Add the ground turkey and salt and pepper and cook until turkey is close to done. 

Meanwhile, rinse the beans. It helps to remove excess sodium and we don’t need the extra liquid. We have beer for that. 

Once turkey is close to done add the can of tomatoes, including their liquid. Combine and then add the beans. 

Now it’s time for the magic, add the beer. Yes, the whole beer. No test sips, all of it. Combine and then add the chili powder, red peppers, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. 

Simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until you can’t wait any longer. 

Garnish with cheese & green onion and enjoy. Add salad and Cornbread and you’ve got yourself a meal that will warm any cold belly. 

The inspiration for this recipe, most specifically the use of beer as a broth, came from a recipe I found in Rachael Ray’s 30- minute meals about 10 years ago. My version has changed a lot over the years. It started meatless and it works quite well that way for my veggie loving friends. You could definitely call this version more of a soup than an actual chili.  If you prefer it a bit thicker you can substitute the whole pintos for a can of refried beans. I admit that I’d really love to have the time to cook fresh beans, but currently that’s just not happening, so the cans will have to do. You can adjust the level of heat and garlic to taste to your preference. Disclaimer 1: we lean to spicy and garlicky in most all things. Disclaimer 2: use GOOD beer. It makes the difference. Really. 

The nights selection:

The Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA pairs nicely with strong flavours. It’s easy for us to find and is priced nicely for a good quality IPA. The bouquet is hoppy and fresh, full of character and with a 7.2% punch from Chico. To go with it, we chose Pomplamoose, an eclectic Bay Area duo that we truly appreciate and listen to often. Check out their youtube channel for lots of great video songs like If You Think You Need Some Lovin’.

Filhoses de Abóbora

This recipe came directly from my grandmother Maria Menezes. According to her, it's an old Christmas recipe originally from the Coimbra region. Large pumpkins are boiled and drained until a big pumpkin concentrate, almost like a jam, is fried and transformed into an all day ready sweet. As far as I can remember, there was always a big bowl of Filhoses on the Christmas table, ready to enjoy, whether it was for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just an anytime snack.

Ingredients

Pumpkin (a big one)

Self Raising Wheat Flour

Wheat Flour (yeast free)

Salt for boiling

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon for garnish

Preparation

boil me

1 - Cut and peel pumpkin and remove rind.

The pumpkin was around 20 pounds before peeled and cut in small chunks and boiled in a large pot. You only need enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, as the pumpkin will lose liquid. Add some salt to the water and boil until done - soft. Taste the water before removing the pumpkin, it should be a little salty. If more salt is needed add it during the boiling process. After boiling the pumpkin, it must be dried in cheesecloth. Wrap in cheesecloth and hang or put in a strainer overnight.

post cheesecloth pumpkin

mash me

2 - Mash with hands to remove any fibers or balls

After draining comes the removal of the fibers, done with the hands. Squeeze and knead to get the right consistency before adding the flour mixture. Use your fingers to take away or to break the fibers in such a way that a smooth "jammy" texture is acquired.

flour me

3 - Add the Flour

You will need about 3 kitchen spoons of regular flour and 1 spoon of self-raising flour. The quantity of flour is much less than might be expected. Combine with hands until no traces of flour are visible. Work the mixture until a stiffness develops. It must be firm enough to hold together during frying, if necessary add more flour.

Heat the vegetable oil. The amount you will need depends on your pan size. We used a medium sized pan (see photo) and ended up with about an inch and a half of oil. It needs to be enough to cover half of the filhós.

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4 - Forming the filhoses

Use a table spoon to form the filhós into a small ball, in a size similar to a walnut. Once the oil is heated and ready, gently lower the filhos into the hot oil. Be sure that they stay formed. It's important that they're not too big or too small, work to develop a consistent size. If too big, they will end up with a raw core, and too small will be easily burned.

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5 - Managing the frying

The time in the oil is defined by the color that will develop. About 2 min on each side is usually enough. Let cook on one side a bit and then flip, making sure to cook each side until they reach a golden brown. The rotation of the filhoses in the frying pan is an exercise in space management. Remove them from the pan as they cook and continue to add new ones. This helps the temperature of the oil remain hot and the batch gets done as soon as possible.

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6 - Adding the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture

Transfer from pan to serving platter and garnish with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. It is not necessary to use paper or fabric to dry the filhoses after frying. The sugar and cinnamon goes on every layer of filhoses as they come out of the oil. But do go light on the sugar. It's important that too much sugar doesn’t overpower the taste of the pumpkin flavor that the cinnamon enhances. The sweetness of the pumpkin is enough.

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The nights selection:


Enjoy the Filhoses de Abóbora with some good Espumante from Bairrada like the Baga from Luis Pato, while you listen to Coimbra native Carlos Paredes and his Guitarra Portuguesa.

Maria Menezes says: "Bom proveito!"