I fell in love with feijoada at first bite.  Feijoada (pronounced “faysh-ju-ada”) is known as Brazil’s national dish. Literally it means “big bean” stew. I’m not sure how it was officially declared the honor, but from all the Brazilians I’ve met, they’ve never disagreed.

My introduction to this black bean dish came at Emporio de Brasil, a very small but cherished Brazilian market/restaurant in north Denver. On Saturdays, they serve up a limited number of items – the best of which is Denver’s finest feijoada.

Feijoada is said to have originated during slave times, concocted from unwanted cuts of meat from the master’s table – including the non-choice parts of the pig including ears, snout and tail. Most of the feijoada recipes today still include plenty of pork – generally pork belly, chorizo, ribs, and other kinds of meat like carne seca (a Brazilian dried beef)

As you know, I’m not a huge meat eater and consider myself more of a flexitarian. But, I smack my lips when it comes to feijoada. All that slowly simmered pork makes for a tasty pot of creamy black beans and, to my surmise, is the reason feijoada continues to be a Brazilian favorite.

A feijoada completa or “complete feijoada” is served with rice, chopped greens (usually collards or kale), fresh orange slices, farofa or farinha, and a side dish of peppery sauce. The stew is generally served year-round in restaurants on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and on the weekends when made at home. It is also a requisite dish for a Brazilian feast and other holidays.

Since my first bowl-full, I vowed to make some at home. In keeping with tradition, I made this Brazilian staple on a weekend and made a huge pot to share using three kinds of pork – pork ribs, pork stew and chorizo.  Oink! By the way, the ribs were the prized piece of meat.

Now, you have a recipe to host at your next Brazilian party. If you’re a person who appreciates beans and you can also get down on some pork, then you must try this dish!

Tidbits on Beans:

1. Brazil was the largest black bean producing country. In 2006, the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population recommended that beans be consumed at least once every day.
2. 1 pound of dried black beans = about 6  cups of cooked beans.
3. Black beans are a strong source of phytonutrient, which is generally derived from fruits and vegetables.

Sources:  The World’s Healthiest Foods, Beans: A History, “Brazil” in the Encyclopedia Food and Culture.

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A sure sign of warm weather is the jingle of the paleta cart being pushed through the neighborhood. The bells calling out to the kids and ice cream lovers like the Pied Piper.

I admit to being lured in just as much as the kiddos. How could I not? Paletas are Mexican popsicles – either cream or water-based treats – served up in traditional and unusual flavors. Any visit to Mexico, especially beachside, is not complete without a visit to the paleteria or heladeria.

When it comes to sweets, I’m generally an “anything-with chocolate” gal. But with my ice cream, I am much less predictable. Last year it was lemon and, so far this year, it’s coconut. Thanks to you and all these coconutmilk recipes.

The paletas de coco (coconut popsicles) that I get from the neighborhood paleta peddler are okay in a pinch.  But, if you want one that’ll make you ooohh and aaaahhh, make your own at home.

This coconut ice cream recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients – coconut milk, cream, vanilla, mango, and shredded coconut – and is very easy to make.

Use it as a guide or inspiration to create a paleta that suits your taste or whatever you have in your pantry. In addition to the coconut milk, you can add sweetened condensed milk, as other Latin American versions do. Or, if you’re watching your waist, use a low fat coconut milk and swap out the cream/milk for the refrigerated coconut milk that has about 80 calories/5 grams of fat. Regardless, I recommend you try it with diced mango or pineapple. And, to add even more texture, use the shredded coconut.

The chunks of mango make for a tangy and sweet bite and cut the richness of the coconutmilk and cream.

If you don’t have popsicle molds, go old-school and make them in some small papercups with popsicle sticks or use your ice cube tray to make mini-paletitas.

If you’re not into popsicles, then I recommend using the same recipe to make coconut ice cream with mango. Just follow your ice cream maker instructions, generally adding the fruit and shredded coconut milk at the end before freezing.

Caution:  this ice cream is addictive.

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I’m a bit of a ginger freak.

I’m quick to try it in its many incarnations. Some of my local Colorado favorite’s are ChocoLove’s Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate, Bhakti Chai (a black pepper and ginger chai that’s fantastic hot or cold), and Big B’s Ginger Apple Cooler.

I haven’t, however, found a local ginger beer that outshines the homemade versions made by Caribbean friends. These versions, for the most part, have a stronger ginger punch and are more complex in spice than the store-bought, fizzy varieties.

In the Caribbean, ginger beer is an all-occasion and special-occasion beverage. My friend Val who hails from Trinidad is an extraordinary cook and fact man. He says ginger beer – typically the non-fizzy version, such as the recipe below, is enjoyed during the holiday season. Other holiday drinks include sorrel punch (similar to hibiscus) and punch de crème (an eggnog-rum-based drink).

Like most recipes, there is no single way to make ginger beer. Recipes vary from family to family and by region. In Trinidad, cinnamon, cloves and lime are typically added. Whereas, in Jamaica, they generally add fresh pineapple. Regardless of the array of spices/ingredients used, one thing is constant – the ginger is strong. This is NOT a whimpy ginger ale, it’s got a bite that’s both refreshing and addictive.

The recipe below is mine. It’s not as sweet as some versions that have about half as much sugar as water. It’s layered with flavor from a whole pound of fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, fresh lime juice and raw sugar.

Val made sure to hip me up on the “proper” sugar for traditional Trini ginger beer – Demerara, turbinado or another raw sugar but not the white stuff or brown sugar. (However, in my research it appears a lot of folks in the states use brown sugar as a substitute.) A version he remembered most was by a family friend who served her ginger beer much like a sangria – with slices of fresh oranges, limes and a piece of raw sugar cane as a swizzle stick.

Salud! Cheers! Happy Holidays – whether you are neck deep in snow or chillin’ at the beach.

Oops. I forgot to mention. There’s no alcohol in this even though it’s called “beer.”

Tidbits on Ginger:

1. Ginger is a rhizome – an underground stem that grows horizontally.
2. Ginger, although native to India and China is grown around the world especially in the hot tropics including the Caribbean and Africa, where it was introduced in the 16^th century.
3. In the 13th and 14th centuries, ginger, along with black pepper, was one of the most commonly traded spices.
4. Initially ginger was consumed more for its medicinal purposes than for strictly culinary purposes. Today it is believed to aide digestion, relieve rheumatoid arthritis, reduce migraines, sooth sore throats, improve circulation, reduce fat deposits in the arteries and treat nausea.

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If you checked out my Mexican Pumpkin Seed Pesto, you know that pumpkin seeds have been used in Mexican cookery since pre-Columbian times. Pumpkins are believed to have originated in Central America about 5500 B.C.E.

Pumpkin seeds are used in many Mexican dishes, typically to make thick, rich sauces. However, they are also frequently eaten there as a snack – roasted in oil or used to make palanquetas or pepitorias, a candy brittle.

Know that generally, I turn up my nose at regular peanut brittle – something that started when I was a teenager wearing braces. So, this Mexican brittle is exceptional.  It’s packed with good for you ingredients and has less of the sugary brittle.

Palanquetas (brittle with nuts) or pepitorias (brittle with seeds) are usually flat, round disks, but they are sometimes also packaged as rectangular blocks. Candy makers load them with a single ingredient like pepitas (pumpkin seeds), cacahuates (peanuts) or sesame seeds (ajonjoli) – or, they make them with this trio of  traditional ingredients, sometimes also adding popped amaranth .

With this recipe you’ll be able to make your own at home. It’s easy.  If you’re wary about eating “brittle,” you can boil the honey for less time and your final palanquetas will be more chewy like those fancy, expensive granola bars you find at the natural/health food stores.

This weekend I made two batches – I took one chewy version to a friends’ house and they were an instant hit. The other, I made more brittle-like. Either version will make a great protein snack fit for your outdoor, air and car travels. These also make great goodie gifts during the holidays. To make them more novel, add some ground chile and a squeeze of lime to your honey before you boil.

My version uses honey as the brittle base rather than sugar or sugar and corn syrup that most recipes call for. It’s a hearty snack that’s not overly sweet.

Tidbits on Pumpkin Seeds:

1. Pumpkin seeds are more rich in iron than any other seed and are an excellent source of zinc, an essential mineral that helps the immune system.
2. Buy hulled green (untoasted) pumpkin seeds at health-food stores or Mexican/Latin American markets where there is frequent turnover. Untoasted pumpkin seeds are less perishable. Store them in the freezer.

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As you know Fork Fingers Chopsticks just celebrated its 1 Year Anniversary. There are new things in the works – one in particular is my marketing campaign. To spread the word and create more Web love and buzz for this site, I’m taking on more opportunties – like this recent guest post at my friend Pamela’s blog My Man’s Belly. I met her at Campblogaway, a food bloggers conference last May. She’s very creative in the kitchen and as an extra beni – she gives relationship advice.

Check out my recipe for Mexican Pumpkin Seed Pesto. Use it over melted queso for an extra special appetizer, as a spread on bread or tortas (sandwiches), or as a base for a sauce to accompany your favorite meats, veggies or pasta.

I’ll be posting more pumpkin seed recipes after I finish a few more apple posts. Stay tuned – Moroccan Chicken with Apples coming soon.

Life can get hectic. Trying to keep up with the many things pulling us in different directions – family, work, commitments, community . . . Sometimes it feels like the world around us is moving at an unnerving pace. After awhile it takes its toll and I have to find my center.

We all have a few methods that work. For me, yoga or an escape into nature away from cell phones, computers and crowds zens me out. And, of course, cooking is also on this list.

A few days ago I got into my “me time” while cooking these kousa mihshi, Lebanese stuffed zucchini (also called/spelled kousa mihshi, and kussa mihshi).

For the hour that it took to prep ingredients I was “present” – mind and body, enjoying the sensory experience:  coring several zucchini and hearing the corking sound it made with each first cut and tug of the pulp; chopping fragrant fresh herbs: inhaling the warmth from cinnamon and allspice as I measured them out; mashing raw meat with bare hands; and stuffing narrow tubes of zucchini with messy fingers.

This is not a difficult recipe just one that takes a little more time. I could have rushed through the process but why? It was an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the beauty of something I created – from garden to table.

Stuffed vegetables like these kousa mahshi are frequently a Sunday staple but are also served at weddings, parties, and other special gatherings. On such occassions, they are usually prepared communally.

That day, in my kitchen, somehow I felt connected to the generations of Lebanese women who’d made stuffed zucchini for their families and extended families.  This is a meal that is as much about process as the final plate.

Sahtayn! – the Arabic version of “bon appétit,” which means “two healths to you.”

Tidbits on Stuffed Vegetables:

1. The origin of stuffed vegetables is uncertain, although the Turks and Greeks claim ownership. Originally, they were served in palace kitchens to the wealthy and ruling class.
2. Traditionally, lamb is used rather than beef to make the meat and rice filling and very traditional recipes for stuffed vegetables like kousa mahshi called for frying them first before stewing.

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Until last week I was not a deviled egg fan.

I admit to frowning when someone showed up to a party with a plate of ho hum deviled eggs – you know the ones – mashed yolks flavored with too much mayonnaise. Pretty BLAH.

Call me a food snob, but to me, it’s just a notch above bringing cheap hotdogs. (Fear not, I’m gracious and appreciate the thought.)

My attitude changed last week when I made these deviled eggs with Italian salsa verde.

As you know from my last post, Italian green sauce is a fresh herb condiment traditionally paired with boiled eggs – either as an ingredient in the sauce or as a topping for eggs. Thinking about the two, I was inspired to replace the mayo in deviled eggs. The result – deviled eggs that would be a welcome appetizer at a party or summer barbecue.

I was not planning to write this post, but these deviled eggs are so good I had to share. The texture and assertive flavors of the Italian salsa verde make these eggs stand out.

Enjoy!

If you have a particular use for Italian salsa verde, please share. Or, tell us about your favorite deviled eggs.

Tidbits on Deviled Eggs:

1. Spicy stuffed eggs date back as far as 13th century Andalusia. In a 15^th century Italian text, stuffed eggs included raisins, cheese, parsley, marjoram and mint.
2. In the 18^th century, the name “deviled eggs” was termed. “Deviled” is used to connote spicy or fiery, reflecting the seasonings used to flavor. The first recipe for deviled eggs dates back to circa 1786.

Source: FoodTimeline.org.

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