|
The
Brazilian Ministry of Tourism and EMBRATUR, the Brazilian Tourist
Board, is helping bring Brazilian flavours right here to the UK with
a free online recipe guide. The recipes, created by four chefs from
all over Brazil, will be available for download from www.braziltour.com,
along with full video demonstrations online of the recipes being prepared.
Ranging in difficulty from simple
baking to more complicated culinary artistry, all the chefs' dishes
celebrate great fresh Brazilian produce and regional cuisine, but can
be made with ingredients from UK supermarkets. The recipes highlight
the different styles and traditions of Brazil's regions. The bustling
cosmopolitan cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where you
can eat out every night of the week and still enjoy an amazing
variety of food from Azorean to Japanese plus wonderful fusion
cooking. To the north is the state of Salvador, where African
influences are strong. With its beautiful beaches and post-colonial
buildings it is the perfect setting to enjoy some incredible alfresco
dining. Finally, Minas Gerais is, a region of beautiful mountainous
landscapes where you can relax and take in the stunning scenery while
sampling an array of hearty stews and rice dishes, which once
sustained the region's gold and diamond miners.
Chris Fuzinatto, Director of the
Brazilian Tourist Board for UK and Ireland, explains that "Brazilians
love their food and we're really proud of our cooking traditions,
but many people don't realise that they can expect amazing and great
value food when they go to Brazil. So to coincide with our famous
Carnival we've decided to give the UK a chance to try some authentic
recipes at home. I'm sure that these recipes will inspire people to
think about trying the real thing and now's a great time to go - with
the strong pound against the Real, it's more affordable than ever to
treat yourself".
The guide is annotated by
acclaimed food writer Charles Campion who says: "As a first
time visitor to Brazil there were many things I expected to find -
lively cities, sandy beaches, football, Carnival - and I can report
that they are all present and correct! What was more unexpected was
the quality of the food, both Rio and São Paulo have vibrant
restaurant cultures and chefs that are cooking up a storm.
There's an amazing choice
ranging from the kind of formal restaurants that would get a couple
of Michelin stars were they in Europe (how about "tambaqui
cutlet with smoked baroa potato mousse and a herb sauce", this
sophisticated and delicious fish dish is on Roland Villard's
astonishing menu featuring only Amazonian ingredients at Le Pre
Catelan in Rio). Then there are great local eateries serving
satisfying home-style dishes (like Rabada - the famous oxtail and
watercress stew at Consulado Mineiro in São Paulo); even the
juice bars are an eye-opener as they feature rare and exotic
Amazonian fruits. Add superb pizzas; best ever grilled meats;
seriously good Japanese food; great patisserie; and awesome food
markets. Brazil is a foodie's paradise - a country full of friendly,
passionate and innovative cooks.
Take a look at the featured
recipes and you'll get a feel for the place, then try some of the
dishes and you'll find that Brazilian verve invades your kitchen!"
The four chosen chefs have
developed very different recipes so food lovers can truly appreciate
the diversity of Brazilian cooking:
Guilherme
Melo is a talented young restaurateur whose grandmother
became the inspiration for his traditional home cooked food, typical
of the Minas Gerais region. Melo's restaurant Hermengada is in Belo Horizonte.
Recipe: Brazilian
Bean Risotto
Perfect for:
Sunday lunch
Paraíso Tropical is the
name of Beto Pimentel's
restaurant in the baroque city of Salvador. A passionate advocate of
the slow food movement, Beto's innovative work has won him much
acclaim over the years.
Recipe: Vegetarian
Moqueca
Perfect for:
Mid-week supper
Felipe
Benjamin Abrahão, already a master baker aged just
22, has learnt his craft from his family who have run a Sao Paulo
bakery for discerning costumers for over 40 years.
Recipe: Sonhos
Perfect for:
A teatime treat.
Roland Villard,
who runs chic restaurant 'Le Pre Catalan' overlooking Rio's
Copacabana Beach employs classic French techniques to bring out the
rich and unusual qualities of Brazilian produce in particular
Amazonian specialities.
Recipe: Prawns
with Moqueca Blinis
Perfect for:
A dinner party
Brazil's ingredients and recipes
are unique and exciting. Freshwater fish, Brazilian fruits such as
pequi and cambuci which originate in the rainforest and other
traditional ingredients are combined to create dishes that offer
something truly fresh and interesting.
Brazilian food is becoming
increasingly popular in the UK, with restaurants like Guanabara and
Favela Chic in London offering their own gastronomical taste of the
country, proving that there's more to it than just steak.
top |
