Category Archives: World Eats

July 31, 2013 · 3:14 PM

A Photo Tour of the Mercado de San Miguel

spain We love visiting markets while traveling, and making a little picnic out of the local meats, cheese and fruits. One of our recent favorites is the Mercado de San Miguel in the heart of Madrid. The Mercado de San Miguel is a metal and glass Beaux-Arts masterpiece that was recently opened after a long renovation. You can find nearly any kind of Spanish food in the mercado, including produce, cheese, meats, paella, pastries, ice cream, seafood and more. The market is open until midnight on most days (and 2 AM on weekends) and is nearly always full of people. It is especially crowded around Tapas time, from 7 to 9 or so, before the extremely late Spanish dinner. We visited one evening and filled up on a variety of excellent meats and cheeses, just wandering around and sampling to our heart’s content.

Mercado de San Miguel

Interior of the market

A variety of Spanish Cheeses for sale

Cheese shop in the market

Garrotxa cheese tapa

Selecting Jamon Iberico

Carving Jamon Iberico

Jamon Iberico

Macarons and pastries for sale

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Filed under Finer Things Club, World Eats

Tagged as Food Market, Madrid, Mercado San Miguel, Spain

July 30, 2013 · 11:54 AM

Chocolate and churros in Madrid

spain One of our favorite things to do in a country is to sample their typical iconic breakfast foods. We have found some of our most favorite foods this way – yogurt and honey from Greece, helva from Turkey, Torta Caprese from Italy, etc. – and we find it quite a lot more enjoyable than taking a bland continental breakfast. In Spain, the breakfast treat of choice is hot chocolate and churros. In the US, churros have something of a dubious reputation. While, of course, you can find some excellent renditions of churros in the US, the sugar-coated, soggy churro is often the purview of school lunches and amusement parks. I had personally sworn off churros after they were the only dessert offered in our junior high cafeteria. However, I am open to an opinion change.

Churros (left) and Porras (right) at Chocolatería San Ginés in Madrid

Churros are a different affair in Spain though: no extra sugar is added, and the fried pastry is the whole deal. However the best part of having churros is dipping them in the thick, rich hot chocolate that traditionally accompanies them. No Swiss Miss hot chocolate here: this is thick, rich sipping chocolate. They sometimes even give you a little spoon to eat it with. We tried chocolate and churros and two locations in Madrid, each of which was completely different.

Waiting in line at Chocolatería San Ginés

The first stop for churros was Chocolatería San Ginés (Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5, Madrid). All they serve is chocolate and churros, and boy do they serve a lot! We went on a Saturday night, which admittedly is probably the most crowded time you can get chocolate and churros, and there was a line snaking out of the door. The routine is similar to Giolitti: you order and pay and then get a receipt for what you ordered. If you are able to get one of the tables (either inside, outside or in the basement) the waiter will take your ticket and give you your order. The only things available to order are chocolate, churros and porras (a thicker churro). The churros were excellent: a nice portion and not at all greasy. The cost of a cup of chocolate and 6 churros is less than 4 euros.

Chocolate and Churros at Chocolatería San Ginés

On our last day we sampled churros from Chocolatería Valor (Calle Postigo de San Martin, 7, Madrid), which is more of a regular full service café. We visited Valor at an admittedly off hour, 8:45 on a Monday morning. So we were very pleased to find that a fresh batch of churros was fried up just for us. Perhaps as a product of their freshness, we found these churros a little greasier than the offerings from San Gines. However, the price was a lot cheaper, and you could get additional items off of the menu if you so desired. There are even paper cones for those who want to take the churros to go.

Chocolate and Churros at Valor

Going to Madrid completely changed my idea of the churro (especially when combined with hot chocolate). We especially enjoyed Chocolatería San Ginés, and we are looking forward to going back someday and trying more varieties. Do you have a favorite place for churros in Madrid?

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Tagged as breakfast, chocolate, churros, Madrid, Spain

July 23, 2013 · 8:40 AM

Brazilian Samba Food: Bolo de Fubá

brazil In our other lives, we are Brazilian music aficionados. As much time as we spent eating everything in sight while in Brazil, we were as dedicated to listening to as much live music as we could, including seeing the world-famous carnival parade twice: once at the technical rehearsal, and finally during the main event. We had the good fortune both times to see the eventual parade winners, the GRES Unidos de Vila Isabel (headlined, as always, by one of L’s favorite sambistas, Martinho da Vila). Vila’s 2013 samba-enredo (theme song) was the unrelentingly catchy “Água no feijão que chegou mais um;” sing along with the video below:

The song is a celebration of the simple life in the Brazilian countryside, and makes use of some creative wordplay to talk about the samba school’s job of making music using words that evoke farming, planting, and harvesting country crops (“Vila Isabel is going to plant some happiness tomorrow morning”). Once we had listened to the song on repeat 30 times, one particular verse caught our attention:

Bota água no feijão (“[He] throws water in the beans”)
Já tem lenha no fogão (“There’s already wood in the stove”)
Faz um bolo de fubá (“[He] makes a cornmeal cake”)

Question to us, then: what is a bolo de fubá, and given our self-professed love of Brazilian pastries and cakes, why have we not made one yet? A bolo de fubá is literally a cornmeal cake, but it is more than cornbread: using finely ground cornmeal (the finer than the better), you make a slightly sweet cake that is a ubiquitous accompaniment to breakfast or midday coffee. Bolo de fubá is also a popular food eaten in the Brazilian June Festivals, or Festas Juninas.

Gluten-free bolo de fubá cremosa with orange, from Sabor Saudade.

Everyone has their own take on a bolo de fubá. The most common variations are to make it a bolo de fubá cremosa (“creamy”) or bem cremosa (“super creamy”), usually by adding coconut or a creamy substitute like extra cheese or eggs. For beginners, try this recipe for a simple bolo from about.com. Denise Browning over at From Brazil to You has a good recipe for a bolo de fubá cremosa with coconut, complete with some reminiscing about some of her bolos of years past. But really, the good recipes will all be in Portuguese: try the one from Sabor Saudade (above), or this one from Tudo Gostoso (Everything Tasty).

And thanks to Vila Isabel for introducing us to a new treat: now we have a food to get addicted to as we get more and more addicted to your song. E está chegando o povo do samba!

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Filed under Holidays, World Eats

Tagged as Bolo de Fubá, Brazil, Festa Junina, Festas Juninas, samba

July 19, 2013 · 8:27 AM

Fêtes de Bayonne: Omelette aux Piments in Basque Country

The most famous Bull-fighting festival in the world may be in Pamplona, but the gigantic Fêtes de Bayonne in the Basque region of France features not only bull-fighting, but a festival dedicated to omelettes (Championnat du monde d’omelette aux piments) at the end of every July. Indeed, there is an championship for nearly everything, and this one has been running since 2004. One of the most emblematic foods of the French Basque county, Omelettes aux Piments (Omelette with Peppers) is an egg dish with potatoes and the famous sweet Espelette peppers (piments doux in French or Ezpeletako bipera in Basque).

Fetes de Bayonne by Greg.road.trip

Espelette peppers are a mild red pepper originally from Mexico, and were brought to France in the 16th century, but they are so much a part of Basque cuisine that they have governmental status as a protected destination of origin product. In the town of Espelette, it is not uncommon to see large strings of Espelette peppers drying in the sun. French Basque Country, which is in Southwestern France, and shares a border with Spain, is known for their unique cuisine, and the Omelette aux Piments marries both the Spanish and French influences (classic French egg omelette and Spanish tortilla). Eat Live Travel Write has a wonderful write-up of the entire Bayonne Fest, along with coverage of the Omelette Championship. The Chopping Block has an omelette recipe calling for Espelette peppers. Another use for Espelette peppers is in Piperade, a typical French Basque condiment used on almost anything.

Espelette Peppers in Espelette, France, by Franck Barre

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Tagged as Basque Country, Fêtes de Bayonne, France, Omlettes aux Piments, Pays Basque

July 16, 2013 · 10:09 AM

The International Origins of Nando’s Peri-Peri

Over at Africa is a Country, our favorite African news and opinion site, historian Sarah Emily Duff has a fascinating write-up on the multinational origins of Nando’s Peri-Peri, a self-described South African peri-peri chicken joint with locations throughout Africa (including Gaborone, capital of Botswana, from where she writes this piece), Europe, and a few in the USA. M visited a location in Washington, DC last year, and raved about the food. Now, we have a much greater understanding of the surprisingly complex history of the chain, with ties to Portugal, Mozambique, South Africa, and the UK during the second half of the 20th century. We’ll take all this cultural learning with us when we return to the DC Nando’s again in October!

M’s favorite: Nando’s peri-peri chicken with extra spicy sauce, rice, and cole slaw in Washington, DC.

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Tagged as Botswana, Mozambique, Nando's, Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom

July 12, 2013 · 11:33 AM

Festive foods for Iftar, Breaking the Ramadan fast

Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, started on July 10th. During the month, Muslims fast from dawn until dusk, and break the fast with a meal known as Iftar each night. What is eaten at an Iftar meal varies widely from country to country and from home to home, ranging from a small family meal to a huge party with an elaborate spread of dishes. Asia Society has a list of classic Iftar dishes from each country, and Time.com has a photo gallery of global Iftars, both showing the diversity of Iftars around the world. So where to begin? The possibilities are nearly endless. Time Out Abu Dhabi has recipes from reknowned chefs, About.com has a list of Traditional Moroccan Iftar recipes, and Veg Recipes of Indian has a wealth of Vegetarian Iftar options.

Iftar in the UK by Reway2007

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Filed under Holidays, World Eats

Tagged as Iftar, Ramadan, worldwide

July 11, 2013 · 9:46 AM

Enough Popsicle and Paleta Recipes to Last the Whole Summer

We recently bought new popsicle molds, and we are excited to make some recipes. We are especially fond of Mexican-style popsicles, paletas, which often combine sweet and spicy flavors. In honor of our new popsicle/paleta maker, we curated a collection of pop recipes from simple to avant-garde. The first recipe we made was yogurt and black raspberry (very similar to this recipe). We pretty much winged it and the result was great – so just let these recipes be a jumping off point for inspiration. Anything goes!

Paleteria in Texas, by Steve Snodgrass

Sweet Paul Recipes: Cucumber and Lime, Coconut and Vanilla, Pineapple, Mango and Mint, Strawberry, Watermelon and Chili
Milk Tea with Tapioca Pearls
Saveur: Tamarind and Chile, Strawberries and Cream, Pineapple, Arroz con leche
Vietnamese Coffee
Cookie Dough
Banana
Momofuku-Inspired Cereal Milk
Raspberry Ginger
Avocado and Coconut
Zoku Blog: Spicy Mexican Chocolate, Watermelon Mint, Berry Mojito, Strawberry Lime
Paletas from Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico – by Dolanh

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Tagged as Paleta, Paletas

July 3, 2013 · 1:06 PM

A winning combination: Pie and Vinyl in Southsea, England

Thanks to this Twitter post, RTed by Michael Nagrant, we learned about the Pie & Vinyl combination cafe and record shop in Southsea, England (61 Castle Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth PO5, UK). Now we love both pies and vinyl records, so this seems like one of the winning-est combinations yet. M is a little blue that there are only savory and not sweet pies, though. This is perhaps not surprising, given that the term “pie” in the UK generally would refer to a meat pie, as opposed to a sweet pie, as it would in the US. Perhaps the inclusion of sweet pies is an idea for a future menu expansion? In any case, we love the idea of such a symbiotic combination, and we hope to visit it one day. Along those lines, we are also fond of the cafe/restaurant/book/antique/vinyl shop combo we found in Rio (more on that soon).

The Exterior of Pie & Vinyl – from http://www.pieandvinyl.co.uk/

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Tagged as England, Pie

July 2, 2013 · 1:01 PM

A Visit to “Delícias do Porto” Street Food Market in Salvador da Bahia

brazil

July 2nd (Dois de Julho) is celebrated as Independence Day in Salvador da Bahia, and was considered the definitive end of Portuguese rule in 1823, so it’s the perfect day to celebrate Bahian food! Bahia has great street food, and you can find wonderful Acarajé on nearly any corner, so what could be better than an Acarajé stand surrounded by tons of other great eats? On Friday evenings during the summer (December – April in the southern hemisphere) there is a great street market put on by the Instituto Mauá in the neighborhood of Porto da Barra in Salvador called “Delícias do Porto (Delicacies of the Port)” Though the summer is now over in Brazil, it appears to be a yearly event, so check back for further updates. We highly recommended this fair for its variety, and for bringing a little culinary nightlife to the Porto da Barra area, which can feel empty during the evening hours.

You can recognize the market by its characteristic yellow booths, which seem to pop up out of nowhere on Fridays. In addition to food, there are also artisans selling traditional crafts as well as jewelry, clothes and other items. However, of course for us, the draw was the food! There was all sorts of Bahian food for sale: street favorites like Beijus, Abará, Queijo coalho, Acarajé – and even some things less commonly found in street stalls – Sarapatel, Bolo de Aipim and Xinxim. In between all of the stalls is a large, open seating area, so eating your food at a leisurely pace is encouraged.

The Xinxim (whick we had before, but in reference to a VERY different dish) was made of ground nuts, dendê (palm) oil, coconut milk, okra and shrimp. Though perhaps not the most visually appealing dish, we loved the unusual combination of savory flavors. Don’t forget to add the hot sauce and dried shrimp!

Of course no outdoor market in Bahia would be complete without Acarajé – the trusty black-eyed pea fritter that is pure “Bahia.” This one was from Dona Emilia (whose booth is there even when the whole fair is not), and was cooked fresh to order. Everything at the fair was very reasonably priced, and we couldn’t think of a better way to spend a balmy evening – watching the sunset and washing down our Acarajé with some Guaraná soda in hand.

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Tagged as acaraje, Bahia, Brazil, Dois de Julho, Market, Salvador, street food

June 24, 2013 · 11:04 AM

The Burgeoning Food Scene in Luanda, Angola

Especially in the US, Angola many be pretty far off the culinary radar. However, living in Brazil and Portugal we got to sample Angolan cuisine and it is awesome! It turns out that in Luanda, the capital of Angola, a pretty amazing homegrown food scene is emerging, drawing on both local and international food influences (including, of all things, a Scandinavian Cafe). The link from Africa is a Country also includes a recipe for Moamba de Galinha (Chicken Moamba) one of the country’s most iconic dishes. Even more diverse places to eat in Luanda are highlighted on a site started by expats, Luanda Nightlife. It seems like Luanda has nearly every type of restaurant you could want!

Cais de Quatro Sushi restaurant in Luanda, from Luanda-Nightlife.com

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Tagged as Angola, Luanda

June 14, 2013 · 8:55 AM

Real Sicilian Pizza: Sfincione in Palermo

Sicily Sfincione is traditional Sicilian pizza which is baked in large squares and is often served by cutting slices with scissors (our favorite part). Sfincione is akin to a thick foccacia bread topped with tomato sauce and (traditionally) anchovies and onions, and maybe some cheese, though definitely not as much as an American pizza. More exotic toppings are not an option. Sfincione originated in Sicily, and was the primary type of pizza on the island until the 1860s. While we were in Sicily, especially Palermo, we partook in many slices from street sellers known as sfinciunaros. In addition to being a street snack throughout Sicily, sfincione is also available in many restaurants and bakeries throughout Sicily and even Rome. Serious Eats has a Sfincione recipe that has been declared to be “spot on.” Looks like we’ll have to try making it this Christmas season, when it is traditionally consumed (though it is definitely a year-round food).

Cross Section of Sfincione by Scott Wiener

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Tagged as Italy, Palermo, pizza, Rome, sfincione, Sicily, street food

June 13, 2013 · 12:10 PM

A quest for Belgian Frites in Brussels (and Chicago)

This New York Times piece about searching for the perfect frites in Brussels, Belgium is right up our alley. We are quite fond of Belgian fries, or “frites” and also of quests. Though we have never been to Belgium, some of our favorite places for Belgian fries in Chicago are Frietkoten Belgian Fries in the Chicago French Market (131 N Clinton St.) or Hopleaf (5148 N Clark St). We also learned that there is now a late night Belgian fry take-out, Backwoods (3335 N. Halsted St.), though we haven’t tried it yet. Anyone have any other frite favorites in Chicago?

Belgian Frites with Sauce Andaluse by Su-lin

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Tagged as Belgium, fries, frites

May 31, 2013 · 8:43 AM

Pastry Post-Doc: Brazilian Brigadeiros for Chocolate Lovers

brazil As much as cupcakes and the myriad permutations thereof are popular in the USA, brigadeiros are the primary bite-sized dessert in Brazil. Named for a Portuguese brigadier in the 1940s, a brigadeiro is essentially a chocolate caramel truffle coated in chocolate sprinkles. However, much like cupcakes, riffs off of the traditional brigadeiro are increasingly common, including exotic flavors and coatings. If you are not looking for anything fancy, the basic brigadeiro is found at most Brazilian restaurants and cafes, and pretty much every snack shop has brigadeiros in stock for less than a dollar. Perhaps the best thing about the brigadeiro is how easy it is to make, and how few ingredients it requires. For example, this America’s Test Kitchen recipe has only condensed milk, butter and cocoa. Some other recipes, like these from Honest Cooking and Cuca Brazuca also require chocolate drink powdered mix. The typical finish for a brigadeiro is being rolled in classic chocolate sprinkles, though another Brazilian favorite is a coatings of large black and white candy puffed-rice spheres known as “crocantes.” Of course you can also play with different brigadeiro flavors, including peanut butter or almond!

Classic Brigadeiro by Mayra ChiaChia

If you are in Brazil, we highly recommend some exploration to find your favorite brigadeiro. Nearly every corner bakery/cafe/deli/lanchonete will have brigadeiros for sale, so you can sample dozens a day, if you would like. If you are going for something unique, visit Maria Brigadeiro ( Pinheiros: Rua Capote Valente 68) in São Paulo, where there are over 20 varieties of gourmet brigadeiros available at the shop, including esoteric choices like Port Wine or Sesame. Time Out São Paulo has a feature on the some of the other best brigadeiros in Sao Paulo. Our favorite Brigadeiro stop in Salvador was Brigadeira Mix in Shopping Barra, which was just a small kiosk, but it boasted a large variety of flavors, including our favorite, negresco (cookies and cream). But brigadeiros are not only the purview of fancy shops. In Rio de Janeiro you can buy them on the street (though it is a wonder that they don not melt in the heat). Our favorite classic brigadeiros in Rio de Janeiro are found at Bomboniere Pathe (Centro: Praça Floriano nº- 45). But don’t take our word for it – go try some for yourself!

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Tagged as Brazil, brigadeiro, chocolate, Rio de Janeiro

May 29, 2013 · 9:30 AM

Adventures in Brazilian Produce: Feijoa

In the latest chronicle of the unusual produce choices we find in Brazilian grocery stores, we came across the feijoa. The feijoa is so unusual that we caused something of a commotion when we asked a worker in the Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro branch of the Pão de Açúcar grocery store how much one of these little (unlabeled) fruits cost. It turned out upwards of 5 employees of the grocery store had simply no idea what it was, but the 6th finally identified it as a feijoa. We figured the taste of the fruit would be something like an avocado due to its green, bumpy appearance, but instead, it had a gelatinous sweet center (shedding more light on this flavor is the fact that feijoa is also known as the pineapple guava). Feijoa had a pleasant, sweet and fragrant taste, but one unpleasant feature is that it is nearly impossible to know when it is ripe. Bizarrely, though they originated in Brazil, feijoas are actually most popular in New Zealand. Typical uses of the feijoa are for making smoothies or simply eating raw, but the adventurous among us can make a feijoa chutney, a feijoa cake or even feijoa wine.

Feijoa Fruit by Sandy Austin

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Tagged as Brazil, feijoa, New Zealand

May 23, 2013 · 10:58 AM

Paçoca de Amendoim – Brazilian peanut candy

Paçoca from Pink Bites Blog

Brazilians love little candies and treats, and at some places, like Perini supermarket, you can buy the individual bite-sized treats and create your own box of goodies. One of these popular treats is Paçoca de Amendoim – kind of a riff on Peanut Fudge – with the added texture of Manioc flour. The name comes from the Tupi word Posok which means “to crumble.” Making Paçoca is super simple, and we found versions at Pink Bites (using cookies instead of manioc) and Flavors of Brazil. As Flavors of Brazil points out – there is a dish also called paçoca that is completely different – think beef and onions. We actually ran into this situation at the São Cristóvão market in Rio – which has food from the Northeast – both kinds of paçoca were for sale. Be careful you order the one you’re intending!

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Tagged as Brazil, candy, peanut

May 21, 2013 · 10:38 AM

Chihuahua Cheese’s (Queso Menonita) Mexican Mennonite Origins

Mexico Flag Back in the US we are very familiar with Chihuahua cheese (Queso Chihuahua) and have seen many recipes calling for the mild, slightly yellow cheese. However, we did not know much about its origins – and it turns out it has a rather unusual history.

Chihuahua Cheese by Mérida Hideaway

Chihuahua cheese, known for the Northern Mexican state where it is produced, is also known as Menonita cheese in Mexico. Yes, Menonita is “Mennonite” in Spanish – and it is indeed Mennonite cheese! Turns out there is a rather large Mennonite population in Mexico, having first arrived in the 1920s, and they were the ones who first produced the cheese. Though it has now been commercialized, you can still find Menonita cheese being made by Mennonites in the town of Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua.

A Mennonite sells cheese in Mexico by Cristiano Oliveira

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Tagged as cheese, Chihuahua cheese, Mennonite, Mexico, Queso Menonita

May 15, 2013 · 1:41 PM

New Zealand: Flat White Coffee

New Zealand Flag Though only one half of the ETW team is a coffee lover – we’re both always interested in learning about different coffee cultures around the world. Just when we feel like we are getting a handle on the latest trends and variations – we encounter a totally new drink – in this case: The Flat White. Though it is becoming popular worldwide, we were interested to learn it was invented in New Zealand, a country so far not on our coffee radar. The Flat White is a double-shot coffee drink topped with foamed milk, somewhere between a latte and a cappuccino, but with a smaller size than typically expected of a latte. Still sound a little obtuse? There are several definitions on the Coffee Hunter site. Anyone have a place to order a flat white in Chicago?

Flat White Coffee by Cygnoir

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Tagged as coffee, Flat White, New Zealand

May 8, 2013 · 7:33 AM

Pastry Post-Doc in Brazil: V Café

V Café
Rua Senador Dantas – 45, Cinelândia
Rio de Janeiro (Other Locations Nationwide in Brasil)

brazil

Sometimes you just want a nice icy Starbucks-style coffee beverage laden with sugar and syrup – and when you do, in Brazil, the answer is V Cafe! There are tons of these cafes over Brazil (owned by Parent company Viena), and a small branch is even conveniently located in one of our favorite bookstores – Livraria Cultura. Our two go-tos at V Café are the Mocciolata and the Cioccolata drinks (R$ 11 each). The Cioccolata is a very frothy iced hot chocolate, and the Mocciolata is basically the same – but with a shot of espresso. We appreciate the attention to detail in V’s drinks – all of the drinks come in real glassware – not paper cups – and a little cookie on the side – how nice. Of course there are also a wide variety of hot espresso and cappuccino drinks available.

V Cafe Mocciolata (and cookie)

There are wide a range of desserts available – including a rotating variety of cake slices (chocolate brigadeiro, orange and hazelnut are favorites), puddings and cookies. But if you are in the mood for a little something more, there are sandwiches (including salmon and brie/apricot) and even some healthy-looking salads. Seating at V Café in Livraria Cultura is at a premium, and people often bring a stack of books to while away the time while munching. We definitely can’t think of a better way to spend a rainy afternoon.

V Cafe in Livraria Cultura

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Tagged as Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

May 2, 2013 · 11:14 AM

Chocolate Shops in Ouro Preto

brazil

While wandering throughout historic Ouro Preto you will see stores selling Doces Caseiros, but you will also find them selling the one thing we like even better: chocolates. We visited a couple of chocolate shops while we were in Ouro Preto, and were surprised by the quality of the chocolates and the extensive menus. If you have a sweet tooth, you will never go hungry in Ouro Preto.

Puro Cacau (Rua Conde de Bobadela, 162) stands out on the street due to the large chocolate fountain in the window. That was surely enough to draw us in. A trip to the chocolate fountain (with a skewer of strawberries) cost a mere R$ 5. We were also pleased to find they had milkshakes, which were excellent (we went with cookies and cream). The menu also had a selection of paninis and wraps, which were good, but nothing to write home about.

However, as the name would imply, the main reason to visit Puro Cacau is for the chocolate-related offerings. The entire front of the store is given over to selling jars of doce de leite, homemade bon bons and alfajors (Argentine sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche). You can also buy simple candies and truffles by weight out of glass jars. There was something deliciously retro about filling a paper bag with little chocolate candies. Even beyond chocolates there was an unusually extensive selection of bottled drinks and beers from around the world.

Chocolates Ouro Preto (Praça Tiradentes, 111)

Chocolates Ouro Preto became our go-to lunch and coffee spot when we were in Ouro Preto, not to mention the fact that we had many a sweet treat there. For those of you that are always plugged in (guilty here) there is also free Wifi.

Chocolates Ouro Preto – right on Praca Tiradentes!

In the front of the store you can buy their chocolate items, including a huge amount of chocolate bars and very delicious truffles (R$ 2.50). We particularly enjoyed the passionfruit filled dark chocolate variety. We also appreciated the amazing selection of coffee drinks and other juices for those who are trying to be caffeine-free. There was also a large assortment of ice cream flavors.

For those with a bigger appetite, there were other savory treats, including full entrees soups and breads. We had one particularly delicious soup: creamy mandioquinha. Kind of like cheesy cream of potato soup, but better! There were also various salgados, pão de queijo and pão patate.

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Tagged as Brazil, chocolate, Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto

April 25, 2013 · 6:56 PM

Recipes for Rieska, Finnish Flatbread

finland

We’ve been having all sorts of bread cravings here in Salvador, where there is good bread, but we are missing some carb-y favorites like pita and bagels. So in the interim, we’ve taken to finding exotic bread recipes form all over the internet to make when we get home. This recipe from Honest Cooking for Finnish flatbread – Rieska – caught our eye for its simplicity. We’ve seen a few different takes on this bread, whether from the inclusion of potato in the Honest Cooking recipe, to the use of rye flour, to a barley dough-only recipe. In any cake Rieska looks like it is the perfect base for a myriad of toppings.