Jokes aside, I will be the first to admit that learning to do without my shredded cheese and the occasional ready-to-go, canned beans was an adjustment. I set out completely overzealous about wanting to make things from scratch. Then I realized that I only wanted to do this when I wasn’t busy or felt like cooking.
I’ve gotten used to the sacrifice to the point where it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice at all anymore. I enjoy doing things from scratch and I hope when we move back I’m not so pressed for time that I resort to my old habits. Although, I confess there are many a nights when black beans sound great and I wish I didn’t have to wait 10 hours to have them.
Despite the lack of my cheese and beans, I have learned that some vendors at the feira have created their own version of pre-prepped, convenience foods. And I am not at all ashamed to admit that I love it!
Meet this week’s abobora . Isn’t she beautiful – all peeled, seeded, chopped and washed?
I really had never cooked with pumpkin at all before except for, you guessed it, the canned version. I have peeled a butternut squash, but fresh pumpkin isn’t all that popular except for pies and breads, although I think that is changing.
At least I know it will be changing for me. I love cooking with fresh roasted pumpkin now. However, I do not love peeling them; especially the ones here because they have very deep indentions that are almost impossible to work around without a flesh wound.
That is where my ready-to-cook pumpkin comes in. I practically want to hug the vendor when I find it at the market.
So, let this be clear - I am a liar. There is at least one convenience food around here and my aching, nicked hands are darn thankful for it.
12 comments:
Hey looks like you're having some ups and downs in Brazil! I live in São Paulo, and I'm Brazilian. Where are you from, anyway? You seem to be having a bad time with the heat... and believe me, so are we... it has never been this damn hot... but hopefully, weather is changing! So, if you wanna keep some contact or just annoy somebody when you feel bored, blog me!
hope you have a nice time here
Lori-
I was sitting here thinking if I had ever TRULY made anything from scratch. And sadly no. Although I really don't cook very often. But I was wondering if maybe you had some recipes to share with us? :)
In other words please please please please! :)
Oh Lori...it makes life soooo much easy! I admit that canned food makes life way easier too, but I really don't enjoy the taste and also all the Na there. I live in a very small town, so the selection of veggies is not good at all, and many things I just find in a can, but then the flavor is so not fresh :(
Ahh Lori...I always found shredded chesse, especially mozzarela in my city. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out that we had what we wanted, I am speaking for myself here. Ask some brazilian where you can find "queijo ralado"....I would think that a city like Maringa should have it. Also, my mother-in-law spends all day cooking beans in a slow cooker, but it takes me 30 minutes in the pressure cooker. I know, never is gonna be like home, but things get a little better over time :)
Lori,
When we lived in Sao Paulo in the 90's they had little neighborhood stores called "Rotisseria" where you could find and buy freshly roasted chickens and other meats by the weight and they also sold all sorts of vegetables washed and cut and homemade style pasta.
At the time you couldn't find washed and cut veggies at the supermarkets but now I have seen it in every large supermarket in Sao Paulo.
However, this is a new concept for Brazilians in general.
If you think about it, most people have always had maids in Brazil, so why would they buy "more expensive" pre cut and pre washed veggies if they were already paying a maid to do exactly that...?
Brazil is changing rapidly and more and more families are not hiring maids and both husband and wife are out working and that is creating a huge demand for pre cut and pre washed veggies and prepared meals in general.
I guess the US went thru the same process in the late 40's and early 50's when maids became too expensive and at the same time ladies had gotten used to work during WWII and when their husbands came back from the war they had to get used to a new reality of women in the work place and no time for cooking from scratch.
Families adapted and today we have shredded cheese and canned beans...and much more...washed veggies are still my all time favorite pre prepped food.
I think today Americans are doing the reverse way in terms of trying to make everything from scratch and rediscover the flavors of foods...more and more people are buying local produce and trying to cook from scratch.
We learned how to make beans from scratch in Brazil and up to this day we have a hard time with the canned ones.
We brought some good pressure cookers from Brazil and it only takes us about 30 minutes in the pressure cooker and another 10 minutes with the pressure cooker opened to thicken and make the beans creamier tasting...10 hours? You must be cooking your beans in a regular pan...
If you need any tips on having fast, fresh, from scratch beans please let me know I will send them to you.
PS: I haven't forgotten to check the best brand of FLOUR yet, I know I promised you that, but I am having a hard time locating my friend in Sao Paulo who knows these kind of stuff. She changed phone numbers. But I will find her soon, I have other friends searching her new number.
OMG - I love abobrinha! :)
First, I think I should clarify that I was not new to scratch cooking before I moved to Brazil. I've always loved to cook and made many things from real foods before our move. I was excited about that, feeling I could do more of it when we got here, but I missed some things.
Bruno - Thanks for your comment. Well, I'm from the US, in northern Parana now. Good news! The temps have cooled a bit for now. :)
Stephanie - I keep a food/health blog as well. I touch on some Brazilian things in my posts, but it isn't my focus. There are some recipes on there and a great community of people who like to make things from scratch. :) www.fakefoodfree.com
Fernanda - Nothing can beat the taste of fresh. I feel for you being in a small town. The supermarkets carry very little. Any grassfed farms or community supported agriculture programs around there for you? Those can help, but the seasons for great food are nothing there like they are here.
Ray - I find those changes a bit scary. Look where it got us in the US - obese with a mound of health problems. Although, I do feel that there is a big push to get back to natural foods and seasonal eating. Have you read the book Something from the Oven by Laura Shapiro? If you are into culinary history at all it is a wonderful book. It goes through the changes in the US and how we went from scratch to packaged products for convenience.
Vivi - Oh, me too. One of my favorites!
Now I am really curious if that's the same kind of pumpkin as we have here in Chile. Really, what we have in Chile isn't exactly a pumpkin, it's more like a GIANT, slightly pumpkin flavored squash.
Fresh chopped veggies, yeah, definitely a NICE luxury! Enjoy it while it lasts because those will cost you an arm and a leg when you get back to the U.S.!
complementing what Ray said, I guess that in a pressure cooker the amount of beans you can make in one occasion would amount to a "empty wallet" of canned beans.
Ray, you mentioned bringing pressure cookers from Brazil to US. Are those rare to come by in the US or do you only find them in specialized (expensive) stores?
Hi Lori -
I had a very similar experience with cooking. When we first moved I was bored in the house so it was a total pleasure to do everything from scratch (peanut butter, granola, yogurt, beans...) But some days I too wish for it all to just be a little easier! And bagels... oh how I miss bagels...
With the pumpkin, I buy them halved or quartered in the market, with the rind still on and then steam them until I can scoop out the inside (it's really fast in the microwave with a little water in the dish). No peeling involved. One of my favorite dishes here although it's not healthy, is escondidinha - pumpkin, cheese and carne seca. Yum!
Dude! I wish they had canned pumpkin or prepared pumpkin in Chile. I hear they used to sell it but nobody bought it.
Kyle - My pumpkin/squash research has been interesting. They call everything aborbora from butternut squash to a smaller pumpkin which resembles more of an acorn squash. There are two main varieties of actual pumpkin. I can tell more of a difference in the texture than taste. I'm having my dad plant me some this year in his garden and so far I haven't found the same varieties at home in seeds as what we get here. Oh, believe me, I am savoring the luxury big time. :)
lovelydharma - It is so weird. I love bagels and I had them in the US, but in moderation b/c of the calories. Now that I can't have them though I crave them like crazy. I overdose when I visit the States. Yes, the halving and roasting really works well. I do that a lot with the pumpkins.
Escondidinha with pumpkin?! Oooh. I 've got to find that. I've only had it with mandioca and I'm actually making some today.
Sara - No where to be found here either. I'm not sure if they have it in some of the larger cities or not.
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