Language Lesson- Herbs & Spices

I have been in Brazil for a little while, and while I know enough Portuguese to get me in trouble but I can't make my way around a kitchen.  The Brazilian kitchen lacks even the most basic herbs and spices and if I want something other than salt, garlic, and onion then I have to pull out the dictionary and make a trip to the store or open-air market.  So, if you are planning on making a meal while in Brazil or translating a recipe, here is a helpful guide of herbs and spices in English and Portuguese.  Boa sorte!

Allspice	Pimenta-da-Jamaica
Anise	Erva-doce
Basil	Manjericấo
Bay Leaves	Louro
Cardamom	Cardamomo
Cayenne	Pimenta-de-Caiena
Chives	Cebolinha
Cinnamon	Canela
Cloves	Cravo
Coriander	Coentro
Cumin	Cominho
Dill	Endro
Fennel	Funcho
Garlic	Alho
Ginger	Gengibre
Marjoram	Manjerona
Mint	Hortelấ
Mustard Seed	Mostarda
Nutmeg	Noz-Moscada
Onion	Cebola
Oregano	Orégano
Paprika	Pimentấo
Parsley	Salsa
Pepper	Pimenta
Rosemary	Alecrim
Saffron	Açafrấo
Sage	Sálvia
Sesame Seed	Gergelim
Thyme	Tomilho
Vanilla	Baunilha

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

 I live and dream for breakfast.  I love to get up in the morning and plan the havoc I will cause before sundown over breakfast.  Generally, the havoc is in the garden or the kitchen and both require good brain food.  I found a great sour cream coffee cake recipe with oats and wheat flour to provide me with kick-butt energy I need (Cooking Light, March 2010).  I recently took this cake to work and it received rave reviews.  Ryan loved it too; you know it has to be good if the guy that prefers only a cup of coffee prior to noon likes it!  Enjoy!

Salmon and Goat Cheese Quiche

Ryan makes the most FANTASTIC salmon than any chef, no doubt! Most of the time, only the skin is left, but on the rare occasion we have leftovers we use it in a quiche. It turns out the quiche is pretty darn fantastic too, so now we make sure we have leftovers. This quiche recipe started from one we found on Simply Recipes, which calls for smoked salmon. So, if you don't have leftover salmon, try that version or cook some up. As for us, we stick with this one- very fresh. I'm bringing this to Easter brunch to show off. Enjoy!

You Say Tagliatelle, I Say Campanelle

I'm in Brazil this month for work, and can't do a lot of cooking at the hotel. Since we can't cook my colleague and doing pretty well trying out the Sao Paulo food scene. Her and I (and a few others) were at Duo Cuochi at Shopping Cidade Jardim a couple of nights ago and my colleague asked, "what does Tagliatelle look like?" I was confident I could answer her! "They look like trumpets with ruffled edges." Fast forward a few minutes and out comes a plate with a very pretty nest of neatly wound Tagliatelle which looked a lot more like Angel Hair than trumpets with ruffled edges. I was convinced I was right, so I thought I would find a picture of the 'real' Tagliatelle and send it to her. In my pasta quest, I found a neat quiz on pasta shapes and names. I got 18 right, 6 wrong. How well did you do?

Take the quiz here http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/pasta-shape-id-quiz/

In case you were wondering, the chef at Duo Cuochi was right and I was wrong. For more on Duo Cuochi, check them out here: http://www.duecuochi.com.br/

Tchau!

Frosted Pumpkin Cake

Thanksgiving is Ryan's favorite holiday. He says, "you get to hang out with family, eat, drink, and not be stressed out about presents." After I heard that, I realized Thanksgiving is... well... a really good holiday. I don't give up presents THAT easily. Anyway, this year we joined my family for Thanksgiving dinner and headed to Ryan's family for dessert. I wanted to join in the fiasco that can ensue when making dinner for a crowd, so I brought stuffing to dinner, pumpkin cake to dessert, and a drink to share for both. The stuffing turned out fantastic, but didn't last long enough for a picture. Pumpkin cake, however, was made hours ahead so I have a great shot to share with this recipe. Oh, the recipe is pretty great (really great)! It's adapted from a recipe in the November 2009 issue of Cooking Light, so it's healthy too! Enjoy!