Fejoida - English style

This weekend I finally made my wife a proper fejoida, after promising to do so for several years. I had previously made pork and bean stew, which although very nice, my wife informed me was not fejoida. For those that do not know, fejoida is a dish from Bahia, Brazil, made from black beans and pork. The dish was invented by slaves who were given the left over pork by their master to cook with. Really the meal is simply beans, onion, garlic, bay leaves and any bits of a pig you can get - ears, feet, lips, and no doubt less savoury parts than that. Today in Bahia people also use salted beef and Brazilian smoked sausage. My wife managed to order these on the internet, so I cooked with these. But in future I will use steak and salami instead. Anyway, on with the ingredients: Pork - I used a mixture of chops, ribs and thick smoked bacon Spicy smoked sausage Beef (use good quality - the imported salt beef cost us more than a piece of fillet from the supermarket, so we will not be doing this again). Large onion Several cloves of garlic bay leaves black beans - if you cannot get Brazilian black beans, use nay others that you like - black-eye beans work well, as would a selection of beans, or kidney beans etc. herbs - oregano, basil, tarragon salt and pepper cumin - and anything else you fancy (I usually like to spice it up a bit) stock Preparation is easy. Hack up any big bits of meat, chop the onion, slice to sausage. Get a big pot, add some olive oil, fry the onion gently, chuck in the meat and garlic and all other spices and herbs, continue to fry gently until meat is sealed. Then add the stock (use chicken or beef) and add the beans (either soaked and washed or tinned). Top up with water, stir it a bit, bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer for a couple of hours. Serve with rice. Easy. One pot wonder. Plus another for the rice.... It really pays to use better quality meats. My wife has agreed to let me make more "pork and bean stews" as I do not really like the Brazilian sausage and salted beef much. But each to their own. Try it, change it, modify it, and enjoy.

Kibe (aka kibi, quibe, deep fried meat balls)

This is a recipe for kibes, which are Arab/Lebonese meatballs. I first discovered them in Brazil where they are very popular in snack bars and delis. They are usually served on their own with some hot chilli sauce and a squeeze of lemon. They take more preparation than burgers due to the bulgar wheat. Adjust bulgar wheat to meat ratio as you see fit. You could even leave it out completely. 200g bulgar wheat 500g of minced beef 1 chopped onion 4 chopped cloves of garlic fresh mint leaves (about 12 branches) 4 teaspoons of salt 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Soak the bulgur wheat for at least 3 hours, then drain and press in a colander or sieve to remove the water. Remember water and oil don't mix, so be sure to remove as much water as possible to avoid an explosive situation in the kitchen ! Mix in a food processor the onion, garlic and mint to make a coarse paste, and pour this into a large mixing bowl. Add the bulgar, meat, spices, salt and pepper. Knead the mixture as if you are making bread to make one large mass. Then mould from that small rolls, approximately 5cm long, into rugby ball shapes. Deep fry the meat balls at about 180 degrees C for about 10 minutes, or until they brown. Drain and serve with lemon and chilli sauce.

Brazilian milk pudding - Pudim de leite

Hi, this is Márcia's recipe for pudim de leite, which is a classic Brazilian milk pudding made from condensed milk, fresh milk, eggs and sugar. To make a family sized pudim, with plenty left over for breakfast... use the following: 2 tins of condensed milk an equal amount of fresh milk (use tins to measure) 4 eggs white sugar First mix the condensed milk, milk and eggs in a food blender or liquidiser. Then cover the bottom of a glass oven dish with white sugar and caramalise on the hob. Once the sugar is bubbling and browning, remove from hob / turn gas off and leave to cool. Don't panic if you hear loud cracking noises, that's just the sugar, not your dish, hopefully. Once the sugar has cooled, pour in the milk and eggs mix. Place in an oven for approximately one hour at 200 degrees Celsius. To check if cooked place a fork straight down in the centre and if it comes out clean it is ready. Remove the dish and leave to cool down. Serve plain or cover with fresh strawberries, and more cream. Personally I think pudim always tastes better the next day, and makes a great breakfast !