Brazilian Cookery Traditional and Modern

Additional Details

Description: This is an authoritative, comprehensive presentation of the varied, sometimes simple and earthy, sometimes elegant and sumptuous, but always distinctive, cookery of Brazil -- a cuisine deeply rooted in the nation's rich and diverse cultural heritage. The Portuguese with some Moorish traits, the Indians native to America, and the Negro slaves from Africa have all contributed substantially to the great diversity and the distinctive nature of Brazilian Cookery. 

The subtle, tantalizing flavors for which Brazilian foods are famous result, in many instances, from the ingenious ways in which the simple ingredients are combined and prepared. The use of marinades, for example, is common, and frequently succulent flavors are sealed into foods by first sauteing them judiciously in onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, herbs, and other seasoning. Besides calling for the generous use of a wide variety of spices, Brazilian Cookery is also often enhanced by the indulgent use of malts and spirits. 

In addition to the various dishes common to many countries, Brazilians enjoy many distinctive sweets and confections, an amazing variety of pies and turnovers suitable for all occasions, and an almost endless variety of staple foods and flours. 

So engrossing is the art of Brazilian Cookery that many of the nation's poets, musicians, and men of letters have extolled it in their compositions. Food, in fact, has played an important role in the country's literature, legends, and history, all of which receive sympathetic attention in the brief essays that introduce each chapter of this book. 

All of the recipes in this collection -- some of them hundreds of years old -- are given in terms of standard present-day measures; they have been tested in temperature-controlled ovens; and they include only those ingredients that are available. 

In addition to having comprehensive indexes in both English and Portuguese, Mrs. Andrade's book includes an extensive chart indicating recipes for the use of leftover egg yolks or egg whites, and also see-at-a-glance conversion tables for weights and oven temperatures. 

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Condition: Dust jacket has small tears. Further, good condition.