Author: Tia Maria

Events / Photo Gallery

Taste Portugal | 101 easy Portuguese recipes – Book Signing

Thank you to all of you that attended our first cookbook signing on March 21.

It was wonderful to have the support of the community, our friends and family. Thank you to the Hubbard Library and it’s staff for the hard work in setting up the event and thank you to the “Friends of the Library Committee” for supplying the food and refreshments.

The event was a success! Due to overwhelming attendance we have scheduled another book signing on May 16, 2015!


 

 

Photo Gallery / Traditional customs

A Review of Primavera Pub in Hartford in NYTimes.com

image credit: Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times

Portugal’s Heritage, Soaked in Wine and Garlic: A Review of Primavera Pub in Hartford – NYTimes.com.

New York Times review of Primavera Pub in Hartford, Ct.

By RAND RICHARDS COOPER

Click here for the full article

 

Following text credit to : RAND RICHARDS COOPER NYT

THE SPACE Seating for 35 in a small, homey room with stained drop-ceiling panels, gingham curtains, rudimentary mismatched chairs and tables, and walls decorated with family photos, musical instruments and commemorative soccer balls. Wheelchair access through the front door.

THE CROWD Regulars, many speaking Portuguese, chow down on colossal portions of seafood and grilled meats served by two friendly waitresses, in stylish black jeans, skillfully navigating the crowded room.

THE BAR Seating for a dozen, with full dining. Drinks include standard cocktails along with Portuguese beers; a changeable wine list of about 15 mostly Portuguese bottles, from $16 to $27; and house wine by the glass from $2 to $3.50.

THE BILL The bargains include appetizers, $4.50 to $8.50; soups, salads and sandwiches, $3 to $8.50; entrees, $13.50 to $16.50; and desserts, $2 to $3.50. All major credit cards except American Express.

WHAT WE LIKED Shrimp cakes, vegetable soup, grilled sausage and peppers, steak sandwich, garlic shrimp, clams in white wine and garlic, grilled shrimp and squid, seafood pasta, wild boar, rib-eye steak with mushrooms, picadinho, bacalhau and clams caldeirada, braised rabbit stew, grilled octopus, porco alentejana, toasted almond cake, flan.

IF YOU GO All-day menu served Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations not accepted. Parking in lot.

RATINGS Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

Primavera Pub

271 Newington Avenue

Hartford

860-953-7411

Appetizers / fish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Lisbon Cobb Salad – Salada de Atum

 Lisbon Cobb Salad

During lent, it often becomes a challenge to create new and interesting dishes. This is my take on Cobb Salad by making a Lisbon salad.

I use Portuguese tuna fish packed in olive oil, but feel free to substitute with regular tuna and any of your favorite vegetables to create your own version.

Serve it with Portuguese Vinho Verde and fresh crusty bread! Enjoy and bom apetite!

Gourmet Portuguese canned goods

Ingredients:

1 can of Portuguese tuna or sardines packed in olive oil (or any brand canned fish or seafood you prefer)

Green Leaf Lettuce

Tomatoes

Onion

Carrots

Hard boiled eggs

Pickles

Olives (optional)

Dressing:

Olive Oil

White or red wine vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Canned goods image credit: http://www.vascodagama.ca/gourmet-market/conserves-bompetisco-santacatarina

fish / Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Portuguese Christmas / Recipes

Baked Octopus with Potatoes – Polvo Assado com Batatas

 

 

Baked Octopus is a must have at Christmas Eve at my home. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of cooking octopus because it’s relatively easy to prepare.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

2 -3 pounds of octopus

1 large onion

1 large onion (chopped)

2 pounds of small round potatoes (washed and dry)

1 large red bell pepper (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

½ cup of olive oil

¼ cup of olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

Parsley for garnish

Olive oil and vinegar for garnish

1 bunch of Broccoli Rabe

Preparation:

If our octopus is frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator in a big bowl. It has a lot of water, so have a bowl big enough to hold the water. 

1. Bring enough water in large pan to a boil with 1 large onion. When ready to cook, rinse the octopus with very cold water and remove the beak. You can just cut the head off and discard it. I use the head by chopping into little pieces and use it in omelets, rice, seafood dishes or as a salad.

2. Grab the octopus by the head and dip the tentacles slightly into the boiling water, remove and dip again in the water 2 more times.

3. Put the octopus into the boiling water and let cook on medium heat for 30 minutes or longer until the octopus is tender. (test by cutting a little piece off the tentacle)

      Note: You don’t want to over cook since it will be too mushy.

4. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a deep baking dish and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with ½ of the raw chopped onion and ½ cup olive oil and cook at 400 F for about 30 minutes shaking the pan once in a while.

5. Saute remaining chopped onion, red pepper, garlic, and bay leaf in ¼ cup olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for a minute. Set aside.

6. When octopus is cooked, drain and place in the pan with the potatoes and cover with pan juices. Add the cooked onions. Cook at 350 degrees F until the potatoes are fully cooked and the  flavors are well incorporated.

To serve, cut the tentacles into serving portions of about 1 or 2 to each person. Serve with the potatoes, onions and peppers. Garnish with parsley, olive oil and vinegar if desired.

Broccoli Rabe: Rinse, cut off thick stems and cook in boiling salted water for at least 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and serve with more chopped onions garlic and olive oil. Serve over the octopus or on the side.

fish / Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Bacalhau a Maria – Salt Cod Maria

There are 365 ways to eat Bacalhau, one for each day of the year!

This dish is customarily served with Portuguese Tomato Rice,  french fries and a side salad.  Enjoy!


Bacalhau a Maria

Ingredients:

2 pounds uncooked bacalhau (cut into 1/2 inch thick fillets)

2 eggs (for dredging)

1 tbsp water

flour (for dredging)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 Oil for frying (preferably corn or vegetable – about 1  and 1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper (optional)

Garnish: Lemon wedges and olives

 

Onions:

2 large onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine

Salt and pepper

Onion Instructions:

Saute the onions in the oil until golden colored. Add the salt, pepper to taste and the wine. Let cook for a minute to evaporate the wine.

Leave in the pan to keep warm and serve over the bacalhau.

 

Bacalhau Instructions:

Beat the eggs with the water in a medium bowl and set aside. Place the flour in a bowl large enough to coat the bacalhau.

You don’t need to use salt in this recipe since the cod is salty but you can add a pinch of salt and pepper if you like it saltier.

Pat the cod with paper towels to remove any excess moisture and coat with the garlic powder if desired. Dredge in the egg, shaking off excess, then dredge in the four. Shake off excess flour and put aside on a plate until ready to fry.

Place enough oil in a heavy frying pan to reach 1/4 inches deep. Add the olive oil and stir to incorporate both oils. Turn the heat on med-high.

*Test the oil by placing one tip of the fillet into the oil. It should sizzle.  The oil should not be smoky, turn down the heat if necessary and adjust accordingly as needed while frying.

Place about 4-6 pieces of the bacalhau into the hot oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Place on paper towels to absorb any grease. Leave in a warm oven until ready to serve. Garnish, with lemon wedges, olives and the onions.

Serve with the tomato rice, french french fries and salad if desired.

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Easy Sliders on Sweet Rolls

I made these slider using King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. The bread tastes like my recipe; classic Portuguese Sweet Bread, so be warned that the rolls are delicious and you’ll eat the whole bag in one day! The bread has it’s beginnings in the 1950’s in Hilo, Hawaii where Robert Taira, the Hawaiian-born son of Japanese immigrants opened his first bakeshop.

Portuguese Sweet Bread is famous in Hawaii, visit this website Kona Historical Society where you’ll find the history of the Portuguese and the sweet bread in Hawaii. Maybe these King’s Hawaiian rolls were inspired by the Portuguese recipe.

 

The sliders were easy to make because instead of making small patties one by one, I simply formed the meat into meatballs and then flattened them with a spatula. They all come out perfectly shaped tiny sliders.

Sliders:

16 Hawaiian buns or Sliders buns

4 hamburgers

Toppings:

Cheese

Lettuce

Onion

Sliced Tomato

Ketchup

Sesame seeds

melted butter 

Cook burgers and cut into fourths. Top with cheese and turn off heat. Set aside and keep warm until ready to assemble sliders.

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Crustless Ham with Broccoli Quiche

This crust-less quiche is easy to prepare in only 45 minutes. I make this quiche very often as a side dish when I serve fish or chicken.  It also makes a perfect lunch, snack, or serve it as dinner with a salad.

Make it a vegetarian quiche by substituting the ham with your favorite cooked vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped ham (optional substitute with any cooked vegetables)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 pound package frozen broccoli spears or fresh (cooked and chopped)

1 small ripe tomato (chopped) (optional)

1/2 small onion (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1 and 1/2 cups half and half (1/2 cream – 1/2 milk)

5 eggs

Pinch of Salt (add pinch more if you omit the ham)

Dash of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

 


Preparation:

Saute the onion in the oil for a few minutes until the onion is translucent.

Beat eggs until foamy in a medium bowl. Add the milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the eggs and mix to incorporate. Add the broccoli, ham, onion, and 1/2 of the cheese. Mix all ingredients.

Heavily grease a deep souffle dish with margarine. Pour the broccoli mixture into the dish and spread evenly. Top with the remaining cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until golden brown.

You many need to cook longer if your souffle dish is deep. Cut into the center of the quiche it should be firm and not runny. Enjoy!

Photo Gallery

Portuguese Hot Toddy


A hot toddy,  is an old time drink remedy to relieve symptoms of a cold and flu. It’s usually made of liquor, and hot water with sugar and spices and served hot.

My recipe is made using 1920 Portuguese Brandy but you can substitute it with your favorite brandy or whiskey. My mother often made this with coffee instead of tea and left out the lemon.

The recipe may be old fashioned but it works! Enjoy and stay warm!

Recipe:

1 oz 1920 Brandy

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup of hot tea (any favorite)

1 slice of lemon

1 sugar stick (optional for stirring)

1 stick of cinnamon (optional for stirring)

 

Preparation:

Pour the whiskey and honey into a cup. Add the hot tea and lemon juice.

Stir and add the lemon slice. Drink while still hot.

 

Coffee version:

1 oz 1920 Brandy

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup hot coffee

 

Events / Photo Gallery

Chef George Mendes – Lupulo “Hops” Restaurant NYC

Photo credit: eater.com

Get your sardinhas appetite going! Chef George Mendes new restaurant; “Lupulo” meaning “hops” in Portuguese will feature grilled sardines on its menu. The restaurant at 835 6th Ave. at 29th St. will open sometime next month, March 2015.

The chef’s new cookbook features sardines on the cover!

“Most of the details about George Mendes’s new “rustic Portuguese” project in Chelsea are still top secret, but the head of the construction crew handed off a few tasty morsels to a member of the Eater crew. This past summer, Mendes tweeted that the restaurant would have a wood oven. The construction team adds that it will also sport a coffee bar and a raw bar, plus a take-out window. The team has already poured over $1 million into the project, which was  originally slated to open this month, and then sometime in January. For the looks of things, New Yorkers will have to wait a little while longer.” (credits: eater.com) Read this featured article in eater.com! Follow Lupulo on instagram to get updates!