tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post8720810821037300620..comments2024-02-25T02:00:04.601-03:00Comments on Qualidade de Vida: A gringo in a Brazilian super marketJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14003236423048071844noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-63481476479445148722013-09-26T17:32:53.207-03:002013-09-26T17:32:53.207-03:00Hi Jim,
I´ve been back to Brazil for over 5 years ...Hi Jim,<br />I´ve been back to Brazil for over 5 years and still trying to re-create foods I ate while living in San Francisco Bay Area (yeah, I got spoiled like you too). I am far from any large city, and can´t find most of the ingredients that would make my food just "Californian". I have to grow Mediterranea herbs not sold fresh anywhere such as basil, thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, make my own pasta, pizza, and bread from scratch, and I agree with you about no choice of flours. I found one brand that has 9% protein, and that´s all. The best bread I could make was adding semolina flour (which may not be the same thing in the US). I was never able to make ciabatta, or the no-knead,or hard crust bread successfully. My foccacia, though, is the best I´ve ever had, and English muffin came out perfect for Eggs Bennedict (with Canadian bacon here called "lombinho defumado") I am still to try to make bagel but no lox found anywhere. I can make great pancakes with no maple syrup (but who in America except Canadians eat maple syrup? Have you seen it served at International House of Pancakes?), but not waffles (no griddle).<br />But what I miss the most is the Asian foods, specially dishes made with rice noodles. For Vietnamese noodle soup Pho, I was able to gather some of the spices, to make beef broth, to find Japanese style rice noodles, but they were not all the same. It curbed my appetite for a while, though. I agree with you: we have to eat local. So, instead of San Francisco sourdough bread(DON´T YOU MISS IT? I want to cry!), I went after a Brazilian style starter. I remember from my childhood the taste of homemade bread baked in wood fired oven, which is very different from California sourdough. Coffee? This stuff sold in supermarket is of low quality, with other foreign matters (not only impurities, but corn and other seeds) mixed in (a shame for a country that exports coffee beans). I roast and grind my own harvest coffee. I miss no Peet´s. About ricotta, I can make my own. I get whey and milk from my neighbor who makes fresh farmer´s cheese and go from there. About tempeh, I never cared for it. But I do make my own tofu (regular and silky)and soy milk. While corn tortilla is almost impossible to make, I make flour tortilla with lard (!). Delicious! Better than store bought. Tamales I can´t have, but I can have pamonha recheada (savory) popular in Goiás. Whenever I miss food from California, I try to make it. If I can´t, I try to forget it, or remember even more as if I´ve just had it. I go local as much as I can. I buy free range chicken, piglet, lamb, fresh fish all from my neighbors (I raise no farm animals). I don´t compare foods. Whenever I came to visit Brazil, I would eat as much as I could of things I was unable to find in California, but never crossed the border with any Brazilian food, or brought anything from California when moving back. This way, I get the best of both worlds.Always. And I don´t cry over spilled maple syrup...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-52198557645895735372013-07-17T09:38:42.897-03:002013-07-17T09:38:42.897-03:00Glad you could find them, Jim! They are fantastic ...Glad you could find them, Jim! They are fantastic for doing hummus too. Although, around here, the Quero brand is hit or miss, with the more expensive Camil brand easier to find. I tend to stock up when the store has the kind I like (with the quantity I buy for quick lunches for me & the boys, that R$1.50/box price difference in brands adds up fast!). <br /><br />Such is the way of most things here, though.....don't get stuck on one particular flavor/brand of jam, or olive oil, or even loaf bread, as one shopping trip to the next may find the store completely out. That's perhaps the biggest adjustment we've made -- "oh, look, there's peach jam today! buy 5 jars of it!!" LOL. <br /><br />Happy you found the beans though :)The Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03090284449975514483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-43936633885564764972013-07-16T12:30:08.829-03:002013-07-16T12:30:08.829-03:00Reader - I just searched for the boxes of prepared...Reader - I just searched for the boxes of prepared beans at the largest grocery near us -- and there they were! Thanks.For red, black and pinto beans I will still cook from dried (to save the $) but for chick peas (which I use in salads) I will definitely buy the box of prepared beans. You have to rub the skin off of every bean after cooking - so the box will really save me some aggravation. THANKS.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14003236423048071844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-89850595508443499082013-07-16T12:27:50.052-03:002013-07-16T12:27:50.052-03:00This response from "Reader" somehow got ...This response from "Reader" somehow got lost between my approval and getting posted. So I am posting a copy.<br />---<br /><br />I had a huge learning curve when I first got here, as I'd never used fresh veggies before. At all. Back home, it was all frozen, all the way, nothing more exciting than just steamed in the microwave. Oh my. So glad Brazil forced me out of that rut! <br /><br />Once I started, I'd pick a new veggie and ask the street vendor how to cook it. Best way to learn! I'm still not a true Brazilian style cook, but love using all fresh ingredients now. Much braver in the kitchen!<br /><br />As for beans -- I know, I'm in SP, but do you not have the Quero brand of little boxes of beans? In the grocery, ours are in the aisle with the tuna and such....there's a pricier brand, Camil, and the Quero is hit or miss, but I can get grao de bico, white, brown or black beans (also corn or peas). (we get frozen corn, and for peas I get the fresh in the pod ones - yum). Just in case....<br /><br />We did splurge on crunchy taco shells from the import section when our youngest son asked, "Can tacos be crunchified?" Oye. He had no idea. (and then didn't like 'em....)<br /><br />Have definitely given up most "splurge" items....asparagus is a "holiday only" veggie, far too $$$. Mushrooms...once a month, at most. Cheese.....did find a Tipo Reino that is delicious, and mediumly $$, but I've never even seen Feta available, at all, so you've got me beat there. Blueberries...only at 4th of July...<br /><br />I think I'm glad I wasn't more of a foodie before I came; really, I had nowhere to go but up, and Brazil's been excellent for that! Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14003236423048071844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-55963674137263072312013-07-16T12:25:08.976-03:002013-07-16T12:25:08.976-03:00Patricia - glad you enjoyed the post. The link I ...Patricia - glad you enjoyed the post. The link I gave earlier is for the natural foods store where I get spices, etc. The wholesale place in Rio (which includes the Rio Flower Market!!) is CADEG. http://www.cadeg.com.br/Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14003236423048071844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-88246656537037097682013-07-16T10:36:21.698-03:002013-07-16T10:36:21.698-03:00Sorry, I just saw the link to the store! Thanks!!Sorry, I just saw the link to the store! Thanks!!Patriciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08520853560474054562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-45218064735818973552013-07-16T10:30:03.185-03:002013-07-16T10:30:03.185-03:00What a great post. I come from NY but now live in ...What a great post. I come from NY but now live in SP, and let me tell you, I may be able to find a few more things than you but you have to go traipsing around the whole city to get them (for the low low price of your first born child). I should be handling things better than I am because my family is here and I'm pretty sure they could share, but nothing is going to fix my craving for kale except kale. Sigh... <br />I have some substitutions that I try out, like yogurt for buttermilk and creme de leite for creme fraiche, but I have to admit I rely highly on amazon.com. And I have a bread machine also (actually I'm eating the last of my rosemary loaf as I type) and I've found that regular flour isn't too bad. My bread is squishier and softer, but I'm ok with that. <br />I'm going to check out the rest of your blog, but I am super curious about this wholesale place nearby you. I go to Rio sometimes and I would definitely make a stop there! Patriciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08520853560474054562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-54731200252170498322013-07-13T22:32:18.231-03:002013-07-13T22:32:18.231-03:00Killer vibe. You know more of our food market than...Killer vibe. You know more of our food market than many a brazillian [of my generation]. Much props. And, BTW, try some Amazon basin fish; they're great. You should do great with tambaqui, a greasy fish.Diogo Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07515756334459803481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-73533100921832774732013-07-13T18:33:21.499-03:002013-07-13T18:33:21.499-03:00thanks jim- we actually made this recipe today for...thanks jim- we actually made this recipe today for lunch and it turned out fantastic. we used coxa/sobrecoxa instead of breast for a little more flavor/juiciness. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/indian-chicken-curry-ii/Don Gringohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18353237789992257955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-7186449285383281772013-07-13T12:55:26.538-03:002013-07-13T12:55:26.538-03:00Cathrina - welcome to Brazil. Happy cooking!
Dani...Cathrina - welcome to Brazil. Happy cooking!<br /><br />Danielle - I totally get the impulse to cook in English. I bought a metric scale while in Tampa, FL to help me measure flours. etc. here for some recipes. I~m still trying to get the hang of our oven, which I am convinced is illogical. And please do check with your MIL regarding how she gets great breads without a gluten additive. Thanks!<br /><br />Chris - thanks for adding your thoughts. I feel your pain. We just picked up a Slow Cooker in Florida. I'm going to try making French Onion Soup in it. I think the long, slow cooking may be a big plus. While I make my own peanut butter, nothing tops the back-home style of Skippy Super Crunch. I have eaten my way through two giant tubs since we got back from FL.<br /><br />Thanks Rachel.<br /><br />Don - the little natual foods store I adore in my neighborhood is this one: https://www.facebook.com/IrmaosDaTerra<br /><br />Good luck. And do share your favorite, doable curry recipe.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14003236423048071844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-17881053493040036062013-07-13T12:48:00.463-03:002013-07-13T12:48:00.463-03:00I love this blog. Having moved to Recife from Ari...I love this blog. Having moved to Recife from Arizona, I found the same challenges...but so much fun!<br /><br />Missing Mexican food was the toughest! Great blog!!!R Dub!http://www.slowjams.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-20087202537999534242013-07-13T10:13:39.576-03:002013-07-13T10:13:39.576-03:00this is a great post! what natural food store are...this is a great post! what natural food store are you getting your spices from? i tried buying from the ferias and casas pedro and they just dont cut it so i always stock up in the states on premium spices before coming back but sometimes i run out. im big on curries and the ingredients you need for that-cayenne pepper, curry, acafrao da india etc...- are unfortunately almost totally un-usable here for a foodie such as myself. Don Gringohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18353237789992257955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-80089017538678133492013-07-13T09:41:58.600-03:002013-07-13T09:41:58.600-03:00great post!! Sharing!great post!! Sharing!rachelhttp://www.rachelsrantings.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-16658914813930823232013-07-13T05:49:19.006-03:002013-07-13T05:49:19.006-03:00Great post, and not only true for expats in Brasil...Great post, and not only true for expats in Brasil. I have been a US expat in London for almost 20 years now. Some of the things that grate when you first move here are: Small refrigerators. They are 1/2 or less the size of a normal US refrigerator. Various reasons for this include smaller flats/kitchens, and history of daily food shopping, which doesn't require long-term storage. My solution to this was to buy a small freezer and a large "larder" refrigerator, much bigger than the normal UK fridge, still smaller than a US fridge, but with no freezer compartment. Cuts of meat are different: I live at the Elephant and Castle, a poor but up-and-coming part of South London. The local supermarkets have lots of options on the lower end of the scale, but not so many toward the middle and upper ends. Fresh fish and shellfish are difficult to get except in specialty fishmongers, of which there are none in the area. I am going to make New England Clam Chowder for my husband tonight, and I had to import cans of Snow's minced clams from the last time I was in the US. There is no salt pork to be had, either, so I have to make do with cut-up slices of unsmoked bacon.<br /><br />Peanut butter here is almost uniformly lousy. I don't eat much of it, but my husband likes it on his toast in the morning. When I go back to the US I often bring back a couple of jars of Skippy Super Crunch, but our supply has run out and we have to make do with local options. <br /><br />I like French Onion Dip, and I can get sour cream here, but not the powdered Knorr French Onion Soup to make it. Lots of other Knorr soups are on offer here, but no French Onion. Only thing I can think of is that the French have put the kibosh on it in the EU for cultural reasons.<br /><br />Recently my local Tesco store has begun stocking US confectionery such as 3 Musketeers, Payday, and Twizzlers, as well as jars of peanut-butter-and-jelly. I have no idea why, as most Brits look down on American confectionery, but there you are. They even have Lucky Charms cereal, which I wouldn't eat but you never know what people like.<br /><br />You can't get reasonably priced root beer here. Brits think it tastes like medicine and won't drink it. Only US expats want it, so stores don't stock it. And diet root beer is even rarer. There is a shop at Greenwich that has it, but the prices are so exorbitant (more than $1.50 a can) that I can't buy more than one or two at a time.<br /><br />Most other things that USans are used to can be gotten here. Lots of strong bread flour...Thanks for your post, and someday I'll try making a feijoada.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06534842755063770798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043287896001157919.post-44977056123780549982013-07-12T18:43:35.134-03:002013-07-12T18:43:35.134-03:00great article. I just moved to Brazil a couple mo...great article. I just moved to Brazil a couple months ago and trying to figure out how to find foods and what to expect. This article definitely gave me some great insight!! Cathrina Herlihyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06364897401739344837noreply@blogger.com