The Portuguese custard tart, pastel de nata (plural: pastéis de nata), has become a popular treat worldwide. They were created in the 17th Century by the Catholic monks of the Hieronymites Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) in Belém, Lisbon. The monks used egg whites to starch their clothing, leaving a surplus of egg yolks which came to be used…… Continue reading pastel de nata
Category: travel
conservas
The first fish conservation company in Portugal was created in 1853. Since then, the Portuguese have continued to improve canning techniques, making conservas an essential pantry item and part of everyday cuisine of the region. Entire shops are dedicated to canned seafood which are considered a delicacy. The fish and seafood are often canned the…… Continue reading conservas
Iberian black pig
Iberian black pigs (Cerdo Ibérico in Spanish; Porco Preto in Portuguese) are native to the Iberian Peninsula. The best quality black pigs roam free in oak forests and the meat is intensely flavourful, marbled with fat and has a slightly nutty flavour due to a diet of acorns. Of the many small goods and cuts of…… Continue reading Iberian black pig
cheese in Portugal
Portugal boasts a wide variety of cheeses which are produced all over the country. As in other countries, products from certain regions made with particular methods and quality standards have a protected designation of origin, Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP). Cheese is not usually used for cooking in Portugal. It’s commonly a breakfast food, sliced…… Continue reading cheese in Portugal
seafood on the Iberian Peninsula
Surrounded on all sides by sea, the Iberian Peninsula abounds in seafood of every kind. On my recent travels I did my best to try as many different dishes as possible. The seafood was treated simply and with respect, not overcooked and often seasoned with just salt and perhaps a little olive oil. It was…… Continue reading seafood on the Iberian Peninsula
pintxos
Pintxos, the northern Spanish equivalent of tapas, are little snacks to eat with drinks. There are a huge variety of pintxos, often skewered (pintxo means skewer) and often, but not always, served on a piece of bread. Having just visited the Basque region, I can attest to their deliciousness. I enjoyed them with coffee for…… Continue reading pintxos
txuleton + tomato salad
Txuleton or chuletón is a speciality of the Basque region in northern Spain, where we travelled recently. While most commercially reared cattle are slaughtered in their first three years, these massive rib (T-bone) steaks come from cows that are between 8 and 18 years old! The cows, ideally Galician Blond (Rubia Gallega), are former dairy…… Continue reading txuleton + tomato salad
Milk Bar
Being an Australian, I grew up with the Milk Bar – our version of a corner store. They were the place to go for a milkshake and would sell lollies (candy) by the piece. Now there’s a new kind of Milk Bar – a chain of dessert and bakery restaurants in the U.S. Christina Tosi…… Continue reading Milk Bar
New York casual and fast food
Here are a few more New York foods served in a less formal setting. Definitely worth trying, though. Barney Greengrass has been around since 1908 and since their window says ‘The Sturgeon King’, that’s what we decided to try. Absolutely delicious both with scrambled eggs and onions and served with a bagel, cream cheese, tomato, onion and pickle.…… Continue reading New York casual and fast food
New York
I’m back in New York with the luxury of time – time to try some more wonderful food! Here are just a few of the stand-out establishments: Balaboosta (a Yiddish term that means the perfect housewife and mother) is a modern Israeli restaurant by chef/owner Eidnat Admony. On the menu are Mediterranean dishes packed full of…… Continue reading New York
michelle picker cooks 