Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Aletria Doce (sweet angel hair dessert)

Aletria is the Portuguese translation for "Angel Hair Pasta"
"Aletria Doce" or Sweet angel hair pasta, is a very popular recipe mainly in the northern regions of Portugal in the area of Tras os Montes and Minho.
There are many variations of this dish as well from region to region as well as family to family.
In other areas of Portugal rice is used instead of the pasta and called "arroz doce", sweet rice.
The recipes are very similar.


The Ingredients are simple,
8 oz of Aletria (angel hair pasta), (the round ones that are made for soup are the traditional)
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 stick of butter
pinch of salt
one lemon or orange (zest or lemon peel)
cinnamon

This is where it changes, some recipes use eggs or egg yolks, more sugar, no water, and in some cases no milk.

Aletria can be made "milk free" and is made that way in some areas. Or try using coconut or soy milk as a milk alternative.

I find it easier to cook the pasta in the water with the lemon or orange peels,
when 1/2 cooked drain the water & add the milk, butter & sugar so it slightly covers the pasta, continue to simmer & stirring to evaporate the liquid.
when the liquid is gone & pasta is a very sticky consistency, spread the pasta thinly onto plates to cool & dry.
sprinkle & decorate with cinnamon.





Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Roupa Velha (Christmas Day)



On Christmas Day or the day after, everyone is busy from the previous days festivities & usually there are plenty of leftovers. It is traditional to serve the previous days bacalhau meal but transformed into a new meal called "Roupa Velha", which means "Old Clothes"



The bacalhau is boned & broken into smaller pieces, the potatoes are quartered & the cabbage cut into strips. The ingredients are mixed together & warmed on the stove top. New onions are sliced & caramelized in olive oil & spread over the mixture.

The result is a "new" delicious dish made from leftovers
Roupa Velha is a Christmas tradition in Portugal with bacalhau, in Brazil It would be made with the meat & vegetables from Cozido. a boiled dinner.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Traditional Portuguese Christmas Eve Dinner


Bacalhau or "salt cod" has been a major staple & favorite meal throughout Portugal since the 14th century when Portuguese fishermen would make the three month voyage in small ships to fish off the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. There are many variations of Portuguese "Bacalhau" recipes, It is said that there are 365 recipes, one can have a different bacalhau meal every day of the year. It is no wonder that Bacalhau is known to the Portuguese as "meu amigo bacalhau", (my dear friend, bacalhau).

It is no wonder that this simple dish is the favorite to have on this day of celebration.
The bacalhau is boiled along with potatoes and cabbage and boiled eggs. The cabbage in Portugal is a dark green, thick leafed "couve galega" that is grown through-out Portugal and can be seen in almost everyone's backyard. This is the cabbage that would likely be used on Christmas day meal, although any cabbage or broccoli rabe can be used as well.

The bacalhau (salt cod) is bought dried & preserved in salt & must be soaked in water for 24 hrs prior to cooking. The water should be changed several time to extract the salt & rehydrate the fish. Simply boil or steam all the ingredients fish potatoes & cabbage in a large pot for about 20 minutes. The bacalhau should be cut into portions before soaking. In a separate skillet heat 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil & brown sliced onion rings in hot oil. To serve, drain the bacalhau, potatoes, cabbage and eggs, peal the & slice the eggs & pour the olive oil & onion mixture over them, add Portuguese olives & serve with a crusty bread.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

where to watch Cooking with DAD tv

We are on
www.cookingwithdadtv.com

CBS-3 TV in Western Massachusetts every Sunday morning at 11:30 AM
Local cable access channels in Ludlow, Northampton, Palmer/Ware

Follow us on Facebook where we try new recipes and youtube where we post some videos as well as sponsor video commercials that we've produced.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

cooking with Dad

What is cooking with DAD?

That is what everyone wants to know?
I tell them it an idea that materialized through the years from a relationship with my children. They are now all in they're 20's, and don't all live near me. But I have a great relationship with them that has taken us to where we are.
Through the years, they've always seemed to like doing things with me, one of those things was cooking with me. I remember when they were small, they would push a chair up against the kitchen counter to see what I was making. We would make pancakes on Saturday & Sunday mornings with Mickey Mouse ears. On they're birthdays, I would make them a special cake decorated with whatever they happened to be into at the time. Always fun.

Later when going through a long divorce, they would visit me in my now small kitchen & we would cook together & experiment with food that they liked &I liked.

Food is such a bond between people. We can see it world wide & throughout the ages. Many a meeting or family gathering are built around a meal. Memories are made, friendships are bonded. We seem to be at our best when we share a meal with someone. It is probably the most primitive thing that we still do today as human beings to bond with one another. Yet, we do it again & again. From that simple act of sharing our meal, we have developed it into a sophisticated, culinary form of expression. Now a huge business.

I remember, my young children sitting on my lap & eating & sharing my meal from my plate. They seemed to lavish doing that, they new they were building a bond with me. They new better than I did.

I tell them that I learn from them, and I have.

So,
THIS IS WHAT IT"S ALL ABOUT..

Cooking with DAD TV,
is a celebration of a very special relationship between a father & his children.

Watch some of our episodes on www.cookingwithdadtv.com
and on youtube.