Europe and Africa add to Brazil's
tropical blend

By Nadine Kam
Assistant Features Editor

But ask someone from Brazil, and they'll tell you otherwise.

"Compared to the (anyplace in the) United States, Brazil is like Louisiana, Cajun food, spicy," says musician and part-time Hawaii resident Carlos Beserra. "Our food has a lot of influences - in the south, German, Italian and Spanish. In the north, Dutch, French and Portuguese."

The food of Brazil is a blend of all its influences, but Beserra says, "The Portuguese and Africans were the biggest influence."

From the Portuguese, the Brazilians adopted its language and love of salt cod. From the Africans, Brazilians learned to use okra, beans, pumpkin and dende oil from the dende palm.

"Feijoada, that is from the time of slaves," Beserra says of the rich black bean stew accented with chunks of pork. Contemporary recipes make use of sausage, bacon and salted pork butts, but the old recipes made use of blood, pig tails and tongues.

"(The slaves) had only the leftovers. They only got the ear of pork, the hoof," Beserra said.

Brazil's southern plantations turn out strawberries, grapes and apples. And even when the native produce is similar to Hawaii's, there are differences.

"In Hawaii there is mango, but in Brazil there are at least 10 kinds. Guava, too, there are many kinds in Brazil," says musician George Carioca of Banda Carioca, which performs locally. "And papaya, in Brazil there is one that is 20 inches and very sweet."

Add to this deficiency the unavailability in Hawaii of many of the main ingredients of Brazilian cookery - among them dende oil; farinha, the flour made from an Amazon potato; the grain kibe (pronounced "key-beh"), and yucca - and it's enough to make a grown man homesick.

"We can't find everything in Hawaii," Carioca laments, but when the urge to cook strikes, he and his sister Anna Ribeiro make do, using corn or peanut oil in place of dende, and wheat flour in place of farinha.

To help bring the taste of Brazil to the islands, Carioca and his sister Anna Carioca - who hail from Rio de Janeiro - recently started the catering company Salgadinhos Brasileiros, simply translated, "Brazilian Appetizers." A more accurate translation of salgadinhos is "salty things."

They've taken their goodies on the road as well Their appetizers include delicate chicken-filled dumplings called coxinha de galinha, and bite-size meat-, shrimp- or olive-filled empadas (pies).

Most Saturdays and Sundays, George can be found parked on the roadside near Sunset Beach, offering his appetizers to the curious and an appreciative North Shore Brazilian community.

"It's always a big surprise to them to find us. They say 'Wow!' because they know it's very special. It's not normal. This food is not easy to make."

Carioca said good timing is essential. "There's a point for everything, and you have to know where it is. You can't lose one second."

He has tried others' cooking here, and frowns, "We could eat it; it's OK. But it's not good."

Besarra vouches for Carioca's claim. Because he spends half his year in Japan, he also, has learned to cook foods from home.

"This," he points to a shrimp empada, "is very hard to do right. I tried it a few times, but not anymore. If the top is not put on the right way it will explode."

For those who prefer to leave cooking to the experts, Salgandinhos Brasileiros can be reached at 945-0626. Those who enjoy a challenge may try the following recipes:

3/4 cup butter
2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
7 egg yolks
1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon onion juice
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
8 olives, pitted

Cook shrimp in salted water to cover; chop fine. Add milk, mixed with the flour, onion juice, 3 beaten egg yolks and cheese. Taste for salt. Fill shells with this mixture and add a pitted olive to each.

Cover each pie with dough and press edges together. Brush tops with remaining egg yolks to give it a shiny glaze. Bake in a 350-degree oven 20 to 30 minutes, or until pastries are brown. Makes 8 large servings.

3-1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
1 16-ounce can whole or chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 fresh mint sprigs
3 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup ground, dried shrimp
1/4 cup toasted peanuts, ground
1/4 cup finely minced or pureed white onion
2 teaspoons finely minced, peeled fresh ginger
4-6 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
12 large or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup coconut milk

Using tongs, retrieve the chicken; when cool enough to handle, remove the skin. Set aside. Save the broth for soup or other uses.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add dried shrimp, nuts, white onion, ginger and oil and saute until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the chicken to skillet and turn to coat with seasonings. Stir in remaining cup of water. Add salt to taste and bring to boil. Cook for 10 minutes or so to finish cooking the chicken and blend all the flavors.

Add shrimp and cook until they turn bright pink and curl, another 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium and stir in coconut milk. Heat through and serve. Serves 6.

1-1/2 pounds beef round steak or London broil, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 onion, quartered
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger or 1 tablespoon ground
1 teaspoon dried basil or other favorite herb, crushed (optional)
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons olive oil

Prepare a charcoal fire. Soak 12 6-inch bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Drain skewers. Alternately thread the meat and onions onto skewers. Grill until browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes each side. Makes 12 sticks. Serve with hot sauce.