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Vinho or Vinha?

Vinho or Vinha is the question of the day. As you see the recipes, especially in marinades, you might think I made a mistake on the titles.  One might say it should be vinha, which I often hear from those of the Azores and not vinho. On the…
SWEET RED PEPPER PASTE

Sweet Red Peppers

  Sweet Red Peppers may be the answer to your search for something different.  Perhaps a different ingredient, to be exact, that will bring the flavor of your dish to another level? You need not look beyond fresh sweet red peppers.  I am…
Soup Season Year Round!
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Soup Season Year Round!

I love the fall and winter for the heartier dishes that it calls for, but it can be soup season year round.   The easiest thing to make is soup. This particular soup does not have a name. Not all recipes that one creates impromptu in your…
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Tomato Jam

Tomato Jam is made best when the fall comes and you get very ripe flavorful tomatoes. The fall harvest  always seems to come quickly and tons of tomatoes ripen, it seems, almost all at once.  The winemaking, tomato jam making, fig jam making…
Carnival Time is here

Carnival Time is Here!

Carnival time is here! Carnival is often associated with Rio de Janeiro and Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but Carnival happens in the Island of the Azores, Madeira and on the Portuguese mainland. Festivities vary, but always include dishes that…
Pastels de Belem
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Pastels de Belem/Custard Tarts of Belem

Pasteis de Belem is a highly sought after dessert. The secret recipe of these famous custard tarts of the Belem district of Lisbon is well protected.  Throngs of visitors to the bakery line up to enjoy the luscious custard tarts. If you…
Ana’s Cooking Sample

A Fine Catch of Fish

When it comes to preparing a fine catch of fish and other seafood in the Portuguese way, it is a flavorful.  It is a change from the everyday baked, stuffed and fried fish found in most American recipe boxes. My taste buds stand up and take…
For the Love of Tomatoes

For the Love of Tomatoes

by Ana Patuleia Ortins  copyright 2014  For the love of tomatoes, I don’t know about you, but I have to admit that every year, I start planting. I begin in mid March.  Obviously, I am nearly obsessed with planting, growing and harvesting…