What I Ate But Didn't Make: Fortaleza Cont.

I realize that I have been derelict in my duties of posting for this blog. EW has made all but one of the posts so far! (I blame it on the fact that I was out of the country for a month...) Speaking of being out of the country, this post will be about more of the foods that I ate in Brazil.

Starting from the top left is the Americano Burger with some deep fried starchy vegetable. It was delicious. (I blogged about it before on kweageinbrazil, but it was so good, I am blogging it again. Deal.) Here's the scoop: bun. burger. cheese. bacon. lettuce. tomato. presunto. annnndd a fried egg.

Blew. My. Mind.

Next, a "typical" lunch I would have at Gira Sol (The restaurant owned by the woman I stayed with in Brazil). That day included vegetarian feijoada, rice with veggies, cauliflower, and an omelette with a mango chutney on top. There were different foods every day, so I got to try a lot of dishes. Most of them I had no idea what they were. Most of them were yummy.

The next two I ate together. Camarao com alho (Shrimp with garlic) and Arroz com feijao (Rice with beans). Probably one of the best meals I've ever eaten. The first time I ate the shirmp it weirded me out a bit. They still had their heads on. They were staring at me... I attempted to eat it like I would eat a shrimp in the US, by pulling off the head, pulling off the tail, and attempting to peel the thing. Not so effective in removing the exoskeleton. Quite effective to get the brazileira you are with to stare at you like you are crazy. Apparently the proper way to eat them is to pull off the head, suck out the juicy brainz, and shove the rest in your mouth (but bite off the tail while making sure you get all the meat). I do have to say, these brazilians know what they are doing when it comes to seafood. They take a bunch of oil, slice up a bunch of garlic (NOT minced, but big beautiful slices), throw the garlic into the hot oil, and toss in the whole shrimp. Fan. Tastic.

Finally, the national cocktail of Brazil, Caipirinia. I figured I should try it on my last night in Fortaleza. It is made with cachasa (alcohol made from fermenting sugar cane. different from rum which is made from molassas), fresh squeezed lime juice, and sugar. It was actually pretty tasty on account of the copious amounts of lime and sugar. I was looked at strangely though when I fished out the lime wedges and started eating them.... EW would have told me that was not allowed...

THE BEACH

I spent my last few days in Brazil at the beach. It was marvelous. Sun. Sand. Sea. and of course, Scrumptious Sustenance. (check that alliteration.) We walked for miles and miles and the beach, and so I was naturally famished and needed to refuel. (Ok, lets be honest, even if I hadn't walked a long time I would have been hungry). Pictured are a few of the delicacies that I ingested. From top left: Cheese on a stick. (yup, its literally just a chunk of cheese on a stick. But theeennn they toast it on these coals they carry around in a pail. brilliant. Crab. Two for Rita, two for me. You get a wooden cutting board and a wooden stick to bash open the crab. mmmmm. Annndd, fresh coconut water drank from a hole punched in a coconut. (EW thinks its gross. I think she is gross. Ok, not gross, but certainly her taste buds are malfunctioning.)

BREAKFAST

Now, for those of you who read my other blog (kweageinbrazil.blogspot.com) to keep track of my shenanigans in Brazil, you will be familiar with the story of my host family thinking I was starving. Madriana said I ate as much as a baby chick. Rita thought when I got home Mom would call her up and say she had starved me. Elaine (Rita's niece) refilled my plate because she said I needed to eat more... So thats the quick background to be an explanation for the breakfast that follows. Mind you, this was my last morning in Brazil, but, it was not much different from any other breakfast either in types of food or quantity.

Here is a list of what was on that table. (Also please take note that this was not to feed a family of four, it was in fact all for me):

Plate of fruit (usually pineapple and cantaloupe, and sometimes mango or papaya)

Homemade yogurt with some sort of prune jam (actually quite delicious)

Grilled cheese sandwich (yes, I did say breakfast)

Fried egg

Bread and cheese spread (in case I was hungry)

Coffee

Freshly liquidifiador-ed fruit juice (In this case, I think it was guava)

I certainly do miss having breakfast made for me each morning by Madriana (The adorable 84 year old woman pictured with me in the bottom left)