Food

﻿ ﻿Brazil's  Food Acaraje are very popular snacks in the streets of Brazil. Acaraje are black-eyed peas, seasoned with dried shrimp and onions. They are shaped into balls, then fried in oil. Then they are split and filled with spicey onion and shrip filling.

Ingredients: Preparation:
 * For the Filling:
 * 1 onion
 * 1 cup small shrimp, fresh or frozen, shelled and de-veined
 * 2 tablespoons palm oil or olive oil
 * For the Fritters:
 * 2 cans black-eyed peas
 * 1 clove of garlic
 * 1 onion
 * 1 red chili pepper
 * Salt and pepper to taste
 * Palm oil and/or vegetable oil for frying
 * 1) Make filling: Slice onion very thinly. Spread onions out on a skillet with the olive oil or palm oil, and cook on low heat until they are golden brown (about 15 minutes). Add shrimp and sauté until shrimp are pink. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.


 * 1) Make the fritters: Thoroughly drain the black-eyed peas and place them in the food processor. Roughly chop the onion and garlic, and add it to the peas.


 * 1) Clean the pepper of seeds and add to the processor.


 * 1) Process mixture just until well-blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


 * 1) Add flour by the tablespoon, until mixture is stiff enough to hold a shape. Divide into 15 pieces, and form into balls or ovals.


 * 1) Heat 2 inches palm oil and/or vegetable oil in a pot on medium high heat. Fry several fritters at a time until browned, turning once, about 5 minutes. Drain fritters on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Fritters can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven.


 * 1) Split fritters and fill with a spoonful of the onion and shrimp mixture. Serve warm.

Pao de Queijo witch is cheese bread with soft chewy centers. It is made with cassava flower. While baking they shape into perfect round balls.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: Preparation: > > > > > > >
 * 2 cups whole milk
 * 8 tablespoons butter, melted
 * 1/2 cup vegetable oil
 * 4 1/4 cups tapioca flour
 * 4 eggs
 * 2 cups grated farmer's cheese, or any firm, fresh cows milk cheese
 * 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
 * salt to taste
 * 1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
 * 1) Mix milk, salt, vegetable oil and butter in a pot, and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove from heat.
 * 1) Stir tapioca flour into the milk and butter mixture.
 * 1) Stir in the eggs and the cheese, and mix well.
 * 1) Let mixture cool for 15-30 minutes, so that it will be easier to handle. (I like to chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so).
 * 1) With floured (tapioca flour) hands, shape the dough into golf ball size balls (about 50 gram portions) and place them on a baking sheet.
 * 1) Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are puffed up and are golden. They will rise slowly and puff up mostly in the last 5 or 10 minutes.
 * 1) Serve warm.

 ﻿ ﻿ __﻿ ﻿ __Passion Fruit Mousse Cake is a spongy vanilla cake soaked in passion fruit syrup. Then filled with a passion fruit mousse.



Ingredients:

 * For the Cake:
 * 1 plain white cake mix
 * 3 eggs
 * 2 egg whites
 * 1/3 cup vegetable oil
 * 1/3 cup buttermilk
 * 1/3 cup water
 * For the Passion Fruit Mousse:
 * 1/3 cup water
 * 2 packets unflavored gelatin
 * 1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen passion fruit pulp
 * 1 cup sugar
 * 2 tablespoons rum or pisco
 * 5 egg whites
 * For the Passion Fruit Syrup:
 * 3/4 cup fresh or frozen passion fruit pulp
 * 3/4 cup sugar
 * For the Whipped Cream Frosting:
 * 2 cups whipping cream
 * 3 tablespoons sugar
 * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

 * 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


 * 1) In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the cake mix, 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup buttermilk, and 1/3 cup water. Mix for 2 minutes or until well blended.


 * 1) Line the bottoms of 2 9-inch cake pans with wax paper, and divide the cake mix between the 2 pans.


 * 1) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back when lightly pressed.


 * 1) Let cakes cool 10 to 15 minutes in the pans. Run a knife around the edge of the cakes and flip them out of the pans. Set aside to cool.


 * 1) While the cakes are baking, make the mousse: Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside for 5 minutes. Microwave for 15 seconds or until gelatin is dissolved (do not overheat). Whisk the melted gelatin into the passion fruit pulp and set aside.


 * 1) Make the cake soaking syrup: Bring 3/4 cup passion fruit pulp and 3/4 cups sugar to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, and remove from heat. Let cool and set aside. When cool, stir in 2 tablespoons rum.


 * 1) Make the italian meringue: Add egg whites to the clean bowl of a standing mixer. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the syrup starts to thicken and the bubbles are popping slowly.


 * 1) Until the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.


 * 1) Slowly add the hot sugar mixture to the egg whites. Pour syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl to prevent splattering. Work carefully to avoid burns.


 * 1) Beat the meringue on high speed for 2 minutes, then reduce the speed to low and continue to beat so that the meringue will cool.


 * 1) While the meringue cools, beat the whipping cream until very soft peaks form. Do not overbeat.


 * 1) Fold the the passion fruit/gelatin mix gently into the egg whites. Do not overmix.


 * 1) Whisk a small amount of the meringue/passion fruit mixture into the whipped cream, then gently fold all of the whipped cream back into the meringue mixture.


 * 1) Slice each cake layer in half horizontally, so that you have 4 layers. Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with a circle of wax paper. Butter the inside of the springform pan.


 * 1) Place one cake layer, cut side up, in the bottom of the springform pan. Brush the cake with 1/4 of the syrup. Spread 1/3 of the mousse over the cake.


 * 1) Cover mousse with another cake layer, and brush cake with syrup. Spread another 1/3 of the mousse over the cake.


 * 1) Continue to layer, ending with the fourth cake layer. Press cake down gently into the pan. Brush top of cake with syrup. Chill thoroughly - at least 4 hours to overnight.


 * 1) Pop the side of springform pan off of cake in one quick motion. Gently lift ring off, leaving cake on base.


 * 1) Add sugar to remaining whipped cream, and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla. Spread whipped cream around sides of cake and on top. You can also use a pastry bag with star tip to pipe the whipped cream onto the top of the cake. Decorate with fruit, and serve chilled.