Autumn in the Azores

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My Grandmother's Alcatra de Carne

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“Alcatra” is a traditional dish from Terceira, the island I live on. It is a pot roast that is cooked in large unglazed red clay pots. The pots are seasoned, and with each use get darker, and darker.  The simple spices, combined with onions, bacon and wine are what make this dish  flavorfull and so good. "Alcatra" is the Arabic word for "piece", and  it is  made with pieces of beef (round, shank, chuck). The additon of meat with bone in, makes all the difference, as the bones will give it more flavor. Every village, and everybodies grandmother has a different recipe for Alcatra, this one happens to be my grandmother's version. Shortly after I married, I took all of my ingredients, a notebook and pen over to my maternal grandmother's house. Where, while she put everything together, I wrote down her words of wisdom. Now I must say, she may or may not have forgotten something, but I follow this recipe as is, I don't mess arond with it, it's her recipe, ...
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Lapas Grelhadas- Grilled Limpets

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What are lapas you ask? They are limpets, a shellfish, think clams, but  with only one shell and so much better, they taste of the sea when eaten raw, right out of the shell. Perhaps eating a raw limpet is not your thing, then lapas grelhadas is sure to be! Easy to prepare, the lapas are grilled and served in their own shells; resulting in a savory, and divine dish. Great as a starter or as a lazy summer afternoon meal. I promise that you will enjoy this  Azorean delicacy. Fresh Lapas Butter, soft, I like salted Garlic, minced Massa de Malagueta or Piri Piri/Tabasco/Sriracha Lemon Wedges -Clean the lapas, removing any debris, sand etc. -Next decide how you want to grill them, on the stove top, use a griddle or large frying pan, in the oven or BBQ use a large cookie sheet. They all work, and taste great! -Carefully, arrange the lapas, shell down (cupped side down, this means the juices won’t spill out), on the pan, cookie sheet or griddle you will be...
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Canja de Galinha

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Canja is my favorite soup in the whole entire world! I know that sounds childlike, but that's exactly how I feel when I eat this beautiful rice and chicken soup. It just takes me back to being a little girl, sitting at my grandfather's kitchen table, eating a bowl of my grandmother's canja and drinking a bottle of  fizzy orange pirolito. When ever we arrived here on the island for our holiday's, canja was one of the many dishes, that was part of the big family lunch at my maternal grandparent's home. I make it for my family because they enjoy it, but I tend to make it for myself when I am a little under the weather, or just feeling saudades. Canja is love in a bowl, like a great big warm hug, comfort at it's best. Like any portuguese dish, there are a million and one ways to make this. Some call for the use of cumin, others the addition of potatoes. This is how I make it, these simple flavors, are the closest to what my grandmother's  and my mom's Ca...
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