Lusofonia 2009

This past weekend was the celebration of Lusofonia, a festival from Portuguese speaking communities residing in Macau including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Goa, Daman and Diu, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, East Timor and obviously Portugal; whom displayed their unique handicrafts, snacks, drinks and folklore.




As all celebrations in Macau it was a family oriented one, where not just the Portuguese speaking community but all other local communities including Chinese and Macanese got together and mingle.

This was my first Lusofonia festival ever and pardon my ignorance; but I had no idea that so many countries in the world were lusofonos!! (Portuguese speaking countries). Well, I must confess, I didn' t had any idea what Lusofonia was (....err...; someone needs to start to read more Wikipedia and less youtube perhaps??).





Gastronomically speaking it was a whole discovery, savory dishes and sweet treats; all of them fait a la maison by people who was eager to share the best of their countries. We tried so many: delicious spicy piri-piri sauces and dips (one in particular, very similiar to Mexican pico de gallo), Portuguese specialities like Pão com chouriço* and bifana* amongst others. For desserts we tried dolce de coco, tarta de natas and an old Macanese/HK sweet treat, created during the war times and now practically extinct (shown above: a homemade maltose "caramel" sandwich between two crackers). Finally to pour down all those yummies, we drank beer & caipirinhas but I personally fell in instant and unconditional love with a Portuguese drink; caipirao (an alcoholic drink similiar to caipirinha but made with Beirão liquor).




But since an image worth more than 1000 words; please eat with your eyes, and if you're hunger for more; check my flickr.

* those two were made by professionals; the people behind Antonio's and Ou Mun Cafe.

Lusofonia 2009
Taipa Houses Museum

Recipe for caipirao
Recipe for caipirinha

Oui, I do

Where else but Hong Kong can you celebrate a wedding dressed in a sexy red qipao, having friends from 7 different countries at your wedding lunch and celebrate it in style at a Michelin Star Restaurant?.

Very few I guess.

We did.

Last Monday, October 19th we said Oui, I do.

Now pardon me, but I will be sharing some more pictures du marriage on the days to come.

My favorite salad or the No Fuzz salad

Here in Planete Macau is still summer. Sorry for you guys already freezing, but on the other hand; I'm just so envy from your gorgeous Fall-Winter outfits.

Thanks to our still hot weather (25-28C), I haven't managed to turn off the summery food button inside of me. Pardonez moi, if I share with you a few more summery recipes, like this salad. (And pardonez-moi for my recurrent French words dropping, I just want to show off the fact I'm in 14eme niveau a l’Alliance Française ...).

Also please forgive me again if I haven't been around here lately. I love you gals and guys. I heart my blogsito (little blog) but sometimes I just need to stay away from the web. Sometimes I can't stand it (now, I sound like a bipolar person!..but, no, I'm just Gemini). and need some special time to be alone, with myself. Although it makes me SO happy when you send me a DM on Twitter or a Message on Facebook to ask me how am I doing or when I will be posting a recipe again. Keep doing it. It makes me very happy.

Now, I won't lie to you. Today there's no big family story or any story behind this post. Just a recipe.

Sometimes that's good too.


I know that for some people salads are not so comfort food because they look at them as, err, healthy boring stuff, but the true is on the eye (and the plate) of the beholder.

For me salads are my main course dish par excellence. I just cannot live without them. Particularly this one it's in a special place in my heart. It taste awesome, it's so fullfilling. It just makes me feel good, it makes me feel healthy and proud of myself.

And the best part?.It's a dummies salad. Even your husband/kids can make it :)

My favorite salad or the No fuzz salad
Serves 2 hungry persons as a main course


Ingredients

Note: all vegetables are raw, so make sure to buy the best quality ingredients your budget can afford. Organic if possible.

2 carrots peeled, thinly sliced or shredded
2 zucchini thinly sliced or shredded
1 cucumber thinly sliced or shredded (with skins on)
1 jicama peeled, thinly sliced or shredded (optional)
1 beetroot peeled, thinky sliced or shredded (optional)
1 handful of flax and sunflower seeds
1 handful of mixed nuts (pine nuts, cashews, almonds..)

mesclun or arugula leaves (optional)

Dressing

Olive oil
Lemon Juice
1 spoon fresh parsley chopped
1 spoon fresh mint chopped


The reason why this salad is my favorite is because I can adapt it to my mood, desire, budget or ingredient's availability. Don't like to eat raw zucchini? Skip it!. Add something else in substitution (although you should try raw zucchini, specially shredded, it blends with the rest of the vegetables. No one will note it!). Can't find jicamas? Don't bother!. Add something else (in the same tenor: veggetable and raw..).

The only hard work is if you go for shredding the veggies, and like me, you don't have a food processor to do the hard job in a second. In that case, go for the thinly slicing option (remember, no fuzz salad).

Once you have your veggies ready, mix them in a bowl or just do like me and serve the salad directly in the plates ( in layers). Add the dressing and eat immediately (if you're thinking in preparing this salad ahead, just don't add the nuts, seeds and dressing until the final moment).

Dressing: Mix everything in a small bowl. You don't have fresh herbs? This dressing does not convince you?. Try a soy sauce or a honey vinaigrette; something with a hint of saltiness or acidity to round the natural flavors of the vegetables.

For a more Fall-Winter flair, serve it next to a hot bowl of pumpkin and ginger soup and some very good quality crusty bread. Carnivores? Serve it next to a grilled fish or chicken. Don't tell me you don't have a recipe for pumpkin and ginger soup?!?!. OK. I'll share mine with you later. Stay tuned.

Note: this post has been chosen by the nice team members of Foodista to be display today Oct 21, as the Foodista Blog of the day. Thanks!!