Eu Sou Brazilipino!

Frigideira de Siri (Bahian Crab Bake)

"It is the harmony of the diverse parts, their symmetry, their happy balance; in a word it is all that introduces order, all that give unity, that permits us to see clearly and to comprehend at once both the ensemble and the details." 

-- Henri Poincaré

The symmetry of Nature, as the physicist-philosopher Poincaré observed, is indeed a happy balance between the seemingly carefree designs of 'naturally occurring' objects and the repetitive patterns that point to a more restrained and logical order. From radial snowflakes and Fibonacci sunflowers to wallpaper honeycombs and honeybee stripes, symmetry is naturally, mathematically beautiful. 

Too bad that math and I are like chalk and cheese.

It might explain why I sometimes find the standard concepts of symmetry - repetition, mirror images, proportionality - downright boring at times. Much more fun are the unpredictable affinities between two seemingly disparate subjects whose diffences actually reveal their own kind of symmetry.

Take for instance the countries of Brazil and the Philippines. The latter is my birthplace, so a strong connection is ingrained, but the former is still only a dream destination with which I'm deeply fascinated. Ever since my husband returned from his travels in Brazil, laden with sweet treats, vivid photos and stories of wonderful people and interesting places, I've been hooked. So, I make feijoada just as often as I prepare pancit, while Mr. Noodle can mix up a caipirinha in his sleep, and together we plan our Brazilian itinerary, in preparation for the trip we someday hope to make.

Feijoada: Black Beans with Linguiça and Pork

Served with orange slices, rice and sautéed kale

Eu Sou Brazilipino! 

Last year, I wrote a post about my sense of belonging during a trip to Ireland, declaring myself Filip-Irish and listing how the two nations were so alike. Now, I'm feeling a similar inkling for Brazil. How's that, given I've never even been there? As it turns out, beneath their obvious differences, the Philippines and Brazil have the unmistakable symmetry of being opposite ends of the same spectrum. So, to borrow from my earlier post, I present:

Separated at Birth? Part II

Four Intriguingly Symmetrical Differences 

Between the Philippines and Brazil

1. Geography - Comparing these two countries is like holding one up to a funhouse mirror and getting an opposite shape in reflection. Brazil is primarily one enormous territory, with over 8.5 million square kilometers of land mass, making it the 5th largest country by area. It so dominates South American geography that it shares a border with every nation on the continent except two (Chile and Ecuador). In total contrast, The Philippines is not only just 1/3 the size of its Western Hemisphere counterpart, it is also broken up into bits - 7,107 islands, to be precise. But as an archipelago, las islas Filipinas doesn't have to share its borders with anyone, so its coastline stretches for an astonishing 36, 289 km - five times longer than Brazil's famous beaches and the 4th longest coastline in the world. Not too shabby for either.

(Source: CIA World Factbook - Brazil and Philippines)

Spanish colonies in red, Portuguese colonies in purple

(Image from Wikimedia.org)

2. Colonial History - I could simply restate the fact that both countries belong to the Former European Colonies Club and leave it at that. But then, we'd miss out on all the fun little connecting threads, such as how Brazil was discovered by Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral, who died in 1520, just one year before another Portuguese adventurer, Ferdinand Magellan, claimed for Spain our cluster of islands, which was later named after his patron, King Philip II. The thread continued with the Philippines as the only Spanish colony in Asia, where Portugal dominated trade, while Brazil was the lone Portuguese territory in Spanish-controlled South America. Finally, both were ruled under the same monarch from 1580 to 1640 when Spanish kings Philip II, III and IV also claimed the Portuguese throne. Doesn't that make us practically siblings?

(Sources: Wikipedia - Portuguese Empire, Spanish Empire, Philip II)

3. Lenten Events - If we're talking about two of the most Roman Catholic countries in the world, then we're talking about some serious religious festivals. When it comes to Lent, the period of abstinence and penance just before Easter, Brazilians and Filipinos demonstrate distinctly different ideas about how to celebrate, which can be summed up in a few words: flesh and blood. While Brazil kicks it off with Carnaval featuring colorful floats, pulsating dance music and scantily-clad samba queens, Filipinos wind it down with the Moriones Festival, during which grown men dress as Roman centurions, a procession of penitents whip themselves bloody and someone is actually nailed to a cross. Sexy samba and self-flagellation . . . like Lenten bookends, no?

(Source: Wikipedia - Brazilian Carnival, Moriones Festival)

4. Sugar and Spirits - Speaking of bookends, Brazil and the Philippines occupy spots 1 and 10, respectively, on the Top Ten list of world sugarcane production. Filipino producers are quickly becoming prominent as a global source of muscovado, a minimally-refined type of sugar, but they're still leagues behind the Brazilians, who kick everyone else's molasses. With nearly 50% more total production than closest competitor India, the South American behemoth is awash in the sweet stuff - so much, in fact, that it can afford to distill pure sugarcane into cachaça, an elixir that is nothing less than a Brazilian national treasure and the key ingredient in caipirinha, the country's signature cocktail. But Filipinos are no slouches in the spirits department: with Philippine sugarcane output at just a fraction of Brazil's, Manila-based Tanduay Distillers instead uses molasses, the by-product of sugar processing, to produce the world's second best selling rum. 

So what better way to close up these observations on the hidden symmetry between Brazil and the Philippines than to toast them with a potent combination of some of their best products? Courtesy of Mr. Noodle, I am proud to present our own special Brazilipino drink . . .

The Caipinoyra

Recipes for caipirinha note that substitutes for cachaça result in a bit of renaming - when made with vodka, it's a caipiroska, while white rum transforms it into a caipirissima. But in the spirit of blended friendship, Mr. Noodle has blended spirits, using equal parts cachaça and Tanduay's 15-year Rum 1854. Caipirinha is normally clear, but the use of Tanduay rum and raw sugar gives this cocktail a light amber hue. Finally, it would have been ideal to use calamansi, the ubiquitous citrus of the Philippines, but I've never found any in Minnesota. Instead, lemon is used with lime to add a bit more calamansi-like sour flavor to our caipinoyra.

Ingredients
Lemons and limes (or calamansi, if you can get them)
Raw sugar
Cachaça (we used Cachaça 51 brand)
Tanduay Rum 1854
Crushed ice

Mr. Noodle uses a simple '1/3' formula for his concoction - a third each of citrus juice, liquor and crushed ice. To make one drink, squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 whole lime into a tall glass, reserving some of the fruit peel.  In equal parts, add cachaça and Tanduay rum until glass is about 2/3 full. Add 3 to 4 teaspoons of raw sugar and stir well until sugar is dissolved, then add reserved peel, cut into small slices or pieces. Top with crushed ice and garnish with a citrus wedge.

Tim-tim and Mabuhay!

Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but no matter how delicious the libation, I can't drink on an empty stomach. So let's eat . . .!

Frigideira de Siri (Bahian Crab Bake)
(Adapted from Tasting Brazil, by Jessica B. Harris)

Mr. Noodle's trips to Brazil took him from the urban scene in São Paulo to a remote farm in the western state of Mato Grasso, but one of his favorite places was the coastal city of Salvador, the original capital of Brazil and one of the oldest cities in South America. It is located in the northeastern state of Bahia, whose populace and culture are steeped in African influences, as found in the regional cuisine, which is noted for its use of abundant seafood, coconut milk, and the staple dendê (palm oil) with cooking methods mixing African and Portuguese traditions. (Sources: About.com/Salvador, Bahia; Wikipedia/Brazilian cuisine)

Despite what its name may look or sound like to English speakers, this dish has nothing to do with refrigerators or cold temperatures. Frigideira refers to an earthenware container used for frying (frigir in Portuguese) and for this recipe in particular, which some have compared to a Spanish tortilla. While I was quite pleased with the flavor and overall result (the husband practically inhaled it), the texture was much softer than I'd expected, perhaps due to my use of a deep casserole. Next time, I will either use a more shallow dish or increase the egg content to firm it up a bit more. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Ingredients
1 lb crab meat (I used claw meat)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons cilantro, minced
3/4 cup coconut milk
Salt and black pepper
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

To make:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

1. In food processor, process 1/2 of crabmeat until almost to a paste consistency, then set aside;
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil at medium-high heat, then add onions, garlic and red bell pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes;

3. Add remaining crabmeat, tomatoes and cilantro, mixing well. Cook until onions and peppers are soft;
4. Add coconut milk and the reserved, processed crab meat, stirring well to mix. Add salt and pepper, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes;
5. In the meantime, add red pepper flakes to eggs and beat well. Pour eggs over crab mixture, then stir to combine;
6. Turn off heat and pour egg-crab mixture into a glass or earthenware baking dish and bake for approximately 15-25 minutes**;
7. When done, remove from oven and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

**Note: I used a deep, 8" x 8" casserole, which required a baking time of 25 minutes for the dish to set; if using a shallow 9" x 13" pan, bake for 15 minutes and check for doneness before removing from the oven.

I've been feeding my appetite for all things Brazilian with the following amazing blogs, which I hope you'll take a moment to visit:

• For a real-life Brazilipino experience, visit Caroline at When Adobo Met Feijoada - the true food adventures of a Filipina married to a Brazilian.
• Before she repatriated back to the US, Lori at Fake Food Free gave us a delicious glimpse of living and eating in Brazil, so check out her archives for some wonderful information.
• Although she's not posting as often as I wish, Cris at From Our (Brazilian) Home to Yours offers not only traditional recipes of her homeland, but also her take on many American recipes she learned while living Stateside.
• Finally, Joan at Foodalogue recently featured Brazil in her Culinary Tour 2010 series - check out the roundup for some amazing dishes and drinks.

Bom apetite!