The Real Thing

Hello friends, I thought I would stop by and report how the catering event went last weekend. What event? I mentioned it in the last post. Didn't read it? well, fine. The event was a lovely in-apartment 40th birthday party for over fifty people. The menu included hot and cold appetizers and overwhelmingly large bread plates. How did it go? Well, it was fantastic.

Unfortunately I didn't get any photos, i didn't even take my camera. I had my friend, Rita, who i hired as my waitress get this shot with my phone. It shows a few of the cold appetizers set out on the table. The food was really well received--especially the hot appetizers i served throughout the five hour party. The sesame salmon lollipops and the fried spinach and gouda arancini di riso balls were a big hit. I did all of the prep work at home; made all the spreads, cheeses, bruschetta mixes, rolled a billion shrimp and pork  spring rolls, mixed a Vietnamese green papaya salad in a large plastic tub (party size!) and rolled and breaded all the risotto balls. Literally it took the entire day Saturday morning and most of Friday. I was in a bit of a freak out thinking that i hadn't gotten enough done by the time i left for the event at 6h30pm. I was nervous. I admit. Extremely nervous to the point where i hadn't eaten anything since my breakfast egg. But once i got there, set up the plates, met my kitchen helper and started prepping for the hot items I finally started to relax. I arrived at seven and the first guests didn't arrive until after nine. I staged the hot food so that there would be something served at about 20 or 30 minute intervals. The apartment was a gorgeous venue--multimillion dollar open floor plan which allowed me to watch (and be watched) the party and see what was getting low on my table trays. I hired a good friend to be my waitress and offer the hot appetizers around the room, but in reality she turned into the wine-wench--my client took cake of the wine but fully expected my waitress to keep the guest's glasses full at all times. And jesus christ did she. She scurried into the kitchen to open a new bottle of white every five minutes. The crowd was drunk off their asses after the first half-hour (crowd age-range was a respectable and classy middle-age). It was a real bacchanal. Most of the guests were very pleasant, courteous and had very nice things to say about my food. The crowd, I knew, would be welcoming of non-Brazilian food, which was in fact the case. My favorite critique of the night came stumbling off a whiskey soaked tongue complimenting the food as "telling a connected story, and, and, and so spicy!!"

Honestly though, no one even considered talking to me until my client pointed out that the chef tonight was American. Then i had everyone cosying up to the breakfast bar stools to watch me cook and ask me questions. A truthful side note: all non-native English speakers love to practice speaking English at any possible moment, especially when tipsy. Though, Sao Paulo being the international city it is, many among my kitchen company were foreigners from far off distant lands such as Montreal, Portugal, Rio de Janeiro (awk awk) and the East Coast. A person cooking at a party in Brazil isn't so exciting. But an American cooking at a party in Brazil is pretty exciting. As stupid as that may sound to you, it is an advantage I tend to run with.

The biggest part of the night was that I learned that there is no way i could do a cocktail party this size alone. Meaning, without my waitress or kitchen helper it would have been impossible. My client had her maid stay throughout the party in order to keep the kitchen clean--and she did. The second i dirtied a spoon it was clean and put back on my station. She was a machine. She also helped me assemble plates, assemble tartines and bruschetta--literally she did anything i needed an extra hand with. It would have been hell without her. I really regret not getting her telephone number so that I could hire her for my future events. Rita, my waitress, was also indispensable. Large parties like this definitely require a competent team. So i'm building my team. Oh, and not to forget-- also on the team was dear H who helped with the prep (i don't think he will ever want to de-pit and chop olives again), delivery, and stayed up until 2am eating crappy order-in pizza waiting to collect us from the event at our beck and call. So, go team!

Our next event isn't for two weeks, it will be smaller, a fifteen person lunch. The menu isn't set yet but when it is, hopefully i will finally get some bloody photos!

Tasting & a Market

  Tasting. Early last week i was contacted by a client, actually a former boss here in Brazil. She knew i was into different food and asked if had any gigs yet for exactly two weeks out. I didn't. Great! Her cousin needed a caterer for her 40th birthday party for seventy people. Luckily, standing room cocktail. I cannot cook dinner for seventy people, but i can do appetizers. The only requirement was that I offer a tasting of all the possible choices. Tastings make perfect sense, especially when you are going to be spending a lot of money on large quantities. I know tastings are common place, but for a cocktail party--less usual. But i saw it as a perfect way to try and really impress. Dinner-time cocktail parties should offer at least ten appetizers per person along with non-numerical snacks. So, projecting ten different appetizers, i decided to offer fourteen during the tasting. It will be easy I thought, i only need to make two of everything. My appetizer ark, however, turned out to be quite the task. 

The tasting was last Thursday at 9pm. I started prepping my menu items that morning around 9:00. My tasting menu was split down the middle between Asian flavors and more classic Italian. To bore you with a list I presented: green papaya salad with fried plantain, tandoori chicken in mint sauce, curry tea sandwiches, Vietnamese pork spring rolls, tomato bruschetta, tartines with homemade ricotta, honey and bacon; spinach and gouda arancini di riso (fried risotto balls), sesame salmon lollipops, zucchini panzanella, fresh pea salad with apple and mint, creme brulee, dark chocolate truffles and a few other things that are slipping my mind. Damn it is a lot harder to create two of each in one day than i had thought it would be. I am continually underestimating how difficult it is to prepare such a variety. The greatest thing about this tasting was that literally it was a "run through" for the event, which give me more of an idea the time needed for each component.

I admit, I was extremely nervous when i arrived at the tasting (the venue of the party - a gorgeous apartment in one of the fancier districts of Sao Paulo). Luckily, my lovely clients offered me a glass (or two) of wine. Getting two women to eat fourteen small dishes in a timely manner after 9pm proved to be somewhat a difficult task. I felt like an Italian grandmother shoving pasta down their throats. Eat this one now, it's hot, stop looking at it, eat it! I jest, we took our time. The tasting lasted two hours and though i was exhausted, i was thrilled. They loved each and every dish. We decided they would look over their notes and decide which dishes to put on the party menu by Monday. Fabulous. They chose seven of the fourteen and I will be serving them this Saturday night. I also took charge of the party rentals - no paper or plastic forks at this gig. Ceramic plates, forks, wine glasses and serving trays. I will be hiring one waitress to serve the hot appetizers throughout the party - yes things are getting serious! Let's hope it all goes as planned.

The day after the tasting I had to start preparing for my third run at the Sao Paulo Night Market which was held on Saturday from noon until 9pm. I usually make savory food for the market as i honestly believe it sells better than sweets, however, this time around the market organizers asked me to do sweets since there were already three other food vendors and only one dessert vendor. I took it as an opportunity to advertise dessert tables for parties, so i set my display as top priority. I made a 4 layer ombre cake, creme brulees, cheesecake squares, brownie cake pops, Irish cream chocolate truffles, sandwich cookies and chocolate chip cookies. All of this in one day? Let's just say my kitchen was a sticky, sugary disaster by the time i left for the market. 

I didn't sell out. The creme brulees did sell out though -- torches usually draw a crowd. Usually not selling out isn't a problem as i view the market as more of a publicity event than anything else, so i usually just aim to cover my costs. Unfortunately this time the registration fee to sell at the Market was more than double the usual price since the event was celebrating it's one year anniversary and offered free admission to market goers. Was a bit more of a stretch to cover the costs. But on the bright side i've already been contacted by two possible clients i met at the market, so definitely worth the investment. And! i won a giant basket of New Zealand kiwis! Random? Yes. But so is a Sao Paulo market organized by gringos. My caipirinhas are set for the week. 

That's all we have for now, I must be off to bake white fish for dinner (St. Peter to be exact, which is in the tilapia family. Did you know there are more than three hundred types of tilapia? Now you do.) We hope to be back here promptly with the results from the cocktail event this Saturday -- hopefully good results. Until then, wish us luck. à bientôt.

Professionalism

Hey guys. Yeah, I did it again. What can i say. One month. But i really tried this time. My post was ready last week. Two weeks ago actually. But unfortunately the subject matter sat in my mouth like a stale dirty peanut. My catering business finally had a big event a few weeks ago, an event for someone we didn't know (for a change!) a baby birthday party with nearly three hundred little tea sandwiches (more difficult than that sounds!) and a ton of cupcakes! Sounds like the perfect subject for a blog post, no? A triumph finally for our new company here in Sao Paulo. The problem was not the food, my food was well received both in flavor and presentation. Great feedback on that front. The problems arose from the fact that i offered both of our services at once--meaning both catering and photography. Yeah, i shot the party as well. Sounds a bit odd but really the catering was make and deliver only--no presence during the party. When consulting with my client she mentioned that she really liked my photography and asked if i would shoot the party as well. Now, let me say that i really wanted this catering gig. So i offered to photograph for less than a quarter of the market price as a way to entice her to go with me for catering. She accepted. Big. Dumb. Move. on my part.

We had a thorough catering consultation with dozens of emails back and forth. The party was for a one year old baby and there would be no other children at the party, only around fifty adult guests. easy. After prepping the sandwiches and cupcakes for an entire day, i woke up very early on the morning of the party to assemble everything. As per usual i went through the "im not going to finish!!" crazy freak out, but of course everything was packaged two hours ahead of schedule (thank you husband sous chef). The party was a big hit. It was beautiful, the decorations were stunning for a Brazilian party and the baby was awfully adorable. The entire family was beautiful, and my food was very well received. It was a hit. So I relaxed and started photographing; the job that i'm used to.

That night H and I went out to dinner where i beamed over a steaming plate of ribs how i pulled off a big catering event, and how i took some pretty good photos with flash (i usually am terrible with flash). Overall, i was beyond happy. Then the next day happened.

My client emailed me early the next morning asking for the photographs. I thought it was a little funny, as in, oh it's cute, she has never hired a photographer before. I sent an apologetic email explaining how it wouldn't be possible to send her the photos right away, nor within the next few days. Professional photographers almost never deliver within the week because photo processing and editing requires a lot of work etc. She explained how she was so anxious to see the photos so i gave in and spent nearly the entire day monday selecting and editing photos for her. I had them uploaded by 5:30pm. Success?

No.

Later that night i received an email from client telling me how much she loved the photos, how the lighting and style were exactly what she was hoping for. Then came the line---the line i have heard other photographers complain about and dread---the line that goes---- "can i have the rest of the photos now?" boom. Finally happened to me and i kicked myself at that moment for not having had "you will not receive all photos shot" signed in a contract. I explained, as professionally as i could that i do not give all shots to the client, that i select the best that are non repetitive. She wasn't having it. Long story short i received a series of very angry emails telling me how she expected (because it is common in Brazil) to receive all photos, because everyone has a different eye for things. At that moment i began to feel professionally insulted. To tell your hired photographer that you would like to view the raw images because you have a different "eye" is an insult to the artist. in any country. I then wrote an apologetic email explaining my reasons and that i would not change my policy. I told her i would go through the photos and send her more photos that i deemed acceptable. Which is a big concession i might add. So two days later i went through and edited another one hundred photos (mostly repeat scenes) and uploaded them. Job done. Closed. Bad experience over. Was happy I handled it well.

Wrong.

Late afternoon, middle of a cupcake shoot for another client, hands covered in buttercream--i receive a call. It's the client. What on earth could she possibly want now. What happened was the most disgusting, utterly rude and inappropriate interaction that i have ever had to go through in my professional life. My client called for no reason other than to lecture me. To lecture me literally by telling me how i "just got off the boat" and do not know how things are done in Brazil. How, while my photos were good, i did not deliver the amount she expected. How i didn't hand over all raw, unedited photos, how i took too many photos of the baby and didn't get candid photos of every guest drinking a beer and a shot of the front door. I'm not a mind reader. I was told that in Brazil, photographer are expected to hand over all photos for the client to take and get edited. I will tell you, after living here four years, working and conversing with other photographers this is a complete and utter lie. It is absurd to even think any photographer in any country would do this. I was beyond insulted. I was insulted as a photographer and as an immigrant. The treatment was that of a bourgeois speaking to their maid about a subject they clearly were completely oblivious to. It was disturbing behavior and honestly it shocked me. Who would treat someone they don't know in this manner? It was very puzzling and disappointing.

I listened to her ten minute lecture while saying very little. When she finished i told her that unfortunately i would still not change my policy and to have a nice day. I then hung up. Obviously it hit me. I was very upset. I was so proud of the event, so proud of the service. I couldn't wait to post all the photos here on the blog. But afterward the sour taste wouldn't leave my mouth. I decided not to post any pictures on the blog nor to even talk about it. I just wanted to move on with my next projects.

Now don't get me wrong, i'm not a photography saint. Not everyone has to be pleased with my work and I am not perfect. Yes I should have taken a photo of the door, yes more photos of guests drinking beer. but I didn't. and I can't go back in time. At that point the only thing to do is to apologize for disappointing them and move on. That's exactly what I did - I apologized and it should have ended there. but it didn't.

After speaking to three different Brazilian party photographers (born, raised and schooled in Brasil) i was reassured that this client was out of control and wrong and severely misrepresenting Brasil.  Looking back i feel a lot better, calmer and am actually quite happy with how i handled the situation in a professional manner even though i was insulted in every aspect possible. Talking with fellow photographers here, i know it is imperative to have the clause of not receiving all photos and of accepting what the photographer gives in the contract. My big error here was thinking that this party was a small, inexpensive event that wouldn't require the precautions as say a wedding shoot would require.

Lesson learned.

Moving on, we had a huge photo shoot last week with one of our favorite clients, Sophie & Theo's Cupcakes and are currently working on a big cocktail party two weeks out! Do you think we can manage over 700 individual cocktail appetizers? At the moment i have no idea...but we think we can. And what after? Already booked for a luncheon! So we had a bad experience, but it taught us a lot. And we are prepared for the next event. Hopefully you will stick around to hear about our next adventures!

Bakery Shoot

So a week ago i shot photos for a bakery feature in an English travel website My Destination Sao Paulo. The bakery was beautiful--classic and quaint. I shot all of the sweeties on a table next to the front door with a curtain pulled around my back. I loved it. It was so nice getting back to on-site shooting for publications. Something i really missed (remember, no you don't, but pretend you remember when i worked for those magazines back in 2009). I felt alive again. And the hot chocolate you see in the photo---damn! it tasted like a s'more. I doubt any Paulistas read this blog, but if there are any of you out there, go get some of this hot chocolate.

Sorry to watermark the photos (i hate watermarking the photos) but they were shot for the travel website, not the bakery, so unfortunately i have to protect them. But you can still get the vibe of the photos.

You can see the rest of the photos and read the article about the bakery over at My Destination. And if you haven't yet (shame) visit my photography website already. Sheesh! 

An Odd Ice Cream

 Some people find photographing ice cream to be unpleasant. You set up your scene, you get your little camera all ready, and then your model starts moving...rather starts melting. You must be very quick about it. Personally, i like it. I usually spend way too much time photographing a single subject. I remember older posts here at Salty (way back when, we're over six years old now...that's geriatric in blog years) that would require me to set aside the entire day to do a post from start to finish. Yes, an entire day. I can not so fondly remember waiting until well past midnight to begin a paper on King Philip II for an archeology class. Well, i suppose sacrifices have to be made. But in professional photography you cannot spend an entire day shooting a cupcake while everyone else involved stands around twiddling their thumbs. Set up your shot and get in and out. Just like with ice cream. So photographing ice cream is a superb way to practice for on-site photography (or a wedding. blink and you miss it.) You have to act fast.

I'm only drawing such a connection because yesterday (yay!) i had an on-site shoot at a bakery. Usually i photograph inside my studio. Studio being my shanty-set up of living room curtains. Either way, the bakery was uncommonly cute for Brazilian standards. To be blunt, traditional bakeries in Brazil are similar to traditional bakeries in Portugal-- they're kinda ugly. The purpose is to get in, get your bread and get out. Not to sit on an antique piece of furniture covered in hand made cushions while sipping nouveau coffee with house made marshmallows. This bakery, on the other hand, claims to be an American style bakery and suffice to say, definitely hit the "Starbucks Standard" of ambiance. I shot as quickly as i could. With three servers behind the counter and both shop owners staring at you, taking your sweet time isn't exactly a professional option. The trick: pretend the scone is melting... like ice cream. We still took almost two hours to shoot all of the items, but in my defense i had to wait for a few things to cook. I love bakery shoots...particularly because i am quite familiar with nearly all the models. Madam cookie, i know which side of you photographs best--please turn your cheek. Also, bakery owners seem to be genuinely happy people. And how could you not be; perpetual sugar-high bliss.

I made ice cream Sunday morning before going to the gym. The gym doesn't open until ten on sundays so i had time to do such a thing. It's an odd style of ice cream i had seen on tv--made by whipping cream and condensed milk together. Not exactly ice cream but well, i don't have an ice cream machine (yet). The recipe literally contains only cream and condensed milk. I added amarula liqueur to add a bit of flavor. As usual, i added a bit too much liqueur so the cream wasn't able to whip to fully whipped status (stiff peaks). It was a little soupy. So i whipped another quarter cup of plain cream until practically crunchy, then folded it in. To be honest, it kinda tastes like frozen whip cream covered in amarula. Which, i suppose, isn't bad at all. It's an alright option for people without ice cream machines. Next time i will add a stronger flavor to try and mask the whip cream flavor.

An odd ice cream is always better than no ice cream. 

 

The ironic thing about photographing ice cream is that usually the most enticing shots arrive just at the melting point. You spend the first ten minutes frantically shooting the perfectly balled scoop--racing against the clock.hen, when you're about to give in, you realize how all of a sudden you really want to eat it. oh yeah. luckily that pot is quite small. 

So far this month i already have both a catering event and photography event lined up. Sao Paulo city is definitely treating me better than Indaiatuba ever did. Wish me luck. 

ps. i know i've been posting a lot of photos of flowers lately, but these coral roses are just too fluffy to not share. I received them last Friday as a surprise gift from H.  C'est tres chouette, non? 

 

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Last night I sat on the couch feeling a bit flu-ish. Just those achy tingling feelings accompanied by a pounding headache. So naturally i decided to watch cooking shows to cheer myself up. Unfortunately Brazilian cooking shows aren't very interesting. No, i take that back. There are only two Brazilian cooking shows worth watching and they are both hosted by Frenchies speaking odd Portuguese; Claude Troisgros from Que Maravilha and Olivier Anquier from Diario do Olivier. These two are worthwhile and present updated/internationalized Brasilian cuisine. Anyway, neither of these shows were on. On the American front the only cooking shows my cable channels air are that Cake Boss clown making spaghetti in a studio kitchen and Man versus Food. Not the best way to represent American cuisine i'm afraid. At least our British culinary friends are well represented. The channel GNT loves hosting marathons of Jamie Oliver, Gordon the asshole and very recently Nigella Lawson. Poor Nigella has unfortunately been in the news lately highlighted under terrible circumstances, but I find her to be a very creative cook, and the show now playing, Nigellissima, is quite relaxing to watch. So indeed that is what i ended up watching last night and yes of course she made a lovely grain-free olive oil tart which i decided to try out today. In preparation i sent an email to my best Brazilian foodie friend, Rafael, asking if he had started watching the new series on tv. His answer: I just watched Nigella and at first thought she was another terrible Donna Hay...but not! She is very good. Today I made her Ice cream. Did you laugh? I couldn't stop. Yes, they show Donna Hay's godforsaken Fast, Fresh and Simple here, which is the Australian version of Sandra Lee's Semi Homemade. Don't even get me started.  


So this little cake isn't exactly the recipe Nigella made, i used rice and cassava flour instead of almonds as i never have nuts "on hand." I haven't tried it yet.....but im expecting a very strong punch from it because i used extra virgin olive oil instead of regular olive oil. damn! Hey, i told you i was feeling a bit flu-ish. Minor mistake? We'll see. Extra virgin olive oil has a much deeper darker flavor than regular olive oil. I think i will be able to handle it, but just in case i plan on whipping some fresh cream on the side to try and mellow it out a bit if needed.

As usual it has been a few months since my last blog post. But i've not been lazy. I hope to pick things up for real this time. You see, i finally made a real/proper/legitimate website for my "business" here in Brasil. I invite you all to check it out even though the information is written in Portuguese. Mallory Ferland Fotografia & Gastronomia is up and running and waiting (hoping) for a few clients. The Salty Cod will still be the Salty Cod, and hopefully now that i feel i have a purpose it will translate back into that passion which went by the wayside.

If you are interested in making Nigella's Cake, you can find the recipe here or at a thousand other online blogs. If you do use the recipe from her site, i might warn to not use a full 125 ml of water. It's way too much and will give you a chocolate soup and a baking time of over one and a half hours. Another tip is to use any style cake pan you like. The cake shrinks in from the edges so a spring form isn't necessary, an attractive ceramic dish works well and can be used straight to serve from.

Well that's it, talk to you later. 


UPDATE: So we ate (half the tart) after dinner and holy cow! it's so good! the most simple usually are. The extra virgin didn't do any harm at all, neither of us could taste any olive--it translates into a nutty flavor. The texture is fabulous--like a dairy free chocolate cheesecake. So there you have it, the review.

Damn It. I Missed April

Good morning to you all, or to you few. It is now winter/autumn in Brazil, which means about twenty degrees warmer than an average Seattle summer day. The nights are slightly cooler, but standing under the sun is as prickly as ever. Lately my days have been as such: I've collected a few more students and have ditched working with the school, been frequenting the lovely Vila Lobos park on the weekends with miss Sybil and our fellow dog-enthusiast friends, have passed through a cookie and cupcake photo shoot and have signed on for a new one, catered for an event at a fancy night club, and ----- I've finally made the perfect gluten free bread loaf. Saving the best for last, i know. I might give away the recipe in a few weeks. Or not.

cupcake tower by Sophie and Theo's Cupcakes

I had hopped that two months from now i would be on a jet plane to Seattle to visit my family and baby niece who i have never seen (well, she is only two months old), but unfortunately that won't be happening until December. At three thousand reais a ticket, it's impossible to go to Seattle more than once a year, times two people. I prefer going in December because I've always found December to be the happiest month in the US. Yes it's cold, but no one has school, most people are blowing off their jobs early and damn it i like holiday spirit. I do miss holidays living here. Now don't get me wrong, we have tons of holidays in Brazil. But 'holiday' here usually means a day off work, a barbecue or a quick trip to the beach (or as i like to say, a QTB. no not really). I miss the decorations and enthusiasm that comes with the holiday spirit in the US. I like it when store fronts paint pumpkins and turkeys in the window, when Starbucks serves seasonal beverages and draws whimsical holiday chalk drawings on their menu boards, when in December you seemingly can't walk into any commercial (or residential building) without hearing Christmas music. Will i ever have red, white and blue jello salad again? or use holiday-coordinated paper plates and napkins?

I think it's the weather. It's definitely not the argument of, "well Americans like to waste money on more crap" because if anything Brazilians spend a lot of money. So here we are shuffling on into Autumn like i mentioned before, and i can't help but think of Halloween. in June. yes. Brazilian culture doesn't celebrate Halloween. For obvious reasons, however. Halloween has its roots in Irish culture, an immigrant population that did not make its way as fully to Brazil as it did to the US. So i blame not! Usually when i comment on the lack of Halloween here to family and friends the response is, well isn't there Day of the Dead in November? Yes, technically there is. But it's not called Day of the Dead, it's called Finados (literally "souls") and is pretty unexciting. I mean, nothing happens. Observing Catholics might visit a deceased loved one's grave with a bouquet of flowers, but there's no parades or colorful costumes like Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. So Halloween-time festivities are out.

The closest Brazil gets to an Autumnal festival takes place in June, the Festa Junina. Festa is the only holiday i am aware of in Brazil (aside from Carnival) where costumes are involved. The theme of the Festa is "over exaggerated farmer" or drunk hick. Men wear plaid shirts, overalls and straw hats while the females wear raggedy-Anne doll dresses, straw hats with pigtails and painted on freckles. Costumes! One lucky gal at each party even gets to shove a pillow under her dress and act out the scene of the pregnant bride. The wedding ceremony usually happens around a bonfire and sometimes there's a conga line. Festive food includes corn, hot dogs, popcorn, corn pudding, peanuts, hot wine and hot cachaça. Personally i only go every year for the peanut candies. This year a friend of mine has invited me to a new one hosted by a brand new hostel here in Sampa, we will both be selling food stuff out of the kitchen and we are hoping to make the selection nouveau-festa-junina by making a fusion of American autumnal flavors with the classic Festa Junina flavors. So if any of you have any ideas and would like to share, please leave a remark in the comments section. We have until mid-June to get the menu spot on. The crowd will be young and intoxicated, keep that in mind. I leave you with a few random photos until next time, à bientot.

Dia das Maes Cupcake made by Sophie and Theo's Cupcakes

picnic sandwiches at Parque Vila Lobos

Dia das Maes brownies made by The Kitchen

Pumpkin Biscuits

For dogs. 

Lately I have been on an Asian food kick. Primarily because a week or so ago I visited Sao Paulo’s Liberdade district for the first time. Let me just say that this place has been here the entire time I’ve lived in Brazil (and apparently before that too). It’s been here and I, being but an hour and a half away, never visited. Stupid. Liberdade is market town. Consisting of ninety percent Japanese products (or perhaps just vendors, the products are from all over) with a bit of Chinese and a very scarce pinch of Vietnamese and Thai products. So sadly I really can’t call it China Town. I will let you know one fact that every Brazilian tour guide/website will point out to you – Brazil has the greatest population of Japanese (descendants) living outside of Japan, and yes it is for the exact reason you are thinking of; agricultural work boom at the turn of the (20^th) century. The point I am trying to make here is that Thai curry paste, spring roll wrappers, glutinous rice flour and every possible jarred sauce condiment ever created by man is now at my disposition. Expect some spring roll photos soon. But not today.

Lately I’ve been distracted. I received a catering request for a large business breakfast last week; I collaborated with a friend in the business and we sent our proposal. Never heard from the lady again. Not even a rejection letter, nothing. Even after sending a follow up letter. First rejection and we don’t even know why. Oh well. There will be a next time.

Now to the distraction. Nearly two weeks ago my family dog [in Seattle] died unexpectedly before her time. The sadness over losing her hit me greater than I thought the passing of a non-human creature could ever throw at me. I’ve been around dogs my whole life. Since consciousness, there has always been a dog in my family. My husband, on the other hand, had never had a dog in his life, and since getting married had made it clear that he was not a dog (or any creature) person. So I never thought about dogs. I still have dogs, I would think, they just live at my parents’ house. When Olivia died I unreservedly cried for days. My tears were for the pangs of saudades, for the fear that she might have suffered, and for the pain I knew my sisters and parents were feeling. The gravity was due to the unexpectedness of it all. She was young, healthy, the apple in our eyes.

A few days later my husband suggested we adopt a dog. Say what? His change of heart, so he claims, came from pity for me. But I like to think that he subconsciously wished he could know what that feeling is…to cry out of love for a dog. Whatever the reason, we now have a dog. A dog, not a puppy. Last weekend we visited the UniãoInternacional Protetora Dos Animais (UIPA). The organization is actually extremely well run, which, if you are familiar with anything in Brazil, will surprise you. The organization is similar to American humane societies; they focus on rescuing mainly cats and dogs from the street, from abusive households and from abandonment. The UIPA in Sao Paulo city alone has over twelve hundred dogs at any given time. They survive on donations and a volunteer staff. Every dog or cat on site is vaccinated, spayed or neutered and de-wormed. They also require an on-site veterinary consultation with every adoption. The place is overrun with adult dogs. Only the puppies seem to draw attention. I find puppies too messy. We went in looking for an adult and found a quiet girl sitting in a corner pen with three one-month old puppies bouncing around. She didn’t bark. She didn’t move. She looked miserable. Yep, that’s the one. We picked her up and took her right then and there. One of the volunteer staff informed us that she was about one year old, was found pregnant on the highway about two months ago and had given birth to five puppies that were all already adopted or reserved for adoption. Only she was left. We named her Sybil.

Sybil is a true Sao Paulo street rat. But she is the sweetest thing we have ever seen. She has never barked and is afraid of everything. Doorways, staircases, pillows, blankets, ironing boards. Just being inside a building is frightening for her. But she is adjusting. Today is her fourth day and she is relaxing. Well, relaxing as much as anyone on antibiotics, flee medication, worm-pills and a new diet can.

So, being the food snob that I am, I had to make healthy dog treats for my new family member. The mini milk bone treats and what have you at the store are full of too many ingredients…primarily wheat flour. Nearly all veterinarians point out that wheat is not particularly good for dogs. While she does eat a pricy bagged dog food, I wanted to make whole food biscuits for her so I don’t feel guilty about filling her with msg. If you google “dog biscuit” recipes you will find that there seems to be a consensus that pumpkin is not only healthy but tasty for dogs. Pumpkin it is. All I did was mix two eggs with one cup cooked and smashed pumpkin, two and a half cups rice flour, a pinch of salt, a quarter cup of grated cheese and pureed meat from two chicken legs. Sybil is small (about 10 lbs) so I cut the biscuits into small half inch squares. She isn’t crazy for them, but she eats them. 

I live in a really nice neighborhood in Sao Paulo, so when we go for walks most of the dogs we meet on the street are pure breeds. “oh what is her race?” I am constantly asked. My reply – she is a dog, she used to be a street dog. Love the looks.

We’ll share photos once she is more relaxed. Tomorrow is my three year wedding anniversary, and spring rolls on Friday. See you then.

Extreme Recap

We’re so far behind, where do we start?

view from my living room window

Since the last post we’ve: moved into our new apartment in Sao Paulo, started part time (really part time) work with an English school, collected a few new private students, started figuring out how to navigate through one of the biggest cities in the world, started trying to work as a private chef, sold my food for the first time at a market, AND my very first niece was born last weekend. Life is wonderfully full at the moment.  I hope I will be that cool aunt in the foreign country who sends sweets and toys in the mail. I represent a beach vacation, I should be the cool aunt! 

So backup. Working with food? Since when did I become a chef right? I don’t have a job in a restaurant, I don’t hold a culinary degree, but I’m trying to get into working with something I actually like and am actually good at. Not that I don’t enjoy English teaching, I do. But im not proud of it, i teach simply because I'm an American living in Brazil. Anyone can do that. But I am a good cook, I am not modest about that. I can cook. Well, anyone can cook, but I actually cook really well, and people like what i make. For now let’s call it an experiment, shall we?

Two weeks ago I was invited to cook a four course sit down dinner for nine. Literally it was three day after moving into my new place, didn’t even have a fridge yet. The party was co-hosted by the owner of a Sao Paulo City travel website (My Destination Sao Paulo) and the owner of a wine and imports shop (Sonoma - they import gourmet items such as olive oils, cheeses, salts and spices). The amazing part of the event was that I sent my menu to the host early so that he could pair the right wine with each course. Let me just say the guests were quite spoiled. The event took place on the rooftop terrace of a penthouse in the south of Sao Paulo. The view was incredible. The dinner was started with one of my favorite entrances, potted crab, which is an original dish created by my Brazilian culinary double, Rafael. If I can remember correctly the crab was paired with Chablis. The entrance was followed by a raw salad of green (not actually green, just unripe and hard) papaya, carrot and cucumbers with a spicy Thai dressing (I actually julienned it all by hand, and it looked pretty uniform!) The main course was a spicy coconut curry with chicken thighs and was paired with Pinot Noir. For dessert I went with my safety net—the chocolate truffle tart that has NEVER disappointed. I finished it with freshly whipped cream and blueberries which, yes, you can find here. It was an amazing experience. My last thrilling experience on this level was when i successfully "catered" my sister's wedding in December.

Following said dinner (described above) I was invited by one of the dinner guests to sell food at a night market that she helps to organize. The event is mostly attended by gringos and hosts a variety of vendors selling everything from cupcakes to paper lamps. I was a little too nervous to accept right away. Who would pay actual money for my food? A week later I received a final call email about the event and impulsively decided to go for it without having any idea of what I would sell. I originally thought to do a cold bruschetta or tapas because it would be simple to assemble and wouldn’t require the grill and hotplate that I don’t possess. Unfortunately one of the other vendors wrote in that they were selling something called “toastex” so we decided I should go with something else. So I decided to do the same thing but inside of individual tart shells. Big mistake. It’s hard enough to make a few tart shells much less fifty of them. And to top it off, I made them gluten free.

I filled the shells with two different mixtures: the first was a blackberry (amora) red onion sauce topped with watercress and salmon grilled in wasabi and sesame seeds (the wasabi wasn’t strong) and the second was filled with herbed goat cheese ricotta (homemade), apple, crispy bacon and sprouts. I planned on selling crème brulle in edible shells but after making fifty tart shells I gave up. The public was a little hesitant to try them, but those who actually did gave great feedback on the flavors. One woman actually bought six to take home. I didn’t make any actual money (just slightly over three hundred reais, which was my break even mark) but the experience was incredible. Not only did I actually get to talk to strangers enjoying my food, but I received a few contacts requesting my service as a caterer. What I really got out of the market was confidence. 

That was two days ago.

Sao Paulo is a crazy city. For one, it’s the largest city in all of the Americas. Living among eleven million people seems like it could be a bit overwhelming…but luckily Sao Paulo, like most large cities, is divided into neighborhoods that honestly form their own cities. You feel as if you are in a small community with your own groceries, banks, butchers, street markets, schools, sports centers, and restaurants—technically you never actually need to leave your own neighborhood in this city.  We all do of course. I am very lucky to be in a very quiet, relatively safe and clean neighborhood known as Perdizes/Pompeia. I’d always been nervous about moving to Sao Paulo, but I’m actually in love with the area. I get to see my friends more often and I’ve even made a few new friends already. If the metro covered more areas I would be in heaven.  But one of the greatest assets of the city is the diversity of the population here. There is a demand for everything. My style of cooking actually has a chance here whereas in the countryside it had little to none.

Now we are caught up. There is a carrot cake cooling in the kitchen for a birthday party tomorrow and im planning the menu for a luncheon on Sunday.  The ninety degree weather was just interrupted by a hail storm. Such is life in Sao Paulo where you can experience every season in one day. We’ll talk about this carrot cake next time.

Creme.

I can't begin to describe how difficult it's been for us to rent an apartment in Sao Paulo. It, as with almost all other endeavors that involve "a paper to be signed" is as or more complicated than donating your kidney. It has been over one week since our offer on a place was accepted and no contracts have been issued. The only things that have been moving are the mountains of personal documents being schlepped into the realtor's office. At this time well over fifty documents have been sent to the realtor. personal documents. From both the renter and the renter's "financial guarantor." In this city you either get a guarantor, pay an insurance or (very seldom) are allowed to make a down payment deposit (oh how i wish). All the apartments we've been after require either the guarantor or the insurance. A guarantor must be a property owner, and my mother in law agreed to be ours. What makes me uncomfortable is how much they require from both us and the guarantors. At this moment, for all parties involved, the real estate agency now has our bank records, tax returns, property deeds, receipts from property purchases, national ID cards, social security cards, copies of everyone's national worker's records, salary statements and the list goes on and on. I wonder if i should send them our vaccination records and diplomas as well. Once again, oh "process in Brazil" you spleen me for unnecessity.  Our first guarantor (a Brazilian I might add) actually backed out of the deal after criticizing that the agencies asked too much of him in exposure. Which, i fully agree with. It is a bit excessive for simply renting. So there you have it. I know that some transactions go smoother and quicker and that perhaps we just got the unlucky stick, but one day i would just love it if some transaction/action/endeavor in Brazil actually went down without gagging us on the way!

Why are we bothering to leave the interior for Sampa anyway you may ask? Well, aside from this real estate trouble and high prices of everything, I am so eager to get my butt into Sao Paulo i can barely handle it. The place may be big, dirty and overwhelming - my favorite description of the city will always be that of Tony Bourdain; "Sao Paulo is as if Los Angeles threw up on New York." But there are so many interesting people, new foods, new opportunities, new shops, new restaurants and more museums and cultural events than i will ever have time to attend. This city is without a doubt among the most interesting in the world. I am more than ready to try and start a new entrepreneurial direction with my life and I know that Sao Paulo is the only place for me right now. That being said, nothing in Brazil comes without a good dose of frustration...

In the meantime my house is packed up (sort of), i'm out of work (should already have moved) and i am without a car (H takes my car to SP everyday now to work, we already sold his car. and we should already be living in an apartment in SP). I don't know why we thought our timeline would go smoothly in Brazil as it never does. We should know better.

Midst all the fretting, however, there have been a few milestones that i've neglected. Two days ago (February 5th) was my three year anniversary for arriving in Brazil (as a resident). That's an achievement I dare say. If i can last three years here maybe i can last four, or even five. And then of course a real call for celebration yesterday as it was H's 29th birthday. Instead of cake I made his favorite dessert-creme brulee. To make it a little fancier (not that there's anything wrong with it au-naturel) i lined the bottom of the cups with a chocolate truffle...filling. well actually it's what you would make a truffle out of so i suppose it is simply chocolate truffled creme brulee.

My recipe for creme brulee in Brazil is very simple; two boxes of creme de leite, 1/2 cup of sugar, 5 egg yolks and a dash of vanilla. I use farm eggs so my creme is a bit on the orangey side. But trust me you can tell the difference between a factory and farm egg especially in a creme brulee. As for the truffle; make your favorite truffle recipe and pour straight into the ramekins while it's still liquid. Allow the truffle to set and cool before pouring the creme mixture on top. Then just bake as usual in a bain marie in the oven. I usually cook them for 45 minutes. Refrigerate the custards for at least two hours before serving. You can broil them, but they are much better torched because then the custard and truffle remains cold. Not a big fan of hot creme.

While creme brulee is definitely one of the more simple dessert recipes of the French genre, i don't think there's anything (on my list) that tops it. While living in Paris i must have had it once or twice a week at my familiar bar à vin. The thing i loved the most was that chef would change it up every time. Sometimes it would come to me with pistachios crusting the bottom or baby blueberries (myrtilles) strewn throughout. Hazelnuts, raspberries, chestnuts, chocolate -- he would add anything. So for this i know that creme brulee is a dessert as versatile as a sandwich. It is extremely fun (and easy) to play around with to match any occasion or season your're in.

So we may be in a semi-packed up house anxious about our future, but we still managed to forget it and enjoy salmon and shitake risotto followed by a rich (maybe too rich) dessert. The real surprise of the day, however, was the half dozen roses H brought home for me, on his birthday. A very sweet surprise that I know was to encourage me to relax and deal with the real estate frustration with a grain of salt. I really want to get this apartment...and i guess at this point i am supposed to say that home is where the heart is. I know I can't complain about life. But i just think that these flowers would look so lovely in the new place! à bientot.