What’s your weekend cocktail?

For the next three weeks, when watching the Olympics, it could be the Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil. It’s made with the national’s official spirit, cachaça.

In the U.S., cachaça is considered “Brazilian rum,” but don’t call it that in front of a Brazilian!

[1] The national cocktail of Brazil: the Caipirinha (photo courtesy JamieOliver.com). [2] A leading brand of cachaça, Leblon is named after the most affluent neighborhood in Rio.

1. MUDDLE the lime and sugar into glass; then add ice to the top of the glass.

2. ADD the cachaça, stir, garnish and serve.
 
MORE CACHACA RECIPES

 
THE OLD-FASHIONED GLASS

The Old Fashioned glass, also called lowball glass, or rocks glass, is a short tumbler used for serving an alcoholic beverage with ice cubes (“on the rocks”). It gets its name from the Old Fashioned cocktail, invented in the 1860s in New York City.

Old Fashioned glasses are made with a wide brim and a thick base for muddling (source).

Bottoms up!

[1] Lay out the ingredients for the easiest DIY dessert. [2] Ricotta salata, made in a mold, is salted. It’s better for a DIY with savory toppings (photos courtesy Good Eggs). [3] and [4] Crunchy Wasa Thins in Sesame & Sea Salt, also available in Sea Salt & Rosemary (photos courtesy Wasa).

You may know ricotta from cannoli and cheesecake. They’re delicious desserts, but require some preparation.

For summer, there’s another option: The 5 Minute Ricotta Dessert Bowl, as created by Good Eggs, a top-quality online grocer in San Francisco.

Yes, in just five minutes you can set ingredients on the table, DIY-style, and everyone can have fun (and good nutrition!) customizing their bowls.

 
RECIPE: DIY RICOTTA BOWLS

Ricotta is actually not a cheese but a by-product of cheese-making which uses the whey drained from other cheeses. Whey is the watery part of milk that remains after the formation of the curds. In fact, the name means “re-cooked.” Here’s more ricotta information.

You can even make your own ricotta at home. Here’a a recipe from Williams-Sonoma.

Turn it into a build-your-own dessert—no cooking, no heat, cool comfort food.

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

 
Savory Ingredient Options

Use the same nuts/seeds, yogurt/sour cream and crackers, plus:

 
HAVE A RICOTTA TASTING

Set out different brands, from big commercial brands or the store brand, to freshly-made ricotta from the cheese department.

Taste each type plain: just a spoonful.

Good Eggs uses Bellwether Farms Sheep’s Milk Ricotta in this recipe. In Italy, Sheep’s milk ricotta is preferred over any other for its delicate flavor and texture. If you can find it, grab it.
 
MORE WAYS TO USE RICOTTA

Use it both sweet and savory dishes, including stuffed pasta (lasagna, manicotti, ravioli, shells, etc.).

[1] The best cookies use jumbo chunks of top-quality chocolate (photo courtesy Good Eggs | San Francisco). [2] Here’s the cookbook
(photo courtesy Ten Speed Press).

May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day…and so is August 4th.

It may be that one is simply Chocolate Chip Day, and the other Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Emails for clarification have not been answered.

But who would complain about a second Chocolate Chip Cookie Day?
 
WHAT IS “THE BEST?”

In subjective areas (as opposed to who crossed the finish line first), “the best” is in the eye of the beholder…or more accurately, on the palate.

You know what you like. If you’re still searching for CCC* perfection, consider this recipe. The only challenge: finding room in the freezer for the cookie sheet!

RECIPE: VIOLET BAKERY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients For 16 Large Cookies

__________________
*Chocolate Chip Cookie!

†We use Callebaut or Trader Joe’s chocolate chunks.
 
Preparation

1. LINE a small baking sheet or pan—one that will fit inside your freezer—with parchment paper.

2. BEAT the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined but not too creamy. You are not aiming for light and fluffy; that would make the cookies too cakey. Add the vanilla and the egg yolks and mix well.

4. SCOOP individual portions of cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet or pan; or use spoons to pat each portion into a little ball. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour, or up to a month. You can bake them right away, but the cookies will be slightly flatter and less even. When ready to bake…

5. PREHEAT the oven to 355°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the cookies evenly on the pan, leaving enough space between each one so they have room to expand during baking: They will almost double in size! Rest the frozen dough on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before placing in the oven.

6. BAKE for 18 minutes, until the center of each cookie is slightly soft and under-baked, but the edges are crispy and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before serving. These cookies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

TIP: If your cookies aren’t as crisp the nest day, place them on a piece of parchment on a cookie sheet and warm them in the oven. The heat will drive out the extra moisture, making them crisp again.
 
THE VIOLET BAKERY COOKBOOK

While the chocolate chip cookie was born in the U.S.A., this recipe comes from London’s popular Violet Bakery. Alice Waters calls it “a little corner of Northern California in east London.”

Get your copy at Amazon.com.
  

[1] The skillet cookie made by Michelle of HummingbirdHigh.com. [2] Lindsay of PinchOfYum.com adds a layer of caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt to her recipe.

Beyond eggs, steak, cornbread and other popular skillet dishes, you can make skillet apple pie, cinnamon swirl bread, even pizza.

But today, it’s all about the cookie. The recipe was baked in a 12″ diameter skillet, if yours is 10 inches, you’ll get a taller cookie (increase the baking time another 5 to 10 minutes).

You can make it your own, with a mix of dark, milk and white chocolate chips; next time we might toss in some dried cherries. We substituted pecans for the hazelnuts.
 
RECIPE: SKILLET CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

Ingredients For A 12-Inch Cookie

 
Preparation

1. ADJUST an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Melt 9 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until butter is dark golden brown, has a nutty aroma, and the bubbling has subsided some, about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons until completely melted.

2. WHISK the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt into the melted butter until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the egg and the egg yolk until smooth, about 3 seconds.

Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat the process of resting and whisking 2 more times, until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny.

3. WHISK the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate chips and optional nuts, making sure no flour pockets remain.

4. WIPE the skillet clean with paper towels. Transfer the cookie dough to the empty, cleaned skillet and press it into an even layer with a spatula.

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake until cookie is golden brown and edges are set, about 20 minutes.

5. USE potholders to transfer the skillet to a wire rack; let cookie cool for 30 minutes. Slice the cookie into wedges or diagonals and serve.

It was an accident. Here’s the scoop.
  

[1] Feijoada at Sushi Samba, a Brazilian-Japanese restaurant with locations in New York City, Florida, Las Vegas and London. [2] A lighter version of feijoada from SimplyRecipes.com.

A hearty, smoky stew of beans and salted, smoked and fresh meats, it is served with white rice and sautéed collard greens are served, along with a set of garnishes that including orange slices and farofa, a toasted cassava flour mixture (think of cornmeal made from cassava and see photo #5 below).

It’s a one-bowl dish of comfort food, and is the traditionally Sunday dinner in Brazil (as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding is in England).
 
WHAT IS A NATIONAL FOOD

A national food is a popular dish made from local ingredients prepared in a particular way. It’s part of the country’s sense of identity, like Austria’s wiener schnitzel and Hungary’s goulash, Korea’s bulgogi (hibachi-grilled beef wrapped in lettuce leaves) and the U.K.’s roast beef with yorkshire pudding.

According to Wikipedia, during the age of European empire-building, nations would develop an entire national cuisine to distinguish themselves from their rivals.

The U.S. has no declared national food; nor do countries such as India. There are too many diverse ethnic groups with specialized cuisines to choose a single national dish.

In Latin America, however, dishes may be designated as a “plato nacional” (national dish).

 
Whatever the national dish, there are as many versions as there are cooks.

Feijoada, for example, can be spicy for mild, eaten with a spoon or so thick, you can eat it with a fork.

RECIPE: FEIJOADA, BLACK BEAN STEW

This recipe was developed for American cooks buy Hank Shaw of SimplyRecipes.com.

(It’s hard to find fresh pig ears, tails and preserved malagueta chiles in many American supermarkets, but if you want a truly authentic recipe, here it is from the Centro Cultural Brasil USA. Not to mention, the traditional recipe is a two-day preparation.)

You can make it for own; for example, top the greens with bacon, or lighten the meats and smokiness by substituting chicken sausage and/or thighs.

Pair it with iced tea, beer, red wine, or red sangria.

Ingredients

 
Sides & Condiments

[3] Feijoada is served family-style, scooped from a pot with passed garnishes (photo courtesy CookDiary.net). [4] Feijoada and its traditional accompaniments (photo courtesy Centro Cultural Brasil USA). [5] Farofa, a dish of toasted cassava flour, can be layered with ingredients from herbs and olives to peas and raisins. In feijoada, however, it is served plain (photo courtesy Blog Da Mimis).

1. COVER the beans with boiling water and set aside.

2. HEAT the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork shoulder. When browned, remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

3. PLACE the onions in the pot and brown, stirring occasionally. Be sure to scrape up the fond (the tasty browned bits on the bottom). Sprinkle with a bit of salt and add the garlic. Stir to combine and sauté for two minutes more.

4. RETURN the pork shoulder to the pot, along with the other meats, bay leaves and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.

5. DRAIN the beans and add them to the stew pot. Simmer covered, until the beans are tender, about 90 minutes.

6. ADD the tomatoes, stir well and taste. Add salt as desired. Simmer uncovered, until the ham begins to fall off the hock, 2-3 hours.

7. SERVE with sides and condiments.