Part one
Do you ever feel that seasoning is what really makes a dish? Every time I eat rice and beans I feel this way. This duo is the mainstay of every household in Brazil, and perhaps because we Brazilians are so used to the dish, we have some how become immune to noticing its specialness. Aside from cooking techniques which are as basic as 1-2-3, the one way to elevate rice and beans onto a whole new level is to use amazing, unforgettable seasonings.
That was my experience when I first tasted Rose’s rice and beans. Rose Sperling is a friend of mine who, like me, married an American man and lives in the US. We met through my aunt in Bahia, Brazil, who told me about this beautiful Brazilian woman living in New York. We were both dating our husbands-to-be and have been good friends ever since.
The first time she invited us to her home, more than 10 years ago, she served a simple and typical Brazilian meal: rice and beans, farofa (toasted manioc flour) and meat. The minute I tasted her food, I sensed something big was behind that cooking.
The perfume of the rice infused the house with a creamy and clean aroma. Every grain of rice was ivory in hue and coated by a bit of the fat that goes in it. The beans tasted nutty and garlicky, black juices glazing each bean. The pot bubbling slowly on the stove was fragrant and crazy with flavor. The meat was seasoned hours ahead of time with salt, pepper, and garlic, lending deep flavors, especially when served bloody medium rare (it was) and the farofa was a golden buttery sand on the plate. Everything was perfect! Rose’s food activated my memory and my identity.
“Do you cook a lot?” I asked her. “Not really”, she replied, “I only cook what my mother used to make at home.” Mother. Oh, her mother!
Angelina Aparecida Masieiro Braz is the mother in question, and Rose proves that the gift of cooking can truly be passed from mother to daughter even if she chooses not to use it all that frequently.
Rose claims she is too busy to cook these days. She has a very strong argument. “Try taking care of 3 children in New York! “, she tells me, her eyes and body full of energy. And she has tons of it. Her long thin arms are as toned as Madonna’s – she says it is from lifting children all day long.
I am sure Rose was happy as a child to have her mother. I am also sure she has been happy as an adult to have her mother. Like all teenagers, she probably went through a phase of thinking that she could live better without her, but that’s a mistake we all make. And now, three gorgeous daughters later, I believe this is the time when Rose is the most grateful to have her mother, because Rose too gets wiped out sometimes.
When Angelina is visiting, there is only one person happier than Rose or the girls, and that is Neil Sperling – Rose’s husband. Blessed with an accelerated metabolism and a long elegant figure, Neil seems to be the biggest beneficiary of Angelina’s cooking. While Rose is busy mothering, he is the one looking forward to coming home to a meal prepared by his mother in law.
Luiza, 9, Julia ,6, and Olivia, 3, are the precious grandchildren who give Angelina the courage to board a plane and visit a country whose language she barely speaks. For the girls, she goes by “Vovó Lina”, for me she goes by “Dona” Angelina. (In Portuguese, we use “Dona” for feminine and “Doutor” or “Seu” for masculine when respectfully addressing someone older.)
Over the years, I have insisted that Rose’s cooking is absolutely delicious, although she doesn’t quite realize that herself. I wanted to trail that source, that seasoning, that cooking – that mother. So I asked Rose if I could borrow her mother a bit, to watch her cook on her next visit to the US. And we finally did it!
Like daughter, like mother. Dona Angelina cooks like an angel!
Stay tuned! On the next post you will meet Dona Angelina and you’ll love her cooking!