Carnival cuisine (From Bournemouth Echo)

Carnival cuisine

10:00am Wednesday 17th February 2010 in

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FEBRUARY can be a hard month for food lovers. Lent looms cheerlessly on the horizon and not even the prospect of pancake day is enough to cheer us up.

But in South America it’s party time. As Lent approaches, carnival towns like Rio de Janeiro parade their way towards 40 days of good behaviour.

Rio-born Leticia Moreinos Schwartz, has written Cook Brazilian, with 100 easy-to-follow recipes, from salads, soups and desserts to the classic Caipirinha cocktail.

Schwartz is quick to point out that the culinary heritage of her homeland is rich. Portuguese conquerors brought their love of salt cod, soups, stews and egg-based sweets, the Africans their delight in nuts, rice and beans, while the native Indians shared their enthusiasm for coconut, fish spices and exotic fruits.

Schwartz moved to New York in 1997 to work in some of the world’s top restaurants, but she became homesick for the food of her childhood and set out to recreate her favourite Brazilian dishes.

Over the week we'll be giving you recipes for Brazillian Fish Stew, Molten Dulce de Leche Cake and a cheeky Caipirinha cocktail.