Come with Me to Christmas In Brazil
Plus two traditional recipes that are on my Christmas dinner table.
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Brazilians call Santa Claus "Papai Noel,” which means “Father Noel.” Although it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, he still arrives dressed in his traditional red silk suit, wearing long boots. Some say he comes on a sleigh while others believe he travels by helicopter directly from the North Pole. Of course, he can't enter our houses through the chimney because most of our houses don't have one. Instead, presents appear magically either in our rooms or under the Christmas tree. But for this to happen we have to hang a sock near a window as a signal that we are waiting for him.
As a native, I have celebrated many Christmases in Brazil, and one of my early memories was with my maternal grandparents. My grandmother used to set up a nativity scene on a large table in her living room on the very first day of December and I was her helper. One time I collected around 200 seashells from the beach to cobble together the path that brings the Three Wise Men to the Baby Jesus in the manger, which made my grandma smile from ear to ear. To reward my enthusiasm, I was treated to one of my favorite childhood confections: mini dulce de leche bars (cocada de leite).
Denise Browning
Many visitors were invited to have afternoon coffee with her, my grandpa and some of her grandchildren, where a table full of treats awaited them. Some of the staples were rabanada—toasted French bread—scrambled eggs, grilled coalho cheese, tropical fresh fruits, a coffee cake and of course, the best 100% arabica coffee ever.
For Christmas dinner we might feast on roast turkey, chester (a breed of pumped-up chicken) and ham. Along with these came side dishes of farofa (toasted manioc flour with nuts and dried fruits or vegetables), salpicao (Brazilian chicken salad), rice with raisins and potato salad. Some families also include a codfish dish, such as my recipe for bacalhau gratinado (pictured above), a creamy casserole made from salt cod, potatoes, béchamel sauce and several kinds of cheese.
Denise Browning
As for dessert, panettone, an Italian sweet bread, is almost universal. Bauducco is the most well-known brand and produces two of our favorites: a traditional panettone with candied fruits and another with chocolate chips called chocotone. Some people use panettone to make desserts such as trifle (pave) or bread pudding (pudim de panetone), or simply fill it and top it with the fudgy chocolate spread brigadeiro mole. My recipe for Brazilian panettone bread pudding (pictured above) is smooth and creamy, resembling a caramel flan, and is garnished with festive candied fruits—a feast for the eyes.
As you enjoy my recipes, let them conjure up the sights, smells and sounds I love from Christmas in Brazil: artificial Christmas trees adorned in figures wearing typical cangaceiro hats from my native Northeastern Brazil, streets shimmering with lights, choirs singing “Noite Feliz” (our version of “Silent Night”) and of course the food, food everywhere, present on every table.
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