15 Food You Need to Try in Portugal

seafood from Portugal

One of the best memories of my childhood were holidays where our dining room was filled with friends and family.  We would sit for hours and tell stories and laugh while we ate course after course. Meals were built with fresh ingredients and cooked with love. When traveling to Portugal, you have to try its delicious cuisine. From fresh seafood to savory meats, there is no shortage of amazing food to try. Here are 15 foods you need to try in Portugal:

APPETIZERS

Queijo da Serra

 Queijo da Serra is a soft and creamy cheese that is made from sheep’s milk. It is great for a petisco (a Portuguese version of tapas).

Sausages

My four favorite are Chouriço: You can have it cold or hot, but an awesome way to eat it is a flame-grilled chouriço assado, cooked in a clay dish and they light the sausage.

Linguiça: It is a lot like Chouriço, but has more paprika and garlic.

(more…)


Books to Help With Your New Years Resolutions

Books and flowers

Every December, I start to look at my life and evaluate what I could do to make it even better for the upcoming year.  I think of things I like to do that brings me joy.  For example, this year I want to entertain more.  I love to cook and try new cocktails, so cookbooks are definitely on my Christmas list.  I love unique cookbooks…check out a few amazing ones I’ve found.  It is also a time to make some new habits like journaling, traveling, and becoming the best you possible. Here are a few books to help with your new years resolutions!

The Unofficial Witcher Cookbook

By: Nevyana Dimitrova & Trey Guillory

The Unofficial Witcher Cookbook: Andrzej Sapkowski’s epic fantasy saga of the witcher Geralt has captivated pop culture for nearly 30 years. Through books, graphic novels, TV shows, and video games, the witcher’s adventures have brought audiences face-to-face with monsters, sorceresses, kings, and destiny. Now, you can have your very own taste of the legendary adventures of a witcher.

The Unofficial Witcher Cookbook is filled with 50 recipes ranging from humble meals and tavern stews to bountiful feasts fit for a king, including:

Prized Potato Soup

Blacksmith Dumplings

Feast of Ham and Nightshade

House Specialty Soup

Honey Cakes for a Coin

And more!

This cookbook is perfect for die-hard fans of The Witcher, as well as those who just can’t get enough epic fantasy in their life.

The Van Life Cookbook

By: Susan Marque

(more…)


Spice Madam

When you have teenagers, it gets harder and harder to find things you can do together.  One of the things I most love to do is get the girls in the kitchen with me.  We love trying new dishes while we’re traveling and we’ve had fun experimenting with cooking new ones this last year.  I love trying exotic meals but some ingredients can be both hard to find and intimidating. Spice Madam gives you the spices you’ll need to make a meal from a specific country around the world. It is the perfect way to spend a night at home!

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE SPICE MADAM

One of my favorite things about this box is it gives you a link to music from the country.  Throw it on as you’re cooking or eating to set the mood.

I also like that they tell you how difficult each recipe is.  The chef hats in the upper right corner of the recipe card indicate a skill level from 1 chef hat (easy) 2 chef hats (medium) to 3 chef hats (harder). They encourage you to challenge yourself.

Finally, you know I love a company that gives back.  Every box of Spice Madame sold supports a non-profit that impacts youth education.

WHAT COMES IN EACH BOX?

(more…)


15 Cookbooks that Inspire Travel

One of the best things about travel is the FOOD! Eating local cuisine can tell you a lot about the culture.  Being Portuguese, I know that lots of love goes into our food and that the best memories are made around a dining room table.  Since we’re not using our passports right now, a great way to “travel” is to discover new places through their food.  I love to gather my family in the kitchen, put on some music, and start giving everyone a task of chopping, measuring, stirring, and tasting.  Here are a few of my favorite cookbooks.

Here are 15 cookbooks that will inspire you to travel the world:

PORTUGAL: Taste Portugal 101 Easy Portuguese Recipes (Volume 1)

(I can’t wait to buy her second book!)

by Maria Dias

SPAIN: Catalan Food: Culture and Flavors from the Mediterranean

by Clarkson Potter

(more…)