Pamonha Revisited

Toninho picking corn from the field that morning!

Fia and her grandson Cristofer adding
rendered pork fat for richness

The whole family chips in to help!

So as I mentioned in my first post, I happened to be in Brazil during the peak of corn season and I was excited to find out that Julio's family planned a day of Pamonha making at Maria's (Julio's sister) farm.  As pictured above Julio's brother, Tonhinho, picked the corn from the field that very morning.  We shucked the ears and retained the husks.  The old fashioned way of grating the corn for this dish is pictured above but that was just for theatrics.  After the third ear we all decided to do it the modern way with a blender.  The puree is then mixed with warm milk, (from the family cow, of course) rendered pork fat, and sugar.  Finally it's poured into boiled corn husks as pictured above and then boiled for 20 to 30 minutes.   The result is a thick corn pudding unlike any you have ever tasted.  Corn from your back yard, milk from your own cow?  It doesn't get any more local than that.  The whole family gathers to pitch in and good thymes are always had by all!

Work Lunch Break UPGRADE

My job keeps me out in the field for most of the day.  The world (well, Bridgeport, Stratford and other locations in Fairfield County mostly) is my corner office with a view.  I'm always on the move and, while I do try to pack a lunch so I can eat whenever it's convenient, sometimes I just need a mental sit-down and and enjoy.   I have a half hour for lunch so I have to be very strategic.  I happened to be in the vicinity of Massimos Pizzeria (http://www.massimospizzeriaristorante.com/). They have been around a long time.  I remember getting take out when I was a telephone operator in the late 80s.  Today I decided to sit. 

I was greeted by the friendly staff and was invited to sit in the rustic Tuscanesque dining room.  White tablecloths covered the tables and the cloths were covered by white paper.  I was given a menu and was asked about my drink order.  I chose a Diet Coke, they do serve beer and wine but I am at work.  I took a quick look at the menu whose options are very affordable ranging from $6 with many options well under $20.  I really felt like having pasta and the Carbonara jumped off the menu so I went with it.  A bowl of self serve soup is included so I helped myself to a bowl.  Today's soup was minestrone and, dare I say it? It was homemade.   It was filled with white beans, fresh aromatic vegetables, and soup greens. Shortly thereafter came my entree. It smelled fabulous and I did the spoon test when no one is looking.  You simply rub your finger across the back of the spoon and if the sauce stays separate as pictured here then it is a perfect consistency.  This is referred to as Nappé (pronounced “nappay”). I added cheese and black pepper.  The test was valid as the sauce was perfect.  It stayed on the pasta but was never so sticky that you couldn't twirl the fettuccine.  The waiter stopped by to see if everything was okay and I asked him to bring the check right away so I could pay while I was finishing.  30 minutes goes by fast but I made it!

Great food and great service.  I guess that's how they stayed open for over 30 years!

An Evening at Bridge House

So most of you know that my husband, Julio, lives in Boston.  From time to time his work finds him in NYC or in Greenwich and that allows us to spend some time together.  Tonight we decided to go to Bridge House in Milford, CT (http://www.milfordbridgehouse.com/).  This is our "go to" whenever we are in the mood for an excellent meal in a friendly neighborhood place.  

We started with a dish called "Meatball for 2" it is a massive meatball (as explained on the menu) that is stuffed with mozzarella and drenched in marinara, pesto and Parmigiano Reggiano shavings.  We were so taken aback by the dish that we completely forgot to take a picture, hence the photo of the empty plate.

Immediately following was  king crab legs for me and Julio ordered the ribeye steak encrusted with fig, Gorgonzola and caramelized onions.  The crab was sweet, melt in your mouth, perfectly cooked wondefurlness.  The shells were partially cracked so I didn't have to struggle to eat my meal and I didn't have to wear one of those unflattering bibs.  It was served with a side of crisp hericot verts and silky mashed potatoes.  Julio's steak was everything that we imagined it would be.  The earthiness of the flame grilled steak was no competition for the crust.  The caramelized onions and figs danced on the palate with the steak and the Gorgonzola like an Argentine Tango, slow and full of passion.

An excellent meal indeed AND accompanied by a half price bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.  I especially enjoyed this white wine with the steak. The citrus undertones played well with the figs.

I recommend this restaurant to everyone.  You cannot have a bad meal there and the staff is great too!