Welcome to my Kitchen
Brazilian-ish & California-esque.
A WORD
I lean into the deeply nourishing plate composition of a Brazilian “Prato Feito,” with farmer’s-market driven seasonal ingredients. I’ve come to call this style Carioca-California.
Food has always been my family’s love language, and the dinner table is where we traded stories, advice, and affection. When thinking of how to bring my culture to my American home, it had to come back to food. And someone had to do something about my Grandmother’s mysterious recipe books, lacking ingredient lists, oven temperatures, and cook times.
My addiction to cookbooks and twenty years of experience creating in my own kitchen has been put to work to translate, document and adapt classic recipes from my childhood in Rio. I’m not a trained chef, but neither were the people who cooked some of the best meals I’ve ever had.
With American kitchens in mind, recipes are written using readily available grocery store ingredients, and in standard US measurements.
Recent Recipes
Easy Weeknight Soup Formula
In Rio, where it never really gets cold, we don’t delegate soups to certain months. Year-round soup is my best-kept kitchen secret for balance.
Healthy Brazilian Beef Stroganoff (Estrogonofe Fit)
Cariocas are known for a lifestyle of balance. While not traditional, this recipe "fits" into our habit of taking something we love and waving a healthy wand at it.
Easy Fish Dip (Pastinha de Peixe)
A "Pastinha de Peixe" after my Brazilian heart. I think of this fish dip as a not-tuna, not-salad, tuna salad situation. But better.
Halibut Moqueca with Green Papaya (Brazilian Coconut Fish Stew)
Chef Emme Ribeiro Collins once beat Bobbly Flay with a Moqueca. Here is one of her takes on this traditional Afro-Bahian seafood stew.
Brigadeirão (Brazilian Chocolate Fudge Flan Dessert)
The most important dessert of Brazil in flan mode.
Camarão à Paulista (Brazilian Garlic Lime Shrimp)
This is a recipe from Olivia Mesquita’s book Authentic Brazilian Home Cooking. It's kind of like Scampi, but you know, Sao Paulo style.
Truffled Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Shrimp
On the 29th of every month, there is an opportunity to will good fortune for the coming month, and all you have to do is eat gnocchi. Worth a try right?
Spaghettoni with Beet Pesto, Burrata & Calabrian Chili Oil
This dish is strikingly beautiful. And delicious. And so nourishing.
Easy Cashew Cream (Dairy-Free Brazilian Stroganoff Sauce)
A cream substitute to make a perfect dairy-free Strogonoff even traditionalists prefer. Cross my heart.
Brazilian Ground Beef Stir Fry (Carne Moída Recipe)
The “not-for-a-taco” Brazilian take on taco meat.

