Goals for the New Year 2014

Goals for the New Year

Every year, I see friends and family members set New Year's resolutions and for a hot minute, I think of doing the same. Then I remember I don't believe in them. Instead, I like to set goals, which I accomplish and then am free to set new goals throughout the year. This year, I will do the same.

For now, I have simple goals. After all, I no longer have a master's degree program hanging over my head (Yeah!). This means, I am free to enjoy my nights and weekends and no longer have to lock myself in a room and study the day away. I digress. My goals for now are to (1) enjoy those around me, (2) complete unfinished projects, and (3) plan a baby shower for a good friend and former San Francisco Carnaval Queen--no pressure!


Goal 1: Aquarela's Bring in the New Year Party
To simplify things and take away the pressure of attending another holiday party in December, we decided to celebrate in January with a Welcome the New Year Party. The event was carefree and relaxing, allowing me to have a great time with some of my closest friends and some of the best samba dancers in the San Francisco Bay Area.


Goal 2: Finish my red Carnaval bikini
It's official, red is my new favorite color. The rhinestones and swarovski stones in the bikini bring a glitz and shine to the bikini that I was never able to achieve with just beads. The headpiece is also fabulous with color that I just can't find in the American feather market.
Update: I finally finished the bikini and love it. As an added bonus, I have a shoulder piece from a previous carnaval that goes well with the costume.

Goal 3: Baby Shower
This shower thing is a great deal of work but loads of fun. I have even created a Pinterest board with my ideas and have decided that when I come back in my next life, I want to be an event planner. The time and effort that goes into planning a single event is impressive but so much fun.

FYI: You may ask why this picture. As I mentioned before, she is a SF Carnaval Queen so even her maternity photos are hot. Really, hot!


Beijos and enjoy your week!

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Research on Brazilian-style Rice

Unlocking the secrets to Brazilian style rice

I know this sounds silly, but let me explain. For years, I have tried to make Brazilian-style rice. I would add a tablespoon of oil, 1 cup of rice, and 2 cups of hot water. But my rice was always sticky and never resembled the loose and glistening rice I often enjoy at friends' home or at Brazilian restaurants. Frustrated and determined to know the secret, I began my research. I started noticing preparation strategies, ingredients, tools, and variations of the dish I love so much (Note that I don't really like rice, but am more than happy eating a plate of pure Brazilian-style rice. It's something about the texture and flavor that keeps me coming back for more).

I've come to the conclusion that it's all in the oil or I should say the amount used. The 1 or 2 tablespoons mentioned in cookbooks really isn't enough. From my observations, one needs to cover the bottom on the pot with oil. It gets better! Once the oil is hot, add chopped garlic and/or onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Next, mix Jasmine rice with the ingredients; make sure to coat the rice with the oil. After a few minutes add water. This is where noted rice makers disagree. Some believe that the water must be hot before adding it to the pot. Others are comfortable using room temp water. Conclude by adding salt and pepper and bringing the water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, lower heat and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.

Whenever I make sticky rice, hubby usually  says, "united we will win/succeed." Apparently, it's a common saying and an indirect insult if someone says this about your rice. 

Note that my research is all theoretical. Once I overcome my fear of coating the bottom of the pot with oil, I will begin empirical research. Wish me luck!

Benefits of Being Bilingual

Bilingual

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'm surrounded by bilinguals, trilingual, and polyglots. It's great! When I get yelled at in traffic, it's often in some foreign language that make "Fuck you!" sound eloquent and pretty. You may find it strange, but it's true. Next time you yell at someone in traffic say, " Merde" (maird) and note all the great smiles you get in return ;)

Needless to say, speaking additional languages brings great benefits. Check out a New York Times article on the benefits of being bilingual.

For Portuguese/Brazilian parents, I recently discovered the Instituto Brasilia de Educacao e Cultura (IBEC). It's a cultural center that teaches kids Brazilian Portuguese. For more info go to www. ibec-ca.org.For those interested in combining their love for Brazilian music, martial arts, and Portuguese, ABADA Capoeira in San Francisco is the place for you or your kids. For first and second generation Brazilians, you may want to ask about Ponto de Cultura. Click on the links above for more information.

Valentine Gifts

Business Card:

I'm a strong believer that we MUST celebrate special days. It makes others feel special and adds interest to our days. But with my busy life, I, at times, let special days go by without giving it much attention :(

Last year for Valentine's Day, I got my hubby a shitty last-minute gift. I was feeling overwhelmed by the demands of life and did not put much thought into the gift. I felt awful and the fact that I can't even remember what I got him makes it worse.

This year, I'm going to redeem myself. Though I'm not sure what I will give him, I do have a few ideas in mind.

Popcorn maker and Pay Per View
In the past, I have given friends and family an old school looking popcorn maker. Later, they tell me of fun movie nights and popcorn binges.
For my hubby, I'm hoping to add umph to the gift by purchasing a Pay Per View event. He can make popcorn, serve home-made beer and have friends over to watch a fight or special event.

Watch with glitz
As a Brazilian man, my hubby loves watches. To make it better, he loves large, glitzy watches. It's this ghetto fab side that I love so much!

Business Cards
As of now, this is my top choice. Now that my hubby is engrossed in his beer-making projects, I'm thinking of making simple business cards with his name and hobby written on it. He can then give cards away to friends and fellow brewers. Who knows?! Brahma, Brazil's number one beer, may end up asking him to become a professional testers.

Carnivore and Herbivore

Cooking Class:
Attentive Student:
The flambe was obviously way over my head!
My father is from Rio Grande do Sul, beef capital of Brazil, so logically meat dishes have always been present in my life. In fact, like the aunt in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, my dad would make chicken as a substitute for beef. Only recently, did he begin appreciating vegetarian dishes.

Like my father, I am clueless when it comes to meatless dishes. I have enjoyed vegetarian meals but I must say I'm a little ignorant when it comes to preparing them. How do you cook without meat? Better yet, how do you live?

After explaining my dilemma to a friend, she gave me Vegan Planet, a vegan cookbook. Let me start by saying that going from being a carnivore to an herbivore is beyond difficult! No wonder the T-Rex is extinct. He couldn't handle a broccoli and brown rice diet. Everything becomes a steak and the fact that I can't have one drives me insane.

I realized that though I wanted to adopt a healthier eating style, going cold turkey (meat references are all over) was not the answer. Like a crackfiend, I need an occasional fix, a piece of bacon, a fried egg, a BBQ. I finally reached a compromise. I opted for a few meatless dishes once a week...OK, once in a while. I have to start somewhere.

Needless to say, I will never be a vegetarian or vegan, but I like to think that a meatless diet, once in a while, will help improve my health, my family's health, and the health of the planet.

I'm please to say that it has been working. On meatless nights, I make fish (not really a meat) OR use meat substitutes. Again, I gotta start somewhere.



Below is my favorite vegan dish:
Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

• Olive Oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 minced garlic clove
• One 14.5 oz of chopped and drained tomatoes
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of apple juice
• 1/4 cup of tomato paste
• 2 tb of chili powder (I omit the chili powder)
• Salt
• 1 diced butternut squash
• 3 cups or two 15 oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

• Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the black beans. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add the beans, simmer it for 15 minutes, and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve hot.
  

Like a true carnivore, I'm also including my favorite Brazilian meat dish--yum!
Brazilian Strognonoff

• 2 tablespoons butter shopping list
• 1 white onion minced shopping list
• 1 clove garlic minced shopping list
• 1 teaspoon salt shopping list
• 1 pound white cultivated mushrooms shopping list
• 1 pound beef cut into small cubes shopping list
• 2 tablespoons ketchup shopping list
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

• Lightly fry the beef with the butter, onion, garlic and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of water to make a thick sauce then add remaining ingredients except sour cream and ketchup. Cook for 5 minutes and check meat for doneness. When done add sour cream and ketchup. Mix briefly and serve with potato sticks and white rice.

Since I like meat, I'm including a second meat dish, Lomo Saltado. This is such a tasty Peruvian dish!
LOMO SALTADO (PERUVIAN STIRFRY)

• 1 lb sirloin or tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces--You can replace the sirloin with chicken, shrimp, or tofu.
  
• 1 small onion, cut into strips
• 1 large tomato, cut into strips
• 1 large hot pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• salt
• pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• French fries

Directions:

• Place the cut meat in a bowl or dish, and season it with salt, pepper, a little bit of olive oil, lime juice, and chopped garlic. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
• Sauté meat over high heat for a few minutes until meat is no longer pink. Lower temperature to medium and add first the onion. Cook, stirring for 1 minute and then stir in the tomatoes and peppers. Cook until the onions are tender.
  
• Add the red wine and the cilantro. Cook for one more minute. Toss in the French fries and serve with white rice.

You must watch Food Inc. It changed many of my eating habits.

Best Carnaval Roles

As Brazilians like to say, New Year's Eve is the first cry of Carnaval. From January until the day of the parade, Canavalescos, Carnaval participants, rehearse, work on tan lines, and get ready for the special day. It is, after all, one of the largest competitions in Rio de Janeiro. The winning samba school not only gets the prestige of being the best samba school in Rio but also a significant cash prize.

But really, what is Carnaval without the amazing costumes? Below are photos of my favorite outfits and roles.

Porta Bandeira and Mestre de Sala. This is one of the most prestigious positions a samba school member can have. PB and MdS have the honor of carrying the school's flag, and unlike other parade members, there is only one male and one female PB and MdS for the whole school. The coveted position is often passed down from generation to generation, staying within the family for years.

Madrinha da Bateria (Godmother of the Band). The MdB holds one of the most glamorous positions in a samba school. Throughout the parade, she marches down the Sambodromo, the designated parade street, in front of the band. Her job, in addition to looking fab, is to excite the crown and dance her ass off. Since all eyes are on her, the pressure is on to look amazing in ever way.

Baianas. I love the role of the baianas. Normally, B are older women who have been members of the samba school for years. They are dedicated members who, behind the scenes, do most of the sewing and costume making for other members. Though the costumes are typically long skirts, each year, costume designer incorporate new designs, colors, and accessories that make the costume beautiful and glamorous.

Globeleza. Yeas ago, Globo, Brazil's top television network, began hosting competitions in search of someone who would serve as the face of Carnaval. For 10 years, Valeria Valencia held the position. Today, Globo hosts a yearly competition to find the right woman. She, in nothing but body paint, appears in commercials that promote the parade and remind me why I need to eat more brown rice and broccoli.

Samba Styles

Good friends, aging, and samba moves are like good wine. It doesn't get old; it gets better.

This week Lea Nouch is coming to visit from Africa! She not only is a great friend but also an amazing dancer. Her fusion of Cuban salsa and samba gives her dance moves a style I have never seen before. Really, when she dances, I have to stop and watch--in part because she is so damn good and in part because I try to see which moves I can steal : ) .

Thinking about Lea and her samba fusion got me thinking of other samba styles. Unbeknown to many, samba is not just a 1 and 2 count. It, as with any great style of dance, has a variety of styles that incorporate cultural and regional norms.

Here are a few videos of the many style of samba:

Samba de Roda:
I often connect this style of samba with capoeira and Bahia. From my observations and conversations with fellow dancers, I have noticed that Samba de Roda dancers appear grounded when performing. They incorporate more shoulder movements and the samba step is more open and out when compared to Rio style samba.

Axe samba:
This is truly a workout! Dancers mix samba steps with a variety of choreographed moves. Since the moves are specific to the song, it's difficult to count or transfer moves from one song to the next. But this is one of my favorite style of samba (Note that I say samba but dancers do very little of the move. It's really about the choreography and how cute you look while doing it :).

Pagode:
Ops, Axe is great but I love pagode. By far, this is my favorite style of samba since it's both a solo and couple dance. Dancers use their hips, feet, arms, and head to give the move a charming and involved look.

Rio:
I call Rio style samba the Barbie and Speedy Gonzales dance. From waist up, dancers are to look regal, fabulous, and charismatic (Barbie). From waist down, dancers are to move like a bat out of hell. With this style, the samba step is closer together but the knees open as the dancer steps back. Heels are a must!

Charismatic Samba:
In actuality, this is a version of the Rio style samba. Dancers use the traditional bikini with feather costume but little footwork is done. The focus is on the charm that comes from soft turns, arm movements, and dramatic pauses. To achieve this style, the right song is a must!

Over the year, I have performed a little of all sambas. I'm confident with some but need work on others, as with all dancers. But one thing is for sure, when I dance, regardless of the samba style, the music takes over and I enjoy every minute of it.