a day in the life of a carioca 

Monday, April 27, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 11:04 AM
A Carioca is a resident of Rio de Janeiro. While I'm only a "wannabe" Carioca, after 3 trips to the Marvelous City, I have learned a few things about navigating the city. First, arrive at the beach early to ensure a primo people- and wave-watching spot. And don't bring anything except your kanga [beach wrap] and a few reals for food and impromptu shopping. Cariocas travel and live lightly.


Next, scan O Globo, even if you don't speak Portuguese. On second thought, lose the newspaper. Who needs reading material with that backdrop?



Forgot your hat? Need a shirt? Sunglasses? Sunscreen? Jewelry? A henna tattoo? A power saw? Relax. The perpetual parade of vendors has only just begun.


Is your American swimsuit flagrantly modest? No worries. Wandering bikini salesman to the rescue....


There – much better. And only $15. I bought two. [No, it's not a "dental floss" bikini.]


Hungry? How about some corn on the cob?


Leave your iPod at home. The wandering samba drummer will entertain you.


Need to cool down? Get the Açai vendor's attention. Quick! Quick! He doesn't come around very often.


Always listen to the lifeguards. One day when the waves and riptides were particularly treacherous, I witnessed 4 beach rescues including this dramatic helicopter intervention. It was like Brazilian "Baywatch."


On your way home from the beach, stop at the corner juice bar for a refreshing suco. Passionfruit [right] and mango [left].


Then pick up any produce you need at the street market.



After you get showered, head back out to Ipanema and watch the beach hunks play "futevollei," [pronounced "foo-chee-vol-lee"]. It's a cross between soccer and volleyball and looks like so much fun. Afterwards, grab some dinner and a caipirinha, then head over to Lapa to hear some live music and samba the night away!

The next morning, get up, have a cafezinho and do it all again.



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this-n-that 

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 10:59 AM
Happy Earth Day, kids. Sorry, but no Rio photos yet.
In the meantime...


Here's a gratuitously cute shot of the cats. As you can see, all 3 are co-existing peacefully. Fur occassionally flies, but it's usually all in good fun.



On Thursday, good friend, sculptor extraordinaire, Leonard Streckfus drove up from Baltimore. We had dinner at Rx, a sweet little BYOB in West Philly. I ordered the "Omnibus," a colorful array of the veggie sides du jour.


On Saturday, we went to see the Phillies play the San Diego Padres with adorable nephew, John Michael, and his dad. Our Citizens' Bank Stadium is extremely veg-friendly; you can even order vegan hotdogs and burgers.


Here's John Michael, giving the Phillie Phanatic some love. Notice the Yankees t-shirt.


Unfortunately, the Padres beat the Phils 8-5, but that didn't stop us from having a fab time.


On Sunday since I was missing the beach, I drove to Ocean City, NJ, to catch a glimpse of the sea, followed by a sandwich at Katina's.


Then I came home and grooved to some of my new bossa nova CDs with – who else – but Bossa Nova?

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rio is a moveable feast, plus pastel recipe 

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 11:17 AM
The sun melting into Dois Irmãos mountain on Ipanema. The pounding samba drum, shaking the earth beneath you in Lapa. The dueling chants of the Flu vs Fla soccer fans, taunting each other at the newly refurbished Maracanã Stadium. The kaleidoscopic parade of Havaianas gliding across Copacabana's wavy-gravy pavement. This was my third visit to the Cidade Maravilhosa, and I do believe that Rio de Janeiro is even more of a moveable feast than Paris.

You'll have to wait for photos; owing to Rio's omnipresent petty crime, I didn't take my digital camera, so I'm waiting on prints from the disposable cameras. But to tide you over, I can show you some things I came home with:

About 50 CDs [No typo]

A stash of sweet-smelling vegetable-based soaps [About $1 a piece]

Funky bracelets. Each time I visit Brazil, I pick up a few pieces at Sobral. [I've never been a diamonds-and-pearls kind of girl.]

Brazil is a country of contrasts.
Some of Brazil's juxtapositions are charming while others are a bit disturbing. A few observations:
  • Topless bathing is taboo, but even the most Rubenesque women unabashedly bare their ample "bum-bums," covered only by postage-stamp sized thong bikinis known locally as fio dental (dental floss).
  • Abortion is illegal in Brazil except in extreme cases. But prostitution is legal. Recently, a 9-year old girl became pregnant with twins, the victim of incest. Since the child only weighed 86 pounds, the pregnancy was considered to be life-threatening and she was allowed to have an abortion. The local archbishop then promptly excommunicated the girl's mother and the doctor who performed the abortion, but let the the rapist off the hook, saying, that, although incest was wrong, abortion was "worse."
  • Every corner features a suco bar, where you can ingest deep fried, meat and/or cheese laden pastels – washed down with insanely nutritious, phytochemical-laden juices from a spectrum of exotic fruits. [See my healthier pastel recipe, below.] Similarly, in buffet restaurants, people fill their plates with rich desserts, then use artificial sweetener in their coffee!
Recipe :: Brazilian Pastels
I created these vegan pastels to extend my vacation for at least another day. Try them with a glass of Brazilian beer [aka, chopp] or better yet, with a nice, cold caipirinha.

Dough
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 T Earth Balance
  • 4 T non-hydrogenated vegan shortening
  • 2 - 4 T cold water

Filling
  • 1/2 T olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 7 oz ground beef style crumbles
  • 2 T dried parsley

Makes 10 pastels

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. With a pastry cutter, work in Earth Balance and shortening and process until roughly blended. Do not overmix or the dough will toughen. Add water, 1 T at a time, and use your hands to work it into a dough. The less water you use, the flakier your crust will be.
  3. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. While the dough chills, prepare the filling. In a small frying pan, heat the oil and saute the onion until clear, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.
  5. In a medium bowl, mix the crumbles with the onions and parsley. Using your hands is easiest.
  6. Use a glass or cookie cutter and cut 10 circles from the dough. Flatten each out slightly and fill with about 1 T of filling. Do not overstuff! Fold over the dough and crimp the edges.
  7. Place on a medium baking sheet and bake about 7-9 minutes on each side or until golden. Bom apetite!

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