So it appears that cats have no comprehension of DST, as Indiana once again SPRINGS forward an hour, but Tucker's internal clock stays dismally unchanged. So at instead of 5 AM...he jumps on my head at 4 AM screaming
"Where is breakfast? I need to go out. Why aren't you up??"
[...maybe if I stick my ass in her face...]
Yeah...it was kind of like that.
He is curled in a snug ball on the back of the sofa now, snoring loudly.
Is it wrong that I have the overwhelming urge to go poke him with the broom handle until he wakes up....repeatedly.
Learned a lot about Lusitania today.
Foremost, the fact that much like the Americas it was basically stolen from the Indigenous People of the time.
The Indo-Europeans inhabiting much of what is now Portugal and part of Spain.
Then the Romans arrived...doing what they did best at the time. Basically conquering...well...everybody.
They named their latest conquest Lusitania and incorporated their Roman Culture into the existing Celtic.
Today the remains of Lusitania can only be seen in Portugal's museums or one final Roman Relic that remains standing in Alejandro
The Lusitanians were absorbed into and became what is now called the Portuguese Culture, and their language is rooted in Latin.
Now...about the Cuisine.
Frances Mayes described Portuguese Food as "...food for the very hungry..." It is basically enormous quantities of root vegetables, pork, ham, sausage, shellfish and anything that swims or lives in the ocean. Often these are tossed ceremoniously (or not) into a Cataplana together. It is a Peasant's Feast.
Without a Cataplana you an achieve much the same results by using a tight fitting non-vented domed lid on a skillet.
Ingredients usually found within are pork, ham, sausage, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, herring, sardines, salt cod, clams or mussels, octopus seasoned with peppers. Sometimes the Cataplana will contain a little of all of the above. Steamed together.
I had good results with Pork, Onions, Potatoes, Garlic and Carrots.
Even if I did have to steam some asparagus separately so there would be something "green" on the plate.
For afters...Sonhos.
The Portuguese word for "Dreams"
In Brazil they make something similar they refer to as Sonhos de Creme and they are split and filled with a rich egg custard.
They are light as air and cinnamony sweet with a dusting of both cinnamon and confectioner's sugar.
It seems most of Portugal's savory dishes consist of
Pork
Salted Cod
Herring or
Sardines
Garlic...lots and lots of garlic. (...no vampires in Portugal...)
Peppers.
Most of their Dessert dishes have
Egg
Cinnamon
Lemon or Orange Zest
Confectioner's Sugar
Puff Pastry or a Choux
And here is that Sonho recipe I promised!
Sonhos
In a small sauce pan bring
1/2 cup of water
1 Tablespoon of Butter
1 pinch of salt
to a rolling boil. Turn off heat and quickly add
1 1/4 Cups of flour
Stir quickly until all the flour has absorbed the liquid and is following spoon around pan.
Add 4 large eggs one at a time
beating in completely (until smooth) between eggs.
In deep pan heat enough oil to deep-fry Sonhos.
(...these can also be baked...)
Drop batter into pre-heated oil one heaping spoonful at a time...it will make little balls. Deep Fry until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel.
If baking drop in rounded spoonfuls on baking sheet...bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned and puffed up.
Sprinkle liberally with ground cinnamon and confectioner's sugar.
Serve Warm.
Enjoy!
"Wake UP!!!!"
Tomorrow: Fiera da Ladra (Thief’s Fair) and the Alfama (Old Arab Part of the City) and a look at The Great Earthquake of Lisbon 1755.
