Tasty Morsels - Roamancing

Roamancing Mozambique: Bolo de Arroz

January 26, 2013 by Alyzee Lakhani 8 Comments

Bolo de Arroz is a Portugese rice cake popular in cafes and bakeries in Portugal, Mozambique, Brazil. You’ll know it when you see it because of it’s characteristic cylindrical shape, golden crust, and wax paper wrap that often reads ‘BOLO DE ARROZ.’ (‘Bolo’ meaning ‘cake’, arroz meaning ‘rice’). It’s unique shape and wrapping make it a singular member of the pastry world. It`s usually taller than a cupcake, and thinner than a muffin. It’s in a class all on its own. Bolo de Arroz! I love saying it.

They were a part of why I loved visiting cafes so much while I was in Mozambique.

Photo by Inayaili de León

So now that I’m far from cafes with delectable looking bolo de arroz-es in their windows, I had to set about making some of my own. I found there isn’t very much on the internet (in English) about recipes and guidance about how to make these cakes. With the questionable help of Google Translate, I looked to Bear’s Kitchen and Outra Comidas for general instructions to work from.

I learned that there are different versions of the cake: the traditional and the more commercialized bolo de arroz. The traditional ones are denser than the adapted versions, which are airier and, from what I read, a bit greasier. Though I think they’d both be yummy, I was looking for a traditional recipe, and so made sure the instructions I used were from purists looking to restore the cake to its past glory.

Contrary to what the name of the cake suggests, it is not made with only rice flour. Most of the flour used is wheat, and to confirm this I asked to go into the kitchen of a little cafe in Mozambique so the cook could show me what he used to make my beloved pastries. The bag of flour he held up for my inspection was undeniably wheat flour. Anyone interested can find a wheat-free version of the recipe here. Because I was looking for a traditional cake, I followed a recipe that used wheat flour and was pleased with the results.

That said, one of my downfalls as a chef is that I don’t have a kitchen scale. And to my dismay, all the traditional bolo de arroz recipes I found used grams and millilitres. So did a risky thing and used an online metric converter to turn grams and millitres into cups. I’m going to include the measurements I used in the recipe here, but I would strongly recommend using a kitchen scale if you can get your hands on one. The dry to wet ratio seemed kind of off in the batter, and I am certain the results would be even better with more exact measurements.

While you can make these cakes in a cupcake, or if you have one, a tall muffin pan, I wanted to have them in the traditional shape with the pleasure of tearing the paper away, and so I made the moulds myself using parchment paper. I am indebted to these instructions on how to do so.

If you don’t want to make your own moulds, skip ahead to the cake recipe below. If you do, you’ll need:

Parchment Paper
A paste of flour and water
A can or vitamin bottle, about 2 inches in diameter
A pencil and some scissors

What you’ll need to make Bolo de Arroz moulds.

First trace the bottom of the can onto the parchment paper to make a circle. Each mould will use two of these circles. As I was making 8 cakes, I traced 16 circles.

Next roll the can with the parchment paper so that it is covered with some overlap. With the can still wrapped in the paper, coat the overlapping paper with the flour paste and glue it around the rolled up can to make a cylindrical casing.

Roll your bottle or can in parchment paper and seal with flour paste.

Slide the casing over the can so that there is about a centimeter of parchment overhang. Cut slits into it on all sides, about 3-4 in all. Place one of the circles on the bottom of the can and coat its edges with flour paste. Then fold the parchment down onto the circle. Put more paste onto the folded parchment and press another circle onto it. That is the base of your mould.

Let some parchment paper hang over the bottle. Cut slits into the sides of the overhang and glue down.

Wait a minute before carefully sliding the can out of the mould and putting it aside to let it dry. That is your first mould! Repeat 8 times.

Bolo de Arroz

(Makes about 8 cakes)

Ingredients:

Butter (softened), 100 gr (7 oz)
Sugar, 200 gr (1 C)
Eggs, 2
Egg yolk, 1
Milk, 200 ml (4/5 C)
Flour 200 gr (2 cups)
Rice flour, 200 gr (1.25 C)
Baking powder, 1 envelope (1 Tablespoon)
Baking soda, a pinch of
Salt, a pinch of
Lemon zest (finely grated), from 1 lemon
Lemon juice, from 1/2 a lemon
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)

Gather your ingredients together.

Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F.

Sift the flour, rice flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl, mix well, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, using an electric beater. In a third bowl beat together eggs, milk and vanilla if you are using it. It helps if the eggs are room temperature so keep them outside the fridge for an hour or so before you start.

Next add the egg mixture to the butter and beat it in. Then add the lemon juice and zest and mix.

Add the flour mixture in gradually and mix until all the flour is incorporated. The batter will be pale yellow. Mine was thicker than anticipated (a problem I think might be solved by using a kitchen scale to measure the flours). You can trim the parchment paper so that there is just one inch of it above the batter line, or trim it after baking, like I did.

Line the moulds in a cupcake or muffin pan. It helps keep their shape.

The recipe said to bake for 20-25 minutes, but my cakes took longer before the toothpick came out clean — about 40 minutes.

When they were done I took the tray out of the oven and sprinkled icing sugar on top. They still looked pale yellow so I broiled them at 500 F for two minutes to give the cakes their emblematic crust. It worked perfectly.

I distributed them among friends and the consensus was that they were crumbly, lemony and very tasty. They smelled so good too. I don’t think I would go through the trouble of making my own moulds again, but I will definitely make the cakes again. If you try the recipe out, do share how it worked for you. Enjoy!

Finished! Bolo de Arroz.

Filed Under: Africa, All Aboard!, Alyzee, Mozambique, Our Travelers, Roamancing, Tasty Morsels Tagged With: bolo de arroz, bolo de arroz crust, bolo de arroz instructions, bolo de arroz mozambique, bolo de arroz recipe, brazil, making bolo de arroz moulds, mozambique, portugal, roamancing mozambique, traditional bolo de arroz

Loving the Locals

December 6, 2012 by Brie Mason 3 Comments

How many countless times have you relied on locals when traveling? I know first hand how invaluable their advice can be. Not just for the obvious needs of helping with directions when you are lost, but for other trip enhancing tips. “Where can I go to see the best view of your city?”, “Where is the best place to get a good family dinner?”, “Where is the best shopping district, and live music night scene?”. Taking advice from locals will take you away from the tourist destinations and into the real heart of the land you are visiting. I have fallen into so many unexpected, life memorable experiences this way.

Oistins Fish Fry in Barbados

Once, when visiting Barbados, we found out where the best flying fish was served. We could dine amongst the locals without the tourist crowds from the cruise ships we had encountered elsewhere. Through conversation over our meal, we were directed a few streets over to where a woman was selling lunch off her porch. She was dishing right out of the pot from her kitchen, and there was a huge line up! She ran out of food and the droves of neighbors skulked off with heads hung low. I would have loved to enjoy her home cooking, but just witnessing that was fantastic. I have to say that to this day, I can still remember the flavor of the fish back at Oistins. I am so glad we went, because it was a unique experience and certainly nothing I could just pick up and go do in my daily life at home!

The Menu Back At Oistins…1 Mouthwatering Memory Please!

When the travelers come to you and it’s your turn to be the local, will you be ready? Will you be able to answer their questions? What do you think are the highlights, not-to-be-missed features of your city? What food, music or social interactions might move the soul of a traveler, and where would you point someone who’s on the quest for ‘roamance’?

Filed Under: All Aboard!, Around the World, Barbados, Brie Mason, Carribean, Our Travelers, Tasty Morsels Tagged With: advice from locals when traveling, Barbados, city features, flying fish, giving advice to locals, locals, Oistins fish fry, roamance, talking with locals, tourist crowds, when travelers come to you

A Legendary Night In Hollywood

October 5, 2012 by Brie Mason 2 Comments

I have been craving a night out with a live band for quite some time now. The smoky, hazy fog, the music pounding through my feet into my chest, and I can’t lie…a good beer, were beckoning me. I figured, what better way to check out the music scene in LA, than to hit up the place where legendary icons got their start. My friends suggested we start at the Rainbow Bar and Grill. They laughed when I asked if they knew it was a gay bar. All I was thinking of was the Rainbow Room bars I see in all the movies. The Rainbow Bar and Grill is part of the Sunset Strip on Sunset Blvd, and it’s a restaurant bar with a clear legendary rock and roll history. The walls are lined with old photos of celebrity patrons, it’s dark inside with dim lighting, old leather booths and really great food.

The Rainbow Bar and Grill

I do highly recommend the fried zucchini sticks, and apparently this is one of those places that has a secret menu, but I only learned about it after the fact. Perhaps the best part was, knowing that we would be continuing next door to The Roxy, our waitress offered to keep our left overs in the fridge so we could come back for them at the end of the night, when we would most certainly want to eat again.

The Iconic Roxy Theatre Club

As soon as we walked into The Roxy, all of my cravings were satisfied. There was already a band on the stage and it was just the right amount of loud. The atmosphere, and yes, the draft beer truly had me rockin’. I imagined myself blasting through the times when Bruce Springsteen, Guns N’ Roses, and Pearl Jam all played here in their early pre-stardom days. We spent some time back by the bar taking it all in, and then moved right in with the standing crowd in front of the band. I love it when you’re so close you can see the sweat on the performers. It somehow makes it all that much more real. It’s always interesting to people watch too. Everyone enjoys their music differently I guess. Some people were head bobbers, others were swayers and some just stood there staring. As for me, I probably looked like I was in la-la land, being so happy to be immersed in the music scene, having a very Hollywood night out without the kids.

Taking It All In

Filed Under: All Aboard!, Around the World, Brie Mason, Music, Our Travelers, Tasty Morsels, West Coast Tagged With: Bruce Springsteen at the Roxy, draft beer, fried zucchini sticks, Guns N' Roses at The Roxy, Hollywood, Hollywood music scene, Hollywood night out, live bands in Hollywood, music scene in LA, Pearl Jam at The Roxy, Rainbow Bar and Grill, secret menu, The Roxy

Colombian Food ‘Special’: Eating Out

August 23, 2012 by Hannia Curi 2 Comments

It recently came to my attention that the lovely Erica was headed for Colombia, my darling country of origin. It compelled me to think of a subject I could give unsolicited advice on in regards to Colombia, which landed on the topic of Colombian food. Why not? Everybody loves food! And at least for me, one of the most exciting things about travel is encountering food you would not have access to at home.

Looking back, I don’t really have a great attachment for ‘Colombian food’; sure, I love me some empanadas, but when I think of the food I ate in Colombia that I miss, the results are… with one exception, not so much traditional Colombian food but rather getting the chance to eat at certain chains that haven’t expanded to Canada just yet, if ever. This is probably because in my case, I do have a mother who can replicate most of the dishes we would have in Colombia, save for mote de queso (a stew based in chopped yam and cheese; I swear, it’s good) and have always viewed eating out as being somehow more special than eating at home, something of a luxury. I struggled to think of how I could be any kind of authority on Colombian food when my personal gastronomical highlights are the subtle way pizza somehow tastes better when I eat it there, even though it’s not particularly different. It’s not that Colombian food is terrible in my opinion; I encourage trying it out! I just don’t really eat much of it in Colombia unless it appears on the table at my grandmother’s house.

Bandeja paisa. (Photo credit: Patton/pattoncito @ Flickr)

Struggles aside, I did manage to find a way to talk about Colombian food as it pertains to my fondest memories and that is by focusing on places I’ve enjoyed. Now, I’ve strung a few words together regarding my hometown of Cartagena, where I normally go on my trips to Colombia, before, but in this post… well, since Erica is meant to be in Bogota, and part of the inspiration for this post is a desire to impart some knowledge of my native land (scant as it may be) to a traveler. And it just so happens that when I think ‘food in Colombia’ my mind instantly gravitates to…

Hamburguesas El Corral

Hamburguesa Corralisima Todoterreno from El Corral (Photo credit: James/powerplantop @ Flickr)

El Corral is a popular Colombian fast food chain, chiefly focusing on hamburgers. They offer a rather… interesting selection of hamburgers, including a Mexican-inspired creation. My favourite is the Italian; there’s something about tomato sauce in a burger that you probably think won’t work, and yet it does, albeit messily. If ever you feel like a good ol’ burger, give this place a try. Currently, they seem to be having a milkshake special, with new ‘exotic’ flavours including green tea and lychee.

Crepes & Waffles

A delicious nutella crepe. (Photo credit: jrsnchzhrs @ Flickr.)

Crepes & Waffles was one of my very first favourite restaurants. As far as the actual crepes go, they’re quite good and not likely to disappoint. My favourite is the chicken and mushrooms savoury crepe, stemming from my love of any chicken/mushroom combination the world has to offer. Where the restaurant really seems to shine is in its considerable dessert menu, ranging from elaborate parfaits to what I called ‘Mickey Mouse ice cream’ when I was a wee little tyke. (It’s basically a ball of ice cream with wafer cookies for ears, chocolate eyes and a bubblegum nose with a ring of whipped cream surrounding it; also officially appears in the menu as ‘Gummy’.) I remember loving the crepes to tears, but always looking forward to dessert whenever I ate there. They actually manifest as an ice cream shop in some cases.

Juan Valdez Café

Nevados: the Juan Valdez improvement on the frappuccino.

Juan Valdez is not just a specific brand of Colombian coffee; it’s also a chain of coffee shops in Colombia, the Colombian Starbucks, so to speak. In my opinion, Juan Valdez is actually better than Starbucks, chiefly because unlike Starbucks, they sell a blended coffee drink… that includes brownie chunks. From what I remember, it’s seamlessly blended too. I also enjoy the fact that as part of their merchandise, some stores sell sweaters. I own two and think it’s the coolest thing for some reason. Other than that, their merch is mostly normal, coffee shop fare, including the obligatory bags of Juan Valdez brand coffee, which can also be known as Hannia’s childhood suck-up, teacher-pleasing Colombian souvenir. (Though you can actually get the coffee itself at a grocery store too.)

Also, with the help of my mother and her ability to phone a friend from Bogota, here are two places where one could enjoy more typical Colombian food. It somehow didn’t feel right to leave off without a nod to…

La Bonga del Sinu

Patacones (Photo credit: Maria Antonia Paez Duque/mariantonia @ Flickr)

This one is courtesy of my mother’s connections. They specialize in grilled meats; beef, pork, chicken, fish, the works. The menu is also geared around foods from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia; menu items such as patacones (also known as ‘tostones’ in other parts of the world), mote de queso, and coconut rice would betray that. It reminds me more of foods I’d have for lunch, or as part of one of the many barbecues we have back in Cartagena.

Casa Vieja

Ajiaco. (Photo credit: Morten/mortenjohs @ Flickr.)

Another nod from my mother, this one also specializes in more traditional, Colombian food. Open for 47 years, it certainly boasts ‘tradition’ as one of its core values. They have typical food from the region Bogota is a part of, like ajiaco and sobrebarriga, and apparently make a mean bandeja paisa. On the site, they allude to the idea of “comfort food” as relating to the foods they serve and… well, that’s part of the appeal of something like ajiaco. It’s a hearty chicken stew made with about three different kinds of potato. It’ll do the trick.

Disclaimer. I feel the need to mention that I am in no way affiliated with any of the eating establishments I have mentioned in this post.

Filed Under: All Aboard!, Around the World, Colombia, Hannia Curi, Our Travelers, South America, Tasty Morsels Tagged With: ajiaco, Bandeja paisa, bogota, Casa Vieja, colombia, Colombian coffee, colombian food, Crepes & Waffles, eating out, eating out in bogota, eating out in colombia, empanadas, food, Hamburguesas El Corral, Juan Valdez Café, La Bonga del Sinu, mote de queso, Patacones, restaurants, sobrebarriga, tostones

Eating Our Way Through Vancouver

August 9, 2012 by Megan Ho 4 Comments

When two of my friends were visiting from out of town, I took it as an excuse to eat everything Vancouver had to offer. I was eager to show my friends to Vancouver’s diverse cuisine, though I’m not talking your typical sushi or dim sum. While we ate that too, I also wanted to introduce my friends to some of Vancouver’s more unconventional delicacies.

We got started as soon as my friends landed in Vancouver – literally. Our first stop was at Japadog at their new stand in YVR, in between International Arrivals and the parking lot. Japadog is a hot dog stand that serves hot dogs with Japanese toppings. While at first a strange concept, Japadogs are incredibly popular (when they had only one location the queue would go down the block) and they were a huge hit with my friends. As one of my friends stated, “This shouldn’t work… but it does.” Even my vegetarian friend was able to find something, as all the Japanese-style dogs could be ordered with a veggie dog if needed.

Veggie Oroshi Dog

While we were in Richmond, we also took the opportunity to drop by Danny’s Market, located on the corner of Francis Road and Garden City Road. What appears to be a typical convenience store in fact holds one of Vancouver’s greatest inventions: screamers. For those unfamiliar with screamers, they are slushees served with soft ice cream. I venture into Richmond every summer for one of these babies, but for my British friend, this was a treat as, even plain ones, slushees can only be bought in movie theatres in the UK. In fact, he had a slushee almost everyday he was in Vancouver (since they are conveniently sold in just about every corner store and gas station in Vancouver).

Blue raspberry screamers

For our next stop, we got a classic Vancouver treat: Pirate Paks at White Spot. White Spot is a classic Vancouver burger joint that first opened as a drive-in in 1928. Kids meals, also known as Pirate Paks, are served in a pirate ship complete with a gold (chocolate) coin. Now I know what you’re thinking, aren’t Pirate Paks only for kids 10 and under? Well my friend, let me tell you how you can enjoy a Pirate Pak at any age. To obtain our Pirate Paks, we simply called in and did a take-out order. Of course, this meant we had to enjoy our kids meals on the grass across the street, but it was worth it to feel like a kid again.

We also got yam fries for good measure

For some local beer, we ventured to Steamworks Brewing Company in Gastown. While I’m all about the summer Belgian-style Ipanema beer, my friends were eager to try a 24 oz. pint after hearing the story of how one of my friends, a tiny girl of 5’1″ stature, stunned the waiter by drinking two 24 oz. pints of Nut Brown Ale and walking out of the establishment sober. To the waiters of Steamworks: she’s an engineer. She’s trained for that sort of thing.

24 oz pint

In the UK, “pancakes” refers to thin, crepe-style pancakes, rather than thick American ones. So to treat my British friend to some classic flapjacks (which also means something different in the UK), we went to Jethro’s Fine Grub for a taste of their giant pancakes. At Jethro’s, which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, the pancakes are as big as your face, with some of them even hanging off the plate. We ordered the plain buttermilk pancakes because really, it’s all about the maple syrup, and split them three-ways. Unfortunately, when I took my portion, I doused it with syrup that wasn’t real maple syrup – it turned out there were two syrup dispensers on the table, one with real maple syrup, the other with some impostor resembling syrup. I took one bite and declared it inedible like the true Canadian I am. Thankfully, I managed to solve the problem by overwhelming my pancake in real maple syrup (my stomach didn’t thank me later).

Giant pancakes

You might think we were stuffed after brunch at Jethro’s but oh no. Just half a block down from Jethro’s is a true Vancouver gem: Dunbar Pizza & Grill. You can get Indian food, pizza, Greek food, and pasta all at this marvellous place. I generally just go for butter chicken and pizza (I’ve never tried the Greek food or pasta) so later that day, when our stomachs were feeling a little emptier, we ordered in butter chicken, butter paneer (for our vegetarian friend) and a pizza with pepperoni (which he picked off). We ate until our stomachs were ready to burst – in fact, I don’t think we ate much for the next few days after that!

Butter chicken, butter paneer, rice, naan, and pizza

Lastly, while not a Vancouver delicacy, when your friend’s birthday happens to fall during his visit, don’t forget to make him a cake! We waited until our jet lagged friend fell asleep and then secretly made him this sponge cake with whipped cream and strawberries. We surprised him with it the next morning. And in case you’re wondering, it is one hundred percent okay to eat cake for breakfast.