Brazilian

[carioca]

When we were home-sick or we wanted to get together, we headed to "40 Degrees" on Upper Richmond Rd.

However, I found the restaurant to be a bit over rated by many I think many cariocas tend to forgive the establishment. All in all, the restaurant made sure that the cariocas or paulistas are pampered, thereby shuck the rest.

This is my opinion

[MobyP]

Carioca - welcome!

I am of the opinion that a great fajoida (sp?) is an act of god, and kicks a cassoulet down the street twice over. Fortunately I have a Brazilian Auntie who makes a mean one; but if you knew of a place to go...

In fact, are there any good Brazilian places in London?

[anil]

I am of the opinion that a great fajoida (sp?) is an act of god

In every country, there is one dish that everyone has their special secret way of preparing and in this case Feijoada.

[vserna]

I am of the opinion that a great fajoida (sp?) is an act of god, and kicks a cassoulet down the street twice over.

The comparison is a bit like saying scotch beats Tennessee sour mash. What's the point? These are two entirely different stews, loosely united by kidney beans, but the large white haricots cocos and the smaller black feijão preto have different textures and tastes, the meats are entirely different (pork and beef with feijoada, lots of duck or goose with cassoulet, with pork sausages only added in the Toulouse version), and also the cooking methods; the feijoada is served with lots of accompaniments like farofa, orange quarters, fried cabbage, rice... and cassoulet stands on its own.

I think there are three great kidney bean-based stews in the world - Brazil's feijoada, southern France's cassoulet and, in Spain, Asturias' fabada. Ranking them would be a waste of time IMHO. Tasting all of them, if possible in their native surroundings (ingredients are hard to duplicate, and they're very decisive), is better!

Cassoulet at Le Tirou in Castelnaudary, fabada at Casa Gerardo in Prendes or (as friends tell me - I haven't been there myself) the Saturday feijoada at Sagarana in Belo Horizonte: that would be the closest to perfection for each of those three hearty stews.

Now - Boston baked beans, anyone? Would that rate in the top tier? Any other great bean stews?

[Andy Lynes]

I've never been to Castelnaudary but I did eat a fantastic cassoulet cooked for me some years ago now by chef Richard Guest at the Four Seasons Hotel Park Lane. Gargantuan was the word, I could hardly move for several hours after and wasn't hungry again for at least a day. They also made a terrific cassoulet terrine which was quite unusual and I have never seen anywhere since.

Something tells me MobyP is trying to wind us up on this issue...

[Suzi Edwards]

Something tells me MobyP is trying to wind us up on this issue...

moby wind us up? noooooooo. this the man who compared gordon ramsey to boney m. he's as serious as they come :-)

my experiences of south american cuisine in the uk have all been pretty terrible. there are a couple of places on upper street (cuba libre and la piragua) which both served insane amounts of carbs to bulk out the meal. this doesn't tally with my fevered imaginings of tanned brazillian flesh, nor with the reality of my utterly gorgeous and very buff hairdresser, who is also brazillian.

jack went to to the skewery-brazillian barbeque place in kensington and thought the meat was all very salty, but we would like to go back so i can try it. has anyone been?

[carioca]

.....

jack went to to the skewery-brazillian barbeque place in kensington and thought the meat was all very salty, but we would like to go back so i can try it. has anyone been?

You are not referring to Rodizio Rico? A churrascaria style place ? Many Brazilian BBQs tend to be tad more salt that folks in Europe can handle - But then we also tend to wash it down with beer. Rico is OK, nothing too great.

this doesn't tally with my fevered imaginings of tanned brazillian flesh, nor with the reality of my utterly gorgeous and very buff hairdresser, who is also brazillian.

I wonder if this was used as an ethnic put-down and se***l objectification of my folks --- I'll let Andy P be the judge

[spatchcock]

.....

jack went to to the skewery-brazillian barbeque place in kensington and thought the meat was all very salty, but we would like to go back so i can try it. has anyone been?

You are not referring to Rodizio Rico? A churrascaria style place ? Many Brazilian BBQs tend to be tad more salt that folks in Europe can handle - But then we also tend to wash it down with beer. Rico is OK, nothing too great.

this doesn't tally with my fevered imaginings of tanned brazillian flesh, nor with the reality of my utterly gorgeous and very buff hairdresser, who is also brazillian.

I wonder if this was used as an ethnic put-down and se***l objectification of my folks --- I'll let Andy P be the judge

being an english girl, with pasty white skin and a pear shaped figure, i must admit to a tendency to eulogise about tanned fit bodies.

but i must apologise if you took this personally.

(edit as i am actually tarka using jack's laptop as mine is broken)

Edited January 4, 2004 by spatchcock (log)

[Andy Lynes]

I'll let Andy P be the judge 

Well, I like MobyP and I think he's doing a great job and everything, but "AndyP" is maybe taking things a little too quickly for me.

[MobyP]

I wonder if this was used as an ethnic put-down and se***l objectification of my folks --- I'll let Andy P be the judge 

I swear I never sexually objectified your folks!

Andy on the other hand...

You are not referring to Rodizio Rico? A churrascaria style place ? Many Brazilian BBQs tend to be tad more salt that folks in Europe can handle - But then we also tend to wash it down with beer. Rico is OK, nothing too great.

Carioca - where else do you go? If you had any suggestions, I for one - and maybe a bunch of us - would be very eager to give it a try. Maybe we need a feijoada club.

[balex]

.....

jack went to to the skewery-brazillian barbeque place in kensington and thought the meat was all very salty, but we would like to go back so i can try it. has anyone been?

You are not referring to Rodizio Rico? A churrascaria style place ? Many Brazilian BBQs tend to be tad more salt that folks in Europe can handle - But then we also tend to wash it down with beer. Rico is OK, nothing too great.

Is this the place on Westbourne Grove? I walk past it quite regularly and sometimes there are good smells coming out. If it is not complteely terrible I might give it a go.

[carioca]

.....

jack went to to the skewery-brazillian barbeque place in kensington and thought the meat was all very salty, but we would like to go back so i can try it. has anyone been?

You are not referring to Rodizio Rico? A churrascaria style place ? Many Brazilian BBQs tend to be tad more salt that folks in Europe can handle - But then we also tend to wash it down with beer. Rico is OK, nothing too great.

Is this the place on Westbourne Grove? I walk past it quite regularly and sometimes there are good smells coming out. If it is not complteely terrible I might give it a go.

I think that's the one - no its not terrible at all.

[endless autumn]

I'm not a great fan of Rodizio Rico: they are stingy with the meat, bring around less expensive cuts more often, serve caipirinhas from a pre-mixed bottle and don't (I think) cook over wood but over some great big toaster element or something.

It's ok once but you wouldn't really want to go back a second time.

[MobyP]

I heard from my Brazilian Aunt that there's a place - I think it's called Brazil - on the Fulham Road, opposite the Chelsea Football grounds. She said they serve a fair feijoada as well as other goodies. Has anyone been?