Portuguese

Making the laminated dough is easier than you'd think.

I was recently in Lisbon, Portugal (a wonderful city!) and I had the opportunity to meet Susana Gomes, a blogger friend. Susana is a simply delightful person, and a great cook, too. Here is one of her own favorite cookie recipes, fresh and spicy, and perfect for Christmas time. – Faith I like the fragrant smell of this fruit. I like the size, and I like the juice and flavor. I like to be reminded to admire the tangerine, which turns the orchard into a splendid garden.

Around the World in 30 Soups: This month Kitchn is collaborating with chefs and cookbook authors to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Portugal. David Leite, author of a marvelous book about the Portuguese food of his family, shares the official unofficial soup of Portugal — complete with its essential slice (or two, or three) of sausage. Caldo verde is the official unofficial soup of Portugal.

I don’t know about your garden, but in summertime the mint in my own vegetable patch always threatens to take over. I love that sweet herb, but how many juleps can one gal make? Luckily I was in Portugal recently and I found that mint, or hortelã, as the Portuguese call it, was a common ingredient throughout the meal there.

Back when I posted about octopus, a reader in Portugal emailed me this recipe called Polvo à Lagareiro, which is octopus cooked with potatoes and drizzled with olive oil and garlic. It was absolutely delicious, and it gave me a chance to experiment with the marble potatoesPolvo à LagareiroIngredients:2 1/4 lb. of frozen octopus1 onion1 1/3 lb.