PORTUGUESE FOOD

As I constantly mention, I was brought up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, an historic city with both Mayflower descendants and folks with Portuguese blood whose ancestors came to the area through legal immigration means, or via whaleships that stopped the islands of Madeira or at Cabo Verde for provisions.  Many persons residing in these areas were known to be excellent seamen and were recruited by whaling captains as apprentice whalemen.

When the whaleships arrived back in New Bedford to unload their "catch," many of the crew "jumped ship" and began a new life in America. 

These new citizens and others who came there legally, missed the food of their original homelands, so they began to try to duplicate it in America... well, at least in the southern New England area.

In my opinion, they succeeded very well, and I think that I could survive very happily on a diet that contained delicacies such as:

Portuguese Hard Roll

For breakfast tomorrow, throw away that bagel and try a delicious "Papo Seco" with butter! It also makes a sandwich taste better than a "sandwich!"

Kale Soup

To some folks kale soup is probably thought of as the "National Soup of Portugal.  It is easily made with kale, linguica, potatoes and certain spices "known only to the Emperor."

My first Elaine made tasty kale soup and one day served some to my eight-year-old daughter, Beth. She gobbled it down and Elaine asked her if she liked the soup.

Beth said she liked it, "except for that green stuff."

Linguica

This is pork sausage like no sausage you have ever tasted.  It is doused with lots of garlic and paprika, and then is smoke-cured. If you can eat it without smoke coming out of your ears, then you must have Portuguese blood coursing through your veins.

I have had a large package of linguica in my freezer, but I haven't had courage enough to tackle it since I stopped popping Alka Seltzer pills.

Malasada

This is fried dough like a flattened doughnut, and sweetened with lemon, sugar and cinnamon.  I'm sure that in my many years in New Bedford I have tasted this delicacy, I just don't remember.

My "sweet" sister-in-law Janine mentioned on Facebook that she has found a great Portuguese deli on Nash Road, where the best malasadas in the world are given birth. She is an expert when it comes to Portuguese food.

Portuguese Wine

"Have a Madiera, my dear." A delicious wine that tingles my toes and makes me lose all inhibitions if I drink more than a couple of glasses.

Every August, descendants of Madiera residents from all over the United States congregate for four days in the North End of New Bedford to celebrate "The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament ("Festa do Santissimo Sacramento."  

To celebrate, folks march in processions, drink a lot of wine, eat a lot of linguica and dance all night.  There usually are not many brawls and everybody has a great time.

We lived in a former whaling captain's house on County Street.  Ten feet away from the side of our house was an enormous mansion contained within an encircling twelve-foot-high wooden fence. One of our side windows looked into what I learned was a nuns' convent.

The nuns didn't mind a ten-year-old boy watching them.  In fact, a couple of them waved at me once.

While the Madiera Feast was going on, the nuns would take beautiful flower petals and make an elegant walkway around their yard.  Some of the petals depicted scenes from the Bible, that even heathen children like me could understand.

A short time after the petal depiction, and before a windy day was predicted, the nuns would don ceremonial habits and carry a statue of Christ (with a beard) over the petal-filled walkway and parade round and round singing hymns. A very moving experience for a young boy.

After a while, the procession was over and an elderly nun would sweep all the petals away with a large broom.  This always made me very sad that something so beautiful could be quickly made to disappear..

But, such is life.

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Go, and enjoy a feast!