There are a few things in life I cherish most: Family, Friends, Food, Nature, and Travel. When people ask me which country has been my favorite travel destination, I have never hesitated. It is always Portugal. My mother, a linguist and educator has been a fervent believer in the inherent benefits of foreign travel. Growing up I recall friends and fellow classmates anticipating their vacations to Disney world and other American theme parks. I wondered why we were off to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland. Although I did not appreciate our unique adventures at the time, I truly do now.
Don't be mistaken, my mother immigrated to the US via Sicily, followed by Venezuela. My father too was the product of Sicilian Immigrants. Both were civil servants, dad a 36 year Government employee, mom a Linguist and College/High School Professor. So when we traveled, it was definitely under pure Spartan conditions if you know what I mean. Mom was and still is a very frugal and talented bargain hunter. So when PanAm had a deal for roundtrip tickets to the Iberian Peninsula for $600, she snatched them up!
It was the summer of 1989 and I was just about to start my freshman year of high school. At the time, I was not very excited for a 4 week excursion of the Iberian Peninsula. I will never forget the seven of us, yes seven(Mom and Dad always took my maternal grandparents Nonna Dina and Poppy Nunzio on every family vacation) departing for Madrid. After 2 weeks of touring every corner of Espana, we rented a small Renault wagon and proceeded to drive across Spain and into Portugal.
Not without several bumps along the road mind you. First off, dear dad who learned how to drive in Brooklyn, New York at age 18 was about to drive a stick shift for the first time in 30 years. As the seven of us all crammed in the tiny wagon(me stuck in the back with all the luggage), we started to drive the wrong way down a very bustling one way street. Thank the Lord the local Spaniards alerted us to our rookie mistake and away we went. About 2 hours away from the Portuguese Border, we made a lunch stop at a small family run restaurant. We enjoyed a quick gazpacho then continued onto Portugal. It wasn't a very colorful or interesting drive, mostly just open fields and chicken coops. That is until we approached the border. A few miles away from entering Portugal, my father realized that he accidentally left the entire camera bag with all of our passports, plane tickets, and video camera. I will never forget the next 2 hours. Dad turned every shade of red and ranted colorfully in several languages as my Nonna Dina and mom prayed the rosary. Grandpa Nunzio was kept in the dark as usual per mom's insistence, God forbid he lose his temper and raise his blood pressure. Luckily we were informed by the border agents that the restaurant's owners graciously found our belongings, alerted them promptly, and were holding them safely for us. So back we went passing the same chicken coops and open fields. Nobody uttered a word the entire drive back. Dad was the most upset we had ever seen so remaining silent was definitely in everyone's best interest. While we thought poppy Nunzio was ignorantly bliss during this debacle, we realized that covering the exact 140 Kilometers a second time began to clue him in for he blurted out, "I've been here before haven't I?" Must have been the chicken coops. After dad bought a round of sangria for the entire restaurant and a very generous second tip to the owners, we finally arrived in Portugal!
Discovering Portugal was love at first sight. We stayed in a beachfront condo on the gorgeous coastal province of Estoril. Estoril is a charming town in the municipality of Cascais, Lisbon. Every morning we awoke to the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean and the smell of salt water in the air. I have so many wonderful memories of my sister Annie and I running down to the beach after breakfast and playing in the ocean the entire day. We only came in for lunch, dinner, and bed. Lunch often consisted of the freshest breads, meats, and cheeses from the local bakery, butcher shop, and cheese shop. It was simply heaven. Dinner was a stroll into town where we would feast on the wonderful Seafood caught fresh every day, often in the form of a stew or soup.
Although Portugal was full of breathtaking beaches, museums, architecture, historical sites, and incredible food, what really left the greatest impression on me as a 15 year old was the Portuguese culture. The Portuguese are incredibly warm, friendly, and very family oriented. Simple in their pleasures, grounded in their sense of self. They had such a wonderful appreciation of the little things in life. Family, Food, and Friends. It was a very stark contrast to the previous 2 weeks spent in Spain. While I have a fond appreciation for Spain and all things Spanish, I really preferred the slower pace, family centered, gentleness of Portugal. I understand completely why Portugal is often called the land of gentle manners.
Although Portugal was full of breathtaking beaches, museums, architecture, historical sites, and incredible food, what really left the greatest impression on me as a 15 year old was the Portuguese culture. The Portuguese are incredibly warm, friendly, and very family oriented. Simple in their pleasures, grounded in their sense of self. They had such a wonderful appreciation of the little things in life. Family, Food, and Friends. It was a very stark contrast to the previous 2 weeks spent in Spain. While I have a fond appreciation for Spain and all things Spanish, I really preferred the slower pace, family centered, gentleness of Portugal. I understand completely why Portugal is often called the land of gentle manners.
This week we cooked a very traditional Portuguese Seafood Cataplana. Cataplana refers to the vessel in which is its cooked. It is a large copper based pan with a lid. This dish was so simple to cook and very affordable as well. For less than $22 we purchased fresh Manila Clams, Large Jumbo Shrimp, Chorizo Sausage, white wine, crushed red pepper, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, flat leaf parsley, and a nice crusty baguette to sop up all the beautiful sauce!
In less than 20 minutes the entire house smelled like Portugal! It was incredibly delicious. The fresh clams and shrimp were sweet and delicate. The chorizo and crushed red pepper spicy and savory. The wine was the perfect finishing touch to round out all the flavors. We will be sure to cook this incredible dinner again!
Here is the recipe we used this week:
* We added 1 tbsps. of spicy breadcrumbs and 2 tbsps. of crushed red pepper to this recipe. Also, we used 1 cup of white wine instead of 2 tbsp.
One of the things I enjoy most about your blog is the sharing of your personal experiences and anecdotes. your experiences add a new dimension and perspective. You must have tasted many different and delicious foods while there especially the fresh variety of seafood.
ReplyDeleteMakes you want to leave immediately for Portugal. The food looks great and robust; The kind of tasty and basic cooking that is as warm as the people. Keep up your wonderful blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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