Chapter 22 - Arroz e Feiao and A Great Battle is In the Making

 "Wine appeases the thirst of the body, but breeds another and a wilder thirst in the savage mind."

Book:  Iracema by Jose de Alancar
Recipes:  The Brazilian Kitchen by Leticia Moreinos Shwartz

Arroz e Feião

 (Rice and Beans)

For the Rice:

2 cups white rice (or brown Basmatti, if that's what you happen to have on hand)
2 tsp salt
4 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed

Rinse the rice in cold water.  Bring 4 cups water to boil in a pot and add the salt, oil, garlic, and rice.  Follow the package directions (for brown rice, it's 50 minutes, for regular white rice, it's usually 25 minutes, for boil-in-a-bag minute rice, it's usually one minute, if you believe in such things).  Keep the rice warm until the beans are ready.

For the beans:

2 large cans of Goya beans (or you can soak a pound overnight, but I'm way too lazy for that) complete with their juices
1 medium onion, chopped
3 bay leaves
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 package of good, salty uncooked chorizo sausage (this was my own addition, for protein and flavor) 

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat, remove from heat and slice into 1/2 inch portions (or so).   Add olive oil to the pan juices and saute the onions over medium heat.  Add the beans and their juices, bay leaf, and Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste.  Return the sausage to the pan and simmer the mixture for at least 20 minutes.  

Serve the beans and sausage over the rice.  Delicious.  We served ours alongside some oversteamed broccoli, but recommend that you time yours a little more carefully.  We also had some Caipirinhas with simple syrup (Thank you Julie!).

And some Pao de Quijo while we were waiting for dinner to be ready.  

Special thanks to kitchen helper Jay who I'm told enjoyed the leftovers.  My own leftovers are slowly disappearing; this is one of those dishes that actually tastes better the longer it sits all together.  


About the book:


There's a big fight brewing over Iracema and her treachery.  They fought a little battle, the Tabajara's lost many men.  It's not 100% clear, but I think the former-maiden killed her own brother, who was on her side until she gave up the goods.  They have run away to the Potiguaras and she actually has the nerve to be sad and ask Martim to take her away from the village of those who murdered her brethren, as though she had nothing to do with it personally. What a brat. 


I'm a little bored by this book, which is why I haven't had a lot to say about it.  Currently, Iracema and Martim are about to found their own village, which I gather is the basis of the Brazilian mythology, their village being the very first "Brazilian" village. What fun for colonization!