Some, things, sure, can, sweep, me, off, my, feet
Wednesday, February 16, 2005 • Posted by jcb
(l to r) Bruno, Sandra, Witzy, Iran, James
Struggling up off the canvas, knees weak and quivering, peevish indecision the hallmark of each fitful step. You can only imagine what ten days of Carnivale can do to the average 32 year old body. Not that there is anything average about team further.com. Yeah I said it … go on … back up and read it again if you need to. Satiated, inebriated, waist explicated, maybe even a bit perforated we rolled up the welcome mat at 1415 Rua Prudente de M. closed the blinds, shut off the bar-b-que and started grilling all week long. But we’re back and better for it. Our Brazilian brother Gustavo invited us over for his mother’s birthday bash this past Saturday in Barra, a nearby suburb of Rio. We signed up for a quiet family affair, what we got was a lesson in the Brazilian carnivale recovery method. After a scrumptious meal of camarao de bobo (shrimp bahian style), arroz, feijao, and the ever present Brazilian farofa (manioc flour), the gills needed cleaning. I ask you, what better gill cleaner is there than the caipirinha, and so ensued the evening. After two sightings of the white moon of Witzy, a Brazilian celebrity appearance, and one cut off grandmother, the evening was in full swing. Witz eventually settled into a corner with the local brazilian celebrity (Iran) to plot the evening’s strategy. Not only did these two strange bedfellows get on, they proved hysterical just to watch. Tenuous might be an overly generous description for the grasp each had on the other’s language. But the love was there. All kidding aside, I think it should be noted that Witz is making strides in his portuguese. Won’t be long now. Business is picking up for us. We’re off to Ilha Grande to scout. Someone’s gotta do it.
**** COLORADO KREWE #15 In case of over the top K I double grilling, break glass and repeat after me. “remember your first panic show when you dragged JCB out early ‘cause you thought they sucked.” USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION.
Caipirinha
1 lime
2 ounces of cachaça (sugar cane liquor)
Sugar to taste
Ice cubes
Wash the lime and roll it on the board to loosen the juices. Cut the lime into pieces and place them in a glass. Sprinkle with the sugar and crush the pieces (pulp side up) with a pestle. (We have a long, wooden one from Brazil, made specifically for this purpose.) Just enough to release the juice, otherwise it’ll get bitter. Add the cachaça and stir to mix. Add the ice and stir again. It is delicious and potent!
You can also make a pitcher of caipirinha. Figure out how many people and multiply amounts. If you can’t find cachaça where you live, use a good vodka. The drink will then be called caipiroshka. No vodka? Use white rum and you will have a caipiríssima. Caipirinhas made with sake are all the rage in Rio now! Try one.
The city of Paraty gave its name to the drink: parati is a synonym for cachaça. Other words for it include: pinga, caninha, branquinha, malvada. There are tours of distillers in the state of Minas Gerais, much in the same way as you’d tour vineyards in Sonoma Valley or in France, with the added bonus of their famous regional cuisine. Cachaça is also notorious for brands with pornographic labels…they’re hilarious!
You can use cachaça to flambé bananas and other food; add it to hot chocolate and even to coffee; marinate pork loin and pork chops, etc.
Senac has published a book about cachaça that’s extremely informative; I finally found out why it’s different from rum, for example…It’s made from cane juice outright. You can also get the Caipirinha book above on your next trip to Brazil.
A great place to visit in Leblon in Rio de Janeiro is Academia da Cachaça, Rua Conde Bernadotte, 26, (021)2529-2680. Great selection of drinks and traditional foods to eat with them. A new place to taste very special cachaças has just opened in the Lapa district of Rio: Cachaçaria Mangue Seco, Rua do Lavradio, 23 (021)3852-1947. It’s open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
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Posted by: evil at February 16, 2005 04:35 PM
is it possible to make a TRUE caprinha in nyc? what r the ingredients i beg.
Posted by: TK at February 18, 2005 05:00 AM
yo, you talking ‘bout Colorodo and crew?? What’s up with the cryptic speak? JCB out of a show b/c Panic sucked? Right…more room for those who care.
Oh, we “northerners” have never heard of a cap-in-ya. They serve them special like in downtown Denver.
Bring it to the thread. #15? we are at 35+
Ha, Ha, Ha…As you know kidding, hope you guys are having continual fun. Not too bad here.
Posted by: yomama at February 20, 2005 02:26 AM
Tu devrais nous envoyer de la caiprinha par ici. Il fait un froid atroce, et puis tout le monde est partit s’amuser dans une ile ensoleillee….
Ne reviens pas ici, surtout l’hiver , rien ne pourait etre aussi formidable que la ou tu es….
Je vois que l’orange est a la mode chez toi aussi.
Gros bisous
Yomama
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I was a fighter, I could turn on a thread. Now I stand accused of the things I've said.