Category Archives: BLOG

Oxtail and Watercress

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Definitely not for the squeamish among you. We are talking about a cut with plenty of bone and fat here. Hold on…. did you say ‘bone and fat’? Aren’t those the very elements that bring flavour to a cut of beef? But although people are fairly familiar with bones on joints and ribs, they might not be ok with something they’re used to see dangling off the back end of a cow.

The last time I had this was a long long time ago at a very humble roadside cafe near my father-in-law’s factory in the outskirts of Rio and it was quite delicious. The watercress’s peppery bite offers a perfect accompaniment to the rich fatty meat that drips off the bone.

I won’t be posting the recipe for this one yet. I think it calls for a little more testing (and a camera with shorter focus distance than my iPhone one – sorry about the blur). But for now I’ll leave you with my first attempt.

GoGo Surprise Muffin

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Now here’s an idea I had for my children’s bake sale! Most of the ladies of the PTA are fab cooks and home bakers, which puts me, probably the only dad at Beatrix Potter school in SW London who actually cooks, at a bit of a disadvantage:

I probably can’t bake cakes as well as they can. But I know what kids like and I’m crazy enough to do it. And so I came up with ‘GoGo Surprise Muffins’ ! Which are nothing other than some nice muffins (I used a recipe for red velvet cake from Rachael Allen’s book) and my children’s favourite craze: The GoGos. I stuffed them into the muffins and covered them with some American Icing.

If you never heard of these guys, you’re either not a parent or very very impervious to peer pressure. They are a brilliant idea by a collectibles and game company called Magic Box. There are some 80 designs so far and you buy them in packs of 3 and play with them like one used to play with marbles. Excellent idea. And they’re really cute and creative.

What they are NOT is soft and edible. So I will have to sign-post these really carefully or some children at the school might end up getting a premature visit from the tooth fairy :-)

Check out the images keep your fingers crossed that these will be a success at the school’s bake sale.

Recipe for a New Year

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Drummond sitting on a bench by the beach wishing you a Happy New Year.
Recipe for a New Year

by Carlos Drummond de Andrade
Humbly translated by Nando Cuca

If you want to get a beautiful New Year
All rainbow coloured, or painted whatever colour you call peace.
A New Year which does not compare to any already lived
(not well lived maybe, or senselessly)
To get a a New Year that is not just bish-boshed with a quick lick of paint,
but a brand new one,

new down to the heart of all things unnoticed
(what’s inside for starters)
new, spontaneous and so perfect you won’t even notice,
that with it you eat, walk, love, understand and work.
You don’t need to drink champagne or any other booze,
don’t need to send or receive messages (do plants get messages or send emails?)

You don’t need to make lists of resolutions
only to file them away in your bureau drawer.
Don’t cry in repentante for past foibles and don’t go
blindly believing that, by none other than hope itself,
that from January onwards things will change and all will be clear and rewarding,
and there will be justice for all men and nations,
a freshly baked bread smelling kind of freedom and
respected rights, starting with the august right to live itself.

To get a New Year
deserving of this title
you, my dear, will have to earn it,
make it new. And I know it’s not easy,
but do try, experiment, and be conscient that
it’s inside of you that a New Year snoozes and
waits… since always.

Happy 2009
From CucaBrazuca.com

Carlos Drummond de Andrade was probably the most influential poet of contemporary Brazilian literature. He was born in Minas Gerais but lived and died in Rio. He’s now a bronze statue sitting on a bench on the beach promenade in Copacabana.

Nando Cuca is uniquely unqualified to translate Drummond’s work, but is always willing to have a go. He used to live in Rio but was transplanted to London 19 years ago.

Many thanks to Jonga Oliviere for sending me this poem I just had to share with you and to Isabela kassow for the inspired photo.

A totally new idea in food photography

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Waiter, there’s a tourist on my ice cream! Check out the wacky idea and wonderfully skilled execution of Pierre Javelle and Akiko Ida. The couple are exhibiting their work at the Madelyn Jordon Fine Art in Scarsdale, New York.

This is the first major solo United States exhibition of works by the Paris-based artists, Pierre Javelle and Akiko Ida, featuring a selection of works from the MINIMIAM series of diptych photographs created between 2002-2008.

The husband and wife team present a manufactured micro universe, part Toy Story, part Candy Land, populated with diminutive humanoid characters engaged in a range of ordinary and extraordinary activities. Since the project inception in 2002, the series has grown to over 60 images.

Pierre Javelle and Akiko Ida have morphed multiple genres of photography, including micro-photography, culinary art, portraiture and landscape. The theme involves action, ranging from sporting scenes to warfare, taking place in carefully staged, fantastic, food settings. In each diptych, the first image introduces the subjects in an uncertain setting. The second panel reveals the scene in totality, to an unexpected, often amusing end.

Dates: October 17 – November 29, 2008. An opening reception will be held Fri, October 17th, 2008 from 6-8PM. The artists will be present. Take a look at more of the the artist’s tiny people cultivating some scrumptious culinary delights ….

The Independence Day Wacky Race

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At 12 noon on the 7th of September 2008, Nando Cuca set off on his motorcycle on a race against the clock to visit every Brazilian restaurant and bar in London and cross the finishing line at Guanabara’s stage before mid-night. The adventure was a great success and 23 restaurants later, we greeted the revelers at Guanabara just before mid-night.

Kindly Sponsored by:


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Aquarela do Brasil (Disney)

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Aquarela do Brasil (Watercolour of Brazil) is a short animation made by Disney in 1942 as part of their feature ‘Saludos Amigos’. It introduces the character of Carioca Joe, who never made it past beyond this point in the silver screen but it’s still famous in comics in Brazil. He now goes by his Brazilian name ‘Zé Carioca’.

It’s interesting to see cartoon characters drinking cachaça and smoking cigars. I guess those were different times, when cars did not even have seat belts.

The real star of the piece is Ary Barroso’s ‘Aquarela do Brasil’ an absolute classic of Brazilian music. It’s a tune that keeps popping up everwhere. It inspired Terry Gillian to create his film ‘Brazil’ and is in the soundtrack for the latest Disney/Pixar feature ‘Wall-E’.