SUNDAY SUPPER: MOQUECA
A whiff of the exotic for supper tonight with this robust and flavoursome fish stew from the Bahia region of Brazil. In fact, there are many different versions of this dish around Brazil, and my Google search for a recipe threw up a number of interesting alternatives. Don't be daunted by the long list of ingredients: it is simple to make, and very tasty. I have a vague connection to Brazil in that my father is married to a Brazilian woman. However, my interest in Brazilian food began much earlier, in the early 1990s, when we used to go to a rather good cafe-style Brazilian restaurant in Hammersmith called Paulo's. It was there that I first tried palm hearts, fried plantains and Feijoada , a rich and hearty meat stew with black beans. Our meals at Paulo's were also accompanied by Caipirinha cocktails, another Brazilian speciality made with sugar, lime juice and Cahaca , a spirit made from sugar cane (my father always brings me a bottle back from his trips to Sao Paulo),