Elizabete Delfino cooks for a crowd. When she bakes pão de queijo, 200 emerge from her oven not a peasly 10 or 20. If a friend is having a baby shower, she makes hundreds of brigadeiro, a chocolate treat similar to a French truffle. And to any party she attends, mounds of salpicão accompany her to the festivity. We caught up with this Brazilian native, from the region of Minas Gerais, to find out more about her and what we’ll be cooking in her upcoming Nibble class on June 12 (get tickets below!) Interview by Rosie Gill
Nibble: Elizabete, tell us about the cooking style of Minas Gerais. What do kitchens smell like when people are getting ready for a party?
Elizabete: The cooking style of my hometown is simple but also delicious. My kitchen smells like all sorts of different things: appetizers being fried, cake being baked in the oven & brigadeiro being made.
Nibble: And what is life like in general?
Elizabete: Life is very fun & laid back. We work hard but we have more time for friends and family there. Always together outside, talking and eating.
Nibble: Have you found a community in Somerville that reminds you of home at all? What about a restaurant or grocery store for Brazilian food?
Elizabete: Most of my friends live in and around Somerville so we have more chances to get together in the summer to have barbecues. I usually go to Pao de Acucar in Union Sq. if I need any Brazilian groceries.
Nibble: You love to cook huge amounts of food! Ever thought about opening a catering business?
Elizabete: Yes, I have thought about it many times. I also catered for a few of my friends for a few years but now I don’t have as much time.
Nibble: Last, why did you choose salpicão and brigadeiro for this class? What makes them special for you?
Elizabete: I choose these because they are mine and my family’s favorite food. They’re not too hard to make, and they are both delicious!
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Brazilian Feast: Thursday, June 12, 6:30-9pm
A class to celebrate Brazilian Valentine’s Day (6/12) and the kick-off of the World Cup!
Elizabete Delfino, a native of Minas Gerais, Brazil, will start the class by serving us her homemade pão de queijo, highly addictive cheese popovers made with cassava flour. Next up, Elizabete will teach us how to make salipicão, a classic Brazilian dish, that is similar to a chicken salad, with peas, corn and topped with salty and crunchy shoestring potatoes and served with molho branco (a creamy corn sauce) and plenty of lettuce. This is the ultimate Brazilian comfort food and we can vouch for Elizabete’s delicious version! Then we’ll make delicious sweet treats called brigadeiro, just in time for Valentine’s Day—Brazil’s Valentine’s Day, that is! We’ll whip up these chocolate truffles using locally produced Taza chocolate and a variety of tasty toppings; finally we’ll dress up the little numbers in festive wrappers. After cooking, we’ll sit down to enjoy our Brazilian feast. Each student will leave the class with a small plate of brigadeiro, which can be gifted to a sweetie — or devoured on the way home from class! BUY TIX HERE
