What A Cheese Ball

Last weekend during hurricane Irene I stopped by my dad’s for lunch. I know what you’re thinking; don’t normal people stay at home during a hurricane? The answer to that is yes, but for my family high winds and torrential downpours are a mere obstacle.

At lunch we somehow started talking about bread. Our guests from Brazil immediately suggested that we make some traditional Brazilian cheese ball bread, a staple in most of their family meals. It sounded like it was going to take hours to make, but it only took about an hour and a half, after all where did we have to go on a blustery day?

The recipe made about 52 balls and we ate them all. They were delicious.


I bet they would be yummy with the beautiful figs that are out this time of year.


Here's the how to:
1. In a saucepan bring to a boil the below ingredients:
1 Cup of oil
1 Cup of milk
1 Cup of water

2. Place  4 cups of Yoki In a separate bowl

3. When the oil milk and water have come to a boil place that  mixture into the bowl that has the 4 cups of Yoki

4.  Let the everything slightly cool and add 7 eggs

5. Add 6 oz. of Parmesan cheese 

6. Fold all the ingredients into each other

7. Make the mixture into balls (about 56  2" balls) put some oil on your hands so that it is easier to shape the balls

8. Bake the balls for at 350 for apx. 1/2 hour or when balls are golden brown 

The Traveling Watermelon That Kills

Last week when my cousins visited us from Canada we had several dinners with them. One day at my dad’s house, one day at my sister’s house, one day at my house, so on and so forth. The evening that we had them over at my house we prepared a simple barbeque medley finished off by an array of yummy desserts. My father in law brought a beautiful whole watermelon; but because there was way too many desserts to choose from we decided to hold off on cutting the watermelon. Since we were getting together the following night at my sister’s house I told her I’d bring the watermelon over to her house, which I did.

The next evening as we finished a feast at my sister’s we started to bring out the desserts. Again there were so many to choose from so the watermelon got left behind. “That’s ok, I said, I’ll bring it to Maine for our vacation next week.” We laughed at how the watermelon kept traveling.

That's me wearing  the traveling dress

It reminded me of a dress that I had that would travel every summer from my house and then to my friend’s house. We got a lot of use out of that dress; hopefully the watermelon won’t be around from year to year. I’m pretty certain that it won’t because in many Portuguese circles the older generation believes that watermelon kills.

What? Watermelon Kills, you say?      

It’s actually quite hysterical because as the story goes apparently my dad’s brother’s girlfriend’s sister’s aunt’s nephew’s brother’s daughter’s friend’s uncle’s grandfather’s grandmother’s niece’s friend died after they drank wine, brushed their  teeth, picked their nose, and ate watermelon. Bizarre right? Of course it is, because it NEVER happened but it’s a funny ongoing thing because during any Portuguese get together you always hear the older generation telling a tale about the watermelon that killed so and so.

We’ve had a lot of laughs that evening about the watermelon that kills, maybe that’s why it keeps travelling with us and not getting eaten.

Preserve Your Traditions

Last Saturday morning we gathered at Peabody's City Hall to raise the Portuguese flag alongside of the American Flag in preparation for June 10th, Portuguese Day (Dia de Portugal). As the flag was going up and the choir began to sing the Portuguese anthem I remembered growing up in Peabody. Our traditions, amazing cuisine, festivals, music, and weekends immersed in our culture, brought us together and connected us. As the flag went up I was really proud to be a part of the Portuguese community. 

June 10th is an International day to recognize the significant contributions that Portuguese-Americans have made to the betterment of the City of Peabody and to the United States of America. It also represents the greatness of the Portuguese community through the celebration of Portugal's greatest poet Luis de Camoes who became the symbol of Portuguese immigrants of the United States.

Although I no longer live in Peabody I'm still very well connected to the city, and I hope to always seek to preserve and promote the traditions and heritage of the Portuguese-American descendants living in the City of Peabody.