Alentejo Adventures » Food

Sardines

Miguel — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:42:31 +0000

Nham, nham… they’ve arrived and represent one of the most appreciated icons of gastronomy in Portugal. Sardines and Codfish are real competators at the portuguese table. This is a tasty pleasure of all summers and Jamie Olivier can confirm it if join us, a meditirranean treasure well preserved… be my guest.

Eat and walk or Eat and cycle…

Miguel — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:46:04 +0000

It looks great doesn’t it? Either you want to start a walking or a cycling trip or just stay in our accommodation at the Alentejo coastline we’ve prepared this fantastic dinning room for all our customers. It’s brand new. Next year will arrive the swimming pool and a new garden. This is how we wish to grow: small and personal with a human touch and this is how we get more and more smiles, a guestbook full of kind and gentle notes. It’s a team work and we’re pleased to share it. Proud to be in one of the most preserved and unexplored areas in Europe we send you this invitation: came to meet the real Portugal.

Alentejo – Sexy Wine

Miguel — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:15:12 +0000

First of all… ALENTEJO… a vast, rural area of flat plains speckled with cork oaks and olive trees, the flatness broken by the “Monte” or low hill on which a large estate or small village will be perched. It is hot – really hot in Summer – requiring irrigation for the many and large vineyards. The Alentejo was the standard bearer for Portugal’s wine revolution, adopting modern winegrowing methods with great results and international critical acclaim. Best known for red wines which are generally full-bodied, fruity and suitable for aging. Reds make a fine pairing with pasta, white meat, red meat, game and strong cheese. The wine and gastronomy are a well preserved heritage and something to include in your route.

Slow, tasty and local food

Miguel — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:17:12 +0000

People from Alentejo are well known for his soft pace of life so don’t even try to rush them or yourself when you’re around. Just relax, enjoy the landscape and also the food. The Alentejo gastronomy is full of creativity and imagination. Along the coast there’s fresh delicious fish in various restaurants. But historical bread, pork and olive oil form one of the best developed regional cuisines of Portugal. The way herbs and spices are mixed to infuse countryside aromas is one of the cuisine’s highlight. Wheat is used in “migas” breadcrumbs served with pork or the stewed lamb bread dish bread “ensopado de borrego” or in the stewed bread embodying the “açorda Alentejana”. At the coastline, fish and shellfish make up very important dishes. The small fishing villages bring fresh fish daily to the local markets and restaurants… and then we’ve to smell and feel the flavor of some the best local cheese “queijo” such as Nisa or Serpa with one of the surprising Alentejo wines. The menu ends with something sweet: there were many convents in the Alentejo. Monks worked to find new ways to combine eggs with sugar and almond, bearing amazing results in the sweets and cakes. Don’t be surprised for the generosity of the portions.

A wiser love affair

Beth — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:24:25 +0000

I’ve been to Portugal four times in my life. During my first visit at 13 years old I fell in love with Tiago Almeida, a handsome mysterious boy from the beach. Now in my thirties, my last few trips to Portugal to work with Alentejo Adventures have lead me to a new love affair…. food. It’s a national sport in Alentejo and they do it so well.

With Miguel as our host he has taken us to some of his favourite restaurants. None of them expensive, some with sea views such as Choupana. Others with a cosy, rustic charm Tasca do Celso. All have friendly attentive staff and children are welcomed with open arms. I’ve eaten rich pork stew, fresh sea bream,and chunky sardines. I’ve cooked my own tender steak on a hot stone and washed it down with the most glorious wine. It seems that high quality produce and rich wholesome food is a given in this part of Portugal.

I’ve heard it said that if you’re going to run a restaurant make sure you get the bread and the coffee right. Why? Because it’s the first and the last thing the customer will remember. This type of attention to detail is instinctive. Appetisers of fresh bread, cheese and olives land on the table as soon as you take your seat and the final treat for your palette is always smooth, rich, strong coffee.

I did a bit of research and found this extract, it describes the Alentejo food culture and heritage beautifully and left me with a mouth watering hankering to get on plane and fly directly to Alentejo.

The Alentejo food culture

“Historically Alentejo is Portugal’s least developed and more rurual region. The inventive and frugal housewives have ingeniously used the staple ingredients bread, olive oil, and garlic to produce outstanding dishes. Açorda á alentejana is a creamy bread puree with coriander and poached eggs. Another dry soup is migas, crumbled bread and olive oil, cooked with cubes of beef, pork, and bacon. The most astonishing combination is pork and clams, with pork loin marinated in chili sauce—the flavors meld together beautifully”

Can I make it in time for dinner?

Tasty

Miguel — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:27:28 +0000

Good food… despite we’re in the active business the truth is everyone likes to try a local speciality. Pastel de Nata is a type of egg tart sprinkled with the cinnamon and powdered sugar found throughout Portugal’s pastry shops or cafés.It is believed that it was created before the 18th century by Catholic Monks. The recipe has, over generations, received some alteration by various “Pastelarias” (Cake Shops) and “Padarias” (Bakeries) throughout Portugal. It’s a real miracle what a small cake can do when we look to the faces and hear huuummmm… delicous! An Alentejo holiday means activity, lansdcape, people and a bunch of good tastes.