Thanks for the recipe wherever you are

One of my most go to cookbooks is the All Around the World cookbook by Sheila Lukins, who died today. Thank you for great Feijoada recipe wherever you are. The recipe is below, its not WLS friendly but I will work on making it so. I began making it over 10 years ago when we would have Brasilian Saturday Night Special at my house, this dish is often considered the national dish of Brasil and is oft served with rice. The meats here are good suggestions but it can be whatever kind pig you want to put in the pot.

Rio's Feijoada from  All Around the World by Sheila Lukins

1 1/2 lbs of dried black beans rinsed and soaked in water overnight to cover
1 pork knuckle ( I use a ham hock for this)
8 oz of slab bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 oz Keilbasa (I substitute what ever looks good in the sausage case at my butcher)
8 oz Spicey franks (was never really sure what she was getting at here so just used whatever spicy pork sausage looked good)
8 oz uncooked sausages like bratwurst (you can see a theme here)
12 oz lightly smoked ham in 2 thick slices
1 to 1 1/2 lbs of boneless pork chops
4 medium onions
1 lb pork belly
1 orange
3 bay leaves
course ground black pepper to taste
4 T olive oil
8 cloves of garlic
1 large bell pepper diced

Drain and rinse the beans and add into a heavy bottomed dutch oven or casserole with the meat half the onion the orange bay and black pepper.

Cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil skimming foam as needed. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until beans are tender and meat is cooked. About 1 1/2 hours.

While the beans are cooking saute the pepper and onion in oil with the garlic for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

When the beans are tender remove about 1 cup and puree. Sheila calls for the food processor here but I always use a blender or go after them in the pot with my trusty potato masher.

Add the onion mixture and serve

Meet the Foodie Grrl

Just in case you might be interested in who is in charge of this crazy place and what motivates this grrl, here are a few FAQ and a few caveats.




My name is Liz. I am creative spirit with training as an art historian and make my living when the economy allows as an administrative assistant. I am known as the Queen of Meat to my friends and began cooking at the tender age of 7 for my large family and whom ever else stumbled into our always open kitchen. I love art, considering my time in the kitchen as some of my best creative experiences and I collect cookbooks for fun and inspiration. I began spending my Sundays watching Julia Child and the Frugal Gourmet as a kid on public television and I consider that the beginning of my foodie journey.


How did you get fat?


Other than simple math, taking in more than you burn, everyone has their own journey in weight and in life. I began gaining weight as many do after traumatic incidents as a child and adolescent. The pounds were a way to keep unwanted attention away and when I began to get well they no longer had a purpose. I did not use food as medication or binge eat. I did eat more calories then I needed and for long periods of time did not exercise. I did and still do find food as part of a pleasurable life experience and a way to show love to my family and friends. I am on a journey to do this in a way that is healthy for all of us and still allows me to continue on my weight loss journey.


How much did you weigh, how much have you lost, when was your surgery etc.?


I reached a top weight of 293lbs and have spent time in the 270’s more than once. I had a Roux en Y bypass on February 26th 2009 and as of this writing on August 9, 2009, I weigh 205 lbs with a starting weight on surgery day of 276.

Before surgery I was borderline diabetic, had high blood pressure, joint and cardiac issues and I have Sticklers Syndrome. After surgery I still have joint issues but those have a genetic cause. The rest have gone away completely or minimally affect my life (cardiac issue)


What is WLS?

WLS is short for Weight Loss Surgery; it can be any thing from lap band to a full gastric bypass.



Foods you love, foods you hate?

As mentioned previously, I am known as the Queen of Meat, and I even have a cookbook inscribed by Lynne Rossetto Casper to the QoM, so it must be true. ;)

I love meat, luckily I am not intolerant to animal protein after surgery. I am not a terribly picky eater but I do have sensitivities to tree nuts and NutraSweet. I am not a fan of the squash family, strongly fishy fish like mackerel, and overcooked veggies. I love cheese and post WLS, I strangely like bitter flavors more than before. I tend to be more of a salty crunchy person versus a sweets person.

Now for the Caveats:

1. I am not a dietitian, nutritionist or weight loss expert. I am an avid home cook and food lover. Follow the advice of your medical or nutrition professional.
2. Know your limits and listen to your body. Blog posts are only that, posts and are not to be seen as advice or permission to do things that would put you away from your personal goals. If you are not comfortable living within limits then do not push them.
3. If you dump on sugar and or fat then listen to your body and avoid those things. I only dump on sugar and not so much on fats so my posts will be from that point of view but I will try to address both sides.



And finally, there may be misspelling, errors in punctuation or other grammar issues in blog posts. If you find one, good for you grammar sleuth! Don't email me about them, email me about a great cheese find or recipe. Thank you and have a nice day.


Photos from L to R
Vegas 5/29/09, Surgery Day 2/26/09 , 2 1/2 months post surgery, Working the grill 7/4/09, with Mr Wilson June 2009 and France July 2007