Pao de Queijo made from mix

Pao de Queijo from scratch: mixing the dough. Working with this dough was such fun — because it’s made from starch, the feel that’s most similar is working homemade playdough — have you ever made some? It’s made with flour and cornstarch and salt and oil (the salt is so that kids don’t eat it). Because of the oil in playdough, and in this pao de queijo dough, it is not necessary to flour the board and kneading the dough reminded me once again of why I love to bake, and bake bread specifically.

Pao de Queijo made from scratch — yummier according to my kids — I didn’t realize their palates were that refined, as I hardly noticed the difference myself; but the pao de queijo made from the mix did have a different aftertaste, though very slight. There was also a vaguely discernible powdery feel to the outside of the mix-bread, though I don’t know if this quality is desirable or not. I’d definitely choose to make this from scratch anyday of the week, even if it’s just to avoid any bad fats or preservatives.

The inside of a Pao de Queijo, where you can see the stretch — similar in appearance to gluten strands, but of course this bread is gluten-free. I would describe it as gelatinous, except that the word makes me think of icky goo, from which this bread is miles apart. Biting into it is akin to biting into a gougere, except that the exterior offers more resistance and does not have the typical almost-crumbling of a good gougere. The cheese smell is pleasing and not overpowering at all, making these adorable little balls an excellent accompaniment to some tomato or tomato-based soup.

The recipe I used — but modified just a wee bit — can be found here. I did half-and-half sour and sweet tapioca starch, used only 2 eggs, and 125 grams of grated Romano — I was out of Parmesan. I would have used a fresh Mexican cheese which I’ve heard is best for this if you can’t find Brazilian cheese, but I wanted to use up my Romano. Perhaps next time.

another recipe, from recipezaar

The dough is very sticky to work with at first, but once you add the eggs in and work the dough it turns into this pliable, smooth, fragrant cheesy mass — the kind of dough I like to call baker-friendly:). Because it’s warm dough (like I said, it’s like working with playdough) it’s a particularly fun bread to make during winter. And there’s enough oil to keep it from sticking to your work surface.

Tapioca starch comes from the manioc root, a.k.a. cassava a.k.a. yucca or yuca, a tuber — botanical name manihot esculenta found all over South America and also in Aisa. There are two kinds: the bitter, poisonous kind — which is also eaten but processed differently — and the sweet kind, which we can buy here in the US fresh, or frozen, or processed. It is made into flour and starch, and it’s also where tapioca balls comes from. Interestingly, manioc flour or harina de mandioca is very coarse, the texture similar to cornmeal rather than flour. Here in the US look for it in Mexican or other Latin American stores (Yoki or Goya brand), or health food stores — Bob’s Red Mill I think makes it too.

Look for

• Tapioca Starch
• Manioc Starch
• Yuca Harina
• Almidón de Yuca
• Polvilho Doce
• Amido de Mandioca

For the sour starch, if using, look for:

• Sour Starch
• Almidón Agrio
• Polvilho Azedo

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Canja, the Brazilian chicken soup with rice, simple but satisfying. My recipe is based on one in The South American Table by Maria Baez Kijac.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
One 3-4 pound chicken, cut up into serving pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 cups water
2 cups chopped tomato (about 1 large)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 leek, thinly sliced (white and light green part only) and washed well (soak in a large bowl of water until any grit sinks to bottom of bowl, lift out leek slices carefully to avoid disturbing grit)
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook, turning to brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until onion turns translucent, then add water, tomatoes, carrots, and leek. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and skim scum off surface. Lower heat to a simmer and cover, cooking for 1 hour.

When chicken is tender, remove to a platter, debone and de-skin. Using slotted spoon, remove vegetables from broth and add to the chicken. Bring broth back to the boil over high heat and skim off scum. When clear, return chicken and vegetables to pot. Add cooked rice and parsley and cook for 5-10 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve hot.