Brazil

Brazil's black-bean feast: a slow stew of beans and smoked and salted pork, served with rice, collard greens, farofa and orange. Ingredients: black beans, pork shoulder, smoked sausage, bacon, dried beef, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oranges, collard greens, farofa, rice. Recipe: 1) Soak beans overnight; simmer with bay. 2) Brown the meats; add with onion and garlic. 3) Simmer low 2-3 hours until rich. 4) Sauté greens with garlic. Serve: beans and meats with white rice, greens, farofa and orange slices. History: Brazil's national dish, traditionally the long Saturday lunch; its roots run through Portuguese bean stews and Afro-Brazilian kitchens.

A coconut-milk fish stew from Bahia, bright with dendê oil, peppers and cilantro, cooked in a clay pot. Ingredients: white fish, shrimp, coconut milk, dendê (palm) oil, onion, tomato, bell pepper, cilantro, lime, garlic, salt. Recipe: 1) Marinate fish in lime, garlic and salt. 2) Layer onion, tomato and peppers in a clay pot. 3) Add fish, coconut milk and dendê oil. 4) Simmer covered about 20 minutes until the fish flakes. Serve: with rice and pirão (manioc porridge). History: an Afro-Brazilian coastal classic; Bahia's version (with dendê and coconut milk) and Espírito Santo's (without) are friendly rivals.

Golden, chewy cheese breads — crisp outside, stretchy inside — made from cassava starch and Minas cheese. Ingredients: tapioca starch, milk, oil, eggs, Minas cheese (or Parmesan), salt. Recipe: 1) Scald milk and oil; pour over starch and stir. 2) Cool slightly; beat in eggs and cheese to a soft dough. 3) Roll small balls. 4) Bake at 200°C until puffed and golden. Serve: warm, with coffee, any time of day. History: from Minas Gerais, where cassava starch replaced wheat in colonial kitchens; now Brazil's favorite snack, baked fresh across the country.