I make a KILLER risotto. Seriously… It’s so good that there’s never any leftovers. I wasn’t always as good at making risotto. It took me a few crash and burn attempts, but eventually, with practice, I think I mastered the Art of Cooking the Perfect Risotto. My secret? TLC! Don’t leave the stove. Stay with your risotto from beginning to end. You want to make sure you cook it with love until it’s al dente....

Nothing makes my family smile like a hot lasagna on the table. After you try this Pressure Cooker Lasagna, you might want to give my Four Cheese Lasagna a try as well! 😊 This post is sponsored by Campbells®. All opinions are my own. Lasagna in the pressure cooker? Well, color me surprised! When Campbells® invited me to participate in this project by creating a prepless recipe that would be helpful to busy families, I panicked....

This post is sponsored by Icons of European Taste, a joint promotional campaign to promote Prosciutto di San Daniele, Grana Padano and Prosciutto di Parma. If you love easy appetizers, make sure to also get the recipes for Roasted Garlic Baked Ricotta, Blue Cheese Fig Tart, Baked Camembert with Garlic and Rosemary and Hot Smoked Gouda Bacon Dip. The easiest savory tart you will ever make! It’s official! Christmas season is here....

The Arepas have deep roots in the colonial farms and the indigenous cuisine. Back then they used to soak the maize grains and then peel and ground them in a large mortar know as pilón. Nowadays, thank God, you can buy pre cooked arepa flour. This flour is then mixed with water and salt, and occasionally oil, butter, eggs and milk. I start by mixing in a bowl the pre cooked white corn meal (masarepa) with the oil, the salt and finally the warm water....

Holy creaminess, Batman! Who can resist a plate of beef stroganoff? Not me! In fact, I love it so much that my recipe for Brazilian style stroganoff was the first post I’ve ever shared on this blog! While the Brazilian version – which is quite different, made with tomato sauce and heavy cream – is still my favorite, I felt like I needed to have the classic, Russian style stroganoff recipe on my repertoire....

Hello, cyber friends! Happy September! September is my favorite month because it is the month when I was born and because it means that Fall is around the corner. Who’s excited for Fall? I can’t wait!! :) We finally have a new super in our building, after our beloved Mike left (without saying goodbye) a few months ago, apparently for health reasons. Or at least that’s what the building company said… Anyway, we really loved Mike, the old super, and we want to love this new super as well....

Hello hello!Today is Argentina day! :-) Argentina beat the Netherlands yesterday and scored a chance to win its third World Cup on Sunday, against Germany. Good luck with that though… Germany is a soccer machine this year! (Btw, I’m still bitter about Germany beating Brazil by 7-1, but I can’t deny that Germany is the best team this year!) Brazilians and Argentinians have fought over soccer for years. It is a silly reason to hate each other, I know, and I don’t even know why it started....

If you’re familiar with Brazilian cuisine, you know we love our rice! We eat it daily, usually as a side, accompanied by beans, or as part of a more elaborated meal, like rice casseroles or our many versions of “dirty rice”. These meals are often a great way to use leftover rice – and whatever else is in your fridge – too. My mom calls them Lavoisier dishes, because “Nothing is lost, everything is transformed!...

This Pumpkin French Toast is the perfect Fall breakfast! Easy, delicious and coated in everybody’s favorite autumnal ingredient: pumpkin, of course. ??? Guys, I can’t believe it’s finally Fall! The supermarkets here are full of those beautiful fall mum flowers that are just starting to blossom, Halloween candy, apples and pumpkin galore. And everything smells of cinnamon! Yep, you couldn’t miss the start of this season even if you tried!...

Coconut lovers, rejoice! Today’s Festa Junina treat is Queijadinha. Despite its name, the main ingredient is coconut, not cheese. Cheese is in there too, hooray, but is not the predominant flavor! I am calling them coconut tarts for the lack of a better term in English. They are crustless, custard-y and creamy, almost like the filling of a macaroon pie! Easy to make and even easier to eat! I bet you won’t be able to eat just one....

It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you my new Gourmet Series based on Disney movies. This is going to be incredibly fun and I hope you enjoy this new idea! :) I’ve always LOVED themed parties! Not just “costume parties”, but the ones that had a specific theme. Me and my friends in Brazil used to travel to my grandparent’s beach house and throw some themed parties, a different one each night, like: Broadway Night, Oscar Night, Hair Night (Hippie Themed), Beach Luau, Kids Party (where we would all dress like kids, listen to kids’ tunes and eat kids stuff, like popcorn and lots of candy… Mind you, we were all over 20 years old!...

(Today’s post is sponsored by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. After all, who doesn’t love blueberries?) Yep! Thanksgiving is in two weeks and Christmas is in 45 days. ? That actually freaks me out a little, as it feels like it was yesterday and I was disposing of my Christmas tree. But then I remember all the yummy food that we get to shamelessly eat around this time, like this lip-smacking delicious Blueberry Glazed Ham, and I get all jittery and excited....

This post is sponsored by FAGE! As always, all thoughts andopinions are my own. Most people, myself included, get a little intimidated whenever they read the word “French” in a recipe. But no need for that anxiety here! Save it for a few weeks from now, when we (hopefully!) learn to make croissants. This yogurt cake – or Gâteau au Yaourt, in French – is a walk in the park!...

Not only it is a simple and easy dish, but there’s something undeniably sophisticated and romantic about it!

Casserole lovers, rejoice! This delicious Brussels sprouts casserole bake is now joining my collection, which includes my amazing Chicken Friccassee Casserole, Brazilian Creamy Rice Casserole, Turkey and Mashed Potatoes Casserole, and many more. This post is sponsored by No Yolks®, but all opinions are my own I know what you’re thinking! “Casserole? Pffft! That is so… 1950?” But hear me out. Yes, casseroles sometimes get a bad rap for being old-school or something you bring to a funeral....

Obsessed with brigadeiro? Make sure to also visit our recipes for Brigadeiro Cake, Brigadeiro Ice Cream, Naked Cake with Raspberry Brigadeiro and Pumpkin Brigadeiros. A fun twist on a popular Brazilian treat! I can’t think of a better way to say goodbye to 2019 than by enjoying sweets made with champagne! They don’t taste like alcohol, so you can safely feed them to kids, but the champagne gives them an extra oomph that makes them absolutely irresistible....

Caldo Verde is a Portuguese soup made with potatoes, collard greens, sliced chouriço or linguiça (smoked Portuguese sausage) and olive oil. It originated in northern Portugal, but nowadays it is a national favorite. Some people even say it’s the national dish but I disagree! (Hello? Bacalhau?!?) It is also so popular in Brazil that most Brazilians don’t even know that it is originally a Portuguese soup. This soup is great served as an appetizer or as a light course for a late supper, for example....