- published: 15 Dec 2008
- views: 48666
Portuguese cuisine is characterised by rich, filling and full-flavoured dishes and is closely related to Mediterranean cuisine. The influence of Portugal's former colonial possessions is also notable, especially in the wide variety of spices used. These spices include piri piri (small, fiery chilli peppers) and black pepper, as well as cinnamon, vanilla and saffron. Olive oil is one of the bases of Portuguese cuisine both for cooking and flavouring meals. Garlic is widely used, as are herbs such as coriander and parsley. Breakfast is traditionally just coffee or milk and a bread roll with butter, jam, cheese or ham. Lunch, often lasting over an hour is served between noon and 2 o'clock or between 1 and 3 o'clock, and dinner is generally served late, around or after 8 o'clock. There are three main courses, lunch and dinner usually include soup. A common soup is caldo verde with potato, shredded kale, and chunks of chouriço sausage. Among fish recipes, bacalhau (cod) dishes are pervasive. The most typical desserts are rice pudding (decorated with cinnamon) and caramel custard, but they also often include a variety of cheeses. The most common varieties are made from sheep or goat's milk, and include the queijo da serra from the region of Serra da Estrela. A popular pastry is the pastel de nata, a small custard tart sprinkled with cinnamon.
Michael "Mike" Colameco is the host of "Mike Colameco's Real Food" which airs Saturdays at 6pm on PBS WNET Channel 13 in the NY area and the syndicated "Food Talk" on WOR710 Radio. He is the author of "Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to New York City."
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the Culinary Institute of America. He has worked as a chef in numerous NYC Restaurants including such legends as "Tavern on the Green" and "Windows on the World'. After working in various restaurants he purchased a cafe in Maplewood, New Jersey. He then relocated to the southernmost tip of New Jersey and opened a restaurant in Cape May, New Jersey which he ran for several years. He eventually took over hosting duties of the WOR710 Radio Food Show of Arthur Schwartz. The show which was produced in the radio station's New York City studio was cut back to Sunday only after Glenn Beck was added to WOR radio.
He resides in Cape May, New Jersey with his wife, Heijung Park-Colameco, a real estate agent and native of South Korea. The couple has two sons.