Like its soccer and samba, beautiful beaches and carnival, the cooking of Brazil is an explosion of colour and flavour. Leticia Moreinos - who spent her childhood in Rio's paradise neighbourhood Ipanema - grew up eating Caldinho de Feijao all day and drinking fresh coconut water on the beach, and was homesick for this culture when she moved to New York to work in some of the world's top restaurant kitchens. Cooking for herself, she went back to the Brigadeiros and Baba de Moca of her childhood but found that her palate had changed. She began to reinterpret classic Brazilian dishes as a chef, making them a little lighter and less sweet for our health-conscious age and a lot easier to recreate at home. The result is this groundbreaking collection of easy-to-make, easy-to-love recipes. With simple techniques and well-explained directions, dishes such as Salmon no Risotto de Caipirinha (Salmon over a Caipirinha Risotto) and Bolinho Quente de Doce de Leite com Sorbet de Coalhada (Molten Dulce de Leche Cake with a Sour Cream Sorbet) will become part of your everyday cooking repertoire and bring a welcome Copacabana-borne breeze into every home kitchen.

Author Biography

Leticia Moreinos was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and moved to New York in 1997, enrolling in the French Culinary Institute and, after graduation, working in the kitchens of many on the top New York City restaurants. In 2000 she moved to Connecticut and started her own catering and cooking instruction business, teaching at schools such as The Institute of Culinary Education and the French Culinary Institute where she has built up a loyal following.