strambinha's Profile

Quindim, of course. This is a very traditional (and delicious) Brazilian dessert. http://nyamfood.blogspot.com/2008/03/quindim-brazil-coconut-quindins.html has a recipe with photos. My recipe is somewhat different than that, but the final appearance is the same. I like to make it on a regular pudding pan, but the recipe also works well for muffin cups.

500g (18oz) sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup egg yolks (12 to 16 yolks)
1 teaspoon orange flower water
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Cook sugar and water to a thread (220F). Take the pan out of the stove and mix butter. Let it cool down.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a pudding pan and coat sides with sugar. Fill a larger baking pan to the middle with water and put inside the oven.
Pass the egg yolks through a strainer to get rid of the skin, mix the cooked sugar, orange flower water and coconut. Transfer mix to prepared pan and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Bake in a bain-marie for 60 to 90 minutes (it depends on the shape of the pan), until the top is golden or a knife shoved on the middle of the pan comes out clean. Let it cool down, take to the refrigetator and wait a few hours before taking out of the pan. Slide a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and turn the quindim onto a plate.

I don't eat meat because I am disgusted by it, so how could I cook it? Although my husband eats meat occasionally, our home is free of it, I don't want my refrigerator to be stinky or my utensils and sink to be contaminated with dead animals.

I come from the south of Brazil, a culture that is very meat centric. My mother never accomodated my dislike for meat, even her lasagna was made with meat inside, and the pasta was cooked in chicken broth. I remember going to parties or restaurants where there was absolutely nothing that I wanted to eat, even the potatoes were served in a plate garnished with some fish or poultry. As a vegetarian in the 70s, I was seen as an awfully spoiled child, even though my mother forced me to eat meat everyday.

Today's world is much friendlier to vegetarians. But today I have my own kitchen. If people want to eat at my home, they eat vegetarian. If they don't, the front door is not locked.