Maria's Portuguese Table

ia's Portuguese Table" season two has been provided by Rhode Island PBS Foundation.

Rhode Island PBS, engaging viewers of all ages since 1967.

- [Maria] "Maria's Portuguese Table" is made possible by the generous sponsorship of BayCoast Bank, providing services and financial solutions for the people and businesses of southern New England since 1851.

Underwriting for ""Maria's Portuguese Table" has been provided by.

(bouncy music) On this episode of "Maria's Portuguese Table," our tour of the central Azores Islands comes to a conclusion on Faial.

I sail through the famed Faial Harbor.

I'm in the same path of all of those sailors.

I will taste my way through the capital city of Horta.

I take a crack at being a beekeeper.

Oh, oh, it's a cute little hat here.

Then I sit down to a one-of-a-kind, farm-to-table experience on the island.

Yay!

All today on "Maria's Portuguese Table."

(uptempo music) (uptempo music continues) (gentle music) My Faial experience begins on the neighboring island of Pico with a short ferry ride across the narrow channel.

I land in Faial's biggest city, Horta.

Being my first time in Faial, I wanted to know as much as I could about this gorgeous island: its history, its people, and, of course, its food.

And I meet up with Rafael of Hungry Whales Food Tours to do all three.

- Well, Faial is particularly interesting in the context of the Azores, and I think the most distinctive feature of this island is the fact that it was initially populated by Flemish.

- [Maria] Throughout the history of Faial, and particularly Horta, the influence of multiple distant cultures can be felt here.

Never was that more evident than the late 1800s when nations from across the world created colonies here to support the communication efforts of the transatlantic cable system.

- So for roughly one generation, 30 years, you had a multitude of countries that had here their communication specialists and even diplomats.

Horta in the 1920s was an incredible place to be in terms of cosmopolitanism, in terms of this international vibe.

- [Maria] As we wander through Horta, I see the cosmopolitan vibe that Rafael is talking about.

You can see it in the architecture, and I can imagine what life was like in the turn of the 20th century.

His tour leads us to our first stop, a cozy little tea and infusion store.

- So, Maria, here we would like to present you with two infusions.

One uses masala.

And in English, it's known as English mace or sweet yarrow.

It's actually from the sunflower family.

And locally, people sometimes also mix it with anise seed.

So here, you can try both.

- Perfect.

Okay.

(upbeat music) Oh, that's very different.

- It's very different, yes.

It has certain bitterness in a way.

- Yes, it does.

- Yeah.

- Oh, but that's actually very nice.

The sweet yarrow, like many plants on the Azores, is not indigenous to Faial.

It is a European plant that can also be found in North Africa.

Now, I tried the infusion with the anise seed.

All I can smell is licorice.

- [Rafael] Yeah, it takes over.

- It takes over.

It's like black licorice.

- It's a very strong digestive system operator, yeah.

- It smells, I mean, it smells pretty.

I mean, it smells nice.

It's a very nice bouquet, even more so than this.

But the flavor in this for me between the two.

- Now, that's very exquisite.

- Yeah.

- So Maria, before we leave this place, we would love you to try another very special thing.

- Okay.

- [Rafael] Portuguese calda.

- Oh my goodness.

A whole fig.

- [Rafael] A whole fig.

- I love dried figs.

I like fresh figs.

I like fig jam.

I like Fig Newtons.

I like everything with figs.

(upbeat music) Oh my.

This is really, it's really good.

- This is really the art of cooking.

That's the charm of these small islands is that- - Oh, that is incredible.

- There's always someone who sort of keeps these traditions alive.

- [Maria] Oh, thank God for them.

- Yeah, it's very true.

- Really, thank God for them.

Yeah, we have to keep this up.

My food tour with Rafael is just getting started, and our next stop is to a local farmer's market where I have a chance to check out some hyper-local products.

- [Rafael] So we've prepared a few foods for you, Maria.

A little bit of massa sovada, perhaps.

- [Maria] I'll do a massa sovada, yes.

- [Rafael] (indistinct) and Capelinhos are manufactured by the local dairy producers cooperative.

(light music) - Very creamy.

- Yep.

- Very mild.

- A little bit of omorro just for the difference.

- The sacrifices that I need to make.

- Terrible, yeah.

- It's just awful, isn't it?

- Ah, life is so unfair.

Omorro is a bit more cured.

- I like that little tang.

Touches your tongue and ooh, makes your mouth real happy.

You have amazing cheeses on this island.

You really do.

- [Rafael] And then you have the honey from Faial.

All islands have some honey production, but Faial and Pico are particularly, let's say, keen on their honeys.

Actually, Faial has about 10 bio certified producers.

(light music) - Oh.

It just opens it up.

That was really, really a beautiful combination.

If this is the intro to the food, the gastronomy of Faial, I think you hit it out of the park.

- We're just getting started.

- Oh my goodness.

And Rafael wasn't lying.

We make our way to Horta's waterfront for our last stop and an introduction to one of the oldest recipes on the island.

Now, why did we choose this restaurant?

- This place has very, very interesting food I would really love to show you.

It's one of those recipes that survived the trial of time also, and it's the bean pudding from the Carmelite Monastery of Horta.

- That looks beautiful.

- This is one of those recipes where you have very, at the time, exquisite and expensive foods like almonds.

We don't grow almonds in the Azores.

- [Maria] Right, they would come from the continents.

- Mostly from mainland Portugal.

Breaking protocol, I will also join you for this one.

- Perfect, let's do that.

(uptempo music) Oh.

Usually with puddings, it tends to be a little heavier.

- [Rafael] No.

- No.

And not over sweet.

The only real sweetness is that top, which is nice and cool, and then the almonds.

Oh my.

- True.

- This is a very different consistency than I've ever had before.

- It's homemade.

- [Maria] Yes.

- It's delicious.

- This is something is absolutely unique.

I've never had anything like this.

- It doesn't taste like beans at all, right?

- No.

No, not at all.

Here in Faial, I am already in love, and I haven't even left Horta and the waterfront.

I can't wait to see what is around the next bend.

(ethereal music) Throughout all the Azorian islands, volcanic origins are evident everywhere.

It's the very heart of the uniqueness and beauty of these nine islands.

But in 1957, the volcanic event on Faial was the catalyst event for the whole generation of Azorians, sending their lives in a direction they could not imagine.

It's known as the Capelo volcanic complex, or as the locals call it, (speaks Portuguese).

It is a place I have dreamed about coming to because of what this place meant for so many Portuguese-American immigrants.

- [Rafael] And that's Capelinhos volcano.

- [Maria] Right here?

- [Rafael] Yeah, near to the lighthouse.

- [Maria] Oh my goodness.

- This was the end of Faial.

- Right here?

- The coast, yeah, right here.

The old coast line of the island.

- [Maria] In the early morning hours of September 27th, 1957, the ocean water started boiling, followed by a small eruption just off the northwest coast of Faial.

For the next 13 months, this volcanic event went through several stages.

The end result was about one square mile of new land, while changing the lives of so many in the coming decades.

- [Rafael] This eruption started here on the sea with the jets of volcanic ash and steam that fall on the sea and slowly created a small island made of volcanic ash.

When this volcano didn't have water inside of the crater, it started a new phase, it started a super aerial phase.

Very explosive, releasing lava and rocks at the same time, and then it finish with the effusive phase, releasing big lava flows.

The eruption finished in 24th of October in 1958.

(tense music) - [Maria] Incredibly, no lives were lost in this destructive natural disaster thanks to the smart and fast-acting leaders.

Sadly, with nothing to feed the animals and the crops destroyed, food shortages became a serious problem.

- The earthquakes from the volcano also destroyed a lot of houses.

In one night, we have 450 big earthquakes affecting this island.

We have a big economical and social problem in the island.

- Their livelihood, their homes, their way of just surviving was taken away from them.

That is beyond.

Beyond.

As a result of the eruption at Capelinhos was the Azorian Refugee Act, spearheaded by senators John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts and John Pastor of Rhode Island, creating a wave of immigration to the United States like never before.

For many as Azorians, it was a way out of some of the most desperate times of these islands.

- Before the eruption, Faial island have more than 25,000 people.

And with the big immigration wave to the States, it fall into the 12,000 people.

- [Maria] I get a little choked up as I realize I am standing at ground zero where the wave of immigration began, including my family's immigration.

And by doing so, changed my destiny forever.

- This is the original Azorian Refugee Act.

This was a sign at 2 of September in 1958.

- [Maria] Wow.

- This volcano destroy a lot of things in the island, but at the same time, it gives the opportunity for these people immigrated.

- This allowed it.

- This was the first document.

This was the start of history of many people's lives.

- [Maria] By being on the ground at Capelinhos, one walks on the youngest soil of the Azores, and technically, the westernmost part of the European tectonic plate.

It is a reminder of what a force of nature these beautiful nine islands are.

Destructive origins leading to richer tomorrows and stunning landscapes.

Today, the wind and tides slowly eat away at the land bridge that connects the volcano to the rest of Faial.

But for that wave of Azorian immigrants from Faial and other islands who left during the late '50s and '60s, this volcanic eruption was the one singular event that affected the rest of their lives and the lives of their children forever.

(soft music) The island of Faial and its famed harbor was, for many immigrants, the last bit of Europe they touched before stepping foot in the new world.

From the 18th century until today, this harbor has played an important role in the trans-Atlantic crossing for sailors, immigrants, and adventure seekers.

And for the last 100 plus years, there has been one place that is usually the first or last stop a visitor has to Horta harbor, Peter's Cafe, home to the world famous Gin do Mar.

- Here it is.

Our gin is made the same way for 100 years now.

A slice of lemon, three rocks of ice, a little bit of gin, and the rest is tonic water.

- I can't wait to try it.

- Enjoy.

- Thank you.

(soft music) It's delicious.

It really is.

I can see why that they've been serving this for over 100 years.

So when you come to Peter's Cafe, you need to order the gin.

A little liquid courage was just what I needed for my next assignment, sailing out of the harbor of Horta, like so many sailors and immigrants have done before me.

Okay, and I'm going in.

Oh!

It's no secret that I am not comfortable being out on the water.

And so glad that my husband Bob was able to come with me.

We meet up with Sarah and Kevin of Azores on Board.

They have a huge sailboat to offer guests a variety of journeys in and around the Azores.

After a quick tour of the boat and some safety tips, the engine roars to life and Sarah guides us out of the harbor.

And you are the captain, correct?

- Yes.

- [Kevin] She's the boss.

- She's the boss.

- But only on the boat.

- That's what she says.

- Yeah.

- Smart man, very smart man.

(playful music) As we enter the channel, the captain Sarah offers me the wheel.

- Now you are controlling the boat.

- I'm controlling the boat?

- Yeah.

- Oh, I don't know if I feel comfortable controlling the boat.

Do you think I could control and handle this boat?

- Yes, look, look.

- It's a very expensive boat, and you're putting it in my hands.

- And our lives are very expensive too.

- Oh my God, so is mine.

So is mine, so is mine.

- Our lives are between your hands.

- And my husband, and my husband too.

I love you, baby.

- [Bob] Love you too.

- I love you.

(playful music) It is at this very moment I realize where I am and what I am doing.

For many generations, the Azorian immigrant experience for so many started right here in these very waters.

Leaving the calm water of Horta harbor and into the mighty Atlantic, heading west to a unknown destiny.

We're talking about centuries.

I'm in the same water, I'm in the same path of all of those sailors.

I'm doing the same.

Well, I'm doing the same, but you know what I mean.

I'm doing the same.

Despite my reservations, I am glad I took the opportunity to go sailing.

Sarah and Kevin were wonderful hosts.

And to be able to share this moment with my husband Bob made today much more special.

Earlier in the show, I got to taste some local honey at the farmer's market.

Two of the young ladies there happened to be certified beekeepers, and they offered to take me to their bee farm to get up close and personal with these honey making bees.

- So Maria, do you want to see the bees now?

- Yes, I'd love to.

I'd love to see the bees.

- Let's go.

- Sonia helps me into my beekeeper's outfit, something I have never done before.

I have a big head.

Ooh, ooh, it's a cute little hat here.

Sonia and Sarah tend to about 10 beehives on this property, which are part of a honey cooperative on the island along with 30 other certified beekeepers throughout Faial.

I'm thinking what holds it together.

The sticky honey.

- Yes.

- Oh!

- There it is.

- Look at that honey!

- [Beekeeper] It is honey.

- [Maria] With the bees calm, Sonia and Sarah gently lift the top off, and we find the honey mother load.

- [Beekeeper] It's pull off honey.

- You wanted to- - [Maria] To hold it?

- [Beekeeper] Hold it for me.

- [Maria] I can hold it?

- [Beekeeper] Yeah.

- That is heavy.

- Yeah.

- [Beekeeper] Yes.

- You know, when you lifted that up, I'm thinking, oh, that can't be, you know, it's honey, it can't.

(gasps) This is heavy.

- Yeah.

- Oh, they've done such a beautiful job.

Look at that honey.

Oh my goodness.

And that's what I had yesterday.

- Yes.

That's what you taste yesterday.

- [Maria] I have a new found appreciation for the art of beekeeping.

It is a gift of nature, and we owe a big debt of gratitude to each and every honeybee.

The island of Faial has a lot to offer: a rich history, a world-class boating scene, and plenty of culinary options.

For my last day on Faial, I was on the hunt for an extraordinary culinary experience that can properly put a cap on my tour of the Azorian Central Islands, and I found it.

I found it on a little family farm in the countryside run by husband and wife team, Manny Largo and Margot Petitti.

- This farm, this land has been in our family for over 150 years, so it belonged to my great-grandfather.

And this land has been fallow for 50 years.

- [Manny] The grass was up to our knees when we got here.

- Really?

Oh.

- [Margot] We moved here in March and plowed the field and started planting.

- [Maria] Traditional farms grow for production on a larger scale.

Here, Margot and Manny test multiple varieties of vegetables and growing styles to produce the best tasting foods.

Margot is a gifted plant scientist, and Manny is a trained chef.

- Here we have some zucchini coming in.

This is a rondini zucchini.

So you have, here, do you wanna harvest?

- Is it ready?

- Yeah, harvest this one.

Perfect.

- Beautiful.

- Then you're gonna see this later today in our meal.

- Yep, in our meal.

- Oh, boy.

- These are called Italian Ice.

This is an hybrid variety.

And you're more than welcome to pick some of these.

And definitely try it.

- Okay.

- If you want.

They're nice.

- Oh, they're so good.

- Those are nice ones.

- Oh, they're so good.

- Yeah.

- Since there is still an abundance of carrots in the ground, Manny plans on using them for today's meal.

I try to help by pulling a few myself.

I don't know.

- Let me see.

- I don't know.

I think I ruined the carrot.

- No, you didn't.

This is a tough one.

- Oh, okay, I feel good.

Whoa!

That's why.

- Look.

- Look at that.

- That was a good one.

- That was a good one is right.

- So these are our purple carrots.

And when you break them in half, they have an orange on the inside.

So that's kind of cool.

- That is cool.

With the carrots pulled, Manny and I head to the kitchen to get the meals started.

- All right, so we're gonna be making carrot cake today.

We have two bowls here, and we're gonna get all the dry ingredients together.

Here we have flour.

We're gonna pour it in the bowl.

- [Maria] Okay.

- [Manny] This right here is 150 grams.

- [Maria] Okay.

- And then we're gonna pour in the sugar, which is 175 grams.

One teaspoon of baking powder, and then we'll do a half teaspoon of salt.

- Perfect.

Cinnamon.

- Yep, cinnamon.

We're gonna do one teaspoon of cinnamon.

Whisk all this together.

- All right.

(cheerful music) - We're gonna do vanilla.

- Very nice.

- [Manny] And we have oil right here.

Well, everything that we're using here is from our farm.

- [Maria] All from what we picked?

- Yes, this morning.

- Okay.

- Okay.

And we're gonna pour all of this together.

This is a simple typical carrot cake recipe.

- [Maria] Yes.

- But what you're gonna do is you're just gonna grab the carrots and layer them down.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

- A pattern of sort.

- Yeah, whatever.

Follow your heart.

- Okay.

- That's all you have to do.

- [Maria] A mosaic.

- [Manny] Exactly.

Any colors you'd like.

- It's almost like a little puzzle.

- It is, it is.

- How did you start wanting to cook?

I mean, 'cause you are a trained chef.

- Yeah, well, my mom, she is an excellent cook.

As a a child, I really, you know, I wanted to be as great as her.

So we have the batter made.

- Yes.

- We have this assembled.

We're gonna make a caramel sauce next.

- [Maria] We moved to the stove where we make a caramel sauce that will be used on the carrot cake.

- It's very simple ingredients.

It's just heavy cream, butter, salt, and sugar.

- And that's it?

- That's all you need.

Okay, you can see now you're starting to see the crystallization happening.

- [Maria] Oh yeah, yep.

- It's amazing, right?

You have just simple grains of sugar, and now it's a liquid form for sauce.

Yeah, it's really, to me, that's what I love about cooking is a curiosity of things and seeing things transform from one root vegetable to a sauce or a soup.

- Oh, now it's gonna become like gold.

Look at that.

- Liquid gold.

- Liquid gold.

Isn't that beautiful?

- We're gonna pour the butter and the salt.

And then we're gonna pour the heavy cream.

You're gonna see some bubbling.

It's gonna be just for a few seconds.

And there's your caramel sauce.

- Beautiful.

Now it's time to layer the ingredients for the carrot cake, which Manny lets me do.

That looks really good.

- So then we're gonna put this cake on top of the sheet pan.

- [Maria] We put the carrot cake in the oven where it will bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Just enough time to get the carrot soup prepared with the rest of the carrots that we pulled.

- This soup is something that's a very simple soup.

It's just carrots, onions, garlic, water, salt, and pepper.

We're gonna pour just a teaspoon of olive oil, and then we're gonna do some butter as well.

Just put a little extra right there, no problem.

- Yeah, is that all right?

Yeah.

- [Manny] Nobody's watching.

- Nope, you didn't see that.

- Pour three cloves of garlic in there.

And then we're gonna saute this just a little bit.

This is where you get good flavor in a soup.

It's just simple ingredients.

It's just the way you cook it is what makes it delicious.

And it's toasting the garlic.

It's caramelizing the onions a little bit.

Okay, so we're having some light color.

We're gonna pour the onions in here.

These are shallots.

- [Maria] Oh, which is more mild.

- It's more mild.

I always pour some salt in with the onions and the garlic 'cause then we're gonna pour in the carrots, okay?

- [Maria] Okay.

The kitchen fills with wondrous smells, and the soup really starts to take shape.

It's covered and cooks for 20 minutes, then it's pureed and ready to serve.

(cheerful music) The carrot soup is only the beginning.

Manny begins to present dishes that show off the best of their farm to table experience.

And joining us today is Margot's parents.

I made this with you, right?

- You see what I told you?

- [Maria] Yes.

- It's just a technique.

Remember that squash that you harvested earlier this morning?

- [Maria] Yes, yes.

- Well, we sliced them thin.

We have in the tomatoes that you tried, I made a pesto with them.

(cheerful music) - Oh, that's very good.

(cheerful music) Mm, oh.

- You get different flavors as you go.

- I was gonna say, now I have another flavor in there.

- It's cheese and sharp, and then it becomes the corn.

- Yes!

Yes, sweet.

With each savory bite, I realize that the key to a great meal is how things are paired, from the basic ingredients to the combination of food groups.

In the same vein, by pairing their talents, Margot and Manny are at the genesis of something great here.

You make the perfect pair.

You are all about the the best seeds, and then you're taking that and you're creating these great dishes with them.

So it's a great marriage in many ways.

- [Margot] Yeah.

- Isn't that wonder?

It really is!

To think that this young couple returned to Margot's great-grandfather's land on a small island in the Atlantic to follow a shared dream and passion, it's what great stories are made of.

The final act of this magical experience is a beautiful upside down carrot cake that I had a small part in making, and I am so ready to taste it.

- Oh, that's nice.

- Oh, that's real nice.

- It came out really nice.

- It really did.

- [Margot] You guys did a good job.

- I just followed what he told me to do.

I would've never thought of doing that.

Never.

It just isn't something that you go, oh, let me do an upside down carrot cake with caramel in there and da da da.

That is divine.

- [Manny] Thank you.

- [Maria] There is no better way that I can think of to finish my tour of the Central Islands of the Azores in the open air, a breathtaking vista, delicious food, and the great people around the greatest invention man has created, a table.

It is the one simple object that invites people to gather.

It allows strangers to become friends, and friends and families to create memories that will be with us always.

(cheering) Oh, yes.

It's here in this moment on Faial to reflect on my many tables I have had the opportunity to share during the season, tables filled with mouthwatering cuisine and savory desserts.

But more importantly, tables filled with wonderful people and cherished moments that will be with me for a lifetime.

(cheerful music) (light music) (light music continues) (light music continues) Underwriting for "Maria's Portuguese Table" season two has been provided by Rhode Island PBS Foundation.

Rhode Island PBS, engaging viewers of all ages since 1967, "Maria's Portuguese Table" is made possible by the generous sponsorship of BayCoast Bank, providing services and financial solutions for the people and businesses of Southern New England since 1851.

Underwriting for "Maria's Portuguese Table" season two has been provided by.

(cheerful music) (upbeat music)