Monday, December 23, 2013

It's Curry Night!


Before the big move Hub virtually introduced me to Annie, a talented American chef running her own catering company The Gringa from Ipanema in Rio. We finally met a few weeks ago at this cute cafe called Armazem do Cafe in Ipanema. Like Shanna and I, Annie's husband was relocated to Rio and she's been here for over a year. She got her foot in the cooking door by experimenting and working part-time in NYC kitchens whilst managing a full-time day job! I was in awe of Annie and all her food talk. When she invited us over to partake in an Indian curry night, I was really excited for lots of vegetables and spice. Bring on the chilies! 

Annie curated a great menu for the evening and a few of us came early to help with the cooking. Upon arriving there was an amazing assortment of homemade Indian breads with cucumber raita and a tangy mint chutney.


I got a sneak peak at Annie's creative baking skills. She created a pseudo clay oven with a hot iron skillet and a metal salad bowl. The combination generated more heat than her oven and this was a must in order to create those familiar air pockets in naan bread. They cooked within minutes and she topped them off with homemade ghee, a butter without the milk solids that burns at a higher temperature.



We split up into teams (team mango, team spinach) and went about our tasks whilst sipping Layer Cake Malbec wine. Very, very good. I never attempted to cook Indian in London, but it was surprisingly easy. Most of the recipes used similar ingredients like fresh coriander/cilantro, chilies, garam masala, tin tomatoes, onions, cumin, turmeric and dried coriander.We found most of our recipes online, but here is the saag aloo recipe we made. 



Saag Aloo
Pumpkin Tinda Masala
Annie created a marinade of her own garam masala mix, made up of 12 spices, which she used to marinate the chicken for a tikka masala dish. We hand shredded the pre-cooked chicken before tossing it into a fiery red sauce. I managed to steal a bowl of the sauce before the chicken when in. Absolutely delicious.




Chicken Tikka Masala

Let's serve! 



We managed to wait patiently as Annie explained each dish, but this picture really says it all.  Then we tucked in...




 and left nothing behind. 


We ended our feast with creamy mango lassi topped with a pinch of cinnamon, which was a really nice touch. It was a great evening with great company. Now all I need to do is stock up on dry ingredients and Indian recipes to test out at home.


We're off to the states now for the holidays and I look forward to cooking, eating, and learning new recipes from my Grandma. Happy HOlidays and see you soon!

Monday, December 16, 2013

Gettin' 360Fit with Shanna

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Before the big move Hub met this great American couple, Ky & Shanna, who were also living in Copa. He also mentioned that Shanna is a professional fitness trainer, runs her own fitness company 360Fit, and teaches great fitness classes on Ipanema beach. I was really excited to meet her and Ky and gab about health and fitness. We have since become great friends and not only have they shown us the best suco spots in Copa, but Shanna has been kickin' us into shape. She's an amazing trainer and I really admire her healthy lifestyle. With the holidays next week and our departure to America, I wanted to take this opportunity to pick her brain about getting fit in Rio, staying healthy over Christmas and how to train with a baby on board.


What is 360Fit

The name 360Fit came from the idea that fitness is not just one part of your day (when you go to the gym), it's about all the factors in your life that impact creating this new healthy and fit lifestyle. With my clients, my focus is on creating a healthy lifestyle, creating a fitness routine that makes sense for their work/home life and nutritional goals that get people eating more natural [foods] thus causing them to lose weight healthily. My studio in New York City and my classes on the beach in Rio are purposefully without exercise equipment and gimmicks, an environment where athletes and people new to fitness can all benefit from my workouts. I generally only do body weight resistance exercises or use a few things like light dumb bells or resistance bands.

Why did you start 360Fit?

I started 360Fit with one main goal in mind: to teach others that everyBODY can be fit and that you can workout anywhere without having to feel tied to a gym. For many people, just going to the gym takes a huge toll on their self-esteem and the intimidation factor of working out is actually what prevents them from living a healthier, happier life. It can be a very emotional journey for those who have insecurities or illnesses, have always been overweight and grown uncomfortable with looking in the mirror, have never been athletic or taken a gym class before.

You moved from NYC to Rio de Janeiro. How have you managed to maintain 360Fit?

I now have created most of my business online, which includes a virtual program where members can receive daily or weekly workouts with recorded exercises they can use in the gym. I also do one-on-one personal training sessions through Skype and FaceTime with clients from all over. Basically, clients set up their mobile device in the room at an angle where I can see from their head to their toes and I train them just as if I were in the same room. I am able to see their knee alignment, make sure they are keeping their toes forward, and I can even listen to make sure they are exhaling at the right time during the exercises.



What are the benefits to online fitness training?

Online training has opened up many doors and offers a lot more flexibility. For example, I work with a woman in Brooklyn who gets home from work, tucks her children into bed and then turns her iPad on five minutes later for her training session. Before she was always trying to find time to get to the gym after work, but then had to miss out on that important time with her kids. People find the ease of being able to keep up with their workouts while they travel one of the biggest benefits. They can do their virtual workouts in their hotel room, the gym or even outdoors. I have more flexibility with my own travels as well. I went back to New York for work for about 3 weeks. All of my clients who live in Rio were able to continue with their regular times to train by using the virtual system.


Have you noticed a difference between your Brazilian clients and your American clients, particularly the women? It seems in Rio women really value their curves and have a healthier body image.

This is a very interesting question because while Brazilian woman are much more comfortable with curves, I still find that they can be critical of their bodies. Unfortunately, I think this holds true for women around the world. Even the most beautiful women I have worked with can always find something they believe is a big imperfection. I do think media does and always has portrayed women in an unrealistic way and made us feel that things we never even noticed about our body shape or skin make us imperfect. 


Rio food is very tasty, but also very fattening. Lots of fried foods, steak and sweet treats out here. How do you stay healthy in this environment? Anything you avoid altogether?

Since moving to Rio I learned to cook! When you cook at home you have so much more control over what is going into your body. It is very hard to make healthy choices in a restaurant, there aren't options like a hearty salad as a meal and it can actually be hard to find greens on the menu. They do have the kilo buffet places, which have a lot of freshly cooked food and here you have many more options. In general, I tend to stay away from red meat, soda, cheese and heavily fried foods.

What’s your food vice in Rio?

That would have to be acai! There are a ton of anti-oxidants in acai, but they [Rio] prepare it like a sorbet, so the syrup they use contains a lot of sugar. So I do little things like have them make it with less syrup and add strawberries or substitute the syrup for honey.

Christmas is just around the corner and I’m heading to the States next week. Let the indulging begin! Do you have any tips for me and others who want to pack it in without packing it on? How do you manage during the holidays?

It's easy to say to people don't overdo it, but it's not very likely. The best way to go is to plan to indulge. Prepare for it by really eating clean and getting your workouts in weeks before the travels or holidays begin. And while you still might go for that pumpkin pie or second glass of eggnog, try to first fill your stomach up with the healthy choices. By the time you get to the temptation foods, you aren't quite as likely to stuff yourself. My rule of thumb is during a big family meal, I try to fill half of my plate with green foods so a good portion of what I eat will be healthy, leaving only a quarter of the plate for my protein and a quarter for starchy foods.


You are pregnant, congratulations! Is it okay for women to workout during their pregnancy? How are you planning to exercise throughout your pregnancy?

Women who regularly workout can absolutely workout during their entire pregnancy, if their doctor has okayed them. Women who workout during their pregnancy are shown to have easier births and recovery. If you are not someone who works out, but want to start once you’ve discovered you are pregnant, I would highly recommend talking to your doctor first. Then find a fitness professional that is prenatal certified; they will help you with how to work out properly during your pregnancy.

Prior to getting pregnant I was running about 3-4 times a week, strength training a few days and playing soccer at least once a week. I slowed my workouts down to what my body felt like doing, which was nothing more than brisk walks about 4 days a week and shorter strength training days 3 days a week.

Do you have any advice for women who want to exercise whilst pregnant?

My number one advice for pregnant women is to listen to your body it knows what to do! When your body tells you to rest, it is giving those signs for a reason. I felt great during my first trimester, but I also was very tired. During your first trimester your body is doing an enormous amount of work, giving most of your energy to your fetus, and chances of miscarriage are at their highest. Sometimes this is particularly challenging for athletic women who regularly workout at an intense level. You can continue with the same workouts you always do, but should you? Listen to your body.


If we wanted to train with you, how do we get in touch? Where do we start?

The best way to get in touch with me personally is through the 360Fit Facebook page or my website. I personally will answer any email messages that come through and respond to posts. Additionally you can follow @360Fitgirl on Instagram and Twitter and I put all sorts of workouts up on my YouTube page.

Thank you Shanna! You heard it here first friends and family...now put down that Christmas cookie, get moving and hold off on feasting until next week!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Checked In: Oke Ka Baiana Tem


There's a beautiful neighborhood near us called Lagoa or the lake. It's massive and you can run or bike around the thing, SUP night or day, and catch live events during the week. Our first week in Rio we went to see Branford Marsalis play a free concert at the outdoor amphitheater.

Our friend Charlie recommended we go check out this Baian restaurant called Oke Ka Baiana Tem in Lagoa and so we went on a date. It was such a nice evening, the weather had cooled down and there was a beautiful thunderstorm happening in the clouds.


Lagao and Christ

The restaurant is open air, with dirt grounds and white fabric draping all around. They had great wooden tables out front perfect for snacks and cocktails underneath the stars, but we decided to sit inside. We started off with pastel de camarao, fried savory pastries stuffed with shrimp and a yummy sauce. Pastels are everywhere and every place does them differently. These were fantastic because they had a lovely spice to them that is typical of Northern Brazilian food. In general the food in Rio is not heavily spiced, they don't use a lot of herbs or fiery chillies in their food.


We heard great things about the moqueca, a fish stew made with coconut milk and palm oil, but for some crazy reason that night I was really craving pasta. Massas are very popular in Rio and you'll find it on almost every menu. Our waiter recommended the special pesto pasta with it's own Baian twist. It was delicious and very different, they used cashew nuts in the sauce and it really came through.


We had a wonderful evening and I would love to go back and try some of the other dishes. That night we finally got to see the Rio Christmas tree, which floats around on the lagoa and changes colors as it moves around. The only strange thing is even with all the decorations on the streets and in every building, it just doesn't feel like the holidays. Hub says you can't have Christmas in a hot country and we are heading to the states on Monday, so we'll be feeling the cold very very soon. I'm actually looking forward to some crisp cold weather, but maybe I'll change my mind once I feel the bite.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Best Block Party Ever


On Saturday my friend Shanna invited me to this street market in Lapa that only happens the first of the month. We headed off on a crazy bus journey in hopes of finding some cool wall art and new summer clothes, but what we discovered was the best block party ever.

Lapa is a funky neighborhood in Centro where old meets new. The neighborhood starts with the Arcos da Lapa, an abandon 18th century Roman aqueduct. An old trolley called the bodinho use to run right along the top until people starting falling out. Hub's been on it before and said it was scary as hell. 



Past the arches the streets are lined with samba clubs, boutiques and botequims - traditional Brazilian bars where you can get a choppe (draft beer), pastels (savory fried pastries) and other typical fare. Everything is housed in these colorful rundown colonial buildings and it's what I've imagined Havana to be like. Although I've never been there, our friend Karin said Lapa reminded her of Cuba.  


 


We stopped for lunch at LapaMaki, a great little sushi spot on Rua do Riachuelo. The food was fresh and my yakisoba with legumes was delish. It felt good to eat something healthy and that contained non-fried colorful veggies. As we check out the stalls and cool furniture shops off Avenida Mem da Sa, we walked into Rua do Rezende where food and beer vendors set up shop and a DJ was spinning American disco classics. 




We bumped into our friend Charlie who was there to film the party hosted by Charme Rio Antigo and web radio Clube Black Music. Yep they call it blackee musiquekee. He encouraged us to stick around and witness the spectacular event that would soon unfold. Disco line dancing.

It started off like this...


They had about 5 or 6 different dances and the guys leading made it look so effortless and cool. You couldn't help but study the footsteps so that you could join in like these ladies. It was infectious!


And it just kept growing until this. A full blown out party and it was the happiest thing I'd ever seen. I mean don't you just want to chime in "RIO, RIO." 


It's been a tough adjustment to this Carioca life, but discovering hidden gems like this make me realize that I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of my new life.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Open Food Markets


There are a lot of street markets in Rio and they're a nice balance to the less than stellar supermarkets in our neighborhood. Grocery shopping here is way more expensive than London (bye bye Granola), but there are great deals on seafood, fruits and veggies, especially at the street markets. Recently we manage to catch the tail end of a market and scored kilos of fresh veggies at R$1 each. That's 25 cents!

Hub and I have visited a few in our 'hood and I think the one in Praça Serzedelo Correia on Sundays is pretty good. It's not on the same level as Barcelona's Boqueria perse, but it's fresh and has lots of character. It's gritty, but we like a bit grit. 


The seafood here is great and so cheap. Bought a kilo of fresh shrimp for less than £10.



Surprisingly there isn't much variety when it comes to fruit and vegetables, but the majority of it is exotic. Passion fruit, papaya, cashew fruit, big banana, little banana...this is the norm. Oh and the bananas taste different, but in a good way.
 


Rio is not big on spice and supermarkets do not sell fresh whole chili peppers. The only place you can buy them is in the markets. How crazy!



On our way out, I found this little stand of goodies made from corn. They had tamales de elote, which is a traditional Salvadorean dish. They were delicious, but very sweet. I suspect they added sugar to the mix which is so Brazilian!



These little guys greeted us on the way out. Ate proxima semana!

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