Comments on: Lights, Camera, Recipes: Capturing a Portuguese Family’s Recipes

By: David Leite

David Leite — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:04:33 +0000

Ginny, thank you for your kind words. It is amazing how similar the foods of different cultures can be. I find Southern cooking to be similar to Portuguese cooking: a lot of pork, kale/collard greens, beans, cornmeal/grits, etc. Good taste, apparently, know no borders.

By: Ginny

Ginny — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:58:51 +0000

David I love reading about your family, I have family that also came from the same island (Da Souza) and my Great Grandmother was also called VoVo, and my Grandmother was full-blooded Portuguese, but she passed away when I was only 12 years old; I was just beginning to learn to cook from her. I live in Louisiana, and some of the recipes that I have found do not seem to be to different from the cooking that I do.

By: David Leite

David Leite — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:16:22 +0000

Hi Karen, what and exciting project. We have plenty of Portuguese recipes, many classic, some contemporary. You'll find a full list of nearly 60 recipes here. Give my best to you daughter.

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:28:31 +0000

Hi, my family ancestors also come from the Azores from what I am told. The only dish that was passed to me from my father’s side which they all lived in the San Jose, CA area was Portuguese Beans. It was made from pinto beans, ground beef, linguiça, green peppers, onions, and cilantro. I think that it was changed around a bit. Anyway, my daughter has to do a high school senior project, and she wanted to do it on Portuguese food, do you have any simple delicious recipes we can use? I found a few, like Portuguese sweet bread and your Deep-fried green beans and pinapple picando burger, they sound really good. I would appreciate it! I also wanted you to know my mom came from a Costa family, don’t know if it is a relation or not.

By: David Leite

David Leite — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:55:20 +0000

KarenJ, that’s what I love about food. No matter what your background we all can relate. Tell me: 1.) Where in Portugal are you?, and 2.) Where was your husband’s restaurant?

By: KarenJ

KarenJ — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:50:25 +0000

It was fun reading this article, but I got a special kick out of looking at the dining table photo. I’m an east coast American (Boston mother, N.Y. father, and D.C. with a Cape Cod– summers only–upbringing). I now live in Portugal with my Portuguese husband. I’ve sat at many tables that look just like this! Granted, when it’s at our house it may well include Bulgarians, Germans, English, and Canadians digging in, but the food is always Portuguese and the wine bottles abound! When we were still in the States, we had for five years a Portuguese restaurant (my husband was the chef) where the tables tended to look pretty much the same! :>) Thank you.

By: David Leite

David Leite — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:54:00 +0000

It’s the way with that generation, Sofia. Let’s hope we can pass in on to the next.

By: Sofia Reino

Sofia Reino — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:47:00 +0000

Loved this writing. Even though I am not your traditional immigrant (we lived all over the world and were fortunate to go back home at least once a year and lived there a total of 7 years–three different times), I must say my grandmother is also a tremendous influence in how I cook today. She usually would also not use measuring cups or spoons but luckily she would write down all the recipes she made throughout her life. I am now slowly going through her books (I inherited) of traditional Portuguese cooking, her own interpretations and from all over the world as she too was a traveler.

By: David Leite

David Leite — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:48:30 +0000

Teresa, I’m delighted you found Leite’s Culinaria and that you enjoy the recipes here. I hope to add more Portuguese dishes soon.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:40:52 +0000

I had fun reading this because it reminds me of my own family and, I have to say, myself. I learned how to cook with pinches of this and dashes of that, and I think that’s so intuitive! That’s genuine cuisine to me; feeling the food being cook and accomplishing to its needs. I’m from Portugal, recently living in USA, and I had just discover your website, after hearing about your book. I have to say I know most of the Portuguese recipes you have here by memory and I’m thrilled that you’re showing the flavors of Portugal like that. Thank you.