This Portuguese orange-olive oil cake smacks of intense orange flavor and is very moist, thanks to the olive oil. Use navel oranges and a fruity olive oil.

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by David Leite
from The New Portuguese Table
(Clarkson Potter, 2009)
Makes about 15 wafers
Cookies aren’t exactly a specialty of the Portuguese. The traditional ones tend to be crumbly and plain, more like a dunking biscuit. One day …

by David Leite
Makes 2 cups
These sweet and spicy nuts are addictive little snacks, so spread them around with care. The sugar and red-pepper flakes hit just the right balance of sugar had heat, making them …

Patê de Azeitonas Verdes
by David Leite
from The New Portuguese Table
(Clarkson Potter, 2009)
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
When I visited A Bolota, a lovely restaurant perched on the sweeping plains of the eastern Alentejo, this dip was …

On the TV program Connecticut Style, David demonstrates to hosts Desiree Fontaine and Sonia Baghdady how to make the New York Times cookie that “was heard ’round the Internet.”
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from a recipe …

Queques de Limão e Laranga
by David Leite
Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch cakes
Queques are small cakes that can be flavored with most anything: vanilla, lemon, orange — even savory bits such as chicken, chouriço, or presunto. …

Gratinado de Camarões e Espinafres
by David Leite
Serves 6
This is a popular dish in and around the beautiful UNESCO town of Évora, in central Alentejo. A version is on the menus at Restaurante Tasquinha do Oliveira, …

Coelho à Caçador
by David Leite
Serves 4
Although rabbit and hare dishes are enjoyed all over Portugal, they’re most associated with the Estremadura and Ribatejo regions. This hearty dish, perfect for autumn, originally called for the blood …

Think of this as almost a spice cake with pumpkin. It’s a super moist cake and the maple-cream cheese frosting adds just the right autumnal flavor to the cake. One of Leite’s Culinaria’s most popular recipes.

Pudim de Chá
by David Leite
Serves 8
This recipe is adapted from a dish by Maria Alexandre, a marvelous home cook in the Ironbound district of Newark, NJ, a haven for immigrants from mainland Portugal and the …

Salada de Feijão Frade com Atum
by David Leite
Serves 4 to 6
This is a classic recipe popular in the Estremadura region, which is made by  home cooks and chefs alike. In my kitchen, I rarely make …