Quindins de YaYa - Comida Latina

Quindins de Yaya is a Brazilian dessert made of grated coconut. It is also the name of a Brazilian song you may recognize. Yaya means "young girl" in a Brazilian dialect.

Here is the song Os Quindins de YaYa  followed by a recipe for this delightful dessert.

I found this recipe in Comida Latina, a cookbook published by Center for Latin American Studies at Stanford University in 1977. It is the simplest version I have found. Another name for these little cakes is Mae Bentas. Recipe courtesy of Rollie E. Poppino.

Ingredients

3 cups grated Coconut

2 cups Sugar

1 tablespoon Flour

6 Egg Whites

10 Egg Yolks

1 teaspoon Salt

Small amount of Sugar and Butter for the muffin tins. 

Separate Eggs. Mix all ingredients. Butter small muffin tins and sprinkle with Sugar. Fill tins 3/4 full. Set muffin tins in a pan of water and place in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. 

This recipe may also be made as a single cake baked in a mold. Double the baking time but watch cake carefully. Done when a knife comes out clean. Some recipes are flavored further with the addition of Vanilla and/or Cinnamon. You will have fun experimenting, if you like. I like the plain version the best. 

First Day of Spring 2015

“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” ― Percy Bysshe Shelley, Ode to the West Wind

Today is the official First Day of Spring. And the United Nations declared this is official Happiness Day.

Humbug! We are expecting 3 to 5 inches of snow today. Drat. Happy Spring all the same. I am planning my garden. It must be Spring.

The cartoonist is Jeffery Koterba. You can see more of his work HERE.

Junk Food Chicken

This is down and dirty you-make-dinner-365-days-a-year cooking.

Ingredients:

Leftover Pretzels, Chips, Cheese Curls, Crackers, etc.
4 slices toasted Bread
1 1/2 pounds boneless breast of Chicken
Mayonnaise

Crush Bread, Pretzels, Chips, etc. in a paper bag with your rolling pin. Or a food processor. Wash and dry the Chicken. Dip into mayonnaise and then crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes or until fork tender. Has great flavor kids love. Thank you, Mary Jean Clift

The image of the Armada Stove comes from the Old Design Shop.

Chinese Fried Chicken Neither Chinese Nor Fried

I quote the author of Country Flavor Cookbook, Haydn Pearson, verbatim.

"Here is a delicious and different way to use Chicken. The recipe is from Miss Ruth McKinlay, of the Old Crombie Gift Shop, Francestown, New Hampshire. No one seems to know how it gathered the name Chinese Fried Chicken."

Chinese Fried Chicken (neither Chinese nor Fried)

1 broiler cut in pieces

2 cups of cream in which dissolve:

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce.

Roll pieces of chicken in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Pack chicken in a baking dish with straight sides. Fill cracks with pieces of bread and the liver. Pour over all the sauce. Let stand in the refrigerator for several hours. Cook one hour at 400 degrees in a covered dish. Remove top and let brown. Serves 4 to 6." 

I make this chicken regularly. My children love it. It is very rich and totally suitable for company. And it is easy on the Cook because the ingredients are simple and so is the preparation.