The New York Times Travel Magazine published yesterday an all-Latin American edition of their
Travel Magazine. Included in the issue was a very interesting and informative article by Seth Kugel on travel to the historic mining towns of the the Brazilian state called Minas Gerais (English: General Mines). I've travelled to many of the places mentioned in the article, and towns like Ouro Preto and Tiradentes are colonial gems - baroque art and architecture in a stunning mountain landscape. The complete article can be found by clicking
here.
Besides art, architecture, history and landscape, Brazilians consider gastronomy to be one of Minas Gerais' gifts to the nation. As a landlocked state, but an incredibly lush and fertile one, Minas Gerais' food is substantial, homey and comforting - based on meats, stews, baking and sweets. It's not sophisticated, it's simple and full of concentrated flavors.
One of the most well-known and well-loved dishes from this state is Kale Mineira (Portuguese:
couve mineira). Mineira means "in the style of Minas Gerais" A recipe follows, in the next post.
