Chale Ipanema Won’t Disappoint You
Chale Ipanema
5 stars
342 Franklin Avenue
Hartford, CT 06114
860-296-7276
Chale Ipanema has been under new management since early 2007. The atmosphere is clean and simple. Two rooms adjoin each other with a bar in back.The restaurant serves Colombian, Peruvian, Brazilian and Portugese food. Portions are large, the food is fresh and well plated and there’s an extensive selection of meat, seafood and poultry dishes. It has an “upscale menu”, the food is served with passion, and the prices are very affordable. We started with an appetizer of Colombian spinach and cheese empanadas for $1 each. To be truthful, they were so good that at this point I thought I’d come back for four of these and a Sangria and I’d walk out a happy woman. The empanadas are filled with your choice of vegetables, beef, chicken or spinach and cheese. They were hot and gooey with a crispy fried pastry. Other interesting appetizers are the Papa a La Huancaina ( potatoes in a cream sauce with egg, olive and red pepper) for $8.00, Ceviche De Pescado (served with fish in lemon juice, sweet potatoes, yucca and corn on the cob) for $8.00, Ceviche Mixto (fish, octopus, muscles, calamari, shrimp cooked in lemon juice with cilantro) for $11.00 and Camarones Apanados Con Coco (Coconut shrimp served with a passion fruit mayonnaise) for $11.00.Some interesting salads included:
Ensalada De Espinaca Tropical – fresh Spinach Salad served with cheese, almonds, apples and mango with a dressing of mango, strawberries and vinegar for $7.00,
Salada De Palmito Arugula – hearts of palm and arugala in honey and balsamic dressing for $8.00
Now comes the main course. Expect to spend a lot of time trying to decide on what you want from all the yummy offerings. Just to whet your appetite, some of your choices include:
Carnes (Meat)
Sides include plantains (crispy or sweet,) yucca, french fries, sausage, beans and salad.Rib eye steak $17.00
Grilled pork chops $11.00
Grilled pork loin $11.00
Steak with onions
Steak, pork belly served with rice, fried egg, plantain, arepa, avocado and Spanish sausage $12.00
Chicken with rice $11.00
Filet mignon with shrimp and mushroom sauce $21.00
Beef tenderloin and shrimp in a piri piri sauce $24.00
BBQ combo of beef, pork, sausage, roasted pepper onion and tomato in chimichurri sauce $19.00
Chicken scallopini in lemon and caper sauce $18.00
Grilled chicken breast and chorizo $12.00
Beef, pork and chicken kebab served over special house rice $19.00
Roast duck with marron glace sauce, sweet potato and Brazil nuts $21.00
Seafood
Sides include plantains (crispy or sweet,) yucca, french fries, sausage, beans and salad.Calamari, shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels sauteed with coconut milk and heavy cream served over rice and french fries $16.00
Filet of salmon with shrimps, sauteed in white wine butter, Parmesan cheese and heavy cream with rice and salad $21.00
Filet of tilapia served with calamari, shrimps, octopus, slams, mussels, sauteed in seafood sauces and rice $21.00
…and yet much more…..grilled scallops, grilled lobster, jumbo shrimp, paella for two, etc.
How much time are you going to spend reading this? Go there!.
ps:
Try Brazil’s National Drink ” Caipirinha“, a Mohito, or their Sangria).
Forgot to mention their awesome deserts – Tres Leches cake, Key Lime Pie, Coconut Crem Brulee, Coconut ice cream with carmal sauce, and more.
Ceramic Cooking – Tender, Tasty, Juicy Food
I bought a ceramic cooker the beginning of this season. After exhaustive research, I settled on the Grill Dome. After reading reviews and investigating forums, I found the Grill Dome had thicker ceramic walls than the other two best selling ceramic cookers, and the customer service was unparalleled. Recently, I had a small problem with my cooker and I can’t say enough about the extraordinary customer service I received from the manufacturer and owner – “TK”.
Grill Dome is actually a contemporary version of concepts borrowed from two styles of ancient cookers used in Asia for over 3000 years. The first is a kamado which in Japanese means anything you can light a fire in, such as a grill, fireplace, fire pit etc. The second – the Indian Tandoor. Most often made of earthenware, these cookers have produced remarkable cooking results for centuries.
Thousands of years of history together with Grill Dome’s knowledge of ceramics, research, and extensive testing has resulted in the creation of the Grill Dome. Made of propriety ceramics, the cooker can be used to cook at any conceivable temperature and in the harshest of weathers.
I can tell you I have had some of the best BBQ, grilled veggies, and crispiest thin pizza using my Grill Dome. If you’re in the market for a new outdoor cooker, check out Grill Dome and do some comparison shopping with the other advertised ceramic cookers. You’ll find the best value, product and service is definitely Grill Dome.
If you’re worried about the time it takes to cook using Charwood (a natural charcoal), I can guarantee you this won’t be an issue. I get mine up and running in a few minutes. Today I’m firing up the cooker and I can’t wait….
The Art of Sweet Southern Ice Tea
Ice tea – it sounds so simple to make – hot water, tea bags and sugar. So how come the South can do it so much better?
Spending summers in Coldwater, Mississippi brings back memories of fried chicken, biscuits, pecan pie, corn bread and sweet ice tea. Ah, the tea – so abundantly good in the south, but rarely made well in the north. We Yanks tend to favor bottled teas from Snapple and Lipton, but nothing compares to home brewed sweet ice tea.
So, first question…what’s the best tea to use? Luzianne. You can’t find it readily up north, but you can order it online. Use the manufacturer’s recommended amount of bags per cups of boiling water, and steep for the recommended amount of time. If you prefer it stronger, increase the number of bags, not the steep time – that will only make it bitter.
Now here’s the secret…use “simple syrup” – equal amount of sugar and water. I use 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water for a quart of tea. You’ll need to boil it for a few minutes to melt the sugar. If you don’t do this and just pour the sugar straight in your hot tea, it will collect on the bottom of your container.
To keep your ice tea clear, Do not put it straight into the refrigerator after it’s made. Let it cool at room temperature first, then put it in the fridge. Cooling too fast makes the tannin settle out, causing cloudy tea.
Some folks swear by adding a tiny bit (1/8 tsp) of baking soda to their ice tea. The soda takes out the bitterness and darkens the tea….this small amount doesn’t change the taste. But this is up to you….
Jaipur India
Jaipur is a very big city. It is an assault on the senses. Everything is on the road – from cows, donkeys, camels, cars, trucks, motorbikes, peddle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and monkeys. It is as crowded as Delhi, but in Delhi, one sees less animals and more vehicles. So in that sense, it is more interesting. Jaipur is known as the pink city because of the pink forts.
Our driver, Vijay, took us to the City Palace yesterday where the Maha Raja lives. There was a textile museum and weapons museums (these Maha Rajas were tough guys). He also took us to all his friend’s shops to purchase handmade items (one hand feeds the other). Everyone seems to want a little something extra in the form of a tip, no matter what type of establishment – from the street to the most upscale place. Shopping is difficult because they are very pushy by American standards. Everyone is kind, but making money is a definite priority.
All the children are interested in me and say “a-low!!” and wave in passing. I feel like a movie star!!! 
. Not many white people here at all. In fact I only see one or two a day. I don’t feel any animosity or bigotry though. Tons of homeless dogs everwhere. All sick and mangy. Having pets is not a big past time here. I am going to tell my dogs, Squirt and Daisy, how good they have it when I get back to Connecticut.
Our hotel, Hotel Maduban (“beautiful garden”) is a little bit of paradise in this mad city and it’s good to get back here. Since we’re up north, the days are hot (low 80′s) and nights are cold (40s/50′s). The flowers seem to do well. The flora all over India is incredible.
The plan today is to leave around 1:00 pm for 8 hours of sightseeing, then get on the train for 12 hours for Udaipur, which is a smaller city (Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan). We are both looking forward to less traffic and crowds, although I’m not looking forward to the train.
Crispy, sweet duck – Thai style
It took me a long time to try duck, mostly because it’s uncommon to find it on menus in Connecticut. On a recommendation, we headed to Puket Cafe on Route 99 (Silas Deane Highway) in Wethersfield. It’s easy to miss – a small building tucked in from the road beside Dunkin Donuts. There’s only parking for a few cars in front, but there’s a larger parking lot in back. For a while I was convinced this place wouldn’t make it because of the location; but word has caught on – the last time I visited, the place was packed – and it’s not just because of the awesome duck.
The waitstaff is friendly, soft spoken, attentive, and polite. They offer two types of duck…Chili Duck – a crispy slice of boneless roasted duck topped with sweet chili sauce, served with steamed veggies; and Tamarind Duck (my favorite) – a boneless roasted duck sauteed with onions, bell peppers, ginger, pineapple and scallions in tamarind sauce. Both are $12.95. Either way, you can’t go wrong – they know their duck. The dishes are plated beautifully too.
If duck isn’t your thing, you’ll find curries, a variety of fried rice and noodle dishes, salads, soups, chicken, beef and seafood.
Puket Cafe is an unexpected find which has overcome some location challenges and proved it’s got what it takes to survive and thrive.
Puket Cafe
1030 Silas Deane Hwy
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Phone: (860) 529-6590
The Best Kept Secrets – Hartford Area Homestyle Food
I’m always looking for the “best” restaurants….. not the fanciest – but the small family ones who serve home made food with pride. Ones that have been around forever and have a loyal following. So here’s a list of my favorites – and maybe the next time you’re in the mood to try something new, you’ll find yourself at one of these gems.
The Brazil Grill: A Churrascaria (Brazillian Steakhouse)
1996 Park Street, Hartford, CT
(860) 882-1420
You can go to the “other one”. You know, the churrascaria in West Hartford that gives you a little light you turn over to red when you want them to walk by and slice off a tiny piece of meat. They’re also the ones that charge you an arm and leg when you walk out too. But if you’re looking for the “real deal”, you’ll love Brazil Grill. Here’s how it works: Walk in and grab a plate. To your left are your “sides” which change daily: rice, beans, polenta, collard greens, squash, yucca floured squash, fried potatoes, codfish casserole, fried bananas, okra, etc. Once you’ve piled on a little bit of everything, you walk to the fire pit and order your meat. The “pit master” (I’m sure there’s a real word for his position, but I don’t know it) piles on as much lamb, sirloin, chicken wrapped in bacon, chicken hearts, wings, and chicken sausage, pork loin, beef ribs, as you want. Just tell him how you like it – rare, medium, or well done. By this time, your dish is pretty full and you’re ready to weigh it. The total? $7.00 – $8.00 for a supersized plate. Take your receipt, but don’t pay yet, because you’ll want to go back for some flan, rice pudding, corn pudding, coconut pudding with plum, or passion fruit mousse.
Pho Boston,
144 Shield St
West Hartford, CT 06110
(860) 953-8678
Looking for something light, healthy and full of flavor? Pho Boston (pronounced “Fuuhh Boston”) is the where the Vietnamese go for Vietnamese food. Opening at 10:00 am, they begin serving their Pho (soup) – and what a variety they have! From thin clear bean noodles to wide rice noodles, mixed with chicken veggies or beef, topped with mint, basil, cilantro, beansprouts, all served in homemade chicken or beef broth. I can guarantee you won’t leave hungry…even after a small bowl. Although the Vietnamese people eat soup on the hottest days of the year, when it gets above 80 degrees, I prefer the fresh shrimp rolls appetizers (Goi Cuon), filled with rice noodles, shrimp, lettuce, and mint in a rice wrapper and served with peanut sauce. Another appetizer you shouldn’t miss is the Beef or Chicken Teriyaki. They have a bbq pit in back that imparts a smoky grill flavor. Other favorites include grilled pork/chicken with rice stick (rice vermicelli) dishes with nuoc mam (a sweet fish sauce that doesn’t taste fishy) . The waitstaff are all friendly and love to kid around, so test out your Vietnamese when you order and you’ll also receive a lesson. On a side note, make sure to visit A dong while you’re in the neighborhood. It’s a large Asian grocery store, which has Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean food – a great place for herbs, fresh fish, roast duck, pork and some beautiful china bowls, dishes, and teapots.
Angelo’s Market
349 W Main St
New Britain, CT 06052
(860) 223-7340
Angelo’s is an authentic Italian market located near The New Britain Museum of Art and New Britain Hospital. The owner (Joe) has been cooking for 30 years and learned his craft from the former owner, Angelo, who was a well traveled chef and opera singer. They offer 35 pre-made authentic Italian dishes (always changing their variety), along with yummy subs and their own baked pizza, breads, and schiacccitta’s (check out the garlic bread on your way in). They also have meats, produce and imported Italian products. There’s a few tables inside and out. They start cooking at 7:00 am, and produce an abundant array of great dishes every day – they know what they’re doing.
Monkeys!
OK, you really want to know the best part of my trip to India? The MONKEYS! There were two types, and I don’t know the scientific names of either, but I can tell you the black-faced monkeys were larger and had FANGS. We learned quickly to stay away from those dudes after being pounced on near a parked jeep on a jungle road. We escaped unscathed but learned not all monkeys are sweet….except at the Monkey Temple of course……enjoy
The bigger you are, the more you have the right of way.
Driving in Jaipur
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