Progress on Baby Room

The cement blocks arrived Monday. 

 We asked the Ribeiros to deliver as close to the construction site as possible.  Off picture, to the right and down the hill is our house.

 While all the exciting block delivery was happening, the farm keeps going.  The hens are also having babies, although their baby room is the entire property!

We Likes Them Raw and Wriggling!

This is what happens when a pregnant woman craves fish.....she eats them raw and wriggling! 

The above fish, alfonsino, is creamy tasting and firm textured.  Excellent for sashimi.  Similar to hamachi or yellowtail.  See http://www.sushiencyclopedia.com/sushi_menu/yellowtail_sushi.html

This fish is called cavalo, in Portuguese.  It is a mackerel, an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.  It can be eaten raw only right after being caught, being a rare delicacy enjoyed by fishermen, their freinds and family.  The flesh breaks very easily, so it requires a bit of finesse to fillet the fish.  And a very sharp fillet knife. It is known to spoil quickly, so salt it overnight, before curing it.  Konswan´s curing process involves a brine of weak chamomile or green tea, minced garlic, dried juniper berries, fennel seeds, and a bit of lemon juice.  For spiciness, add a bit of dried chili peppers.  The Japanese use rice vinegar to cure the mackerel.    

The fun of sushi and sashimi is the garnishes and sauces.  The rice is cooked with a bit of white wine vinegar, 1\2 teaspooon of brown sugar, and mixed with dried green seaweed or nori.  The brown sauce is made of soy sauce, lemon juice, grated home-grown daikon radish and garlic.  It is similar to a tataki sauce.  The bright green sauce is wasabi.  The lighter green sauce is Konswan´s wasabi yogurt sauce with minced shallots and black pepper.  Edible garnish of cilantro or shiso leaves complete the presentation.