Around The World In 80 Dinners Part 14

The palm-lined Flamengo and other nearby beaches look a little meager compared with Ipanema, but they feel more natural, largely secluded from urban and resort development. Most beachgoers settle in at tables with chairs and umbrellas provided free by dozens of barracas, barracas, food and drink stands. Following the routine, we pick a place close to the bus stop. Over the next several hours, a stream of waiters brings us limeades and cheese "crepes" on a stick, the specialty of our barraca. Scads of vendors stop by, selling everything hawked in Rio plus oysters on the half sh.e.l.l, fresh fish, blow-up Santas, coconut-sh.e.l.l planters with live flowers, cigarettes by the pack or individually (with a free light), and ashtrays decorated with crab sh.e.l.ls. Jaime and his grandfather also stroll past us on a walk and the child waves at us cheerfully like we're longtime neighbors. food and drink stands. Following the routine, we pick a place close to the bus stop. Over the next several hours, a stream of waiters brings us limeades and cheese "crepes" on a stick, the specialty of our barraca. Scads of vendors stop by, selling everything hawked in Rio plus oysters on the half sh.e.l.l, fresh fish, blow-up Santas, coconut-sh.e.l.l planters with live flowers, cigarettes by the pack or individually (with a free light), and ashtrays decorated with crab sh.e.l.ls. Jaime and his grandfather also stroll past us on a walk and the child waves at us cheerfully like we're longtime neighbors.

The next day, Sunday, is the busiest of the week for the beaches. Multiple generations of families show up together, including grandparents in some cases with swimsuits as ample as ours. Wanting to try a different beach, we decide on Patamares, mainly to have lunch on the sh.o.r.e at Caranguejo da Dada after our time in the sun. Today, in addition to other services, our barraca sets out inflatable plastic kiddie pools for toddlers, and a really enterprising vendor cooks fish and sausages on a commercial-size charcoal grill mounted to a three-wheel cart that he pushes through the sand.

The food at Caranguejo da Dada is terrific, especially the bobo de camaro, bobo de camaro, made with jumbo shrimp, dried and grated fresh ca.s.sava, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and coconut milk. The kitchen sautes the ingredients first in dende and then stews them together until the flavors meld and the mixture thickens. It may not be the most appropriate dish for a hot summer day on the beach, but it's as well crafted as anything else we see or purchase in Salvador. made with jumbo shrimp, dried and grated fresh ca.s.sava, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and coconut milk. The kitchen sautes the ingredients first in dende and then stews them together until the flavors meld and the mixture thickens. It may not be the most appropriate dish for a hot summer day on the beach, but it's as well crafted as anything else we see or purchase in Salvador.

Getting comfortable now with the surface charms of the city, we're ready to delve deeper into its character and fervent energy. The key, many experts suggest, lies in religion, not so much in the Catholicism practiced in the venerable churches that we and other tourists visit, but in the Afro-Brazilian blend of beliefs called Candomble. The creed prospers in many areas of the nation, and shares a heritage with other African-based religions in the New World, but Candomble comes originally from Bahia and exerts its broadest overall influence in Salvador.

Our first glimpse of this side of the city comes on taxi trips that take us past a small lake near the center of town. A dozen colorful sculptures, each about twenty feet tall and grouped in a circle, rise from the water. Mistaking them initially from a distance as Christmas trees, like the one we saw in Rio, we finally realize they are orixas, orixas, the deified forces of nature wors.h.i.+pped in Candomble. Slaves brought a devotion to them from their homelands, but the Church in Brazil firmly banned the ancient African religion. Rather than acquiescing, the slaves discovered they could secretly maintain their faith in the orixas by disguising them as Catholic saints and syncretizing those ident.i.ties. Omolu, who possesses feared and respected power over disease, for example, became a.s.sociated with Saint Lazarus. By praying to a saint for spiritual intercession, slaves could also appeal directly to their orixas for protection and help. the deified forces of nature wors.h.i.+pped in Candomble. Slaves brought a devotion to them from their homelands, but the Church in Brazil firmly banned the ancient African religion. Rather than acquiescing, the slaves discovered they could secretly maintain their faith in the orixas by disguising them as Catholic saints and syncretizing those ident.i.ties. Omolu, who possesses feared and respected power over disease, for example, became a.s.sociated with Saint Lazarus. By praying to a saint for spiritual intercession, slaves could also appeal directly to their orixas for protection and help.

As the sculptures in the lake proclaim clearly, Candomble is no longer an underground religion. Many of its adherents remain Catholic as well, but even more important in its impact on local culture and cuisine, a lot of nominal Catholics in Salvador also openly revere the orixas. Since the orixas love and respond with appreciation to song, music, dance, and offerings of food-rites employed in their wors.h.i.+p for centuries-their enthusiasms spill over to the human population.

To gain any appreciable understanding of Candomble, it seems important to us to experience a wors.h.i.+p service. Dinner shows advertised in Pelourinho include a Candomble presentation, but that won't do. After asking around about opportunities to attend an authentic ceremony, the tourist office informs us there's only one open to the public during our week in town. The four of us sign up eagerly, agreeing to a stipulation that we dress conservatively and don't wear black, a color that offends many of the orixas. This requires Cheryl to go shopping for something other than the few black slacks she's carrying. She looks at some beautiful white dresses typical of the area but reluctantly returns them to the rack as too extravagant to wear at home. In the end, she opts for a more versatile pair of soccer pants that can be rolled into capris.

A minibus picks us up at our hotel in the early evening, then stops at other places for ten additional guests from a variety of countries before delivering all of us to a white house in a humble residential neighborhood, where our guide, Carlos, joins us. Shortly before 9:00, we follow people from the neighborhood in filing down a narrow walkway on the side of the house to a covered outdoor terrace. This is the only section of the terreiro, terreiro, or sacred s.p.a.ce, where visitors are allowed. Earlier in the day in private areas of the terreiro, according to insiders, initiates of the order have sacrificed animals in a ritual butchering to prepare the favorite dishes of the orixa being honored tonight. They set the hallowed fare on an altar erected on the open-air terrace, and after we and other outsiders leave at the end of the public service, they will feast literally on the food of the G.o.ds. or sacred s.p.a.ce, where visitors are allowed. Earlier in the day in private areas of the terreiro, according to insiders, initiates of the order have sacrificed animals in a ritual butchering to prepare the favorite dishes of the orixa being honored tonight. They set the hallowed fare on an altar erected on the open-air terrace, and after we and other outsiders leave at the end of the public service, they will feast literally on the food of the G.o.ds.

Our vanload of guests troops onto the terrace and takes seats around the sides. Above us, a simple handmade chandelier, bare lightbulbs, and strips of white fabric hang from the corrugated-tin ceiling. The spiritual leader, or ialorixa, ialorixa, of this house of wors.h.i.+p enters wearing white lace, with a flowing skirt and a puffy-sleeved blouse. A turban covers her head and beads dangle from her neck and wrists. A septuagenarian, we guess, she circles the s.p.a.ce swinging an incense burner, the same kind Catholic priests use, and presents all of us in the room with a little manioc flour in our cupped hands, blowing more of it to the corners of the terrace. of this house of wors.h.i.+p enters wearing white lace, with a flowing skirt and a puffy-sleeved blouse. A turban covers her head and beads dangle from her neck and wrists. A septuagenarian, we guess, she circles the s.p.a.ce swinging an incense burner, the same kind Catholic priests use, and presents all of us in the room with a little manioc flour in our cupped hands, blowing more of it to the corners of the terrace.

Three other mature women a.s.sist the main priestess in conducting the rites that follow. A half-dozen younger female initiates also take an active but more subservient role, and three men in the same age range play drums and other simple percussion instruments. Tonight, they want to summon the spirit of Oxossi, the orixa orixa of the forest and the hunt. The musicians set a beat that's known to appeal to the G.o.d, and the ladies dance in a circle in a distinctive shuffling, swaying style, to further entice him. of the forest and the hunt. The musicians set a beat that's known to appeal to the G.o.d, and the ladies dance in a circle in a distinctive shuffling, swaying style, to further entice him.

Men from the congregation gradually join the circle, and one by one, a number of them begin to shake and tremble, sometimes stumbling and falling in a trancelike state. Oxossi has possessed them, joining the ceremony in their bodies. The elder women lead these men away, escorting them to another room behind a closed door. Later, after a couple of hours of drumming and dancing, the possessed men reappear in the attire of the orixa, orixa, wearing simple woodlandlike costumes and smoking big cigars. Now a link for the night between humankind and the G.o.ds, they mingle with the crowd, offering and receiving blessings. wearing simple woodlandlike costumes and smoking big cigars. Now a link for the night between humankind and the G.o.ds, they mingle with the crowd, offering and receiving blessings.

Seeing the ceremony makes the connection between Candomble and Salvador's street music viscerally real to us. Two kinds of bands dominate the music scene, afoxes afoxes and and blocos Afros. blocos Afros. Both orient their year around the city's Carnival, which is less formal and more robust in many ways than the same celebration in Rio. To prepare for the annual event, they rehea.r.s.e publicly before live audiences, usually once a week and often in Pelourinho. Both orient their year around the city's Carnival, which is less formal and more robust in many ways than the same celebration in Rio. To prepare for the annual event, they rehea.r.s.e publicly before live audiences, usually once a week and often in Pelourinho.

Afoxes basically perform a nonreligious rendition of Candomble music, with a similar percussive rhythm and lyrics in a ritualized vein. The first afoxe afoxe joined Carnival in 1895, and a decade later, another of the groups broke the color barrier in the annual festivities, simply marching into the then segregated white parade. Today's largest and best known joined Carnival in 1895, and a decade later, another of the groups broke the color barrier in the annual festivities, simply marching into the then segregated white parade. Today's largest and best known afoxe afoxe is Filhos de Ghandy (Sons of Gandhi), formed in 1949 to honor the recently a.s.sa.s.sinated Indian leader and his spirit of peaceful resistance to oppression. is Filhos de Ghandy (Sons of Gandhi), formed in 1949 to honor the recently a.s.sa.s.sinated Indian leader and his spirit of peaceful resistance to oppression.

On a Sunday night, when the group rehea.r.s.es, we happen to wander by their headquarters in Pelourinho. Hearing music, we hesitate outside, unsure whether it's an open performance until a young man at the door motions us in. He leads us down a flight of stairs, crammed with people coming and going, and through a crowded bar out to a covered terrace where the band is playing. It looks much like the ceremonial s.p.a.ce at the Candomble service, down to the strips of fabric hanging from the ceiling, and the percussive beat and shuffle style of the dancing are nearly identical. When Carnival rolls around again, the Filhos will come out five thousand strong in Indian robes to celebrate this cadence and movement on the streets of the city.

Blocos Afros go several steps further in secularization. They maintain African roots as fully as the go several steps further in secularization. They maintain African roots as fully as the afoxes afoxes but adapt the ancient percussive rhythms to contemporary music. Dozens of them flourish in Salvador and some, especially Olodum (featured on Paul Simon's but adapt the ancient percussive rhythms to contemporary music. Dozens of them flourish in Salvador and some, especially Olodum (featured on Paul Simon's The Rhythm of the Saints The Rhythm of the Saints alb.u.m), have achieved considerable commercial success and international recognition. One night in Pelourinho, we catch an Olodum performance at a fund-raising concert for a local food bank, paying an admission of a sack of sugar each. Twenty or so drummers, under the lead of a professional conductor, rock the concrete stage with such intensity you think it's going to crack the floor. A young boy in front of us tries to keep up with the beat on an imaginary drum, banging it furiously with two empty water bottles. A Brazilian sports star, who we never identify, saunters in after us, signing autographs and shaking hands. He stands a head taller than anyone else, proudly displaying an extraordinary hairdo in synch with the vibrant music, a masterpiece of beads and woven rags in Day-Glo lime and fuchsia. alb.u.m), have achieved considerable commercial success and international recognition. One night in Pelourinho, we catch an Olodum performance at a fund-raising concert for a local food bank, paying an admission of a sack of sugar each. Twenty or so drummers, under the lead of a professional conductor, rock the concrete stage with such intensity you think it's going to crack the floor. A young boy in front of us tries to keep up with the beat on an imaginary drum, banging it furiously with two empty water bottles. A Brazilian sports star, who we never identify, saunters in after us, signing autographs and shaking hands. He stands a head taller than anyone else, proudly displaying an extraordinary hairdo in synch with the vibrant music, a masterpiece of beads and woven rags in Day-Glo lime and fuchsia.

Strolling through Pelourinho on another evening near the end of our stay, we fall into step behind one of the newer blocos Afros, blocos Afros, an all-woman ensemble called Dida that's led by a former music director of Olodum. They move slowly down the street, playing as they go, toward a performance stage, stopping often and collecting an entourage of dancers and other enthusiastic followers. It's a spontaneous party, bubbling with excitement. By now, we're beginning to expect this kind of thing. It's just another routine night in the hometown of Candomble. an all-woman ensemble called Dida that's led by a former music director of Olodum. They move slowly down the street, playing as they go, toward a performance stage, stopping often and collecting an entourage of dancers and other enthusiastic followers. It's a spontaneous party, bubbling with excitement. By now, we're beginning to expect this kind of thing. It's just another routine night in the hometown of Candomble.

Our long-standing interest in Salvador derives, as you might guess, from the food, specifically the city's great reputation for Creole cooking. In all bastions of Creole cuisine, the culinary tradition is closely tied to other aspects of the local culture, but we had no inkling of how in this case until now.

In the United States, people often take a narrow, parochial view of Creole food, a.s.sociating it exclusively with New Orleans. This perspective even mutates into a fixation sometimes when a curious person tries to sort out clear and absolute differences between Creole and Cajun cooking in Louisiana. The two, in truth, are city and country cousins, related by virtue of belonging to the same extended family of New World Creole cuisines. Other branches of the family flourish in the French West Indies, parts of the Spanish Caribbean, and in Bahia. More distant cousins live around Veracruz, Mexico, and in the past, across various areas of the American South from Biloxi to Charleston. They generally share great-grandparents, one African and one southern European, an affection for New World ingredients employed in robust preparations, a coastal location that provides easy access to the bounty of the sea, and a temperate climate that encourages a taste for the spicy.

Oddly, few of the relatives know each other, and they tend to regard their cooking as unique. One night in Phoenix, during a culinary conference, we had dinner with a superb New Orleans chef at an authentic Mexican restaurant. He asked us about one of the menu items, huachinango a la veracruzana huachinango a la veracruzana (snapper Veracruz), and we said it's similar to the New Orleans favorite named courtbouillon. Laughing, he said, "That's impossible. New Orleans cooks created courtbouillon strictly out of local inspiration and it remains unlike any other fish dish in the world." He ordered the huachinango, recognized the affinities, and apologized for his presumption. Neither of us worked up the courage to tell him that French Caribbean islanders also claim exclusive rights to another variation of the same dish, which they even call courtbouillon themselves. (snapper Veracruz), and we said it's similar to the New Orleans favorite named courtbouillon. Laughing, he said, "That's impossible. New Orleans cooks created courtbouillon strictly out of local inspiration and it remains unlike any other fish dish in the world." He ordered the huachinango, recognized the affinities, and apologized for his presumption. Neither of us worked up the courage to tell him that French Caribbean islanders also claim exclusive rights to another variation of the same dish, which they even call courtbouillon themselves.

To us, this broad Creole food tradition is the signature cuisine of the Americas, and one of the most fascinating culinary syntheses on earth. Except for Bahia, we've visited all of the centers of Creole cooking in the past and have gone to many of them multiple times in recent decades. Salvador became gradually but steadily the biggest case of unfinished business on our food agenda. It is our main reason for visiting Brazil, to plop into place the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle that we've been carrying around for years; anything else we enjoy here is gravy.

The local cooking, it becomes clear early, resembles other Creole cuisines in many respects. Some of the common combinations of ingredients look almost identical to those elsewhere, particularly the rice with beans or peas and the shrimp with okra. The casquinha di siri here brings to mind the crab farci farci on Guadeloupe and Martinique. The most popular kind of molho de pimenta, mixing fiery chiles with vinegar, recalls Caribbean hot sauces, and occasionally you even see a molho in the familiar New Orleans Creole style, with tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. on Guadeloupe and Martinique. The most popular kind of molho de pimenta, mixing fiery chiles with vinegar, recalls Caribbean hot sauces, and occasionally you even see a molho in the familiar New Orleans Creole style, with tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions.

Not surprisingly, though, Bahian cuisine remains more purely African than other varieties of Creole cooking. That's due in part to the prominent role played by dende, an African ingredient virtually unknown in other Creole capitals; the palm oil adds an inimitable musky accent to loads of local dishes. You also have to credit the Candomble influence again. The orixas orixas brought many of their favorite dishes almost intact from Africa. They demanded a faithful execution of the original or at least tastes as similar as possible with available ingredients. Even today in terreiros, initiates hew to old recipes and preparation methods in the kitchen in an attempt to maintain continuity with former African versions of the fare. They perpetuate an allegiance to African foods and flavors within the Candomble community, which for practical purposes means all of Salvador. brought many of their favorite dishes almost intact from Africa. They demanded a faithful execution of the original or at least tastes as similar as possible with available ingredients. Even today in terreiros, initiates hew to old recipes and preparation methods in the kitchen in an attempt to maintain continuity with former African versions of the fare. They perpetuate an allegiance to African foods and flavors within the Candomble community, which for practical purposes means all of Salvador.

A direct Candomble connection probably even exists to some of the best restaurant chefs of the city, mostly women of a traditional bent. Like Guadeloupe with its cuisine de meres, cuisine de meres, Salvador boasts its own Salvador boasts its own comida de me, comida de me, cooking defined and refined by mothers with boundless energy and saintly authority. Our most memorable meals come from their kitchens. cooking defined and refined by mothers with boundless energy and saintly authority. Our most memorable meals come from their kitchens.

Alaide da Conceico, respectfully known as the "Queen of the Beans," prepares the first of these local feasts late one afternoon before she closes her tiny restaurant at sunset. Dona Alaide began cooking with her mother almost a half century ago at a stand in the Comercio district, and remains at the stove at Alaide do Feijo, located on a narrow side street in Pelourinho. When we arrive, two large groups have commandeered most of the tables and chairs, stringing them together for one office Christmas party occupying most of the inside s.p.a.ce and another on the street, blocking all but the most determined traffic. The din reaches decibels unimagined in American restaurants, but it's fun to watch the celebrations-our only option anyway, since conversation would be impossible.

Dona Alaide specializes in feijoada and a locally popular rabada rabada (oxtail stew). Our group gets a couple of plates of both, preceded by a cup of a simple but sublime bean soup. Unlike the (oxtail stew). Our group gets a couple of plates of both, preceded by a cup of a simple but sublime bean soup. Unlike the feijoada completa feijoada completa we had in Rio, this one arrives with the major components already in the bowl. To the brown beans, rice, and various meats in the mixture, you can add condiments at hand on the table, including a relish of chopped tomatoes and onions in a saucer and dende-sauteed farofa in a shaker jar. The we had in Rio, this one arrives with the major components already in the bowl. To the brown beans, rice, and various meats in the mixture, you can add condiments at hand on the table, including a relish of chopped tomatoes and onions in a saucer and dende-sauteed farofa in a shaker jar. The rabada rabada differs from the differs from the feijoada feijoada mainly in the flavor of the meat because it's served with the same beans and rice. Both dishes thrill us. They couldn't be more elemental, and rustically Bahian, but Dona Alaide cooks them to such perfection that they taste transcendent. mainly in the flavor of the meat because it's served with the same beans and rice. Both dishes thrill us. They couldn't be more elemental, and rustically Bahian, but Dona Alaide cooks them to such perfection that they taste transcendent.

A few blocks away, Dona Juana displays a similar command of local foods. She hails from the countryside herself and makes that evident in many ways. She christened her restaurant Uaua in honor of the small village where she grew up, and decorated the pretty second-story s.p.a.ce in a rural theme, with faux adobe walls, laced with sticks and straw, that display farm tools, pottery, old photos, and folk art. The menu offers country meats as well, ranging from roast goat to pig and sheep innards.

The four of us stick with specialties from the sea. Mary and Jan share a heaping plate of fried fish and shrimp on skewers, filled out more than amply on the side with steamed vegetables, rice flecked with corn, and a yucca mash that we like more than they do. Our choice is a moqueca de peixe, moqueca de peixe, a hearty fish stew that we ladle over rice and sprinkle to taste with farina. It brims with chunks of firm white fish, possibly cod or haddock, simmered with dende and a mixture of chopped onion, bell pepper, and tomato in coconut milk. Big windows directly behind us open over a small Pelourinho plaza, bringing in the sounds of the streets to complement the aromas and tastes of the table. a hearty fish stew that we ladle over rice and sprinkle to taste with farina. It brims with chunks of firm white fish, possibly cod or haddock, simmered with dende and a mixture of chopped onion, bell pepper, and tomato in coconut milk. Big windows directly behind us open over a small Pelourinho plaza, bringing in the sounds of the streets to complement the aromas and tastes of the table.

Going from excellent to extraordinary, we have our best meal at Sorriso da Dada. The name comes from the chef-owner's dazzling smile, depicted in a number of portraits on the walls. Aldacir dos Santos, who goes by Dada, moved to Salvador from the Bahia interior at the age of fourteen to work as a domestic servant. She liked to cook, so she opened a restaurant in her backyard, Tempero da Dada, where diners dodged the drying laundry and scratching chickens. Gaining fame for her food-and some attention, too, for the underwear she hung on the line-Dada branched out, expanding to several locations, including the beach restaurant we enjoyed at lunch on Sunday and this intimate, white-tablecloth operation in Pelourinho.

The menu encompa.s.ses a broad spectrum of Bahian favorites. You can start with acarajes, fried or steamed in banana leaves, fish fritters made with fresh or salt cod, and chowders of sh.e.l.lfish or octopus. All of us choose crab in the form of casquinha de siri, which the kitchen prepares with a little coconut milk and leaves soupy enough to absorb a dusting of farofa. After a few squeezes of lime and small dollops of molho de pimenta, it becomes one of the best dishes of our entire trip.

Entree options vary from carne de sol and beef tenderloin with cheese sauce to a variety of moquecas moquecas (crab, shrimp, fish, lobster, and crawfish) and (crab, shrimp, fish, lobster, and crawfish) and ensopadas ensopadas (the same kind of stew without the palm oil). Mary and Jan select shrimp with vatapa paste, a luscious mating of tastes and textures. The two of us go for (the same kind of stew without the palm oil). Mary and Jan select shrimp with vatapa paste, a luscious mating of tastes and textures. The two of us go for moqueca de siri mole, moqueca de siri mole, soft-sh.e.l.l crab in an exceptionally rich and complex coconut-milk-and-dende broth redolent of cilantro. It boasts, like the rest of the dinner, a sophisticated balance and blending of flavors that proclaims pure and exalted Creole magic. soft-sh.e.l.l crab in an exceptionally rich and complex coconut-milk-and-dende broth redolent of cilantro. It boasts, like the rest of the dinner, a sophisticated balance and blending of flavors that proclaims pure and exalted Creole magic.

You don't find that on every street corner unfortunately. The buffet breakfasts at our hotel are downright shameful, based largely on commercially packaged, poor-quality breads, pastries, and cereals. In a country that rightfully prides itself on sucos sucos (fresh fruit juices), the versions here reek of a can and taste diluted as well. Nowhere else is nearly that bad. More often, typical of restaurants around the world, some dishes s.h.i.+ne and others lack l.u.s.ter. That's the case, for example, at the most elegant and upscale establishment in town, the internationally oriented Trapiche Adelaide. The kitchen excels with carne de sol in gnocchi and a seafood vatapa, but the shrimp with mustard and pineapple is too sweet and the molten chocolate cake lacks oomph. (fresh fruit juices), the versions here reek of a can and taste diluted as well. Nowhere else is nearly that bad. More often, typical of restaurants around the world, some dishes s.h.i.+ne and others lack l.u.s.ter. That's the case, for example, at the most elegant and upscale establishment in town, the internationally oriented Trapiche Adelaide. The kitchen excels with carne de sol in gnocchi and a seafood vatapa, but the shrimp with mustard and pineapple is too sweet and the molten chocolate cake lacks oomph.

Still, Salvador elates us with the best of its Creole food and its intense exuberance for life. The verve may wane occasionally, but it pops up again around the next bend, delighting us over and over gastronomically, musically, intellectually, and sensually. Arriving with high hopes, we leave in even higher spirits.

THE NITTY-GRITTY.

[image] IPANEMA P PLAZA H HOTEL www.ipanemaplazahotel.com Rua Farme de Amoedo 34, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro 55-21-3687-2000 fax 55-21-3687-2001 Moderately priced business hotel run by a good European chain, Golden Tulip.

s.p.a.cious deluxe rooms, but few balconies and good sea views are limited to the rooftop pool terrace.

[image] CONFEITARIA C COLOMBO www.confeitariacolombo.com.br Rua Goncalves Dias 32, Centro, Rio de Janeiro 55-21-2232-2300.

lunch only Maybe not worth the trip downtown except on Sat.u.r.day.

[image] CHURRASCARIA C CARRETO www.carretaochurrascaria.com.br Rua Visconde de Piraja 112, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro 55-21-2267-3965.

lunch and dinner

[image] CARMEN M MIRANDA M MUSEUM Av. Rui Barbosa, Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro 55-21-2299-5586.

[image] MONTE P PASCOAL P PRAIA H HOTEL www.montepascoal.com.br Av. Oceanica 591, Barra, Salvador 55-71-2103-4000.

fax 55-71-2103-4005 Basic, moderate-size rooms, but the full -sea-view quarters offer what they promise from their balconies. Small hotel with a good location and mediocre service.

[image] FERIA D DE S SO J JOAQUIM Salvador On the waterfront just north of the ferryboat terminal.

[image] AXEGO Rua Joo de Deus 1, Pelourinho, Salvador 55-71-3242-7481.

lunch and dinner

[image] CARANGUEJO D DA D DADa Patamares Beach, Salvador 55-71-3363-5151.

lunch and dinner (no reservations)

[image] ALAiDE D DO F FEIJO Rua 12 Outubro 2, Salvador 55-71-3321-3634.

lunch and early dinner Pure Salvador.

[image] RESTAURANT U UAUa Gregorio de Matos 36 Pelourinho, Salvador 55-71-3321-3089.

lunch and dinner (no reservations)

[image] SORRISO D DA D DADa Rua Frei Vincente 5, Pelourinho, Salvador 55-71-3321-9642.

lunch and dinner Wonderful cooking.

Casquinha de Siri Bahian Deviled Crab SERVES 6 6.

Molho de Pimenta4 to 6 pickled malagueta chiles, or other fresh or bottled tiny hot red chiles, or more to taste1 teaspoon salt1/3 cup chopped onion cup chopped onion1 garlic clove, minced1/3 cup cane vinegar, rice vinegar, or fresh lime juice, or a combination cup cane vinegar, rice vinegar, or fresh lime juice, or a combinationDeviled Crab cup dende (palm oil) or vegetable oil in which 4 to 6 annatto seeds have been briefly sauteed until the oil has turned golden (seeds then discarded)1 cup dried coa.r.s.e bread crumbs1 small onion, minced cup minced green bell pepper2 garlic cloves, minced1 red-ripe plum tomato, squeezed of its seeds and watery liquid, chopped fine teaspoon salt, or more to taste cup coconut milk1 tablespoon Molho de Pimenta, or more to taste (above)1 pound lump crabmeat cup grated aged grana cheese or other aged hard cheese like Parmesan Preheat the oven to 400F. Oil or b.u.t.ter six ramekins or scallop sh.e.l.ls and place them on a baking sheet.

For the molho or sauce, mash together in a mortar or with the back of a fork, the chiles and salt until roughly pureed. Sc.r.a.pe out into a food processor or blender and add the other ingredients. Puree the mixture. Pour into a small serving bowl and let sit while you prepare the crab.

Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and stir in cup of the bread crumbs. Heat until the bread crumbs just begin to crisp and color lightly, about 2 minutes. Spoon out into a small bowl and reserve for a topping.

Warm the remaining oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft and translucent and add the tomato, salt, coconut milk, the remaining cup of bread crumbs, and the 1 tablespoon of molho. Heat until the milk bubbles, then gently stir in the crabmeat. The mixture should be moist but not soupy. If needed, cook just briefly to eliminate excess liquid.

Spoon into the prepared ramekins. Mix the toasted bread crumbs with the cheese and top each ramekin with a portion of the mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until medium brown and crisp. Serve immediately, accompanied by the remaining spicy molho.

LET'S DO IT AGAIN "SO WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE?" EVERYONE, FROM OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS to the checkout lady at the grocery store, asks the same natural but impossible question. to the checkout lady at the grocery store, asks the same natural but impossible question.

After a few stumbling, muddled efforts at an answer, Bill starts saying, "That's like asking me to name my favorite body part. I'm rather attached to all of them, from my eyeb.a.l.l.s to my toes. All the countries are different, like eyes and feet, but each is special in some way."

Most people, alarmed by the prospect of hearing about every stop, move on to other pleasantries at this point, but some of the intrepid just change tack. "It must have been tough being gone that long. I'm sure you missed home."

"Didn't even think about it," Bill consistently and truthfully replies.

Both more tactful and verbose, Cheryl elaborates when she's present. "We certainly missed you and the rest of the gang, and coming back feels great, but we were having too much fun to fret about anything."

"Yeah, that," Bill says.

Don't get us wrong. No one we know is fonder of their hometown and their actual, physical home as we are individually and jointly, and each of us regards our families and friends as the most special parts of our lives. But the trip unfolded in fast-forward, like most joyful and vital experiences. Three months seemed like three days, hardly long enough to begin longing for somewhere else.

Maybe a few extra calamities would have made us homesick. Bill lost his ATM card in Bali, as you may remember, and in the Hong Kong airport temporarily misplaced his jacket with our pa.s.sports, credit cards, and cash, but pickpockets, purse-s.n.a.t.c.hers, and other thieves left us alone. Beyond our bout with bronchitis in New Caledonia, which dragged us down for a week, and a messy nosebleed Cheryl suffered in South Africa, neither of us got ill. Though the monsoons tormented us in Thailand, and a mistral blew through Provence, bad weather didn't disrupt many days on the whole and the balmy temperatures never brought out bothersome bugs. Our cache of antibiotics, first-aid supplies, insect repellents, and other precautionary paraphernalia sat mostly unused at the bottom of our bags.

A marauding monkey kidnapped the original Flat Stanley early in the trip, but his stand-in soul mate suffered no mishaps on the rest of the journey and now enjoys the care of his creator, our granddaughter Bronwyn, who keeps him with his official photo alb.u.m and bag of miniature souvenirs. When Cheryl started telling the seven-year-old about the abduction, Bronwyn focused immediately not on Stanley's fate but on the courageous struggle her grandmother waged on his behalf against the jungle beast. In relating the tale to her first-grade cla.s.smates, Bronwyn depicted Cheryl as Wonder Woman, a superhero who never flinched in the face of evil.

"You got lucky on that one," Bill says.

Except sometimes for quirky Qantas, the ONEworld and other airlines treated us well, providing comfortable seating and commendable service on most flights, even the long-haul journeys we always dreaded. They never canceled one of our segments, arrived significantly late, caused us to miss a connection, or lost a single bag, depriving us unfortunately of outstanding story opportunities. The odds of such luck on three dozen consecutive flights in the United States must be akin to the chances of Tiger Woods giving up golf for shuffleboard.

Little irritations stayed that way instead of growing into real problems. Our cell phone/PDA, Mobi, couldn't find a network in a few remote spots, but it, the camera, and tape recorder functioned well on the whole and they made it back intact. When we spilled food and drinks on ourselves, predictable enough to wager on, our Tide to Go stain remover sticks and laundry detergent did their jobs admirably. Our clothes, however clean, became obnoxiously familiar by the end, like guests who overstay a welcome, but we simply dumped all the offending garments on our last stop in Brazil. Cheryl in particular gleefully left behind a hefty pile of discards, though she surprised herself in the end by keeping the tatty old cashmere cardigan she wore on planes and a Chico's T-s.h.i.+rt that survived the strains of travel remarkably well.

Arriving home two weeks before Christmas, a frosty time in the New Mexico mountains, we're looking forward to holiday visits with family and friends, but our first priority is a green-chile cheeseburger, grilled outside despite the cold. Other home-prepared comfort foods follow quickly, including beefy Texas chili, richly creamy mac and cheese, bagels and smoked salmon with cream cheese for Cheryl, and for Bill, a peanut b.u.t.ter and mayonnaise sandwich on a fresh flour tortilla.

After settling in for a spell, we start cooking favorite dishes from the trip to relive our memories. Those that work best in an American home kitchen are presented here in recipe form. Unsurprisingly, many of the dishes we tried didn't travel as well, often because of variations in the ingredients available. The success of some preparations, particularly ones featuring seafood, depends on a level of freshness seldom found in the United States. Even a good whole fish purchased "fresh daily," about the best you can get anywhere in this country, differs in taste and other characteristics from a fish still alive in the cook's hands.