Have you ever had sweet potato canapé with cracklings? No. Because the reporter from Sul Informação already ate and recommended. It was on Friday at the beginning of the night, in Aljezur, during the Sweet Potato Festival, that the launch of the book «Sweet Potato of Aljezur – traditional and author's recipes» culminated.
The sweet potato canapé with cracklings is one of those signature recipes, which use the culinary tradition of that area of the Costa Vicentina to offer new and sometimes surprising flavors. And the book contains many other innovative proposals, but also traditional recipes that grandmothers used to make (such as beans and sweet potatoes) throughout its 103 pages, served by the succulent photos of João Mariano, the tasty texts by journalist Teresa Resende and the graphics by João Veiga, from 1000olhos.
And if I insist on the sweet potato canapé with cracklings, it's not just because I liked what I tasted. It's because this original way of eating said potato was devised by Chef Vítor Esteves (also responsible for making and plating everything that was photographed for the book) and by António Carvalho, who in addition to being an excellent cook (it was proven!) is also councilor of the Chamber of Aljezur.
Throughout the more than a hundred pages of the book, written in Portuguese and English, there are precious indications about the Sweet Potato of Aljezur, the only one in Portugal that has the IGP certification –
In common, all these recipes have the tasty sweet potato from Aljezur and the fact that they can be made by anyone who knows the kitchen's bê-á-bá.
At the launch of the book, João Mariano, author of the photos and coordinator of the project led by the local company 1000olhos, stressed that this was «a project carried out in record time». «We made a large collection of recipes and the book has a text that is a little technical, but also has a little poetry associated with the images».
“In Aljezur we have the best sweet potato in the world, as such we now also have the best cookbook in the world,” added the photographer.
For his part, José Amarelinho, Mayor, highlighted that the certified sweet potato, the festival dedicated to it (which ended yesterday), and now this beautiful cookbook represent «everything good that Aljezur is able to sell to the country and to the world». The publication, in fact, resulted from an application by the Municipality of Aljezur to the Proder program, managed in this area by the Vicentina Association.
The first book to be offered was addressed to António Vaz Henrique, president of the Sweet Potato Producers Association of Aljezur, an organization that in recent years has strived to give even more quality and credibility, through certification, to what is one of the most important agricultural productions in this area of the Costa Vicentina.
The book “Sweet Potatoes of Aljezur – traditional and author's recipes” costs 10 euros (or 17 euros in the hardcover version) and can be purchased on the 1000olhos website (which deals with the hassle-free shipping) or in bookstores such as Fnac .
Tomorrow, December 7th (18:30 pm), the book will be presented by its authors in Lisbon, at CC Vasco da Gama's Fnac. On the 17th (21:30 pm), it will be the turn of the AlgarveShopping da Guia presentation at Fnac. All perfectly in time for Christmas shopping.
But when buying the sweet potatoes to try the recipes in this book, make sure it is a product with the PGI seal, attesting to its origins in the fertile soil of Aljezur.
Find out how you can buy this and other books on the site: http://www.1000olhos.pt/
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