Forum

Monthly Newsletter
November 2010
www.amsoc.com.br

The Gourmet Issue 2011 AmSoc Yearbook:

Sweet life in Brazil
A Window into São Paulo
Page 6: Natasha de Carvalho’s By now you should have received the looking for a place to do your grocery
angle on the Brazilian obsession The American Society of São Paulo’s shopping, or simply need to understand
with all things sweet, including 2011 Yearbook. The annual publication all the different forms of identification in
a guide to the most popular aims to connect expats living in São Brazil.
Brazilian sweets. Paulo with one another, and its 176 pages In accordance with AmSoc tradition,
contain member contact numbers and a each year we invite a local artist to donate
wealth of information about restaurants, a piece of artwork for the yearbook’s cover
The perfect Caipirinha bars, events, and services in the São Pau-
lo area.
page. This year’s cover features the work
of São Paulo artist Olivia Fleischfresser,
For those looking for information whose oil-on-canvas works grace many
Page 10: What’s in it, what about which doc- American homes in
Cachaça to use and where to tor to see, which the city. Olivia is a
sample the best ones in São church or school São Paulo native,
Paulo. is the best fit for though she spent
your family, or several years liv-
how to get in- ing in the New York
Le Pain volved with the area. Her work is on
community, the display at RAD Art
yearbook is a per- Gallery in Harts-
Page 12: A review of the new fect guide. With dale, NY, and in
bakery in Pinheiros which has pages of informa- private collections
recently employed a student of the tion about emer- around the world.
Vivenda da Criança Professional gency numbers, Though Olivia is
Center. volunteer organi- mostly known for
zations, church- her larger-than-life
es, schools, and depictions of fruits
Barra Doce much more, the and vegetables and
book is an ideal her subtle use of
Page 13: Where to find the guide to living in color and texture,
supplies you need to start baking São Paulo. we chose a sample
all those batches of Christmas One-fourth of her work featur-
cookies. of the American ing doors and win-
Society’s fund- dows, a theme we
ing comes from hoped to empha-
advertising in the size in this year’s
yearbook. The publication: the

Our Mission
The American Society of São Paulo
promotes friendship by organizing
social, cultural and athletic events for
its diverse membership; encourages
integration with the Brazilian society;
and supports the American traditions
of education, philanthropy and
volunteerism.
businesses listed
have paid to place their ads in the publi-
cation. Many of the businesses included
have loyal customers among the expat
community, and they have placed ads in
the yearbook numerous times. This year,
of the 28 ads listed, Team Work Trans-
portation Company is the hightlight this
year. With so much trusted information
about all aspects of life in São Paulo, the
AmSoc 2011 Yearbook should be your
first place of reference the next time you
need to find anything, whether you are
American Society
seeks to open doors for expats living in
São Paulo to a new life here in Brazil,
where we hope families will take advan-
tage of all the city and the country have
to offer. Moving to a new country can
be a daunting experience, but it can also
provide new, rich learning opportunities
and frequently makes families grow even
closer. We hope that the 2011 Yearbook
will enrich your experience in São Paulo,
providing a window into this vibrant, dy-
namic city.
 The President’s Corner
By now you
may have noticed
that this issue
of the Forum
is dedicated to
connoisseurs of
food and drink.
“Now, finally”,
you may be
saying, “a topic I
can really relate
By Tim Scott, AmSoc president
to!” If there is
anything that São Paulo does not lack,
it is an endless number of places to
satisfy our quest for variety, surprise,
pleasure and comfort in food.
I’m pleased to relate that years
of expat experience have led me to
enjoy plenty of foods that I’d have
quickly turned my nose to prior to
having left the comfort of my meat
and potatoes youth. In southern
Missouri, adventuresome eating was
medium rare steak, rather than well
done; it was an occasional salmon,
fried to a crisp; or, it was precisely
once every two weeks, taco salad.
Yes, on Sundays after church we had
a standard rotation. The first Sunday
was beef pot roast, slow cooked with
potatoes and carrots and heaps of
gravy in an electric skillet. The second
Sunday was taco salad with ground
hamburger, chips, salsa, and cheddar
cheese; followed the next Sunday by,
pot roast. (Note to my children; we
almost never went out for lunch on
Sunday…) In college, I was basically
Forum is published monthly, with
the exception of January and July, by
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Rua da Paz, 1431 04713-001 São Paulo, SP
Tel: (11) 5182-2074 Fax: (11) 5182-9155
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2 Forum
a connoisseur of Kraft macaroni a country blessed by an abundance
and cheese, peanut butter with jelly of foods and cultures, creating an
sandwiches and big plates of pinto exotic mix of choices. But perhaps
beans with cornbread. And at that none better though than the simple,
point in my life, an exotic fruit was succulent mango.
pineapple, the canned variety precut
in nice rings. Abraços, Tim
However, during my last year
of college I met an exotic fruit that
changed my life; the mango. How,
you are thinking, can a mango do
that much for you? Well, it was on
a spring break trip in Nicaragua
that I first ate a mango, and spent a
few hours resting in the cool shade
of some giant mango trees. Those
delicious, sweet mangos were unlike
anything I had ever tasted and I can
still feel the juice dripping down my
chin and arms. However, the real
exotic part of the trip is that during
those few days by the mango trees, I
met who would become my wife (a
native of El Salvador). Next spring
will be 20 years since that time, and
I am still in love with my wife, and
with mangos. Both are a blessing
in my life; and I never would have
dreamed that someday we would
share a chapter of our life together
in Brazil, a place with an abundant
supply and variety of mangoes.
Gourmet dinning is a popular
form of entertainment in São Paulo,
but it need not be limited to high
end restaurants. You can find many
simple restaurants that deliver an
amazing quality of food. Brazil is
Lynn Cordeiro, editor and layout
Forum is printed by EGB.
(http://www.egb.com.br)
Views expressed in Forum do
not necessarily reflect those of
the American Society board of
governors, members, or staff.
Forum reserves the right to edit
content for brevity and/or clarity.
November

Newcomer profile
Name: Jose and Marcela Lizarraga
Origin, time here: We are from Mexico
originally, but we’ve been in the U.S.
for more than twenty years. Most
recently we were living in South Lake,
near Dallas, Texas. We moved to São
Paulo at the beginning of February
2010.
Why São Paulo? Hotels.com, which is
part of Expedia Inc., decided to move
their Latin America Headquarters from
Dallas to São Paulo, and Jose was one
of 2 employees selected to come down
and set up operations here. Hotels.
com exists in several Latin American
countries; its Brazilian website is
Hoteis.com.
Best things so far? It’s been a great
opportunity for our daughter Ariana,
who is 9 years old, to learn a new
language. She’s studying at a Brazilian
school and she is completely local
after 9 months. We’ve also been very
impressed with how much we have been
welcomed by the Brazilian people. We
always brag that Mexicans are warm,
welcoming people, but the Brazilians
are doing a great job.
Early frustrations: The biggest issue has
been the paperwork and the tremendous
bureaucratic process. But when you
move to another country with another
language and culture, you have to
have an open mind. You have to see it
2010
The American Society
of São Paulo
Winner of
more as an adventure than a frustration
otherwise you go nuts.
trip to Bahia
Those of you who were at the fun
Have ‘saudade’ for anything back home? evening of the Playback theater on
In terms of security issues, we miss the Sunday October 24th know a lucky
freedom of being able to move around person won our raffle prize of a 4
without having to constantly watch night stay at the Premium Hotel for
your back. Also, the U.S. is very strong two adults and up to two children in
in terms of extra-curricular activities. Sauipe Resorts in Bahia. Actually
You can practice whatever activity you you didn’t need to be present to
want, even if you live in the most remote win but only contribute to our
town. It’s not that these things don’t fund by buying a ticket and raise
exist here, but it’ll be in an expensive money for the American Society
club, or far away, and not the same Community Action Committee
kind of intensity. Another thing we and their charitable projects with
miss from home: the purchasing power. underprivileged children.
Everything is so expensive here! This great prize started with Rick
Rubeiz arriving from his vacation at
Progress with Portuguese: Our daughter, Sauipe with his wife and two 5 year
who has been completely immersed old boys in July. They spent a week
in Portuguese since day one, barely there and went on and on about the
has an accent now. Marcela has had hotel, and its infrastructure. There
to help her a lot with homework, and are several hotels but the Premium
has had to deal with issues relating is top. All the hotels have access
to the apartment, so she has had an to 15 tennis courts, 18 hole golf,
opportunity to learn. Jose has asked horses and nautical club , wonderful
everyone in his office not to speak to beach and of course a “children’s
him in English, so he can learn more club” with planned activities all day.
Portuguese! Every evening there were shows and
fun activities too.
Favorite place to hang out: We have We contacted their offices and
met so many people, between Ariana’s asked if they would contribute a
school, at American Society events, resort stay to be raffled off at our
at our church where there are a lot “Playback Theatre Fundraiser “ for
of expats, and where we live. We’re the Community Action Committee .
enjoying the friendships we’ve built. Their immediate generosity made
It doesn’t matter where we go, but we an impact on our sales and will
enjoy the atmosphere. We’ve had more make an even bigger impact on
social events here than in the last 10 the children in the institutions we
years in the States. support.
PRESIDENTIAL STYLE RETREAT
Set within 138 acre private estate on mountaintop with helipad.
Perfect Venue: Celebrity/Political/Business. Ultimate Privacy.
Main Residence 3,700 sq ft Open-Plan Living, Mezzanine library and.
separate level complete Leisure Complex with gym, heated pool and BBQ.
6 Additional Guest Villas with own outdoor pool, large lounge and total
cuisine complex including chef’s apartment.3,200 sq ft Loft-Style Atelier.
Multiple outbuildings housing workshops, pavilion stabling,
storage. 4 individual staff houses for personnel/security. Own water source:
turbine, reservoir, stream. Solar Heating. Satellite/Sky/Internet.
Full details: joao.andre@bluewin.ch
Forum 3
 American golfers seek 3rd straight victory over
Scots in upcoming Challenge Golf Cup
From the desk of John Kennedy, Director of AMSOC Athletics
This year’s Challenge Golf Cup
(our version of the “Ryder Cup”) will
be played on November 26th at the
prestigious and arduous golf course of
the San Fernando Golf Club. It will
also be a charity fund raiser amidst lots
of bells and whistles that accompany
a professional golf event, including
corporate sponsors and “brindes”, door
prizes, a raffle as well as cocktails to
accompany the award ceremonies.
Up to 100 golfers are expected to
join in a lively sporting event, not only
between Americans and Scots, but also
Brazilians, Argentines, Brits, Aussies,
and other nationalities who will decide
to join one team or the other. This year
4 Forum
is the fifth edition of the Challenge
Golf Cup and the score stands at 2 – 2
with the American Society winning the
last two times.
The Cup has its origins in 1991
as an annual sporting event between
the St Andrews Society of São Paulo
(Scots) and the American Society of
São Paulo (Americans). Originally,
the competition involved the several
sporting events such as golf, tennis,
soccer, tug-o-war, bridge, volleyball,
and trivial pursuit. Over the years it
became difficult to organize and find
a place for all these events, thus the
annual competition was reduced to
just a friendly golf match between the
Finals of Scouts Bazaar
AmSoc’s
Softball
Championships
Save November 7th
Softball games from 10-4pm
At CT Yakult Park in Ibuina
Homerun Derby Finals at 1pm Day
BBQ starts at noon
Burgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, beers
and Ice cream
two societies. Then in 2005, the annual
golf match took on a more competitive
posture when avid golfer Sean
Hutchinson of the Scots challenged
American, and sports enthusiast, John
Kennedy to a golfing challenge where
the winners would play for the “Munro”
Cup. Thus was born The Challenge
Golf Cup.
The reason it is called the Munro Cup
is because Norman Munro, a previous
president of the St Andrews Society,
and a true Scot, donated a cup to
commemorate this Annual Competition
and to foster camaraderie amongst our
two great Nations, although the USA is
a lot bigger than Scotland!
On Saturday November 6th the Carajás
Scouts are holding a Bazaar which
includes a raffle draw with many prizes
including a trip.
Carajás Scout Bazaar
Date: Saturday, November 6th
Time: 11am onwards
Address: Rua Bela Vista, 39, Alto da
Boa Vista
Background:
The Carajas Scout Group has been
providing activities to São Paulo’s
international community for nearly
85 years. The Bazaar is a fundraising
activity in their effort to be able to buy
their own grounds for activities.
Scouting aims at giving youngsters
an environment in which they can
build character and learn, as much as
possible through their own experiences,
citizenship, leadership, teamwork and
respect for the environment. Scouting
is the largest youth organization in the
world, with 28 million members.
November
 The American Society
of São Paulo

São Paulo’s Tiffany event hosts AmSoc’s

Americans CAC
celebrate
Thanksgiving
The American Community in
São Paulo has always celebrated the
Thanksgiving holiday in style, and this
year will be no exception. The Graded
PTA is organizing an event on Sunday,
November 21, called “Let’s Give
Thanks Together.” The celebration will
be held at Graded School, in Morumbi,
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will
feature musical performances, games,
activities, and a Thanksgiving meal.
The U.S. Marines will hold the
opening ceremony, which will include
the musical talents of Graded students.
Vendors and charities will be selling
goods throughout the afternoon, and
children will be able to join in a number On Wednesday October 6 , The Oliveira, Lucia Nunes, Silvinha
of activities during the day. Tiffany’s store in Shopping Cidade Rosenthal, Ginny Naegeli, Daniela
From noon to 4 p.m. families can Jardim was filled with AmSoc and Nanni Rubeiz, Molly Daiane Faricy.
enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal, friends supporting the Tiffany event Two prizes (Tiffany watch and
including turkey, cranberry sauce, and “Petals for a Cause”. heart necklace) were not picked as
homemade pumpkin and apple pie. Vouchers were purchased at R$120 we did not sell all the vouchers but
Tickets for the event will go on sale as as a donation to our charitable projects Tiffany donated them to CAC to
of October 25. Adult admission costs and each one was given a chance to auction or raffle off. This was an
R$30, children ages 5 to 12 pay R$15, choose a white flower to win one incredible result and made us proud
and kids under 4 years old can join in of the ten prizes given by Tiffany’s. to be part of the American Society.
the fun for free. Champagne, delicious cupcakes, We thank Tiffany for their support of
chocolates, cotton candy and popcorn our charitable causes and choosing
In addition, the Thanksgiving for the kids were offered throughout AmSoc to take part in this amazing
Annual Ecumenical Service will be the afternoon and evening. We raised event.
held this year at St. Paul Anglican over R$14,000 for our supported
Church on Tuesday, November 23, children’s institutions.
from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The The winners of prizes worth almost
church is located on R. Comendador R$18,000 total were:
Elias Zarzur, 1239, in Alto da Boa Asli Scott, Leia Tiazzi, Maria Beatriz
Vista. The Presidential Thanksgiving
Proclamation will be read, and the
Erik Poliak award announcement
will be made. Turkey sandwiches and
cookies will be provided by Vivenda
da Criança.
We encourage families to come
together to participate in these
celebrations and give thanks for their
good fortune.
(See also article on page 9)

2010 Forum 5
 Could life in Brazil be too sweet?
By Natasha de Carvalho
So far, this month has been a sugar
binge, with my son’s birthday party,
Children’s Day and another Brazilian
traditional celebration, St Cosme and
St Damião’s Day, on which my kids
received five bags of candy from total
strangers. As a result, after about two
straight weeks of being hyperglycemic,
I’m on a total sugar fast. Ironic then,
and torturous, that I had promised to
write a piece
on Brazilian
sweets and
treats.
Anyone
that’s ever tried
to eliminate
sugar in Brazil
is, like me,
going to very
quickly realize
how much
sugar there is in
Brazilian food.
Once you start
reading the
labels you find
it in everything
from fruit
juices and
breads to so-
called ‘healthy’
cereals. If it
isn’t refined,
it’s mascavo sugar. If the packet
says sugar-free, it probably contains a
chemical sweetener or, at the very least,
honey.
Of course, the Brazilians have a
special relationship with sugarcane
that might explain the cultural sweet
tooth. For nearly two hundred years
their economy was founded on it. It
was produced with the sweat, blood
and tears of slaves imported by the
Portuguese from Africa, and exported to
Europe until the market collapsed due
to competition from the French Antilles.
Even today, Brazil is the world’s largest
producer of sugarcane. Cachaça, of
course, is distilled from it. It is also
converted into ethanol for flex-fuel
cars. More importantly, it is still put to
6 Forum
delicious use in an array of traditional
Brazilian ‘doces’.
Once upon a time, sugar and candies
such as these would have been rare
treats, little luxuries in a country where
historically, poverty and malnutrition
have been great problems. Today the
situation is happily, but also in some
ways shockingly, different.
In the past decade, the social
demographics of Brazil have changed
dramatically, with over 30 million
citizens climbing out of poverty and
joining the exploding middle class.
This positive change is attributed in
part to the social programs of almost-
ex-President Lula, including a family
allowance, schemes that enable people
to buy their own homes and increases in
the minimum wage.
My maid, Luiza, is a typical member
of this demographic. She and her
husband both work. They are building
their own house. They have one son.
He is thirteen. But here’s the thing:
He weighs 102kgs. That, ladies and
gentlemen, is morbid obesity. He has
serious heart problems and difficulty
walking.
It seems that as the Brazilian middle
class explodes, so does its waistline.
Increasingly, the Brazilian population
is shirking traditional home-cooked
meals like rice, beans and fresh juices
in favor of now-affordable convenience
foods, soda and fast-food restaurants. A
recent study concluded that around 50%
of adult Brazilians are obese, that’s 38
million people, an obesity epidemic
second only to that
in the US. With it
comes all manner
of health-related
problems. Brazil,
for example, has 22
million diabetics.
So much for the
bikini nation!
Speaking to
her about her
s o n ’s o b e s i t y,
I have come to
realize how little
understanding
Luiza has of
basic nutrition.
My children
absolutely love her
food. Her recipes,
even savory ones,
almost always call
for cream, sugar
and condensed
milk! If that fails, then it is undoubtedly
fried in inches of oil and then buried in
salt (Salt! That’s another whole can of
worms). Lucky enough to have a good
health plan from her husband and able to
get professional medical advice, she has
started making changes that will turn her
son’s future around. But in that respect
she is lucky.
For many millions of Brazilians,
nutritional advice and information is
scarce. The slavery that supported
the sugarcane industry may have been
abolished a long time ago, but until
something is done to improve the
education and awareness of the middle
classes, they will remain slaves to their
sweet tooth.
November

Brazilian Sweets
By Natasha de Carvalho
The Brigadeiro
Of all of Brazil’s sweet treats,
the brigadeiro is probably the most
beloved, and is mandatory at birthday
parties. A diminutive, saccharine orb of
chocolate, condensed milk and butter
covered in chocolate sprinkles, they
were invented during a presidential
campaign in the 1940s and named
after handsome candidate Brigadier
(obviously) Eduardo Gomes. (He
didn’t win!) It’s also used as a frosting
for cakes, the likes of which my
father–in-law brings home at the
children’s supper time, that decimate
any illusions I may have had regarding
their balanced, nutritious meal, and
keep them up all night on a chocolate-
induced high!
Coconut based sweets
Another birthday staple is the
Beijinho (the little kiss). Similarly
small, it is made with shredded coconut
and often coated in sugar crystals.
Strangely, they also often have a
single clove pushed into their tops.
Be warned!
Coconut also features strongly in
traditional Cocada and Quindim. The
former is a straightforward coconut
2010
The American Society
of São Paulo
candy, the latter features eggs and is
a distinctive smooth, glossy yellow
circle. My favorites though are the
peanut-candies like Pé de Moleque
(rascal’s feet), which are peanuts
encased in hard toffee, and Paçoca, a
softer candy with ground peanuts and
sugar.
Doce de Leite
Finally, Doce de Leite is a national
obsession. The smooth, thick, golden
milk toffee was developed in South
America during the sugar boom. It’s
used liberally as a filing for cakes and
pastries, to sweeten desserts and also
eaten on its own with a spoon. It is so
indescribably yummy that at the point
of writing this I am seriously thinking
about breaking my sugar fast and
running to the kitchen cupboards. I
think I love it so much because when it
is eaten in hard fudge form, it’s a dead
ringer for Scottish tablet.
I haven’t yet found the Brazilian
equivalent of the deep fried Mars Bar
though.
Natasha and her British-Brazilian
husband are life-long ex-pats, clocking
up well over 30 different homes in over
a dozen different countries. Together
they have lived in Paris, Philadelphia
and São Paulo. They have finally
settled in Rio de Janeiro with their
two young children, where Natasha
is a freelance writer and has her own
blog about the trials and tribulations
of adapting to life in Brazil http://
becomebrazilian.blogspot.com/
Forum 7
 Graded School turns 90
On the morning of October 17, international schools in the world, a are invited to join the fun. Your ticket
1920, Mrs. Ruth Kolb and Miss Bell well-used resource and model for other guarantees a memorable evening with
Ribble began teaching six students in a schools seeking to balance a world class wonderful friends, great music and
two-room schoolhouse on Avenida Sao international education with a strong dancing, special cocktails and food, and
João, in the heart of São Paulo. Graded program in the host country language much more in a setting that only Fasano
School was born, the result of the bold and culture. Born of a few American can offer. There will be opportunities for
vision of the American Chamber of expatriates looking to ensure an you to take pictures with old and new
Commerce friends in the photo booth
and several and lots of space to mingle
American in Fasano’s elegant lounge
companies seating arrangements.
w h o s e Tickets cost R$300 per
members person and can be purchased
a n d at Graded School with a
employees check or credit card. You can
wanted also contact Lika Kishino at
to create lika.kishino@graded.br or
a school 3747-4813.
that would For 90 years Graded’s
prepare their students, teachers, staff,
children for parents, alumni, and
elementary, corporate partners have
secondary, sustained and deepened
and higher Graded’s mission,
education in perpetuating the qualities
the United of an institution dedicated
States. The to excellence, committed to
experiment learning, and empowered
was a success, and the school has excellent education for their children, to create a better world. The school
followed a steady path of growth Graded is now a thriving international continues that tradition as we prepare
and improvement in response to the school of 1220 students from more than students to meet the challenges and
changing needs and demands of its 40 countries. opportunities of the 21st century.
community. It’s been 90 years since that fateful
From its beginnings on Avenida day in
Sao João, the school has had several 1920 when
addresses over the years. For a time, it Graded
operated on land owned by Mackenzie School first
College. From there, the school had its opened.
own campus close to Avenida Paulista. The entire
Finally, in 1961, the school built its new Graded
home on Avenida Giovanni Gronchi, community
at the time a rural hilltop overlooking will be
the city and surrounded by forests, coming
pastures, and rock quarries. Since then, together at
the school community has developed a gala event
an expansive campus, adding buildings on Friday,
and other educational spaces when November
necessary. 1 9 t h ,
Throughout the years, the four pillars at Casa
of the Graded experience- academics, Fasano to
athletics, arts, and community service- celebrate
continued to grow and evolve into t h i s
truly impressive programs for students momentous
of all ages and nationalities. Today, occasion
Graded is considered one of the best and you

8 Forum November
 The American Society
of São Paulo

Thanksgiving in São Paulo

NOVEMBER. The month of turkey from the supermarket or from the turkeys or other Thanksgiving dishes,
our most famous American holiday Sadia outlet on Rua Fortunato Ferraz, go to any of the American sites: Martha
considered by many to be more 659, Vila Anastácio. Tel. 11-2113- Stuart, Food and Wine, Allrecipes and/
important than Christmas. Here in São 3045. On Avenida Escola Politécnica or Epicurious. Some will even translate
Paulo, Thanksgiving takes on even inside the USP campus, you can find recipes to Portuguese, in case your
more significance as we ex-pats try to all the Perdigão products at a discount, maid is helping you!
preserve our national holidays not only as well. Check out the sites of both Happy cooking and happy eating.
for ourselves but for our children’s companies. Don’t forget: extend the invitation to
sake. For your Brazilian
Brazilians, the friends. They
anticipation of will be really
being invited pleased and so
to a “real” will you. It is
Thanksgiving all within the
dinner in spirit of the
a “real” day of Giving
American Thanks.
home is great.
H o w e v e r, Where to
the preparation go:
of a traditional Santa Luzia
feast can Alameda
become a bit Lorena, 1471
overwhelming - São Paulo
when searching Tel.: (11)
for specific 3897-5000
ingredients. Santa Luzia
Although most will also
everything can be having
be found these pumpkin pie
days in the for sale.
sophisticated supermarkets of Santa If you end up with a “peru
Maria, Santa Luzia and Pão de Açucar, temperado”, you can soak the turkey for See also our article on page 5
the turkey itself sometimes requires about 6 hours in white wine (or water) about Thanksgiving events within our
special ordering. The free range, not with some chopped parsley and spring community.
seasoned ones tend to be scrawny so onions. This lessens the garlic taste
often it is better to settle on a Sadia a bit. For exact recipes for roasting

Fellowship Community Church

The Welcome Place since 1921
Phone (11) 3253-7609 www.fellowship.com.br

09:00 am - Walking in Faith Classes (English and Portuguese)

Sunday’s 10:30 am – Worship Service (English only)

06:00 pm – Culto em português

Conveniently located on Rua Carlos Sampaio, 107 – Bela Vista

Just a block and a half from the Brigadeiro Metro station on the Avenida Paulista

2010 Forum 9
 How to make a traditional caipirinha
By Catherine Balston

The world is slowly starting to coarse sugar, you’ll need some extra (cachaça de coluna).
discover the phenomenon of, and elbow grease when you mix it up with It should smell of sugar cane and
suffer the hangovers of, arguably the the lime. not alcohol and shouldn’t burn your
most delicious of Brazil’s “exports”; throat. Some good brands to try are:
the caipirinha. In trendy bars from New 3) Ice. A traditional caipirinha is Montanhesa Prata (Minas Gerais),
York to London you will find barmen meant to be a very strong cocktail, so Germana (Minas Gerais), Magnífica
crushing limes with sugar and adding use whole ice cubes, not crushed or (Rio de Janeiro), Corisco (Rio de
ice and cachaça to serve the drink that cracked ice, so that you can enjoy it Janeiro), Maria Izabel (Rio de Janeiro).
has been a firm favorite in Brazil for slowly without all the ice melting. These can all be bought online at www.
decades. barril514.com.br/ and delivered in
The taste of a caipirinha is like 4) Also known as pinga or São Paulo for a freight charge of
nothing else I’ve ever tried – the initial aguardente, it is produced through the R$20.
eye watering
kick of cachaça Recipe for
and sour lime a traditional
juice followed caipirinha
by a soothing
s y r u p y I’ve sipped
sweetness as and slurped
the ice begins my way from
to melt and the bar to bar in
flavors mingle. my search for
Caipirinhas the perfect
are an assault caipirinha (all
on the senses, in the name
but boy do of research
they taste of course).
good and leave I’ve spoken
you wanting to aficionados
to go back from Veja
for seconds, “barman of
thirds, fourths the year”
and... well at Souza (from
that point my bar Veloso in
memory tends Vila Mariana)
to become a to the self-
little hazy. proclaimed Rei
do caipirinha
fermentation and distillation of sugar (King of caipirinhas) who has been
The basic ingredients cane juice. keeping locals and tourists alike happy
Cachaças envelhecidas are aged for years at his Friday night barraca on
1) Fresh limes. Both the juice and in wooden barrels that give them a the streets of Lapa, Rio de Janeiro. No
the oil in the skin add to the distinctive distinctive flavour and brown colour, doubt there are many approaches to
sour flavor of a caipirinha. Limão and are enjoyed neat. making the perfect caipirinha, but this
galego (a “key lime” in the USA) is the Dark envelhecidas are not used to recipe is for a traditional one, in which
best to use for its higher acidity. Limão make caipirinhas though – look for a you can savor the cachaça and sour-
taiti (Tahitian limes) can also be used. colourless cachaça. In spite of the old sweetness before all the ice melts.
saying “quanto pior a cachaça, melhor
2) Sugar. Brazilians use açúcar a caipirinha” (the worse the cachaça, 1) Get a lowball, rocks glass, or
refinado, white cane sugar, which you’ll the better the caipirinha!) – it is worth tumbler. It’s best to make the caipirinha
find in any Brazilian supermarket. It using a good quality cachaça, produced in the glass you will serve it in, to get
is fine textured, meaning it dissolves in a traditional method (cachaça de the proportions right.
quickly, so if you’re using a more alambique) rather than industrial

10 Forum November
 The American Society
of São Paulo

2) Cut the top and bottom off Where to enjoy a traditional caipirinha
a lime. Then slice it in half from top 7) Enjoy... and marvel at how
to bottom (i.e through the stem end your Portuguese improves with each Veloso Bar
rather than across the middle). caipirinha! R. Conceição Veloso, 56, Vila Mariana,
Tel: 5572-0254
3) In the middle of each lime If you are using a cheaper or less http://www.velosobar.com.br/
half you will see a white core. Slice palatable cachaça, you may prefer Bar Astor
a V shape in to the middle to remove to deviate from the traditional recipe Rua Delfina, 163, Vila Madalena, Tel:
this white core (which gives a nasty and use a cocktail shaker and give 3815-1364
bitter taste). the mixture http://www.barastor.com.br/
a really good
4) Cut half shake before Where to try something a little different
the lime into serving. This
slices or wedges breaks up Caipirinhas with mango, ginger and
and put in the some of the lime zest or strawberry and cinnamon at
glass. Add 2 ice, diluting Obá
heaped teaspoons the cachaça R. Dr. Melo Alves, 205, Jardim Paulista,
of sugar (you can and dissolving Tel.: 3086-4774.
add more at the more of the http://www.obarestaurante.com.br/
end if you prefer sugar, making Mango and red peppercorn caipirinhas
it sweeter). the first few or star fruit with basil at
Never use more sips smoother. Drosophyla
than half a lime You can also Rua Pedro Taques, 80, Tel: 3120-5535
per glass. try using http://www.drosophyla.com.br/
other fruits
5) M u d d l e instead of
(mash) the sugar lime, such as
and lime together strawberries,
well with a kiwi, passion
muddler to let the fruit or
sugar absorb into pineapple.
the lime juice.
Catherine
6) Fill the glass up to the top Balston is exploring the flavors of
with ice cubes and then fill to the top Brazil in her blog www.squirtinglimes.
with cachaça. Give a really good mix com
before serving.

2010 Forum 11
 Le Pain employs student of Vivenda da Crianca
Cleber started working at LePain Consorte, the owner of LePain. Now, Cleber is working side by side
in August of this year. He was among Cleber started working the night shift with the baker and learning a lot every
the 12 participants of the first bakery but was quickly promoted to work with day.
class organized by the Vivenda da the main baker during the morning shift. Cleber admits that his job is very far
Criança Professional Center. He had to According to Joao, Cleber showed a lot from his home, almost two hours, but he
go through 240 hours of training and a of responsibility and curiosity to learn knows that his commute is worthwhile
recruiting process to be picked by Joao more from the very beginning. investment into his new career.

Le Pain, Pinheiros
By Kimberley Milera, AmSoc member

Le Pain opened in May 2010 in the with a different flavor and fruit filling. different types of breads. I was also
small area of Pinheiros. Located on For instance, I tried apple cake with told they may have the best croissants
one of the main streets in this area the apple filling and vanilla frosting while in the area; soft, buttery and flakey. The
padaria serves breads are made
up more than daily and ready
just your to eat. Make
average bread. sure to take
With seating some home with
located outside you as there are
along the street, many options
a nice covered and probably not
area still open enough room in
to the outside your stomach.
and another Beyond the
area in back basic bakery,
for those rainy and dessert
days we don’t area there is the
like to speak regular menu
about. The and buffet. On
atmosphere is the weekends
casual as are they have the
most padarias normal breakfast
but there is buffet of cakes,
more of a breads, hot dogs
stylish feel to and juices for
this place as around $R 24
there is a wall per person. The
of foliage along one side, high ceilings a few other options were chocolate, menu ranges from a nice selection
and purples walls. When I first walked chocolate with doce de leite frosting, of sandwiches on fresh breads, $R 9,
in still in my work out clothes I felt a or strawberry. After my first initial chicken parm with rice and fries, $R
little underdressed. reaction to the cupcakes you move 18, omelets, and daily specials. They
The first thing you notice when you on the nice selection of small pastries have a wide range of foods that would
walk in is the cupcake tower sitting with most ranging from $R 3-7 each. serve many people’s tastes.
in the corner of the display. Not a Behind these delicacies there is the
common treat found here in São Paulo bakery section with many different Le Pain Padaria
but known to many of us foreigners. types of breads ranging from multi- Av. Pedroso de Morais, 1037
To my delight, they are not just your grain to plain to wheat. From what I Pinheiros, SP
average cupcake. Each one is created have read they actually serve up to 30 http://www.lepain.com.br/blog/

12 Forum November
 The American Society
of São Paulo

Wilson’s Zucchini Bread - Things we

a perfect Thanksgiving recipe
This dark, sweet, and moist
bread comes from the recipe books
of the matron of Wilson Farms of
Lexington, MA, where the summers
are hot and humid, and zucchini
is always overgrown and over-
sized. Use the extra-large, “bread
zucchini” if you can find it.
3 C white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 eggs
1 3/4 C brown sugar
1 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 C lightly-packed, grated
zucchini
1 C raisins, currants, cherries,
etc.
3/4 C chopped nuts
Sift the dry ingredients together.
Beat the eggs with the sugar, oil,
vanilla, lemon juice, and vinegar.
Gradually beat in the dry ingredients.
Stir in the zucchini, adding fruit and
nuts if you like. Divide between
two greased loaf pans and bake at
350° for 50-60 minutes.
missed
What Kim missed: Sour Cream
What she found:
To make SOUR CREAM I use 1
Danone Ativa plain yogurt and mix it
with Coalhada. Coalhada can be found
in any supermarket and you can use the
regular or the light version.
Very simple and works! Great for
dips, and on top of a baked potatoe!
‘Things we missed’ is a new column
that introduces products and services
that are new or were hard to find in
Brazil. If you have an idea for a product
or service that could be featured please
write to forum@amsoc.com.br

BarraDoce: A Baker’s Paradise

When my son called and said he
was coming home for a weekend,
I was thrilled and began making
plans to prepare his favorite foods.
Angel Food cake was one. But no
cream of tarter! (For those of you
who don’t bake, cream of tartar is a
must for this cake.)
Off I went to all the grocery
stores and even Santa Luzia. No
luck! I called my friends who
bake but no cream of tarter. Then
someone mentioned the baking
store BarraDoce. I’d never heard of
it, but desperate for cream of tartar,
off I went.
What a fantastic shop! For those
who enjoy baking, it has just about
everything imaginable: a wide
variety of molds for chocolates,
cakes, cupcakes and cookies,
colored sugars for cookies, cake
decorating supplies, materials for
packaging - and cream of tarter!
Truly a baker’s paradise!
BarraDoce has an excellent
website. Click on “como chegar”
for a map with easy directions.
They also have a super blog with all
kinds of baking ideas and recipes.
Click on “nosso blog” to learn the
latest on this sweet shop.
BarraDoce
Av. dos Eucaliptos, 301
Moema
www.barradoce.com.br

2010 Forum 13

H ousing
Elegant furnished house in
Tamboré
Beautiful recently professionally deco-
rated furnished house for rent. 600 m²
with 2,000 m² of land. Heated swim-
ming pool. Nice barbecue area and out-
door porch. 4 suites, family room, liv-
ing, dinning, large kitchen, maids room
and 3 car garage. The House is complete
ready to live in for high level execu-
tive. To see photos, visit www.suzimo-
niz.com.br – Avenida Marília,105. To
visit the house, call (11) 8179-3131.
Furnished Apartment for Rent
Vila Nova Conceição. São Paulo’s best
place to live. Near Ibirapuera Park.
Modern building with sports facilities,
heated swimming pool, three bedrooms
(one suite), a living room with terrace,
complete kitchen, maid’s bedroom and
bathroom, big service area, two park-
ing spaces. Fully furnished with all
appliances. Telephone included. Call
Alex or Eliane at (11) 3849-7085 or
(11) 8635-7788, or send an e-mail to
alex@caboverde.com.br.
Taylor Real Estate
Luxury spacious houses, apartments
and penthouses. Sales and rentals. Ten
years experience with expatriates. Fur-
nished and unfurnished. Trilingual Real
Estate agents. References from consul-
ates and multinationals. Photos sent by
email. Relocation Service. Consult the
site: www.taylorimoveis.com. Email
- taylor@taylorimoveis.com. Phone:
5511 3079 8888 and 5511 8774 5100
(Maria Elisa).
For Sale -
Beautiful House and Garden
Spacious 3 Bedroom house with 600
sq meters of construction and 6000 sq
meters of
land. Large swimming pool/view of
the Guarapiranga Lake. House located
in Riviera
Paulista, an ideal location for horse and
boating enthusiasts. Contact Joe Sher-
man at 9626 0711, or
jsherman@amcham.com.br
14 Forum
Exceptional Apartment for Rent
Ninth floor, very short walking dis-
tance from shopping Iguatemi (Pin-
heiros) and the Hebraica clubs. Living/
dining room, master bedroom, walk-in
closet, bedrooms, 3 baths, large kitch-
en, laundry and maid room. Complete-
ly furnished, appliances, kitchenware,
etc. Cable TV, phone, garage. See and
love at first sight. Appointments with
Sophie. Phone: (11) 3032-0675. Fax:
(11) 3812-9487 or e-mail: pcbarth@
uol.com
S ervices
Argos Dog Kennel
Traveling? What about your dog? Ar-
gos Kennel Hotel could be his second
home in the country. Food, water, and
shelter with lots of love and personal
care. No lonely kennel for him, but our
home and the freedom of a spacious
garden. Fetch and carry service. Eng-
lish and French spoken. Call Jean or
Christiane at (11) 4661-1430 or (11)
7143-0837 or send an e-mail to jean.
chris@uol.com.br. Embu Guaçu, SP.
Math and Science Tutor
Former Graded and Chapel teacher,
with 20-years experience, tutors Math,
Physics, Chemistry, and Science for all
levels, including but not limited to the
IB, IGCSE, SAT-I & II, AP and Brazil-
ian vestibular. Elementary and middle
school students are also welcome (all
subjects). Call Fernando Knijnik at
(11) 2533-3965 or 9134-6700.
Looking for tutor
In search of tutor (lady), home support
for school, children between 6 and 8,
native-like English, CV to
marcia.pineda@pashal.com
classifieds
Psychotherapist for Ex-Pats
Serving Adults, Children, and Fami-
lies (also couples) struggling with all
adjustment issues. Specializing in is-
sues of divorce, separation, and recon-
ciliation. Many years experience with
drug/ alcohol issues. USA licensed as
MFT. Jungian Analyst experienced in
Sandtray, Dreamwork (groups also),
and Cognitive/ Behavioral therapy.
Please call/ email Matthew: 7734 5793
or mvanlokeren@yahoo.com for a free
initial consultation.
American-Licensed Expat
Psychologist
Richard Morhaime, Psy.D., offers
skilled psychotherapy for children and
adults. He also provides complete di-
agnostic evaluations in English for
children with academic or behavioral
difficulties, featuring individualized
recommendations for school and home.
For more information, contact Dr.
Morhaime at 5538-0099 or 9669-8057
or visit www.expatpsychologist.com.
American Psychologist
Services for Expats
Sukie Miller Ph.D. early director of
Esalen, former Board Member Jung
Institute San Francisco, 35 years ex-
perience private practice as coach,
psycho-therapist with adults and cou-
ples in eclectic approach to personal/
professional growth, woman’s’ issues,
adjustment to São Paulo, goal setting,
dream work, anxiety. Call Dr. Miller
at 11- 9823-8730 email sukiemiller@
gmail.com.
American-Licensed
Psychotherapist
In this busy and ever-changing world,
people often feel stressed and over-
whelmed with no place to turn. Psycho-
therapy/counseling can provide a safe
place to receive professional guidance
and support. Brief or longer-term ther-
apy offered depending on your needs,
goals and expectations. Services: indi-
vidual, couples, child/adolescent. Cer-
tified to conduct Adoption Home Study
for American Citizens. Contact: Pame-
la Wax, MSW/LCSW at 5051-5988 or
9656-2106. Located in Moema.
November
 The American Society
calendar of São Paulo

Learn more about this month’s AmSoc events (highlighted) at www.amsoc.com.br.

Important Dates: 2 All Souls Day (BR) / 15 Proclamation of the Republic Day (BR)
November 2010 20 Black Conscience Day (BR) / 25 Thanksgiving Day (US)

Thursday International Wives of Lunch and optional museum visit to Museu da Casa Brasileira at noon. For
4 Brazilians Lunch further information please contact Naomi at naomi.linguist@gmail.com

4 Thursday Vida Jovem Benefit Art Brazilian contemporary art auction and cocktail will take place at MuBE from 7
to 11 pm. Guided tour of the exhibit starts at 2 pm.

6 Saturday AmSoc Christmas Angel At Chapel School from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Party

7 Sunday Softball Championship See page 4

Wednes- INC Monthly Coffee, Red To be held at Emporio Santa Maria. For more details please contact president@
10 day Rose and General Assem- newcomers-sp.com.br
bly

Pick-up games to be held at Graded School from noon to 5 pm. Please contact
13 Saturday Flag Football Games John Kennedy at john@kennedy-partners.com or visit www.amsoc.com.br for
more details.

19 Friday Graded 90th Anniversary See page 8

Party

19 Friday Outward Bound For more information contact

Backpacking Weekend Chris Sheridan at vpevents@newcomers-sp.com.br

20 Saturday 235th Marine Corps For more information contact Diezmanne@state.gov or PerezMJ@state.gov
Birthday Ball

21 Sunday Graded’s Thanksgiving See page 9

Celebration

23 Tuesday AmSoc Thanksgiving See page 5

Ecumenical

26 Friday 5th Munro / Challenge See page 4

Golf

Pick-up games to be held at Graded School from noon to 5 pm. Please contact
27 Saturday Flag Football Games John Kennedy at john@kennedy-partners.com or visit www.amsoc.com.br for
more details.

Personal Trainer Piano Class A classified of up to 350 characters costs

R$45 for AmSoc members and R$80 for
Classified
Place a

Beginning and advanced music classes non-members. To place a classified please

I will come to your home, office, or
workout facility and create an exercise/
fitness program tailored to your health
concerns, fitness goals, and schedule.
For adults and children, individuals or
groups. Sessions in English, Spanish,
call (11) 5182-2074 from 8:30 a.m. until
for piano or keyboard. Special method 1 p.m., or send an e-mail to amsoc1@
for children 4 years and older, teenag- americansociety.com.br.
ers, adults and senior citizens. Classes
in Portuguese or English. Contact: Sue-
ly Azevedo, 8456-5365 – 48 year old Forum does not check all of the advertisers
Our Readers

appearing in this newsletter. We urge you

A Note to

or Portuguese. For more information music teacher with 30+ years of suc- to use these services; however, thoroughly
please contact Daniela Franco at (11) cessful experience! Class in your house check prices and services prior to finalizing
9739-6191 or dsf29@hotmail.com. in Morumbi and South Area. any service or purchase agreement.

2010 Forum 15

Cooking by substitution
This is the
Forum’s “Gourmet
Issue” and you’d
better believe I
tried to weasel out
of writing anything
this month because,
as I’ve said several
times before, I’m
not a good cook.
By Sue Banman Sileci, And I’m certainly
AmSoc member
not a gourmet. But
then I decided to share a cooking story
with you.
About 15 years ago I was back in
Denver for a few weeks to enjoy time
with my family. I’d soon be leaving
for Brazil again and still hadn’t spent
much time with my sister Chris and her
husband Paul. If I wanted to see them
one more time, I’d have to drive up to
their campsite and spend a night in their
tent, which would be their last night of
a two-week camping trip. So I hit I-70
and found them sitting at a picnic table
in Rocky Mountain National Park. Since
they were low on food, we went in to
Estes Park for dinner and came back after
dark to sit around the campfire.
Just as the fire started blazing, Paul
said, “We should’ve gotten ice cream
before we left town.” I was hungry
too. My sister confessed that she was
fantasizing about smores, but we didn’t
have marshmallows, nor chocolate, nor
graham crackers. We sat in silence. I
finally asked, “What do you have?” and
they said they had some orange juice,
an apple and some Pop-Tarts. “Let’s eat
that,” I suggested. They groaned. They’d
been eating Pop-Tarts from the box for
two weeks straight.
And that’s when inspiration hit me. I
lit the camp stove and poured a cup of
orange juice into a skillet. As it heated,
I cut the apple into tiny slices and
added it to the orange juice. After a few
minutes, the orange juice boiled down to
a syrup and the apple pieces softened. I
then turned off the heat, and broke two
cinnamon Pop-Tarts into little pieces,
sprinkling them over the orange juice
mixture. Though we’ve never mentioned
it, much less made it, again, “Sue’s
Orange-Apple Pop-Tart Delight” was just
what we needed.
See, here’s the deal. I’ve always said
I couldn’t cook. But I think my Pop-Tart
dessert was a rather bright idea. And if I
can’t cook, how did I come up with the
idea when my sister and brother-in-law
didn’t?
The answer? Living in Brazil.
When I first moved to São Paulo 24
years ago, I discovered that I had to take
a step backward in my cooking. There
were so many things I wanted that they
didn’t have here. Maple syrup? No. But,
said a friend who’d lived here longer than
me, I could buy maple extract in the U.S.
and make my own syrup. I want maple
syrup now. My friend suggested a little
bit of powdered sugar on the French toast
instead. Dang it, I don’t have powdered
sugar in the house. So, she said, you can
whir regular sugar in the blender and it
becomes powdered sugar. Really? Yup. It
worked.
And on and on it went. I took one
step back, a good step, and learned to be
flexible about cooking. There are a few
things Brazilian stores simply don’t carry.
Others you can only find downtown. Some
are outrageously expensive and, we’ve
all seen, some basic items are suddenly
unavailable in any of the supermarkets in
a given neighborhood. (Stick margarine
is a recent example.) And for those of us
who don’t love cooking, sometimes you
just don’t plan the week well and forget
to buy garlic.
You learn to substitute. Peanuts in the
blender may not become Jiff peanut butter,
but they become a type of peanutty paste
that has its uses. Unsweetened chocolate
squares? Brazil doesn’t sell them but you
can use oil and unsweetened cocoa to do
the same thing. My father, an excellent
cook, gasped in horror on his last visit
here as we made Christmas cookies
together. He pointed to the recipe. “It
calls for almonds.” “But I don’t have
Flipside
almonds right now,” I explained. “We can
use walnuts.” It was fine.
And from that flexibility, I now
realize, I’ve convinced myself I’m a
bad cook. Why? Because sometimes the
substitutions don’t work. If you don’t have
enough basil, adding extra parsley makes
pesto taste weird. If you don’t have cocoa
for brownies, adding Nescau chocolate
milk powder makes the brownies bland.
And if you don’t have onions, forget
making soup. But, in all these cases, I
serve the food anyway. What else have
we got for dinner tonight? And we all
sigh with relief when someone suggests
ordering a pizza.
Compared to some of the fantastic
Brazilian friends who’ve been doing this
all their lives, and to Americans who
just have a knack for good cooking, I’m
really an average cook. But compared
to many friends back home, I can make
some amazing food without jars, cans,
mixes, boxes or packages. My marinara
sauce is as good, if not better, than the
sauce my late, and very Italian, mother-
in-law made. I recently learned to make
mushroom risotto, my new comfort food,
and on a recent trip to North Carolina,
my niece and I whipped up a potato
frittata with spinach salad and homemade
dressing in under 30 minutes. We fed
eight people and served fruit salad with
mango, pineapple, strawberries and star
fruit for dessert.
I won’t ever say I’m a great cook, or a
happy cook, and certainly not a gourmet
cook, but life in Brazil can bring out some
good cooking if you’re willing to shake
off old conveniences and habits. And, I
remember something one of my daughters
said as we looked at school pictures when
she was in middle school, “I try not to get
too discouraged about myself.”
Finally, by all means don’t hesitate
to ask if you’d like a printed recipe of
“Sue’s Orange-Apple Pop-Tart Delight”.
Wait, there are no Pop-Tarts here. Maybe
you could sprinkle Farinha Láctea on it
instead. Or Frosted Flakes. Or sliced up
Charge bars….