GCC: Calas [Sweet Fried Rice Fritters]

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Since it rain non-stopped this past Sunday, we were stuck at home and I had plenty of time on my hands. The only way I was going to curve the “cabin fever” was to keep busy and so I decided to make three recipes in this week Gutsy Cooks recipe line up.

This one is the first.  I will post the other two tomorrow and Tuesday.

When I took a look at our choices, I originally wanted to make the savory Italian Arancini, which holds a special place in my heart since they remind me of my time living in Sicily while working as an Au pair. But, then I thought, why not try something completely new, something that I really never tasted before?

And that is when I turned to the other choice in our list – Calas, which are sweet Fried Rice Fritters from the French Quarter in New Orleans.

I just could not go wrong with this.

Fried batter - is there anything better in life? (besides Nutella, or course).

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Pastéis de Nata [Portuguese Custard Tarts]

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This is of those recipes that I pull from my memory bank.  During a business trip to Brasil a gazillion years ago, I came across these little morsels.  During my stay there and after many glorious trips to local restaurants my host discover my great love affair with pastries and he insisted in stopping in a pastry shop for me to sample some of the local goodies.

When I saw these in the counter, and asked what they were made of, and once the baker told me in broken Spanish, it took me less than a minute to have one in my hand for me to take a bite.  And once I did, I installing fell in love with this little egg tart.

These sweet mini pastries have travel a long way from it’s original home.

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