delicious – THE DUDE OF FOOD

The Dude of Food discovers Turkey Pasta

The other day the Dude of Food discovered he had extra ground turkey in the fridge and wondered what to make. A quick online search brought his eyes to a site where he witnessed this delicious looking photo for a ground turkey pasta recipe and decided to follow up on it. It turns out the alluring photo was a creation from a food blog titled Krolls Korner.

https://krollskorner.com/recipes/dinner/easy-shell-pasta-ground-turkey

A big thanks goes out to site creator, registered dietitian, nutritionist and chef Tawnie Graham who shares this recipe with us so we can all learn to easily create this spectacular looking and delicious dish in our kitchens at home.

Before ya’ll get started you’ll need the following items.

INGREDIENTS:

 16 oz medium shell pasta 
 1 lb ground turkey
 4 Tbsp olive oil
 4 cloves minced garlic
 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced small
 6 white mushrooms, sliced thin
 1/2 large diced white onion
 2 tsp salt 
 1 tsp pepper
 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
 2.5 cups beef or chicken broth 
 1 15oz can tomato sauce
 1 cup heavy cream
 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Begin cooking the ground turkey until no longer pink.
Add some salt & pepper and when the pink is gone, pull from heat, put in bowl and set aside.
I usually cover my set aside foods as they wait their turn in the mix.

Next add oil and sauté garlic, red bell pepper, white mushrooms, white onion, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. (about 5 minutes, stir occasionally)

Whisk in flour until mixed.

Add broth and tomato sauce.
When it begins to simmer add cooked ground turkey to the mix.
When heated add cooked pasta, heavy cream and parmesan cheese.

Stir and let thicken.

The choice of pasta shape is yours.
Slowly add salt to desired taste. Remember you can always add more but it’s tricky to reduce.
Some sharp white cheddar cheese might also be a nice addition. Other seasonings that could make a great addition include fennel seed, red pepper chili flakes, dried oregano, fresh basil or even a pinch of cayenne.

In cleaning up this article I’ll finish by saying, this dish was incredible. By following chef Tawnie’s directions, barring a couple minor tweeks of my own, it was easy to create this dish. If remembering correctly, I used beef broth and didn’t add any mushrooms or red bell pepper and it was still delicious. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of this beautiful pasta dish I created before it was eaten. Give this recipe a try and enjoy.

Thank you Tawnie G. It is a strange phenomenon but for some reason, the fact that you have food titles made the Dude of Food want to trust this recipe more.

Bon Apettit, the Dude of Food

‘Calamari’ aka squid pasta

calamari –

noun – [ kal-uh–mahr-ee, kah-luh-; Italian

squid ( ). culinary term for

The other day I saw calamari rings for sale and said to myself, “Dude of Food, you don’t see calamari rings at this market every day, especially on sale, so take a good look” and I did. The rings still were still vibrant, colorful and fresh looking. I had been wanting to make a red sauce anyways so I decided to buy myself some calamari rings to toss them in the sauce.

Once in the kitchen prepared something similar to a semi spicy Arribbiata sauce with chopped tomato, garlic, onion, chili flakes and the usual assortment of spice suspects. In a separate pan I fried the calamari rings in some olive oil and set them on top of the spaghetti and sauce I had prepared. There was no wine in this sauce.
The dish was delicious and a photo is below.

So after this creation I went back to see how a dish like this was supposed to be prepared.

I read a couple of recipes and they recommended that I add a little sugar to my dish. Many folks do this to offset the tomato acidity but I never have and probably never will add any sugar to any of my sauces, coffee, tea or anything else I happen to be preparing, as I don’t have a sweet tooth and don’t like sugary things. The photos below are from other recipes I used to compare my mix to. Click on photo to link to their pages.

Other than that sugar difference, my recipe and process were pretty much on point. This is an easy to prepare dish that can be enjoyed by all. Go get in that kitchen and prepare a meal surprise for someone special.

The Cadbury family chocolate empire and their philanthropy.

This is the true story of a family that cared a lot about people. Find out how the Cadbury family chocolate business made life better for many folks.

https://www.cadbury.co.uk/about/history/our-story

Visit the Cadbury web address above and you’ll find the following statement;
“From a grocery shop, to a factory, to the Cadbury we know today. This is the story of a father and two sons and how their generosity inspired generations to come. They poured a ‘glass and a half’ into their Dairy Milk and into their workers and communities too. At Cadbury, people always have been and will be at the heart of everything we do.”

Quaker John Cadbury was first apprenticed to a tea dealer in Leeds in 1818. In 1824, John opened a grocery shop at 93 Bull Street, Birmingham, England. He sold tea, coffee, hops and mustard along with cocoa and drinking chocolate. John prepared the drinking chocolate himself by using a mortar and pestle and crushing the cocoa. The treat became quite popular and eventually John decided to start commercial manufacturing. He opened a warehouse on Crooked Lane in 1831 where he started his drinking chocolate operations with the help of his 2 sons, Richard and George. By 1842, the Cadbury’s were selling 16 varieties of drinking chocolate and 11 varieties of cocoa. In 1850, John’s oldest son, Richard and his brother George were learning to handle operations and 11 years later John Cadbury retired from the business and Richard and George took over.

George heard about a Dutch chocolate maker, Coenraad van Houten, who had devised a method of extracting most of the fat from cocoa, which made it a more appealing drink. George went to Holland to see Van Houten and returned with a cocoa fat removal machine which proved successful. By using the cocoa press, Richard and George found they were able to make their cocoa 100% pure. They focused on making totally pure cocoa and in 1866 the Cadbury’s launched their “Absolutely Pure Therefore Best” cocoa product. This product line enabled the Cadbury’s to grow their company into a successful enterprise with a reputation for quality products and for treating its employees well.

George had big ideas. He asked, ‘Why should an industrial area be squalid and depressing? If the country is a good place to live in, then why not work in it?’. George wanted to build a place full of green spaces, where Cadbury workers could leave the crowded, dirty city behind and enjoy a better quality of life. He began to draw up plans for his new country factory with Birmingham architect George H. Gadd.

In 1878, Cadbury acquired 14.5 acres of open land, four miles (6 km) south-west of Birmingham. In January 1879, Cadbury, his architect and their construction team building began the factory, along with the first 16 houses for some of his 200 plus employees. September 1879, 230 workers by train to begin their lives in the new town and facility.
The name of this new town would be Bournville. This new country live/work concept was a significant upgrade from the poor living conditions of the urban environment. In Bournville, families had houses and could enjoy yards, gardens, parks, schools, medical care and fresh air. Children enjoyed new playgrounds, country outings and summer camps. The men played football, hockey and cricket in the open park spaces. Tennis and squash courts were built, along with a bowling green and swimming pools with heated changing rooms an kitchens for heating up food. All employees were encouraged to become good swimmers. There were no pubs and no alcohol was sold in Bournville and none is sold there still to this day.

For workers to have facilities and a home life like this was unheard of in Victorian times. Cadbury became one of the first firms to introduce a 1/2 day of work Saturday. “People told us it would mean ruin, but I don’t think any men could have been happier.” said George.
By 1899 the company had 2,600 employees and was incorporated as a limited company on June 16, 1899. Richard and George owned all of the ordinary shares in their business.

By 1900 George Cadbury renounced his proprietorship of the estate and set up the Bournville Village Trust. There were 313 houses for various social classes.
In 1902, 30% of Cadbury’s capital expenditure was spent on the welfare of its workers.
By 1960 the Bournville Village Trust held 1,000 acres with 3,500 houses and to this date, the town still offers affordable housing. After Richard passed, George opened a works committee for each gender to discuss proposals for improving the company. He also pressed ahead with other ideas, like a deposit account and education facilities for every employee.
The site also states, “We’ve come a long way in 200 years but one thing that will never change is the generous spirit we bring to everything we do. Another exciting opportunity came along in 2010, when we found a new home alongside the Kraft Foods family. Kraft created a new division in 2012, called ‘Mondelez International’ which we are still proud to be a part of today.”

John Cadbury – Aug 12, 1801 – May 11, 1889

Richard Barrow Cadbury – Aug 29, 1835 – March 22, 1899

Many lives have been touched by the sweet philanthropic gestures of the Cadbury family and to this day 10% of the company profits are still donated to charity.

Thank you very much Cadbury family.

Lobster Rolls and America

The Dude of Food has noticed that America is particularly funny when it comes to regional foods. For example, many folks who grew up on the east coast do not like avocados. Folks from the north don’t really eat squirrel/ possum stew but might take a road killed deer home to eat. Similar peculiarities exist for some folks from the west as they don’t like lobster as much as folks from the east side of our nation. It could be due to abundance but who knows.
I grew up near the beaches of Los Angeles and personally like avocados as well as lobster, crab, oysters, mussels and shrimps. I’ve wondered in the past why do I like all the crustaceans. I like fish too, but aren’t these bottom feeder animals sort of like the liver of the ocean that’s job is to clean up the mess? Also, I can honestly say that possum and squirrel are not items I’ve ever tried nor have sought to try.
Slowly coming back from my digression, I’ll add that during the Covid19 timeout I learned to home brew beer. I had some practice time at home and eventually met the owner of the Lobster and Beer chain of restaurants, Mike, who had an available space and he was interested in brewing beer too. Mike let me practice in the empty space and I worked on making brew while I redid the interior design of the place. Six months later the building and my process were both more functional.

When the Covid19 lock down was over and restaurants were allowed to open back up our little neighborhood bar in Hawthorne surged with local business. People loved both the lobster and the crab rolls and many local folks spent time socializing at our little spot. I served the beers and a cook made the food. We were both kept busy as we also took online orders for a couple food delivery services. We would do nearly $2k in sales and generate decent tips in 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon with just 3 little sidewalk tables and maybe 8 bar stools.

It was during this time that I learned how to properly prepare these delicious sandwiches to the Lobster and Beer standard. I learned to portion the meats, make the aioli, chop, clean, stock, cook, box, answer the phone and serve as well as run the bar. It got hectic sometimes but it was always fun and I look back fondly to these times sharing with our customers, getting feedback on my beers and operating a fun environment. Thank you Mike and partner. (I forget his partners name but he was cool and taught me a lot.)

Recently I’ve had the craving for a lobster roll so I finally decided to make one and squash my cravings. Below is a photo of the one I made.

The preparation process is simple.

Procure Lobster and some form of roll from your favorite spot. Soft, split top New England style buns, Hawaiian bread or hot dog buns work well. I used a dinner roll.
You’ll also need butter, mayo, chives, minced celery, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Try adding minced tarragon, red onion or chopped green onion for some variety.

1lb lobster meat
¼ cup minced celery
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
4 buns
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
4 approx tablespoons butter

PREPARATION:

Heat lobster in pan with butter. Don’t over cook.
Mix everything but the lobster and bread in a bowl.
Cut bread and place face down on hot buttered grill to lightly toast.
Mix warmed lobster in a bowl with some of the mixed ingredient sauce and load into grilled face bun.
Plate and enjoy.

Bon Appetit and enjoy, the Dude of Food

Wondering About Vortex Plus Air Fryers?

Being the son of pioneers I’m not well rehearsed in modern kitchen tools. One gadget that has been getting quite popular recently is known as an air fryer and has me wondering about kitchen tools. Questions like ‘How am I this old and have never used one of these cooking devices?’ and ‘Do I really need this thing?’ kept floating up to the top of my head along with all the things I daydreamed that I could potentially prepare. My neighbor ended up purchasing an Instant Pot Vortex Plus from Amazon and I had to go over and check out the unboxing.

Food Network says the following about the Vortex Plus;
“While it’s very similar to the 4-in-1 air fryer, the standout feature in the Vortex Plus is the dehydrator. If you’re looking for a reliable air fryer that can also produce perfectly dried fruits and veggies, the Vortex Plus is for you. Just like the 4-in-1, the Vortex Plus has a roomy, 6-quart basket with a nonstick coating for easy cleanup. Equipped with pre-programmed settings and a temperature-controlling dial, the interface is also super user-friendly. The only downside to this model is the broiler function, which is preset to 400 degrees F for two minutes and didn’t perform well for us in testing.”

The Instant Pot Vortex Plus has 6 cooking options:

             Air Fry (increments between 180°F and 400°F)
             Roast (180°F–400°F)
             Bake (180°F–400°F)
             Reheat (120°F–360°F)
             Broil (350°F–400°F)
             Dehydrate (95°F–175°F)

Chef Carmen Spillette has created 31 Best Air Fryer Recipes that are worth checking out by clicking on the photo below. Thank you Carmen.

I’m still curious and can hardly wait to prompt my neighbor into making some cauliflower buffalo wings and some of the other things that look really good on the Eat with Carmen page.

Bon Appetit, the Dude of Food

Deviled Eggs are delicious.

2 photos from
https://www.seriouseats.com/great-deviled-eggs-variations-and-hacks

You may find it interesting that the ancient Romans actually began the deviled egg tradition. In ancient Rome eggs were boiled and slathered with various spicy sauces. The eggs were served as an appetizer and usually found at the homes of wealthy citizens showing a sign of status as they could afford the eggs and the cooks to prepare them. Wealthy Romans had a saying for starting a meal with eggs called “ab ova usque ad mala” meaning ‘from eggs to apples’. It meant the host could entertain with the best.

There is a reference to deviled eggs in a really old book titled ‘Satyricon’ where a wealthy Roman citizen throws a feast. The book states, “The meat of songbirds is marinated in peppered egg yolk and stuffed into the white part of boiled peahen eggs.”

In the 1200’s stuffed eggs began to appear in the south Andalusian regions of Spain. A cookbook from this era suggests grinding boiled egg yolks with cilantro, onion juice, pepper and coriander with a fermented fish sauce. 200 years later similar recipes were common across much of Europe.

The term ‘deviled’ first appears in 1786 Oxford English Dictionary used to describe dishes that included foods with very hot or spicy ingredients or foods that were boiled or fried. The original deviled eggs in the US were boiled and would be prepared spicy and the name stuck. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s that we started seeing deviled eggs that resemble the modern looking version.

In 1896, the Fannie Farmer cookbook was used by The Boston Cooking School. It was the first to mention using mayonnaise as a way to bind crushed yolks together which eventually led to today’s classic recipe that calls for mayo, mustard and paprika.

Looking for great variations? Consider things like bacon, Sriracha, Kimchi, crab meat, salmon or dill relish as additions that can perk up your deviled eggs flavor profile and aesthetics.

photo from: https://www.theflavorbender.com/miso-ramen-asian-deviled-eggs/

At home my ‘go to’ deviled egg recipe is something I call “simple eggs”. I boil a dozen eggs at a time and then put them back in the carton so there are always hard boiled eggs in the fridge. In the morning when I desire a quick ‘simple egg’ I peel one, cut it in two and wipe a little relish and mayo onto each half. Next I top it off with a small squirt of mustard and pop it in my mouth. Simple and easy. Sometimes I squish a couple eggs up with the same ingredients and smear it on top of a warmed English muffin which is always a delicious breakfast treat. I have even tried adding hummus to yolks with onion, celery, relish and mustard and a little mayo sprinkled with paprika or cumin.
In 59 years of living, doctored or deviled eggs are still right up there with quality fresh ground coffee, giant micheladas, free tacos, fresh sushi, ripe fruits and warm tapioca pudding for me regarding incredible, edible satisfaction. As long as there are chickens the Dude of Food will continue to enjoy these stylish and delicious egg treats.

Lastly, I liked the following Creole Shrimp deviled egg video by AB. Check it out.

Aloha, the Dude of Food

Try Spam for breakfast.

In these high tech times you might be surprised to hear that spam isn’t just for emails. Spam is a versatile ingredient that one can find served in many fine dishes like eggs, stir fry and just sliced and fried for example. I even saw a spam monkey bread recipe online.

For a breakfast change up I decided to use the spam in my kitchen cabinet. I looked up green eggs and spam but didn’t find anything that blew my stomach’s mind. Eventually I came up with the following delicious day starter, simple spam n eggs. I added a little white cheese on top to melt into the mix. If you are looking to try something new for breakfast, give spam ‘n eggs a try. Hawaiians do. Aloha.

Try some. https://www.spam.com/

Love Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Co.

Spices have been a thing in kitchens since before Alexander the Great. The American Southwest is no exception as they are known for their chili’s among other things.

Located 49 miles south of Tucson, about 20 miles shy of Nogales and the open border, is a small town called Tumacacori, AZ. The town was founded by Father Kino who established Tumacácori as a mission dating back to January 1691. Since roughly 1950 a family run company located in Tumacacori has been producing spices and sauces. The sign in front of this wonderful company says Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Co.

History: https://santacruzchili.com/

‘Jean England Neubauer’s family has influenced Southwestern cuisine with their Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Co. seasonings for more than 75 years and no Arizona kitchen worth its salt would be without a supply of their chili powder. I don’t think you can even create the flavors of the region without them.’ says Chef Janos Wilder.

The Neubauer family’s impact extends beyond the dining room table and deep into local history. The Neubauer family tree runs deep, from Jean’s 3X great-grandfather who designed the saddles used by Union soldiers in the Civil War, to her great-aunt who studied painting with a young Diego Rivera, to her great-grandfather who, while Mayor of Nogales, lobbied to have a new US battleship named for the state of Arizona.

— Helene Woodhams Arizona Daily Star Sept 1, 2019

My mother said she has crossed paths with Jean Neubauer at some local Tucson social events in the past and told me Jean is a really nice lady, but my mom didn’t know her well enough to set up an interview.

The day after thanksgiving on 11.28.24 our family packed the car including our chihuahua, Uno, and decided to visit Tumacacori and the Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Co. Upon arrival you receive whiffs of the beautiful scents from the parking lot but as you enter the building you really get hit with the wonderful aromas. The scented experience is blissful. I’ve always loved the scent of fresh ground coffee and spices. This place is next level.

I ended up buying 12 sauces (there are 2 more flavors than pictured; Picante & BBQ Chili) as work gifts and also a bunch of bags of various dry rubs for my home. Unfortunately 1 bottle of green salsa broke somehow on the way to work, but the Dude of Food will be back and looks forward to his return.

Muchas gracias Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Co.

Turkey Devonshire: An awesome Pittsburg comfort food.

Have you ever heard of a Turkey Devonshire sandwich? Well I hadn’t until Christmas 2024 when I found myself looking for a recipe for Turkey ala King and discovered the Devonshire sandwich recipe. The photos looked good and hearty and the sauce reminded me kind of eggs benedict, which I love.

The photos I saw featured layers of freshly sliced turkey, bacon and tons of cheese sauce delicately layered over some toasted sourdough bread. Some of the photos had sliced tomatoes jammed in the cheese sauce. None had onion which I think I’m gonna add as a side to my west coast version along with adding a couple of thin slices of ham. The traditional version is excellent but you are welcome to try my version and let me know what you think.

I’m still thinking about a name for my version of this classic as I tweak this recipe. (The Venician, a Cheesy Bird Sandwich, Turkey Lava, Cheezy P, the Gobbler, the Boardwalk, etc.) It’s possible I may even create a version served in a roll or over macaroni or one with eggs and/or potato’s on the side.

The Turkey Devonshire sandwich originated in 1934 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is typically served as a hot open-faced sandwich on toasted bread with hot turkey, bacon, tomatoes and a cheese sauce. The sandwich is similar to a Kentucky Hot Brown, which it will be compared with in a future post.

The Devonshire is credited as being created by Frank Blandi (1907-1999), a Sicilian American, who first served them at the Stratford Club located between Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield and Shadyside neighborhoods. The sandwich was named after Devonshire Street, located one block away. This sandwich was the local ‘go to’ in the 1960s and still remains a favorite 65 years later.

Some say this sandwich design was borrowed by the 21 Club’s popular chicken hash, which was a dish of diced chicken covered in Mornay sauce and then browned which leans towards the Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich.

Frank Blandi’s Original Devonshire Sandwich Recipe

Cheesy Cream Sauce

3/4 stick butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated
1 pint chicken broth
1 pint hot milk
1 tsp salt
a splash of Sauv Blanc      (optional)

Melt butter in deep pan and add flour, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and then hot milk, stirring all the while. Add cheese and salt. Bring to boil, then cook slowly for 20 minutes, still stirring. Cool to lukewarm. Beat with wire whip until smooth before using. This makes enough sauce for 6 Devonshire sandwiches.

For each sandwich:

1 slice toast, crusts trimmed off
2 slices crisp bacon
4 thin slices cooked turkey breast
2 thin ham slices         (optional)
thick tomato slice        (optional) 
thin white onion slice    (optional)
sliced or shaved sharp cheddar
Cream Sauce
Melted butter 
Parmesan cheese and paprika

Preheat oven to 450.

In an oven-proof casserole dish, place slices of toast and top with bacon slices. Add thin slices of cooked turkey breast. Cover completely with cream sauce. Sprinkle with a little melted butter, Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

An alternate version could be prepared as follows;

Layer slices of white toast at the bottom of a casserole pan. Layer Turkey, ham and/or crab meat. Cover that with tomato, bacon crumbles, diced white onion and slices of cheddar cheese and stick it in the broiler to melt together.

Have fun with this versatile and creative comfort food dish and don’t be afraid to experiment and make it your own creative feast.

Bon appetit.

________________________________

Directions;

Fry bacon and remove from pan.
Drain.
Set aside.
Melt ¾ stick butter and add flour while stirring.
Add chicken broth.
Stir.
Add hot milk.
Stir.
Add cheese and salt.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat.
Cook slowly for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
Cool to lukewarm.
Whip cheese sauce with wire beater until smooth.
Place 1 slice toast in a casserole dish and top with sliced bacon.
Add slices turkey.
Cover with the cheese sauce.
Sprinkle with a melted butter, Parmesan cheese and paprika.
Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown

Most writers who tried it with tomatoes recommended the addition, so I included them. I also took the liberty of adding sliced ham and onion and could possibly considering adding a few capers to this mix of flavors.

It wouldn’t be weird to prepare this dish on toasted English muffins or oven pop up rolls either.

Enjoy, the Dude of Food

Salted Cod aka Bacalhau, Portugal and Fishtory.

Did you know that Portugal consumes 20% of all cod fish caught on the planet?! Oddly, cod is not found in the waters surrounding Portugal but the fish is so popular that the Portuguese people have more cod recipes than there are days in a year! Portugal has long had a love affair with cod, especially salted cod or bacalhau. This fish is more than just good food to the Portuguese, it is a part of their culture and everyday life.

Cod was introduced to the Portuguese people by Viking nomads. The Vikings captured abundant amounts of cod in the cold seas off the Nordic countries and tried to preserve the fish by letting it dry in the open air. During the Middle Ages the Vikings began preserving their cod with salt, which they learned from the Romans and the Basque. The Vikings obtained salt from Portugal and traded for cod for it. The Portuguese had plenty of salt to sell and cod fish became a solid source of food amongst the Portuguese people.

Meat was expensive in Portugal during these times and supplying fresh meats and fish to the interior of the country was a complicated task. Salted cod was an easy and inexpensive food alternative that was easier to transport and provide throughout Portugal. Salted cod also had a shelf life much longer than un-refrigerated fresh meat. This kind of exposure plus its nutritional value and likeable flavor made cod a popular thing to eat.

In the mid 1500’s a Portuguese expedition heading to India saw Newfoundland for the first time and a Portuguese cod fishing base began. The Portuguese fishermen were eventually driven away by the English and French corsairs that dominated the fishing activities in the region during these times.

Cod fishing was a hard and dangerous job. These fisherman led a life of sacrifice, as cod fishing was done the traditional way. Sailing from Belém, Lisbon, the cod fishing ships were luggers and sailing ships, which towed dories used for line fishing and had the capacity to carry between 900 and 950 tons of cod. The fishermen were forced to row away from the main ship, sometimes two or three miles, to manually fish with lines and hooks. Each man fished alone for hours until their small boat was full of cod. While fishing they encountered freezing winds, fog, strong waves and icebergs. Some didn’t make it back to the fishing ships and were lost at sea. If they did make it back to the ship they would then unload, scale and salt their catch making for even longer work days.
After reaching land, the fish was washed to remove all the salt and dried until completely dehydrated. The codfish drying process took place outdoors on the South Bank of the Tagus, in Setúbal, Figueira da Foz, Aveiro and Viana do Castelo.

On the 9th of July 1920, the Portuguese Fishing Company was founded by four small shipowners. They set up headquarters in the old facilities of the Lisbon Company Cotton Factory in Olho de Boi, Almada. In an attempt to reduce foreign dependency and guarantee the country’s food supply Portugal’s leader, Antonio Salazar, made moves to centralize, organize and create cooperatives and cartels that handled the fish supplies which became the famous Codfish Campaign in 1934.

During World War II, Portugal maintained its fishing activity. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, two cod fishing ships, ‘Maria de Gloria’ and ‘Delães’ were sunk by Nazi submarines. An agreement with the Allies would state that these Portuguese cod fishing ships be painted white to signal Portugal’s neutrality in the conflict and allow them to safely sail the Atlantic, thus becoming known as the ‘White Fleet’.

In 1957, Portugal was already the largest salt codfish producer in the world and peaking. By this time, wheat and codfish were the commodities with the greatest impact on both the country’s diet and its trade balance.

The last three large cod fishing ships set sail for Newfoundland for the last time in 1974, coinciding with the fall of the dictatorship and the peaceful revolution of April 25th which brought democracy to the country.

The Portuguese still love codfish today and it is now claimed they have 1001 ways of cooking it. Presently, 70% of codfish comes from Norway and the Portuguese are always taking sustainable consumption, climatic change and versatility into consideration.

SALT FACT: Portuguese salt (Flor de Sal) is internationally popular and is similar to French salt (Fluer de Sel). Portuguese salt is collected from evaporation pools of sea water like they do in Nicaragua. With an area of 360 hectares or just under 900 acres, the Samouco Salt Pans in Alcochete were the main source of salt farming near Lisbon.