NOSSA FAMILIA (Our Family)

This year Avo turns 80 and Mum and I and the entire family have been secretly working away at this photobook to give to Avo since November 2011. We presented it to her this month in April 2012, while she and Grandpa and my Mum's brother and his family were down to visit from Hong Kong. It was really lovely to catch up with everyone, the kids really took to them all and Mum and Pa put in a huge amount of effort to have their new house ready in time to receive them, as well as putting on some fantastic home meals and barbecues. I wish we could see them more often.

I'd like to put here our prayer for Avo, I really do wish rather desperatly that I could have her natural faith and devoutness and her mischievous fun loving attitude. We all love her so much.

Dear God, 

We thank you for our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Melin.

May You bless her and hold her in your arms of mercy.

May You be with her through good times and bad.

May You continue to shine through her and bless others around her.

We pray that she may be His light where there is darkness, His hope where there is despair

and His strength to the weak. 

Grant her good health and happiness, and help us all to follow her example.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Like I said before the whole family pitched in to make this present a reality. 

It is a pity we had problems with the printers and the present came too late for us all to present at the same time, but these things happen.  But I have used them before and they have very good software.

Mum and her brothers choose the recipes, mysq and Mum cooked the dishes, mysq and I took photos, mysy proofread and did the family tree, Mum and her brothers found all the photos, I typed the recipes and formatted. lyyh tested the food, haha. jbp and dap did the prayer. GrandUncle D provided some of the Macanese words.  Mum's brother choose the book title.

We did a bit of research online and also referenced Guilly's old recipes. 

Also luckily we were graced to have photocopies of Avo's Mum's recipes in her own handwriting.

xoxoxo!!!Happy 80th Birthday Mum and Avo and Bisavo!!! xoxoxo

TOSTAS de QUIJO (Cheese Toast)

Tostas de Quijo

12 slices of square white bread, crusts removed	Preheat oven to 150C. Arrange the bread on baking tray and bake for 5 mins on each side to lightly toast the bread. This stops the cheese from melting and making the bread too soggy. Take the bread out then increase the temperature to 180◦C. Beat the eggs for 2 mins, then add all the dry ingredients and lastly the butter. Mash to mix thoroughly into a moist paste and add a dash of milk if the mixture is too thick. Spread the cheese mixture thickly on one side, smoothen the surface and bake the bread in the oven on medium heat until the cheese mixture starts bubbling and becomes firm and slightly golden brown, this will take approximately 15mins. Serve very hot, cut into halves or quarters. * The mixed grated cheese should contain 2 to 3 types of hard cheeses e.g. Cheddar, Gruie, Edam and Parmesan
2 eggs
200g mixed grated cheese *
50g softened butter
Dash of Lea and Perrins sauce
¾  tsp. English mustard powder, preferably Coleman’s
¾ tsp. sugar
¾ tsp. salt
Dash of milk

BALICHO (Shrimp Paste) & Pickled Cucumbers

Fig Leaf Syrup

Fig Leaf Syrup

600 g rock sugar	Wash fig leaves well, rubbing the hairy surfaces of each together. Add the leaves to boiling water and boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove the leaves. Add the rock sugar and let it melt in the liquid on a low fire. Boil the liquid down until it becomes syrupy (approx. 20 minutes).  Let the syrup cool before bottling.
750ml water
10 fig leaves

AVO'S DIABO

Melin’s Diabo

1 roast chicken	Cut meat into large chunks. Fry onions in oil, add tomato paste and simmer. Add all the meat except the roast pork. Add the sauces from the roast meats together with mustard, Lea & Perrins, wine, vinegar and enough water to just cover the meat. Simmer for 30 mins then add in roasted pork, potatoes, and pickles. Simmer for another 30 mins or until all meats are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Separate the meat from the gravy and refrigerate overnight. Skim off the solidified fat from the gravy and heat the gravy together with the meat before eating. Add egg yolk mixed with water to the gravy when done. Serve with diced egg white on top. Other meats such as vacca stoffado and porco vinho arlio may also be added.
1 roast duck
1kg roast pork
Reserved sauces from meats
2 large onions, chopped
3 tbsp. tomato paste
3 tbsp. strong English mustard
⅓ cup Lea & Perrins
⅓ cup white vinegar
Hoisin sauce and five spice powder if you don't have roast duck sauce
Potatoes
1 cup white wine
4 tbsp. chopped sweet pickle
2 boiled eggs

This dish was initially mispelt - I'm wasn't sure if is was supposed to be Diablo or Diabo.