New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Pictured: Milho Frito
In the past few years, almost nothing has disappeared from the menu of delicious foods found at the annual Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. Quite the opposite. About 5 or 6 years ago, Pedro Oliveira started cooking a bread common to the island of Madeira . . . Bolo do Cacao (the polite English pronunciation would be ‘stone bread). Served hot, split down the middle and slathered with a heavy garlic butter and then cut into pie shaped pieces, it became an instant hit. Today, a freshly cooked basket of tasty and hot carne de espeto begs for a bite of Bolo do Cacao as an accompaniment.
A year or two later, club member David Macedo decided that visitors to the feast could not be deprived of a unique Maderian snack . . . a mix of cornmeal flavored with bits of kale, cooled in a giant fridge, then cubed and fried to a golden brown. Called “Milho Frito” (pronounced meel freet), they are delicious and it remained the news for at least a year or two.
As cacoila (marinated pork) sandwiches became more popular, the Feast volunteers started slicing the pork in a way that made them perfect for sandwiches in those wonderful little Portuguese “pops” (fresh bread rolls). Bifana sandwiches were “born” and ruled for a number of years. They helped to make pork meat almost as popular as the sirloin beef served for the barbecue and in sandwiches too!
Turn the calendar page and there’s a 2016 entry. “Pasteis do Bacalau” is new to the Feast (confused yet?) Chances are everyone has heard of them as-codfish Cakes! Served hot and delicious, they can also be found for sale in Dave Macedo’s baraccas located down by the giant barbecue pit.
Whether you chomp into a popular linguica sandwich, an all-American hot dog or hamburger or a full dinner in the huge pavilion, there will definitely be some hot and delicious Portuguese-Madeiran food you will be craving until next year!
P.S. All standard food prices have remained the same and the new foods are very reasonably priced!
It is Bolo de Calhao, and the translation is Stone cake .
sorry is bolo de Caco