Recipes by Janis Paige: Bananas Flambe; Feijoada with Pepper and Lemon Sauce

Janis Paige's Bananas Flambe

4 firm bananas
1 stick (1/2 cup) sweet butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Few drops fresh lemon (or lime) juice
1/4 cup dark rum (100-proof)

Peel, slice bananas; saute in chafing dish in butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Cook until lightly browned, burn occasionally, being careful not to mash banana slices. Warm rum slightly, pour over bananas in chafing dish and ignite, being careful to hold the face away from the flames. Keep spooning sauce over fruit until the flames die out. Serve hot alone or with dollops of sour cream. Serves 4.

Janis Paige's Feijoada with Pepper and Lemon Sauce

3 cups dried black beans
1 pound jerked (dried) beef (or uncooked corned beef, cut in small pieces)
1 pound smoked sausage
1/2 pound smoked pork (or 3 smoked pork chops)
1 small smoked tongue
1/2 pound bacon
1 1/2 pounds lean fresh pork, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 pig's foot
1 teaspoon peanut (or vegetable) oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 small clove garlic, pressed
4 links pepperoni sausage
1/2 teaspoon ground red chili pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight. Drain, place in deep saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring to boil, cover, simmer, cook about 2 hours until almost tender. Add more liquid as needed. Soak jerked beef overnight. Drain, place in saucepan, bring to boil, simmer about 20 minutes. Drain and cool. If corned beef is used, soaking is not necessary.

To a large stock pot add beef (or corned beef), sausage (reserve small piece for sauce), smoked pork (or chops), tongue, bacon, fresh pork and pig's foot. Cover with water. Bring to boil, simmer about 2 hours. Combine contents of the two pots. Cook beans and meats together, simmer until meats are fork tender and beans can be easily mashed with a fork. Remove about 1 cup cooked beans, mash or put through blender. Reserve.

Heat oil in skillet. Add onion, garlic, and piece of sausage, cut up. Cook over low heat until onion and sausage are lightly browned. Add 1 cup cooked mashed beans to onion-sausage mixture with enough liquid from the beans to form a thick sauce. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat, stirring to blend well. Add sauce to beans and meats in stock pot. Correct seasonings.

To serve, separate meats and beans. Slice meat in serving pieces and arrange on heated platter. Place tongue in center of platter. Moisten meats slightly with liquor from the beans. Serve beans in deep serving dish or soup tureen. Serve along with boiled rice, sliced orange, and pepper and lemon sauce. Serves 8-10.

Pepper and Lemon Sauce

3 small hot dried chili peppers
1 small yellow onion, peeled, cut in large pieces
Salt to taste
1 small clove garlic, pressed
Juice of one lemon

Pound peppers, onion, salt and garlic to form thick paste (or put through blender). Add lemon juice, let stand 1 hour. Note: Sauce must be used immediately, as it ferments upon standing.

Thoughts: Feijoada requires long preparation and can be varied according to the whims of the cook. Bahians add vegetable touches with the addition of sliced, peeled pumpkin, kale or squash. Purists use malagueta or tabasco peppers to give the dish its truly peppery quality and dende oil.