Amara

There's a Brazilian restaurant I love going to. They serve all kinds of barbeque on long swords and keep it coming until you literally have to crawl out the door, gorged but happy. Amara's going to be one of the chefs there soon. She's one semester away from graduating culinary school but it's really more of a formality. She's been exposed to this kind of cuisine all her life.

"Brazilian food is like the Brazilian people. You blend all the cultures together from the natives to the Portuguese, Africa, Germany, Italy, Poland, Lebanon, Spain-- it's all there in a big stew pot. Distinct but together. It is what makes the food good. It is interesting. You never get bored because there are so many different flavor mixes to explore."

She waved for more barbeque then ordered a bunch of things in Portuguese that sounded delicious even though I had no idea what they are.

"This here, this is a good start. But rodizio is only one part. In my restaurant, you will taste all parts of Brazil."

But the swords are so cool!

She laughed at me. "Then I will serve you feijoada on a sword."