Ceboleiros......pays homage to Vasco da Gama

But take heart, not every thing was so bad. Here we were at the Ceboleiros….What a lovely name, reminds you that no dish is perfect without the humble Cebola, a dinner hosted by the wonderful University of Aveiro, for us from India. You know how it is, seated at a long table, those linear seating arrangements, facing the Professors.
It is as though the Oral Exams are just about to begin. What should you say? Should you laugh at all those Portuguese jokes, that frankly you have difficulty in understanding?
Best behaviour, that inner voice tells you, sober, silent and exceedingly polite that inner voice continues.
Just when I was adjusting myself to my best behaviour mode, I heard a deep, sonorous voice, like honey being poured on gravel. I swilled in my chair. Whose resonant voice was moving, coursing through my veins, whose deep voice was playing hide and seek in my brain? That voice brought goose flesh.
You have to be lucky in life and this was definitely not one of my days, Lady Luck was ignoring me, here I was sitting miles away from that rich baritone voice, cursing my luck and sitting close to the voice was our very own Herculano! Drinking in every word, but was Herculano listening to that heavenly voice, definitely not.
Just as I was berating Lady Luck, the entradas arrived; a ‘Salada mista’ which I ate distractedly but halfway through realised was very good. As I was straining to drink in every nuance of that voice the main course arrived, that’s when I forgot the voice completely.
The ‘Bacalhau com natas’, was sublime, cod pieces swam in a delicious mixture of cream, cheese, milk and all those other ingredients that turn it into a dream.
No, no, no more voice, heavenly though it was, I was focussed, savouring every bit of the food on my plate.
Just then, the ‘Arroz de Polvo’ arrived served by the most genial waiter, whose only wish was that we should delight in every bite we took, and delight we did. Did I ever imagine that Octopus, could taste so good, all I knew about Octopus was that it has eight tentacles. Did I taste garlic, hmmm, yes a hint, chilli and pepper too. This was good.
The black aproned, brought in Coelho Suado com Batatas and Borrego suado. Confused, totally confused what should I eat, rabbit or lamb. Said a little prayer, a deep prayer for the lamb that I was about to eat, a mouthful, bliss, yes, I could taste garlic and pimento, tomatoes, cravinho and vinagre. Utter bliss. You just don’t talk at such moments; you give in to your cravings of utter delight.
The people at Ceboleiros, know what they are cooking, the people at Ceboleiros know their Geography, they are very aware that without Vasco da Gama and his huge voyage braving all odds, there would be no pimento and no cravinho.
Ceboleiros pays homage to the great navigator.
Oh yes! People the voice was there, very much there, its sonority had not changed, its depth remained the same, only I was replete, satiated, I am fickle, good food lulls me and just when I thought that maybe, just maybe the voice had an infinitesimal effect on me, the Pudim arrived…………………..