The Latin List

In February 2003, the owners of Passion Food Hospitality Restaurant Group (Executive Chef Jeff Tunks, Gus DiMillo, and David Wizenberg) traveled extensively in Mexico and Brazil to do a little research for their new venture, Ceiba. As you will remember from their trip to Asia before opening their previous restaurant, TenPenh [now closed], the goal on these research trips is to seek out the most authentic dishes and accessories for the restaurant to provide an atmosphere that will enhance the overall dining experience. In addition to sampling and learning to prepare many local dishes, they also bought dishes—literally! Perhaps a variation of these dishes is found in some authentic ethnic eateries in this country, but not in any contemporary Latin American restaurants that I know of—all I see in my research is the typical contemporary long, white plates that you see in any high-end restaurant these days. Here are a few of the specialty items that were purchased for Ceiba: 

• In Salvador, the capital of Bahia in northern Brazil, moqueta—a casserole of seafood, tomatoes, onions, peppers, coconut milk, and palm oil—is the regional dish. At a local ceramic factory, oval moqueta dishes were chosen for Ceiba, as well as traditional platters on which will be served the whole fish Vera Cruz style and the Caribbean lobster. Small bowls for rice, beans, and condiments were also purchased The Ceiba order was the largest the factory had ever received, with well over 1,000 dishes purchased.

• In the dessert department, an authentic churrera was ordered from Spain to make the Latin American version of a doughnut, churros, served warm and filled with chocolate, condensed milk, or cajeta made from caramelized sugar and goat’s milk. The machine clamps onto the counter next to the fryer. The churros batter is poured into the machine, a crank is turned, and perfectly shaped and cut balls of dough pop down into the fryer.

• Ceiba’s mojito is certainly the most authentic in town, as bartenders use a sugar cane press from Miami to make the liquid that is the base of a mojito. The liquid, which is sold in Brazil as a shot, is also used in the sweet and sour mixes for other specialty drinks (margaritas, signature cocktails); Tunks may use it in marinades, and it will certainly show up in desserts.

• From Argentina came authentic parilla, cast iron grill pans that fit into a wooden base for tableside service of grilled meats. These are individual pans with handles, deeper than those used for fajitas at many Mexican restaurants, and with the ridges of a grill pan as opposed to a flat skillet.