Postcards from Portugal:

Pastries, Wine, Sardines, Bananas and Christmas Magic

Thinking of you from here. ❤️

That’s the message of love behind these “postcard” posts:

A quick round of five highlights on various topics from me to you, starting with Portugal and the flavors and fun on Madeira.

Gratitude to you, dear friends, for the generous, supportive emails and asking about how the 2024 adventure rolls and, understandably, wanting to see John’s pics!

These postcards come with love and an invitation to both share in our adventure and hopefully spark your own:

1. Portuguese Pastries

Oh, Portugal. You had me at “pastry.” Not just any pastry, but “puff pastry.”

Of all the baked goods in the world, anything with puff pastry dough — typically made by folding solid layers of butter in between a flour-and-water dough that puffs up when baked — is my absolute flaky favorite.

Bonus: that’s basically most of what you find here in Portugal. I started with the epic classic “Pasteis de nata,” custard cream petite pastries that originated in a monastery outside of Lisbon in the 18^th Century.

Apparently the monks used egg whites to starch their clothes and their religious habits and got creative with all those leftover yolks but perfecting custard. Lucky us. I’ll work on a recipe for a homemade version of these when I’m back in a fully-stocked kitchen.

2. Sardines

Do not wrinkle your nose and skip this section. Odds are, like me, you’ve never tried really good sardines and Portugal reels it in. Sardines are to this country what cheese is to Wisconsin: It’s what we do best and is baked into our identify and pride.

While the fishing industry goes back centuries, local entrepreneurs started in the mid 1850’s and continue today to expand and improve canning techniques, making this an affordable and convenient tasty protein option. And bonus: a hefty dose of the good fats and omega 3s this perimenopause body needs more of! 😉

I’ve been experimenting with different brands (there’s a robust canned fish section in any and every grocery store) and sticking with “sardinia’s sem espinhas” (boneless & skinless sardines) and “filetes” for fillets. Figure sardine heads are for the advanced course! My favorite has been “en tomato” that come in a light tomato sauce and are lovely with a piece of crusty bread.

Bonus: The artwork and packaging on these tins make them feel like little fun presents.

3. Wine

Legendary in wine circles for hundreds of years (Thomas Jefferson was a fan), the sub-tropical climate and geography still drives this industry today.

But a serendipitous accident first created the unique process of true Madeira wine: Back at the end of the 15^th century when trade ships regularly stopped here, they loaded up on wine casks for the journey, with some brandy added in for preservation.

These casks ended up heating up in the ships during the long sea voyages and it turns our this warmth ups the quality and taste, a unique process the wineries still use today. These Maderia wines come in different styles depending on how long and at what temperatures the aging happens.

We’re partial to the Miles Five Year Rich, dark and fruity, best served chilled with a sunset side. At the grocery stores this is 6.49 Euros, about $7 US dollar. Considering the added brandy fortifies the alcohol content to 20 percent, a good value indeed.

4. Christmas Crèches & Lights

Oh my does Madeira love Christmas! This deeply Catholic-rooted country celebrates fully from early December officially through January 7 right after Epiphany (although it currently is January 14 as I post and most decorations are still up. Love it. ).

Since of course there’s no snowy white Christmas, the Portuguese create the festive flair with lights. Every town, no matter the size, is donned with a glittery rainbow show of lights.

The other new-to-me Christmas tradition is the beautiful abundance of crèches, intricate and diverse displays of the baby Jesus manger scene. You see them everywhere, in from town squares to churches to homes and randomly on the side of the road.

5. Local Bananas

That’s a first for me: Using the word “local” and “banana” in the same sentence but accurately describes this sweet, potassium-infused delicacy of Madeira. It’s their number two export (second to wine), and we’re always on the lookout for local vendors, be it a small stand or the fruit trucks that drive through Paul do Mar, the seaside village we’re staying in.

Smaller in size (about 5 inches) and super sweet, we mostly just snack on these but John made some rocking banana crepes with the Portuguese version of Nutella.

Check out more photos (and ordering options) from John D. Ivanko on Alamy