A Cook's Tour of Portugal

How Big is Your World of World Cuisine?

Risotto from bag. Frozen burritos. An imposter butter chicken. Pad Thai as an excuse to use up questionable leftovers in your fridge.

If you’re like most harried cooks these days, your world of international cooking is a bit small and repetitive. (Taco Tuesdays, anyone?)

And it makes sense: You’re pressed for time, and you’re not about to become a culinary Magellan trekking through specialty grocery stores searching for hard-to-find ingredients you’ll use–what, twice?

I feel you. Been there, done that.

☞ Why not come along with me and learn about a new country?

We'll also discover its culture, people, and history while whipping up truly authentic dishes you can make from ingredients you have on hand—with, maybe, one special ingredient that would be sourced for you and delivered right to your door?

Welcome to My Portuguese Cooking Class

Portugal–my family’s homeland–has been touted as the new star of the travel set by none other than Travel & Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, and National Geographic.

But not everyone can pick up and whisk themselves across the pond at the drop of a hat.

So, I created a live course where you can savor Portuguese cuisine, as well as listen to music and enjoy slideshows and videos of the country’s culture and natural beauty–all without leaving the comfort of your armchair. Well, your kitchen stool.

Details at a Glance

Four 90-minute-ish classes, Sept. 17, 24 & Oct. 1, 8.
Tuesdays from 2 to 3:30 PM ET
During the live class, you'll watch me make all the dishes--you sit back, relax, and ask me questions in real time.
All classes are recorded and available after the live class.
You don't need to attend the live class to get the full experience. Everyone cooks from the recording.
At least 15 dishes covered.
All the recipes, tips, tricks, and resources will be sent the day of the class.
You make the dishes when it's convenient for you in between classes.
Between classes, the course continues in our community section, where you ask additional questions, share success stories, and show off pictures of your dishes.

My Inspiration

When I wrote my cookbook, The New Portuguese Table, my goal was to make the fascinating world of Portuguese food accessible to an American audience. For much of 2007, I lived in Portugal, where I scoured the mainland, Madeira, and the Azores, where my family is from, learning to make classic dishes, discovering the origins of my family’s recipes, and ferreting our new, exciting recipes from today’s chefs and home cooks. All of the recipes are easy to make, easy to source, and incredibly easy to enjoy.

That philosophy of ease, authenticity, and joy is the inspiration for and foundation of this course.

Although I wrote the recipes so that it felt as if I were with you in your kitchen, you were ultimately alone. But with A Cook’s Tour of Portugal, I’ll be by your side, cooking, laughing, and helping you to cook like Mama Leite and my grandmother Vovo Costa. Plus, you get the benefit of 15 years of learning that I acquired since I wrote the book.

Spend a few fun-filled hours with me, and you’ll be whipping up some new dishes for the family and wowing those hard-to-impress guests. You’ll expand your cooking repertoire using ingredients already in your pantry while adding to your skills and staying within your food budget.

Now, I’ve created something that was only previously possible when I went on the TODAY show. I’m going to broadcast myself into your kitchen for a “Cook Along With David” series of classes. Learn these recipes once, walk through them with a pro, and keep them forever.

Together, over four weeks, we’ll walk through a bevy of easy-to-make meals that you and your family are sure to love.

A Revolutionary Way of Learning

Online cooking classes are a challenge. Ingredients must be prepped, equipment must be hauled out, and you have to be raring to go for several hours of hard work. Inevitably, a traffic jam of questions slows down the class, someone’s mixer fritzes out, and then there’s that student who has to show off their knife skills, ticking clock be damned! And that’s saying nothing about keeping up with the teacher so your dinner’s ready by the end of the class. There had to be a better way. I decided to create a course that I wanted to take.

☟☟☟

The only person cooking will be me, and sometimes my partner, Alan (aka The One.) You, on the other hand, will sit back, sipping on a mandatory drink of choice while following along with the materials I'll send you.
I’ll take you through each recipe, stopping to demonstrate important techniques, highlight ingredients, and answer your questions. Do you really need to watch me peel a dozen potatoes or scrub a bucketful of carrots?
Just like with my live cooking demos on The Today Show, I’ll have swap-outs–the same dish at different stages of cooking–so we have time to do more. That means even if a dish requires overnight marinating or several hours of simmering, we can do it.
Every recipe has a story–where it’s from, how it came about, how it’s changed over time. I’ll sprinkle in photos, slideshows, and videos, giving you the context to understand the dish truly. And don’t be surprised if I whip out some books, offer travel tips, and give restaurant recommendations.
Once the class is finished, you’ll immediately have access to the recording along with the recipes, shopping lists, and meal prep suggestions.
Your homework, if you so choose, will be to make the recipes at home, following along with the recording. Take notes, write up any questions, and take photos of your work.
The next class will begin with a Q&A in which you share your thoughts and your photos with all of us. It’s a great time to celebrate your successes and address any issues.

"Takes you right to the heart of the good stuff."

David Leite takes you right to the heart of the good stuff, scrupulously (and appetizingly) exploring and explaining an egregiously overlooked and unappreciated range of flavors and ingredients. Portugal once ruled the known world, and the recipes in this book are–in many ways–the history of the world–on your plate.

—Anthony Bourdain

"A scrumptious culinary journey."

"A scrumptious culinary journey through David’s Portuguese heritage. I have the book. I know the man. Love it. Love him."

—Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman

Want a closer look at all the wonderful dishes you'll cook?

Lean in to the screen, but please refrain from drooling, if you can. You don't want to short circuit your computer.

Week № 1: Petiscos, or Little Bites
Tues., Sept. 17th , 2 to 3:30ish PM ET

Make a meal of hors d’oeuvres and finger food as we explore the world of at-home entertaining.

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Pevides de Abóbora Picantes
This is both an homage to my dad, Papa Leite, and the Alentejo region. Pumpkin is beloved in Portugal, and its seeds are put to very good use in this sweet, spicy combo.
Milk Mayonnaise
Maionaise de Leite
No, Portugal didn't name a condiment in my honor. Leite means milk in Portuguese, and milk is at the center of this miraculous eggless mayonnaise.
Sausage Spread
Mousse de Chouriço
A smooth blend of smoky pork sausage, the above “milk mayonnaise,” mint, Port wine, and cayenne pepper.
Mini Chicken Pies
Empadinhas de Galinha
These are Mini Me pies filled with leftover chicken, leftover rice, and herbs. Trust. me there'll be no leftovers when you make these.
Sweet Lemon and Olive Wafers
Biscoitos Doces de Limão e Azeitonas
This is one of the most unusual and beguiling desserts I encountered when living in Lisbon. Think of a snappy, crisp sweet wafer flavored with cinnamon and lemon and studded with black olives. Sweet, savory, and crackly!

Complete the spread with black and green olives, crackers, Marcona almonds, sheep’s cheese , and tomato jam. Serve with a light, refreshing vinho verde.

➠Notes

Recipes are subject to change due to lack of freshness, quality, or availability. But I will do my damnedest to keep to the syllabus.

Allergy/Special Dietary Concerns. I’d love to say I can tweak the recipes for everyone, but, alas, this is Portugal, where pork is king, cheese is queen, and people can’t get enough of sugar, eggs, and wine.

Week № 2: The Classics

Tues., Sept. 24th, 2 to 3:30ish PM ET

You could call this menu Portugal’s Greatest Hits. These are among the country’s most beloved dishes of all time.

Green Broth
Caldo Verde
Far more than a broth, this hearty soup is a puree of potatoes filled with whisker-thin slices of kale and with the famous one slice of chouriço, a smoked, gently spiced pork sausage.
Alentejan-style Pork with Clams
Carne de Porco à Alentejana
Of all the food I’ve eaten over the years, this is my favorite dish. Combining pork and seafood is a hallmark of Portuguese cooking. The match-up is surprisingly delicious, with a great depth of flavor. And, of course, ever-present potatoes make an appearance here.
“Sawdust” Pudding
Serradura
Trust me, it tastes way better than it sounds! Alternating layers of sweetened whipped cream and butter biscuits create a taste and texture sensation. Think classy icebox cake.

➠Notes

Recipes are subject to change due to lack of freshness, quality, or availability. But I will do my damnedest to keep to the syllabus.

Week № 3: New Traditions

Tues., Oct 1st, 2 to 3:30ish PM ET

Culture, and the food it creates, is restless. Experimenting, updating, improvising is inevitable. And the results are some of the most interesting and nuanced of dishes.

White Gazpacho with Crab Salad
Gaspacho Branco com Salada de Caranguejo
One of Portugal’s most famous shellfish dishes is santola no carro—a creamy crab salad served in the shell. This recipe, from my friend chef Fausto Airoldi, takes many of those ingredients—crab, mayonnaise, celery, brandy—and plunks them into the middle of this utterly refreshing, non-tomato gazpacho.
Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus and Fresh Cod
Espargos Verdes à Brás com Bacalhau Fresco
This dish ushered in the country’s cooking revolution. It takes a beloved classic of softly scrambled eggs mixed with matchstick potatoes and salt cod, and livened it up with asparagus, fresh cod (gasp!), and an aromatic herb oil.
Chocolate Mousse
Mousse de Chocolate
Mousse? Portuguese? While the origin is inarguably French. But the Portuguese, with their love of eggs and chocolate, turned this into their own. It’s denser version, without whipped cream. I decided to go one step further by sprinkling it with sea salt and crushed pink peppercorns.

➠Notes

Recipes are subject to change due to lack of freshness, quality, or availability. But I will do my damnedest to keep to the syllabus.

Week № 4: The Bread Basket

Tues., Oct. 8th, 2 to 3:30ish PM ET

Two things you must never get between: A Portuguese cook and his bread. You might not make it out intact. Bread in all its glorious forms is worshiped in Portugal—from the Minho to the Azores. One taste tells you why

Portuguese Rolls
Papo Secos
The iconic rolls that sandwich every kind of meat and cheese known to man.
Pork Sandwiches
Bifanas
If there is one dish that sums up Portuguese cooking for me, it’s this. Pork, a staple in the country, is simmered in classic Portuguese spices and slapped on fabulous rolls–soft, buttery, and delightful.
Ham and Cheese Bread
Pãezinhos de Presunto e Queijo
Every Saturday when I was growing up, my mother would go to the local Portuguese bakery and buy a dozen chouriço rolls—torpedo-shaped logs stuffed with sausage. By Monday, they were gone, mostly due to me. To dress up my childhood classic, I add presunto and cheese, and sometimes sautéed onions and garlic, to the dough. I form it into rolls rather than loaves because I think they look elegant on the table.
Maderian Griddle Bread
Bolo de Caco
This is one of the classic sidekicks to the Madeiran specialty espetada (grilled beef kebabs), chunks of beef that have been tossed with olive oil or butter, garlic, and salt, then threaded on a fresh laurel branch and grilled over an open fire. Piping-hot bolos are split in half, slathered with garlic butter, cut into fingers, and taken to the table.

➠Notes

Recipes are subject to change due to lack of freshness, quality, or availability. But I will do my damnedest to keep to the syllabus.

About Me

I’m David Leite, a food writer, cookbook author, memoirist, cooking teacher, and website founder. I’ve been all about food since I was a babe in arms. Couldn’t resist good food, can’t resist now!

I grew up in a Portuguese American family, with my parents, grandparents, and godparents living in three apartments in the same house in Fall River, Massachusetts.

My grandmother Vovo Costa, would drag a chair over to the counter, drape my grandfather’s shirt over me like a huge smock, and lift me up. Standing on the chair, I’d help her stir soups, pop fava beans out of their pods, and make the only sweet she ever baked: buttery cornbread.

And to this day, I can still taste it.

I began writing about food part-time in 1998. My first article was the cover story for the food section of the Chicago Sun-Times about filming my mom making her beloved dishes. I wrote several more times for them about the foods of the 20th century and tea.

After that, I began writing for The Los Angeles Times and Washington Post, mainly about Portuguese food, such as the history of pastéis de nata or the ubiquitous hot sauce of Portugal.

About two years later, I started contributing to Bon Appétit, writing about my love affair with my Viking stove, my problems cooking goose, and traveling to Lisbon for the first time.

What followed was my peripatetic decade of contributing a bunch of publications, including:

The New York Times
Martha Stewart Living
Saveur
Gourmet
Food & Wine
Yankee
Men’s Health
Charlotte Observer
and others

I’ve also been a guest as well as a host on many TV and radio programs. As a food writer, cooking teacher, and Portuguese food expert, I was on:

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Radical Sabbatical
A Weekends with Yankee episode, hosted by Amy Traverso
The Today Show several times as a cooking guest
10 Percent Happier Dan Harris’s podcast for my memoir
ABC’s CT Style as a regular cooking contributor
The Splendid Table radio program for 13 years as a contributor and guest host
NPR’s Last Chance Food
The Martha Stewart Living Radio many times as a guest and as a guest host
And many other cooking segments in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Colorado, Michigan, and California, where I shared culinary tips and tricks.

Along the way, I started Leite’s Culinaria, a website and haven for food lovers. LC was the very first website to offer 100% tested recipes from cookbooks to the public. (This was looong before Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any of the social media sites.)

I’ve been blessed to have won three James Beard Awards, the Oscars of the food world. Two were for Leite’s Culinaria. In 2006, I was lucky to be the first person to win a Beard Award for a website, an honor I received the following year.

In 2008, I also won for my New York Times article, In a ’64 T-Bird, Chasing a Date with a Clam, which was about one of my all-time favorite foods: fried clams. And the following year, 2009, I was nominated for a Beard award for my article about chocolate chip cookies.

Now I’m thrilled to come into your kitchen and give you a virtual tour of Portugal that only a native can.

Come along on my virtual tour of Portugal, Maderia, and the Azores as I teach you the secrets, traditions, and beauty of Portuguese cuisine, the country, and its people.

Chow,