The Influence Of A Portuguese Heritage

All chefs draw from their backgrounds. Their heritage and what their families cook influence the way they  do and what goes on their menus.George Mendes, of the famed New York City restaurant Aldea restaurant, is no different.His childhood favorites are now the favorites of his customers. They reflect the intense flavor of his Portuguese American childhood.

Chef Mendes is the first subject in a New York Times Dining series called Tastes Like Home, It is a summer exclusive about New York chefs who seek out and use the foods they grew up on. Dining regular  Jeff Gordonier interviewed this chef and went along with him in his native Newark, New Jersey , sampling the ingredients of Portuguese cooking. This section of the Essex county city is called The Ironbound and is home to both Portuguese and Brazilian immigrants. Mendes is the child of the first and grew up  enjoying the heavily seafood influenced cuisine. He brings this to Aldea which is drenched in traditional dishes of anchovies plates and  cured ham .

During their trip to the Ironbound both Chef Mendes looked for ingredients for future recipes. He plans on expanding his menu, incorporating foods' from Portugal's colonies onto his menu. There is Brazil, the Indian colony of Goa along with Angola and even Japan. (Portuguese sailors often stopped there and gave the Japanese their beloved tempura dish)He sampled fresh sardines (never canned) with  the traditional dressing of lemon olive oil and sea salt along with the Portuguese mountain cheese , queijo da serra.There was also the dip into cilantro flecked clams and their fragrant broth, sopped up with the fluffy centered bread the Portuguese are so fond of.

Chef Mende knows what his customers at Aldea like. He also knows what he likes too- the traditional Portuguese foods that he grew up on.This influence is strong.It is him, and in his cooking.