The new Marshalltown resident, 27, is not only a professional organist playing for churches in town and in Waterloo, but enjoys showing off his culinary skills that he learned growing up in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The first thing he tells people when they inquire about Brazilian cuisine is that it is not that spicy.

“It is well seasoned though, just not with a lot of pepper,” Laurenco said. “I use a lot of garlic, onions, parsley and herbs.”

In Campinas, his mother was a chef at an Italian pizzeria and Italian food has had a strong influence on Brazilian cuisine.

“I grew up seeing her cook,” he said. “She never taught me how to do things. I always experimented. I like to see what works and what does not. That is part of the learning experience.”

One of Hudson Laurenco’s specialties is Pao de Queijo, or Brazilian cheese bread, which he likes to make with tapioca flour.

Laurenco’s interest in the culinary and audible arts began at the age of 8, as soon as he had the ability to learn what he liked to hear and what he liked in the kitchen. He would watch his mother make pasta by hand and her famous potato salad, which is fairly different from the traditional American version.

The Laurenco potato salad was structured like mashed potatoes with other vegetables — corn, peas and carrots — mixed in to it. Laurenco said it was served cold and is a creamy side dish.

Mashed potatoes are one of his personal best dishes. Laurenco said he specializes in comfort food.

“Pork ribs, lasagna, soups, veggies,” he said. “I’m good with sweets like brownies and cakes.”

Laurenco also makes a fluffy Brazilian cheese bread called Pao de Queijo. However he cannot always get the proper ingredients for the cookie-sized breads. Laurenco enjoys using tapioca flour for the bread, which helps give it an airy quality. He heard tapioca flour was healthier and he can sometimes find it at the Marshalltown Hy-Vee.

Even though the Brazilian cheese bread is a delight, not all of Laurenco’s breads have been so.

“I tried to make real bread for the first time when I was 16 or 17 years old,” he said. “I did not have yeast. I did not think that would be much of a difference. I added baking soda. The bread was as hard as a rock. I was making it for friends and told them ‘This is what I made.’ I did not have the knowledge that yeast is different than baking soda.”

As Laurenco said, he likes to learn through experimentation and he encourages others to do the same. If someone is not very good at baking bread, just practice. Through that, lessons will be learned such as how much a certain dough needs to grow and expand.

Laurenco plans on using that ‘practice makes perfect’ philosophy with homemade pasta.

“I have never made pasta from scratch. It’s too risky,” he said. “I want to. I want to have a good recipe that I can use for lasagna and spaghetti. It’s going to take a lot of work.”

Pao de Queijo – Brazilian Cheese Bread

1 pound tapioca flour — you can find the tapioca flour in the Hy-Vee healthy market section

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded gouda or feta cheese

1 tablespoon salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine milk and oil in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium or high heat. In a large bowl, combine the tapioca flour with salt. Once the liquid mixture is boiled, pour it over the flour. Mix it well until the dough becomes dense and sort of heavy. Let it col down. Add one egg at a time to the dough and mix well. You may need a strong cooking tool, such as a good wooden spoon. Once all the eggs are incorporated, add the selection of cheese and mix well. You may use a variety of cheeses, as well as add oregano or thyme. That is a just a matter of taste. Spray oil in your hands and make small balls. If the dough is still a little too soft to shape balls, put it to the fridge for approximately two hours. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the balls are golden brown. If desired, you may freeze the cheese bread balls and keep them in Ziplock bags in the freezer for up to two months.

Brazilian Honey Cakes

Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup water

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Filling:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Covering:

1/2 pound chocolate or chocolate coating

Before starting the cake batter, wrap the condensed milk can with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place it in the bottom of a pressure cooker and cover it with water. Cook for 35 minutes. After being cooked, wait until the can is cooled down to open it up. It is dangerous to try opening the can while it is still hot. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix well all of the dry ingredients, except the sugar, in a medium bowl. Then sift the mixture into another bowl. Mix all of the wet ingredients, including the sugar, in a big bowl. Gradually pour the dry ingredients over the liquid mixture using a whisk. Mix until all of the ingredients are completely incorporated. Spray oil and spread some cocoa powder on three six-count jumbo muffin trays. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool off before cutting them in half, like a sandwich. Open the condensed milk can and put its content in a pastry bag. Fill all of the bottom halves with the milk. Place the other halves on top and softly press them to shape properly. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for one minute, pausing and mixing every 15 seconds. With a spoon and a fork, cover each of the cakes with melted chocolate and let it cool down before serving.

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