ia's Portuguese Table", season two has been provided by Rhode Island PBS Foundation.

Rhode Island PBS, engaging viewers of all ages since 1967.

- [Announcer] "Maria's Portuguese Table" is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Bay Coast Bank, providing services and financial solutions for the people and businesses of Southern New England since 1851.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Underwriting for "Maria's Portuguese Table" season two has been provided by: - [Maria] On today's edition of "Maria's Portuguese Table", we fly across the Atlantic to explore the central islands of the Azores.

Up first, the island of Terceira, where I get a lesson in how to make a clay pot, bake a dessert fit for royalty and descend into the mouth of a volcano.

All this and more on "Maria's Portuguese Table".

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (gentle music) At one point, the center of the Portuguese Empire, Terceira is an island with magical landscapes, rich history, and delicious cuisines.

Angra do Heroismo was once the capital of Portugal, the oldest Azorian city in the Archipelago.

I wanna learn more about this island.

So my first stop is to the Angra do Heroismo Museum for a little history lesson.

- Terceira as all the other islands, Azore Islands, has a very complex history.

It all begins in the 15th century when it was discovered.

- [Maria] In the 16th century, Terceira was the epicenter of trade and commerce, where the riches from the East Indies passed through these ports on the way to mainland Portugal and beyond.

- The marks are all over the island.

You see the fortification around the island to protect from pirates.

- There was a lot of pirates going on in here.

- Yes there were.

Because it's not difficult to imagine because see the riches of the new worlds were all coming here.

- The museum itself is a historic site and was first a monastery and church, dating back to the 17th century.

The former dining hall and kitchen of the monastery have become home to artifacts from many periods of Terceira's history, including some very modern artworks.

But signs of how this place was once used still remain.

This was the actual kitchen?

- Yes.

- Okay.

- And this is the great chimney.

- That is an amazing, huge chimney.

- Yes.

- I love it.

I was not aware of how much conflict surrounded this island, from pirates to Spanish invaders.

The people of Terceira stood up to tyranny and forces that threatened their way of life.

In 1580, when Spain took control of Portugal, the sole Portuguese colony that held out against the Spanish rule was this brave island.

And during the Battle of Salga the outnumbered people of Terceira unleashed a powerful weapon against the upcoming Spanish invasion.

An idea composed by the Portuguese heroine, Brianda Pereira.

- We didn't have men to fight.

Right?

- Right.

We were small, small population, and someone just thought, let's use our resources and our resources was cattle, bulls.

They released them and they were crushed.

- They're coming in, they're thinking this is an easy thing.

Because there's more of us and there's less of them.

The people in here going, uh, uh, uh, not so easy.

Well, let's release these bulls.

Now they're starting to crush them, trample over them.

And the people in the boats are like, "Oh my God.

I don't wanna go there."

- They went away.

- They went away.

The museum was full of interesting artifacts from a cross section of the island's history, including the dresses worn by Queen Amelie on her visit in 1901.

She was the last queen of Portugal, and her visit to Terceira didn't just overflow with pomp and flair, it gave rise to a popular dessert of the island, the Dona Amelia, which I plan on making during my time here.

(gentle music) Something more stunning than Terceira history is a sunset over Angra do Heroismo.

As the last bit of sunset dips over the horizon, I get out and explore the gastronomy of Terceira at night.

Wow.

The cuisine here is mainly rooted in Azorean tradition, but is still diverse and delicious.

I waste no time in exploring the city and sampling delicious local cuisine along the way.

From organic produce and meats, to the freshest of seafoods, this island has a little bit for everyone.

Oh, that's amazing.

That is fresh tuna.

That is incredible.

When exploring the Azorian islands, one starts to see how some traditions give way to modernization.

The artisan skills that were once essential to the fabric of the community have fallen out of demand.

Handmade pottery is one of them.

There was a time where all household items were made out of pottery.

The essential items used daily to hold water, store food, or eat off were all made from very special clay.

Today I venture to the parish of San Bento to meet someone that is doing his part to keeping this part of our heritage very much alive.

Hello?

- Hi.

- Are you Ricardo?

- Yes.

- I'm Maria.

- Hello.

- Hi.

Thank you.

Thank you for letting me come here.

Stepping into Ricardo's shop is like stepping back into time, filled with pottery in various stages of completion.

No signs of machinery, just simple tools and a comfortable workspace to create art piece after art piece.

I can see for as far as I can all of the work, that's all yours?

- Yes.

- Incredible.

- This is the same clay they use along the years.

It's clay from Santa Maria Island and from this island.

If you want the traditional pottery you have to make, you have to work with that clay.

(upbeat music) - Since the island of Santa Maria is over 9 million years old and the clay has been underwater for centuries, it's known as the mother island of clay.

It's this clay that plays a role in the tastes of the specialty dish of Terceira, the Alcatra.

I have family roots from Santa Maria on my mother's side, and when Ricardo shows me where he stores this amazing clay from that island, wouldn't you know I had to get my hands on the soil of my ancestors.

It's a wonderful thing to be able to hold in your hands something that is from a place that's 9 million years old.

Santa Maria.

Right here.

Right here in my hand.

How beautiful is that?

Once Ricardo crafts a piece, they are set out to dry for a period of time.

Then they are placed into a kiln where they endure a heating process known as curing that hardens the clay into a useful household item.

As I wander around Ricardo's shop, I am amazed at the volume and the diversity of the pottery he produces.

Plate sets, bowls, cups, all handcrafted and finished off with bright colors and unique designs.

Now it's time for me to see if I have what it takes to be a pottery maker.

This is it.

I'm gonna do it.

I'm gonna try.

The first step in making pottery is working the clay into something more malleable.

It's heavy.

(gasps) This is heavy.

It is very much like needing dough for bread, but a lot harder.

You made it look very easy.

You made this look very easy and I'm thinking, oh, I'm gonna throw dough.

(Maria laughing) It's stuck.

All right.

So I'm taking this clay.

- Okay.

- All right.

I'm taking the clay.

Okay.

Now we move over to the pottery wheel and I quickly realize I may be over my head in this pottery business.

Oh, my good lord.

(Maria screams) (Maria laughs) Okay.

- Just something like that.

- Like this?

I am not sure if I'm going to cut it as a potter's apprentice, but I certainly love the way it feels.

The wet clay running through my hands as you shape it.

Ricardo shows me how to position my hands and where they should be.

The hands like this?

- [Ricardo] Hands, yes.

And push for you.

- You quickly discover that it takes calculated hand placement and movement to mold the clay into a desired form.

And then push towards me.

- Yes.

Do it slowly.

- Ricardo makes it look easy, but it certainly is not.

I pushed too much.

- Let me try to fix it.

- You gonna fix.

- Maybe.

- Maybe.

It's hopeless.

- We have more clay.

(Maria and Ricardo laugh) - [Maria] With Ricardo's help the Alcatra pot starts to take form.

- Just the fingers outside.

- Going up?

- Yes.

- At first I thought I was a hopeless student, but now, maybe a new career, or at least a new hobby is emerging for me.

Oh.

And now I just created a lip.

Ah.

Look at that.

I'm really happy with that.

- You have Alcatra pot.

- (gasps) Now I have an Alcatra pot.

- Yes.

- A little baby one.

- Yes.

- A baby one.

But I have it.

Yay.

My first Alcatra pot.

I have a new found appreciation for the artistic skill of a potter and even more admiration for the finished works.

In today's world, plastics have replaced many household items that were once made out of pottery.

But plastics will never have the aesthetic look and even feel like a handcrafted piece of pottery.

With the help of craftsmen like Ricardo, this art form still thrives today and the world is a better place because of it.

(traditional music) You cannot visit the island of Terceira without trying the island's specialty, the Alcatra, a slow cooked dish in a clay pot where the meat falls off the bone.

Earlier, I got to make the clay vessel for the Alcatra, but now it's time to make it.

In order to do that, I meet up with my friend, Filomena, a local resident on the island who invited me to her home to make this dish.

Thank you for having me here in your home.

- Oh, my pleasure.

- Oh my goodness.

And so we are making the dish of Terceira, which is the Alcatra.

This is the clay pot.

For those in the United States that cannot get this clay pot to cook in.

You can use a roasting pan just like you would make a turkey in, that same kind of pan.

The Alcatra starts with meat, and in this case, beef shanks and seven bone steaks.

I love shanked bones like this.

The meat on this- - Tender.

- Is so tender.

It's just so tender.

We cut them into smaller chunks and rinse them underwater very well.

Next, take the clay pot and begin the layering process until it's full.

Start with a handful of chopped up pork belly, then a mix of onions and garlic.

Layer the meat with the bones at the bottom.

- Do it like a puzzle.

- Yeah, it is.

It is like a puzzle.

It's like a jigsaw.

Followed with a sprinkle of salt, another layer of meat and repeat.

Bay leaves and the Alcatra special ingredient, allspice, is also added.

This process is done until the pot is full.

The dish is topped off with some butter, a cup of water and white wine.

That's it?

- That's it.

- Oh my goodness.

Okay.

And then now we're going to- - Put it in the oven.

- With the Alcatra in the oven, Filomena suggests that we make another specialty of the island, a dessert known as the Dona Amelias.

Back in Filomena's kitchen, we have all the necessary ingredients laid out to make the dessert made famous by a royal visit back in the year 1901.

How do we start, hun?

- Okay.

We start with the sugar in the eggs.

- We're going to cream the sugar in the eggs.

One cup of sugar.

And then we're going to add the whole eggs.

- The whole eggs.

- Correct?

Okay.

The Dona Amelias, like all the desserts start with some eggs and sugar mixed together to a cream followed with about three ounces of melted butter and more mixing.

The ladies back in Angra, back in 1901, did not use a hand mixer.

They did it by hand, so we can do it by hand.

And now for the dry ingredients.

So I'm gonna add three quarters of a cup of yellow cornflour with a pinch of the baking powder, one teaspoon of cinnamon, and then we have a half of a teaspoon of the nutmeg.

And God, it smells wonderful.

And then we're gonna mix everything together.

The final ingredient to be mixed in is molasses for taste.

There is so much beautiful history in our food.

Now we're ready to pour the batter into the baking forms.

With a Dona Amelia batter in the forms, I add a special touch before putting them in the oven.

Not everybody does this, but I'm gonna use the sultanas.

Okay, the white raisins here, because I like raisins, I like dried fruit.

Perfect.

Now the Dona Amelias are ready to go into the oven for about 20 minutes at about 350 degrees.

With the Dona Amelias out of the oven and cooled down, we put the finishing touches on this unique dessert, a coat of fluffy powdered sugar.

The result is delicate and a delicious dessert fit for royalty.

(majestic music) (gentle traditional music) The great thing about dishes like the Alcatra and desserts like the Dona Amelias, is that they are best enjoyed with others.

And that is exactly what Filomena and I do.

The Alcatra did not disappoint and the clay pot did its job to perfection.

The meat is juicy and tender and makes for a wonderful and filling home cooked meal.

I am enjoying the Alcatra so much.

I forget that we have an equally delicious dessert waiting for us in the Dona Amelias.

We're gonna try the Dona Amelias.

Rick, are you gonna try one?

- I will.

- Okay I'm gonna try one.

You try one.

It's delicious.

- It always reminded me of when I was growing up, my mother would make spice cake.

- Yes.

- A little bit.

Is that the nutmeg?

- Yes.

Yes.

That's it.

It's the spice.

Yeah.

'Cause that's all you could, you can taste that.

That really hits you.

I say if you wanna know the history of a culture, the best way to learn it is through food.

And that is certainly the case here in Terceira.

The Alcatra and the Dona Amelia, equally delicious in their own right and uniquely Terceira in every regard.

This meal is very special to me because I'm here in Terceira for the very first time and I knew that I needed to find someone to teach me how to make authentic Alcatra.

And you taught me how to make it, so I really appreciate.

This is very special.

This is wonderful.

So I wanna say thank you.

Now that I've tasted a little of Terceira, I wanna go out and explore.

When you visit any of the Azorian islands, you are instantly taken by its beauty, color, and breathtaking vistas.

It's mind blowing to think that this wondrous landscape is a result of multiple volcanic eruptions spanning millions of years.

Our volcanic origins are evident everywhere throughout the Azores, but it is only on the island of Terceira that you can actually walk into the once active volcano.

Hello?

- Hello.

- Are you Carla?

- Yes I am.

And you must be Maria.

- Nice to meet you.

- You too.

Welcome to Algar do Carvao.

- Okay.

So where exactly are we and what is this?

- You are in one of the three empty volcanoes that you can possibly go in, in the world.

- In the world?

- Exactly.

Let's go in.

- Yes, let's go.

I'm gonna follow you.

Despite being discovered in the late 1800s, it wasn't until 1963 that Algar do Carvao was fully explored.

Only then did the people of Terceira really understand what laid beneath the surface of their island.

- Now.

And Yes.

- Oh my God.

- [Carla] Again, welcome to Algar do Carvao.

- Oh my God.

Okay, Alright.

I've gotta look up and I've gotta look down.

And there's the opening.

- The vegetation, it's kind of a moss and it works like a sponge.

So as you can imagine, when we have a lot of rain, it gets bigger.

When we don't have that much rain, it shrinks and then the water comes through the roots and comes through the fissure of the rocks.

And that's why you will see that it's always like this.

- Beautiful.

Just beautiful.

And you were telling me before this was a huge gas bubble.

- Exactly.

You can see remaining still from what was an eruption.

- [Maria] It's incredible.

- We are now at the gallery that we call Cathedral.

As you can understand, due to the shape, the round shape, the colors, and also due to the good acoustic.

This is the highest part inside.

So probably these were the first attempts from the lava to go out 'cause it came from the deepest point and it makes sense that right above the deepest point we have these highest parts inside.

One of the important things we have is our stalactites, silica stalactites.

Since the whole rock is volcanic, we don't have limestone inside.

Silica, it's one of the minerals that this rock is really rich in.

On average, they can take a lot of time to form.

100 years to form just one centimeter.

- Oh my goodness.

I am simply taken back by this place.

And while pictures and videos can show you a lot, it does not compare to walking through its space yourself.

Algar do Carvao is a must see on your visit to Terceira.

(traditional music) While traveling through Terceira, you'll be struck with the diversity of this landscape.

Terraced agricultural land, where cattle and horses graze, dense forests with untouched beauty and coastline with natural pools and countless beautiful vistas.

Despite the rain coming down today, I meet up with a local librarian, Carolina Silvera, to learn more about this wonderful island.

This has been beautiful, in Terceira.

- Oh yes.

- It really has.

It really has been beautiful.

- I'm happy for you to feel that.

'Cause I think it is beautiful too, and people don't get to see that and I'm sad.

It's not really as shown as San Miguel.

I think everybody knows San Miguel and then the other islands are kind of forgotten about.

- And I think this is the reason why I wanted to make sure that I did this, is because the Central Islands are reported.

We're nine islands, the Azores isn't just one island.

The Azores is nine beautiful islands in the middle of the Atlantic.

Not all beauty of Terceira is natural.

There's plenty to admire on the island created by the people of this island.

An example of this are the Imperios of Terceira.

Small chapels located in each village and a centerpiece for a week long festival of the Holy Spirit.

This festival features parades, music, and a free meal to all who sit at the table.

It's a time for sharing, friendship and giving to one another.

The Imperios are an important part of each community on Terceira.

Some villages even have more than one.

In total over 70 Imperios are on the island.

This is also one of the traditions many immigrants took with them to America.

You can find Holy Ghost Festivals from May through August from California to Massachusetts.

- You'll have, like America, well you have- - Oh, we have that.

- Yes, where you have the Portuguese communities.

- Correct.

- They will.

- The largest feast I think of the Holy Spirit is in Fall River.

Caroline takes me to one of her favorite Imperios in the parish of Praia da Vitoria.

Even though we can't get in, I peek inside to get a glimpse of the Holy Spirit crown.

Oh my goodness.

That's very beautiful.

The beautiful crown that's sterling silver and gold.

- And all the flowers.

- And all the flowers.

- It has to have flowers.

- It has to have flowers.

So this is just- - No Holy Spirit without flowers- - It is like the best of the best is in here.

- [Caroline] It is.

(traditional music) - So far in Terceira, I've gotten to taste local dishes, check out a dormant volcano, Oh my God.

And try my hand at pottery.

My first pot.

Yay.

Now I wanna experience what life might have been like in the early settlers on the island.

And that leads me to Quinta Do Martelo.

(soft traditional music) Where guests can experience what life was like at a different periods of time on the Azores.

This is the key.

Look at this.

The sprawling property is the vision of one man, Gilberto Vieira.

And he gives me a time traveling tour of what life was like on the Azores hundreds of years ago.

This is just mind blowing.

Incredible.

They would sleep in here?

- Yeah.

- It's one thing to imagine what life was like for early Azorian settlers, but at Quinta Do Martelo, you are standing in it.

That's beautiful.

This is beautiful.

Gilbert has spent the better part of four decades collecting, building, and preserving Azorian history in a way I've never seen.

I found it to be a very moving experience.

This is the most original thing I have ever experienced or seen.

I mean, when you want to know how our beginnings were as settlers coming into these islands, this is it.

I am blown away by the whole thing.

So this is very special.

We find ourselves in little shop filled with typical wares, goods and foods of the Azores past.

Gilbert gets behind the counter and treats me to an extravaganza of old schooled Azorian appetizers.

- More and more, this.

- Oh, favas.

Fava beans.

I love fava beans.

Mmm.

Oh, oh and the spicy potatoes.

- Yes.

More things.

- How much more?

Oh!

- Cheese.

- Oh cheese.

My childhood memory in food is all here on this plate right now.

And on this plate and on this plate and on this plate.

It's like I'm reliving my childhood right now.

(glasses clink) My time traveling this culinary experience continues upstairs when Gilbert and I sit down for a very traditional, Azorian vegetable soup with tastes and aromas straight out of my grandmother's kitchen.

Oh, that's delicious.

Gilbert's hospitality was second to none.

And with each dish I am filled with the memories of my father, mother, and grandparents.

My dad would want a piece of bread at the bottom.

- Yeah, and put wine.

- And wine.

- [Gilbert] Yes.

My father made the same.

All the family make that.

- The same thing.

For a moment I'm back in time enjoying the comfort foods of my childhood, with the taste of my grandmother's cooking at the edge of my fork.

What Gilbert has done with Quinta Do Martelo is simply amazing and one of the most unique Azorian experiences I have ever had.

My time on Terceira has come to an end.

But the memories I created here will last a lifetime.

From walking inside a volcano.

Beautiful!

Hand making pottery.

- It's a very good pot.

- Yay.

To tasting the best of Terceira's food and walking into the past.

This journey across the island has been eye-opening and a perfect way to start my exploration of the Central Islands.

(lively music) (lively music continues) (lively music continues) - [Announcer] underwriting for "Maria's Portuguese Table", season two has been provided by Rhode Island PBS Foundation.

Rhode Island PBS, engaging viewers of all ages since 1967.

- [Announcer] "Maria's Portuguese Table" is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Bay Coast Bank, providing services and financial solutions for the people and businesses of Southern New England since 1851.

- [Announcer] Underwriting for "Maria's Portuguese Table" season two has been provided by... (light acoustic music)