Rio de Janeiro!

by Giada De Laurentiis

  Emilia cracked the egg on the side of the glass container and added it to the mixture.

  “And Alfie, add a teaspoon of salt, will you?”

  Alfie measured a teaspoon from the dish of salt that Zia kept next to the stove and sprinkled it on top of the other ingredients.

  “How long were you in Brazil?” Emilia asked.

  “I lived in Rio de Janeiro for a few months, some years ago,” Zia replied. “It is a magical place.”

  “What’s magical about it?” Alfie asked.

  “There is music and dancing everywhere you go. Brazilian people are really passionate about those things. And the landscape of the city is so dramatic. Alfie, pass me the tapioca starch. We add that next.”

  “What’s tapioca starch?” Alfie asked. “Is it like tapioca pudding?”

  “Not quite. Tapioca starch is the ground root of the manioc, or cassava, plant. Brazilians use this plant in several signature dishes.”

  Alfie sat down on a stool at the kitchen island. “What else do you remember about Brazil?” he asked.

  “There are big mountains that plunge straight into the deep blue ocean. And there’s a huge statue high on one of those mountains that looks out over the entire city. It’s iconic.”

  “I’ve seen that statue in pictures!” Emilia said. “What’s it called again?”

  “The mountain is Corcovado, and the statue is called Christ the Redeemer,” Zia said. “The statue is over eighty years old, and it’s absolutely huge. You can see it from almost anywhere in the city.”

  “Hey!” Emilia jumped in. “Wasn’t it named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, too?”

  “That’s right!” Zia said. “It’s really quite something. Going to Rio is an experience for all of your senses. The colors, sights, sounds, and smells are truly enchanting. And if you’re lucky enough to be there during Carnival, then it’s like all of those things are even bigger!”

  “It sounds kind of like New Orleans,” Emilia said.

  Zia smiled. “It is! Carnival in Rio is like a much bigger version of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.”

  “Whoa!” said Alfie. “That’s hard to imagine.” They had been in New Orleans during Jazz Fest, not during Mardi Gras, but even that festival was one fantastic party that the whole city enjoyed.

  Zia laughed. “It’s definitely something you have to experience to believe.”

  She poured the tapioca starch into the blender and Alfie peered inside. “What else do we add?”

  “It’s time for the best ingredient—the cheese.”

  “Yum!” Alfie said. Cheese was definitely one of his favorite ingredients in anything.

  Zia went to the fridge and took out a large hunk of white cheese. “We need to crumble this queso fresco before we add it.”

  Alfie hopped off his stool. “I’ll do it!”

  Zia handed Alfie the cheese, and he used a fork to crumble the pieces into a measuring cup. When the cup was full, Zia poured it into the blender. “Perfetto!”

  “What’s next?” Emilia asked.

  “Now we’re ready to blend,” Zia replied. She put the lid on the blender and flipped the switch to HIGH. She stopped blending partway through to scrape the ingredients down the sides of the container.

  Once everything was blended, Zia moved over to the stove and poured the mixture into the muffin tins, filling them almost to the top. Then she slid the trays into the oven and set the timer.

  Alfie and Emilia finished cleaning up the rest of the dinner dishes. After that, they sat at the kitchen table and started their homework. Soon, the smell of fresh bread filled the air.

  When the timer went off, Zia peeked into the oven. “I think they’re done.”

  “Can we try one, Zia?” Alfie asked. Even though they’d just finished dinner, the rolls smelled too good to wait until morning.

  “Sure!” Zia said as she popped the buns out of the tins and onto a cooling tray. “They’re always best when they’re fresh from the oven.”

  Alfie and Emilia were impatient as they waited for the buns to cool. “They weren’t hard to make at all!” Emilia said.

  “Not like some of the other recipes I learned in Rio.” Zia laughed. “Talk about needing practice—some of the foods I learned to make there took a long time to perfect. But it was definitely worth it. Traditional Brazilian food is full of flavors and textures and colors, much like the city of Rio itself.”

  Emilia touched one of the puffy, golden rolls with the tip of her finger. “I think they’re cool enough, Zia.”

  Zia tested a roll and smiled. “I think you’re right.” She took three small plates from the cabinet and put a roll on each one. Alfie and Emilia each picked up their rolls and blew on them. Alfie eagerly pulled his roll apart and watched the steam rise in front of him. He could smell the rich, cheesy center of the bread. They took a bite at the same time. The bread was surprisingly dense and chewy, which he loved. The cheese added a perfect, extra-tangy flavor.

  “What do you think?” Zia asked.

  “It’s so good!” Emilia said.

  “And chewy,” Alfie added. “It’s like a really good breadstick, but the cheese inside makes it so much better.”

  Zia smiled and closed her eyes. “Just imagine waking up surrounded by lush green rain forests, golden beaches, and azure blue ocean with the smell of these buns baking in the oven.”

  Alfie closed his eyes, too, and he took another bite of his cheese bun. He could see it perfectly. All of a sudden, he felt that now-familiar drop way down in his stomach—like reaching the bottom dip of a roller coaster and heading back up for the next twist and turn. It was time for another adventure!

  When Alfie opened his eyes, he noticed two things right away. It was Hot with a capital H, and it was sticky—like standing in the steam room at the gym. But he was outside on a bustling city sidewalk. Thankfully, Emilia was beside him as usual, and she seemed just as shocked as he was. Alfie turned in a circle, trying to get his bearings.

  “Do you think we’re in Brazil?” Emilia asked.

  Alfie could see huge rocky cliffs, vivid green plants, and bursts of colorful flowers all around them. Then he spotted the big statue high above the city with its arms outstretched as if to say, “Welcome!” Alfie pointed to the statue and Emilia turned to look. “Yep. We’re in Rio!”

  “Is it really February here?” Emilia asked, pulling her golden-brown hair into a ponytail. “It’s so hot!”

  “Well, we’re below the equator now,” Alfie said.

  “So?” Emilia replied.

  “The seasons are reversed from ours down here, so it’s summer!” Alfie told his sister proudly.

  Emilia nodded. “This has to be the hottest summer I’ve ever felt!”

  Alfie definitely agreed. He was glad he was wearing just a T-shirt and not the heavy sweatshirt he’d worn to school that day!

  “Who do you think we’re going to meet?” Emilia said, glancing up and down the street.

  “I don’t know,” Alfie replied as he took in their surroundings. There were crowds in every direction, but no one seemed to be looking their way.

  They took a few steps along the sidewalk, unsure of which way to go. All around them, the city buzzed with excitement. People rushed in and out of shops. Car horns honked and people pedaled by on bicycles. Across a wide, busy avenue, Alfie could see big brightly colored beach umbrellas lined up along the water. People swam in the ocean, lounged on beach chairs, and played volleyball and soccer in the sand. It was hard to believe they’d been in cold, snowy weather back home just a few minutes before. Alfie could definitely get used to this. He hoped they’d get to swim in the ocean! It looked so inviting in the heat.

  “Should we walk over to the beach?” Alfie asked.

  “I guess we could . . . ,” Emilia answered, but she sounded unsure.

>   “Or we could walk into one of these shops and just look around,” Alfie suggested.

  On their last few adventures, they’d met kids their age right away. It felt weird not to know what to expect this time.

  “Let’s walk around for a little bit,” Emilia said. “If we see a kid our age, we could always ask for directions just to get them talking.”

  “Okay, that sounds good,” Alfie said, though he didn’t know what they’d ask for directions to . . .

  They set off down the sidewalk trying to take in all the sights, but Alfie felt a little uneasy. What were they going to do, exactly?

  Alfie and Emilia walked down the wide avenue that ran along the edge of the beach. A sign said AVENIDA ATLNTICA. On one side was a white sandy beach and a sea of people enjoying the sun and surf. And on the other side was a row of high-rise buildings that towered over them. It seemed so weird to have a beach right at the edge of a busy city like this. Any time Alfie and Emilia had ever been to a beach, it was always outside of a city.

  As they walked, Alfie enjoyed watching the other people on the sidewalks. Everyone wore vibrant outfits in every color imaginable. And some people just wore skimpy bathing suits and sandals! It was pretty different from all the dark-colored wool coats and thick sweaters people were wearing back home.

  Just then, a band marched across the street in front of them. The music was festive and had a great beat. The band members wore sparkly top hats, sunglasses, and multicolored T-shirts. Some of them banged on drums and shook tambourines, others tapped on cowbells, and many just danced along to the music, waving small paper flags or other glittery props on sticks. As they marched and danced up the street, people joined in all around them, dancing, laughing, and cheering. Zia was right—it was like New Orleans with the volume turned way up.

  “I already love it here!” Emilia said, putting a little wiggle in her step. “It’s so fun and colorful.”

  “Do you want to go over to the beach or wander up one of these streets?” Alfie asked, motioning as they approached a street that pushed between two high-rises and away from the water.

  “Let’s see what’s up here,” Emilia said. She twirled in a circle and skipped toward the corner. Alfie stepped next to her just as a blur of activity flew around the corner and crashed right into them.

  Alfie grabbed Emilia’s arm to prevent her from falling. He steadied himself with his hand on the side of the tall building next to them. All he could see were colors flying everywhere. It looked like an explosion of fluorescent flags. Then a tall, tanned boy with black hair, wearing board shorts and a tank top, appeared in the center of the colorful whirlwind. “I’m so sorry!” he said. He began trying to gather the colors, which were strewn all over the sidewalk. Alfie now realized that they were giant bolts of different kinds of fabric. “Are you all right?” the boy asked.

  “We’re fine!” Emilia said. She bent down to pick up a bolt of hot-pink silky material that had pooled around her feet.

  “Okay, good,” the boy said, still out of breath and bundling several bolts into his arms. “Well, then grab some fabric and follow me!” And with that he took off down the street, fabric soaring out behind him like kite tails.

  Alfie and Emilia smiled at each other. Then they each picked up a bolt of fabric, and off they went.

  “Here we go!” Alfie said.

  Alfie and Emilia struggled to keep up with the boy as he rushed down the sidewalk. The canary-yellow cotton material in Alfie’s hands flapped in front of his face, momentarily blinding him. He wound the fabric around the bolt and tried to tuck it under his arm as he kept jogging along.

  “I’m Miguel Costa,” the boy called back over his shoulder.

  “I’m Emilia Bertolizzi, and this is my brother, Alfie,” Emilia responded loudly.

  “Nice to meet you guys. You must be from America.”

  “How’d you know?” Alfie asked.

  “Your accents!” Miguel said. “Welcome to my city!”

  “Thanks!” Alfie said.

  “How old are you guys?” Miguel asked. “I’m fifteen.”

  “I’m eleven, and Emilia’s tw—” Alfie started to say.

  “I’ll be thirteen in two days!” Emilia chimed in. Alfie should have known she couldn’t pass up a chance to say her almost-age.

  “Well, happy birthday! You must be in Rio for Carnival?” Miguel asked.

  Alfie and Emilia exchanged an eager glance. They were here in time for Carnival! Zia Donatella really did have such amazing timing. “Yep,” Alfie said. “We’re really excited.”

  They dodged a crowd of tourists standing outside a restaurant. “Are you guys staying in Copacabana? Or Ipanema, maybe?” Miguel asked.

  “Um, yeah, we’re staying in Ipanema,” Emilia said quickly. “With our parents,” she added.

  Alfie wrinkled his brow at Emilia. What if Miguel asked to meet their parents? Emilia shrugged, reading Alfie’s concern.

  “Cool. The beaches are great, aren’t they?” Miguel asked.

  “They look great,” Alfie said. “We just got here, so we haven’t done much exploring yet. We’re excited to check things out. And to try lots of Brazilian foods.”

  “Well, there’s no shortage of excitement or delicious food here in Rio—especially during Carnival,” Miguel said. “You’ll have to make sure your parents take you to some good places.”

  “Our parents are here for work, so they’re letting us explore a lot on our own,” Emilia said. “We just have to check in with them every once in a while.” She patted her shorts pocket as if it contained a cell phone. Alfie nodded. She was getting pretty good at this stuff!

  “Well, then I can definitely show you guys some of my favorite Rio sights,” Miguel offered. “You know, to say thank you for your help.”

  “Thanks!” Emilia said. “That would be great.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be able to squeeze in a few things,” said Miguel. “I don’t have a ton of free time right now because I’m in charge of coordinating the children’s parade for Carnival. It’s the first parade that kicks off the entire Carnival festival on Friday night.”

  “Wow!” Alfie said. “That sounds really cool.”

  Miguel grinned. “It is. We’re just putting the finishing touches on our routine, and we have a few more costumes to make. That’s why I was rushing—I have to deliver the rest of this fabric to our costume designer. We have only a couple of days left to prepare, and everything needs to be perfect!”

  “Well, we’re happy we could help!” Emilia said.

  Miguel stopped short on the sidewalk in front of them. “Actually, there might be another way you can help. Do either of you play any instruments or dance?”

  “Sure!” Alfie said. “I play the drums.”

  “And I do ballet,” Emilia added. “Well, it’s been a couple years since I took classes, but I still remember a lot.”

  “Great!” Miguel said. “Samba’s pretty different from ballet, but if you’ve got any sense of rhythm I bet you can pick it up.”

  “I definitely have rhythm!” Emilia said confidently. “But what’s ‘samba’?”

  “What’s samba?!” Miguel’s eyes were wide. “It’s only the most important type of music and dance in Brazil. And it’s at the heart of Carnival! Have you heard the bands playing on the streets and seen people dancing along?”

  “Yes,” Alfie and Emilia said together.

  “That’s samba!” Miguel held a bolt of fabric out in front of him like a dance partner and stepped forward with his right foot and then his left while swaying his hips back and forth.

  “Fun!” Emilia said. “That looks way more exciting than ballet.”

  “Definitely!” Miguel laughed. “Well, I’d love it if you’d be in the children’s parade. Part of our theme this year is to celebrate diversity and other cultures, so it would be g
reat to add a couple American kids to our mix. What do you say? Do you want to help me kick off this year’s Carnival?”

  “Yes!” Alfie and Emilia cried. They could hardly contain themselves. This was going to be one of their best adventures yet.

  “Come on in,” Miguel said, pushing open a big wooden door. “This old colonial building is our practice space.” Alfie and Emilia entered a hallway and followed Miguel to a wide-open room with wood floors and high ceilings.

  “This was the ballroom. They used to throw fancy parties here, and politicians and celebrities would mingle and dance,” Miguel said.

  “It’s huge!” Alfie said, taking in the space. There were big arched windows on the far side of the room and a balcony at the other end overlooking the wooden dance floor. Spread out across the ballroom were at least ten small groups of kids. Most of the kids looked their age or a little older, like Miguel. Each cluster was busy working on something. There were several groups of dancers and musicians. And there were groups working on costumes and props. Everybody bustled around looking busy and super focused.

  “The costume designer, Marta, is just over here,” Miguel said as he motioned to the corner of the room. A round woman a bit older than their mother sat in front of a big sewing machine. She wore a bright pink blouse and her black hair was wound into a tight bun on her head. Mountains of fabric were piled all around her. She clenched two pins between her lips as the sewing machine whirred furiously through a piece of rich red fabric.

  “Hi, Marta!” Miguel said. “I have the rest of the fabric for you.”

  “Oh, thank goodness!” Marta said. “I can finally finish all the bird costumes now.”

  “Marta, this is Emilia and Alfie. They’re visiting from the States, and they’re going to join our parade.”

  Alfie and Emilia waved as they set down the bolts of fabric next to Marta’s sewing table. Alfie shook out his tired arms. It had been a long walk/jog to the parade practice space.