Jeremiah - The Great Portuguese-American Baker!

February already?! Can you believe the first two months of 2017 have already flown by?

Maria is “so freaking excited!” about today’s episode, where we chat with Jeremiah Duarte Bills, whom you may recognize from the latest season of The Great American Baking Show, which aired over the holiday season!

We rooted for him and we’re sure almost every Portuguese household watching did too! Since the show aired, Jeremiah has received messages from all over the world, from Brazil to the Azores.

Jeremiah’s Portuguese roots come from his mom’s side of the family – with family from the freguesia (parish) of Pedro Miguel in Horta, Faial and São Miguel, too. Even though Jeremiah wasn’t a big food fan growing up, he comes from a baking-obsessed family — his mom made wedding cakes and Massa Sovada is a BIG DEAL in his family. He started baking in college to connect to his culinary roots.

After an extensive application process, Jeremiah got the call to compete on the show. We’re big fans of the fact that he’s introduced the American public to Portuguese baked goods and better yet, got creative with traditional recipes. Just take a look at his Massa Sleigh and Christmas Tree.

After swapping tips about massa recipes, where Jeremiah shares one of his favorite days EVER – making mass with the people of Pedro Miguel, we talk about his favorite food memories. Oh yeah, did we mention that Jeremiah is also a part-time beekeeper? Some of his favorite foods are Alcatra, torta de bacalhau, morcela and cracas (barnacles) from the Azores. And Pudim Molotof (which is made with egg whites), too!

What’s next for this celebrity chef? A Portuguese dessert cookbook! There aren’t any around yet. Remember friends – the exact recipe doesn’t matter – what counts is that we all work together to preserve our culinary traditions. =)

Connect with Jeremiah on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

And, as always, let us know what you think of today’s podcast and share it with your family & friends!

P.S.: we’re looking for sponsorship opportunities! If you’re interested, send us a message.

Até a próxima!