Schwartz sees Olympic shine on Brazilian food

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Leticia Moreinos Schwartz hopes that when Rio de Janeiro hosts the summer Olympics Games in 2016 it will shine the spotlight on Brazilian food.

The 34-year-old Rio native, who lives in the United States with her family, spoke to Reuters about Brazil and her passion for its food:

Q: With Rio hosting the Olympics, what will the world discover about Brazilian cuisine?

A: "It''s a cuisine that comes from a very rich culture. It is a mixture of Portuguese, African and native Indian influences. We see that in the faces our people, in our music and in the food we eat."

Q: Describe your interpretation of Brazilian food.

A: "We inherited a very sweet tooth from our Brazilian colonizer. I''m trying to maintain the authencity and balance out the sweetness with other flavors. By introducing some of my culinary training, I can maintain the authenticity of the dishes, elevate them with different techniques, ingredients and even portion sizes."

Q: Who inspired your interest in cooking?

A: "I grew up on the shoulder of my housekeeper. I was totally inspired by this lady. She was an amazing cook."

Q: What were you doing before you became a chef?

A: "It was a gradual realization. I had treated cooking as a hobby. After my bachelor degree in economics, I worked in private banking in Rio. Then I quit in 1996 and decided to come to New York."

Q: Since you have been living in Connecticut, what native Brazilian ingredients do you miss the most?

A: "I miss some of our fruits like passion fruits. There are two kinds there, a sour one and a sweet one. There are also some exotic fruits, which you can get in frozen-pulp form here."