AUTHOR

My name is Isabel Zibaia Rafael and I am also known in the blogosphere as Laranjinha. I live in Lisbon, Portugal.

I am passionate about food and someone who loves to travel, visit markets, read, try recipes and new ingredients. The kitchen is a magical world where I like to exercise creativity.

The Portuguese cuisine is always my starting point, but I don't forget the influences of other cuisines or all the references I take from my travels and readings.

I love to eat figs, plums, loquat, baked fruit, olives, bread, scrambled eggs, slices of cheese, grilled sardines, I don't miss an opportunity to eat meat and soup - the latter preferably with lots of vegetables. I can't resist a glass of red wine or a goblet of liquor. I at all times find chocolate desserts comforting and coffee is always present in my daily routine.

I am a teacher by profession and the blog is a project that began on February 13, 2006 - written in Portuguese - after reading the book by Joanne Harris, Five Quarters of the Orange. I loved the idea of ​​relating food to life in general, to human feelings and to the family. Therefore, I try and hope the blog reflects a little of my life, of those around me and of what I do, always using the food as the connection point. On July 18, 2011, I began posting both in Portuguese and in English.

I was very pleased that my blog was chosen as the best 2011, 2012 and 2014 Portuguese food blog by the readers.

I regularly perform showcookings and organize workshops. I also develop recipes for brands and have recipes published in several Portuguese magazines. I collaborated for several yeras with Comer magazine and with Saber Viver magazine.

I took part for several months, on Wednesdays, in the TV show A Praça on RTP1. I was a member of the jury in the 6th edition of the A Mesa dos Portugueses recipe contest, in 3 editions of the O Melhor Pastel de Nata pastry contest included in the Peixe em Lisboa food festival and in the 2nd edition of the Sabores de Alvalade gastronomic contest.

Marcador book publisher challenged me to write a book and in November 2012, with an immense smile on my face, I saw Cozinha para Dias Felizes ("Cooking for Happy Days") on sale in bookstores. It is a cookbook peppered with notes and short stories. It was awarded Portugal's Best Blogger Cookbook by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

At the very beginning of July 2014, Delicioso Piquenique ("Delicious Picnic"), my second cookbook was published. A book filled with practical recipes and accessible ingredients to take to a picnic, to bring to work or to carry to a party.

On March 2016, Receitas Indispensáveis para o seu Robot Cuisine Companion ("Indispensable Recipes for your Cuisine Companion Robot"), the 100 recipes cookbook that I wrote for Moulinex was published.

On November 2017, I have managed to publish a cookbook with great and practical recipes for one to cook for family and friends. Its title, O Livro de Petiscos da Isabel ("Isabel's Tapas Cookbook").

On March 2018, I co-authored with the renowned gourmet, Virgílio Nogueiro Gomes, the book Petiscos e Miudezas à Portuguesa ("Portuguese Tapas and Offal"), which seeks to recover some of the traditional Portuguese flavors.

On April 2019, Petiscos do Rio e do Mar ("Tapas from Sea and River") was published and focus on the rich flavors that come from fresh and sea waters. This book has been also co-authored with Virgílio Nogueiro Gomes.

On March 2020, Petiscos de Açúcar e de Mel ("Sugar and Honey Treats") was published and is the last one from the trilogy of books co-authored with Virgílio Nogueiro Gomes. This one focus on sweet treats.

On November 2020, Vamos Fazer Pão ("Let's Bake Bread") was published in order to help anyone who wants to bake bread full of flavor at home and share it with those they love the most.

Five Quarters of the Orange is also present on Instagram, on Facebook, on Pinterest and on Twitter. Anyone can contact me by writing a comment on the blog. You can also send an email to: mailto:nospam_please@hotmail.com.

Welcome!

[ Originally published in Portuguese on Cinco Quartos de Laranja ]