Published in 2007, Um Estranho em Goa, or A Stranger in Goa, by author José Eduardo Agualusa combines travel literature with mystery through characters living in the coastal state with links to other countries, like Portugal and Brazil. Of them, one persona is based on José Vasco Silveira, who migrated to the beauteous state years ago from Angola. Silveira happens to be the chef-owner of the cherished Panjim-based diner called Horseshoe. "He is very particular," 53-year-old chef Andre Magalhaes tells us, gesticulating with an almost hypnotic grace. His lips move slightly, but they convey a lot. Magalhaes discovered Silveira 15 years ago while visiting Goa. "I was also born in Angola, so I knew Agualusa, and when I told him I was going to Goa, he suggested I read his book," he recalls.

Last weekend, he managed to revisit his old friend, thanks to a collaborative project with BKC-based O Pedro that will culminate in a mouth-watering meal over the weekend. In essence, it is a culinary homage to the connect between Portugal and Goa.