INTERNATIONAL: Caribbean Mango Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce

LINK to recipe

Trinidad Fish Stew

I haven't been on this blog for a long while and I am almost but not quite sorry. I always miss blogging when I have been away from it but at times it is important to show up in other places of my life where I am needed a bit more. One of those places has been my garden. Long time visitors to this site may remember this dream of mine. I am happy to report that my journey to producing

3 Vegan Recipes that pack some punch

Food bloggers spend a lot of time reading other blogs for inspiration. I met vegan / raw food blogger when she contacted me to have me create a photo for her recipe book The Joy of Raw and Vegan Cooking which is available now on Amazon. Follow the link to preview her book which features some beautiful photographs. Also, you will not be disappointed to discover Shernell's blog where she shares

Fat Pork Jam

It has been a fruitful holiday. We have been stuffing our faces with mangoes, West Indian cherries, yellow plums, and guavas. Wars are being fought over the few remaining sugar apples. 











One  uncommon fruit which we found on a drive through the country side was fat pork.  Bite into it and the unusual texture of it's interior, white pulp will clue you in as to the name. The

San Antonio Green Market

I do love early mornings, don't you? Unfortunately I love my bed more and you rarely find me out of bed before the sun.  So what was I doing up in the chill, misty, pre-dawn of the Santa Cruz Valley two weekends ago? For the longest while I have wanted to visit the San Antonio Green Market. This farmer's market is located in a valley not too far from where I live. It's a small

How to make microwave Cou-Cou (Trinidad Coo-Coo)

What's better than cou cou with stewed fish? Cou cou that doesn't need stirring until it feels like your arm is about to fall off, that's what.



What's the worse thing a friend can tell you when you have been proven wrong?



I told you so!



Yes Cynthia my friend feel free to unleash the three most annoying words in the english language at me.



You really did tell me so.



Cou

Omelette with Greens and Pommerac

This morning I made this super simple breakfast. It may not seem like much but for me it is quite the deal since breakfast is a meal I usually skip. Now that I am on a spiritual rejuvenation of sorts, i.e. vacation, I find myself wanting to rejuvenate my physical self as well. As such, I am making it my goal to improve on how I start my days. 














Luckily this is not going to

Candied Golden Limes ~ What to do with Calamansi?

So it might be that lately I am a little, just a teeny, tiny bit, obsessed with calamondins which are also known as calamansi. A lot of it has to do with the fact that they are a relatively unknown local fruit. Truly, I feel like the fruit version of a modern day orchid hunter when I rediscover some hitherto unknown or fallen out of favour produce. Some of you might remember me getting a

Caribbean Smashed Potatoes

I'm here to talk about smashing stuff.

Can I confess that more often than not I arrive home in a mood that is more conducive to smashing things, rather than preparing dinner.

These potatoes are two thumbs up, high five, secret handshake delicious AND they have the added bonus of giving you an outlet for burning off some of the day's stress.
.
Here is how you go about pretending that

Secrets to a Delicious Trinidadian Fish Broth

Today is a feel good day and all you need is fish broth,




or maybe it's not such a great day.



I'm sorry.



Well now you definitely need fish with a squeeze of lime, layered over rough- chopped, root vegetables and green bananas, some salt, green seasoning and a hot pepper. This will cure what ails you.



Promise.



In Trinidad, fish soup is called 'broff' (broth) but there is little

Jamaican Red Snapper Stew - Photo Update

Fish becomes the star ingredient in many Trinidadian homes during the season of Lent. Tomorrow being Good Friday we will be having Fish Broth. While planning for that I was reminded of the meal in the picture below. I was never satisfied with my initial images of this dish so I retook the photo. As you can see from the date I forgot all about posting it. Better late than never, I guess. The

Trinidad Green seasoning

The foundation of cooking meat the Trinidadian way is all about the seasoning. All meat (beef, chicken pork and fish) is marinated in a seasoning mix of crushed herbs, onions, garlic and peppers. This blend of herbs and aromatics is called 'green seasoning'. It is incredibly versatile and is good in soups, stews, rice, and bean dishes. Many Trinidadians whip up a batch of this stuff on a

Jamaican Christmas Pudding

Nothing makes us yearn for home and family like a recipe that has been handed down for generations. That is why when my friend Debra told me that she was teaching her church group in Dallas how to make her grandmother's Christmas pudding I jumped at the opportunity to ask her for the recipe. I am excited beyond all belief at this share.....I remember this pudding so well!  I know all

Bolo di kashupete (Aruban Christmas cake)

How did you enjoy Christmas day? I hope it was spent in the loving company of family and friends. As much as I enjoy the actual day of Christmas it's always such a blur of activity so that I look forward to the days after when I can laze about and relax with a fridge full of left overs so I don't have to cook. 





Here is a traditional Christmas cake from the Dutch Caribbean island of

Tamarind Ginger Spice Cake

Amazing cake but we'll get to that in a minute.

First a mini rant at the spouse who absolutely is NOT deserving of ANY cake at this point.

Some time last week, my husband was away from work and I had to use his car to drop our children to school.

Note to self:  Self, never borrow your  man's car without first checking for gas.

Children safely transported,  I was on my way to work, tunes

Trinidad Kurma

Trinidad is blessed to have a culture that embraces the festivals of different religions and every year I look forward to Divali, the Hindu festival of lights. If I lived abroad I think this is one of the holidays that I would miss like crazy.

Divali would be incomplete without the many offerings of Indian sweets that make their appearance at this time. Kurma, a traditional, Trinidadian

Lazy days and Corned Fish

Many West Indians can lay claim to a feeling of belonging to another Caribbean island by virtue of parents who would have immigrated. In my case my father came to Trinidad from Canouan. Going back to this place that I call my second home over the holidays was amazing.  In many ways this island and the people there helped shaped the person I am today.





View from the back of

Burfi (Indian Milk Fudge)

Divali (Diwali) is one of the most eagerly anticipated holidays of my country. Yesterday my son came home from his Catholic School with his painted clay deya (a small, clay, lamp) eager to light it right away. Great was his disappointment when I explained that he needed to wait until the the next day.

Divali is a Hindu festival but in Trinidad and Tobago it is embraced and enjoyed by

Breadfruit Oil Down

Oil down (Oil dong) is a traditional Caribbean way of cooking starchy vegetables in a coconut milk reduction. Jamaicans call it run down. In Trinidad the most popular oil down ingredient is breadfruit which technically is a fruit but for cooking purposes it is treated like a vegetable. Because the breadfruit is sweet and buttery the accompanying meat tends to be a bit of something briny like

Ma'amoul - Date and Walnut Filled Cookies

Somewhere out there, someone's Tita (grandmother) is tut tutting and shaking their head in dismay at my sorry looking ma'amoul.

Traditionally these cookies are made with an intricate pattern that makes them look quite regal.

You'll be tempted to serve them on nothing but your best china I'm sure.

Clearly mine are barely tupperware worthy.

Fortunately, what they lack in looks, they make up