Born and raised on the lively twin islands of Trinidad & Tobago, Cesco Emmanuel discovered his passion for music and the guitar at age 13. He has been a student for more than seventeen years at the Graham Newling Classical Guitar School and is currently pursuing his advanced studies with the Associated Board... 

Green beans and garlic are a classic French combination that I re-interpreted, using the very Trinidadian staple of bodi, on Episode 10 of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina”. Also known as yard long beans, locally bodi is more traditionally curried or prepared in tomato-based sauce. This... 

Through the years I’ve made no small secret of the fact that cassava is one of my favourite local ingredients. Starchy and viscous it lends easily equally well to savoury and sweet applications, yet outside of cassava pone, most people don’t think of other ways to incorporate this tuber into desserts.... 

Tonight is the 13th episode of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina” and one of my joys has to be sharing with the world the wealth of musical talent we have here in Trinidad & Tobago. I say ‘the world’ but I include locals in that as well as many of them have thanked me for... 

This month marks the third installment of my “CookALong” series where a prominent (usually) Caribbean personality follows one of my recipes, and sometimes throws in a few of their own This week however I’m shaking things up a bit by taking a ‘virtual’ trip to another multicultural island... 

This easy and versatile cocktail will wow your guests who will try to understand where the chocolate flavour comes from. Yes there is a touch of creme de cacao, but the real revelation is the melding of port wine (I recommend using a tawny port) and milk to create a smooth drink that mimcs the look and taste of melted... 

I’ve been a fan of electronic soul artist Kattronique for many years now, so it was with great pleasure (and surprise!) that I received a message from her expressing interest in appearing on Sweet Han’, sent the same time that I had also sent an invitation to do exactly that via social media! (cue Twilight... 

Coconut sweet bread is a fond childhood memory for many people of Caribbean origin. Sweet and crumbly it took many attempts for me to develop this recipe which recreates the versions from my youth which have become rarer and rarer to find. One doesn’t usually think of sweet bread and entertaining but when paired... 

Isn’t alchemy amazing? On Episode 5 of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina” Trini food blogger QD Ross of “Bring It To The Table” mentioned a concoction called a ‘liquid cheesecake cocktail’ that was amazingly enough dairy-free. Even more surprising, it only required... 

On March 5, 2013 I was thrilled to participate in Zagat’s roundtable launch of The New Jewish Table: Modern Seasonal Recipes for Traditional Dishes. Written by Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray (owners of Washington D.C.’s ‘Equinox’ restaurant) they call it “a story of love and lox”. Tweet  Read More →

Tonight, on Episode 11 of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina”, my guest cook will be Petra Laptiste of Carifrique.com. I first came to know Petra about two years ago as a result of her work in Japan promoting Caribbean culture. In fact you can view that post (and a video of one of her Tokyo... 

February 27, 2013 was the date of the second Trinidadian food blogger menu-tasting initiative. This time we were graciously hosted by Chef Christian Grini of Buzo Osteria Italiana. Opened in 2011, Buzo has consistently been ranked as the #1 restaurant in Trinidad both by locals and international review-based sites... 

Join me this Thursday, March 21 at 8 p.m. EST for Episode 11 of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking With Sarina”! Join me as I walk Petra Laptiste of Carifrique.com through my recipe for Trinidad Macaroni Pie. Petra will also be sharing her recipes for Callaloo and Stewed Pigeon Peas. It’s a spread... 

This recipe for Spicy Guava Glazed Tofu was the centerpiece of my menu for Episode 4 of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina”. Tofu is an ingredient that many people have had unpleasant experiences with. Too often, this is because they have had it prepared without much fanfare or seasoning.... 

On January 26, 2013 I attended a winetasting class (along with TriniChow) at Lotus. Led by Lisa Johnstone it was just what I needed to get over my jitters regarding terminology, food pairing, and get my feet (or palate) wet! On the table were the following wines: • Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir •... 

I came up with this recipe for Episode 6 of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina”. All who had it dubbed it an instant fave from the very first bite. It combines all the elements that I consider essential to successful salad, color, contrasts and texture. In this case, highly seasoned potato... 

One of the things that I’ve realized about Trinis is that we are loathe to stay still. We can be found in every part of the world, fulfilling our dreams and goals. Case in point, Alicia Saldenha. We attended the same high school and years later her name entered my Twitter feed when she expressed something complimentary... 

This dish was part of my Valentine’s Day menu for the 7th episode of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina”. It combines colors and textures in that multi-layered way that you may have come to realize is a favourite of mine. You get the sweetness of the grapes, tempered with the salty... 

March has begun and I’m itching to get back into the kitchen and flex some culinary muscle with a dinner menu that will please you from start to finish. Joining me on air, live from Japan, Osaka-based Trinidadian songstress Alicia Saldenha who’ll be performing two tracks from her current album Menu(recipes... 

This curried lentil soup is a good introduction to lentil soups for those who have considered them dull and uninspiring. With creamy chunks of eddoes and sweet bites of plantain, the spicy heat of scotch bonnet and the sharp accents of lime juice and chadon beni (culantro), it has something for everyone! Watch me... 

Excerpted from Glam By Request: 30+ Easy Caribbean Recipes. Although not as popular as other Indo-Trinidadian treats such as barfi, kurma and parsad, kheer is a recipe that I thought deserved sharing for its ease of preparation and elegant presentation. Sweet and nutty with aphrodisiac properties, I especially enjoy... 

Tonight on Episode 9 of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina” I’m thrilled to have Shelley Chapman of Eat Relate Love as my guest cook. This Jamaican-American wellness coach has been a part of my virtual ‘foodie’ circle for a little over two years. First really dialoguing... 

January 22, 2013 was the date of an amazing food blogger menu tasting afternoon at Chaud Café and Wine Bar. Located at One Woodbrook Place, this offshoot of Khalil Mohammed’s respected Chaud brand offers fine wines and casual upscale dining in a relaxed environment, complete with outdoor verandah. In attendance... 

“Welcome to the second installment of my ‘Eat Ah Food’ series where I invite food bloggers and chefs to share their favourite Caribbean-inspired dishes with us! This week it’s my pleasure to welcome Jamaican-American food and wellness coach Shelley Chapman of Eat Relate Love into our hangout.... 

“How is everyone? I hope well! I’m back and relaxed after a week off enjoying the madness that was Trinidad & Tobago Carnival. Now, it’s back to the kitchen, but I’m not feeling for anything too heavy or time-consuming. This vegan menu fits the bill for when you want something elegant and easy to... 

Corey Wallace a.k.a Coreysan is one of the Grand Dons of the local electro music scene, however his music really defies any one category. From his official bio: Corey Atheleny Wallace a.k.a Coreysan has been involved in music since 1987. This self-taught musician’s musical explorations are as diverse as Trinidad...