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 it chilled on warm days and/or nights. Variations abound so I highly recommend replacing... 

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 with each other as inaugural participants in Sanura Weather’s Kwanzaa Culinarians... 

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 were Corey of Learning Patience, TriniChow, Melissa of Belly in Hand, myself and... 

“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. She’ll be sharing her delicious Jerk Salmon Nachos, Mango Salsa and Avocado... 

“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 enjoy, either on your own, or with others! We’ll start off with my glam approach 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 and Tobago, his homeland. As a Trinidadian musician/artiste, observing his global/universal... 

This entry is part 9 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalAfter the frenzied crescendo of Carnival Tuesday all merriment and debauchery ends (or is supposed to end) with the ushering in of Ash Wednesday and the start of the Roman Catholic observance of Lent. My father tells me that ‘back in the day’ all sound stopped at midnight and no calypso would play on the radio with the... 

This entry is part 8 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalAs Carnival Tuesday draws to a close one song, and one song alone will be crowned as the “Road March” winner. To win “Road March” one’s song needs to be one the played most often over the two day Carnival period, at the various judging points throughout both islands. In many ways the “Road March”... 

This entry is part 3 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalI was talking to a Brazilian friend a few years ago and she was surprised at some of the differences between our Carnival and theirs. You see it was a few weeks ago when she decided to look and see what costume/band she should play with. She was shocked when all the Trinis were like, whoa you are way too late. You see, here Carnival... 

This entry is part 7 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalJ’ouvert (joo-VAY) is the start to the Carnival celebrations. It begins in the pre-dawn hours of Carnival Monday and lasts until daybreak. J’ouvert (which is a Creole corruption of the French Jour Ouvert – day opening) is also known as ‘dirty mas’. It seems to symbolise us going down to our rawest most... 

I admit it, I am not much of a fan of the color blue. I can admire it from afar, but when it comes to my own purchase decisions and accessory choices it’s rarely a contender. That’s why I challenged myself to come up with a blue tablesetting that would get -me- excited for the 6th episode of Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina. The only problem, it turns out that I didn’t... 

This entry is part 6 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalDimanche Gras takes place on the Sunday night before Ash Wednesday. Here the Calypso Monarch is chosen (after competition) and prize money and a vehicle bestowed. Also the King and Queen of the bands are crowned, where each band to parade costumes for the next two days submits a king and queen, from which an overall winner is chosen.... 

This entry is part 5 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Image from the Trinidad Guardian If you are getting the sense that Carnival is one big long party you are right! So it only makes sense that one big long party would be made of many many big long parties as well. These parties in Trinidad are called fetes and are attended by hundreds sometimes thousands. Fetes feature the biggest... 

This entry is part 4 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Exodus Steelband performing in Trafalgar Square, England – photo by bram_souffreau It seems that every time a North American program wants to denote the ‘tropics’ you will hear the sound of a steelpan. It doesn’t even to seem to matter if the ‘tropics’ are in the Caribbean on a cruise ship or... 

Tobagonian-born, Houston-based pannist Rony Perry has been a friend of mine since the late 90′s. We first came into contact via my old venture “De Rumshop Lime”, a Trinbagonian chatroom which he eventually came to co-moderate, and where he also eventually met his wife! In the past he’s shared with me the music of his uncle, Alston Jack (who some of you may remember from his... 

This entry is part 2 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalIt is hard to imagine Carnival without music. And the definitive music of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is soca. So what is Soca Music? Well, why not let Soca Superstar Machel Montano say it in his own words? From Caribbean Music 101 (the original link no longer works unfortunately): What is Soca? Soca is a modern form of calypso... 

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and whether you are single or attached I love any reason to make a fuss over oneself. This week I’m preparing a romantic meal that is no-fuss, no-hassle, and definitely Caribbean in flavour! Joining us on-air will be my ‘long-time’ friend, Tobagonian-born pannist, Rony Perry. He’ll be playing us into Trinidad’s world-famous Carnival... 

This entry is part 1 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalWith only a few days before ‘High Mas’ it is time again to shine a spotlight on Trinidad’s largest cultural festival, Carnival. Where did the word “carnival” come from? Hundred and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival... 

As seen on the fifth episode of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina” here is Q’s recipe for spicy, flavourful Trinidad Geera Chicken! Q’s Geera Chicken Serves 6 INGREDIENTS: 3 1/2 – 4lbs chicken parts cut into 10 or more pieces (Q chops the parts into bite-sized pieces, bone in & skin on) Angostura bitters (optional) green seasoning (optional) 3 cloves... 

From the moment I first heard Collis Duranty’s voice I was instantly drawn by its soulfulness and sweet, soothing quality. Combine that with introspective, uplifting lyrics and a stylish stage presence and you have a rising star who has caught the attention of media outlets such as Metro Magazine as well as local audiences. this Collis Duranty cat has presence… dunno how thick is the crowd...