Salads in Trinidad are traditionally a disheartening affair that leaves you wondering why the cook/establishment even bothered. Two wilted lettuce leaves, a force-ripe watery slice of tomato, and some slivers of cucumber served either unadorned, or swimming in some vague mystery oil with specks of pepper flecked throughout. All that’s missing is a headstone for your plate. Most people down it... 

Julia Child’s recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon is a classic for a reason! I’ll be sharing my experience with it with you soon My apologies for not posting a hotlist for June, life has been so hectic. I know that many of you look forward to them for new titles and recommendations so without further ado here is this month’s Top 10, including a first-time appearance for a Bermudian publication!... 

This Basil Lemonade recipe was originally made for Stephanie’s 43rd edition of Blog Party! One of the things that I love about adding basil to beverages is the muted herbal flavour that it imparts. This lemonade is no exception. It softens the acidity of the lemon/lime juice, and also mellows out the overt sweetness. Be sure to blend the basil leaves and lime juice completely before adding... 

This salad is a nostalgic favourite of mine. It was the only form of vegetables that my Aunt provided on a regular basis when I (and many of her godchildren) would spend part of the school holidays by her. From young I enjoyed the contrast in textures between the smooth creamy mayonnaise, and crunchy carrots… and the occasional burst of sweetness that the raisins provided? Heaven! So imagine... 

August 1st is Emancipation Day in Trinidad and Tobago, a public holiday. Trinidad and Tobago was the first country in the world to commemorate the abolition of slavery with a national observance, and since that time several other countries (mostly in the Caribbean) have followed suit. For quite a few years now the last week in July, building up to the holiday (August 1), has been set aside for a... 

As previously mentioned, it’s mango season and mangoes have been pouring in from the trees of various family friends. Now mangoes are not a cookie cutter fruit. They come in many different varieties. I confess however that I am no mango connessiuer. All I know is some have smooth seeds, some have very hairy seeds (which mom says they used to turn into dolls when she was a kid), and some are very... 

From Natural Health Magazine: This stir-fry is inspired by the flavors of traditional Chinese red roasting, which derives its special character from the use of dark soy, Shaoxing wine and rock sugar. This post was originally published on October 15, 2006 and was one of the first dishes I prepared for this site. A sentimental fave just right for revisiting! This dish relies heavily on the quality... 

June 23rd is Corpus Christi in Trinidad and Tobago, a public holiday. According to Gov.TT: Corpus Christi is a long-standing tradition in our islands, going back to our pre-British occupation by the Catholic Spaniards. Though mainly observed by Roman Catholics, it is a designated public holiday. This special Feast Day is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, in commemoration of the institution... 

When I was studying in the USA it seemed that every bar had Angostura bitters on its shelves. I realized that to Americans this tiny bottle was seen as a cocktail ingredient. How so very different from here in Trinidad where Angostura bitters is a staple in every kitchen, and is used to flavour everything from soups, to roasts, to ice cream! Growing up a few drops of Angostura in a glass of warm water... 

Like any good food blogger I have amassed a huge list of recipes from other bloggers that I plan to ‘try one day’. One of my very first ‘Fabulous Finds’ was this Buttermilk Cornbread recipe that I got from Radmila’s food blog ‘Papamo‘ in 2007. Radmila is a true example of 21st century globalism. She is Serbian, married to a Guyanese, and living in Canada!... 

This quick and easy rum pudding is the next installment in my retro Caribbean Beachcomber series. The name is derived from the tales of a rather prolific aristocratic serial killer. I was not aware of Bluebeard or the stories before making this dish and I must say I am glad, because I am hard pressed to find a connection between the two and would rather not have such visions in my head while enjoying... 

“June 19, Sir, is a day which, in the minds of the workers, marks a landmark in the history of the working class movement.” – Adrian Cola Rienzi June 19 is Labour Day in Trinidad and Tobago, a public holiday Labour Day marks the labour uprising on 19th June 1937 which is generally recognised as the start of the modern trade union movement in Trinidad and Tobago. From Gov.tt: Labour... 

Image Credit: NIGO Ever since I published my post “Where Oh Where Have The Buffalypso Gone?” last year, I’ve been running a poll on whether or not you would try this elusive meat. Well, the results are in and are as follows! Have you ever eaten Buffalypso? No. But I'd love to! (46%) No. I think I'll skip that one. (35%) Yes! And I loved it! (19%) Yes! Hated it! (0%) Total... 

In my recent recipe post for “Dasheen Balls” I shared that I haven’t always been a huge fan of what we here in the West Indies colloquially refer to as ‘Provisions’. I do have a weakness for cassava though, and breadfruit! Still, I’m slowly coming around to dasheen, and eddoes and green banana are still more miss than hit for my palate (I’m working on it though!).... 

Chalk it up to my high functioning autism, or my devotion to High Fidelity, but I just LOVE making ‘best of’ and ‘top’ lists. This time around I’m making a list of my Fave 3 Caribbean baked goods for May. Why for June? Well no reason really, maybe cos my Top 3 is constantly evolving and changing. So this is just a snapshot really, hope you enjoy it 1. Wholewheat Bake... 

May 30th is Indian Arrival Day, a public holiday here in Trinidad and Tobago. Indian Arrival Day commemorates the arrival of the first East Indian labourers to our shores. From the National Library Website: Indian Arrival Day, celebrated on 30th May, commemorates the arrival of the first Indian Indentured labourers from India to Trinidad, in May 1845, on the ship Fatel Razack. The Fatel Razack brought... 

I have a confession to make. I have grown up utterly hating ‘provisions’. You know what I’m talking about. Yams, eddoes, dasheen… I always had a fondness for cassava so that was granted a pardon, but the others? I wanted nothing to do with them. The antipathy began from childhood and stretched without interruption into my adult years. Memories of fist sized cubes of starch... 

This March, after the hustle and bustle of Carnival had started to die down, I was delighted to be invited to Jaffa At The Oval by an old friend. I have had the opportunity to eat there before but something always came up to change my plans. This time however it was smooth sailing and I am delighted to say that I not only had a wonderful culinary experience taste-wise but in terms of ambience and... 

Sarina’s 30 Minute Vegetarian Chili – get the recipe over at Macaroni Kid Trinidad Hey everyone, it’s been a few months since I’ve posted one of these and I’m not really sure why! I’ve been busy lining up guest contributors, giveaway sponsors, and a few other things that I’m not yet ready to reveal, so maybe that has distracted me from this monthly compilation... 

Yesterday marked the start of the Dominica Health & Wellness program featuring Bajan blogger Taymer Mason, author of Caribbean Vegan! The program looks quite inspiring and it’s lovely to see the support that the event has gotten If you’re able to attend do let me know how it was! Tweet  Read More →