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... 

This Basil Lemonade recipe was originally made for Stephanie’s 43rd edition of Blog Party!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... 

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... 

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... 

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 entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Your Wedding, Your Way Sandwiches and soup go together so well that I had to mention them in this series. If you are having an evening wedding, sandwiches can form part of your appetizer course (cut as quarters). However, for a breakfast or lunch reception they can share the stage with your soup course, forming a light entrée all on their own (cut as halves).... 

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Top Trini Condiments No Trini condiment series would be complete without a recipe for garlic sauce. Garlic sauce is one of those local favourites that can be found everywhere from beachside stands, to popular ‘grill’ joints as well as streetside food vendors. Indeed many street vendors have distinguished themselves solely on having ‘ah bess... 

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Top Trini Condiments So you want to know how to make Trini pepper sauce? Trinidad Pepper Sauce is no joke peoples. This is liquid fire, forged from the flesh of the hottest scotch bonnet peppers, garlic, onions and other assorted ingredients simmered to perfection. This recipe is for my father’s pepper sauce, something he’s been making for…... 

Oxtail stew (or ‘stew oxtail’ as it is more commonly called in local parlance) is a sentimental favourite of many Trinbagonians. While writing this post I even had a Twitter follower tell me that it’s the first thing she insists on having upon returning home! In the US stew oxtail is more closely identified with Jamaican fare, but I do believe that each island is equally proud of... 

Valentine’s Day is less than a month away, a time of year when it seems our chocolate consumption rises exponentially – whether or not we are in a relationship! My Valentine’s Day menu and tablescapes will be up in the next few days, until then, feast your eyes (and hopefully more) on the following Top Ten Chocolate Recipes on Trinigourmet I can definitely vouch that you will want... 

This post was originally published on July 15, 2007. It has been updated twice since then. Chocolat (2000): Nominated for 5 Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture, Best Actress (Juliette Binoche — THE ENGLISH PATIENT), and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench — SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE), CHOCOLAT is the beautiful and captivating comedy from the acclaimed director of THE CIDER HOUSE RULES!... 

This dish of pigeon peas and rice was the perfect accompaniment to the Crispy Lemon Chicken that I made earlier this year. The rice and peas are cooked together in a rich combination of fresh thyme and coconut milk with wedges of tomatoes and (if desired) a scotch bonnet pepper. The final result is quite similar to the scent and flavour of Jamaican peas and rice, a sentimental fave of mine, and should... 

How cute are these ‘latkes’? I have to put the quotation marks because they are neither fried, nor flat (oh the sacrilege!). But… they are so light, crisp and flavourful that I can’t get too worked up so do ignore my faux outrage Ignoring weighty fillers, this latke recipe (which like yesterday’s Oven-Crisped Latkes comes from EatingWell Magazine) is instead oven-baked,... 

Just a few words as I am writing this at 3:10 a.m.and am rapidly fading after a day of automechanical mishaps (ugh!) Ochroes are one of those ingredients that rapidly divide people into one of two camps, the love ‘ems and leave ‘ems. Well, I was hoping that this dish would be the one that could potentially convert its detractors but I suspect it won’t. However , if you are an ochro... 

How have you been enjoying my Hanukkah 2010 series so far? At the moment I seem to be having a little trouble with my RSS feed so if you have not received the posts so far you can check out the recipe roundup to date here. I first whipped up these curried potato mini latkes two years ago for an installment of my blogger friend Stephanie’s now defunct Blog Party series. Latkes are probably... 

The following is my take on a very popular Middle Eastern salad. The parsley and lemon juice give the carrots much needed brightness, while the cumin deepens all the flavours, creating an exotic side that complements most dishes In 2007 I submitted this recipe to Gluten Free By The Bay‘s “Cooking for Karina“, a food event that focused on cooking around her friend’s food... 

This Tridoshic dal comes from a cookbook that I’ve been using for years called The Ayurvedic Cookbook. I’m always interested in learning about the culinary traditions and philosophies of other cultures. Eastern cuisines in particular often fixates on the concept of warming and cooling foods. Maintaining a balance of the two within a meal, or strategically stimulating or calming ones... 

Don’t you just love vague ‘ethnic’ recipe titles? Coming from the American Turkey Federation I’m not sure exactly how ‘Arabian’ this recipe actually is, but despite that grey area all you really need to know is that it is very very good! Arabian Vegetable Medley SERVINGS: 16 SOURCE: National Turkey Federation INGREDIENTS: 2 Pounds eggplant, Cut in 1-1/2 cubes 2... 

As promised, I am currently cooking my way through a 1969 Food issue of Caribbean Beachcomber. For much of this year I have been privately delving into older cookbooks, both West Indian in nature, as well as International. In many ways I have found that they have increased my love of cooking and my understanding of ingredients more than many contemporary publications. Many of the combinations and...