‘Shark n Bake’ is -the- ultimate beach food here in Trinidad (although it can be bought in other places as well). Its epicentre (where i’ve been told the dish was also first created) is Maracas Bay (which is also the most popular beach on the island). Many beach seekers who are going to other beaches on the North Coast will stop at Maracas en route, to pick up their ‘Bake n... 

Mauby is one of my favorite Trini drinks. It is especially popular during this, the Carnival season. I grew up drinking it at my Aunt’s house where it seemed she always had a full pitcher waiting for the arrival of me and her 101+ godchildren. Cool and refreshing, sweet and yet bitter, it’s definitely an acquired taste. When I lived in the US the closest I could find to it was root beer... 

As I’ve written in the past Trinidad doubles is the ultimate local street food. It’s cheap. Usually hot/warm. Hearty. Filling. The below video, from the bookmann, is for the old skool style of doubles with 2 bara that form a ‘chickpea sandwich’. These days doubles vendors more often will make one large bara that is then folded over to enclose the curried channa filling. You... 

The genesis of this recipe came about when Nandita at Saffron Trail asked me to come up with a dish that could theoretically represent the West Indies Cricket Team at this year’s Cricket World Cup, for an article she is developing. Caribbean cooking is so varied and nuanced that I struggled for a while to find a piece that really brought us together. The best I could come up with was Rice and... 

< ?php echo getad('verticalbanner'); ?> This recipe went together so quickly and easily. And boy did it pack a punch A punch of yum that is! I love how the coolness of the lettuce and tomatoes played off of the scotch bonnet’s heat. The combination reminded me of buljol (but without the saltfish). Feel free to use whatever lettuce you may have on hand. I used romaine this time around, because... 

The strains are still somewhat faint, but once the tinsel of New Year’s has been brushed away the tempo of Trinidad life begins to quicken to the crescendo that is Carnival. From now until Carnival Tuesday I’ll be sharing the sights, sounds and TASTES of this annual celebration which some have called ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’. Unlike Fit4Mas or SaucyTrini I won’t be... 

My Mint Tea Cocktail So… continuing on my previous thoughts on the culinary association of the Caribbean with rum I did some internet trolling. Among my finds (which are now merrily archived for later reference) was an article by Ramin Ganeshram (author of Sweet Hands: Island Cooking From Trinidad And Tobago) on Epicurious.com. Titled ‘Born to Rum‘ it is a look at the genesis... 

This dish came up as a whim on my part. I quite like it and think it makes an attractive side to a meat entree. It’s also great all by itself (as I sometimes have it) Because it’s vegetarian in nature I think it may also be a great addition to the menus of any of you who may be planning Tu B’Shevat seders. I’ll be featuring more vegetarian dishes in the run-up to this fun... 

Here it is, the last in my Ole Year Offerings series. And it is the ultimate in ‘last-minute’ entertaining. Neither of the dishes requires any cooking! That’s right, just combine and serve! It doesn’t get any easier than this In keeping with the ‘ ‘still secret’ Black & White Theme of January’s Blog Party I decided I would make 2 bottles of... 

Here in Trinidad the eggplant has way more names than I think any one vegetable should have. We call it eggplant, aubergine, melongene and baigan. My mother, being of Jamaican stock also calls it garden egg. Now why should this funny purple thing illicit so many references? I have no clue, but I do know that whatever name it goes by it is one of my favorite ingredients! This vegetarian eggplant... 

So far I have only shared savory dishes for New Year’s so I thought it was time to mix it up with something sweet! Especially since the theme of this month’s Sugar High Friday was Sugar Art! Goolab jamoon is a sweet finger food that is commonly served at Indian weddings, pujas and other celebrations here in Trinidad. It is made from a creamy fragrant dough that is deep fried and then... 

Salted codfish, tomatoes and the hottest peppers known to man. Probably not the most scintillating combination on paper, but believe me one taste and you -will- be hooked! Buljol is without a doubt one of my favorite breakfast foods. I love the way that the saltiness of the dried shredded cod plays off the cool wetness of the tomatoes and the spicy shreds of scotch bonnet peppers. It is a simple... 

Welcome to the first in my ‘Ole Year Offerings’ Series. In Trinidad ‘Ole Year’s’ is how we refer to New Years Eve. Much as it is around the world it is a time for gathering, celebration and anticipation. Hopefully the recipes that I’ll be sharing all this week will help you to organize an ‘Ole Year’s’ that is both entertaining and stress-free.... 

As I had promised earlier, here are the samosas that I made as my Sephardic contribution to my local Hanukkah potluck Tweet  Read More →

Today’s Blog Party theme was Hollywood (Lights! Camera! Action!). So, inspired by the movie “A Passage to India” I decided to make a batch of Aloo Tiki. But I didn’t know what alcoholic beverage to serve them with. I had read that beer goes well with Indian food however I’m not a huge fan of beer, and further more beer isn’t a cocktail (which is a requirement... 

Oh sweet sweet blogosphere. Does my devotion have no end!? It’s the middle of the night and I have a sudden hankering for Hops! Now what is hops? I am sure for most of you you are thinking about some kind of grain and the beermaking process. No no no no no no. Hops is the most basic of breakfast breads/buns here in Trinidad. I have no idea how it got its name, maybe it has to do with the lengthy... 

In keeping with Retro Recipe challenge #5 (Boozy Holidays) I dived into one of my mother’s vintage Jamaican cookbooks for this post’s cocktail recipe,a rum punch simply titled “Caribbean Cooler”. I found the recipe in its original version to be a little too strong for my liking. I don’t know if this because of the cheap plastic bottle of rum that I used or if it is cos... 

In an addendum to my previous post on Angostura Bitters, Saveur Magazine has an article entitled The Bitters Truth where their intrepid reporter tours the factory and learns about the history (and mystery) surrounding this almost 200 year old recipe! Excerpt: From the outside, the complex of warehouses and offices looked not just imposing, but impenetrable. I approached a security officer standing... 

This recipe for Caramelized Onion Sauce came about as a result of the Onion Day Challenge posed by Kochtopf. According to her: In Berne (Switzerland) the annual Zibelem?ɬ§rit (onion market) is held on the fourth Monday in November. This year it will take place on Monday, 27th November. More than 50 tons of onions – in artistically woven plaits – are offered on this day on more then 300... 

Coconut sugar cakes are known to every school child in Trinidad and Tobago. These confections are one of several ‘tuck shop’ (cafeteria) staples and are also commonly available from corner stores and street vendors. Made from grated coconut they are traditionally cut into squares comprised of 2 layers and/or colors (one pink, the other white). As the only binder used is crystallized sugar...