This recipe made 3 rum bottles worth of mauby. They were done within 24 hours! Learn more! • Mauby – An Overview • Mauby Bark: Three Things You May Not Know TRINIDAD MAUBY INGREDIENTS 12 cups water 4 pieces mauby bark (you can add a few more if desired) 1 small sprig aniseed 1 piece cinnamon 3 cups sugar (or to taste) 1 – 3 tablespoons Angostura bitters (to taste) METHOD 1. Place... 

My mother first made this recipe in 2008 and it was a hit! Plantain is rarely showcased this formally on dinner tables and it really is a shame. In this case, lengths of ripe plantain are oven-baked with orange juice and zest. The result is creamy, with a slightly caramelized exterior. My personal suggestions with this recipe are to 1) make sure the plantain is adequately ripe i.e. that the skin... 

Tapenades are one of my entertaining ‘secret weapons’. Blend a few ingredients, add a drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper and people think you have been slaving for hours This one for Green Olive tapenade is one of my favourites. Because there are so few ingredients it becomes even more important that you make them of the highest quality that you can afford. I find that the flavour... 

Made on a rainy night, this spicy vegan peanut soup was a cinch to throw together. The flavours of peanut and ginger combine to create a spicy, sweet and silky texture and the crisp, cool crunch of the bean sprouts prevents the overall flavour profile from ever becoming cloying. This is a rather non-traditional (in this part of the world) take on comfort food. Although I used supermarket beansprouts... 

Last month I was invited to participate in the blogging collective “Kwanzaa Culinarians“. Linking writers throughout the African diaspora it includes such heavyweights as Chef Bryant Terry, as well as known foodies like Sanura of “My Life Runs On Food“, Courtney of “Coco Cooks” and Chrystal & Amir of “The Duo Dishes“. Needless to say, I took it... 

MMMM pawpaw. Growing up it was probably near the bottom rung of my favoured fruits. It wasn’t sweet enough, the seeds wigged me out, and the texture was just too bleh. In an effort to get me interested my mother would serve it to me drizzled in honey. This attempt worked more times than not, and as I got older my palate started to enjoy and appreciate this fruit, with or without adornment. It... 

This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Top Trini Condiments This post was originally written for a 2007 installment of “Waiter There’s Something in my…”! The theme was sauces. Originally I had thought of coming up with a pasta sauce as I haven’t made pasta in a while, however over the past week we have been flooded with mangoes (from friends and neighbours). The influx... 

. From Epicentre.com: Ginger is one of those ingredients that can be many things to many people. Not only is it used in cuisines around the world, but it also comes in a variety of forms fresh, pickled, dried, and crystallized among them . People who bake may immediately call to mind the ground ginger they use in gingerbread or the jewel-like crystallized ginger they add to holiday cookies and cakes.... 

Since 2009 I have actively incorporated more raw and vegan dishes into my regular diet and have found the benefits to be multifold. For one my body hasn’t succumbed to flus the way it regularly did in the past and I have found that many autoimmune responses that I had in the past to stress have become a lot more manageable. With many of my favourite fruits and vegetables currently back in season,... 

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 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…... 

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Top Trini Condiments Ketchup. You think you know what it is, but if you haven’t tasted true homemade ketchup, well… in the words of MTV Diary, “you have no idea”. Often when friends come down to visit they leave with bottles of local ketchup. Curious about this behaviour I asked one why she did it. “It don’t taste the same... 

Chive Blossoms – our garden Wednesday evening marks the start of Tu B’Shevat, one of my favourite holidays on the Jewish calendar. There’s something whimsical and life-affirming about having a New Year’s celebration for the environment and the seder (religious) service which accompanies it has a focus on our role as stewards of the planet, as well stewards of our own ever-evolving... 

Mmm poori. This was originally intended as part of my Hanukkah 2010 menu series, however time and health intervened. However, better late than never right? Poori is an Indian fried bread that I was first introduced to during my years at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. There it was served, at the amazing India House restaurant, in spectacular fashion. A hollow shimmering bread the size... 

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... 

Kurma is one of my favourite Trinidadian snacks. Fried mouthfuls of spiced dough in a sugary glaze, they can be found and purchased throughout the island at school ‘tuck shops’, pharmacies, supermarkets and corner shops. East Indian in origin they are also a staple treat at many Hindu and Moslem functions. Little did I realize however (until doing some research for this post) that the... 

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...