Welcome to CaribbeanPot.com and no, there’s NO reference to “pot” the feel-good bush. This is all about food and the culinary culture of the Caribbean. You’ll notice that there’s more focus on the cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago and that’s simply because that’s my roots. However I do share dishes from all the beautiful islands which make up the Caribbean from time to time. I’ll briefly tell you a bit about myself and the inspiration behind this website, then I’ll share some insight on thee site itself and I’ll finish off by telling you how you can connect with me.
As I mentioned before I was born in Trinidad and Tobago, but I now live in Hamilton Ontario with my beautiful wife Caron and our gorgeous daughters Kieana, Tehya and India. Cooking is a passion and though I have no formal training I can boast that I’ve been influenced by people who have a few hundred years worth of experience under their collective belts. As a typical Trinbagonian I love a good fete (party), liming (hanging out) with friends, ole talk, parang and pan, can take and give jokes, dependable, will try just about anything, family is very important to me and I was told that I can be very intimidating since I don’t smile.. much! I’m not a professional writer, so any spelling and grammatical errors you come across.. pretend you you didn’t see them! BTW, I’m just as comfortable in the jungle as I’m in any metropolitan city but if I could retire today it would be close to the beach where I would sail, surf, scuba, fish and just chill.
Caron, Myself, My Sister, Indy, Kieana and Tehya
CaribbeanPot.com came about in the spring of 2009 and the very fist recipe/post was made on March 24. A combination of things saw the birth of this recipe portal… 1. I hated the fact that our cuisine is not as documented (cookbooks etc) as so many other cultures globally and most people outside the Caribbean are deprived of hundreds of years of cooking traditions 2. I wanted Caron and our daughters to learn how to cook the food I grew up on and be able to share that knowledge with their children (hopefully I get to be deprived of being the designated cook in the house). But since I learned with the “dash or this and a little of that” method (no real measurements) I knew I had to not only document things for them specifically, but provide pictures to aid in the cooking process 3. With over 15 years of online working experience and my love for cooking.. this was about to be my new hobby 3. With all that I’ve learned from my mom and dad in the kitchen, as well as my grandmothers (Julia 95 yrs old and Christina died at the young age of 104) and my aunt Victoria who I lived with when I first moved to Canada… I knew I just had to pass that knowledge on. Special mention to uncle B who’s mastery of the “bush cook” was passed on to me as well.
Showing off my coconut chooking skills in Jamaica
The work I do on CaribbeanPot.com is enjoyed globally and when I look at my traffic stats I can boast that there isn’t a country on this planet, that someone have not come onto this website from. With over 200,000 monthly visitors, one of the largest (probably the largest) Facebook Fan pages (over 9000 fans) dedicated to the cuisine of the Caribbean and with over half a million video views on the YouTube cooking channel…. my dream of taking our cuisine globally is becoming a reality. (stats quoted is reflective of today’s date Sept 28 2011). Myself and the recipes I share have been featured on a number of local and international newspapers, websites around the world, I’ve done radio interviews and most recently I was interviewed for a feature on Port Hole magazine (the largest cruising magazine in print). I’m now currently working on several ventures which will see me/us on TV and I’m working on my first cookbook.. I’m still looking for a publisher so if you know one… link meh!
There are several ways you can connect with me and the work I’m doing, but I must mention that the biggest help you can give… is by telling others about the website and do leave your comments at the bottom of each recipe. Even if it’s just to say hello.. it confirms that someone is paying attention!
To connect with me directly on Facebook, search Christopher De La Rosa (click) and say that you know me from CaribbeanPot.com. On Twitter – Obzokee … I know some of you may get the meaning. To view all the cooking videos check out the You Tube Channel. And to be part of one of the largest Caribbean food groups on Face Book, click >> CaribbeanPot.
I do hope you enjoy the recipes I try to share on a weekly basis and if you publish a Caribbean food website, you’re a cookbook author or some involved in spreading the culinary traditions of the Caribbean and would like some exposure… do get in contact with me. I’ve done several features on cookbook authors etc and I assure you that I’ve helped tremendously to market their work. Even if you’re a food manufacturer (maybe you have a brand of peppersauce).. I’m happy to help wherever I can.
I’m also open to interviews, features and if you’d like to publish any of my recipes… feel free to do so, providing you give me credit and let me know where and when it will go live.
I’d like to thank everyone who’ve helped along the way (especially Caron for putting up with my mess in the kitchen and for showing her “old kitchen” to the world, as she put’s it) and for all you readers… thanks for your continued support. Be sure to support the Store (not for profit, but helps me in the financial responsibilities of the website) and do get a free copy of “Sizzle” If you come across a recipe on this website you know your mom, grandma, godmother (you get the picture) cooks differently, please don’t be disrespectful and post that whatever I did is wrong.. everyone does things differently.
I’m looking for sponsors of the website, where I’d feature your products and services to my massive audience at a fractional cost to what you’re probably already paying. Do contact me and we can discuss why you’d benefit from the exposure on CaribbeanPot.com
* If you’d like to contribute in any way to the financial running of the website or by helping with ingredients etc, do mail it to:
CaribbeanPot.com
Att: Chris De La Rosa
49 Sharon Ave
Hamilton, Ontario
L8T1E2
Canada
All help is appreciated.
Happy cooking
Chris
p.s. if you’re wondering if I’m bald the answer is no. I choose the lifestyle of the bald and famous!
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