CaribbeanPot.com

How To Make Coconut Sugar Cake.

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:47:02 +0000

I’ve been told that I don’t do enough dessert recipes, so with some time on my hands I decided to raid the cupboards and come up with a dessert recipe to share with you all. This recipe is somewhat refined from the one my dad would do, but it’s just as delicious and if I may be bold enough.. better that his! He’s old school when it comes to making sugar cake, as he prefers to get fresh dry coconut and do his thing with the grater. Besides not liking to grate coconut like a mad-man (my fingers still show battle scars from the last time I grated coconut), I noticed that I had some per-packaged shredded coconut so it was going to be a recipe for sugar cake I’d be sharing.

You’ll Need…

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups dessicated coconut (unsweetened)
2 bay leaves
thick slice of fresh ginger
4-6 drops red food coloring (optional)

The first thing we need to do is start the syrup we’ll need as the base for this. In a deep saucepan heat the sugar, water, bay leaves and a thick slice of ginger. Bring up to a rolling boil and allow to cook until it reduces and gets thick. (about 5-7 mins). You’ll have to constantly stir with a spoon or a whisk as I did.

Now it’s time to remove the bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard (if you like the strong aroma and taste of ginger and bay leaves.. you can always grate the ginger into the syrup and crush the bay leaves). Add the essence and stir in the dessicated coconut (shredded or flaked coconut).. now add the drops of coloring and stir constantly. It will require about 5-7 minutes (on medium heat) to get to the consistency we’re looking for.(you can always follow along with the video below)

The idea is to burn off as much liquid as you can from the pan, so you have a thick and sticky consistency. A good sign that you’re close to where you want it to be, is when the coconut mixture starts coming away from the sides of the pan and somewhat clump.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet I then took spoon full amounts and made small heaps to form little sugar cakes. This will need to set (cool and take shape) before you can fully enjoy them. Remember we just made a syrup with the sugar so this will be extremely hot… do have some patience. Your kitchen will have the lovely aroma and coconut, essence,ginger and bay leaf… and I’m sure you’ll and your kids will love this tasty treat.

* If you have a 1 inch deep pan you can pour the cooked mixture into it and allow to cool, then cut into even squares. You can also be creative and do different colors and stack them to form a rainbow effect if you wish.

Store in an airtight container for maximum freshness and do refrigerate if you plan on keeping them more than a few days.

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Scrumptious Vegetable Fried Rice.

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:08:03 +0000

Vegetable fried rice is one of those dishes that’s very simple to make and can be personalized in so many ways. But there are some dishes you simply can’t recreate (as you remember from your childhood) and to be quite honest I don’t even try, so in this recipe I’ll show you ‘my’ take on a wonderful rice dish. Growing up one of my favorite places to buy ‘chinee’ food was a spot on Mucarapo Street just past the old “Strand” cinema on the right side or the truck which sold food on the Promenade San Fernando (by the train engine). It still amazes me how the Chinese food in Trinidad and Tobago is so unique with it’s Caribbean taste and flavors. I’m still to come up with a recipe for the fried chicken you’d normally get with a combo, but rest assured I’m busy at work on it.

Our mom makes a deadly chicken and/or shrimp fried rice, but my sister is still the best when it comes to a tasty shrimp fried rice… something we look forward to when there’s a family gathering. In this recipe we’ll avoid meats in general, but with the layers of flavor we’ll build.. you’ll be amazed at how scrumptious this will be.

You’ll Need…

4 cups cooked rice (see note below)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup diced carrot
2 scallions
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 large onion diced
3/4 teaspoon salt (see note below)
1/2 cup diced celery

Note: I used long grain brown rice as I much prefer this rice and it’s supposed to be a healthy rice to consume. I cooked it without salt and took it off the stove about 5 minutes before it was fully cooked. Additionally I allowed it to cool overnight in the fridge. These two things are the tricks to having a grainy fried rice, which will not clump or go soggy when you put the recipe together. You’ll notice that I used 3/4 teaspoon salt in the rice… since your tolerance for salt will be different than mine, do taste near the end of cooking and adjust accordingly.

The first thing we need to do is to chop and cube all the vegetables we’ll be using in the vegetable fried rice. Try to keep the pieces uniform in size to allow for even cooking and try not to be too big as we need everything to cook fast.

Heat the vegetable oil on a med/high heat is a wide pan (I used my wok) then add the crushed garlic and ginger and give it a good stir. We’re trying to release all those wonderful flavors to use as abase for this vegetarian fried rice. That should cook for a minute or two, then add the diced carrots as this would be the one vegetable which will take long to cook. Give it a good stir and cook for a couple minutes.

Now add the diced onion, green pepper and celery. Allow that to cook for a couple minutes, then add the black pepper, soy sauce, salt and sesame oil. Everything will go dark, but have no fear.. once we add the cooked rice it will balance off.

It’s time to quickly add the frozen peas, give it a stir and start adding the rice. Remember to have chilled your rice in the fridge to achieve a grainy consistency when it’s all done. I absolutely hate fried rice which clumps together.

Keep stirring to make sure all the rice grains get coated evenly with the dark base we made. If you find that the colour is not dark enough for you, you can always add some more soy sauce at this point. I say at this point as we’ve not added the salt yet. Remember that the soy sauce is salty so if you add more.. adjust the amount of salt you add. Now is the time to add the salt, taste and adjust accordingly. All you’re doing here is basically heating through the rice, so within 4-5 minutes it should be done.

Turn off the stove, add the chopped scallions and give it a good final stir. Below you’ll find a video I did to use as an additional guide in making this vegetable fried rice.

There’s enough vegetable fried rice here for about 6-8 people and it goes well with the Shrimp Stir Fry recipe I put together a while back or just as good on it’s own.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Cinnamon And Brown Sugar Plantains.

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:38:11 +0000

I have a weakness for plantain, which means I can’t walk by the display at the grocery store and not put some in the shopping cart. A lot of times they go bad on the counter and I know this… but I just can’t help myself. Yet again I had some on the counter in the kitchen calling out to me (or was that Caron saying “are you going to use these or let them go bad again?”) so rather than fry them as I would normally, I decided to be a bit creative.

With the addition of the spices and sugar this could easily be considered a dessert, or used as a topping for some good coconut ice cream, but I much prefer it as a side to my rice dishes and the leftover I made sandwiches with. Toasted bread with a thin layer of butter and a few slices of this wonderful cinnamon plantain slices.

You’ll Need…

3 medium ripe plantains
2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch grated nutmeg
pinch salt
2 tablespoon olive oil (for brushing)

Recipe Edit Notes. In the video I posted below I failed to mention a few things. The plantains I used would have been better if they were a bit riper and I think it would be much tastier if you gave them a good brushing of melted butter. The butter would allow the brown sugar to caramelize and form a lovely coating on the finished slices of plantain.

Start by trimming off the ends of the ripe plantains and discard. Then cut in half length-wise and peel off the skin (see the video below to see how I did it). You will now have two pieces of peeled plantain… slice off (lengthwise) a piece about 1/4 inch. Now use this sliced surface to sit on your cutting board to make slicing the rest of the plantain easier. Slice 1/4 inch pieces and set aside.

Mix together the cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, salt and brown sugar until it’s completely blended.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (makes clean-up easier) and brush it with oil to coat the surface. Now place the slices of ripe plantain on top, brush with the olive oil and sprinkle (generously) the spice mixture we just made, evenly on each piece of plantain. (See my note above about using butter)

Place in the middle rack of a preheated 400 F oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. After 30 minutes check to see how it’s doing.. if you find that it’s golden and a nice caramel coat has formed, you may want to remove it from the oven early. I say this because I know that no 2 oven are the same when it comes to controlled temperatures.

The lovely scent of cinnamon and nutmeg should be present in your kitchen and you’ll be tempted to eat a slice or two as soon as it comes out of the oven… be careful as it will be very hot.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

How To Make Geera Chicken.

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:59:32 +0000

After posting the geera pork recipe a while back, there were several emails from people who don’t eat pork wanting a different option. Though I’m a bit late with this geera chicken recipe, this one is for all the pork haters. Geera (aka cumin) is used to give this sort of bar food (similar to how you’d find tapas in Spain) a strong ‘spice’ base and the garlic, herbs and habanero (scotch bonnet peppers are normally used) pepper gives it that unique Caribbean kick. As I’ve mentioned in the past, geera is one of those few spices I just don’t appreciate, so this dish is not made often in our kitchen. Probably also explains why my love for Mexican food is very limited.

You’ll Need…

2 lb boneless chicken breast cubed
1 tablespoon ground roasted geera (cumin)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 habanero pepper (scotch bonnet or any hot pepper you like)
2 heaping tablespoon of chopped cilantro (stems and everything)
4 sprigs thyme
2 scallions
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon vegtable oil
1/2 lime or lemon for washing the chicken

Notes. Traditionally Shado Beni is used instead of the cilantro, but it’s a good substitute when you can source shado beni. Chicken breast or white meat is notorious for being dry, but I assure you that it’s will be moist and very flavorful when done. However, if you wanted to use boneless dark meat (legs/thighs), that work great as well. Finally, if you wanted to use the whole geera seeds (cumin) and roast it in a dry pan on high heat, then grind… you’ll really heighten the overall flavor of this dish. But be prepared for your entire house to be encased in that strong roasted geera smell (too much for me personally).

Start by cutting the chicken into 1 inch cubes, then pour the lime or lemon juice over it. Give it a good stir, then rinse off with cool water and drain. It’s now time to season the chicken so we can allow it to marinate for abut 1/2 hour. In a large bowl, place the cubed chicken, salt, black pepper, diced scallions, chopped cilantro, chopped habanero or whatever hot pepper you have and the thyme. Give it a good stir and allow to marinate.

In a fairly deep saucepan, heat the vegetable oil on a med/high flame, then add the sliced onion and garlic. Turn down the heat so you can cook this without it burning. Stir and cook until the onion is soft.. about 4 minutes. Now add the ground roasted geera to the pot and stir. it will go grainy and darker. That is normal. Make sure the heat is down to low and cook for 3-4 minutes. What we’re doing is allowing the roasted geera to toast and release it’s full bouquet.

Start adding the seasoned chicken to the pot and stir as you add. The idea is to coat all the pieces with some of that lovely sort of paste we created and to pick up all the bits from the bottom of the pan (similar to deglazing). Have the heat at med/high and now cover the pot. It will come to a sort of boil and star releasing some natural juices. This is when you’ll turn down the heat and allow it to cook for about 10 minutes. Check occasionally and stir as well. If for some reason there’s no liquid, add a bit of water to allow the chicken to fully cook.

After 10-12 minutes, the chicken should be almost fully cooked. Since we’re using chicken breast, we really don’t want to overcook this or risk it going dry. There should still be a bit of liquid in the pan, so it’s time to remove the lid and turn up the heat a bit. The idea is to burn off all that liquid and in doing so give the pieces of chicken a lovely coating of all the spice and seasoning we used. It should take about 3-4 minutes to completely burn off… you’re done!

If you’re having this as a snack while enjoying some beverages with friends, it’s enough for about 4 people and could easily stretch for 5-6 people as a side dish with dinner. The first time I had this, was with split peas dhal and boiled brown rice and it was quite tasty. You can certainly adjust the amount of geera and hot pepper you use to your own liking. I guess the same can be said for the salt as I know we all have a different tolerance for salt. Here’s a helpful video showing the entire cooking process for this geera chicken recipe.

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—0–>Winner Wanted!<–0–

It’s that time again! New for 2012 one lucky reader will win a spanking new copy of “Aroma – The Magic Of Essential Oils In Food And Fragrance“. A $45 value, will be shipped to the lucky winner the first week of February(we even pay the shipping cost). All you have to do is tell me what’s your favorite herb and why, in the comment section below and your name will be automatically entered to win. Yea.. it’s that simple.

There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about your favorite herb/s.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Aroma – The Magic Of Essential Oils In Food And Fragrance“”…

- contest is open to everyone globally (even if you won something here before)

- there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

- 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

- contest is open from January 5 – to midnight January 31.

- winners will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

- the winners will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

- we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this book out to you. It’s simple, free and would make for a great addition to your cooking library.

Good Luck!

Turn Leftover Ham Bone Into A Comforting Caribbean Soup.

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:09:43 +0000

As my family and friends enjoy the blistering heat of the Caribbean sun, I have to settle for temperatures which are starting to dip below the freezing point and it will only get colder as we move into January and February. However, with a huge pot of ham bone soup simmering away on the stove, nothing brings me more comfort and memories of the sunny Caribbean. Ham bone soup is one of those meals I look forward to after the holidays… not only is it very delicious and easy to make, it helps me forget how cold it is outside as we get set for the shorter days and frigid temperatures.

Soup is a traditional “Saturday” dish on the islands and it’s one of those traditions we take with us wherever we may now call home. Go to any West Indian market on a Friday evening or early Saturday morning and see people busy shopping for salted meats and ground provisions. No joke.. I even saw two women almost fight for the last ‘hand’ of green fig (banana) a few years back at a West Indian store.

This is one of those soups where you put everything in the pot and allow it to do it’s thing as it takes about an hour and a half to cook. Ham bone soup is an excellent one pot meal when you don’t feel like staying hours in the kitchen and it’s very delicious and filling.

You’ll Need…

1 Ham Bone (or any smoked bones)
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/4 tablespoon salt (see note below)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper
1 large onion
1 large carrot
3 large potatoes
3 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
2 scallions
2 cups dry yellow split peas
1 1/2 lb butternut squash
2 tablespoon olive oil (or veg)
10 cups water

Optional – (flour dumplings)
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
pinch of sugar
water

Notes. If you don’t have a ham bone, you can use ham hocks and if pork is not your thing, smoked turkey or beef bones would work just as well. I used about 1 1/4 tablespoon salt, but since your tolerance for salt will be different than mine, start off with a tablespoon and adjust accordingly. You can certainly use stock instead of the 10 cups of water I mentioned, but I like to get the true flavor of the ham bone, so I try not to overpower it with any sort of stock.

We’ll start off by peeling and chopping all the ingredients. With the squash, carrots and potato, be sure to leave them in huge pieces so when they cook down they won’t totally melt away.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on a med/high heat, then add the sliced garlic and onion and cook for a couple minutes (until they’re soft and edges start going brown). Now add the black pepper, thyme (I left the thyme on the sprig as I love the extra flavor from it – at the end of cooking I can remove the sprigs), cubed potato, cubed quash and carrot. Give the split peas a good rinse with cool water, drain and add it to the pot as well. Give everything a good stir.

Since I had some leftover meat with my ham, I stripped what I could off the bone and gave it a rough chop (cubes). Now add the coconut milk and salt to the pot and give it a good stir.

Add the pieces of ham, the ham bone and the scallions (rough chop them) to the pot and stir as best as you can (it may be difficult with the huge ham bone).

Now is when you add the water (make sure everything gets covered) and place the habanero (or any hot pepper you have available) whole, to the pot. By adding the pepper whole, we’ll get some flavor and not the heat. However if heat is your thing, you can chop the pepper before adding or burst it later on in the cooking process as I did.

Turn up the heat and bring the pot to a boil. As it starts to boil you’ll notice some frothy stuff at the top, skim that off and discard. Now turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and allow to cook for one and half hours. Remember to stir things every 15 minutes or so. You will notice that as the split peas become tender the soup itself will get very thick… this is when it’s important to stir as the peas can stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

After 1 hr and 15 mins the split peas should be close to being fully cooked and there should be a wonderful scent throughout your kitchen and home. It’s now time to make the dumplings. In a bowl add the flour and a pinch of sugar, give it a stir with a fork, then start adding water to form a dough. In the video below you’ll see how I did it. Basically you’re looking for a soft, smooth dough. After the dough is made, pinch off pieces (about the size of a large marble) and form into a large cigarette and add to the pot. Basically all you do is… roll the dough between both hands to form the shape of the dumplings.

After adding the dumplings, allow it to cook for another 15 minutes, then it’s all done. Check for salt as I’m sure your tolerance for salt will be a bit different than mine. Now is when you would fish out the habanero pepper and the sprigs from the thyme we added earlier in the cooking process.

This is a huge pot of soup, so why not make it a family affair and invite some relatives and friends over. If not, put the remainder in a freezer container and freeze for a couple months at least. All you do is thaw, add some water in a pot and reheat. Additionally, this soup will get VERY thick when it cools down, so if you’re reheating on the stove, do add about 1/2 cup of water to thin it out a bit.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

The Ultimate Curry Shrimp.

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:21:50 +0000

Here’s another recipe to add to the “Ultimate” series I’ve been sharing from time to time with you. Curry shrimp is one of those simple dishes to make, but it’s very easy to overcook it and end up with shrimp the texture of leather. In this curry shrimp recipe I’ll show you how to have perfectly cooked shrimp that’s very attractive and full of that unique flavor from the way we cook curry in the Caribbean. Enjoyed with rice, roti or any which way you partner your curry dishes, this curry shrimp will definitely excite your taste buds and make an impression on family and friends.

You’ll Need….

1 lb shrimp (peeled deveined)
1 heaping tablespoon Madras blend curry powder (I like using a Caribbean variety)
2 scallions
1/2 habanero pepper (as much as you like)
1 medium tomato
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 bell pepper (sweet pepper)
4 tablespoon water for cooking the curry
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

* you’ll also need a couple tablespoon of lime or lemon juice to wash the cleaned shrimp.

Note: If you have the Caribbean style green seasoning mix, use a teaspoon instead of the thyme and cilantro. If you can source fresh shado beni, that would be ideal instead of the cilantro. Bell pepper is something new to this recipe but I like the added flavor, texture and overall look it brings to this dish. I like using a Caribbean style curry powder as I find it to be unique in it’s depth and flavor.

The first thing you need to do (if it’s not already done as some groceries sell already cleaned and deveined shrimp) is to remove the outer shell of the shrimp and devein them. Then squeeze the lime or lemon juice over it, give it a good stir, then rinse with cool water. Drain and get ready to season so it can marinate for a bit.

Chop the scallion, cilantro, onion, peppers, tomato and garlic… I like using the thyme on it’s sprig for the added flavor. When you’re done cooking you can them remove the sprigs. In a large bowl place the now cleaned shrimp and add the salt, black pepper, chopped peppers (habanero and bell), cilantro, thyme and scallions. Give it a good stir and allow it to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over a med/high heat, then add the sliced onions and garlic. Allow that to cook on a med heat for about 3-4 minutes or until they get soft and edges start going golden. Now add the curry powder, give it a good stir and cook for a couple minutes. The goal is to heat the curry powder so it releases all those wonderful flavors. You will notice that the curry will go a bit darker and it will become very grainy. If you find that it’s burning, turn down the heat as we really need this to cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Now it’s time to add the water and make a sort of curry paste (be prepared for that burst of curry scent). It will be runny at first, but allow it to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. This step will cook the curry initially so we don’t get that ‘raw’ curry taste when the dish is done. After 4 minutes, turn up the heat to burn off all that water. you will now have a sort of paste.

Now it’s time to add the seasoned shrimp and give it a good stir to pick up all those curry bits from the bottom of the pan. Add everything in the bowl to the pan and have the heat at about medium. You can jump-start things by placing the lid on the pan if you want… this will cause the shrimp to spring a lot of it’s only natural juices (only keep the lid on for a minute or 2). With the lid open and the shrimp going at a rolling boil, you’ll notice the shrimp will start to curl and change color. All we want to do is cook the shrimp for 5-7 minutes from the time you add them. So if after 5 minutes you notice you have a lot of liquid in the pan, turn up the heat. I like my curry shrimp with a bit of gravy for dipping roti or to put on my rice. But that gravy must be somewhat thick. My mom would never leave gravy and to be honest, if you cook it down all the way… the taste will be a bit different.

Wasn’t that simple? I assure you this could well be the best curry shrimp you’ve ever had.. trust me! In the video below you can follow along in the event I was confusing above in my description.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

How To Make Caribbean Black Cake Part 2.

admin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:27:15 +0000

In part one of this black cake making recipe we focused on preparing the aromatic fruits we’ll be using to give the cake it truly unique Caribbean flavor. Black cake is one of those desserts you’ll find in just about every Caribbean home during the Christmas holidays and as we’ve discussed in part 1, just about everyone does things a bit different. This black cake recipe is one which takes me back to my childhood in Trinidad and Tobago as we all (brothers and sisters) assisted my mom in making these the night before Christmas. Besides the scent of freshly painted walls, varnished floors, new curtains and bed sheets… the tempting fragrance out of the oven leading up to and including Christmas day is one of pure joyful memories for me. Cake, bread, bake pork and the smoked ham.

Let’s get baking…

You’ll Need…

2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 lb)
1 cup brown sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon mixed essence
4-5 cups dried fruits (puree/soaked)
2 cups allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon browning (see note below)
1 teaspoon lime zest (grated)
dash of angostura bitters (optional) and a pinch of salt

Note: The browning required to give the cake the dark rich color and Caribbean flavor is not your typical gravy browning. It’s a Caribbean style burnt sugar browning. Its consistency will be similar to molasses (thick). You can source this at any West Indian grocery store or you can make your own if you prefer.

* Make sure the eggs are room temperature and the butter is soft.
* if you prefer to use granulated sugar instead of the brown sugar I mentioned, by all means do so. This is just my preference.

We’ll start off by creaming the butter and sugar until you have a fluffy and smooth consistency. You will also notice that the color will become more pale as you cream the butter. This is one of those times you’ll be thankful if you have a standing mixers. we don’t own one (Santa, please bring Chris a Kitchen Aid for Christmas. please boss), so in a large bowl I put the sugar and butter and using my handy hand mixer I went to work. Back in the old days I remember it was my dads job to do this with a large spoon. Mr Man was old school.

After you have a smooth and fluffy batter base, it’s time to start adding the eggs. Remember to have them at room temperature for best results, add one at a time and mix it thoroughly. Tip : Crack each egg into a small bowl first so you can fish out any shell if any pieces fall in.. this way you’re not diving in the batter for it)

After you’ve added and worked in all the eggs, it’s time to add the vanilla, bitters, mixed essence and lime zest and give it a good mix. Seeing that I was using a hand mixer I added the soaked fruits in two batches to make less work for the mixer. I added 3 cups, worked it in with a spatula, then gave it a good mix with the hand mixer.. then repeated with the other 2 cups of fruits. I now had the ‘wet’ batter completely mixed.

By now you’ll start getting that wonderful scent of cake batter, spiced by the wonderful soaked fruits. Now it’s time to work with the dry ingredients, then combine everything. In another bowl I placed the flour, pinch of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg (if you have freshly grated that would work best) allspice and baking powder. Give that a good mix and I would even suggest sifting to really have it mix evenly. We’ll now start adding the dry ingredients to the wet batter, but do so in 1/3 amounts (so three times). To make mixing easier and to allow for even mixing.

With the batter completely mixed, it’s time to add the browning (see note above about type) and time to give the entire batter it’s final mix.

You’ll have enough batter here for 2 round pans (10-12 inches) or as in my case I used 3 disposable rectangle pans. Not only did I grease then, I also lined them with parchment paper to avoid any issues when they were done baking (to remove them). I got the pans in the dollar store and I like the fact that they came with lids, so I could easily seal them when they were cooled. Great for giving as Christmas gifts.

Pour in enough batter to 2/3 up the pan and place in a preheated 250 C oven for 2.5 hours. Since your oven will differ from mine, I suggest you give the cake the toothpick test after the 2.5 hrs to see if it’s fully baked. In the video below I explain this. If it’s not fully cooked, put it back in for another 20-30 minutes. I baked mine on the middle shelf of my oven if you’re wondering and it was completely baked after 2.5 hours.

After you remove the cakes from the oven allow it to cool for a bit, then you can brush a mixture of rum and sherry over it and allow it to soak through the cake. This will give it that added kick! Trust meh!

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

How To Make Caribbean Black Cake Part 1.

admin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:09:52 +0000

I still recall my dad getting instructions from our mom when it was his job to grind the fruits for preserving in making black cake. He had to adjust the mill the right coarseness for the consistency of the final fruit mixture to be perfect, or my mom would have an ear-full for him. I don’t think he cared much as he would sample the rum and cherry brandy during the process for that mellow state of mind. As we got older, this job became ours (I still have a love for prunes as I’m sure my mom’s recipe had about 1/4 lb less prunes than what she started off with)… if only I could convince our daughters to help me!

Black cake, rum cake, fruit cake… yea, it’s well known throughout the Caribbean and I can bet my last dollar that no two recipes are the same. Our grandmother’s cake is uniquely different than our mom’s and I’m sure when my mom sample the cake I sent for her.. she’ll notice that it’s nothing like hers. Please use the recipe below as a guide to come up with your own unique twist to this most loved cake and do get your children and loved ones involved. It’s a wonderful feeling to have the entire family involved… ladies, have your girlfriends over for a girls nite and you could all have your fruits ready for black cake making.

Today we’ll spend some time preparing the fruits we’ll be using in the actual black cake recipe, as it’s important for the fruit to soak or marinate for at least a month before it’s ready for making the batter for the black cake. In some cases I know people who do this step as soon as the use the fruits and have it soak for a full year until it’s Christmas time again.

You’ll Need…

dark rum 2 cups (try to get a spiced rum)
sherry 4 cups
prunes 1 lb (pitted)
mixed peel 1 lb
raisins 1/2 lb
maraschino cherry 1/2 lb
lemon peel 1/4 lb

* Traditionally cherry wine or cherry brandy (an alcoholic drink unique to the Caribbean) is used along with rum, but I used Sherry instead since it was the only option I had available. In all honesty, the Sherry gave it a wonderful rounded fruity flavor which I quite liked. Additionally, I used a dark spiced rum which complimented the overall bouquet I was looking for. Remember you can always tailor this to your own taste by adding any other dried fruits you may like.

I’ll be using a food processor to mince or puree the fruits, but if you’re old school and want to use a food mill.. do your thing. We’ll start by giving the prunes a rough chop to make it easier for the food processor and it also allows us to verify that each prune is truly seedless. Prunes are a favorite snack of mine and to this day I remember the look on Caron’s face the first time we went grocery shopping as a couple and I picked up a bag proudly in the store. I didn’t realize that in North America, prunes are associated with constipation…. even the young girl in the checkout gave me a sort of weird look.

The next step is basically to put everything into the food processor and to add about a cup or two of the rum/sherry into it and puree to help the processor. The consistency is totally up to you. I started giving it a few pulses (just to get things going), then I had it run until I got a thick but smooth consistency (with a little chunkiness). Some of you may like to actually get little bits of the fruit when the cake is made, so keep an eye on the consistency.

The next step is to pour the entire mixture into a large bowl and add the rest of the rum and sherry. Give it a good stir to make sure the fruit absorbs all the liquor goodness and get ready to place it all into a container which can be sealed. I used a glass bottle.

Using a large spoon I poured everything into the glass bottle I purchased (cleaned) especially for this purpose as it can be reused yearly.

If you prefer you can always “soak” the fruits without pureeing and do that step the day you’re actually making the cake, but I find that not only is it more convenient to have this step done in advance, but the fruits seems to absorb all that rum flavor and goodness much better when everything is pureed. This can be stored in any cool dark spot in your kitchen or pantry.

In the next step to making the black cake, we’ll go though the making of the dough and the actual baking of the cake itself. You can always refer to the video below for help in preparing the fruits for making this Caribbean black cake.

Note: The longer you allow the fruits to ‘soak’ or marinate the more flavor it will absorb and it will make for a more rounded and fruity cake. This explains why most people go though this step as soon as they use the preserved fruits and allow the new batch to marinate for a full year. I must also warn you that if you were to open this bottle during the ‘soaking’ period, you’ll be tempted by the lovely aroma.. to grab a spoon and eat some.

Pastelles A Caribbean Christmas Tradition.

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:58:35 +0000

Growing up on the islands pastelles were not on our hit-list for Christmas, as it wasn’t something made by our mom or dad. I do recall the lady who lived a couple houses across from us had a part time job around the holiday season where she assisted in making pastelles by the hundreds and that’s pretty much all I knew about this tasty Christmas treat. Made from beef, pork or chicken, I do crave pastelles in my adult days and it seems that by the number of requests I get every year for this recipe, it’s a must-have in many homes in Trinidad and Tobago. Very similar to recipes made in Venezuela and Latin America, our pastelle is a true refection of the diverse culture we proudly claim in Trinbago. As there are many variations today and one could even find vegetarian editions being made by suppliers.

One of the problems I encounter as a cook/chef outside the islands, is sourcing the right ingredients. So in the recipe below you’ll see that I encountered a problem with the corn meal, but with some creativity I was able to correct and tweak things. I do hope you appreciate the creativity.

You’ll Need…

For the filling

1.5 lb mixed ground meat (pork | beef | veal)
2 onions, chopped
2 scallions
2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper
2 pimento peppers
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup ketchup
1 tsp Worcester sauce
3 tbsp capers (optional)
2 tbsp olives, chopped
½ cup raisins (I didn’t have any so I had to do without this time)

For the cornmeal outer layer.

2 cups cornmeal (I see my note below)
3 cups lukewarm water
4 tbsp cooking oil
1 ¼ tsp salt

Banana leaves for wrapping and about 2 tablespoon veg oil for brushing the leaves.

Note 1. I like the rounded flavor and texture of using the mixed grounded meats I mentioned in the ingredients list. The traditional way is to use beef or pork and maybe chicken and it’s not common to mix the meats. Most people stick to one type of meat.
Note 2. I was lucky to find banana leaves in the freezer section at the Asian supermarket. If you can’t source banana leaves, feel free to use aluminum foil to wrap them in. You may also want to check with Latin grocery stores for the banana leaves as I know they use it in many of their recipes.
Note 3. In 95% of the recipes you’ll see online and in cookbooks you’ll notice that they call for corn meal, I strongly believe they mean to say corn flour as I was told on the Facebook fan page.

The first thing we’ll do is to prepare the filling since we must allow it to cool before we can proceed with actually making the pastelles. In a large sauce pan (no oil needed) add the ground meats and proceed to brown on a medium heat. Please use a wooden spoon (I find this works best) to continuously break up the meat as it cooks. We don’t want any large lumps.

As the meat cooks, lets prepare the other ingredients for adding to the filling mix. Chop the onion, garlic, peppers and scallion… give the olives and capers a rough chop as well.

The ground meat should be fully cooked by now. I used lean ground meats so there’s residual fat in the pan. If you find that you have oil at the bottom of the pan, try to spoon it out. Now add the diced onion, garlic, peppers and scallion to the pan and on a low/med heat allow to cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Next up, add the capers and olives give it a good stir. Finally add the black pepper, ketchup, Worcester sauce and salt. If you have raisins, add them now as well. Allow this to cook for a couple minutes, then turn off the stove and allow to cool.

As the filling cools, lets work on the outer layer. Here’s where I ran into problems as the brand and texture of the corn meal I used wasn’t working for me. It was suggested by the group on Facebook, that I should use a brand called Promasa cornmeal flour.. next rongs I guess. Basically all you’re doing is in a large bowl, mix the water, corn meal flour, oil and salt to make a dough. After trying that I realize that the water and meal I was using was not binding. So I quickly placed it in a pot and on a low heat cooked it for a few minutes. But you must continuously stir.. that is if your corn meal gives problem as mine did. If you have the right corn foul as I suggested there’s no need for cooking as I did.

So after my issues with the dough.. I moved on. Make 12 equal balls with the dough, but as you make them.. be sure to cover with plastic wrap pr a damp tea towel or they will dry up.

Let’s prepare the green banana leaves for wrapping these packets of heaven. If you’re using fresh cut leaves you’ll have to pass them over an open flame to make them easier to work with. If not, they will not fold and will burst/crack on you. Since I was using frozen leaves which I found at the Asian store (also check Latin groceries as well) I didn’t have to pass them over any flame (make sure they’re thawed though). Cut them into 8 to 10 inch squares, wipe with a wet towel to clean off any residue and get ready to assemble.

I had a small bowl with vegetable oil and a brush handy. Brush some oil in the middle of each leaf, then place a ball of dough and worked it till I got a fairly large circle (make sure you have even thickness). If you have a tortilla press, it will make this step very easy for you. Now grab a heaping tablespoon (or more) of the cooled filling and place in the center. Using the sides of the leaf, fold until you get a small package (see video below). Now tie with some string and repeat for the rest of them.

You’ll find that some people choose to boil these, but I much prefer to have them steamed. Since I don’t own a steamer, I made one with what I already have. In a large pan, I put about 1-2 cups of water, brought that up to a boil, then placed a wire strainer on top (do not have the water touch the pastelles). I then I placed the uncooked pastelles on top, made sure the heat was set so I had a gentle simmer (to create steam) and I placed the laid of the pan over it to trap that steam. In the video below you’ll see what I mean. Steam for about 20-25 minutes and they should be fully cooked.

Well, after 20 minutes I was enjoying my pastelles with some good pepper sauce. If I find the time before Christmas, I’ll try to share a chow chow recipe with you all. That’s one of the main condiments to go with the foods we enjoy around the holidays.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Christmas Gift Giving Ideas For People Who Love To Cook.

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:45:30 +0000

Over the past few weeks I’ve been receiving emails asking for advice on Christmas gift giving ideas for 2011, so I thought I’d share this post with everyone. Below you’ll find my top 8 gifts for the person who love to cook or who are interested in becoming more comfortable in the kitchen. I know from experience that there are certain things you must have to make your recipes blossom. Like measuring cups, a scale, the right pot and other conveniences which make putting recipes together a breeze.

Kieana who loves baking will tell you that her measuring cups are probably her best friends when it comes to baking the perfect cookie (she’s making some chocolate chips cookies as I type this). She’s not like her grandma who’s hand and fingers doubles for measuring devices as her averages are usually spot-on. I’m sure your mom and grandma are the same way, especially if you’re from the Caribbean (these women never measure anything with cups and spoons and their food is always ah bess).

In the list of gift giving ideas below I’ll show you an image of what I’m speaking about as well as a link where you can get more info on each product. Simply click on the images and you’ll get all the info you need to see if that item would make the perfect gift this holiday season for those on your list. Or you can send you’re loved ones to this page.. hint! hint! Tell them you don’t want socks this Christmas. And tell those teenage kids of yours that macaroni crafts just won’t cut-it this year.

1. Lodge Color 3-Quart Dutch Oven. Absolutely nothing beats cooking in one of the traditional iron pots we use in the Caribbean, but I must admit that I love my enamel dutch oven I purchased a year or so ago. If you’re looking for perfect results when stewing meats as we do in the Caribbean, these sort of heavy dutch ovens can’t be matched. Soups, stews and even rice and peas comes out perfect every time! I just love cooking up a batch of curry goat in it as well… the even distribution of heat, makes for perfect braising (even in a curry sauce) and your curry goat will be falling off the bone with tenderness. Click here >> Lodge Color 3-Quart Dutch Oven to learn more.

2. Krups 203-42 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Stainless-Steel blades. The mortar and pestle will never be replaced in the kitchen, but the electric grinder is surely taking it’s deserved place in the kitchen. I just love the scent of toasting geera seeds (cumin) on the stove top, then using my electric grinder to pulse it to the perfect powdered form for making dhalpuri roti or geera pork. How about the aroma and freshness of freshly ground coffee brewed to perfection?

At under $20, this spice and coffee grinder would make an excellent Christmas for yourself or anyone on your list this year. Click Here >> Krups 203-42 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Stainless-Steel blades

3. Progressive International Deluxe Potato Cutter. Growing up we never had those frozen sticks they parade in the freezer section of the grocery store they call fries. Other than the crap you get at McDonalds (must admit I love them hot) we always have fresh cut fries at our house. I’ve never had the frozen fries you get pre-packaged as far as I know and though the cutting of the potato is a bit of work, it’s one chore I don’t mind. With this potato cutter you’ll find that not only will you make less work of cutting the potatoes, you’ll have the perfect size and shape every time. One piece of advice I must give though.. try to get a baking potato like a Russet for the ultimate in fresh cut fries. Click [full info] >> Progressive International Deluxe Potato Cutter

4. Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome by Cuisinart. As you all know, I’m not a huge fan of using an electric blender when making Callaloo as I’ve stated when I shared that recipe recently. However, there are so many other uses for this kitchen gadget that I just had to include it on my list. Just think about making a curry pumpkin soup and achieving a level of creaminess you couldn’t before. Soups, shakes, sauces, dessert toppings and even mashed potato will turn out perfect every time. My personal favorite is to puree frozen fruits like mango and strawberries into a healthy shake in the morning. Click here >> Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender for more info.

5. Hamilton Beach 33967 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker by Hamilton Beach. It’s funny how we all associate the slow cooker with a busy lifestyle and in many instances that probably true. You wake up before work, place the food in the slow cooker, program (time to start, temp and end time), then head out to work. As you and your family return home, you have a wickedly hot and delicious meal waiting for you guys. Personally I make use of the slow cooker when I’m trying to get tough pieces of meat like goat, oxtail and stubborn beef, tender. I brown the oxtails, then add it with it’s seasonings and anything else I want it to simmer with into the slow cooker and allow it to do it’s thing patiently. Soups, stews, chili… even rice and peas is always a hit when I use the slow cooker. If you’re considering sending this as a gift this Christmas or maybe you could use one, remember to consider the size of the family and how they’ll be using it. What I mean is… will they benefit from a programmable one or not (if they’re people who’s on the ‘go’.. they’ll thank for for the programmable setting). Click Here >> Hamilton Beach 33967 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker by Hamilton Beach for more info.

6. Piece Stainless Steel Set by RSVP. When you’re trying to document recipes for others to follow, especially when it’s coming from a Caribbean background where measurements were never used (a little of this and a little of that), you’re best friends are the measuring cups and spoons you have available. The same can be said if you’re new to cooking and find it a bit intimidating. It’s hard to screw up a dish when you have a good recipe to follow and the right measuring cups and cooking utensils. Trust me, this will be the BEST kitchen investment you can make (it’s less than $25). Click Here >> 7 Piece Stainless Steel Set by RSVP for more info.

7. Tefal ActiFry FZ700015 Low Fat Electric Fryer. This is the one thing I’m begging Santa for this year (memory eh all that good, but I think I was a good fella this year). I first saw this about 2 years ago when it was just being launched to the general public and though it was a bit cheaper then… I’d still like to get my hands on one. Imagine making fresh cut fires (yes FRIED) with just one tablespoon of oil? Yes, unheard..right? With the technology built into this electric fryer, you’re as close to making deep fried good for you. I’ll confess that I have a love affair with fried foods and my waist line shows… rather than cutting those foods entirely from my diet, I know I can make them a bit healthier. It’s a bit expensive, but it may well be worth the price. Click Here >> Tefal ActiFry FZ700015 Low Fat Electric Fryer for more info.

8. Wall Mount Grocery Bag Holder, Brushed Stainless Steel by Simplehuman. If you’re from the Caribbean or have friends from the Caribbean I’d like you to say yes or no (in the comment section below). Do you have or have you seen a bag in their kitchen cupboards with a bunch of other plastic store bags? I recall my mom having one and to date we had one until recently when we now have a mounted container like this one. We Caribbena people love to save plastic bags we get from stores… we probably perfected recycling when it comes to plastic bags (no lie). This attractive and handy wall mounted bag storage unit will bring you into the modern age! So are you shaking your head in approval (my question about collecting bags)? Click Here >> Wall Mount Grocery Bag Holder, Brushed Stainless Steel
by Simplehuman for more info.

There were a number of other things I wanted to include in this list, but we’ll leave those for next year. I do hope you find this post informative and don’t stick.. you have a few days left before the big morning, so get cracking.

Happy Cooking!

Chris…

Coconut Shrimp With A Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce.

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:24:02 +0000

Here’s one of those recipes where tourists to the Caribbean may have more experience with than everyday islanders. When I posted the video (see below) for this coconut shrimp recipe on facebook, a fan mentioned that this is something more common in the tourist areas in the Caribbean. Though I tend to agree, I must also point out that any sort of fusion restaurant you go to in the Caribbean you may find this on their menu and I’m sure these restaurants are not in business to only cater to tourists (open to the public).

Whenever we’re in the Caribbean it’s our mission to search out restaurants with coconut shrimp on their menu as nothing beats having this made with freshly caught shrimp and flakes of coconut done earlier in the day. Rather than the frozen and prepackaged stuff we get in North America. Additionally, with the cool Caribbean breeze… along with an ice-cold Stag (any Caribbean larger) and a spicy mango dipping sauce.. time to relax and take it easy island style.

Here’s a quick coconut shrimp recipe you can whip-up the next time you have friends coming over or you’re attending a company potluck and something “island like” is expected from you…

You’ll Need…

2 eggs
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tea spoon pepper flakes (see note below)
1 lb shrimp (16-20)
1-1/4 cups coconut flakes (I used sweetened)
vegetable oil, for frying (about 3-4 cups)

*Lime juice for washing the cleaned shrimp (lemon juice works just as well)

Note: I used 16-20 tiger shrimp since that’s what I got on sale. Tiger shrimp tends to be a bit more expensive, so use what’s affordable. Instead of using the pepper flakes I mentioned in the ingredient list, I opted for habanero pepper (freshly chopped), as I love the flavor and heat from it. You may also use scotch bonnet, cayenne powder or any flavorful hot pepper you like. If that sort of heat is not your thing, use fresh grounded black pepper. BTW, check your Asian grocery store as they usually have the bets deals on shrimp.

We’ll start off by preparing the shrimp. I was lucky enough that my shrimp was already deveined, so all I had to do was remove the sort of shell-like outer layer. But I kept the tail part for appearance and handling. Then using a pairing knife, I cut a deeper slit along the same line as it was deveined (around the natural curve) to butterfly the shrimp. The idea is to cut deep enough, but not cut all the way through. The video at the bottom should help you better understand the technique. Wash with the juice of 1 lime and cool water. Then drain/pat dry.

Next up we’ll make the batter. In a bowl, place the eggs, salt, pepper (I diced my habanero pepper very small) and flour.. then give it a good whisk. You should have a smooth, but runny batter.

The next step is to set up a sort of assembly line with the cleaned shrimp, coconut flakes (on a plate) and batter. I also lined my chopping board (you can use a cookie sheet) with parchment paper. The idea is to batter all the shrimp before you start, as they will cook very fast and you may not be quick enough when frying.

Holding each shrimp by the tail we left back when cleaning, dip them into the batter (coat evenly), then pat onto the coconut flakes. You may need to pat it on a bit to stick properly. Then place the now coated shrimp onto the parchment lined chopping board. Repeat until all the shrimp are coated.

I don’t use a thermometer to check actual temperature, but the oil should be heated to about 375°F (190°C). Start adding the shrimp (about 5-6 at a time) and try not to over-crowd the pan. They will start curling in and change color as they cook. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, then take out and drain on paper towels to get rid of the excess oil. If you’d like to prevent the shrimp from curling, see the video below to see how I used a skewer to help them keep their shape. The idea is to get the coconut golden brown that the shrimp is coated with.

This coconut shrimp is best enjoyed hot. However, you can cover them with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for about 4 hours. Then heat in a warm oven at 350F/180C oven until crisp and hot, about 6 minutes. The mango dipping sauce to accompany these tasty coconut shrimp is very easy to make and the full recipe for that can be found in the video below.

Though not a traditional “Caribbean” dish, this coconut shrimp is very tasty and be warned that you will get hooked the very fist time you try it. Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Enticing Garlic Pork At Christmas.

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:59:58 +0000

While it’s common in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago to see garlic pork served on Christmas morning and during the holiday season, that was not the case in our home. Pork dishes did make it to the table, but it was stewed, baked in the oven, grilled and even fried, but no garlic pork as far as I recall. On the islands food plays a huge part of the Christmas celebrations and as a kid I remember getting excited with the scent of cake and ham baking in the oven and the many other delicacies being prepared in the kitchen, than I would to open gifts on Christmas morning. Christmas memories for me surround scents (food, new curtains, paint and the new sheets on the bed that had a hint of moth balls), sounds (parang, people singing and the odd intoxicated person rambling on) and joyous emotions (the smiles, inviting people to your home and everyone in an overall good mood).

Garlic pork is one of those dishes where the influence came from people who arrived from other countries and settled in the Caribbean. This is why it’s mainly popular in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, since this is where most of the Portuguese settlers called home. Looking at the preparation I can only assume that this was done out of necessity, as there were no readily available refrigerators back then, to keep the meat for long periods of time.

Here’s my take on this classic Christmas dish called garlic pork.

You’ll Need…

4 lbs pork
2 cups vinegar (everyday white vinegar)
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (any hot pepper you like)
1/2 cup shado beni (optional)
2 tablespoon salt
20 cloves garlic
oil for frying (vegetable or any oil which can handle high heat)

* You’ll need some patience as this must marinate for a few days at least.

Notes. Shado beni may not be traditional to this dish, but it’s what make’s it uniquely Trinbagonian so you know I had to add it. Thyme works great with this as well as oregano, but I didn’t have any fresh herbs so I couldn’t be bothered. If using thyme and/or oregano, I’ll recommend using about 1-2 tablespoon chopped. After marinating, I’ve seen some people boil the pork, then fry.. not my thing, so I just fried. You may also see some recipes call for cider vinegar.. since this will be marinating in a ton of garlic, I really don’t see the use for anything but basic vinegar.

It’s now time to trim the pork. In my case I purchased a leg portion with the middle bone… so all I did was cut away into 1 inch cubes. You’ll notice that I did leave back a bit of the fat.. that’s just my preference. Try to use a cheap piece of pork and not something expensive like a tenderloin (unless you have the coins). For those of you worried about the fat, a regular loin would be a great option for this.

I then rinsed the pieces of cut pork with a little vinegar and water and drained. Then I chopped the shando beni, garlic and pepper very fine. Again, this is just my way of doing things, but you can certainly put everything except the pork into a food processor or blender and make a paste instead.

In a bowl I placed the vinegar, salt, shando beni, pepper and garlic and gave it a good whisk.

Up next is to marinate this (I did say you’ll need some patience). Traditionally this is marinated in an earthen jar or anything that’s non reactive, but in my case I’m using a freezer strength zip lock bag (which I will double up on in case of any leaks). First I placed the washed and drained pieces of pork, then I poured the seasoning mixture in and made sure every piece got coated. I also try to remove all the air I can, so the only thing the meat gets into contact with during the marinating process is the seasoning/vinegar.

After doubling up on the bags, I placed it in the fridge and allowed it to marinate for 4-5 days. During which time I’ll massage it a couple times at least, to move the pieces of meat and seasoning around a bit. You will notice a couple things…. if your bag/s is not sealed good, you will have a very strong garlicky scent when you open your fridge (not good) and the pieces of meat will go from being pink to a very non attractive pale white. That is normal. The vinegar is breaking down the meat and curing it at the same time. BTW, I’ve been told that traditionally this was left in a cool dark corner of the kitchen/house and not in the fridge as I did.

After 5 days I removed it from the fridge and drained it using a colander. I then removed most of the big pieces of garlic and discarded them. Now try to get as much liquid/moisture away from the pork. Squeeze, then place on paper towels, as we all know what will happen when liquid hits heated oil.

In a heavy saucepan, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) on a med/high setting. Ensuring you’ve dried up most of the liquid the pork was marinating in, start adding a few pieces to the pan. Try not to overcrowd the pan or if they touch they can form steam and you’ll get boiled pork rather than fried.You may have to cook the pieces for about 7-10 minutes or so and flip them around so you get that golden brown color on all sides. You’ll obviously have to do these in batches. I had a paper towel lined plate waiting to soak up all the excess oil when they were done cooking.

During each batch you may be required to add a bit more oil to the pan to avoid the pieces of meat sticking. While this fry you may notice that (if you have pieces of fat as I did) it will ‘burst’ and splatter, so use a splatter screen if you have one. How long and how brown/crisp you want your garlic pork pieces is entirely up to you. If I was making this for my dad I know he’d want it crispy, so I’d have to keep it cooking for a bit over the 10 minutes I mentioned above.

I do hope you guys give this garlic pork a test drive this holiday season and if you’re stuck in the bitter cold of Northern climates, pretend for a second that you’re enjoying a tropical Christmas.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Jamaican Inspired Pepper Shrimp.

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:17:53 +0000

The call went out via the Facebook Fan Page a couple days back and within seconds I had a delicious sounding recipe, rearing to go for Jamaican style pepper shrimp. Last Spring after we came back from of Jamaican trek, one of the first questions I got asked was “did you try any pepper shrimp?” Must have been all the Guinness, but I still can’t remember coming across pepper shrimp while on the island. However, speaking with our friends who we traveled with, they assured me that several times we were approached by ladies selling them in little plastic bags on the side of the road. The home of pepper shrimp in Jamaica is “Middle Quarters” (Saint Elizabeth Parish) and though their method of preparing them is a bit different that what I’m about to share with you, Christine who sent me this recipe assures me that this recipe will rival any found on the island.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp (I believe they were 30/40)
1 habanero pepper (or any hot pepper you like)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon parsley
4 cloves garlic

Note: Traditionally parsley and paprika are not used in this dish, however I love the brightness the parsley brings and the sort of smokey undertones from the paprika is a good addition. In true Jamaican fashion, I’m sure a dash of pimento (allspice) would be a good inclusion as well. In the video for this recipe I mentioned that I used 1/2 teaspoon salt, but I felt I had to adjust that to 3/4 teaspoon after tasting the finished dish. You’ll also notice that I used a habanero pepper, but in the Caribbean scotch bonnets are the peppers of choice.

You’ll notice that I used whole shrimp, with the head still attached and in it’s sort of shell. This is the way it’s traditionally done in Jamaica, plus I love the sweetness of the shrimp when it’s cooked this way. The shrimp steams in it’s own shell and this process seems to heighten the rich flavor of the overall dish. I hate seeing the legs and antennae sort of thing, so using my kitchen scissors I trimmed those out. I then gave the now trimmed shrimp a good rinse and allowed them to drain.

TIP: When handling the shrimp and/or the hot pepper you may want to wear gloves.

Next up I gave the garlic and pepper a very fine dice, as I didn’t want to get big pieces of pepper or garlic when eating. To control the heat, you can certainly remove the seeds from the pepper and discard. The seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds is where most of the heat is.

Heat a pan on med/high heat (no oil necessary as we’ll be sort of scalding the shrimp), then add the shrimp and give it a good stir. Now add the garlic, pepper, salt and paprika and stir well to coat everything.

As the shrimp cooks (remember to keep stirring) you’ll notice the color will go to a bright sort of orange color. You can place a lid on the pot for about a minute or two if you’d like. After 3 minutes you can add the lemon juice. This bit of liquid will help release some of the garlic and pepper which by now is probably sticking to the bottom of the pan. The shrimp will also let out it’s own juices, so there’s no need for any other liquid. Try not to overcook the shrimp or you’ll risk them going rubbery. Within 7 minutes or so and my shrimp were done.

Top with the chopped parsley, give it a final stir and get ready to serve.

This a wonderful spicy snack that’s great when having some drinks with friends, or as in my case… reminiscing about a great Jamaican vacation. Remember to check out the ladies in Middle Quarters when you visit Jamaica next and tell them Chris @ CaribbeanPot.com said to look them up for the best pepper shrimp on the island.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Distinctive Curry Seim With Potato.

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:57:55 +0000

Seim (see Hyacinth Bean if you don’t know what they are) was yet another dish my mom would cook occasionally, which she couldn’t even force us to eat as kids. She would add coconut milk, left over pieces of stewed meats and even pieces of salted cod to try and get us to eat it… no luck! As a grown man I still don’t have much of an appetite for it and it’s mainly due to the distinctive flavor it possesses. Though it’s cooked in the same manner as bodi, something which I really like, I just can’t fully appreciate that unique sort of flavor seim has. A flavor which is very difficult to describe… can a vegetable/bean be ‘gamey’?

This curry seim recipe is a wonderful vegetarian dish but you can also add pieces of meats as mentioned above, if you’d like to enhance the overall flavor.

You’ll Need…
1 pound seim (cleaned and trimmed)
1 tablespoon madras curry powder (Caribbean blend)
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 small onion
3 chilies (I had some bird pepper in the fridge)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon veg oil
dash black pepper
2 medium potatoes cubed (I like Yukon gold’s creaminess)

*3 tablespoons water for cooking the curry.

First up, we need to wash, clean and trim the seim (see video at the bottom of the post). Using a sharp pairing knife, strip the edges off the seim, then cut into 2 pieces. The edges will not cook down and will be stringy and tough, so we must remove them. Depending on the size of your seim, cut into 2 or 4 pieces and remember to keep the peas (seeds) as well. Prepare the potato, onion, garlic and pepper so we’re good to go when we get started.

In a fairly deep saucepan, heat the vegetable oil on medium heat, then toss in the madras curry powder, stir and allow to cook for a couple minutes. Then add the sliced onion, garlic and hot pepper so they release their oils and flavor the dish. Give that another minute, then add 3 tablespoons of water and allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes on a low heat. After which you can turn up the heat and allow the curry mixture to cook down completely.(you can also make a slurry with the curry powder, garlic, onion, pepper and water and add to the heated oil as well)

When the liquid dries down and the curry paste we just made starts to get darker and stick to the bottom of the pan, add the trimmed seim, potato chunks, salt, black pepper and give it a good stir.

Next up is to add the coconut milk and water. Bring that up to a boil by raising the heat. Now reduce that to a very gentle simmer, cover the pot and allow to cook for about 30 minutes.

Remember to stir occasionally while it cooks. After 30 minutes the seim should be tender and the potato should start to melt away to form a thick sort of gravy. If there’s a lot of liquid left in the pan, raise the heat so that can burn-off. I recall my mom making this very dry (no gravy), but I do like some gravy to eat with my roti or rice.

I just so happened to have some buss up shut roti in he freezer which I reheated, along with some mango kuchela to round off my meal. This recipe should be enough for four people as a side dish in case you’re wondering.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

A Refreshing Spiced Caribbean Sorrel Drink.

admin — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:40:48 +0000

When our daughters were younger I remember that whenever anyone was coming to visit from Trinidad and Tobago they always had a few bottles of Sorrel Shandy in their suitcase for them. Especially Tehya, who felt grown-up drinking from a bottle which looked similar to a beer bottle. My memories of sorrel (the drink and not the salad greens) is one of much joy, especially since it’s a drink most people from the Caribbean associate with the holiday season around Christmas.

My mom and dad would always plant sorrel between their corn and pigeon peas in the garden and come the later part of the year is when the flowers would be in full bloom and ready for harvesting. The flowers of the plant is what’s used for making the sorrel drink. In the recipe below I’ll be using dried sorrel which is commonly available in most West Indian and some Asian markets as I couldn’t source fresh sorrel petals. This will also serve to prove that sorrel does not have to be a drink enjoyed around Christmas time as the dried sorrel works just as great as the fresh stuff and is available all year long.

Before we get to the recipe I must mention that if you use less water and no sugar (as mentioned in the recipe) you can make a concentrated syrup, which you can bottle and keep in the fridge for quite a while. Then all you do when you’re ready for a refreshing glass of sorrel on a hot day, is to pour some out, add sugar and water and you’re good to go.

You’ll Need…

2 cups dried sorrel
8 cups water
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup sugar (see note below)
4 cloves

Note: I started off with 1 cup of sugar, but ended up using 2 cups. I only mentioned 1 in the recipe since your tolerance for sugar will be a bit different than mine. This way we have a starting point to which you can use as a gauge to add more (to your liking).

This is a very simple recipe, which does need a bit of time and patience since the sorrel must steep to release all it’s wonderful flavors.

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, then add all the ingredients to the pot. Bring back to a boil and reduce the heat to a rolling boil. Allow this to boil for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow this to steep for at least 4 hours (overnight would be best).

Next up, strain the contents into a juice jug and add more sugar as needed (see note above). You can store this in the fridge for about a week… if you don’t finish it before then.

* You can certainly add more cinnamon and cloves if you want to give it a more ‘spiced’ flavor and if memory serves me correctly, I believe my dad would also put some dried orange peel when boiling. I add my sugar when the water is hot so it dissolves faster… just my way of doing things. If you want a grown-up version you can always add a shot or two of dark rum or vodka to your glass.

Here’s the video I did when I put this sorrel recipe together:

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Spreading The Culinary Culture Of The Caribbean – Ramin Ganeshram.

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:21:46 +0000

For those of you familiar with the blog know that the only time I stray from posting actual recipes is when I feel it necessary to acknowledge the work others are doing to promote the rich and diverse culinary heritage which comes out of the Caribbean. Though today’s featured work is not necessarily a cook book as I’ve done in t he past, the author is not only a published author, she’s a best seller on Amazon.com as well. You may best know Ramin Ganeshram from her hugely successful ‘“Sweet Hands – Island Cooking From Trinidad And Tobago”” which I gave away on the post I did on making dhalpuri roti (see the bottom of the page) a few weeks back.

Ramin sent me a copy of her latest work “Stir It Up” back in late spring of this year and if you look closely at the image above you’ll notice that I got one of the copies before the final editing (says not for sale). Besides getting free stuff in the mail, I also appreciate it when others acknowledge my passion for food and everything Caribbean with small tokens like this. I finally got around to reading it about a month ago and I thought it should be something I should share with you guys. And though “Stir It Up” is a novel with teenage readers in mind, I found it to be inspiring, especially since it dealt with the struggles of immigrant families when their traditions and values are threatened by those of their new homeland.

“Stir It Up” is the inspirational story of Anjali, the teenage daughter of a hard-working immigrant family from Trinidad and Tobago who lives in Queens NY, who’s dream is to one day have her own television show on the Food Network. Her real struggle begins when she gets accepted as a challenger on a reality show on the Food Network to determine their next teen star, but the main audition is the same day as the entrance exam to one of the most prestigious academic schools in NY. Without giving away too much… the story shows the inner struggle not to disappoint her parents, but at the same time follow her dreams.

Though “Stir It Up” was meant for teenage readers I found it quite captivating, since I could identify with the characters in the book. Ramin portrays the true mentality of the average immigrant from the Caribbean who sees everything other than academics as hobbies and our hardworking nature which we use to make a “life” in the new country we call home. I especially like the way actual recipes are blended seamlessly into a novel as I’ve never seen it done before. Recipes you can easily duplicate in your kitchen with the step by step instructions.

You can certainly tell that you’re reading the work of someone from the Caribbean, but when you come across words like “hockey puck” and “softball” in describing situations, you can tell that the author is also trying to accommodate all readers with words they can identify with. Tracing the route Anjali would take from school to her dad’s roti shop in Queens, was like listening to my mom and dad speak after they go visit my brother who live sin New York. The street names, the buses and subway… it’s as if I’ve been there before.

A wonderful piece of literature which could easily double as a mini recipe book with it’s inclusion of tasty recipes. Hard work, determination and creativity is certainly the recipe for success and the story of Anjali highlights this.

————————–0————————-
— Winner Wanted!—

It’s that time again – with the kind consideration of Ramin Ganeshram we’re giving away two copies of “Stir It Up” That’s right, two lucky readers will have a chance to win a copy of this fantastic novel.A ll you have to do is leave a comment below saying what part food played during your childhood. Maybe it can be a favorite memory or a dish you’d look froward to.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Stir It Up”…

- contest is open to everyone globally

- there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

- 2 winners will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

- contest is open from October 28 – to midnight November 15.

- winners will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

- the winners will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

- we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this book out to you. It’s simple, free and would make for a great Christmas gift to a teenager in your house or someone you may know. If you’re like me, you’ll even find it interesting.

Good Luck!

Fry Channa Done A Bit Healthier.

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:29:22 +0000

Fry channa is one of those spicy snacks that’s sold by street vendors in either a cone shaped paper package or in reused bottles (like rum) all over the country. However my connection to fry channa is going to my moms cousin’s home for Divali and she would have a huge bowl for us to snack on while the many vegetarian culinary delights were making it’s way to the table. Though Ivy is no longer with us, I have fond memories of her and the way she always had time for a chat and her talents in the kitchen were unsurpassed.

By controlling the amount of pepper you add, this can be a treat enjoyed by everyone… but if its for you and your friends while enjoying some ‘beverages” don’t hold back on the heat. Let’s see how much heat they can handle!

Channa (Indian influence) is just another word for chickpeas or garbanzo beans.

The traditional way of making this is to fry in a couple cups of vegetable oil, then season. But in trying to give you a healthier option, we’ll roast these in the oven and you won’t be able to taste the difference, except they’ll be a bit healthier for you.

You’ll Need…

2 cups dried chick peas (channa)
4 cups water
1.5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 habanero pepper (no seeds to control the heat)
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon chopped shado beni
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Notes: You can certainly use any sort of hot pepper you like and add as much as you can tolerate. If you don’t have fresh hot peppers you can certainly use pepper sauce or cayenne powder, which would also give it a lovely kick. If you can’t source shado beni you can use cilantro or parsley. If using parsley, I would only use 1 tablespoon of it (it has that sort of bitter after-taste) When I did this recipe I used 3 tablespoon of olive oil (see the video), but I learned that I would have achieved the same results by cutting that by half.

The night before measure out the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover with 4 cups of water. Allow this to soak overnight. Remeber to use a large bowl as it will double in size as it soaks.

The next day you’ll notice a few things…. 1. Most of the water was absorbed by the chickpeas. 2. They’ve doubled in size. and 3. The color changed to a lighter shade. Drain whatever water was left back, rinse and place in a colander to drain off. We’re trying to get this as dry as possible for seasoning.

While this air-dries, lets prepare the seasoning. Chop as fine as you can, the garlic, shando beni (remember you can also use cilantro or parsley as well) and habanero pepper. Then in a small bowl, pour the olive oil (one and a half teaspoon) and add all pepper, garlic, shado beni and black pepper.

Pour the pre-soaked chickpeas into a large bowl and using a paper towel or kitchen towel, dry to get as much moisture as you can off the chickpeas. Now give the seasoned oil a good stir, then add it to the bowl with the chickpeas. Sprinkle the salt and give the entire batch a good stir. The idea is to pick up all the seasoning and have it coat each chickpea.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get ready to roast. I learned my lesson from the jerk chicken wings recipe and this time I lined my baking tray with aluminum foil to make clean-up a breeze after. The cookie sheet should be big enough so there’s one layer of seasoned chickpeas, to allow for even roasting. My tray was a bit small, so midway through roasting I had to give them a toss to make sure they all get roasted perfectly.

With the oven at 350 degrees, I placed them on the middle rack and allowed them to roast for 50 minutes (which should have been perfect), but since they were not single layered on the sheet they didn’t have the ‘crunch’ I desired. So back in the oven for another 15 minutes and they were not only perfectly golden in colour, they had that wonderful crunch good fry channa is supposed to have.

These can be enjoyed warm out of the oven or days and weeks after. However it’s important that you store them in an airtight container (thus the bottles mentioned above) to keep it’s freshness. Though this is not the traditional way of making this, I find that by roasting with the seasoning… the wonderful taste of the garlic, shado beni and pepper, combined with the olive oil is just spectacular.

You can always dust with salt when they come out of the oven for that unique salted texture that fry channa usually have (but then depends on how much salt you like, as they should already be seasoned perfectly).

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

In memory of Aunty Veeya!

A Tasty Caribbean Recipe Using Green Bananas.

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:49:19 +0000

This recipe is a combination of many things. It’s a take on a recipe my mom would make but instead of using canned salmon as I did, she would normally use pieces of salted cod. Then about a year ago I saw Levis Roots of “Reggae Reggae Sauce” sauce fame cook up a batch of this with the help of some kids… if you’re from the UK and watch the Dragon’s Den you’ll know who I mean. I think he also calls himself the “Dragon Slayer”! But he used fresh caught mackerel in his dish.

Knowing that I had green fig (bananas) in the fridge, I had a severe craving for this sort of “country” dish about 8 pm last night. With no salted fish in the fridge, nor mackerel… the wheels of creativity went spinning and I decided on using the canned salmon that peeked at me from behind the can of corned beef in the cupboard (Mr. Salmon learned not to play hide and seek with a grown man). There’s no better motivation in the kitchen than a craving and hunger!

You’ll Need…

5-7 green bananas (known as green fig or cooking bananas in the Caribbean)
1/2 teaspoon salt (for boiling the green bananas)

1 medium tomato
1 medium onion
1 scallion (green onion / spring onion)
1 clove garlic
1/4 habanero pepper (scotch bonnet or any hot pepper you like)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil (any cooking oil you like)
1 sprig thyme (dash dried thyme)
Salt – optional (add as needed)
1 can pink salmon

Note: If you’re shopping for green bananas in North America, they will be called cooking bananas. If you can’t find them in your grocery store, do ask a clerk and don’t buy ordinary bananas that are not ripe yet. You’re looking for ones that are really firm, brilliant green in color and no blemishes. If you’re peeling these as I did before boiling, do wear gloves or coat your hands with cooking oil to prevent the sort of ‘milk’ to cause your hands to be sticky and possibly itch. Don’t get that ‘milk’ (sap) onto your clothes.

Since the green fig will require the most time to cook, go ahead and peel, scrape and rinse them. You can also cook them in the skin and peel after they’ve been boiled. In a deep pot put enough water to cover the bananas and bring to a boil. Then add the bananas and salt.. bring back to a rolling boil and allow to cook for about 20 minutes.

While this cooks, lets prepare the other ingredients. Wash and chop the tomato, scallion, habanero pepper, thyme.. don’t forget the garlic and onion as well.

With the bananas fully cooked, drain and allow to cool while we get things really started. In a large saucepan put the olive oil to heat on a medium heat, then add the onion, garlic and thyme. Let them cook on the medium/low heat for about 3-5 minutes. We’re trying to get the onion translucent and release the rich flavors of the garlic and thyme. Next add the green onion, pepper, tomato and black pepper. Let that cook for about 3 minutes.

The next step is to add the can of salmon, including the water it was packaged in and ketchup. Break it up into flaky chunks, give it a good stir and allow to come back up to a gentle simmer… cook for another couple minutes.

While this cooks, the bananas should be cool enough to touch. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and get ready to toss them into the pot.

The final step is to toss in the cut pieces of cooked bananas into the pot, give it a good stir and allow it to heat through with all the other ingredients in the pot (about -35 minutes) and you’re done.

Since the canned salmon is usually packaged with a ton of sodium I don’t feel the need to add any salt, but do taste ad add accordingly as I’m sure your tolerance for salt will be different than mine.

This is one of those versatile dishes that works for any time of the day (or night as in my case)… even breakfast. Growing up on the islands you know we love our BIG breakfast, so though you may find this a bit heavy to start the day.. a Caribbean man would appreciate this (hint ladies). BTW, there’s enough here for 3-4 people if you have some coconut bake or toast on the side or a complete meal for two people.

To make this dish fully vegetarian, you can omit the canned fish, but add a little butter when cooking the onion and garlic at the start.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Happy Cooking!

Chris…

Classic Jerk Chicken Wings In the Oven.

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:58:07 +0000

Some of you will be saying “Chris this is just your original jerk marinade scaled down”, but with Tehya in the kitchen with me… I had to do this from scratch for her. This chile keeps having craving for spicy food, so this time when she came to me to make up a batch of jerk wings for her, I told her it’s time she learned how to organize it herself. You can see her in action in the jerk chicken wings video I posted late last night on the food channel.

I must mention that there’s no comparison to making this over coals on a grill, but with winter approaching I wanted to give you guys the option to be able to do this in the oven indoors. Now don’t get me wrong… no winter will ever stop me from grilling on the BBQ as I have no problem dressing like Sasquatch and taking on the cold to do my thing on the BBQ outside.

You’ll Need…

2 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Habanero pepper (scotch bonnet or any that you like)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic

3 lbs chicken wings.

The first thing we have to do is make the jerk marinade. Give the onion, garlic, hot pepper and scallions a rough chop so it’s easier for the blender or food processor to work it into the runny consistency we’ll need. Remember to wear gloves when working with peppers with extreme heat like habanero and scotch bonnet.

Basically all we need to do now is pour everything into the food processor and give it a few pulses until you get a sort of smooth (runny) consistency.

* If you don’t have access to a food processor or blender, you can certainly chop everything as fine as you can and give it all a good mix in a bowl.

We then washed the chicken wings with some lemon juice (you can use lime or vinegar as well – about 3-4 tablespoons) and rinsed with cool water and drain. Pat dry with paper towels so the marinade can really stick onto the wings. Pour 1/3 of the marinade on the wings and using your hands, massage the wings with this lovely jerk marinade. Allow this to marinate for at least 30 minutes, before you place it into a 400 degree oven (middle rack).

After 30 minutes we took it out of the oven to give it a good stir (flip wings) and put back for another 30 minutes.

The last 5 minutes you can turn on the broiler setting and allow the wings to get a rich brown color with a sort of toasted edges. You may have to give them a flip to ensure all sides gets this lovely sort of charred look.

You will notice there will be a sort of gravy formed at the bottom, this is excellent to pour over peas and rice to accompany these jerk chicken wings.

Tips: Line your baking dish with aluminum foil or use a disposable pan when roasting these in the oven as I did (it will make clean-up much easier). Add some brown sugar and fresh ginger to the marinade for that extra kick of flavor. Remember that most of the heat in peppers are in the seeds and area around the seeds. So if you want to cut back on the heat level, remove the seeds.

To make dry wings, simply place the wings on a wire rack over your baking dish after the wings have been marinating. This will give you crispy wings which will be packed with a good punch of Jamaican jerk goodness.

Tehya was quite happy with the final outcome of her first jerk chicken wings and though she was a bit hesitant to use the large chef’s knife to chop the onions etc.. she was very proud of her accomplishment. In future videos/recipes I’ll try to include Indy and Kieana so you guys can get to know them better and they can learn how to cook so they too can carry on our culinary traditions. It’s time we got our children involved in the kitchen and away from all the other distractions (video games, computer, cell phones.. boys!)

Before I forget… the remaining jerk marinade can be stored in a plastic bowl in the fridge for at least a week or frozen for a couple months.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Spreading The Culinary Culture Of The Caribbean – Table Manners.

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:45:46 +0000

Tehya just walked into my office as I was about to do this piece on the outstanding work Jaine Conley and Gulliver Johnson are doing down in Antigua and Barbuda to spread the culinary culture of the Caribbean, with their latest project “TableManners: A Culinary Review Of Hospitality in Antigua and Barbuda”. On opening the book, I could hear her mumble in a low voice “very festive”. Not sure where she was coming from until she said that the beautiful (bright) colors in the pictures are very festive and reminded her about when we docked in St John’s a few years ago. If you’ve had the pleasure of arriving in Antigua via the port at St John’s you’d know what she means… the brightly colored buildings that accentuate the true vibe of the Caribbean. Not to mention the artwork on display in shops, the crafts and brightly dressed tourists and locals.

I was first introduced to Janie about a year ago and over that time I’ve been lucky enough to get familiar with the work they’re doing to help promote the wonderful culture of the Caribbean and I’ve also been fortunate to receive not only a copy of their latest work, but some of the DVDs they’ve created as well. You can certainly check out more about what they’re doing at www.facebook.com/FoodandDrink.Antigua also www.facebook.com/FoodandDrink.Dominica as I’d like to concentrate on their latest publication a bit.

Early in the summer we met up with The Rhyming Chef (Philman George) fresh from his winter escape in Barbuda and at that time he gave me a copy of “TableManners: A Culinary Review Of Hospitality in Antigua and Barbuda”. Janie and Gulliver had sent a copy for me as they’re familiar with my passion for everything Caribbean and food… not in any particular order.

I’ll refer to the book as TableManners during this post as to shorten the name a bit (kinda long). After meeting with the Rhyming Chef back in the summer I recall Caron hurriedly opening the book out of it’s plastic protective casing and flipping through the pages, as we drove to get some doubles in Mississauga. Here’s the thing.. forgetting that I’m driving at 110km/hr and on one of the busiest highways in Canada, she kept trying to get my attention to view the amazing pictures.. every time she came across one that stood out (which means all) she would say.. check this. Not so good when you’re trying to focus on driving.

The Force Behind Table Manners!

During that 20 minute drive she was already captivated by quite a few recipes in TableManners… I even overheard her say “I could make this” and “I’ll have to try this”. Yes, TableManners is one of those books that’s not just a cookbook but a captivating force which convinces people who normally don’t cook (fear she will screw up) that they “can”. We have a huge collection of cookbooks in our library and besides the one with Christmas cookies, I’ve never heard Caron react the same to any of them.

TableManners is a comprehensive look at the culinary industry in Antigua and Barbuda, with contributions from many of the islands top chefs and good coverage of the local “food” scene… from farm to table and festivals in-between. I especially like the sort of fusion recipes which shows a lot of creativity from some of the Caribbean’s leading chefs… a signal that Caribbean food is here! As a budding food writer I know how difficult it is to make our food look ‘pretty’ and with the job Janie and Gulliver did with TableManners, you’ll have to be prepared for the the food literally jumping out at you as you browse the pages.

I can only imagine how much work, effort and planning went into the development and publication of TableManners as it’s quality is reflected in it’s design, layout and content. A beautiful hard cover book which weighs about five pounds (no joke) and certainly a conversation piece when you have people over and they see it on your coffee table. The recipes are very simple to make and with the accompanying instructions and pictures of what the finished dish should look like, you won’t be intimidated. For those who love wine (still not my thing) you’ll love the recommended pairings. Something you don’t see too often with Caribbean publications.

Beyond the recipes, outstanding pictures and even the wine pairings, you get the feeling that you’re cooking a “friend’s” recipe when you use TableManners. You get to know a bit of the background of the chefs featured and it’s as if you know where the inspiration comes from for the recipe they present.So it feels like you’re cooking with a friend.

When I asked Janie and Gulliver where the inspiration and drive comes from, here’s what they had to say…

In terms of our backgrounds, we’re not from culinary backgrounds, but have a passion and love of the Caribbean and besides the sun and sea – Food & Drink comes pretty high up the list! We were both born in the UK to parents of mixed Caribbean heritage. We are both graduates. Gulliver Johnson came from a publishing, sales and recruitment work environment and I came from a design and archival environment. We saw a niche gap in the market here in Antigua & Barbuda almost eight years ago, where the hospitality industry was not really celebrated so we decided to make it shine. This year two new editions of our Food & Drink Guides will be published. One at the end of October for Dominica and the other in November for Antigua & Barbuda.

Enough of me raving what a gem Table Manners is and NO I’m not about to part with the most prized book I have in library. However I can tell you how you too can be captivated by what is probably the best culinary publication to come out of the Caribbean:

Copies of TableManners can be found in bookshops and hotel gift shops in Antigua. They may also be ordered from us via email info@foodanddrink-caribbean.com or by Paypal on our website. We have copies in Europe and North America so can ship anywhere worldwide. Shipping cost is $20USD. Details at this URL: http://www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com/orderguide.asp

BTW I won’t say much more, but you have to check out the recipes dedicated to “beverages”… the concoctions are out of this world. Think Caribbean vibe and colors captured in a fancy cocktail glass.

I’d like to personally thank Janie and Gulliver for such a dazzling look into the rich culinary culture of not only Antigua and Barbuda, but a true representation of the Caribbean. Caribbean cuisine can no longer be ignored and it’s about time that we’re known for much more that out outgoing personalities, stunning beaches and enchanting rums.

How To Make Saltfish Accras.

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:04:35 +0000

With all the requests I’ve been getting via the facebook fan page and comments on the youtube channel, I finally decided that it was time to make good on my promise and post the recipe for saltfish accra. The fact that I had a craving for some salt fish accras had absolutely nothing to do with it – that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Many of you may know this as being cod fish fritters, saltfish fritters and/or fish cake, as it’s common for our food to have different names according to the island you call home. Basically the same ingredients, but we may have our own way of personalizing the overall recipe.

After posting the video for this saltfish accra on Youtube, a viewer mentioned that she usually use milk instead of water when making the batter for frying. I have to agree that this would be an excellent addition to an already wonderful recipe. Thanks to user “NadSSmith21″ for the suggestion… I will try that next rongs.

You’ll Need…

1/2 lb boneless salt fish (dry salted cod)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 small onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (use a garlic press if you have one)
2 shado beni leaves (or 1 tablespoon cilantro) chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1/4 teaspoon chopped thyme (I like using fresh, but if all you have is dried, use 1/2 the amount)
1 teaspoon minced hot pepper, red pepper flakes or pepper sauce
1 egg
dash fresh ground black pepper
¼ to 1/2 cup water
pinch of sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon parsley chopped – optional

Vegetable oil for frying (about 3 cups)

We’ll stat by preparing the salted fish for use. In a large pot, cover the fish with water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. TIP : leave your kitchen window open or have the fan above your stove on to ventilate the scent. The scent of boiling salted fish is not for everyone.

While the salt fish boils (to remove the excess salt it was cured in and to rehydrate it), we’ll prep the herbs, garlic, pepper and onion.

After 20 minutes of simmering, drain the salted fish and rinse under cool water a couple times. Now squeeze out all the excess water and shred. You can certainly shred with your fingers, but it may be a bit chunky. The other option is to use a food processor or as I did… I placed the chunky piece mortar and with aid of the pestle, I gave it a good pounding. You can see the difference in the pictures below. Even though we used boneless salted fish, do keep an eye out for any bones which may have sneaked in.

Up next it’s time to make the batter. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic, onion, pepper and all the herds we diced earlier. Give that a good stir, then add the shredded saltfish and give that another stir. Now add the egg and stir again. Finally… tart adding water and stirring. The goal is to get a thick batter. I ended up using close to 1/2 cup water. Remember the suggestion we got via Youtube about using milk instead.

Now that the batter is ready, it’s time to heat the vegetable oil on a medium/high heat. As this comes to temperature for frying… start adding heaping teaspoon full amounts to the pan. Since I don’t have an oil thermometer I can’t tell you exactly what temperate the heat should be at (sorry). Try not to crowd the pan with too many accras. It should take a couple minutes on each side and you’ll notice they will start to float as they cook. I flipped mine a couple times each side to achieve the perfect golden brown color accras should be.

Be sure to have a draining station set up (paper towels) to allow all the excess oil to saturate. If you find that it’s getting dark quickly it may mean you have to turn the heat down a bit or risk having accras that are raw in the middle.

I believe this batch of batter made about 12 accras… could be a couple more but I was busy eating as they were coming out of the oil, so I don’t have an accurate count on the paper towels.

This is an excellent party finger food or snack and it goes well with a spicy tamarind dipping sauce. Please don’t do as I did and eat fresh out of the fryer (though it’s best served warm/hot) as your mouth/tongue will pay the price.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

The Ultimate Dhalpuri Recipe.

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:29:57 +0000

Over the past couple years I’ve shared a few recipes which I’ve coined as being “Ultimate” and with the popularity of this roti and the amount of requests for the recipe over the last few months I strongly believe it deserves to join the other cast members in the ultimate series. Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago dhalpuri was one of those special dishes which was made the occasional Sunday morning or when the first choice – pelau wasn’t made for a beach lime. I still recall the strong aroma of geera (cumin) roasting before it was ground and added to the dhal filling for the roti, emanating from my great aunt’s house next door. Not sure if I was one of her’s faves, but I do recall always having a portion reserved for me (her curry potato was ah bess). When I wasn’t causing trouble with my brother… I was a good boy and everyone loved me

For this recipe I got my mom’s help , so let’s give moms some props!

There are a few steps in making dhalpuri roti, so I do hope my explanation below is not too confusing. We’ll start with the filling, then the dough and close off with putting everything together and cooking the actual roti.

You’ll Need…

For the filling

1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground roasted geera (cumin)
2 cups split peas (dhal)
1/4 of a scotch bonnet pepper (or any hot pepper you like)

For the dough (actual roti)

3 cups all purpose flour
pinch fast acting yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon baking powder
water (see note below)
* 5 tablespoon vegetable oil (for brushing the roti while it cooks)

Notes: We ended up using close to 1 and 3/4 cups of water when making the dough. Start with about 1 cup and add as necessary… the goal is to achieve a smooth, tender dough which is a bit firm (hold it’s shape). With the roasted geera, traditionally that’s roasted the same time the roti is being made (grains are roasted then ground) to really release the oils and aroma. But in my case I used the pre-packaged ground (roasted) one.

Making this roti can be a bit messy, especially if you have any break while cooking and with the use of the oil you’ll be brushing onto it it cooks… it may splatter onto your stove. Be prepared for some cleaning when the stove cools.

The first thing we need to do is prepare the dhal, since it needs to cool before we can work with it. Quickly sort through the 2 cups of split peas to see if there’s anything foreign among them (twigs etc – remove), then give it a good wash. Place about 5-6 cups of water to boil in a deep sauce pan and add the split peas and turmeric to the boiling water. Reduce the heat so it’s at a rolling boil and cook for about 20 minutes. NOTE: If you’re using a food processor as I did, allow it to cook for about 25-30 minutes. If using a traditional food mill, cook for the 20 minutes I mentioned.

Then drain and set aside to cool.

After you’ve put the boiled dhal (split peas) to cool, it would be a good time to start working on the dough. In a large bowl (I’m sure you can use a food processor as well – providing it can make dough) add the flour, salt, yeast, baking powder and start adding water. Knead to a firm consistency… keep adding water as necessary. Work to form a huge dough ball, then cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes. (pay attention to time as you don’t want the dough to over-rest)

Let’s now work on the split peas filling. I used a food processor and ran into some problems as I tried to work all at the same time and it just wasn’t happening. So I then divided it into 3 batches which was a lot easier to get to the consistency I wanted.

Place all the ingredients for making the filling into the food processor or food mill and work until you have a no whole peas or large pieces. I guess the ground peas should look similar to bread crumbs… if you have any full grains of dhal in the mix it may rip the roti while cooking. If you’re using a food mill it will have a soft, smooth consistency as the mill really grinds it in a way the food processor can’t duplicate. If you’re not familiar with what a food mill is, see below- it’s the traditional device used in preparing the dhal filling.

The next step in to break down the main dough ball into six smaller balls, then fill them with the peas filling we just made. You will have enough filling left over to make about 4 more dhalpuri so you can either freeze this or make some more dough (or cut back on the amount of split peas you prepare).

Divide the main dough into 6 pieces and form six smaller dough balls. Here’s where it may get a bit messy… flatten out each dough ball in your hand (see pics below) to form a 6 inch circle, then dust with flour and add 4 tablespoons of the filling to each. You will have to make a sort of bowl shape as you keep adding the split peas filling. Then using your fingers, form to a ball shape and pinch to seal. I do hope the pics below helps with explaining this step.

Now it’s time to heat your tawa (baking stone) on medium/high heat and brush some oil onto it’s surface. On a flour dusted surface, roll out one of the stuffed dough balls we made. Turn, flip and keep rolling until you have a pizza like shape that’s about 12-14 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Remember to consider the size of tawa you’ll be using, so you don’t end up with a roti that’s too big to fit on your tawa. I assume you could use a large non-stick frying pan if you don’t own a tawa but you may encounter a problem when trying to flip with the edges of the frying pan.

Be careful when placing the rolled out dough onto the tawa as it will be hot. After about 30 seconds, using your hand if you’re a pro or a couple spatulas flip the roti. Now give this side a quick brush with the oil. You may have to flip this a couple times. It will take a bout 4-6 minutes to fully cook and you’ll notice that it will start to “swell” or inflate as cooks. That’s a sign that it’s ready to be removed off the tawa. Repeat this step for the remaining 5 roti.

Yes, there are a few steps involved and you’re probably saying “this is exactly why I buy my dhalpuri”, but I assure you that it’s rather simple and I do hope the combination of my description and pictures above is easy to follow along. I would suggest placing these on paper towels to absorb excess oil and do wrap in paper towels or tea towel to keep them soft (the air tends to make them a bit stiff). For those of you who make dhalpuri may find that the instant yeast is a bit strange.. but I assure you that you’ll have a nice tender roti which will reheat as if they were just made. I’ve seen my mom not only wrap them in a tea towel, but place that into a plastic shopping bag to eat later that day. If you make a couple batches you can certainly freeze them. I usually place them (folded) into freezer bags and they keep for at least a month in the freezer. Then it’s just a case of nuking them in the microwave to reheat. However when reheating in the microwave, don’t put the full time at once. I usually do 45 seconds on high and depending on hot it is I then flip over and heat an additional 40 seconds.

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— Winner Wanted!—

It’s that time again – we’re giving away the following book (see below) to one lucky person for the month of September. All you have to do is leave me a comment in the comments section below (please say something about this recipe) and your name will be automatically entered to win this extraordinary book written by Ramin Ganeshram. About a year ago a reader called me (fella was like FBI finding my home number) to tell me about the wonderful work Ramin did with her book “Sweet Hands – Island Cooking From Trinidad And Tobago”. After some research I not only found out that this book is a best seller on Amazon.com, I was able to make contact with Ramin via Facebook. Long story short, she sent me this copy of her book to give to one lucky reader (along with an autographed copy for moi). Note: This is the 2nd edition so you can expect even more recipes.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Sweet Hands Island Cooking From Trinidad And Tobago”…

- contest is open to everyone globally

- there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

- 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

- contest is open from September 23 – to midnight September 30.

- winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

- the winner will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

- we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this book out to you. It’s simple, free and a great way to experiment with some exotic and traditional recipes from Trinidad and Tobago in your kitchen. I’ not sure if you know how significant it is for someone to be a best seller (always sold out) on Amazon, but I assure you that it means that Ramin’s work is in great demand. Hopefully in the coming weeks I’ll be able to do a full review of this book, but there’s something more exciting from Ramin I’d like to share with you the first week of October. Stay tuned and good luck to everyone who enters.

Coconut Bake A Classic Caribbean Bread.

admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:30:21 +0000

Yes it’s a bread, but we call it a bake. Just as the fry bake recipe I shared with you a while back, which isn’t really baked… we try our best to confuse the heck out of people with our food names. Walking into the house after school or on those days when in the rainy season it was customary to spend our evening playing football (soccer) in the muddy savanna down the road (I’m still a ball-hoe), and you would be hit with that lovely aroma of action taking place in the oven… immediate hunger would set in (even if you just raided someone’s mango tree).

If it was after football, you had to make sure and bathe before setting foot in the house and don’t ever let you mom see dry nashy skin.. so you had to grease down with baby oil or lotion… it’s amazing how fast we would go from pig to Sunday morning church clean. That fresh baked bread smell had a way of getting the best out of us. When it was coconut bake, it also meant timing it so as soon as it came out of the oven, you could have a piece with butter and/or cheese. I also recall our mom cooking a fry-dry curry shrimp to make sandwiches with the coconut bake. Good times!

Wanted to mention that though I can get dried coconut here if I look hard enough, I just didn’t feel like searching then grating etc, so I used dessicated coconut I found pre-packaged (Desiccated coconut is coconut meat which has been shredded or flaked and then dried to remove as much moisture as possible) at the grocery store. I would recommend (though I didn’t this time) soaking it in the coconut milk to add back some life to it.

This recipe is a bit different than my mom’s or grandmother .. who BTW used a coal pot to make her’s, but you’ll find great pleasure as you rip through a steaming hot piece of this coconut bake.

You’ll Need…

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour or bread flour
1/4 cup butter or shortening (i used shortening)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon quick acting yeast
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut (I used dessicated coconut)

If you’re using freshly grated coconut , start by prepping that or as in my case I started with the dough. This would be the first time using our new food processor for making dough, but feel free to use your hands if you not as lazy as I am. In the food processor (or bowl) place the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and the butter or shortening and work till you get a sort of crumbs texture. I gave the food processor a few pulses and it was ready for the next step.

I then added the grated coconut and gave it another pulse, then I started to add the coconut milk and make the actual dough. You may notice that you’ll need some additional liquid, if that is the case add some water. You’re looking for a smooth and firm dough. Since I used the food processor (about 3-5 minutes), I then removed it onto a floured surface and worked the dough until it was firm and smooth as I wanted.

The next step is to cut it evenly into two pieces and and work it into the shape of the ‘bake’. You’ll need to have a flour dusted surface and a rolling pin ready. I believe I got mine about 1 inch thick and about 10-12 inches in diameter. I then used a fork to prick the surface a bit (always saw my mom do that), placed it onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Which I covered with plastic wrap and allowed to rest for about 2 0 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400F, then add the bakes (remove plastic wrap) on the cookie sheet and on the middle shelf for about 25-30 minutes or until they’re golden brown. You can always stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes our dry, it means the inside is fully cooked.

I forgot to mention that you should warm the coconut milk a bit before adding to the flour to make the dough. Day two would see us have slices of this with guava jam and tea for breakfast, before heading off to school… you felt as if you could take on the world when your belly was jam-packed with this lovey coconut bake.

Oye! before you go… Remember you can watch the cooking videos on the recipe channel and we’d love to interact with you on our Facebook fan page. There’s a few thousand of us already causing commesse on there… so do check it out.

The Simplicity And Splendor of Dasheen.

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:32:26 +0000

There’s been a few times while in the produce section at the grocery store pondering over the limited ground provision section, when I’ve been questioned about some of the selections. People are very interested in learning more about the “strange” foods which now occupy space on the shelves… name, where it comes from, how do you prepare it, taste, texture and how to shop for them. Grocers should post a little info card with items that’s not necessarily common to everyday shoppers.

Before you send me “clarification” emails I have to mention that what I used (as it was labelled) is “taro” and not dasheen. Pretty much the same thing if you ask me, but I just wanted to be clear (I’ve being getting buff lately). We were down at the St Lawrence Market this past Saturday and after sampling some of the freshly made oven roasted pork belly which also had that rich smokey taste of bacon and the sort of crispy skin that crackles with fatty goodness… we just had to get some to take home with us. My dad grew up on my great grandparents cocoa and coffee plantation and being there was no electricity or fridge.. a lot of their meats were smoked, salted or brine. As soon as my dad saw the thick slices of the bacon, he spoke about his childhood days and eating this with ground provisions. Yup! The lights went off in my head as I knew I had a taro in my fridge from my grocery trip a couple days back.

You’ll Need..

2 lbs dasheen or taro (peeled and cubed)
1 medium onion slice
1/4 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (any hot pepper you like)
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable)
2 cloves garlic sliced
dash black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 green onion chopped (scallion)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 lb bacon

The bacon I used was pork belly which was smoked as would bacon, then oven roasted with some sort of glaze. The crispy skin and bit’s of fat will work well with this dish. If pork is not your thing or you’d like to keep this vegetarian, you can omit any meat in the refrying step. Another option instead of the bacon would be pieces of slated cod fish or any sort of smoked meats you like.

The first part of the recipe is basically how to peel, cut and cook taro or dasheen. After which you can mix it with some butter and have it very basic. Or you can certainly refry with bacon or smoke meats as I will show you later and also make it vegetarian by not using any sort of meat. Additionally you can mash as you would potatoes and make a creamy mashed dasheen by adding milk/cream, butter and some fresh ground black pepper. (to peel use a sharp pairing knife or potato peeler)

Peel, cut into pieces (same size for uniform cooking time) and wash under cool water. If you’re using freshly harvested taro or dasheen you may want to wear gloves when peeling to prevent your hands from itching. Then place in a deep pot, cover with water (about 1 inch above the last piece), bring to a boil, reduce your heat to a rolling boil and let cook about 20 minutes or until tender. This is when you’d also add the salt to the boiling pot with the taro.Since there are a few factors which will account for how quickly your dasheen or taro cooks, I cannot guarantee that your cooking time will be the same. I would test after 15-20 minutes using this method… using a sharp paring knife, stick it into a piece of the taro. If there’s no resistance, it means that it’s cooked. Please bear in mind that the top pieces (pieces from the top portion of the actual taro, called the ‘head’… where it was attached to the stems during growth) may take a little longer to cook.

When the taro or dasheen comes to a boil you’ll notice some froth acquire at the top of the pot. Please spoon that out and discard. I believe that’s a combination of starch and some other impurities. While the taro was boiling I prepared the other ingredients for refrying it with.

After about 20 minutes of boiling (with the lid off) I tested to see if the pieces were cooked, then I drained and began the steps involved in refrying. At this point is when you can enjoy with butter or make into a mash as I explained above.

I then placed the butter and oil into a sauce pan (fairly deep) under medium heat, then added the pieces of smoked bacon that I cut into cubes earlier. Allow this to cook for a few minutes, until you start getting crispy edges.

I then added the garlic, onions, slices of scotch bonnet and black pepper. Allow that to cook for a couple minutes to soften and infuse it’s flavor into the entire dish. The final step is to now add the pieces of cooked dasheen or taro, top with the green onions and stir. Allow that to cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. With the natural sugars in the taro, the edges may start to go golden, so you may want to reduce the heat a bit. I love this texture and the taste of the sort of burnt edges, so I allow mine to cook on high heat. That’s just my preference.

So now you know a bit about dasheen and/or taro and I do hope you give it a try the next time you come across it in the grocery store or roadside vendor. There was enough here to serve about 3-4 people as a complete meal.

Eggplant With Potatoes A Classic Vegetarian Dish.

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:56:00 +0000

Similar to the original curry baigan and aloo recipe I shared with you guys back in 2009 (time really flies), this one is very flexible and can work as a vegetarian meal or you can add left over stewed meats or pieces of salted cod and take it to another level. With the strong East Indian influence in our culinary traditions, you’ll find than many of the vegetables and ways of cooking is directly related to that connection. This is why you’ll see from time to time I mention names of things you won’t necessarily be familiar with, but I do try to clear things up on such occasions. Baigan is just another word for eggplant and aloo is basically potato. So don’t be surprised to see this dish refereed to as baigan and aloo in some Trinbago restaurants.

You’ll Need…
1 lb Japanese eggplant (or your fav)
2-3 cloves garlic sliced or crushed
1/4 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (any hot pepper you like)
1/2 large onion diced
1 large potato cubed -chunky
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable)
dash black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

* As with the ingredients listed above, this is a vegetarian dish but I had some left over stewed chicken which I added the last 5 minutes of cooking to enhance the flavor a bit (this is optional). The stewed chicken recipe can be found at: Ultimate Trinbagonian Stew Chicken.

We’ll start by prepping all the ingredients. Peel and dice the onion, slice the pepper and crush or slice very thin the garlic. I decided to leave the skin on a couple of the eggplant for a bit of texture and to get some of that unique sweetness that Japanese eggplant seems to have. The other two I peeled. I then cut off the stems and cut each eggplant into three sections (length) to which I then cut strips, similar to if I were making fries. Finally I peeled, washed and cubed (in chunks) the potato. I used a Yukon Gold variety as I just love the sort of creamy texture of it. But you’re free to use any variety of potato you may have.

On a medium/high heat I heat the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the pieces of sliced (or crushed) garlic and allow that to cook for a couple minutes. You should start getting that wonderful garlic scent and the edges should start going golden. Now add the pieces of eggplant, then top with the onion, pepper, salt, black pepper and potato. Give it a good stir, then add the water. Bring it up to a boil, then lower te heat to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for about 25 minutes with the saucepan covered. Be sure to stir every 7 minutes or so.

You will find that it will start to melt away and turn into a sort of mushy texture… this is exactly what we’re looking for. After 25 minutes, the eggplant and potato should be tender and this is a good time to add any leftover meats you may want to add. If you plan on adding salted cod to this dish, I would add it after adding the garlic and allow it to cook for a couple minutes before adding everything else. If you’re keeping this dish strictly vegetarian, after 25 minutes if you have a lot of liquid left in the pan, turn up the heat and cook it off. You should not se any clear liquid in the finished dish.

If you did add pieces of left over stewed chicken as I did, turn up the heat after adding and cook until any liquid burns off.. usually about 3-5 minutes. Taste for salt as I’m sure your taste is different than mine. Add accordingly.

This goes well with Sada Roti and should be enough for 4-5 people as a side. I was at my sisters restaurant a while back and was quite surprised at how many people came in especially for this… but without any meat and curried as I shared in the previous recipe.