Desserts

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  • Quick Summertime Fruity Popsicle.

    As a kid growing up on the islands, one of our favorite frozen treats were ice blocks. Any fruit juice mom would make, we’d fill ice trays with and when frozen, they would be perfect for the tropical heat of the Caribbean (known locally as ice-blocks). Besides the various fruit juices she’d make from local fruits, our fave was always cool aid… especially “red” and grape! This is one of those recipes that’s not really a recipe, but rather a fun way to get the kids involved in the kitchen.

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    Panko Crusted Fried Plantains.

    With a variety of banana and plantain trees in our kitchen garden at the back of our home, we grew up with a natural affection for boiled and/or fried plantains. Sunday lunch was all about the sides of boiled plantains to give the entire meal a sort of rounded appeal, with the natural sweetness of the plantain. It’s funny how I still crave plantains from time to time (would explain why I’m always experimenting with different recipes), but I’ve not had a ripe banana in about 20 years.

  • Caribbean Christmas Bread Pudding.

    There’s all the food, the merriment with family and friends and of-course the variety of adult beverages, but nothing SCREAMS Christmas in the Caribbean louder than a thick slice of black fruit/rum cake. I remember mom having her dried fruits soaked in a lethal combination of rum, sherry and cask wine, for months (even a full year at times) and as a family we’d all have a hand in making this Christmas staple. We didn’t have an electric mixer in those days, so everything was done manually.

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    Refreshing Mango Raspberry Smoothie.

    Though not necessarily a “Caribbean” thing when I was a young fella’ on the islands, smoothies are making it’s way across the island chain as more and more people are looking for healthy ways to start their day, especially with the abundance of fresh tropical fruits we have available to us. Back then, you’d quicker find freshly made juices and punches with the same fruits, so I must confess that I’m not a huge fan of smoothies (it just wasn’t part of my diet). This mango raspberry smoothie only takes a couple minutes to make, quite refreshing and a wonderful meal in a glass.

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    How To Make Papaya Punch [lactose friendly | dairy free] .

    We always seemed to have had Papaya (say paw paw or paw poi in Trinidad and Tobago) trees in our yard as kids growing up on the islands, so this punch (or call it a smoothie) as well as ice cream was always in the fridge. I still recall getting in trouble with my dad for cutting the leaves (with long stems) off the tree as we would make a sort of cave-man flute or whistle with it. In the process of breaking the leaves off, my brother and I would knock the baby Papaya off the tree and the odd time we would even knock off the more mature fruits.. yea, we didn’t care as all we wanted were the stems/leaves.

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    Papaya Pineapple Marmalade Recipe

    With the natural abundance of fruits we have in the Caribbean I’m surprised we didn’t have a wider jam and jellies culture, when I was a kid on the islands. To be honest, the only jam mom would make was guava, sour cherry and Pommecythere (ambarella). However with all the artisan -like initiatives lately, we’re seeing more and more creative use of our fruits. We’ve come to realize that we can still enjoy tropical fruits when it’s out of season. If you’re from the Caribbean you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say we eat ‘seasonally’… take sorrel for example. We only drink sorrel at Christmas time. Why? In this recipe we’ll take two of the most common topical fruits and make what I believe is the perfect marriage of flavors and texture.

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    Orange Brown Sugar Glazed Plantain Recipe.

    I’ve been fortunate to travel up and down the Caribbean island chain over the years and one of the things I find astonishing, are the many uses we have for plantains. Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Sunday lunch (most important family meal) always consisted of boiled ripe plantains to go along with the stewed meats, Callaloo, Macaroni Pie, Stewed Beans, Sweet Potato and other tasty treats mom would prepare. Very simple, but what a joy to eat. The English, Spanish, French and Dutch Caribbean all have their unique take on preparing Plantains (green and ripe) and I’m sure this orange brown sugar glazed plantain recipe will surely join in among other classics.