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As a kid growing up on the islands you never really understand/appreciate what you have, especially when it comes to our local produce. I remember giving mom a difficult time during ‘peas season’ (usually from Dec to mid-June), as it would make it’s way on the dinner table too often for my liking. We had a kitchen garden so many of the meals prepared came directly from that small plot of land behind our home. Today I’m stuck using the stuff from the can and the occasional time I can find it in the frozen section of the supermarket. Being based in Canada, the options are slim.. rare is the time you’d get fresh pigeon peas.
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This is NOT my dad’s roast (grilled) corn! If you grew up on the islands, you’ll know that fire roasted corn is a big deal every corn season. However I was never a fan of the ‘roast’ corn our dad was obsessed with, as I found the younger (not as mature as the ones used for fire roasting) corn, boiled in salted water was my fave. Since moving to North America where we have access to ‘sweet’ corn early in the summer, that all changed. As I was now able to get the same sort of tender and sweet kernels I enjoyed as a kid (though the corn is fully mature) even after I roast them off.
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It’s funny how I kept telling people that I’m not a fan of Hummus and just didn’t understand the sort of current ‘Hummus Hype”.. until I started making my own. While Hummus may seem exotic, it’s probably one of the simplest recipes to put together. There’s no cooking involved, can be done in under 5 minutes and you can play around with flavors you like. In my case I like my Hummus to have a slight kick, with a subtle smoky undertone. Any excuse to put “Caribbean Sunshine” (scotch bonnet peppers) to use.
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Looking back I think I originally documented this recipe late summer, early fall last year.. when my garden was loaded with the ‘spinach’ I’m about to use in this recipe. I’m using the word ‘spinach’ a bit loosely, as I’m really referring to several types of greens when I do. I’m a HUGE fan of greens so I usually plant several varieties in my garden every year. I’m told that as a kid on the islands my favorites (bhagi aka greens) were Dasheen Bush (tender leaves of the dasheen plant), Pak Choi and Chorai (Jamaican Callalloo)… mom never had a problem with me eating when she would cook those dishes.
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Living in Canada means that it’s almost a ‘treat’ when breadfruit hits our dinner table. Unlike when I lived in the Caribbean as a boy where we had a massive breadfruit tree in our back yard, laden with prime breadfruits. Not only are they expensive in the grocery (when we can actually get them) here, but I find that they are harvested too soon for export, so you never get that true essence of the breadfruit when you prepare a dish. Here’s my take on roasting a breadfruit in your typical kitchen oven, unlike the outdoor fire/coals method we all grew up using in the Caribbean.
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NO! Mommy didn’t make this for us as kids on the islands and to be quite honest, this was the first time my taste-buds were treated to such a colorful delight. Yes, the colors will play tricks on your mind, since the finished rice will look more like a holiday candy than fried rice. However I can assure you that this was very delicious and quite attractive served-up on a platter. For this recipe we’re joined by my friend Marc, who’s been rocking this recipe for a while now.
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As a kid I never had much love for this dish, but as I grew older (and moved away from home / the Caribbean), Corn Cou Cou became a fave of mine. Since mom could never convince us to eat corn Cou Cou it was rarely ever made in our home, except for the odd time she would make it for dad.. usually served with stew fish. While the corn meal and okra are the ‘constant’ ingredients in Cou Cou, you’ll find that the technique and supporting cast of ingredients will differ as you visit kitchens across the Caribbean.
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I grew up on classic Caribbean ice creams which were homemade and usually flavored with many of the fruits that grew at the back of our home in Guaracara Trinidad. Coconut, mango, sour soup and barbadine (Giant Granadilla) were the flavors of the day. Unless it was the odd time mom would bring home Flavorite (brand) from the grocery store, where we’d get a taste of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and the odd time .. rum and raisin. After having a superb pina colada in old San Juan (Puerto Rico) a few years ago, I knew I had to give this a spin in my ice cream maker.
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This is one of those recipes I associate with my grandmother who would always have dried pigeon peas stored in re-purposed glass ketchup bottles, in a dark corner of her smoky kitchen (she cooked with an open wood fire – called a coal pot). While she would save hers for making stew peas and pelau, the odd time she would make this rice dish, it was a bit different than what I’m about to share. If you have a pressure cooker you can cook the peas in a much faster time, but I quite like this slow method.
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If you’re unfamiliar with “Caribbean” history you’d asking why is this fella from the islands trying to impress us with a Tabouleah recipe? Immigrants from the Middle East started to arrive in places like Trinidad and Tobago as early as 1904. So you’ll find that like the strong Colonial, African, Indian and Chinese influence on our foods, that same sort of influence from Syria and Lebanon is present on our dinner tables.
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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.
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Doh try that! I can hear my Caribbean people screaming “that is not we kinda soup”! As we’ve discussed in the past, soups on the islands are tick, heavy and generally full of body (like what most non-Caribbean consider to be hearty stews). But let me assume you that this soup is quite filling and very comforting. You’ll notice that the ingredients are what we use daily throughout the Caribbean and yuh know we love ah coconut milk! Tip: If you roast the vegetables on a grill or open fire, you’ll get a lovely overall flavor.
