Latest Recipes

  • |

    Caribbean Saltfish Fried Rice Recipe.

    I grew up in a house where food was NEVER wasted, so ‘butter’ containers (empty ice cream, butter and margarine containers mom would wash and reuse) stacked in the fridge was a norm. Usually packed with whatever leftovers there was from the night before. So finding the same in our fridge is not that surprising. This fried rice recipe is something I usually do when I want something quick, filling and delicious to eat and I have some leftover rice in the fridge.

  • Festive Champagne Sorrel Drink Recipe.

    Sorrel and homemade ginger-beer are two drinks you’re guaranteed to find being enjoyed in just about every Caribbean home you visit during the Christmas season. Even after we moved to Canada, it was our yearly tradition to source out a grocery store which stocked the dried petals of sorrel or have relatives who would be visiting stock their suitcases with a package or two on their way up. The odd time we could get the fresh flowers, it was a welcomed bonus (like finding buried treasure). It’s funny how after so many years of using the dried stuff, you almost prefer it to the fresh ones now.

  • |

    The Ultimate Pepper Choka Recipe.

    Not sure if it was the way I was dressed/looked or the washed-down accent I used in placing my order, but the doubles vendor inside West Bees supermarket in Diego Martin (Trinidad) took time from her busy lunchtime line of customers to warn me “son be careful eh, this rheel hot”. Pepper choka is one of the many SPICY condiments you’ll find at most street vendors throughout the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Scotch Bonnet (known locally as congo pepper) peppers, roasted and made into a chunky sort of salsa.

  • 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.

  • Curry Beef With Chickpeas And Potato.

    We’ve done channa and aloo (chickpeas and potato) fully vegetarian, with added flavor by adding chicken to the mix and in this recipe we’ll follow the same technique for cooking this tasty curry dish, but we’ll add another unique flavor and texture by starting with a curry beef base. As we’ve discussed in previous posts using chickpeas / garbanzo beans are commonly known as channa in the Southern Caribbean, where there’s a stronger East Indian influence.

  • |

    Quickest Pholourie Recipe Ever.

    Pholouire is one of those popular vegetarian street foods you’ll find being sold throughout Trinidad and Tobago, alongside “Doubles” and Aloo Pies. Usually served hot out of the fryer, with a side of spicy chutney (mango | Mango chutney, tamarind sauce, coconut or cucumber) and relatively cheap. This recipe is a sort of hack version (save you time), showing how you can use a pre-packaged mix with great results. If you’re looking for a ‘from scratch’ recipe for making pholouire, click on Recipe Index at the top of this page.

  • |

    A Quick Jamaican Callaloo Fried Rice Recipe.

    One of the things my parents instilled in us from an early age, was to NEVER waste food, so growing up you’d always find containers (usually old margarine containers) with leftover food in the fridge. I love rice (brown parboiled) in just about any way it can be cooked, so having leftover rice in the fridge is like seeing the pieces of puzzle waiting to be put together. Said puzzle does not have an after picture to follow, so it’s rare that my final fried rice is ever the same. This time I’m using some fresh Jamaican callaloo (called chorai bhagi or spinach in the rest of the Caribbean) from my garden.

  • Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread.

    If you grew up on the islands you’d have at least one experience with cheese paste sandwiches… the go-to snack at many kids birthday parties. A zesty cheese spread made with grated cheddar, spiced with mustard and usually done in different colors so you get that sort of rainbow effect when you look at a cross-section of a sandwich. This recipe is the gown-up version of said cheese paste as we’ll add some fresh vegetables to the mix and instead or grated cheese, we’ll employ the use of cream cheese.

  • Vegetarian Curry Tofu Recipe.

    I grew up with he mindset that tofu could NEVER taste appealing. My mom’s cousins were vegetarians and I would always hear them speak about using tofu and soya chunks in different ways and though we were close.. I don’t ever recall ever having tofu until my adult years. Caribbean culinary culture is not remotely centered around tofu as most Asian countries and quite understandably so. We don’t produce tofu, so why would be be interested in it. If we were to speak about sea food, fish and ground provisions, then we could definitely shine!

  • | |

    Ultimate Caribbean Breakfast Recipe.

    Breakfast was usually a grab and go routine for me as a young fella on the islands during the week, as I went to school in the city and it meant leaving our sleepy village very early in the morning. I had to take a 2nd taxi (shared) when I got into San Fernando (2nd largest city in Trinidad) to make it in time for the first bell. So weekends was when mom would go all out with whatever we wanted for breakfast. Now this sort of breakfast was never included as I only developed a liking for many of the ingredients you’ll see me use, during my travels across the Caribbean as an adult.

  • | |

    Ultimate Caribbean Salsa Topping For Tacos, Hotdogs & Burgers.

    When some of your youngest fans get their mom to contact you “mom can you contact Chris to see if he can do a Caribbean taco recipe for us?” you know you have to jump into action. So the first thing I cranked out was the topping for said taco. During the summer months this also works as a great topping for grilled burgers and hot dogs. And when those cold wintry weekends kicks in and I want to brighten up my mood… I put a side of this with my eggs at breakfast! Versatile indeed!

  • |

    Jerk Chicken Chili.

    Understandably we don’t automatically associate chili with the Caribbean when we envision the meals being prepared in homes across the islands. However, times are indeed changing and we’re experimenting with different recipes, ingredients and flavors. Just take a peek at the many international restaurants you’ll find in any capital city of any island in the Caribbean and you’ll see that our dining habits are changing. Some may argue that it’s a bad thing as our culinary culture is quickly losing out to these outside influences. Topic for another day!