About 12 years ago, I mentioned (on Facebook and Instagram) how my friend Karen Nicole Smith shared a simple but smart tip for reviving basic fried chicken, especially leftovers. Since then, this Jamaican escovitch sauce has rescued many plates of fried chicken in my kitchen. If you’ve ever had fried chicken sitting in the fridge…
Let’s stray just a little from the typical hot cocoa tea we enjoy throughout the Caribbean and give it a festive twist with the addition of sorrel. Cocoa tea has always been a staple in our kitchens, especially for breakfast, and growing up in Guaracara, Trinidad, it was something we looked forward to on cooler…
Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Salt Beef Callaloo was a staple on our Sunday lunch table. Sunday lunch was the biggest meal of the week, the one my siblings and I looked forward to the most. Alongside a pot of callaloo, there was usually macaroni pie, stewed or oven-roasted meats, boiled plantain, fresh garden…
Guava Sorrel Concentrate is a flavorful Caribbean drink base that brings together the tart, floral notes of dried sorrel with the tropical sweetness of ripe guava. While sorrel is a must-have drink during the Christmas holidays in the Caribbean, this Guava Sorrel Concentrate can be enjoyed throughout the year. I especially enjoy using it during…
The Trinidad Chicken Pastelle Recipe is one of those dishes that lets you know Christmas has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago. While beef pastelles are the traditional standard, this chicken version is the one I make for my family every year, and it signals the real start of our holiday cooking. It keeps the familiar…
Every Christmas season, there’s one drink that signals the holidays have truly arrived, and for me, it’s always a glass of sorrel, even as a little fella in Trinidad and Tobago. This Pineapple Sorrel Drink builds on the traditional Caribbean sorrel drink we all know and love, while adding a gentle tropical twist that feels…
As I developed this Incredible Wine Braised Oxtail, I wanted to highlight the rich depth that a good red wine can bring to slow-cooked meats, especially when paired with the familiar flavors of Caribbean cooking. You’ll still find the herbs, pimento, and warmth you expect in a comforting oxtail dish, but this version leans into…
If you grew up in a Caribbean household, you already know the magic that happens in the kitchen the day after a big cook. Leftovers weren’t just reheated — they were transformed. Mommy had a way of taking bits of stewed chicken, beef, or pork and turning them into dishes that tasted even better the…
Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Traditional Caribbean Pommecythere Jam was one of those treats that felt extra special. While sour cherry jam had its own place in my heart, pommecythere was the one I waited for. The fruit never ripens all at once, so my mother had to collect the ripe ones over several…
If you’ve followed my recipes here, on Instagram, or on TikTok, you’ll know I often get comments asking why a “Chinese” recipe is coming from a Caribbean food creator. But if you understand the history of the Caribbean—colonization, slavery, and indentureship—it all makes sense. Our food culture is a living record of those influences. Growing…
Apple Thyme Mashed Potatoes may not be the first dish you’d expect to see on a site dedicated to Caribbean food culture, but over the years I’ve enjoyed sharing the recipes that make their way onto my own family table here in Canada. As part of my “In Season” series, I highlight dishes that may…
Holiday cooking has a special way of bringing cultures together, and this Caribbean Black Rum Cake & Panettone Bread Pudding is exactly that kind of dish. I grew up knowing that every Caribbean household kept a jar of dried fruit soaked in a mix of rum and fortified wine, topped up year after year after…
