A classic dish during pigeon peas season (usually from late December to early April) in the Caribbean. Freshly shelled pigeon peas are pre cooked, then added to traditional stewed chicken for an iconic dish to enjoy with rice, dumplings, roti or a side to ground provisions. Almost the same dish is made with a curry…
One of my favorite memories of Barbados… tired, hungry and just exhausted from a long day of traveling to the island (gotta love slow customs and immigration). Luckily we opted for dinner at a local street vendor who had fresh-off-the-coal-fire – roasted breadfruit, stuffed with stewed red herrings. This son of the Caribbean was in…
This recipe is loosely based on a dish my great-grandmother would make for my dad. While I never had the chance to meet her, nor ‘taste her hand”, I feel I know her just from the stories my dad would tell us. From a baby to his teen years dad lived with my great grandparents…
YES! I’ll admit, there’s NOTHING better than a classic callaloo made with fresh ocean crabs (as mom makes). In some instances I even drool for Callaloo made with salted pigtails. However, when you’re based in Canada (away from the tropics) Smoked Turkey is a just-as-good replacement and dare I say, just as tasty? Here’s my…
While this dish is not part of my childhood growing up on the islands, I did have something similar in the French Speaking Caribbean (don’t recall which island at the moment) and it’s something I try to make whenever I have fresh off the vine tomatoes from my garden. The sauce is something you need…
Here’s another one of those insanely good comforting dishes we enjoy across the Caribbean. Each island and household will have it’s own take on this classic Caribbean recipe and that’s what gives us that uniqueness as you work your way up and down the island chain. This is a massive one pot dish meant to…
Cabbage with saltfish.. such a common and classic Caribbean dish, loved across the region. Bits of Salted Cod added to any dish is what most Caribbean folks would consider our ‘Umami’, so it’s common to elevate things like the simple Cabbage to new tasty heights. The beauty of this dish is that you can any…
Fig or green cooking bananas is one of those go-to ingredients we love to incorporate in soups, stews and many times, simply boiled on it own (treated like most cultures would potatoes). Growing up on the islands, most homes had a banana tree in their backyard, so both ripe and green bananas were always plentiful….
Why Mommy? You never put compound butter on our boiled corn! Yea, this is not something I grew up eating on the islands, but if you look closely you’ll see how we’ve adapted the flavors we enjoy down the islands, into this wonderful compound butter. Great of grilled meats, grilled and steamed vegetables and Indy…
I’ve shared countless recipes featuring the use of saltfish (Salted Cod) over the years, as it’s used a flavor enhancer to MANY dishes in the Caribbean. However, stewed on it’s own.. being the STAR of the recipe is what allows us to really appreciate the humble salted codfish. From our colonized past and slavery, we’ve…
Here’s yet another classic way to put breadfruit to use as did our ancestors. I still recall the scent of the salted pigtails stewing in freshly made coconut milk, just before mom would load the pot with ‘full’ (meaning mature, but not ripe) breadfruit. However she would add a layer of baby dasheen bush leaves…
Following up on the Fry Dry Herrings recipe I shared yesterday, here’s my take on my grandma’s Fish Choka. Basically any fried, oven roasted or grilled fish, flaked and made into a sort of salad (best way I can describe it). Light, tasty and very simple to put together. While the recipe isn’t exact, the…
