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…
As we continue exploring the “in season” theme—making the most of what’s fresh and available to me—I wanted to share this quick, healthy, and flavorful grilled zucchini recipe. While zucchini isn’t traditionally Caribbean, this method fits beautifully into an island-style kitchen. It’s a simple, light side dish that pairs well with grilled meats, fish, or…
Roasted vegetables are one of those timeless dishes that never go out of style. Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, roasted or stewed vegetables were always on our family table, thanks to the little kitchen garden my parents tended. Now that I’m cooking in Ontario, I love keeping that tradition alive while using fresh, in-season…
A Fresh Take on Homemade Pesto Pesto is one of those kitchen staples that instantly brings flavor and freshness to the table, and my Simple Tasty Chive Pesto is a seasonal twist worth trying. While it’s not as fiery as the Fierce Green Scotch Bonnet Pesto I shared a few years ago, this version emphasizes…
Every summer when my garden is overflowing with fresh produce, I find myself creating quick, healthy, and satisfying dishes that highlight the season’s best flavors. One of my favorites is this vegan fried rice with Jamaican callaloo (aka chorai bhagi or spinach) and garden vegetables. Fried rice has long been a staple in many Caribbean…
When cucumbers are at their peak in the garden, there’s no better way to enjoy them than in this Summertime Creamy Cucumber Salad. Crisp slices of cucumber and onion are tossed in a tangy, herb-packed dressing made with sour cream, mayo, and fresh dill. This salad is quick to prepare, cooling on a hot day,…
Every summer, when the string beans start coming in strong from my garden, I look forward to building simple, flavor-forward dishes like this one. This Garlic and Chive String Beans with Cashews recipe is part of my #InSeason series, which celebrates seasonal ingredients I grow or source locally that inspire everyday cooking at home. I…
A Fruity Caribbean-Inspired Sauce to Elevate Your Summer Meals With friends dropping by on their way to the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (still called Caribana by many of us), I wanted to whip up something special using fruits that are at their peak during summer. Peaches, plums, and cherries were looking perfect at the market, so…
Growing up in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, one of my favourite memories was heading down to Mucurapo Street for a quick Chinese lunch before catching a Kung Fu movie with my dad and brother. Back then, the dish was usually a chicken stir-fry served family-style, full of bold oyster sauce flavours that soaked up…
Tropical Mango Passionfruit Juice: a refreshingly invigorating blend of mango, passionfruit pulp, sugar and water for an island-style drink.
A Crispy Twist on a Caribbean Classic
Here’s another one of those vegan dishes I only started enjoying in my adult years. I’ve always enjoyed fries, too, but as a child on the islands, okra (say ocho) was never something mommy could get my siblings and me to eat. How times have changed with age; it’s one of my favourite things to cook with.
