Comfort Food

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1664"] Amazing Curry Shrimp and roti[/caption] I hope everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day weekend. I sure did. The gifts were simple, the love and appreciation were endless. The payment for all the food and love I...

"This oven bbq chicken is the simplest thing you can put together--preparation is super easy, using simple ingredients and the result is moist, flavorful, and absolutely mouth-watering." Happy Wednesday! Can you believe that January is almost over? Where did the...

STOP! You have found the best, most detailed Trinidad Doubles Recipe on the internet! All other recipes are mere adaptations. As I get ready to end this year strong and set goals for the new year, I thought I should...

Table of contentsWhat is Dhalpuri?Dhalpuri, also known as dhal puri, dalpuri or dhalpourie is one of the most popular rotis in Trinidad. It is a  stuffed flatbread , deeply rooted in Indo-Trinidadian cuisine.The origins of dhalpuriHow is dhalpuri made?How to...

 WHAT IS SADA ROTI? Sada roti is one of the main staples in Trinidad. It is a leavened flat bread eaten for breakfast or dinner with a variety of vegetarian, fish or meat dishes--including curries or stews. It is to...

Spice up your life with Trinidad Pepper Roti—a flavorful, cheesy, and spicy flatbread that’s perfect for any occasion, Pepper Roti is a beloved roti in Trinidad and Tobago, known for its flaky layers and fiery filling. Traditionally filled with mashed...

  As we approach the second month of 2016, and as the snow melts on the ground, I am left to wonder how many of us have stuck to our resolutions. My basic resolutions do not differ much from year...

Buljol is a Trinidadian classic and weekend breakfast staple. It's been a while! Where do I start! To give you a quick snapshot, since my last post I resigned from my position of 11 years, left my comfort zone, and...

'This boil and fry black-eyed peas dish, referred to as "Googanee" by my Mom, is made traditionally with only onion, garlic, culantro (shado beni) and pepper, but I added veggies for additional flavor and nutrients." The year 2014 came and...

When I thought I finally had a strong grasp on 40, life went ahead and dealt me another wild card which, if I didn't play right, would result in permanent despair. I did some introspection. I realized that somewhere hidden...

  Summer has bid us farewell. School is back in session. I have no vivid recollection of activities that occurred between the start of summer and the beginning of the school session. I know I worked maybe just a little...

Aloo pie is fried dough filled with savory mashed potatoes that’s seasoned simply with bandhania (culantro), cumin, onion and garlic.   This snack (or meal) is right up there in popularity with doubles, saheena, pholourie,dhal pholourie, kachori and bake and...

"Trinidad stewed red beans is a mainstay in our cuisine. For a typical simple Sunday lunch, it is usually accompanied by baked or stewed chicken, steamed rice, and a salad." A little update. Change seems to be the only constant...

  You’ve heard me mention that I love challenges, and let me warn you, be careful what you wish for! Two years ago I complained that my job had become too easy, I knew it too well, it wasn’t challenging enough. No...

Chicken Puffs: Pâte à choux, a light pastry dough, is filled with savory, flavorful chicken paste.   It's been a rough year thus far, and I expect the turbulence to continue for another twelve months. Corporate mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, increased workload,...

Growing up in Trinidad, pumpkin talkari and dost roti (a layered roti) was one of my absolute favorite meals! Strangely enough, it is also my 10-year-old daughter's favorite meal as well. In my recipe below, cubes of pumpkin are sautéed...

This beloved bread has evoked many passionate discussions that extend from the north to the south. The Northerners prefer their cornbread sweet and the Southerners never add sugar. This Trini will avoid that controversy. Allow me to exercise my First...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="903"] Slice of macaroni pie on a plate[/caption] Macaroni pie is not to be confused with the American mac and cheese, which my kids would eat everyday if I allow them to. They would let you know...

This post made me question my sanity. Cooking, pic taking and catering to everyone in my household simultaneously is quite challenging. Sometimes I wonder why my hobby wasn't as easy as looking at television. I can't explain this passion. Who spends...

  Last father's day, I prepared a feast for my hubbie. A feast which included these Caribbean pepper jerk shrimp. [Actual Menu.. In retrospect....what the heck was I smoking!!?? I must really like to cook!.....] I did not post pics...

If you loved my gulgula (banana fritters) recipe, then you must try this banana bread recipe. They are almost twins, except gulgula is fried and this is baked. Both have loads of banana flavor, are moist, dense and delicious with...

Steamed Coconut Salmon My daughter had an interview this week. Her very first interview, ever. I kissed and hugged her endlessly and sent her off to the interview, down a lonely hallway, all by her lonesome, (I know, aye vey!)...

What is Green Seasoning?  Green seasoning or seasonin' is a blend of herbs and other aromatics and a quintessential element of Caribbean cooking. Easy to make and endlessly customizable, it is a must-have for Caribbean home cooking, whether you're spicing...

Before we venture into a delivious recipe for Trinidad Coconut Bake, here is an update! In my absence, I have celebrated turning 39, which I realized, after much contemplation, isn't so bad after all. Nineteen years ago, I came to...

  I started eating quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) last year in an attempt to add some variety and  nutrients to my diet. Two years ago I ate rice three times a day. That very restrictive diet worked for me at that...

  A few months ago I noticed hibiscus tea being sold at Whole Foods and thought, how strange that teas are now being made using hibiscus flowers(the one commonly grown in yards all over TnT). I made a mental note...

"These brownies are not too fudgy, not too stick to your enamels chewy, not too cakey, but are moist, chocolaty, with just the right texture (pour moi)….and divine" December is a ridiculously busy month with year-end chaos at work, decluttering...

Before moving on to the recipe of the day 'sweet rice', you should know that I intended to post many wonderful recipes for Diwali and Thanksgiving, but Hurricane 'Sandy' prevented me from doing so. Sandy the Super Storm We did...

What is Paratha Roti? What is Buss up shot /buss up shut roti? Paratha, also known as “buss up shut” is one of the various types of roti (leavened flatbread) ubiquitous in Trinidad, along with sada roti, dosti roti, dhalpuri...

Channa is also known as chickpeas, garbanzo beans, or ceci beans. Aloo, on the other hand, is what we Trinidadians refer to as potato. Hence the term curry channa and aloo. In this dish, channa and aloo are simmered in...

St. Lucian Green Fig Salad is the perfect side dish to serve along with curries, stews, baked or BBQ meats and seafood.    Some of my best relationships are formed with people I encounter in the ladies' room at work,...

A coconut “palette” (pronounced pah-lit in Trinidad) reminds me of childhood days in Trinidad. I grew up enjoying this home made coconut treat, which was usually wrapped in a very thin, parchment-like wrapper. Strangely, I could vividly remember the scent...

  Since I last posted I have traveled on business, arranged a beach “lime” with my wonderful cousins (with fried bake and shark, saltfish and tomatoes and fry bodi for breakfast and curried duck, dhal and rice for lunch), partied and...

I've been avoiding the kitchen like the plague. Recipe testing and emotional eating have taken a toll on my "physique"...it also doesn't help that I usually prepare six 5 star meals on the weekend for my beloved family...that "insanity" has...

"Trinidad macaroni salad is the perfect side dish to accompany your favorite baked or BBQ protein and seafood. It's loaded with flavor! " A few weekends ago, the beautiful lavender-hued chive blossoms in my garden inspired me to create a...

What is Stewed Chicken Stew Chicken (also referred to as stewed chicken or brown stew chicken) is a savory Caribbean dish featuring chicken browned in caramelized sugar('burnt sugar'), then simmered in a flavorful blend of aromatics like garlic, onion, and...

    These fritters are made with cauliflower, besan(chick pea flour), cumin(geera), turmeric, garlic and fresh cilantro. A few weeks ago, while at work, I had a desire. A desire for a fritter. In my mind I envisioned how it...

Peanut butter and bananas are a match made in food heaven - whether you enjoy it on a sandwich or in a smoothie! I prepare this smoothie for my kids for a snack or a breakfast drink and it’s definitely a savior when...

Chow, in Trinidad and Tobaho,  is a simple, refreshing combination of fresh fruits, garlic, and culantro-also known as bandhania or shado beni. Consider it a "spiced up" fruit salad.   [Culantro, also known as bandania or shado beni]   The...

  I have been making Paula Dean’s peach cobbler for years. One day I decided that it required a makeover with less butter and sugar. I know it’s an abomination, but occasionally I want to experience, “le plaisir sans la culpabilité!”...