Special Diet

Brownies–The Delicious Experiment.

Brownies–The Delicious Experiment.

“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 my home in preparation for [continue reading]

Trinidad Sweet Rice | Rice Pudding

Trinidad Sweet Rice | Rice Pudding

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 not have power or heat [continue reading]

Trinidad Paratha Roti (Buss up Shut)

Trinidad Paratha Roti (Buss up Shut)

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 roti, aloo roti, pepper roti, [continue reading]

Curried Channa and Aloo (Chickpeas with Potatoes)

Curried Channa and Aloo (Chickpeas with Potatoes)

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 a fragrant curry sauce flavored [continue reading]

St. Lucian Green Fig Salad

St. Lucian Green Fig Salad

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, at the supermarket, or while [continue reading]

Coconut Palette (Popsicles)

Coconut Palette (Popsicles)

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 of the wrapping—even more than [continue reading]

Ria’s Trinidad Lime Pepper Sauce

Ria’s Trinidad Lime Pepper Sauce

Each Caribbean island boasts of its own unique blend of “devilish” hot sauces also known as pickled peppers. They vary from simple combinations of hot pepper (pronounced peppah) and lime juice or vinegar to more complicated concoctions of fruits(papaya), vegetables (caraille) and herbs. The heat [continue reading]

Ria’s Avocado-Tomato Salad with Cilantro

Ria’s Avocado-Tomato Salad with Cilantro

The Canadians visited last weekend for my sister’s baby shower. They brought me some of the juiciest, sweetest cherry tomatoes I ever tasted. They were as sweet as a fruit, quite possibly sweeter….and then I reminded myself that tomatoes are fruits..duuuh…   Referred to as sweet million cherry [continue reading]

Baigan Choka Recipe

Baigan Choka Recipe

Since I last posted, life has been full of flavor and excitement—business travel, a beach lime with my cousins (fried bake and shark, saltfish and tomatoes, fry bodi for breakfast, and curried duck with dhal and rice for lunch), my sister’s baby shower, and even [continue reading]

Ria’s Healthy Grilled Chicken Legs

Ria’s Healthy Grilled Chicken Legs

Several weeks ago my train wasn’t working so my husband volunteered to drop me downtown Brooklyn to another train station. As a result, I had the opportunity to chat with his coworker, Cyrus, whom he usually picks up on his way to work. I knew Cyrus was an intern from [continue reading]