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,...

The Origins of Black Cake / Caribbean Rum Fruit Cake Black cake, also known as Caribbean rum fruit cake, holds a cherished place in the culinary traditions of the Caribbean. Often served during Christmas, weddings, and other celebrations, it is...

  I thought to myself, if I only had time to share one recipe over the next two months, what would it be? This dish came to mind. Mummy made this occasionally to go with our Sunday lunch, which was...

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...

[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...

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...

Pholourie is another very popular snack food in Trinidad. It's soft, chewy, fluffy, and savory, similar in texture to a fritter. Other popular snack foods include saheena, kachori, aloo pie, fish pie, shrimp pie, doubles, chow, chicken and cheese puffs....

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...

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,...

  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...

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...

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...

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...