Simply Trini Cooking

Music Monday: Voces Jovenes - La Historia De San Jose

2009-11-09T07:46:00.001-04:00

Christmas is drawing near and that means one thing in Trinidad and Tobago: Parang music and more parang music. Parang Music draws from Trinidad and Tobago's rich Spanish heritage where paranderos sing, in Spanish, of the birth of Christ and many other related topics surrounding this time of merriment and cheer. Here then is one of the young and upcoming groups that make me feel proud everytime I hear them. This group uses the traditional instruments namely the cuatro, guitar, mandolin, maracas, claves and box bass. Here's Voces Jovenes - La Historia De San Jose

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Silent Sunday: Pommerac in Bloom

2009-11-08T07:19:00.001-04:00

What have I been up to? - All Souls Day

2009-11-06T22:26:00.013-04:00

November the 2nd marks a special day in the Roman Catholic Calendar. It is All Souls Day: a day we remember our loved ones who have passed on. In Trinidad, like in many other countries, we pay our respects by visiting the cemetery and "light up" the graves of our deceased family and friends.

For me it was no different: flowering plants were planted or placed on graves; graves were cleaned and lit. The spectacular thing to notice is the hundreds of candle lights that make the cemetery look like one large shimmering blanket of light that night. So what do we do after lighting the graves? Some pray the rosary while others just spend that time in silence reminiscing about the time gone by......

But the story doesn't stop there. In Trinidad there are also serious beliefs surrounding All Souls Day and the previous day All Saints Day. My father said those were two days hunters never went into the forest to hunt. Even "going out" to the beaches and rivers were forbidden. Souls were said to be roaming about and it was not safe....

This is where my father would always relate an incident that happened to his father one All Souls Night.....My grandfather back in the day burnt coals for a living by felling trees and making huge coal pits in the bush. It was very hard, manual work and sometimes the pits needed tending to at night. So that night my grandfather decided to stay in the bush in his little "ranch" to tend to his pit nearby.

No sooner had he laid down to sleep after "outing" his flambeau something shook the ranch. He got up lit his flambeaux and looked around; he saw nothing. The second time he laid down to sleep the ranch shook twice as hard. He got up lit his flambeau again and looked around; still nothing. By the third time the ranch shook violently and he had to leave the forest and come home. It was only then he remembered that it was All Souls Day that day....

Now this is only one incident but I would not even experiment to see if this is true and would respect All saints and All Souls Day and its significance. Of course some would say it is superstition but this is part of Trini culture I dare not challenge.

As I have said before I don't think someone would go into the bush to concoct stories...there has to be some truth to what is said. And strange though, how is it that hunters from different parts of Trinidad have similar experiences while hunting?...Maybe they have a hunters' stories association where they meet to get help making up stories lol :-)

Anyhow, that subject I will deal with later on, since I have many recipes to post still. Maybe I'll share a few incidents that were told to me by my father other relatives while they were hunting in deep forest. I'll Leave you with some pictures I took out of the "lighting up".

Trini Lasagna Rolls

2009-11-03T09:25:00.006-04:00

As a variation to the Trini Lasagna recipe I did some posts ago, we decided to try out some lasagna rolls trinistyle. These Trini lasagna rolls tasted just as well and you didn't have to worry about eating too much. They were already portioned in these neat rolls that you just serve, after it is cooled of course. They were very filling. After two lasagna rolls and a glass of beastly cold peanut punch I was good to go.

This lasagna roll recipe, in my opinion, could be ideal to get everyone busy in the kitchen. You could set up a little assembly line: when one spreads the white sauce, the other puts the meat then another the cheese and lastly daddy could do the rolling: What a fantastic meal for the family to get involved.

Anyhow, I must say that this seems to be a habit, but after having this lasagna roll I just have to try another variation: this time I will open it up for my readers. If you have a idea for another variation of the good ole Lasagna recipe why not drop me an email or comment.

So once again I present to you a simple trini recipe from my kitchen to yours. Here's Lasagna Rolls. Enjoy!

LASAGNA ROLLS

1 lb minced beef, seasoned
8 lasagna pasta
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp. flour
pepper to taste
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 pimento, chopped

Boil the lasagna and set aside.

Cook the meat adding the tomatoes, garlic, onion, pimento,
tomato paste, pepper to taste and salt

Make the White Sauce. Over a low flame, melt the butter, stir in the flour, and add the milk and black pepper. Mix, preferably with a fork to ensure that the flour don't lump together. Continue to boil until the milk gets thick. Remove immediately from the flame.

Place a layer of white sauce on a lasagna

then add a layer of meat

and top with cheese.

Now roll the lasagna and place it seam side down in a greased baking dish.
The one we used was 12 x 8 x 2 inches

Sprinkle with cheese.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, Cover the top with foil and
bake for 20 minutes then remove the foil and bake for
10 minutes longer or until the cheese looks golden.

More recipes to come. Ah gone!

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Music Monday: Positive - Never Let Go

2009-11-02T00:37:00.003-04:00

This time I'm back with Trini artiste Positive again with some positive vibrations. Enjoy Never let Go.

Curry Crab and Cassava Dumpling

2009-10-30T22:20:00.005-04:00

With the rainy season upon us here in Trinidad and Tobago comes many wonderful sights around where I live: The hills turn from a a hay yellow with spots of light green here and there, to a lush, vibrant viridian; Meagre ravines and rivers become swollen and teeming with life once more; Guabine ( Hoplias malabaricus), Teta ( Hypostomus robinii) and Coscarob (Aequidens pulcher) make their homes under dark rocks in the cool, serene mountain pools; birds of every imaginable colour sing their praise high in the canopy with Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus), Semp (Violaceous Euphonia), Blue Jean (Thraupis episcopus, Blue-Grey Tanager) and Big Eye Grieve (Turdus nudigenis) in one accord..... of course hidden in holes at the river bank or between crevices and cracks in the rocks there is also Mr Crab....

Up in the mountains here in Maracas we have mountain crab (Pseudotelphusa garmani) or what we call brown crab which is abundant during the rainy season and of course grace many a pot in the best way we know to serve crab: curried with dumpling. Of course when it comes to curry crab we're not that choosy because any kind would make a good pot.

So, when I saw that we got some crab the other day, the first thing that ran through my mind was a good pot of curry crab and dumpling. But seeing that we already did dumpling so many times I decided to post cassava dumpling instead: a wonderful variation that's wholesome and rich in fibre.

In the end it was a treat I thoroughly enjoyed. At one time during my feast, the lime pepper sauce got the better of me and made me cough. As we say in Trini "it went down de wrong throat" :-D Boy that pepper is flamin' ! Anyhow, enough of me and my adventures. Now it's your turn to try this local recipe that every Trini loves: Curry crab and Cassava Dumpling.

CURRY CRAB AND CASSAVA DUMPLING

For Crab (seasoning)
8 crab
4 tbsp. curry, divided
2 tbsp green seasoning
14 leaves Chadon Beni
6 cloves garlic
3 pimento peppers
1 dash pepper sauce

For Crab (currying)
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp amchar masala
1 tsp geera (cumin)
1/2 tsp saffron powder (tumeric)
1/3 cup water

2 pks (50 g) coconut milk powder
1/2 cup water

For Cassava Dumpling
3 cups grated cassava
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water (see note)
2 tbsp salt for boiling

Cassava Dumpling

Wash and peel the cassava

and grate on the rough side of the grater as shown

Place in a cloth and squeeze out the excess water.

Note: This water will be used when mixing the dough for the dumpling. If you don't get enough

add water to the "cassava water" to make 1 cup.

add water and flour

mix into a firm dough

Divide the dough into two and make long rolls

slice the dough

Shape the dough in your hands to make the dumpling

Add dumpling and 2 tbsp salt to boiling water

When the dumpling floats to the top it is ready

Drain

The finished dumpling

Curry Crab

Wash and clean the crab, then scald with hot water.

Place in a large bowl and add green seasoning...

2 tbsp curry...

and half of the; chopped pimento, chadon beni, garlic and pepper sauce mixture.

Note: The chopped pimento, chadon beni, garlic and pepper sauce is mixed in a bowl before adding to the crab. Also, we used some of the lime pepper sauce.

Cover with foil and place in the fridge to marinate overnight or for at least 3 hours

Mix up the crab and crack the gundy (claws) to allow the curry to infuse when cooking.

The crab is ready now but one more step before we start to curry.

Mix saffron, geera, masala, 2 tbsp of curry and
the other half of the seasoning mixture in 1/3 cup water.

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic and onion.

Add the curry

and let it fry until it gets sticky

Add the crab

Allow to cook turning frequently for about two minutes

Add the tomato

Mix the coconut powder in 1/2 cup water

and add to the crab

continue to cook for about a minute

Then add 3 cups of water

allow to cook until the crab turns red (about 5 minutes)

The crab is good now. Serve over cassava dumpling and enjoy.

I hope you enjoyed the Trini curry crab and cassava dumpling. More recipes to come. Ah gone!

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Trini Lasagna

2009-10-26T00:39:00.016-04:00

Have you ever felt like eating a simple meal without the extra side dishes and sauces? Well that's how I felt the day my wife made this Trini Lasagna. I just wanted something different but simple and easy to make at the same time. So this is what she decided to make; Trini Lasagna.

How easy is it to make? Very easy, and you can add your own twist to it as you go along. Kind of reminds me of music. There were jazz compositions I played that were like sketches: they gave you lots of "space" to improvise and add new and ear tickling chord substitutions in between. So just like a well written composition, lets cook up a storm with this simple recipe and make a few mouth watering improvisations in between. Who knows, it could be a delicious discovery on your path to taste utopia!

Basically I always envision this recipe in four parts: first you have the lasagne; then there is the meat; then the cheese and lastly the sauce. With the lasagne I don't think there's much to do than boiling it, unless it is boiled in some sort of seasoning. Sounds like a plan!

Ok, what can we do with the meat? Limitless variations! You could mix meats together, the seasoning process you could experiment with, for example our Trini method of seasoning which involves marinating. And while we're on meats why not try experimenting with the textures of different meats; Or some sea food.

Well, for the cheese I can certainly tell you one of my variations would be just more cheese than usual; a cheesier lasagna perhaps with double cheese :-D lol O.K, O.K I have seen variations already with four cheeses but how about seasoning the grated cheese with your own special blend of spices.

For the sauce, of course, everything goes. Why not use a sauce from your culture or another culture. By the time you're done you could have a lasagna that's truly international. A little of the East and West in one dish. I'm really thinking out of the box here....

Anyhow! I hope you make this simple recipe with your own improvisations and really make "music" in your mouth. Here's Trini Lasagna: our local twist to a famous dish.

TRINI LASAGNA

1 pack of lasagna pasta
1 lb minced beef (seasoned)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour, all purpose
1 cup milk
1 dash black pepper
2 tbsp. roucou or tomato paste ( if you're using tomato paste you could use a little more)

Boil the lasagne and set aside.

Heat pot over a medium flame...

And add the seasoned minced beef

Note: We did not add any oil to the pot.

Make sure meat is well done

Add roucou or tomato paste

We're ready to begin assembling now. Put a layer of meat; then cheese ......

then add the lasagna

Add a layer of white sauce and continue in the same manner.
We got about three layers

On the top layer add some more grated cheese.
Bake for 40 minutes at 250 degrees F

Allow to cool before serving

If you liked this recipe I have a vegetarian one that I did called Trini Spinach Lasagna.Do enjoy!
More recipes to come. Ah gone!

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Music Monday: 3 Canal - Boom Up History

2009-10-26T00:10:00.004-04:00

History! What is history? Is history written in truth? Is it written to reflect what really happened to a country or people? or is it what someone wrote to control what the masses believe and how they behave. "Boom Up History" by Trini rapso group 3 Canal challenges this thought of history. What was there before written history? Hmmmm! Listen well.

Preserved Five Finger

2009-10-23T22:10:00.010-04:00

The tradition of producing preserved fruit has been a time honoured tradition here in Trinidad and Tobago. The fruits used may vary depending on what type of preserving you're going to do. For the hot spicy preserved fruit we use the more "half ripe" fruits so you get a bit of sour together with the garlic infused brine you're going to soak the fruit.

This type of preserving we call "soaking". So with lots of "half ripe" sour fruits to choose from on the island, the possibilities are endless. And you can also add the red colouring to the brine to give it that beautiful red colour we all know since our Primary school days. That's how we get the famous red mango and red plum from.

On the other side of the scale we have the sweet treatment to preserving using ripe fruits . But that process also has its variations with or without red colouring. The first method is to boil the fruits in water with sugar and spices like clove and spice bark, until a thick syrup is formed...delicious! Then the other method involves the previous steps but instead of reducing to a syrup, you put the fruits in the sun to dry.

That is the one I'll be showing you: the sun dried candied fruit. Of course with so much Five Finger around these days we decided to use it for the process. The process is simple and straightforward. The only problem for my international readers, would be getting lots of hot sun to dry the fruit but we found that the oven also does a great job. Have fun making these preserved five finger. They're sweet and very addictive. :-) Enjoy.

PRESERVED FIVE FINGER

15 five finger (carambola)
25 whole cloves
1 piece of spice bark
5 cups brown sugar

Remove the tips and cut up

Add to a large pot and pour enough water to cover the five finger.

Add the clove and spice

Bring to a boil then leave to cool for 3 hours

Note: This time is important. You are allowing the five finger to soak up the sugar and spices.

Afterward drain and place in trays

Here we have it drying in the sun

We decided to use the oven method since the sunlight wasn't consistent.

Just set the oven very low, about 150 Degrees F, and prop the oven door

open a few inches to allow steam to escape.
Check every hour and turn the fruit until done.

This is how it looks when done.

See you soon with another recipe. Bye!

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Five Finger Chow

2009-10-22T19:06:00.005-04:00

Ok! since we picked so much five finger (a whole bag!) we decided to make some chow with a few. Actually, just three because they were very BIG and my mother wanted to save some for another recipe that's Oh..so..wonderful; more on that later . As usual we have the ever popular chadon beni in this recipe because a chow is not really a chow if you don't have chadon beni in it. Ask any Trini. I left the salt and pepper to taste, because we all have our threshold for pepper. Mine might be a little higher ........or lower ....than some of you :-) . So here's another simple trini recipe for you all to enjoy. Here's Five finger Chow.

FIVE FINGER CHOW

3 large five fingers (carambola)
6 leaves chadon beni
3 cloves garlic
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Before we begin I just wanted to show you all how large the five finger (carambola) we picked were. One could fit in the palm of my hand!

Wash and cut up the five finger.

Add salt

and pepper

Add the grated chadon beni and garlic.

Toss

Well, by now you're supposed to be munching down on some spicy five finger slices. Or at least imagining that you're enjoying some of this chow. Salivating as yet? Ah gone with dat one! :-D

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What have I been up to?

2009-10-22T18:14:00.013-04:00

It's me again and maybe you're wondering how come I haven't been posting as regular these few days so I've decided to give you all a little glimpse. Well, just a little. Since the set of posts for Divali , I've been a bit tired, not from posting but work related, so I decided to relax a little. So what did I do? Well, I'm not much of a limer, so I stayed at home and checked out the fruit trees around the yard to see what I could get. And I did get a lot of fruits! Lets check them out.

My first stop the Chinee Coconut tree. Got a few with slight jelly and lots of fresh coconut water. This was the start of a nice day don't you think? Leaning on the bunch is our trusty and sharp cutlass (machete) also known as a 3 canal (now you know where the local rapso group got their name from) or 3 line because of the three distinguishing marks.

Afterward it was time to visit the pommecythere tree. This year, like the five finger (carambola), the pommecythere took on a large load of fruits, but there was one problem: this tree is very tall and most of the pommecythere was unreachable at the ends of the branches. Anyhow, we got someone to climb and pick with a long bamboo rod with a bag attached at the end. There was so much I had to give away!

I just couldn't leave the five finger tree alone: just had to pick a bag full. These five finger were really big. Later I'll show you the size of one.

Peewah is in season so there was also a bunch to pick. It made kerekel this time just as delicious though!

And to end the day I sat down with a lovely bowl of plum with salt and pepper. Dribble! Dribble! :-D

So you see what a wonderful day I spent? Lots of relaxation; time to ponder on thoughts and ideas; even some time to watch some cable while enjoying some soft jelly and a nice tall glass of free coconut water. :-)

Any way before I go I didn't forget to put the lime pepper sauce in the sun. I think I just made it get a little hotter by doing this!

So now you know what I have been doing .....Back to recipes soon. Ah gone!

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Music Monday: SKHI - Desire

2009-10-19T09:37:00.000-04:00

A great song composed by SKHI and directed by RemBunction. It was shot on location at Las Cuevas one of our beautiful beaches on Trinidad's North Coast

Saheena II

2009-10-17T22:00:00.003-04:00

By now you would have realised that this is the second variation of saheena that we prepare. This saheena recipe is easier than the first because of the steps and the preparation but the cooking time may probably be the same since in this saheena recipe we have to leave the mixture to "rest".

Everyone will have a liking for one of the two types for me I will have to stick to liking both. It depends on the mood I'm in or how hungry I am at the time. :-) The roll up type I like because of the ratio of dasheen bush to split peas powder and vice versa.

It's been great posting all these recipes for Divali. I actually pulled it off: I posted five recipes in two days. To me that's a feat in itself seeing that I usually post only three a week. Yawn! Sleep is near....enjoy this second mouthwatering and delightful variation of Saheena.

SAHEENA

6 dasheen leaves ( stems removed)
1 tsp. saffron powder
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 cup split peas powder
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. green seasoning
2 cups water
few drops of lime juice

fold the leaves and cut off where the stem joins to the leaf

Then cut the dasheen leaves finely

Add the rest of ingredients....

Note: Don't forget the lime juice or else it will itch!

and mix thoroughly. Leave to rest for 1/2 an hour

Heat the oil over a medium flame

have a small bowl of water nearby. dip your hands in the water
then pick up a bit of the dough and......

spread with your hands

Fry until golden

Drain and serve with favourite kuchela or chutney

So ends another fine East Indian recipe and my posts for the day. Hope you enjoyed them and of course Happy Divali to the Hindu community from Simply Trini Cooking. :-)

...

Saheena I

2009-10-17T19:30:00.007-04:00

The dasheen plant's use is very versatile in the hands of an experienced Trini cook. Actually, we use the whole plant, the leaves and the corm, in dishes ranging from provision and saltfish to bhaji rice to callaloo. And added to that today we have saheena.

Saheena is a wonderful East Indian delicacy that is suitable for all occasions be it breakfast, dinner or even on this auspicious day of Divali. It's filling and also vegetarian. Talk about versatility! I would like to call saheena the all rounder since it fits any occasion.

You would notice I titled this recipe Saheena I, that's because there are two ways in which we Trinis make saheena. This method is the "roll up" method you will see what I mean as you read on. The other method ...well, you would have to wait and see unless you know already :-)

So here's Saheena an allround East Indian delicacy made from dasheen bush an equally versatile plant. Enjoy Saheena.

SAHEENA

12 dasheen leaves (taro)
1 1/2 cup split peas powder
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp. saffron (tumeric) powder
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp green seasoning

paste for frying*
1 1/2 cup split peas powder
1/2 cup flour
1 cup water
1 tsp. saffron (tumeric) powder
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp green seasoning

* this paste is a bit thicker

mix the ingredients together to form a paste

wash and clean the leaves removing the stems

Open one large dasheen leaf face down and rub paste on it.

Place another leaf on top and repeat the earlier step.

Continue layering and pasting each layer until the paste is finished or the leaves are used up.

Roll tightly together and tuck the ends.

Place in a clean plastic bag and put into boiling water to steam. -or-

tie the roll with string and place it in a steamer.

Note: We used a clear plastic bag so a zip lock bag could be used too. Use only clear plastic bags!

Make sure the knot is above the water

Remove after 15 minutes and leave to cool.

cut in 1/2 " slices

Paste some of the thicker mixture on both sides.

Fry until golden...

and drain. Serve with your favourite kuchela or chutney.

Note: To eat the saheena simply cut open the and place the kuchela or chutney in the middle like a sandwich.

This is really getting to be a marathon. More to come!. Ah gone again!

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Goolab Jamoon

2009-10-17T16:20:00.005-04:00

This seems to be a habit of mine every Divali: I always have a few posts to do in just one day. Last year I was busy and this year doesn't seem to be different. So here goes....Goolab jamoon is another Divali recipe that we Trinis love to prepare. Like the Barfi it is also milky and sweet. Although I don't really have a sweet tooth, I'm a little partial to these Divali sweets. I can't explain it, maybe it's the ginger and elychee used in the recipes that entices me... I don't know but they sure taste good. So here's gulab jamun: another divali sweet meat that I absolutely love and will be looking forward to tonight! :-)

GOOLAB JAMOON

3 cups full cream milk powder
1 tsp. ground elychee (cardamom)
1 cup flour
1/2 lb butter
1 cup water ( or 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water)

For syrup
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp. grated ginger
1/2 cup water

mix the butter, milk, flour, elychee and water until a crumbly texture is formed.

Shape in your hands.

Note: This is done by gathering a bit of the mixture in your hand and squeezing firmly.

Fry until golden brown

and drain.

For the syrup, bring to a boil the sugar, water and ginger

When the syrup looks thick, add the gulab jamun in small batches,
to avoid breaking, and coat evenly with the sugar.

The gulab jamun looks ready now

Ok as usual more to come. Can't talk too much :-) Ah gone!

Trini Parsad II (Flour Parsad)

2009-10-17T00:26:00.008-04:00

Last year I posted parsad made with cream of wheat. This time I decided to post the other popular variation of parsad; flour parsad. I thought I was a cream of wheat parsad convert until I saw how fast and easy flour parsad was to make. And you still get that wonderful smooth sweetness parsad is known for.

So now I have a choice of which one I want to make, but it is going to be a fight to the finish; I can't make up my mind...You know what? I think I will just have to make both when I'm ready: it's too hard to resist parsad.

By the way remember I spoke about the little bags we got? Well, coming to think of it, that parsad may never have reached home and far less the fridge because I would be nibbling on that parsad while on my way home too right after the barfi :-D.

By the way you ever had day old parsad, cold from the fridge? Man! it is the best way I know of, to really enjoy parsad. Somehow the coldness does something to bring out that milky sweetness of the parsad. Anyway, I'll be short since I have more to post before Divali celebrations really get on the way today. Here's flour parsad. Enjoy!

Oh! Don't be daunted by the amount of pictures: the steps are simple. I just wanted to show a little more detail, so that you will get a vivid picture of what to do. :-)

FLOUR PARSAD

1 tin evaporated milk 410g
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp elychee ( cardamom)
1 cup raisins
1 tbsp. grated ginger
1/2 lb unsalted butter or ghee
2 cups flour

bring to a boil the milk, sugar, elychee and ginger

set aside

In another pot melt the butter or ghee

Add raisins

after about 2 minutes, add flour and stir continuously

Stir until the mixture achieves a golden brown colour

Note: You will also notice that the raisins have become plump. A good indication that it is ready for the milk.

Pour in the milk and continue stirring ...

until it leaves the sides of the pot and looks fluffy in appearance.

See how easy that was? Ok! Next recipe coming soon. Ah gone!

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Barfi

2009-10-16T18:00:00.009-04:00

After Divali prayers when sweet meats were shared, the first thing I would look for in the little paper bags they handed out was barfi. Actually, I would eat that first then carry the bag home: no one was going to get my barfi! The second thing to go was the parsad because I know it would mysteriously disappear as soon as I reach home and put it in the fridge.....

For part of my life, first two years in fact, I grew up on Riverside Road where our neighbours were Hindus and even though we moved later on, we either visited for Divali or we would get all that wonderful food. So now, after many years have passed, Divali (pronounced diwali) has become part of me ( my Trini identity) even though it is not my religion. But as we say in Trini " when is Divali, all ah we is Hindu"

Quite true coming to think of it... When I visited my friend, I remember around 6 o'clock a Baptist man at the foot of the hill used to ring his bell and light deyas all around his house...If you stood at the bottom of the hill and looked up, the whole hill looked like if it was covered with one large blanket of shimmering light: everyone lit deyas around their house. This is what I liked: no matter what religion you were there was a religious tolerance and respect. And a sharing of a common idea of light dispelling darkness.

Divali as a boy growing up was a joyous time: lighting of deyas; bursting bamboo; visiting your Hindu friends after 6 o'clock to dine on buss up shut, curry channa and aloo, mango kuchela... All served up on a Sohari leaf and not to worry there's no need for a fork or spoon because you were eating with your hands. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Of course I can't forget the barfi that sweet milky, gingery taste which always does something to my taste buds...Hope it does something to yours. Here's Barfi: a Divali favourite; my favourite. Enjoy!

BARFI

3 cups full cream milk powder
3/4 tin Nestle Cream (170g)
2 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. grated ginger
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. ground Elychee (cardamom)
candy sprinkles

Mix the milk and cream...

until it starts to develop a dry crumbly texture.

Note: It would take a bit of mixing to bring it to this stage. Have some patience!

Then sift the mixture through a fine sieve or strainer.

grease a baking dish and....

add some sprinkles

Bring to a boil the water, sugar, ginger, and cardamom.

Note: This is the most crucial part in the recipe, because it takes practice. The sugar has to be reduced right before it spins a thread, which could be anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes. Look at the pictures carefully: the syrup is still a bit watery and not spinning a thread like in the kurma recipe.

Pour over the milk and mix quickly

Then place in the greased dish and press with your hands

Add more sprinkles on the top

Cut into squares before it cools.

So there you have it: sweet delectable barfi. More to come soon but I really need to sleep. My very close friends know why; they might be tired just like me. Ah gone!

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Music Monday: Kes The Band - Stalker

2009-10-12T01:25:00.002-04:00

All I can say is this song is infectious. Had me singing long after the video ended. Kes has out done himself this time!

Lime Pepper Sauce

2009-10-10T15:20:00.005-04:00

Have you ever tasted lava? Well you're about to. :-) It seems that lime and pepper are enemies because when they are together it is all out war. Or is it a marriage? Where they complement each other so much that they bring out the best in each other. I'm still puzzled at the hotness factor of this sauce.

When we made this, the slightest taste of the lime pepper sauce had us running for cold water. Yes, I know a pepper lover like me running for water. Possibly it could have been the type of pepper used; they did have a slight roughness on the skin; could have been a "warmer" variation of seven pot for all I know. But that warm was still too hot.

Of course it could have been the direct sunlight in which we placed the bottle in outside. Whatever the reason, all I can say is be warned and do have a glass of milk close by :-). Here's Lime Pepper Sauce.

LIME PEPPER SAUCE

3 limes, seeded and sliced
12 hot peppers
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp salt
1/2 cup water

Put the sliced limes to boil in 1/2 cup of water

Set aside to cool

Cut up the peppers

Prepare the bottle and its cover for the lime pepper sauce by scalding with hot water.

We are now ready. First add some pepper...

then add some garlic...

the salt....

and the lime. Continue to layer in this way until ingredients are used up.

Note: You are also pouring in the water in which the limes were boiled in.

When finished, store in a cool place.

Note: Allow about a week before using the lime pepper sauce to give it sufficient time for the

acid from the lime to work on the pepper and also for the lime slice to be infused with some heat from the pepper. What we do as well is put the bottle in the sun. This seems to speed up the process.

Well that's it. See you soon. Ah gone!

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Split Peas and Rice with Pigtail

2009-10-10T14:35:00.007-04:00

Comfort food! That's what this dish is all about. Pickled pigtail has always been a staple in my diet while growing up and yet, even though I could afford more expensive meats now, I still prefer to buy good ole pigtail. This is the stuff I grew up on and can't seem to let go.

So why pigtail you might ask? You see when finances were tight long ago, or it was close to month end you could always rely on this and other preserved meats like smoked bone, smoked herring and saltfish, to pull you through.

And they fit the situation perfectly: They lasted long whether in or out of the fridge; they were cheap ( relatively) and gave any dish their inherent flavour. You could make a nice bowl of smoke bone flavoured soup with provision and dumpling, dumpling and smoke herring or saltfish yam and smoke herring or my favourite bhaji rice with pigtail...the list goes on.

Then too coming to think of it, long time there wasn't much refrigerators around, so people would have relied on these preserved meats. Which could be a possible explanation why there has been so many Trini recipes made with smoked bone, saltfish, smoked herring and of course pigtail.

Well, that's just my theory! Anyhow, I hope you enjoy split peas and rice with pigtail. It is a trini dish that's dear to me and would eat no matter where life takes me. Here's split peas and rice with pigtail.

SPLIT PEAS AND RICE WITH PIGTAIL

2 cups rice
1 cup split peas
1/2 lb pigtail
6 leaves chadon beni, chopped finely
1 tbsp. roucou
3 pimento peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 hot pepper
1 tbsp. coconut powder
2 tbsp. oil
salt to taste

Put the split peas to soak for 1 hour

Note: Based on the technique we learnt from the doubles post, you could soak the split peas for less time and use some baking soda when you're boiling it later on.

Boil the rice and set aside

Pressure cook the pigtail for 10 - 15 minutes and set aside

Put the split peas to boil until soft

It looks ready now

Saute the onion, garlic and pimento pepper.

Add the pigtail and let cook for about 2 - 3 minutes.

Pour in the split peas...

then add the roucou and hot pepper (whole)

Add the coconut powder and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

The split peas looks ready now; add salt to taste.

Note: What we're looking for is semi thick consistency . Not too thick; not too watery.

Mix in the chadon beni

The finished split peas with pigtail. Serve over rice.

Sweet Potato Punch

2009-10-07T00:29:00.007-04:00

This punch took some getting used to since it was new to me. And the thought of drinking sweet potato wasn't something I relished. But to my surprise, it tasted wonderful: the sweet potato taste was not as prominent as I thought it would.

When my mom decided to make sweet potato punch for us, I just had to get it on camera. The process was simple as you would notice later on and it was wholesome...very wholesome. I think I had enough fiber for a week when I drank that sweet potato punch......just kidding :-) but it did have a lot of fiber, since it was just the provision boiled and grated: all natural stuff. So you're on the right track if you make this sweet potato punch.

As for other health benefits, you should know that sweet potato is a rich source of Vitamin A and has antioxidant properties. Great for eliminating free radicals from your body. Again we see how healthy this drink is and there is no doubt that I will have to make some more soon now that I know better. I guess I will just have to get accustomed to the taste knowing how good it is. Anyhow, I'll leave you all to enjoy this new found bundle of health and vitality in a glass while I organise some more recipes. Enjoy sweet potato punch.

SWEET POTATO PUNCH

3 1/2 cups grated sweet potato
2 cups water
1 pack evaporated milk (25o ml )
1 tin condensed milk ( 390 g)
2 tsp. vanilla essence
sugar to taste

Cut the sweet potato in in eight pieces and put to boil

Test with an ice pick or knife. It should go through smoothly when ready.

Drain and leave to cool.

Grate using the large side of the grater

Blend in 2 cups of water...

then sweeten with the condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla essence.
You may also add sugar to taste as well.

Note: If you find the punch too thick, adjust milk and sugar to taste.

strain to remove excess fiber.

Note: This step is optional

There you have it, a simple drink with extraordinary health benefits. Sweet potato punch as a place in my menu from now on. See you soon. Bye .

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Music Monday: Rizon - Not For Long/ I Like Yuh Way

2009-10-05T00:59:00.009-04:00

Here's another Trini artiste whose style I have grown to admire. Rizon's music is what I would call progressive and with a few others is really taking Soca Music to the next level. I especially like the little teaser of " I like Yuh Way" at the end. Enjoy!

Trinidad Kurhi

2009-10-02T00:57:00.005-04:00

The first time I heard about Kurhi was from a member from my facebook group. She made a request for it, and since it was not in my already large list of recipes to do, I decided to do a post... I thought I knew what kurhi was; possibly some kind of fried dish like baiganee, but I was in for a surprise.

I had eaten it already for Divali by a friend but I didn't know what it was until I did the post; all I was told at the time was that it was a dhal made with split peas powder instead of the regular split peas. So that was what I knew it as; just dhal made with split peas powder. But that was not all, there were also the little split peas pholourie, called boulders, that was added to the dhal. Later on for ease of remembering, I just settled on calling Kurhi - split peas powder dhal with little balls.

OK! Now that I knew what it was, it would be easy to make right? Wrong! There was a technique to mixing the split peas powder for the pholourie part, that my mom's friend showed me while she made it. The batter had no baking powder in it yet it floated when dropped to a cup of water to test. Isn't that amazing? I will show you what she did.

Usually it is eaten with rice, like in the picture, but I feel that you could try it with roti as well; break and dip style. This makes a very appetizing vegetarian dish and of course you could add the different chutneys too. Enough of me talking; here's Kurhi. Enjoy!

KURHI

pholourie (boulders)

2 cups split peas powder
1/2 tsp. saffron powder (tumeric)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. green seasoning
1 cup water

dhal

1 cup split peas powder
2 tbsp. green seasoning
14 cups water, divided
1 tsp. saffron (tumeric)
2 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. geera (cumin)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. curry
salt to taste

Pholourie (boulders)

mix all the ingredients in a large bowl thoroughly

Continue mixing and test the mixture occasionally
by dropping small blobs of batter in a cup of water until it floats.

Note: This is the technique I mentioned earlier. It seems that the constant mixing introduces air into the batter to make it buoyant.

The batter for the "boulders" is ready

Have a little bowl of water at hand to dip the spoon into before dipping it in the batter.

Note: You could use either a 1/2 tablespoon or tablespoon according to the size you want. Don't forget to dip the spoon in the water first then in the batter!

Fry until golden and drain on paper towels

Dhal

Mix the split peas powder and green seasoning in 3 cups of water

Heat the oil over a medium flame....

and add the garlic, onion, and saffron (tumeric) to saute.

Add the curry and let it fry until it is about to stick to the pot

Add the dhal and the rest of water (11 cups) and stir

Note: While stirring, the dhal will thicken. I was surprised to see how much dhal was made.

Add the hot pepper

and "boulders"

Bring to a boil.

Add geera and salt to taste

The finished kurhi: serve over rice or with roti

See how easy it was! The kurhi went well with rice and some mango chutney at the side.

Well that's it for another week of posting. More to come as usual. Ah gone!

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Callaloo II

2009-09-30T05:15:00.002-04:00

With the different variations there are to a good callaloo, I decided to post my mom's callaloo recipe. Unlike my wife's callaloo that's a little thicker, my mom's callaloo is a little more fluid and spicy. This is the callaloo I grew up on. Every Sunday morning as a rule, right before going to church the dasheen bush would be in a large bowl already chopped up and I would be bursting a coconut for her to grate to make the coconut milk.

Back then there wasn't any coconut powder or "osterizer" to blend the coconut, so everything had to be done by hand. But this was fun; I used to walk with a little cup to collect the sweet coconut water when I burst the coconut.

In fact I developed a technique to bursting the coconut. I used to target the "eye" of the coconut because it would break easily when struck there. Then I would hit the other side of the coconut, the "point", because if it was not broken properly, it made it difficult to extract the kernel. I would know because I got a few "digs" in my palm well, trying to take out the kernel from this area when the knife slipped (one reason to use a dull knife to remove the kernel!)

As for the other ingredients: we usually planted the ochro, pimento peppers and hot peppers in the kitchen garden or we would go to the market the Saturday before. The market used to be real fun, but that will have to be another story..... Too much to talk about: the sights; the sounds; the bachannal :-) Here's callaloo.

CALLALOO II

1 large bundle dasheen bush
2 packs coconut milk
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 sprigs chive, chopped
3 pimento peppers, chopped
1 sprig thyme, chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin, chopped
8 large ochroes, chopped
salt to taste
1 hot pepper
water ( about 4 cups)

Cut up the dasheen bush and wash.

Place in a large pot and add the pumpkin and seasonings

Then add the ochro, coconut milk powder, roucou

and hot pepper

Note: You would notice in the recipe I said 1 hot pepper, but you are seeing me add a piece of pepper. The pepper we used is the famous congo pepper ( note its brown colour) and because of it's high heat level you cannot use the whole pepper in this recipe. It is very, very, very hot ( see how many time I say very) :-)

add the water and put to boil

Boil until the ingredients are tender. Add salt to taste.
Stir occasionally to avoid burning

Leave to cool

When cooled, blend until smooth

Note: Back in the day we would use either a swizzle stick or a dhal gutney to make the callaloo smooth.

Anyhow, more to come. Until then, Ah gone!

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Five Finger Juice

2009-09-28T07:31:00.004-04:00

The five finger ( carambola, star fruit) tree in my backyard is laden these days. And with so many on the tree I just have to show you all a few trini recipes that use five finger. First off today I will be showing you all how to make five finger juice.

This recipe is simple and straightforward so much so that I feel other twists could be done to this basic five finger juice recipe. What we did the second time we made five finger juice was to add a bit of orange juice to it. It was really amazing. Next time I would like to try out maybe orange and pineapple together with the five finger. I can't wait to try that!

I can just imagine the semi sweet fruitiness of the five finger juice together with the slight tang of the orange and ...... I'll be short . While you all try this wonderful five finger juice I am going and pick some more.....(thinking to myself .. I think it still have ah tin of pineapple orange juice in de cupboard. Lemmeh stop typin' and go get some five finger.......ah go pick a few extra to make something else one time)

FIVE FINGER JUICE

4 ripe five finger (star fruit)
sugar to taste
1 dash of bitters
3 cups water (divided)

wash and cut up the five finger

blend with 1 cup of water and strain

Note: Squeeze the pulp to extract more juice

Add two more cups of water.

Add bitters and sugar to taste and stir.

Mix well. Adjust sugar if necessary. Serve chilled or with ice

More recipes to come. Bye