Set, Pickled, Packed & Frozen

I am rich with the bounty of the season! My freezer, refrigerator, pantry and countertop are looking mighty attractive with all the goodies that have been entrusted to them. What about you? Click here for more in this week's column.

Onions have been pickled. Scroll down to the bottom of the column for my recipe.

Manisha's lime and lemon pickles are set and cooking in the hot Caribbean sun!

Guava and passion fruit pulp have been bagged and frozen.

Sauces have been made and bottled.

These days I am swamped with projects and work and don't get a chance to participate in blog events. However, I am sending the photograph below to Jugalbandi's CLICK. The theme is Heirloom. Actually, they are hosting two events in tandem - Monthly Mingle & CLICK, the theme for both events are the same but the rules differ. My entry is specifically for CLICK.

This is what we (in Guyana) call a lorha & sil (I'm currently working on an article about its use). I am not sure if it is called the same thing in Trinidad & Tobago. Chennette? Around the world, there are similar stones in various shapes, sizes and textures that are used for grinding. In some parts of India it is known as a sil batta. The stones are used to grind spices, herbs and various other things to a paste and very fine texture. Here it is being used to grind coconut choka.

LORHA & SIL

We are in the age of the food processor and coffee grinder (excellent for grinding spices) and so, though a few households still have these, they are discarded and rarely in use.

Ramadan Mubarak! - To all my family, friends and readers of this blog that are observing the holy month.

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In Love & Mahi Mahi

I'm in love with Basil, the herb, not the man. The aroma draws you in; you sniff and take deep breaths as your senses are beguiled by the bouquet. Is it clove, is it anise, is it lemon, is it... read the rest of the column here and for a pesto recipe.

Mahi Mahi is popularly known as Dolphin in Barbados. This fish is prized among locals and appears on most menus in the many restaurants across the island. I enjoy cooking fish and matching it up with different flavours that will compliment the delicacy of fish. Cooking fish is a skill that I continue to perfect each time I make it and each time it is different. Too often people tend to overcook fish, it is for that reason that I almost never order fish when eating out.

Some people get tired of only cooking fish one way and quickly become bored with fish. If you like spicy food, you'll love this dish and I'd recommend you make it with any white fish. Actually, I think that it will work with any fish, the key is not to overcook the fish when making the dish.

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with Sambal Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs Mahi Mahi steaks, pat dry
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons sambal
• 1/2 cup boiling water

METHOD

1. Season fish with salt and pepper to taste
2. Heat oil in pan until very hot but not smoking
3. Add fish to pan and let sear for 2 minutes, flip and cook the other side for 1 minute (these times will vary depending on the thickness of the cut of your fish steaks)
4. Add butter to pan to melt. Push the fish aside in the pan and tilt pan so that the butter runs to the bottom of the pan, working quickly, spoon the melted butter over the fish and then rest pan squarely on the stove
5. Add sambal to pan along with the boiling water, stir and cook for 1 minute. Taste for season and adjust if necessary
6. Sprinkle with parsely or green onions and serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes, or white sweet potatoes or anything you prefer

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At the heart of a row: Chicken Tikka Masala

Last week, news broke that there was a battle over who could claim ownership over Chicken Tikka Masala. Scottish Members of Parliament had invoked the wrath of Delhi historians and chefs. These Scottish MPs tabled a motion to have the dish's origin be officially recognised as Scottish through a Protected Designation of Origin. Personally, I think that this desire to hammer down the origins of Chicken Tikka Masala is part of a global trend and it is less about who created it and more about who can profit from it. Click here to read this week's column for my thoughts on this issue.

For this week's column and post, I sought to make Murgh/Chicken Tikka. Thanks to a very dear friend, Sonia, I was recently introduced to this book: Prashad - Cooking with Indian Masters. The recipe I used (Murgh Tikka) came from this book which is a gem! Thanks a mil Sonia!

This recipe is not the typical one you will find online, I cannot post it here but if you are interested in trying it, do email me.

A few weeks ago I saw this recipe for a Citrus Pudding at Patricia's blog and just could not help myself. It's really good. The next time I make it, however, I'll reduce the amount of sugar for my personal taste but my guests thoroughly enjoyed it. Here's the recipe.

Finally, I learnt this week, of the end of blog which I and many of you had grown very fond of - Sunita's World. Thanks for sharing your life and food with us my friend. As Manisha said, "I wish you many - if not more - friends in what you take up next." You will be dearly missed.

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Haitian Griot (Fried Pork) & Accra

United by a complex history, the Caribbean is made up of four parts – the English-speaking Caribbean, the Dutch Caribbean, the Spanish Caribbean and the French Caribbean. While there are many similarities in the ingredients we use, some techniques and methods of preparation are as varied as the languages spoken. First colonised by the Spanish and then the French, the Haitian cuisine is a uniquely created cuisine that displays various nuances of Spanish, French and African cooking through its ingredients and methods of preparation. I invite you to read this week's column which gives some insight into Caribbean cuisine; learn about Haitian Griot Pork and Haitian Accra. When you make these two dishes I am sure they will delight you, your family and friends. And so without further ado, here again is this week's column. The recipe for the Griot can be found at the bottom of the column and here's the link to the Accra recipe. Enjoy!

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Eating at the Table

Conversations that trigger a memory of one’s upbringing and how it has influenced or impacted our lives often yield two reactions – we marvel at the freedom some people had or we are astonished by the discipline enforced. In this week's column I share with you some of the rules my parents (read my Mother) laid down when it came to Eating at the Table, such as seeking persmission to leave the table before everyone was done eating, the turning off of the television at meal times etc. Some of you will laugh as you read, some of you will nod your heads in empathy. Click here to read.

A few week ago, while blog hopping, I saw this dish and recipe (Pepes Ikan Woku) at my friend, Pepy's blog and could not resist making it. I gathered the ingredients within the week and made this dish of fish steamed in banana leaves. It was no ordinary steamed fish. The flavours of ginger, lemongrass, curry leaves, kaffir lime leaves etc will have you going back for more, and more. I even saved some of the aromatic paste mixture and used it to steam some shrimp. Please give this a try if you can. Here is Pepy's recipe.

Here's a kicked-up iced tea that I think many will enjoy, especially in this heat. It's my lemongrass grass iced tea with excellent dark rum, mint and generous squirts of fresh lemon or lime juice. To give my tea the colour, I used Demerara sugar to make my simple syrup.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 lemongrass stalks, bruised
• 2 1/4 cups water
• Simple syrup to taste
• 1/4 cup dark rum (or more to suit your taste)
• Mint leaves, bruised
• Ice
• Lemon or lime wedges

METHOD

1. Add lemongrass and water to saucepot, cover and bring to boil. Boil until reduced by half, then remove from heat and let come to room temperature
2. Sweeten with simple syrup
3. Stir in rum
4. To serve: bruise mint leaves and place in glass along with ice cubes, pour in tea, squeeze lemon or lime, stir and drink (you can opt to get some extra lemongrass, cut the stalks in half, and serve with drinks to stir)

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