Disappointed by Cornbread

I could not believe it - the cornbread did not taste good! Sure, it looked gorgeous; it had beguiled me with its golden beauty. I had been impatiently waiting for it to cool just a little so that I could cut into it. But when I did, and when I took the first bite, I was disappointed. I tried recipes from two well-known chefs and was not satisfied with the taste. The recipes did not satisfy my taste. Find out why and share a recipe that you think will hit the spot.


To try the recipe for the cornbread with the whole corn kernels and crumbled bacon, click here.

This week on ABOUT.Com, learn about the differnt types of roti(s) - Indian-influenced flat breads that we make in the Caribbean. It is important to understand that not all roti(s) are the same and that they vary from one country to the other. When someone asks me how to make roti, I often have to ask - which type of roti?

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

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Love at first bite - Jamaican Beef Patties!

I've been to Jamaica more than once but it was not in Jamaica that I had my first bite of their famous beef patties and fell in love, it was in Guyana, many years ago! But the patties were made by Jamaicans. They were sooooo good. The all-shortening pastry crust (aka flaky pastry) is one of the stars of this patty. You can see the flakes as the patty comes out of the oven.

Just as in the column, I don't want to spend a lot of time gushing about this amazing beef patty, click here and get the recipe and make some! If you do not eat beef, you can try this with lamb or even chicken and if you are vegetarian, then you can make a veggie filling. There are a variety of fillings in Jamaica too but the most popular patty is the beef patty. Get the recipe here.

This week on ABOUT.com, get those fruits blended and soaking in rum, Christmas is just around the corner. And, rum-soaked fruits are not just for Christmas cakes, find out other ways you can use it.

And now, enjoy the patties.

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Market Friends & Foes

When I was young I never liked going to the market. Yet, my mom would send me to the market every week; for me it was a form of punishment. The vendors were my major source of distress. Because I was young, they took advantage of me by giving me substandard items thinking that I did not know better. I'd go home and my mother would lecture me! I felt trapped - bullied by market vendors and being scolded by my mom for things I had no control over. Continue reading the column. Do I like going to the market now? Find out.

Here are some photographs of various market scenes in Guyana and Barbados.

This week on ABOUT.COM: find out the Top 10 Essential West Indian Ingredients you should stock if you want to cook Caribbean food.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

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Baking to avoid work!

People do various things to avoid work - some go for a drive, some go shopping, some to a movie, some clean their homes and vehicles. Me? I bake. Continue reading how I avoided writing this week's column and for a cheese scone recipe.

What do you do to avoid work?

Click here for the scone recipe.

Lately, I've been making a lot of bread pudding and with good results minus the eggs. I've just been using milk, sugar and various spice combos and you can use various dried fruits - raisins, cranberries, apricots (chopped fine) etc. Or, put in some rum-soaked fruits. Whether it is cardamom, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg or vanilla, you really can't fail with the flavour. The key to a good bread pudding is the time allowed for the bread to really soak up the liquid. An overnight soaking works wonders.

The following is not an exact recipe so work based on your own taste and willingness to experiment.

1. You'll need some day-old bread (cubed), whole milk, sugar, ground spice or spices of your choice and dried fruit. I generally eye-ball the amount of milk depending on how much bread there is. A 1:1 ratio should work just fine.
2. Dissolve the sugar in milk (taste and adjust accordingly).
3. Stir in the spices.
4. Add the bread and stir to mix.
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Before baking, take out the mixture, stir in the fruits and bring the pudding to room temperature.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the top is nicely browned.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature - as is, with ice cream or amaretto liqueur

THIS WEEK ON ABOUT.COM Make these easy Cheese Straw Wafers for your next party, tea or coffee gathering or to just snack on. They are addictive so be sure to make them when you have company! Get the recipe here.

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