Cross Buns & An Introduction

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week. And, like every special occasion, I find myself doing things and making certain foods just so that I can keep a connection to my upbringing and my family. On occasions such as these, I pick up the phone and call my mom to tell her what I'm making... reinforcing the bond. And then I'd ask what everyone else was doing, picturing everyone in my mind and wishing I was there.

I've always found Cross Buns to be blah. You? They always need something to go along with them - butter, jam or jelly. I was thrilled last year when I took the best qualities of my Butterflaps, an Amish White Bread and Coconut Turnovers and created a Cross Bun recipe that totally satisfies me. The only thing that is optional here (and that is if you want to put it over the top), is to cut the bun in half and insert a slice of aged cheddar cheese such as New Zealand or English cheddar. Sooooo good! Here's the recipe, have a go at it and let me know what you think.

And now for the introduction. Remember I told you last week that I was going to tell you about the woman in the first photograph in this post? Her name is Halcian Pierre and she blogs at Come Taste This! What an excellent name! Halcian only started blogging in January of this year, so please join me in giving her a very warm welcome to the world of food blogging; do stop by and visit and add her to your RSS feeds. A former magazine writer and journalist, Halcy as she is fondly called is in the final stages of putting together her first cookbook, What We Eating. Well, with a blog called Come Taste This, I cannot wait to find out What We Eating!

Try her recipe for Pineapple Chow. Trust me, you've never had pineapple like this before. I had it for the first time last month when I was in Trinidad.

I am sending my cross buns over to Wit, Wok & Wisdom as she is hosting her very first blog event - Let's Break Bread Together! If you have a bread post of any kind, do join in the event.

Have a great week everyone!

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Sharing Some Photographs

I'll tell you more about this woman in the photograph next week. She's been following my blog for a while, and then de-lurked in a big way - by coming to meet me in Trinidad at the book signing! She's started her own blog. More to come next week.

One thing I try my best to do always is to never take the readers of this blog for granted. I promised you a couple of weeks ago that I will post some photographs from my travels promoting the book. Though it is now 1.32 in the morning Eastern Standard time, I am here to ensure that I keep my word. I know, the weekend is technically over, but still.

This week I'm sharing with you links to various sets of images that have been taken over the past several weeks as I went around promoting the book. All the images taken in Trinidad were done by my gal pal G, of the blog Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Punch be sure to check out her blog.

Now, G is an artist and likes things a certain way so any post production stuff you see in the images from the Trinidad sets that you do not like, please don't blame her, it's me. I manipulated the images once they were sent to me. G is very serious about her craft (not that I am not), and I want her to know that I respect that.

This guy I call brother though we are not related by blood. He is kind, generous to a fault and a straight shooter. I like that.

See the set from the Trinidad book launch here.

This woman was among the first set of people I encountered when I first moved to Barbados over a decade ago. She's another kind and generous soul. I am truly blessed to have some fantastic people around me.

Click here for the photographs from the University of the West Indies - Cave Hill book signing.

Here is the manager of the store that hosted the book signing in Trinidad. Excellent staff. Thanks NRK West Mall!

See more images from the book signing in Trinidad.

Zing, the in-flight magazine of the regional carrier, LIAT has done a 6-page feature on Tastes Like Home. See shots from the magazine here. I am so stoked by this. This kind of exposure means that people travelling the Caribbean on LIAT airlines from April until June will see the feature. How cool is that?!

Caribbean Belle, a women's magazine I contribute to also did a 6-page feature on my book! See images from the magazine here.

And finally, some overdue photographs from the book signing in Barbados at the Sheraton Mall.

That's all for now. Next week I'll be back next week with a recipe.

Have a productive week everyone!

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