Barbados @ 50 - Roadside Vending

On select corners and junctions in Barbados, there are vendors selling in-season fruits for on-the-go snacking. Dunks in a brine of salt and local lot peppers, cut sugar cane, genipes (ackees), cherries, gooseberries and fat pork are among the fruits that can be bought in little packages.

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Barbados @ 50 - Pudding & Souse

Bajan Pudding as in Black Pudding is made with sweet potatoes. The origins of this pudding, like the Black Pudding of the region, lies with the British. Primarily for health reasons, Barbadians long abandoned the tradition of making the pudding with blood. However, many still stuff the spiced sweet potato filling into pig runners (intestines). To give the signature rich dark look to the pudding browning or burnt sugar is added.

(Black) Pudding and Souse is a combo that is made and sold together as weekend street food. While parts of the cow such as the heel and face are used for souse in other parts of the Caribbean, Barbados mostly makes its souse with pig's feet, ears, tongue, cheeks and the meat itself. Chicken-foot souse is also very popular.

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Barbados @ 50 - Pigtails

Salted pigtails play a key role in Barbadian cuisine. It is mostly used to season and flavour dishes such as the famous Rice & Peas and to season boiled ground provisions. In addition to seasoning, salt meat (which includes salted beef) is also cooked as the protein in some dishes, for example, Privilege,  stews, and soups. It is excellent when stuffed in whole roasted breadfruit. Stay tuned for that later.

One of the more popular ways to enjoy pigtails is barbecued. De-salted, this most delicious part of the pig is grilled, charred, and glazed with the house barbecue sauce of the vendor selling it. You can find BBQ pigtails at lunch buffets, at pork limes (fetes), or as part of the street food scene.

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Stamp & Go

Fish cakes or salted cod fritters is a delicious snack that you can find all across the Caribbean. Depending on where you are, the differences are subtle and in some cases, they show their direct influence. For example, in Guyana where I am from, you can see the Portuguese influence in our fish cakes based on the shape and the use of English potatoes in the mixture. However, due to the profusion of fresh seafood in Guyana, fresh fish is often used instead of salted fish. In other parts of the region, you can see the African influence in the style of accras, also known as fritters.

In Barbados and elsewhere, these salt fish fritters are known as fish cakes, fish fritters, salt fish cakes and accras or salt fish accras. In Jamaica, they are called Stamp & Go. Just as the names are different, so too are the fritters, even though they look similar and are made of the same primary ingredients. It is the application of these ingredients and techniques employed that make each set of fritters stand out. The differences of application can be deep versus pan (shallow) frying, the amount to heat (pepper) added, the herbs of choice, the amount of flour added, the addition or omission of baking powder, and in some cases it is all about how the salt fish is de-salted or not, and then shredded. Some batters call for the addition of eggs. Regardless of the preparation, a proper fish cake/salt fish accra is a food not to be missed. Eaten hot with pepper sauce and chased with an ice-cold beverage, it is very much a taste of the Caribbean.

I generally eat fish cakes with loud (meaning lots of) Guyanese sour. Sour is a savoury condiment.

Jamaica's codfish fritters, Stamp & Go, is pan fried in a little oil and the seasonings for the fritters are cooked before being added to the salt fish along with flour, baking powder and water to make a thick batter. This was the first time I had made the Jamaican version of salt fish fritters and it does taste different (good different) with the herbs and other aromatics being cooked first, as opposed to what usually uptakes in most other salt fish fritters - the seasonings (herbs, onions, hot peppers and so on) are very finely minced and mixed directly with the other ingredients.

This recipe is heavily adapted from Enid Donaldson's, The Real Taste of Jamaica.

YIELD: 36 - 40

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless salt fish, soaked overnight - 18 hours in tap water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for pan frying
• 1 cup finely diced onions
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 4 - 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and finely minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
• Minced hot pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon fine table salt
• 3 scallions/green onions sliced thinly, white/purple & green parts
• 1 + 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Water

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse and pat dry the salt fish. Flake into bits in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme, tomatoes and pepper along with salt and toss to mix. Reduce heat to low and cook until the ingredients are soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Add the sautéed ingredients to salt fish and mix well.
4. Stir in the green onions/scallions.
5. Mix together the flour and baking powder and add to the salt fish mixture along with just enough water to form a thick batter. The batter should not be stiff or runny.
6. Heat oil for pan frying over medium heat.
7. Working in batches, add heaped tablespoons of batter and cook until brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

NOTES

• Some salt fish are saltier than others, therefore there should be no need to add salt to the batter. However, if you find that all of the salt has been removed the salt fish, add salt to taste to the batter.
• Change the water at least once during the soaking process.
• If the fritters are browning too quickly reduce the heat a little and do not over crowd the pan.

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Tropix Coconut Drops - Product Review

Disclaimer: This is an unpaid review.

If you're from the Caribbean, living away from the region, and looking for a sweet taste of home, then you'll definitely enjoy the Coconut Drops made by Tropix. If you're not from the Caribbean but love everything coconut, then you should try these Tropix Coconut Drops.

I received a request from the owner, Denise Edwards, months ago to review her product. When I went to the post office to pick up the package, the clerk looked at me as if to say: I can't believe that you had someone from North America send you sugar cake when we make the best sugar cake in this part of the world. Her look of perplexity was understandable, for the Caribbean is known for among many things, this sweet coconut treat we call sugar cake and coconut drops.

Depending on which part of the region you're from, it's coconut drops or sugar cake. Though very similar in nature, there are two major differences. Let me explain. Sugar cake is freshly grated coconut, grated on the fine side of a box grater and then cooked with West Indian brown sugar and flavouring spices of cinnamon, ginger and vanilla. The mixture is cooked to a thick mixture of dropping consistency and then dropped into mounds on a greased surface and left to cool and harden. They are served individually.

Coconut Drops, on the hand are much more rustic is appearance as the fresh coconut is chipped coarsely. The same process of flavouring and cooking is involved but instead of being dropped into mounds, the entire mixture is spread thinly en masse to cool and set and then cut or chopped into large pieces. Some purists would think of coconut drops as chip-chip sugar cake simply because of how the coconut is cut.

Sugar cakes and coconut drops are treats almost every West Indian knows of and has enjoyed at some point in their lives, especially as children. The people that sell snacks throughout the region - at schools, cinemas, in shops or at street corners can all tell tales of children rushing to get their sugar-fix of coconut drops or sugar cake.

I called some friends over to help taste-test the Tropix Coconut Drops. We had 3 flavours to sample - ginger (the regular and most familiar to us), apricot and cranberry. Before I go on let me just say that the way in which the coconut drops are made, makes it easy to add dried fruits, which are stirred in just before spreading the mixture to cool and set.

Hands down my friends and I enjoyed the ginger flavour best, and that was mainly because when we think of coconut drops and sugar cakes, ginger is the flavour that comes to mind... it took us back... that's why I said in the beginning that if you're looking for a taste of home, these coconut drops would hit the spot. The Apricot was a nice addition, the cranberries, were our least favourite. I highly recommend the ginger flavour. Even if you're not West Indian but love everything and anything coconut, this is a perfectly sweet introduction.

The Coconut Drops come packaged in a white box secured with a green ribbon bow, simple and elegant, just as shown here on the website. Inside of the box are the drops further encased in clear plastic, tied with a bow. The drops travel well. You can purchase them in various quantities.

Tropix Coconut Drops are available for sale online and at the following stores in Canada:

• Sunrise Caribbean Restaurant - Brampton
• Daddy's Jerk - Brampton
• Allan's Pastry Shop - Scarborough & Toronto locations
• Nicey's Food Mart - Brampton & Mississauga locations
• Mo Bay Jerk - Brampton

Tropix Website | Tropix Email
Tel: (416) 873-6808

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Feasting on Fish Cakes

This month's edition of my newsletter - TASTESMONTHLY - features an array of fish cakes among other things. For a free copy, inbox me with Fish Cakes in the subject line.

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Bake & Shark: A Trini Favourite Street Food

Bake and Shark is good at any time of the day - morning, noon, night and any time in between. While it is a must-have if you ever visit Trinidad & Tobago, it is certainly something that you can reproduce in your home. If shark is not your thing, any firm white fish will do.

Having people over for breakfast or brunch? Make this and let everyone assemble their own Bake and Shark. Read how to eat Bake & Shark and ensure that you have the necessary condiments to go along with it.

Recipe for bakes. Recipe for fried shark.

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Meat + Rice + Spices = Tatbileh

Like many of you, I buy and eat the same things every week, particularly when I am busy. The familiar is quick and easy to prepare because we can make it with our eyes closed. In this week's column, I share with you a Middle Eastern rice dish, Tatbileh, which I discovered when reading a blog! Truly, food blogs are the best places to discover food. Thanks to Sarah Melamed over at Food Bridge, I now have another dish that I can add to my repertoire of quick tasty meals.

Read more about this dish here and get the recipe, or head over to the Food Bridge.

This week on About.com, discover how to make this delicious, creamy corn soup that is a favourite in Trinidad & Tobago.

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What is Allspice?

Contrary to popular belief, Allspice is not a ground up mixture of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. It is a spice all by it self. Read this week's column to find out more about this dried unripe berry that is a major export from Jamaica and how you can use it.

Jamaica Pepper, English Spice, Clover Pepper, Myrtle Pepper and Pimento are a few of the other names given to Allspice.

This week on ABOUT.Com.

Want to make these Potato Balls that are a street food in certain parts of the Caribbean? Then get the recipe here. If you have left over mashed potatoes, you can certainly doctor them up and makes these babies.

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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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A Tale: Two Ears of Roasted Corn

Last weekend was the first time I had ever eaten roasted corn. Sure, I've had corn in many other ways - as a pie, steamed, boiled, in breads, salads etc. but never roasted. And so I set out to have roasted corn, hence the tale of Two Ears of Roasted Corn. Two very different ears of roasted corn which I encourage to read about in this week's column. Have you ever had roasted corn?

Roast corn is a well-known street food in Barbados.

The column explains the differences between these Two Ears of Roasted Corn.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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