MYF - Iana Seales

It's a day late but here it is - another instalment of MY FOOD!

MY FOOD is an online research project into my ongoing interest in Caribbean food culture and food heritage. It seeks to explore how we use food to identify ourselves, to connect and communicate. For full details of the project and how you can participate, click here.

Featured this week is one of Guyana's finest: Journalist and Writer - Iana Seales. Iana, I am delighted to welcome you to MY FOOD.

MF: How would you describe Guyanese food?

IS: The local cuisine is not native to Guyana though we have traditional dishes which are native to our indigenous community. However, our cuisine is a fusion of influences from across the globe - this includes Africa, Asia and Europe.

MF: What is your favourite dish?

IS: This would be Mettagee with Smoked Herring because I love ground provisions, and fish somehow tastes better smoked!

Mettagee is ground provisions cooked in fresh coconut milk with fresh herbs and it flavoured and seasoned with salt fish or salt meat such as pigtail or salt beef.

MF: What is generally your eating style?

IS: Up until this New Year (2014), I made no attempt to plan my diet. Now I have a weekly food chart - I eat fish once a week, preferably on Sundays; chicken twice a week; peas and beans twice a week, and I have ground provisions and pasta once a week - pasta and ground provisions are weekend only. I eat salads at least 4 times a week, often veggie salads. I try to eat fruits at least 4 times a week. The goal is to have the right amount of protein, carbs, vegetables and fruits in my diet.

MF: What is a typical weekend dish that you look forward to?

IS: Baked pasta (macaroni) with cheese and bacon bits! Got the idea from Jamie Oliver a year ago. Before this, it was Fried Rice but I am cutting down on rice in my diet and I've been making strides.

MF: On any given Sunday, what's on the menu?

IS: Pasta

MF: If you had to choose a dish or beverage that marks or identifies you as a Guyanese, what would it be? Explain your answer.

IS: Mettagee. I fell in love with it even before considering the cultural/ethnic influence. I am Afro-Guyanese and the dish has its origins in Africa, which is where my fore parents originated from.

MF: Food is at the centre of most holidays and festivals. Which is your favourite festival/holiday food?

IS: Pepperpot. Pepperpot is native to our indigenous community in Guyana and I was fortunate to grow up in a home where it was a staple at Christmas. I identify Christmas with Pepperpot; if there is no Pepperpot on the table Christmas morning then it is not Christmas for me. I have lived overseas and I managed to have Pepperpot on December 25 during the time I was away, and on those days the distance all but disappeared.

MF: Me too - if there is no Pepperpot, it is not Christmas for me. Where do you live now?

IS: In Guyana

MF: Where do you generally shop for your food?

IS: Supermarket for meat, poultry, seafood and dry goods. Market for vegetables and fruits.

MF: Can you cook?

IS: The question is how good do I think I am (smile).

MF: Do you cook? If yes, how often?

IS: I cook at least 5 days a week, I usually take a day or two off to relax.

MF: What is the one dish that you can whip up in no time and can make off the top of your head (without a recipe)?

IS: Mettagee!

MF: Do you eat street food? If yes, what's your favourite?

IS: I do. I believe that would be curry and roti.

MF: If you are having overseas guests (not from the Caribbean) and you needed to make a couple of dishes that say this is Guyanese food. What would they be?

IS: Mettagee (obviously, I prepare it very well). Curry & Roti (I make a mean curry). Cook-up Rice (because it is simple, could be very tasty and it's a popular local dish). Macaroni & Cheese (I get better at this every time and it's also very popular here - in Guyana)

MF: Do you cook dishes from other cuisines or dishes from other parts of the Caribbean? If yes, give examples. If no, explain.

IS: Yes, I do the Peas and Rice and Jerk Chicken from Jamaica. I love this dish! I find myself using jerk seasoning a lot now because it has a great flavour.

MF: If you were migrating forever, what do you think that you would miss the most about the food in Guyana?

IS: I would miss the natural ingredients - the local produce that comes straight from the farm to the market. This is so rare overseas. I like the smell of fresh veggies and fruits - it awakens me and it inspires me to cook. I've lived overseas and the processed food is depressing - so depressing that I often suffer, lose weight and end up at a hospital being counselled about my diet and healthy eating habits.

MF: If you could take a food journey anywhere in the world, where would you want to go and why?

IS: I would love to go to China. There is so much about their cuisine that makes me curious. Also, I want to get a little more adventurous with food that I think there could be no better place to start than China.

MF: Thanks for taking the time for sharing your food with MY FOOD, Iana.

Iana Seales is a columnist at Stabroek News. Here column is titled: FOR DE RECORD.

If you would like to share your food with MY FOOD, or know someone that does, leave a comment below or inbox be directly. This project is open to anyone that falls into one or more of the categories below.

CATEGORIES

• Caribbean/West Indian living at home
• Caribbean/West Indian living abroad (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation. State your generation)
• Non Caribbean/West Indian married to, partnered with Caribbean folk
• Non Caribbean/West Indian but the region has been home for at least 5 years.

Join the conversation on Facebook and don't forget that it is easy to participate, click here for details. The next instalment is Wednesday, June 18.

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MYF - Felix Padilla

Welcome to another MY FOOD instalment!

MY FOOD is an online research project based on my interest in Caribbean food culture and food heritage. It seeks to explore how we use food to communicate and connect and the role food plays in our identity. For full details and how you can participate, please click here.

This week, I am very excited to feature a very good friend of mine, a man I consider to be my brother and one of the finest cooks I know. When I am in search of something to cook or in need of inspiration, I often check his blog first. It's one of my favourite virtual cookbooks.

From the Land of the Hummingbird, here is Felix Padilla.

MF: Felix, welcome to MY FOOD. Tell me, how would you describe the food of Trinidad & Tobago?

FP: Trini food has its roots embedded deeply in cooking traditions from the major ethnicities that inhabit the islands, yet, it is also progressive; exploring and embracing other foreign food cultures... Somehow, we take other recipes and they become a creative Trini fusion, which is readily accepted and absorbed into our cooking culture.

MF: Can you give me an example?

FP: Egg salad, though not traditionally Caribbean, I have taken it and added one of Trinidad and Tobago's signature chutneys - chadon beni. By adding a little of the Chadon Beni chutney to the salad, a completely different flavour profile is created, this Spicy Egg Salad now has true Trini flavour.

MF: What is your favourite dish?

FP: I'd have to say "Dumpling and Smoke Herring". To me, that's my comfort food, the food which I grew up on. It is simple and holds many dear and comforting food memories. Here's one of those memories: Mom was away visiting my eldest sister in England for 6 months and of course that meant that I had to fend for myself in the kitchen. Mom being away for such a long time made me miss her and her cooking very much. It was the first time in my life I was experiencing a little bit of loneliness, and the one dish that made me think of her was Dumpling and Smoke Herring. When I placed that spoonful of sautéed smoked herring with tomatoes, along with a piece of thin flour dumpling in my mouth, it felt as if she was there in the room with me for that little while... comforting indeed!

MF: I know that that memory was from a long time ago, you are now married with your own family. Do you a particular eating style, such a weekday, weekend food?

FP: My eating style or I should say, our eating style would be best described as health conscious but economical, sprinkled with a few dashes of fun explorations in between. Most people may think that eating healthy would be expensive with all the "health foods" and gluten free stuff, but I have found that this may not be the case if you are an innovative and savvy shopper. The fun for me happens when I try a new recipe and because of its taste, is in heavy rotation for a while, until I try another.

FP: In recent years I have seen my diet shift from the traditional, to what is healthy with some traditions intact. It is all about making healthier choices. So for a traditional Sunday lunch, instead of having the Macaroni pie, Stew Chicken, Red Beans rice, Potato salad with some watercress or green salad all piled up on one plate, a healthier option would be to have the green salad, chicken and some beans with one carb of choice. At least that's what I do now. LOL!

MF: How would you describe "healthy food"?

FP: Healthy food to me refers to food that is life-giving or beneficial to the body; not destructive or life-taking. Now, although I agree with this food philosophy, not all of the time someone may want to eat salads, fruits, nuts, seeds and maybe a little meat to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I believe life is dynamic and you have to celebrate at times and live a little, just don't overdo it. Let moderation and common sense prevail when it comes to your food choices.

MF: What is a typical weekend dish that you look forward to?

FP: It depends on the mood I am in. Some days I look forward to a good Fish Broff (broth) with some green fig (aka green bananas), pumpkin and potatoes on a Saturday, but if I am pressed for time, a one-pot stir fry does the trick.

MF: On any given Sunday, what's on the menu?

FP: I always like the simple path to eating. My wife is fond of Green Rice so instead of doing a plain rice, she makes that. Or I would do a chow mien or lo mien at times to break up the monotony. Sometimes we stew meat but that too gets overused and cliched so instead we bake, grill or broil. For a salad it may be a plain green salad with some Garlic Sauce (gotta have that garlic sauce!) or just some veggies, raw, roasted or stir-fried. And of course there would be the callaloo somewhere on the plate as well. So it's one carb, one protein and one or two veggie dishes.

MF: If you had to choose a dish or beverage that marks or identifies you as a Trinbagonian, what would it be?

FP: For the dish I would say Pelau. It is the perfect go along meal for any Trini occasion, be it a cricket fete match, panorama, birthday party, all-inclusive party or even a "wake". It is also a dish that everyone, okay most people, on the island(s) can make. Thus it unifies us.

MF: Food is at the centre of most holidays and festivals. Which is your favourite festival/holiday food?

FP: My favourite holiday food is Pastelle. To me it isn't Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago, until you have a pastelle. Everyone has their way of making it but one thing remains the same - with one bite you get that Christmassy feeling running through your veins. Sigh. Ah cud hear de Parang music playing ahready.

MF: Where do you generally shop for your food? Veggies, fruits, meats etc?

FP: I generally shop at the Supermarket. On some occasions I venture to the market.

MF: I know that you can cook. I think you can (lol)! How often do you cook?

FP: I do the cooking most of the week.

MF: What is the one dish that you can whip up in no time and can make off the top of your head, without a recipe?

FP: There are a few: Dumpling and salt fish or smoke herring, my favourite. Any stir fry noodles like lo mien, chow mien, beef with broccoli over Jasmine rice, seafood stir fry.

MF: Alright, I get it, you can cook! Do you eat street food?

FP: Sometimes I do. There are all favourites according to time and place. After a lime you know where the Corn Soup, Black pudding and Souse man is by the Savannah. After work on a busy Friday evening you have a spot reserved for you by the Doubles man. Punches are always welcomed to wash down a Gyro or burger and if you have other intentions, everyone knows where to get oysters... Oh and if you're in St. James, you could always get a pavement roti hot off the tawa! I love them all!

MF: If you are having overseas guests, particularly visitors who are not from the Caribbean and you needed to make a few dishes that is Trini food. What would they be?

FP: To me it would be unfair to cook from just one ethnicity to represent Trini cooking. Trini cooking is an experience that has to be lived one plate at a time. What I would prefer is to offer ethnic-themed menus and let them decide.

MF: Do you cook dishes from other cuisines or dishes from other parts of the Caribbean?

FP: That's a hard question. Even though I may attempt to cook a dish from a foreign country, because of my cultural upbringing, the food will still have some Trini or Caribbean influence to it. So if I am making Moussaka for example, the cheeses will automatically be substituted with what is locally available and so too would the seasonings. In the end it will become a fusion dish. I find that Trini food and its distinctions between foreign and local could be complex at times.

MF: On another occasion, I want to follow up with you on that last statement, for now let's move on. If you were migrating forever, what do you think that you would miss the most about the food of Trinidad and Tobago?

FP: I will miss the taste of Trini food. And if I miss the taste I will be miss out on all the taste memories that go along with the food(s).

MF: If you could take a food journey any where in the world, where would you want to go? Why?

FP: I would like to visit France. To me, it is the birth place of modern cuisine and I would like to experience what's considered to be the highest standards of culinary arts.

MF: Felix. Thanks for sharing your food with MY FOOD. I look forward to our continued conversations about food.

For recipes, mentioned in this interview complete with step-by-step photographs, the links above are all clickable. Felix blogs at: Simply Trini Cooking.

If you'd like to share your food with MY FOOD, or know someone that does, leave a comment below or inbox me directly. This project is open to anyone that falls into any of the categories below, and you do NOT need to have a blog to participate.

CATEGORIES

• Caribbean/West Indian living at home
• Caribbean/West Indian living abroad (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation. State which generation)
• Non-Caribbean/West Indian married to or partnered with Caribbean folk
• Non-Caribbean/West Indian but the region has been home for at least 5 years.

Join the conversation on Facebook and don't forget that it is easy to participate. Get the details here. The next instalment of MY FOOD is on Wednesday, May 21.

Read more...

MYF - LaToya G

It is time again to welcome another person to the MY FOOD table.

MY FOOD is an online research project and ongoing research into Caribbean food culture and food heritage. The project seeks to explore how we think about food, how we use it to connect and communicate, and the importance of food to our identity. For full details of the project and how to participate, click here.

Heading north, we arrive in The Bahamas and find lovely LaToya G.

MF: LaToya, a warm welcome to MY FOOD! How would you describe the food of The Bahamas?

LG: Bahamian food is very starchy. Delicious, but starchy. For example, in a single meal you can have Peas 'n Rice, Potato Salad and baked Macaroni Cheese.

MF: Ah yes, if it is one thing the Caribbean is known for is diet rich in Carbs. What is your favourite dish?

LG: Baked Macaroni and Cheese. I especially like this dish because it was the first native dish that I learned to cook and I have been making it on my own since I was 15 years old. I'm 25 years old now and I would like to think that I am a pro at it. LOL.

MF: I am quite sure that you are, especially with 10 years experience of making it. Tell me something, do you have a particular eating style, like weekend food and weekday food?

LG: During the week I eat mostly healthy lunches - salads, sandwiches or chips; sometimes I would eat a full meal. On the weekends, I may have fast-food.

MF: What is a typical weekend dish that you look forward to?

LG: Cracked conch and fries.

MF: I know you said that Bahamian food is very starchy, on any given Sunday, what's on the menu?

LG: Barbecued chicken, Peas 'n Rice, my favourite - Macaroni and Cheese and Coleslaw.

MF: One of the things that is very similar throughout the Caribbean, and that we all have some version of is rice cooked with peas. Here in Barbados where I live, Rice and Peas is made with pigeon peas, is it the same in The Bahamas?

LG: Yes, the peas in our Peas 'n Rice is pigeon peas but we use the fresh, green version.

MF: If you had to choose a dish or beverage that marks or identifies you as Bahamian, what would it be?

LG: Guava Duff - because the guavas are locally grown and when in season, they are plentiful. Guava Duff is a dessert and it is something unique to The Bahamas and it is enjoyed by locals and visitors.

MF: When I think of duff, I think of a steamed dumpling. Is the Guava Duff similar? Can you describe it for us?

LG: There are 3 parts to Guava Duff - a sweet flour dough, stewed guava pulp and a thick, creamy sauce made with even more guava pulp. The stewed guavas are rolled in the dough (think swiss roll), wrapped tightly and steamed. It is cooled then cut into thick slices and served with a generous helping of the guava sauce ladled all over it.

MF: Oh my, that sounds like THE perfect dessert for those of us who love guavas. I am definitely going to try making it when guavas are in season. Speaking of seasons, food is at the centre of most holidays and festivals, which is your favourite holiday/festival food?

LG: The fruit cake that is made at Christmas time.

MF: Where do you generally shop for your food (vegetables, fruits, dry goods, meat, etc)?

LG: At the supermarket

MF: Can you cook?

LG: Yes

MF: Do you cook? And if you do, how often?

LG: I cook twice a week.

MF: What is the one dish that you can whip up in no time and can make off the top of your head without a recipe?

LG: Bahamian-style baked Macaroni and cheese.

MF: How do Bahamians make their Macaroni and cheese?

LG: I use the word baked so as not to confuse it with the macaroni and cheese that comes out of a box (laugh). The cheese we use is cheddar and the pasta shape is elbows. In The Bahamas we make our macaroni and cheese with herbs, diced green peppers, onions and crushed red pepper (if you like it spicy).

MF: Do you eat street-food?

LG: No

MF: Why not?

LG: No particular reason, I just don't.

MF: If you're having overseas guests who are not from the Caribbean and you needed to make a couple of dishes that say this is Bahamian food, what would you make?

LG: For breakfast, I would make Chicken Souse and Johnny Bread. For lunch/dinner, it would be Conch fritters as an appetiser and cracked Conch with Peas 'n Rice, Macaroni and Coleslaw. Conch is a national dish so that would have to be there. For dessert, I would make Guava Duff. Everyone loves it!

MF: You said that Conch is the national dish. Can you explain how the Conch is prepared as your national dish?

LG: Conch is prepared in a number of different ways; it can be fried, steamed or eaten raw. When floured and fried, it can be served with fries and a roll as a Conch snack. Or, it can be served with Peas 'n Rice, macaroni and coleslaw as a dinner. When steamed, it can be eaten with Peas 'n Grits or Peas 'n Rice. It can be eaten raw in Conch salad where it is diced and mixed together with chopped onions, green peppers and tomatoes. Fresh juice from limes and oranges is poured over the mixture to top it off.

MF: Do you cook dishes from other cuisines or dishes from other parts of the Caribbean?

LG: No I don't, but it is something I would like to get in to the habit of doing.

MF: If you were migrating forever what do you think that you would miss the most about the food of The Bahamas?

LG: I would miss the way the food is seasoned and its flavour.

MF: If you had to take a food journey any where in the world, where would you want to go? Why?

LG: I would go to Belize because the country is a melting pot of cultures which has greatly influenced the country's cuisine.

MF: Thanks for sharing your food with MY FOOD LaToya!

Would you like to share your food with MY FOOD? Know someone that does? Leave a comment below or inbox me directly. The project is opened to anyone that falls into any of the categories below, and you do NOT need to have a blog to participate.

CATEGORIES

• Caribbean/West Indian living at home
• Caribbean/West Indian living abroad (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation. State which generation you are)
• Non-Caribbean/West Indian married to/partnered with Caribbean/West Indian folk
• Non-Caribbean/West Indian but the region has been home for at least 5 years

Join the conversation on Facebook, and don't forget that you too can participate, get the details here. The next instalment of MY FOOD is on Wednesday, April 23.

Read more...

MYF - Joanne Hillhouse

Welcome! It's time for another feature of the MY FOOD Project.

MY FOOD is an online project of my ongoing research into Caribbean food culture and food heritage. The project seeks to explore how we think about food, how we use it to connect and communicate, and the importance of food to our identity. For full details of the project and how you can participate, click here.

Joining us this week is a well-known author from Antigua & Barbuda, Joanne Hillhouse.

Joanne, I know that you, like many others, are always busy, so thanks for taking the time to share with MY FOOD. Welcome!

L: Joanne Hillhouse R: Erna Mae Tonge Brathwaite

Photo courtesy ©Cooking Magic

MF: How would you describe the food of Antigua & Barbuda?

JH: Home food, because so much of the food like Fungee and Pepperpot, I only ever eat when my mom cooks them, so it is a taste of home to me.

Fungee is another name for Cornmeal Cou-Cou, it is made with the same ingredients. Antiguan Pepperpot is very different from Guyanese Pepperpot. The Antiguan version is a hearty soup made of greens, eggplant, young eddo-leaves, peas, flour dumplings, herbs and pickled meats like salt beef and pig tails. (Thanks to Freda Gore for this valuable information).

MF: What is your favourite dish?

JH: Pepperpot. Because e bang good! Red Bean Soup is good too... but both are not everyday foods because they take a lot of time to prepare and they are very filling. Maybe the rarity is what makes them so special.

MF: What is your general eating style? Do you have a weekday-weekend system of eating?

JH: I don't think I have an eating style but I do identify certain foods with certain days - like salt fish is for Sunday morning, rice pudding (black pudding made with blood and rice) is for Saturdays, and Fungee and other local foods are never eaten on Sundays. Good Friday is Macaroni for me because I don't eat Ducana (a steamed sweet dumpling made of grated sweet potatoes, coconut, raisins, spices, and flour). Ducana and salt fish is a Good Friday tradition in Antigua.

MF: What is a typical weekend dish that you look forward to?

JH: I don't have one... but if my mom makes Sunday morning breakfast it takes me back (Sunday morning breakfast = salt fish stewed with lots of tomatoes, eggplant & spinach served with hard boiled eggs and Johnny Cakes). This breakfast gives me a weird sort of nostalgic feeling; nostalgia for what, I'm not specifically sure. But it feels like a pattern almost as old as me, as much of a Sunday ritual as the familiar rhythms of a Catholic mass.

MF: If you had to choose a dish or beverage that marks or identifies you as an Antiguan, what would it be?

JH: Pepperpot, specifically home-cooked Pepperpot. In fact, when I wanted to include a kitchen scene in my book, Oh Gad! I went straight to Pepperpot. It's my favourite dish and since I only eat my mother's Pepperpot I really identify it with my mother and got her to explain the making of it to me for incorporation in the book, which is unusual in itself since she's the typical: if you want to learn come-and-put-hand type of Caribbean cook. Pepperpot is also part of Antigua's national dish. I say part because the national dish is actually Fungee and Pepperpot, though this was never as a single meal in my household so I didn't know it like that. Fungee was eaten with okroe, cassie (young cactus) and preferably conchs or fish (I later found out that the conch-thing was a peculiarity of our household), and Pepperpot was a meal all by itself, a thick, filling soup that felt like it had everything good mixed up in it.

MF: Food is at the center of most holidays and festivals. Which is your favourite holiday/festival food?

JH: I look forward to the Christmas ham and turkey.

MF: Where do you generally shop for your food (vegetables, fruits etc.)

JH: The supermarket - because I hate shopping, even for food, so I just like to go one place and be in and out and not have to leave or go to this other place and that. Market Day with my tanty when I was a kid, (from a kid's perspective) used to feel like it took forever... because of all the catching up adults did.

MF: Can you cook?

JH: I can. I am the lasagna maker whenever we have lasagna, say, at Christmas... but that is as complicated as my skills get and the instructions are right there on the box. It's not a love but I can cook to eat...if I don't get lost in a story I am writing and forget the pot is on the stove.

MF: So you can cook but do you cook?

JH: Hmmm, honestly, my mom and I live together and she does most of the cooking, but I fill in as needed.

MF: What is the one dish that you can whip up in no time and can make off the top of your head (without a recipe)?

JH: Well, since I never use a recipe (lasagna aside) most of what I cook is off the top of my head and is usually something that takes the least time to make so probably a one-pot mix-up, which I think is one of those Antiguan go-to(s) anyway, especially when you grow up with more mouths to feed than money and the food has to stretch. Uncomplicated too; I can't do any of the complex and time-consuming local dishes like Pepperpot and Fungee... I need to go and put-hand some time so I can learn. Sidebar: I've made two promotional appearances: cooking shows and both times they set me to turn Fungee... go figure.

MF: Do you eat street-food? If yes, what's your favourite?

JH: I used to like Jerk Chicken, a holdover from my time studying in Jamaica probably, but I haven't had good Jerk Chicken in a while. On the Antiguan end, I like Rice Pudding(not that sweet, porridgy stuff I only ever saw on TV, that's not what we call Rice Pudding. Our Rice Pudding is what some people call blood pudding). I stopped eating it for a long time as a kid when I realised how it was made, but e too sweet, I had to go back. Barbecue is probably the street food I eat the most though.

MF: Your Rice Pudding sounds very much like the Guyanese Black Pudding. Moving on. If you were having overseas guests (visitors who are not from the Caribbean) and you needed to make a couple of dishes that say this is Antigua & Barbuda's food. What would they be?

JH: What I'd be making? Probably reservations. It's so weird, me filling out this questionnaire because I'm not big on cooking. However, I've invited people over and cooked for them. I did a Mexican-themed-food movie night once with guacamole and burritos. Another time, I remember doing fried plantains that came out more like plantain chips. If someone else was making the quintessential Antiguan dishes, they'd make Pepperpot, Fungee, Soursop drink or some other local fruit drink. For dessert, sugar cake or other local sweets like fudge or guava cheese.

MF: Do you cook dishes from other parts of the Caribbean?

JH: I eat dishes from other parts of the Caribbean. And I always like sampling the local beer when I travel.

MF: If you could take a food journey anywhere in the world, where would you want to go and why?

JH: I've been to Greece and Italy. The why has a lot to do with me being a book lover and the books or films I've read or seen, set in these places and the mythology that was part of my study of literature, and other earlier things. Much as I love pizza, I don't even remember having pizza when I was in Italy so it wasn't so much about the food. The continent of Africa - I'd like to visit there some day - because that's our ancestral homeland, isn't it? And New Orleans - mostly because I got hooked by the literature and want to experience the culture. Truthfully though, anywhere in the world, and I am grateful that my work and journey as a writer has afforded me some opportunities in this regard. Oh, I'd like to go to Australia and New Zealand too... because they seem like a places of great adventure... and hot men.

MF: Quite a note to end on. Thank you!

Joanne blogs at Jhohadli
Find Joanne on Facebook
Shop her books: Oh Gad! and The Boy From Willow Bend on Amazon.

Would you like to share your food with MY FOOD? Know someone that does? Leave a comment below or inbox me directly. The project is open to anyone that falls into any of the categories below and you do NOT need to have a blog to participate.

CATEGORIES

• Caribbean/West Indian living at home.
• Caribbean/West Indian living abroad (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation. State which generation you are).
• Non-Caribbean/West Indian married to/partnered with Caribbean/West Indian folk.
• Non-Caribbean/West Indian but the region has been home for at least 5 years

Join the conversation below or on Facebook, and don't forget that you too can participate, get the details here. The next instalment of MY FOOD is on Wednesday, March 26.

Read more...

MYF - Halcian Pierre

Welcome to the first installment of the MY FOOD Project!

This is an online project into my ongoing research into Caribbean food culture and food heritage. The project seeks to explore how and what we think about food, and how we use food to connect and communicate. It is also about the importance of food to our identity. For in-depth details of the project, and how you can participate, click here.

It is a pleasure to welcome first to this virtual dining table, a very dear friend, Halcian Pierre from the twin island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.

MYF: How would you describe the food of Trinidad and Tobago?

HP: Trinidad & Tobago's food is what I like to call a "fusion", simply because of the many cultural influences that make up our country. African, Indian, Syrian, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Anglo Saxon and even our own Indigenous Peoples - the Caribs and Arawaks - all have left behind a rich legacy of cooking methods that can still be found in everything we eat.

MYF: What is your favorite dish? And why?

HP: I have so many faves it's often hard to choose, but when I think of comfort, oddly enough, I find it in meatballs and spaghetti.

MYF: What is generally your eating style? In other words, some people practice a diet of weekday food and weekend food?

HP: These days because of my workload, I find myself eating takeout, but I am careful to pick things that I would make myself. So, rather than visiting fast-food outlets, I look to the food courts, where I often choose things like Shepherd's Pie and fresh salad, or Lasagna with fresh salad. On the weekends, I cook and make enough to last until Tuesday, so for the remaining work week I eat from the food court.

MYF: On any given Sunday, what's on the menu?

HP: Macaroni Pie. Baked Chicken. Boiled Provisions. Callaloo or Red Bean Stew. Fresh salad. The side dishes would vary though, according to what's available and what's in season.

MYF: If you had to choose a dish or beverage that marks or identifies you as a Trinidadian, what would it be?

HP: As a Trinidadian, I would say that for me, the Pelau has been something inherently "Trini". However, the Indian influence has put the roti on top, so I guess it depends on where in Trinidad you're from. It's a kind of South/West/North/East kind of thing.

MYF: Food is at the center of most holidays and festivals. Which is your favourite festival/holiday food?

HP: It never feels like Christmas until I make Pastelles. There is something about the smell of the meat with the olives, raisins and capers as it's cooking… even the banana leaves they're wrapped in leaves a certain aroma in the kitchen. It's a scent that just screams 'Christmas is here!' It's Venezuelan in origin, but I have been making them for as long as I can remember, and oddly enough, it was a Vincentian woman that introduced me to the Pastelle as a child, and that love affair continues to this day.

MYF: Where do you generally shop for your food (vegetables, fruits, dry goods, meat, poultry & seafood)?

HP: I shop all over. Supermarkets, warehouses, small shops, grocers, the market, specialty shops… there's even an online grocery that I use from time to time.

MYF: Can you cook?

HP: Love to cook. It is my Zen.

MYF: How often do you cook?

HP: Again, because of work, I cook on the weekends. If I had a choice, I would cook or bake everyday.

MYF: What is the one dish that you can whip up in no time and can make off the top of your head (without a recipe)?

HP: That would definitely be Stewed Chicken, my Beef and Spinach Lasagna or my Corn Soup.

MYF: Do you eat street-food? If you do, what's your favorite street food?

HP: I love Saheenas, even more than Doubles, which is like the number 1 street food in Trinidad & Tobago. Saheenas are made with ground split peas, callaloo bush (taro leaves), and other seasonings and spices, fried and cut into two to receive a dollop of cooked channa and even more sauces. When I was pregnant with my daughter I craved them mostly.

MYF: If you are having overseas guests (visitors not from the Caribbean) and you needed to make a couple of dishes that say this is Trinidadian food. What would you make?

HP: Well, the Trini-Stewed-Chicken is something I would definitely love my guests to try, just for them to see how we brown the meat using the burnt sugar… that process always surprises foreigners. I would also make them our famous bake and shark, just so they could have a taste of some of the many spices sauces and slaws that accompany it.

MYF: Do you cook dishes from other cuisines or dishes from other parts of the Caribbean? If yes, what do you make?

HP: Of course! I've done bruschetta, skirt steaks, crab cakes, frittatas, cheesy linguine, oven barbecued ribs… I plan to try empanadas soon. I believe that variety is the spice of life.

MYF: If you were migrating forever, what do you think you would miss the most about the food in Trinidad?

HP: I would miss our Trinidadian seasoning. Just as the Spanish have their sofrito, we have our bottled seasoning. Every Trini home has a bottle in their fridge just waiting to put a couple of spoonfuls into something they're making.

MYF: If you could take a food journey any where in the world, where would you want to go and why?

HP: I want to go to Greece… visit the Mediterranean coast. I want to taste their fresh cheeses, olive oils, fish and shellfish, fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, even ouzo. I think that the food there is so colorful and fresh. It has been said that the people there live very long because of their diet. I want to sample it before I die. LOL!

Halcian Pierre blogs at Come Taste This!

Would you like to participate or know someone who would? Leave a comment below or inbox me directly. The project is open to anyone that falls in to one of the categories listed below and you do NOT need to have a blog to participate. This project is also open to people of the Spanish, Dutch and French-speaking Caribbean.

CATEGORIES

• Caribbean/West Indian living at home in the region.
• Caribbean/West Indian living abroad (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation. State which generation you are).
• Non-Caribbean/West Indian and married/partnered with Caribbean/West Indian folk.
• Non-Caribbean/West Indian but has made the region home for at least 5 years.

Leave your thoughts below and don't forget that you too can participate, get the details here. The next installment of MY FOOD is on Wednesday, January 29th.

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