Nutmeg Photo Essay

A THING OF BEAUTY

Read more...

Shrimp Cakes & A versatile mixture

These shrimp cakes celebrate the wonderfulness of the baby shrimp so prevalent in Guyana, which we simply call, "white belly shrimp". It is so called because the body of the shrimp is plump and white with the head and tail, a kiss of pink.

These shrimp cakes, however, can be made with any variety of small shrimp. Sure you can use the larger shrimp (prawns) but the texture will not be the same and the cooking time will vary.

The mixture for these cakes is versatile and it can be made into patties and fried as is shown here, rolled into small balls for appetizers or a little larger to be steamed and added to soups. It can be stuffed into vegetables like okra, sweet peppers and be steamed for sautéed; enclosed in wanton wrappers... really, there is a lot you can do with the mixture.

The recipe is simple and very flexible so I am not giving precise measurements but you if are looking for an exact recipe, let me know and I'll send you a copy of October's newsletter. If you would like to subscribe to monthly editions of the newsletter - TASTESMONTHLY, then simply type the word SUBSCRIPTION in the subject line.

SHRIMP MIXTURE

ingredients

• Rinse, drain well and pat dry shrimp
• Make a paste of ginger, garlic and hot peppers
• Thinly slice green onions (white and green parts)
• Use 1 egg to 1 pound of shrimp
• Use 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs to 1 pound of shrimp
• Salt to taste

directions

• Pulse together the shrimp and ginger-garlic-pepper paste to a coarse texture
• Transfer mixture to a bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well to incorporate
• Let rest for 10 minutes before using

note

• The mixture will be a little pasty; lightly oil your hands when working with it

Read more...

Beet-ing It

If you have been reading me for a while now, you will know that beets are not something that I eat. Blame it on past experiences of having them while eating out - boiled until mushy and then sickly sweet with sugar added back!

Today marks exactly a year since I decided to try beets one more time - thanks to the encouragement of all you beet-lovers who showcase the amazing ways to enjoy beets. So, I went by one of my gardening friends to get some beets. It was so much fun and very interesting to see how the beets are grown and harvested. Look at those gifts coming out of the earth.

Given that beets are naturally sweet I thought that it would be best to have them with something a little tart that would be the perfect counterpoint so I marinated them (after steaming) with apple cider vinegar and salt. I added some sliced red onions for crunch. Oh my goodness, it was so good. The beets were meaty and sweet and perfectly balanced with the little bite from the vinegar.

While I am yet to try the many other recipes out there using beets, I found that I enjoyed them best when prepared simply - peeled and grated. Just like that. Crisp. Crunchy. Sweet. And, oh gosh, look at that colour!

Read more...

Black & White Wednesdays - Salt

My good friend Susan Wolfe has started a new photo event: Black & White Wednesdays - A New Culinary Photo Event. It promises to be fun; why not join in? Here's my entry for this Wednesday.

Salt - revealed

Read more...

Tennis Rolls - A Guyanese Favourite

Each nation the world over has its own signature bread. The same is true for the Caribbean. We have various bread-rolls with their one-of-a-kind flavour and texture. Trinidad & Tabago has Hops Bread, Jamaica has Coco Bread, Barbados has Salt Bread and Guyana has Tennis Rolls. The Eastern Caribbean islands - St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Dominica etc. each has their own bread too.

These breads, as simple as they may seem, the recipes are not easy to come by and replicating them at home is more difficult than you think. Sure you come close, but there are certain dynamics and methods employed in a commerical bakery that results in a precision that is not always achievable in the home kitchen. Read this week's column about me trying to make Tennis Rolls and for an analyzed result. The recipe for the Tennis Rolls are at the bottom of the column.

Tennis Roll and Cheese along with a cold glass of cream soda and milk is a combo that is still relished today in Guyana. We used to eat this snack in the afternoons when we'd return home from school.

This week on About.Com - the most difficult thing about cooking with salt fish (salted cod), is not knowing how to de-salt the fish. Find out how it is done here and the importance of not removing all of the salt from the fish.

Read more...

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.

Read more...

Let the Sun work - Red Pepper Flakes & Dried Limes

It has been so hot these days - but while I retreat indoors with the fans working overtime, I've been letting the sun do some work! Drying hot peppers to make pepper flakes and experimenting by drying limes! Read this week's column to learn more about red pepper flakes and how to go about making your own.

I dried three types of peppers to make 3 sets of pepper flakes, each with varying degrees of heat.

As you know, my love for food is universal. A couple of years ago, I had my first taste of Persian food and fell in love - again. One of the dishes I had was Qormeh Sabzi - an stew of herbs, lamb and kidney beans flavoured with dried limes (more about this in future column). That was my first experience tasting and eating dried limes... and it was heavenly.

Knowing that I would be experimenting with cooking Persian food, I bought a packet of dried limes while on my travels, but that soon ran out. I decided that I'd try drying my own limes. The experiment was successful but I found that it took way too long for the limes to dry - almost 3 months (sun-drying). At the end of the 3 months, I ended up with only half of the number of limes I originally set out to dry. Some of the limes started to rot during the drying process and were discarded. I think I'll buy at least 2 packets the next time so that I'll have enough to last me for a while. Once dried, the limes can last for up to 2 years! I read somewhere that the limes are boiled first then set to dry but I put mine to dry soon after picking.

Tis the season for making pickles, let them cook in the sun too!

Read more...

Sweet Bay

Tear or crush a fresh bay leaf with your hands and smell it and you'll quickly understand why it is the most widely used culinary herb. I'm sure that you've used bay leaves many times in your various food preparations - stews, soups, casseroles etc. You might be interested to know how we use it here in the Caribbean - primarily for its folk properties. Read all about it in this week's column. Who knows, you may discover, yet another way to use bay leaves.

It is also important to note that all bay leaves are not the same. They may have similar properties and be of the same family of evergreen trees but they are not all the same in terms of flavour and intensity.

If you've never had bay-leaf tea, you've got to give it a try. Check out the column for bay-leaf tea combos.

Bay-leaf Tea

INGREDIENTS

3 large fresh West Indian bay leaves (or the fresh variety you have available to you)
2 cups water
Sugar (if you take sugar with your tea)

DIRECTIONS

1. Add water and bay leaves to saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Let boil for 4 minutes, turn off heat and let steep for 4 minutes
2. Strain and sweeten

NOTES

• You can opt to let the tea steep until it comes to room temperature, strain, reheat, then sweeten and drink
• The number of bayleaves for this tea may vary depending on the variety you are using
• Add more leaves to this tea if you like your tea stronger

OTHER THINGS TO TRY MAKING

• Bay leaf iced tea
• Bay leaf simple syrup
• Check column for other suggestions

To all the Dads that read this blog: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Read more...

Khichri & Kedgeree - Good at Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner!

Khichri - a dish with it's origins in India has travelled to England, to the Caribbean and I am sure to other places where there are large populations of Indian migrants. In this week's column, read about the dish re-interpreted in England and it's place in the Caribbean.

Both dishes have their stars, for Khichri it is lentils and for Kedgeree it is smoked fish

Here's a more traditional-original version

Recipe

Check out Sailu's version.


Here is Kedgeree a well-known breakfast meal in England.

Recipe

Check out Nora's version.

Read more...

Annatto aka "Poor Man's Saffron"

Bunches of beautiful ripe, red Annatto can be found on the tree just outside the classroom where I teach. I’ve tried to get my colleagues and students to try using it in their cooking but I’ve had no luck so far. Perhaps I can convince you? Read more about this spice that's popular in this week's column and why it is referred to as "poor man's saffron".

This is what the fruit looks like:

It is used in its fresh (left, top & bottom) and dry form (right, top & bottom). See the colour it yields? Please see my friend Felix's post on how to make the concentrate for home use.

The concentrate drizzled over rice while cooking and tossed at the end gives a beautiful two-colour rice.

A recipe to make the Achiote oil can be found in this week's column.

Sunny-side up eggs cooked with Achiote oil makes a for a striking presentation.

This past week I have been doing one of the things I love - baking bread and sharing it with my friends. One of my favourite bread-baking sites is the one owned and run by my friend Chuck over at The Knead for Bread. You've heard me mention his site before... his recipes are fool-proof and always turn out perfectly.

I first made his Coconut Bread which is a pull-bread (my favourite kind), no need for knives and this bread needs no butter or jam. All it requires are fingers that do double duty - pulling and transporting to the mouth!

See the topping? The crumble. I swear, you'll find yourself picking at it all the time and as in my case, you'll have adults unashamedly eyeing each other's piece of bread to see who got the bigger piece with the topping. I am not kidding you. Do give this a try.

A few days later, I made the Pesto Bread. Just like Chuck, I had some pesto in the fridge left back from a batch I had made recently. This savoury bread can be enjoyed as is but if you are looking for a sweet and salt combo that will dance on your tongue, slather some jam on it, take a bite, chew slowly, and let your tastebuds go wild with pleasure. Here is the recipe.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all those celebrating the holiday!

Read more...

About Cooking Shrimp & An apology

The other day, a friend of mine threw up her hands in exasperation and exclaimed, “I love eating shrimp but I hate cooking it! It always turns out hard!” “Ah,” I said, “that’s because you are overcooking it.” “So how long should I cook it for then?” “That depends,” I said, and explained further in this week's column.

N.B. Before attempting the dishes below, please ensure that you read my notes on cooking shrimp in the column as it gives suggested timelines and other tips.

To make: melt some butter along with oil, lots of minced garlic, hot pepper and green onions and toss with hot noodles (in this case I used Chinese Longevity Noodles).

To make: see column on how to prepare shrimp. Saute onions, garlic, hot pepper and fresh thyme then add chopped spinach and saute. Add back shrimp to pan just before the spinach is done cooking.

To make: season shrimp with lots of coarsely ground black pepper and salt. Pan fry quickly and set aside. Cook orzo, dress with marinara sauce. Add shrimp and serve.

To make: read column to prep shrimp. Saute onions, garlic, thyme, tomatoes, hot pepper then add bora (yard long bean) and saute covered on low heat until cooked through. Add back shrimp to pan just as beans are finished cooking.

To make: pan-fry shrimp and set aside. Saute onions and tomatoes along with lots of sambal. Add a little water or broth to make a thick sauce. Add back shrimp to pan, toss and let finish cooking. Be sure to read this week's column about the suggested cooking times.

To make: mix together chopped shrimp, fresh herbs, an egg, hot pepper, ginger, lemon juice, bread crumbs and make into patties. Coat with breadcrumbs, rest for at least 30 minutes and then saute (almost like a shallow fry).

Recipe here.

Pan-fried shrimp in prepartion to be added and incorported into a variety of dishes. Read this week's column for the full details.

APOLOGY

Sorry for not visiting your blog lately... I've been swamped with work and some other things. I just have enough time to post my weekly post... I hope to visit you soon. Thanks for the continued support, it is sincerely appreciated.

Read more...