Barbados @ 50 - Pigtails 'n Breadfruit

Pigtails and breadfruit is a combination that is served in a variety of ways in Barbados, and the region as a whole. In some places it is more about salt fish and breadfruit rather than the salted pigtails. Stewed is one of the many ways in which pigtails are cooked in Barbados, in addition to being roasted, barbecued, put into a soup, rice and peas or to season boiled ground provisions.

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Barbados @ 50 - Flying Fish

Flying Fish in a tomato-onion sauce or stewed flying fish, if you like, is one half of Barbados' national dish of Cou Cou & Flying Fish. The other popular way to cook flying fish is battered and fried.

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Guyana @ 50 - Stewed Fish

In Guyana we get an astounding array of fish. There is so much variety that you can eat a different type of fish each day for 3 weeks, and that is based on my conservative count and limited knowledge. We prepare fish in many ways - curried, fried, steamed, smoked, salted, choka, baked, roasted, fried as fritters and blackened. A popular way to cook fish is stewed. The fish is first seasoned, fried lightly and then cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, lots of onions, fresh Guyanese thyme, celery, hot peppers, garlic and whatever else a cook feels will elevate the stew.

Stewed Fish ©Cynthia Nelson

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A Taste of September & Book 2 - Signed!

A stew, a braise - comfort food at it's best. In September's edition of TASTESMONTHLY, toss aside the recipe and cook with your own instinct, make it the way you like it - a big pot of stew. Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, seafood, whatever your heart desires, stew it, braise it.

After you've had your fill, store the rest in individual containers and each time you retrieve a container, eat the stew with a different carb - bread one day, rice another, ground provisions, pasta or potatoes. Trust me, on each occasion, you'll experience new waves of enjoyment.

Get September's edition of my free newsletter - TASTESMONTHLY or drop me a line with the word SUBSCRIPTION in the subject line to receive monthly editions directly in your inbox.

I also wanted to share some news with you. A couple of weeks ago I signed a publishing contract for my second book. None of this would be possible without YOU. Yes you. Don't look around to see if there's anyone beside you or over your shoulder. Your love, support and constant encouragement make all of this possible, so thank you! The book falls under the genre of cookbook but it is not really a recipe book more like a reference book, a companion in the kitchen.

I'll keep you updated as things progress. Right now I am in the process of working out a schedule that allows me to work in a way that still provides some of the breathing space I managed to carve out for myself a few months ago.

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Don't Baste the Turkey: Braise-Stew it!

Now here's a suggestion to rock your Turkey-Thanksgiving world upside down - in a good way! Fall-off the bone, tender, succulent meat, ready-made gravy to ladle over your sides and to sop up! A pot of meat and sauce fragrant with whole spices that gives a depth of flavour that will have your family and friends asking for more and for the recipe. With this method, you won't have to worry about what to do with the leftover turkey. No Sir-ee! It will be all gone!

Here in the Caribbean, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving; gosh, but there are those of among us who love that other bird and the favourite way it is cooked is stewed. I am suggesting that you combine two similar cooking methods in order to get the best of both in one dish - braise and stew. It's all explained in the column. And the recipe is there too!

Feeling that you must stick with tradition and have roast turkey? Cool. I offer you another suggestion that allows you to present your turkey 2 ways at the table roast and braised-stewed. Check out the column.

THE GIVEAWAY

Don't forget that you have until midnight of November 17 to participate in the giveaway. Win yourself a Tuffy (loose leaf tea steeper) and 3 cans of loose tea of your choice from The Tea Spot. Just leave a comment here saying how you like your tea and the favourite time of day to have that cuppa.

ABOUT.COM

It is not too early to start gathering those recipes you need for the holidays. Now is also a good time to test-run any new recipes you want to try. Try this Caribbean egg-nog recipe, Punch de Creme. Read all about it here and get the recipe too. As always, remember to drink responsibly.

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In Love & Mahi Mahi

I'm in love with Basil, the herb, not the man. The aroma draws you in; you sniff and take deep breaths as your senses are beguiled by the bouquet. Is it clove, is it anise, is it lemon, is it... read the rest of the column here and for a pesto recipe.

Mahi Mahi is popularly known as Dolphin in Barbados. This fish is prized among locals and appears on most menus in the many restaurants across the island. I enjoy cooking fish and matching it up with different flavours that will compliment the delicacy of fish. Cooking fish is a skill that I continue to perfect each time I make it and each time it is different. Too often people tend to overcook fish, it is for that reason that I almost never order fish when eating out.

Some people get tired of only cooking fish one way and quickly become bored with fish. If you like spicy food, you'll love this dish and I'd recommend you make it with any white fish. Actually, I think that it will work with any fish, the key is not to overcook the fish when making the dish.

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with Sambal Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs Mahi Mahi steaks, pat dry
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons sambal
• 1/2 cup boiling water

METHOD

1. Season fish with salt and pepper to taste
2. Heat oil in pan until very hot but not smoking
3. Add fish to pan and let sear for 2 minutes, flip and cook the other side for 1 minute (these times will vary depending on the thickness of the cut of your fish steaks)
4. Add butter to pan to melt. Push the fish aside in the pan and tilt pan so that the butter runs to the bottom of the pan, working quickly, spoon the melted butter over the fish and then rest pan squarely on the stove
5. Add sambal to pan along with the boiling water, stir and cook for 1 minute. Taste for season and adjust if necessary
6. Sprinkle with parsely or green onions and serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes, or white sweet potatoes or anything you prefer

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Kabset Baitenjan (Iraqi-style Beef & Vegetable Stew)

Since I first read about this stew in December's issue of Saveur, I have been making it often. When my brother first tasted whilst visiting me back in January, he just could not get it off of his mind. So, when I visited my family in Guyana recently, he requested that we make the stew together. This week's column gives you some insight into a sibling relationship and food communication. Click here to read it.

The spice paste is what gives this stew it's unique flavour especially when mixed and cooked with the tomato sauce. It's a one-pot dish that's great for entertaining and everything is cooked twice. A note before I send you to the recipe - it calls for frying the veggies and meat in a deep pot but I found it to be way too oily the first time I made it, I have since switched to pan frying which uses a lot less oil. For the original recipe, click here. For my adaption with less oil, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the column. I'm thinking that I'd like to try it with chicken sometime.

Happy Weekend everyone and I'm looking forward to catching up on your posts!

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