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 - Sweet Potato Pie

Though Macaroni Pie is an everyday occurrence in Barbados that MUST still be on the table of any special occasion or holiday spread, Sweet Potato Pie is generally reserved for special occasions and holidays. Every now and then you'd find this cinnamon flavored savoury-naturally sweet pie at buffet lunch offerings.

Bajan Sweet Potato Pie is very different from the North American Sweet Potato Pie. The American pie is a dessert but the Bajan Sweet Potato Pie is more on the savoury side. The sweetness in the pie comes from the naturally sweet sweet potatoes. Boiled, mashed and seasoned with sweet spices as well as the juice and some of the pureed flesh of pineapples, this pie is best served warm or at room temperature. White-flesh sweet potatoes are preferred for this pie but it can also be made with the yellow-flesh sweet potato or a combination of both.

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Breakfast SWEET POTATOES

These little bite-size roasted sweet potatoes are a treat - at breakfast, as a snack or as a side dish. Most of the times when I make them this way, I serve them in place of English breakfast potatoes.

The 'recipe' is a no-brainer.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Take out a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with a neutral-flavoured oil.
• Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes, pat them dry and then cut into 1-inch cubes/pieces. 
• It is not necessary to season these sweet potatoes, you can cook them as is but I like to give them a little spice so I use a favorite all-purpose seasoning mix that already has in a little salt. Sprinkle with seasoning and toss well.
• Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle some oil over the sweet potatoes and roast for 25 - 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven, let cool for 5 - 10 minutes in pan before removing and serving.

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The OTHER Potato Fries

I LOVE French Fries but when I want to be really good, I opt for Sweet Potato Fries. They are very quick and easy to make. I particularly like how the salt counter-balances the natural sweetness of the sweet potato. And you know what? You can eat the sweet potato fries with the same condiments you use for French Fries. And really, the sweet potatoes fries go well with fish, chicken, burgers and many other things that fries accompany.

For these fries, opt to use the white-fleshed sweet potatoes or the yellow-fleshed ones. The popular orange-fleshed sweet potato will yield a different result in terms of texture, more creamy than starchy. In fries, I am looking for starchy, not creamy.

Sweet Potato Fries

INGREDIENTS

1 lb white or yellow-flesh sweet potatoes, washed, scrubbed and patted dry

Vegetable or Canola Oil

All purpose seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Remove the top and bottom tips of the sweet potatoes (about 1/2 inch both ends).
3. Cut the sweet potatoes lengthways into 1/4 inch thick slices.
4. Lie the cut slices flat and cut lengthways into 1/4 inch thick slices
5. Add sliced potatoes to a baking sheet, drizzle with oil to coat; sprinkle all purpose seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix and coat.
6. Spread seasoned potatoes into a flat single layer.
7. Add pan to oven and bake for 18 minutes. Use a flat spatula to flip the fries and bake for another 18 minutes. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

I'm doing another book signing this week, this time at the University of the West Indies - Cave Hill Campus (Barbados) on Wednesday, March 23 from 5 - 7 p.m. I'll be sure to post some photographs next week, in addition to some from yesterday's Cloister book signing that took place at Sheraton Mall.

Hey, it's Lent and we're always looking for seafood dishes. Try this butterfish in butter sauce recipe that's on the table in about half an hour. Any white fish of your choice will work.

Have a good week everyone.

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Raisin Bread for Mom

When you live overseas, one often thinks of their parents back home, particularly as they get older... My mom and I chat on the phone every week, and last weekend when she told me she felt like eating raisin bread, I wished I was there to bake it for her. Read this week's column to find out how I like to have raisin bread and for the recipe. My mom is not nearby but perhaps you can make it for your mom?

This week on ABOUT.com, it is not too soon to start gathering recipes and ideas for the upcoming holidays - Thanksgiving or Christmas. Try my Sweet Potato Salad recipe instead of the usual potato salad.

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The OTHER Potato

It peels just as easily, it cooks faster and it can be prepared very much the same way as you’d prepare the English potato – baked, boiled, mashed, sautéed and even be made into chips and fries. Which potato is it? The sweet potato! Click here for this week's column to find out more about the white-fleshed sweet potato. In the column you will also find the method for preparing all the dishes you see below.

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Salad

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