Channeling Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs

I. Love. Broccoli. I eat the stems raw after removing the fibrous outer skin, and steam the moss-like heads and eat them just like that. Whenever I steam broccoli (which is often), I always leave back a few florets to cook with eggs. Sometimes it's fried eggs with broccoli and other times, I add cheese to the mix. So good!

To keep the broccoli green after steaming, and for this fry up, here is what to do:

• Add water to a saucepan and insert a steam rack (metal racks are for perfect for this). Cover pot, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
• Drop in broccoli, cover and steam for 4 minutes - longer if you like your broccoli softer.
• Remove broccoli and place on wire rack to cool. Leaving the broccoli in the hot pot even with the heat turned off will continue to cook the broccoli - it will turn to mush in your mouth when eaten and dull green, in colour.

You got this right? If you want specific directions for cooking the eggs and broccoli, click here.

Read more...

Crispy Okra Salad

Apart from the obvious love and hate stance people take with okra/ochroe, there is a middle ground. The middle ground is where you find those people who would eat okra only if it is prepared in specific ways and in specific dishes. For example, my best friend will eat okra in Cornmeal Cou-cou but not in any other dish. This dish of Crispy Fried Okra is one of the many ways in which some in the middle would eat okra because there is none of the inherent slime/gooeyness present.

This salad is best eaten fresh for optimum crisp soon after it is made, however, when I first had it a few years ago, I had some leftover which I refrigerated. I love okra so it did not bother me that the crispness would not be there the following day. I placed the remaining salad atop slices of roast pork sandwiched between slices of artisan-style bread (think coleslaw). It was so good. On another occasion I had it with dhal and rice. Simply delicious.

Here is the recipe.

Read more...

Guyana @ 50 - Market Stalls

Among the things I miss about living in Guyana is the facility of having daily fresh markets all full of fruits, vegetables, produce, seafood, meat and poultry. And depending on which market you visit, clothing, jewellery and household items can be bought.

The wide array of fresh food is dizzying... what to chose, what to eat... Here is a stall at one of the more popular markets in Georgetown, Bourda.

Stall Bourda Market ©Cynthia Nelson

Read more...

Guyana @ 50 - Karaila

Karaila/bitter melon/bitter gourd, you either love it or you hate it. I LOVE this vegetable and buy it often. Whether stuffed, sautéed, steamed or stir-fried, I would eat karaila frequently. I am sure that many of you, like me, when growing up, was faced with the tortuous experience of having to drink the juice of this vegetable to "clean out the insides". Mommy would allow us to arm ourselves with a little sugar in the palm of our hands so that we could eat it to get rid of the bitter taste in our mouth after downing the bitters.

Karaila/Bitter melon ©Cynthia Nelson

Read more...

Guyana @ 50 - Seven Curry

One of the many pleasures of living in a multicultural society is the access to, and participation, that one enjoys in many settings, especially at festivals and on special occasions.

Eating a vegetarian meal in big, broad water lily leaves at a Hindu wedding or Pooja connects you with the multifaceted food culture of the land. No cutlery, just you, eating from a natural vessel that you balance in the palm of one hand while expertly mixing the food with the other and transporting it, without spilling, to your mouth.

This type of meal is referred to as 7-curry because 7 different 'curries' are made to be eaten with rice. Some people consider dhal/dal to be one of the curries while others don't. Either way, it is an outstanding meal.

7-Curry ©Cynthia Nelson

7-Curry generally comprises a combination of the following:

• Pumpkin
• Spinach/callaloo
• Eggplant & eddoes
• Potatoes or Potatoes & channa (chick peas)
• Katahar/breadnut/chatagine
• Mangoes
• Achar

Read more...

It's Pudding NOT Pie

Tis the season for pumpkin and other pies for the US Thanksgiving holidays. And down here in Barbados, tis the season for Conkies aka as Sweet Dumplings.

We get pumpkin all year round in the Caribbean and it makes a regular appearance on our tables and plates in many dishes such as soups, stews, steamed, stir-fried and sautéed. I like that pumpkin is one of these vegetables that struts along both the savoury and sweet aisles of food. The texture and flavour is unrivalled and when you add a lil spice to pumpkin - whether it is for sweet or savoury - you've got something very special.

This is my take on pumpkin pudding. Infused with a vanilla bean, cinnamon and nutmeg along with dark rum, this creamy, moist pudding is bound to have you licking your spoon.

So if you're looking for a dessert for the holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas or a special occasion and don't want to fuss with a crust, try this pudding. If you are not up to all the work involved in making Conkies, try this pudding. And if you just love pumpkin and looking for a dessert to make at any time, trying this pudding. Serve it warm or at room temperature. My preferred way to enjoy it is cold, right out of the fridge!

Click here for the recipe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating!

Read more...

Colourful Shopping

When I return from my weekly market shopping, I would unpack everything on the kitchen counter and then sort and put them away. A colour that always dominates is green, however, the other day I noticed that I had quite an array of colours and I just wanted to share them with you :))

One of the things I look forward to during summer is seeing the amazing array of colours on the food blogs - raw and cooked. Amanda over at Figs, Bay & Wine does it exceptionally well. Beth over at Columbus Foodie takes great pride is showcasing and creating awareness of the farmers' markets in her neck of the woods.

Read more...

No-Grilling just Fire-roasting

You don't need a grill to get this charred, smoky, fire-roasted corn but you do need some gas. A gas stove that is. I roasted these sweet fresh corn right on my stove top. If you want to make things a little more manageable, then you can get yourself a stove-top grate to which you can add sliced onions, lemons etc.

With corn this fresh and this sweet, I roast it and serve it just as is; no pepper, so salt, no lemon, no butter, no cheese. So good.

Enjoy!

Read more...

Carrot Fritters/Patties

I had a difficulty putting the title to this post. I'm not sure if these are carrot fritters or little carrot patties. When I think of fritters, I think of a thick liquid type of batter. But then again, someone commented on the Guyanese pancakes a couple of weeks ago and said that they looked more like fritters than pancakes. Oh well, call it what you will.

A few weeks ago there was a glut of carrots on the local market, here in Barbados. I did a few recipes for a local publication to encourage people to buy the carrots and do more with them than just steam or make coleslaw or carrot cake.

This recipe was one of those things whereby I just put a little bit of this and that as I went along. Please, as always, feel free to adapt it to suit your taste.

CARROT FRITTERS/PATTIES

Yield: 10 - 12

INGREDIENTS

• 2 packed cups finely grated carrots
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (sub: 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup mashed potato (optional - I put this in because I had it on hand)
• 1 egg, room temperature
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro/coriander
• Oil for shallow frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl, except the oil, and mix well.
2. Form into little patties - 2 inches wide, 1/2 inch thickness.
3. Add oil to frying pan and heat on medium heat.
4. Fry patties until brown and on one side and then flip and cook on the other side.
5. Drain on a cooling rack inserted into a sheet pan or on paper towels.
6. Serve with sour cream and chives or Greek Yogurt.

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...

Fragrant & Nutty - Stir Fry Cabbage

I'm sure that like me, you try to eat seasonally too. The thing is that sometimes things can be in such abundance that you run out of ideas how to prepare them. We're always trying to come up with ways to make the familiar a little different, if not, we can find ourselves eating the same dish over and over again.

In Indo-Caribbean cooking, infused oils are used to chunkay (tadka) certain dishes such as dhal and a variety of choka(s). Using the same principle of a chunkay, I made this stir fry cabbage. The toasted coconut on top, well, that was thrown in because I had some remaining from another dish I was making. It all came together nicely. Crisp cabbage, fragrant with oil toasted garlic, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Nutty with toasted coconut.

Stir-fry Cabbage with Infused Oil

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons oil, divided (1 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp respectively)
• 1 pound shredded cabbage
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 chili, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 - 8 curry leaves (optional)
• 1/4 cups freshly grated coconut, toasted

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat pan until very hot; add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl it in pan.
2. Add the cabbage and toss for 1 - 2 minutes. Season with salt and set aside (keep warm)
3. Add remaining oil in a small frying pan and heat. Toss in mustard seeds, as soon as they begin to pop, add chili and garlic, cook until the edges of the garlic start to colour slightly then add curry leaves, cook for 30 seconds.
4. Pour oil with aromatics over the cabbage and toss to mix.
5. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve as a side dish.

Read more...

A mental adjustment to cooking & eating

My friends, before I get to this week's column/blog post, I just thought that I'd clarify a few things based on some comments from last week's column/blog post - In Defence of All-Purpose Flour. I hope that I do not offend anyone.

• I was in no way advocating for the exclusive use of all-purpose flour, rather, I was making the point that despite the multitude of flour options we have available to us that there still is a place for all-purpose flour in our kitchens. And, to that I hold true.
• I specifically stated in my column, the context for my argument: "...and for this column, I am referring to cake flour, bread flour and pastry flour." I was not referring to the use of whole wheat flour etc.
• The fact is that for the majority of the world, all-purpose flour and other "ordinary" ingredients are the only options - as a result of availability and resources.

There, I've said my piece :)

And now on to the business of this week.

When I started the Tastes Like Home columm, I would cook regular "home" food and then cook "column" food. Two major things happened - I saw my food budget skyrocket and the joy I got from cooking began to wane. I had to make adjustments. I had to figure out a way to balance the time I spent in the kitchen and the time I had for the other aspects of my life, like my job and other interests. Long story short, I had to make some changes. I had to make a mental adjustment to cooking and eating. Click here to read this week's column about the adjustment and the explanation for the dishes shown below. The roast chicken recipe is included in the column.

Roast Chicken with Roast Potatoes & steamed Snow Peas

Roast Chicken with Stir Fry Pak Choy & Rice

Roast Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice

Have a great weekend everyone!

Read more...

My First Vegan Dinner

WANTED: A Shelter Box. Click here for details

Smack in the middle of Christmas week, a time filled with ham, turkey, lamb and chicken, I hosted my first vegan dinner! A Vegan in the Sun and her husband came to visit and that's how it all came about. Read about the planning, the anxiety and the dinner itself, it in this week's column. For a taste of some Caribbean Vegan food, be sure to check out Tay's blog!

Here's what I made. Oh, there's a challenge issued at the end of the column, check it out and let me know if you are interested. Recipes for the Chickpea Patties & Green Bean Mallum are at the bottom of the column. Click here for the Lemon Rice Recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 large bell peppers (green, red, yellow)
• 1/3 cup dressing (recipe follows)

Dressing

• ½ cup distilled vinegar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt

Equipment

• 1 small saucepot
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 large bowl
• 1 dining fork
• 1 dining spoon

Method

For dressing:

1. Add all ingredients to saucepot and place on medium heat. Stir with wooden spoon to dissolve
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from heat and let cool completely

For pickle:

1. Cut peppers in half and remove the seeds and stem. Slice lengthways into strips
2. Add sliced peppers to bowl, pour 1/3 cup dressing and toss thoroughly using spoon and fork. Set aside tossing a few more times until ready to serve

Notes

• You’ll have more dressing than you need, store the remainder in an airtight container in the fridge for another use

• Pickle can be made days ahead, stored in an airtight container, refrigerated. The dressing can be made as well for use with carrots or cucumbers
  

Read more...

Fond Recollections

Have you ever sat down to a meal and as you are eating, you think of others – be they family or friends – that you think might enjoy the meal and wish that they were there to share it with you? That’s what happened to me this past Wednesday. Click here to read the rest of this week's column.

Here's what I was eating:

Braised Baby-back Ribs with Black Bean & Garlic Sauce

Stir-fry Baby Bak Choy

Pan Roasted Pears with sweet spices

Sauteed Apples with Cinnamon

Do not hesitate to email me for any or all of the recipes.


I am now a Contributor to a Canadian Magazine on food, fashion and travel, City Style & Living. Be sure to check out this issue if you're in Canada and try my recipes.

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!

Read more...

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!

Read more...

Can we meet on a plate?

The government of Barbados recently issued a 6-month amnesty for all undocumented Caricom nationals (citizens of the Caribbean), to apply for immigrant status. This move has been met with mixed reactions in Guyana, Barbados and across the region. For sometime now there has been disquiet about Guyanese in Barbados. It is similar to the reactions of Haitians in The Bahamas, Mexicans in the USA and the migration of immigrants from certain European countries into others like Britain and France.

This week's column looks at the coming together of Guyana and Barbados on a plate and about how the food scene has changed here as a result of international migration.

Through migration, many items once not found here are now grown, such as the drumstick. I was surprised and overjoyed when I saw this vegetable in the market. It was another example of my merged space that I now call home. Follow this link to find out more about this vegetable and its health benefits.

Top: Gilbaka (fish) curry with Saijan. Bottom: Saijan curry

Here are some other links with drumstick recipes.

Shn's Drumstick stew in a spicy-coconut broth
Deesha's Drumstick Sambar
Sailu's Mutton-drumstick Curry
Ashwini's Drumstick Dal
Suganya's Stir-fried drumstick leaves

A simple thing like pepper can now be found in many varieties here in Barbados - Thai chilies, Trinbagodian pimento peppers, cubanelle and jalapenos in more than one colour.

Jalapenos stuffed with creamed cheese, wrapped in bacon and baked

For all our differences in this region, we are similar in many ways. Here's a snippet of ingredients and dishes we share with varying degrees of adaptation.

Breadfruit
Blog post. Column

Bakes
Blog post. Column

Callaloo
Blog post. Column

Green Bananas
Blog post. Column

Salt fish
Blog post

Read more...

Lunch in the Caribbean

Breakfast we can forego, mid-morning snack, tea and dinner we can miss or have something light, but not lunch. We want it heavy and we want it hearty. We want real food.

Coming from such a lunch-eating background then, read about an invitation to lunch I had in the USA several years ago that left me hungry and frustrated.

In Barbados, Lasagna Bolognese makes a daily appearance on the many lunch-buffet tables.

Thanks Marie and Maryann for sharing your thoughts and recipes for review.

Spinach (bhajee) rice is a favourite of mine and I first had it for lunch in Trinidad. Bounjal baby-shrimp is very popular in certain parts of the region also and is served with plain white rice or alongside dhal and rice.

Recipe for the lasagne can be found at the bottom of the column. For the spinach rice and bounjal shrimp, please do not hesitate to email me.

Read more...

A Trying Time in the Kitchen - Pt. 1

My friends, never before have I ever been so frustrated, confused and at times angry in the kitchen as I have been this past week.

It all started last Monday as I was trying to make a couple of things in order to complete a forthcoming column that I am working on. For the full details, please read this week's column and be sure to check back next week for part 2 in which I will reveal what has given me all this pain in the kitchen this past week.

Now on to easier things to prepare. Remember this post? About the butterflaps? Well, a few days ago a reader emailed me for the recipe and in our conversations, she said that she wanted to try making 2 batches, one with the butter and the other with a cheese paste! The cheese paste idea immediately got my attention. While I knew all along that eating the butter flap with sharp cheddar was an excellent idea, I didn't think about actually stuffing it with a cheese paste. This is why I love talking about food, so many ideas are shared. So you know what? Uh huh, I made the flaps and these are called cheese flaps for obvious reasons.

Here's my Cheese Paste Recipe and the dough is any regular white bread dough.

Ingredients
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (New Zealand or English cheddar works great)
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons spicy mustard
1 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted)

Method
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mash to a paste with a fork

Look at it here still very warm with the melting cheese paste. All you need with this is a cup of tea or coffee.

I've also been doing some blog cooking. Through Chef Paz, I've discovered a fantastic South Amercian food blog. The author, Laylita, is Ecuadorian and she makes some great food. I am overjoyed at the many ways she uses plantains. And you know how much I love plantains. Visit her blog, you will not be disappointed.

When I saw this recipe, I knew immediately that I had to make it. And the cilantro hot sauce that accompanies it contrasts perfectly with the sweetness of the plantain and the mildness of the mozzarella cheese. It is one of those versatile sauces that will work well with many things - seafood, meat, spooned over plain rice etc. Laylita's recipe for the baked ripe plantains are here and the sauce is here.

Have a great weekend and a wonderful week everyone!

Oh, please note that the vermicelli cake (last week's post) is a no-bake cake.

Read more...

A Test Of My Patience...

I do not shy away from hard work. I know and understand that there are certain things that take time to prepare and cook. However, after sitting for more than two hours cutting, peeling, shredding a katahar’s pulp and shelling its seeds and then waiting for more than an hour for it to finish cooking, I was no longer feeling the love. Click here to continue reading the column and to learn more about this vegetable.

Left: Katahar un-cut Right: Cut Katahar showing seeds & pulp

This vegetable is known as:
Katahar (Guyana)
Chataigne (Trinidad & Tobago)
Breadnut (English)
Castana (Spanish)
Chataignier (French)
Kapiak (New Guinea)
Kamansi, dulugian, pakau, kolo, ugod (Phillipines)
Kulur, Kelur, Kulor, Kuror (Malaya, Java)
Mei Kakano (Marquesas)
Pana de pepitas (Puerto Rico)

Top: pulp with seeds Bottom: seeds ready to be shelled

Left: pulp shredded Right: pulp shredded and seeds shelled and cut ready to be cooked

Top left: Uncooked ripe seeds, Bottom left: cooked ripe seeds, Right: Cooked seed whole, shelled & peeled

Katahar Curry

The Royal Foodie Joust and Eat Healthy Contest that provided a chance to win a copy of my book are over and next week the winners will be announced! Don't forget that you can CLICK for a chance to win a copy of the book and be on the look out for other blog contests where you can win another copy of the book.

Thanks to all the Royal Foodie Joust & Eat Healthy Contest participants! We could not have done it without you!

Read more...