Barbados @ 50 - Breadfruit Cou Cou

You may recall me explaining that cou-cou refers to style of preparing certain ingredients. In the case, breadfruit is boiled until soft and mashed smooth with butter, some milk and for good measure and excellent taste, grated cheddar cheese. Sautéed herbs and steamed okras can be added to the mix but most people simply mash the cooked breadfruit with butter, milk, cheese, and a little salt. Just like Cornmeal Cou-Cou, Breadfruit Cou-Cou can be served with any type of seafood or meat stew. Here I served my Breadfruit Cou-Cou with Stewed Pigtails.

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Herby Mac Pie with Smoked Gouda & New Zealand Cheddar

Macaroni Pie is a weekend and holiday staple on tables all across the Caribbean. Each country and indeed each home has its own recipe for making this dish. With the long Easter weekend coming up, this is a sure thing on the dining table.

Every time I make Macaroni Pie also known as Macaroni and Cheese, I like to change things up a bit. Not so much that diners would raise their eyebrows with scepticism or shake their heads indicating that something is not right. I change the flavours just so that they can nod with approval or say, "This is good pie." One can play around with a lot of things but don't ever fool around with people's macaroni pie. We take it seriously.

I LOVE smoked Gouda and it complimented the herbs very well in this pie. New Zealand cheddar, the brand Anchor is as homemade and Caribbean as one can get. We live for Anchor Cheese and not to be outdone is Australian cheddar. While we get English Cheddar, we certainly prefer the firm, sharp cheddar from New Zealand and Australia.

If you're looking for a side dish to make this weekend, try my Herby Mac Pie with Smoked Gouda & New Zealand Cheddar.

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