As long-time readers of Trinigourmet would know, I am something of a porridge junkie. My own particular affinity is for cornmeal porridge, however that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a wide array of others that are familiar to the Caribbean home. In recent months I have had requests for green banana porridge (coming soon!) and in the last week I had my first experience with Cassava Porridge!

Cassava is a root vegetable that I have long advocated. Like most tubers it is extremely versatile. It can be enjoyed fried as chips, boiled for an oildown, or pureed for soup and (like sweet potatoes) its natural sugars make it well suited to both savoury and dessert applications. In flour form it can be turned into an enjoyable bread as well as act as a naturally gluten-free thickener. I will write more on this vegetable (also known as yuca, tapioca and manioc) in an upcoming post so I will stop here in my praises

So, back to the porridge! The other day found me with a half-pack of frozen cassava and a desire to try something new with it. A quick Google search swiftly took me to Simply Trini Cooking’s recipe for Cassava Porridge, something I had until then not known about! Trinidad and Tobago are both small islands however my time on this site has made me realize that we are still large enough to accommodate a wide range of regional specialties and differences. Our culinary heritage is much richer than even we are aware!

Inspired by Simply Trini’s writeup, I decided to combine his components with my own approach and came up with the below. I hope you will enjoy it! The thickness and flavour is rather similar to Cream of Wheat but much smoother. As a result it enjoyed just as easily in a large mug, as it is in a bowl Perfect rainy day fodder, and for those of you in winter climes I am sure it will be quite comforting!

Cassava Porridge
SOURCE: TriniGourmet.com

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cubed cassava
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tin condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD:

1. Blend cassava with 2 cups of the water.
2. Boil the other two cups of water with the salt.
3. Slowly pour in the cassava liquid and lower heat.
4. Simmer until creamy (whisk rapidly until the texture thickens and the liquid appears glossy. Don’t be surprised if translucent ‘bits’ appear to settle at the bottom, they are tasteless and can easily be reintegrated through extra whisking or putting the mixture in a blender before continuing to the next step)

5. Stir in vanilla extract.
6. Add condensed milk slowly, to sweeten to taste
7. Stir in nutmeg and cinnamon.

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com. A link back to our site is not necessary but always appreciated

This post was originally published Dec 1, 2010. It has been updated once since then.

This recipe made 3 rum bottles worth of mauby. They were done within 24 hours!

Learn more!
• Mauby – An Overview
• Mauby Bark: Three Things You May Not Know

TRINIDAD MAUBY

INGREDIENTS

12 cups water
4 pieces mauby bark (you can add a few more if desired)
1 small sprig aniseed
1 piece cinnamon
3 cups sugar (or to taste)
1 – 3 tablespoons Angostura bitters (to taste)

METHOD

1. Place all ingredients (except bitters) and 4 cups water into a saucepan and boil for 30 minutes.

2. Strain the mauby and add the additional 8 cups water. Then taste for sweetness.

3. You can add additional sugar to it if it is not sweet enough for you.

4. Add bitters

5. Bottle

Serve cold with ice.

Makes 3 bottles

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com and linking back to this site

This post was originally published February 16, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

Well you know how Trinis like how to do everything las’ minute? If you don’t have enough time to try my mother’s ginger beer recipe, here is a Quick Ginger Beer recipe from Epicurious.com that needs only 24 hours fermentation. Best of luck!

Click here to read: QUICK GINGER BEER Recipe at Epicurious.com

Excerpt:
This is the easy way to make ginger beer, where the ginger is simply soaked just slightly fermented for 24 hours (another method requires up to a five-day fermentation). Ginger beer is one of Jamaica’s most popular soft drinks and is sold practically everywhere, from the supermarket to roadside stands.

This drink is wonderfully refreshing. If the ginger heat is too much, tame it with more crushed ice and some club soda.

This post was originally published on December 22, 2006. It has been updated twice since then.

When I first made this in 2006 it was my first time using a pack of dried sorrel for a recipe. I was pleasantly surprised. If you allow it to steep overnight the results are pretty good. The below recipe is my adaptation of the Jamaican Sorrel Rum Punch Recipe at Epicurious.com. Because the pack of dried sorrel that I bought already has cloves added, as well as chunks of cinnamon bark I didn’t need to add any additional flavorings. If you can locate packs like these I highly recommend it.

JAMAICAN SORREL RUM PUNCH (adapted from the following recipe at Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

1 pack pre-spiced dried sorrel -OR- 2 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) dried sorrel calyxes
Two 1-inch cubes of peeled fresh ginger, chopped fine
3 whole cloves (omit if using a pack with spices)
5 3/4 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 amber/dark rum
2 cups ice cubes, or to taste
Lime and orange slices for garnish

Directions:

1. In a heat-proof bowl combine the sorrel, the ginger and the cloves.

2. In a saucepan bring 5 cups of the water to a boil, pour it over the sorrel mixture, and let the mixture steep overnight.

3. While the mixture is steeping, in a small saucepan bring the remaining 3/4 cup water and the sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and let the syrup cool.
4. Strain the sorrel liquid into a pitcher, discarding the solids, stir in the sugar syrup, the rum and the ice cubes, and garnish the punch with the lime and orange slices.

Makes about 8 cups/2 bottles

This post was first published December 28, 2006. It has been updated twice since then.

Punch de Creme, is another of Trinidad’s traditional Christmas drinks.

One thing that I really like about punch de creme (as opposed to traditional eggnog) is the use of citrus flavors like lime and Angostura bitters (which has orange extract). This gives the ‘nog’ a fruity lightness that alleviates the sweet creaminess (which could easily get cloying).

The method outlined below is true to form to how most Punch de Creme is made here. I’ve received some comments about heating the egg mixture vs. not. By all means follow the method that gives you the most peace of mind. I’ve never gotten sick and I’ve never met anyone whose gotten sick, or read about anyone getting sick, but again, everyone and everywhere is different I’m not gonna lambaste either approach.

No Punch de Creme post would be complete without a reference to the late Lord Kitchener’s classic calypso “Drink Ah Rum (and a Punch de Creme)”. Here it is!

Ponche De Creme
——————————————————————————–

Ingredients:

6 eggs
3 cups evaporated milk
12 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1.5 cups rum (preferably white)
2 teaspoons Angostura bitters
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lime juice
grated nutmeg

Directions:

1. Beat eggs with lime juice until light and fluffy

2. Add evaporated milk
3. Sweeten to taste with condensed milk.
4. Add bitters, grated nutmeg, extract and rum according to taste.

5. Strain
6. serve with crushed ice.

Serves 12

Spelling Variations: Ponch de Crema, Punch a Creme, Ponche de Creme

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com.
This entry was originally published on December 14, 2006. It has been updated three times since then.

mom’s ginger beer brewing in the sun

The above scene and bottle feel as though they have always been with me, they occur with such comforting regularity. Ginger beer is something that is enjoyed by both Trinis and Jamaicans however in my experience many Trinis enjoy theirs much weaker than my mother makes hers. Many people can’t drink my mom’sginger beer without looking for a fire hydrant at first. However they quickly return with an empty glass asking for a refill once their tastebuds recover from the initial shock! Of course I love my mom’s way and that’s what I am sharing with you, however if you are looking for something more along the mild side simply reduce the steeping period to one day You may also want to add lime juice at Step 7. it makes for a refreshing alternate !

Carmen’s Jamaican Ginger Beer

1. Peel 1lb of ginger – peel and blend with as much water as needed to get a good pulp
2. Put in large glass bottle
3. Set in sun for 2 days
4. Bring inside and strain
5. Add more water (about 1liter) and squeeze the grated ginger in this water. Bang out the ging !!
6. Discard the used and abused ginger.
7. Add more water. You want about a gallon.
8. Add 1.5lbs granulated sugar
9. Pour into clean bottles.
10. Add 4 to 5 cloves per bottle.
11. Allow to ‘rest’ on the counter for two days before refrigerating.

HOTT!!!

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com. A link back to our site is not necessary but always appreciated

This post was originally published December 5, 2006. It has been updated twice since then.

Christmas in Trinidad is a diverse multicultural affair. Not just for the Christian population, but also through the secular participation of the nation at large through the enjoyment of our local christmas songs (called parang) and especially the creation and consumption of our traditional Christmas foods. No Christmas in Trinidad would be complete without some rum-soaked black cake cold thick Punch de Creme, piping hot pastelles or a cold refreshing glass of sorrel.

Sorrel, made from the sepals, of the sorrel flower is fruity and fragrant. I have fond memories of sitting at my aunt’s feet as a child, helping her to handpick the flowers. The seed of the sorrel is covered with fine prickly hairs that eventually find their way into the pads of your fingers. They are not painful but definitely annoying! A friend once told me that the petals are quite delicious raw with some salt. At first I thought she was insane but once I tried it I was hooked.

Similar in taste to hibiscus tea, sorrel becomes even more heavenly with the addition of rum Made properly your sorrel should be thick and syrupy. Fear not, just dilute it with some cold water or club soda when serving.

Recipe:

1 cup dried sorrel petals
1 tablespoon cloves
piece of dried orange peel
Brown sugar syrup (1 cup water + 1 lb brown sugar boiled together)
Dark rum, optional

1. Boil 2 quarts of water.
3. Once water is boiling, add sorrel, orange peel and cloves.
4. Boil for 30 minutes.
5. Cover tightly and steep overnight.
6. Strain and add sugar syrup and rum (optional) to taste.
7. Chill and serve.

Makes 4 servings

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com. A link back to our site is not necessary but always appreciated

This post was originally published November 22, 2006. It has been updated twice since then.

*Sorrel flowers are harvested around November and December. For those not in the Caribbean they can be purchased pre-packaged from Caribbean or African stores.

Mauby bark by Lisa Fagg, on Flickr

In the years since i first posted my mauby drink recipe, several readers have commented or written me regarding the purported health benefits of mauby bark.

As a result I have looked up some additional information on that drink that so many of us love.

1. (From WiseGeek.com)The drink or syrup for the drink is made by boiling a specific buckthorn bark, Colubrina elliptica, with sugar and a variety of spices.

2. (From BBCCaribbean.com) A new study appears to give support to an earlier one that mauby might be useful in lowering blood pressure. It was conducted by Trinidad-born Kwame Amin, a student at The City University of New York’s Borough of Manhattan Community College. Mr Amin’s work won him the first prize at the 2009 Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in the United States.

N.B. Several online articles erroneously claim that coconut milk and mauby work to lower blood pressure. The actual study clearly states that coconut water (NOT milk) was the effective addition.

3. If you are taking blood-thinning medication mauby may not be something you should have on a regular basis. (From the Barbados Advocate) “If you use a combination of Warfarin and mauby or garlic or any other synergising agent were you to be wounded you could bleed incessantly.”

Well there you go! Three additional mauby facts. I hope that one or more were new to you In addition to my Mauby recipe you may also want to give Simply Trini Cooking’s own a try. Enjoy!

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MMMM pawpaw. Growing up it was probably near the bottom rung of my favoured fruits. It wasn’t sweet enough, the seeds wigged me out, and the texture was just too bleh. In an effort to get me interested my mother would serve it to me drizzled in honey. This attempt worked more times than not, and as I got older my palate started to enjoy and appreciate this fruit, with or without adornment.

It is this childhood memory, of pawpaw and honey, that led me to create this sweet liquid concoction for my Trinidad Summer Drink series. You would never believe that so few ingredients, almost spartan in nature, could ever create a mixture so thick, heavenly and ultimately divine. But take my word for it, it does. Use the ripest pawpaws for the greatest benefits. No one would ever guess that this drink is as nutritious as it is decadent!

The Medicinal Benefits of Pawpaw (or Papaya as everywhere else seems to call it ) :

Excerpted From WHFoods:

Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.

Protection Against Heart Disease

Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Papayas are an excellent source of vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin E and vitamin A (through their concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoid phytonutrients), three very powerful antioxidants.

These nutrients help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Only when cholesterol becomes oxidized is it able to stick to and build up in blood vessel walls, forming dangerous plaques that can eventually cause heart attacks or strokes. One way in which dietary vitamin E and vitamin C may exert this effect is through their suggested association with a compound called paraoxonase, an enzyme that inhibits LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol oxidation.

Papayas are also a good source of fiber, which has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels. The folic acid found in papayas is needed for the conversion of a substance called homocysteine into benign amino acids such as cysteine or methionine. If unconverted, homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls and, if levels get too high, is considered a significant risk factor for a heart attack or stroke.

Promotes Digestive Health

The nutrients in papaya have also been shown to be helpful in the prevention of colon cancer. Papaya’s fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells. In addition, papaya’s folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E have each been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

These nutrients provide synergistic protection for colon cells from free radical damage to their DNA. Increasing your intake of these nutrients by enjoying papaya is an especially good idea for individuals at risk of colon cancer.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Papaya contains several unique protein-digesting enzymes including papain and chymopapain. These enzymes have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns. In addition, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation. This may explain why people with diseases that are worsened by inflammation, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, find that the severity of their condition is reduced when they get more of these nutrients.

Immune Support

Vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.

For the full list of papaya’s health benefits (click here)

Pawpaw a.k.a Papaya Nectar

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 ripe pawpaw
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey (substitute agave nectar for vegan/raw preparations if desired )
1/2 tsp Angostura bitters
ice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Remove seeds
2. Scoop out flesh
3. Blend in blender or food processor
4. Add honey, bitters and water
5. Blend a little longer
6. Serve with ice.

This post was originally published August 4, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

.
From Epicentre.com:
Ginger is one of those ingredients that can be many things to many people. Not only is it used in cuisines around the world, but it also comes in a variety of forms fresh, pickled, dried, and crystallized among them
.
People who bake may immediately call to mind the ground ginger they use in gingerbread or the jewel-like crystallized ginger they add to holiday cookies and cakes. Others think first of ginger’s savory contributions: the brightness that minced fresh ginger adds to Chinese stir-fry, or the refreshing tang of pickled ginger served with sushi.
.
Rarely used as the sole flavouring in recipes, ginger combines particularly well with the warm spice notes of cumin and coriander in savory preparations. Garlic, mustard seed, turmeric, and the whole palette of Indian seasonings would shine less brightly without ginger’s glow. In sweets such as quick breads, muffins, and preserves, ginger is part of a classic triumvirate along with cinnamon and cloves.
.
In each of its incarnations, however, ginger makes its simultaneously hot and refreshing presence known.

Top 10 Recipes Featuring Ginger on TriniGourmet.com

	1. Carmen’s Jamaican Ginger Beer (recipe) My mom’s traditional family recipe for Jamaican Ginger Beer
	2. Carrot, Ginger and Cumin Salad (recipe) The following is my take on a very popular Middle Eastern salad. The parsley and lemon juice give the carrots much needed brightness, while the cumin deepens all the flavours, creating an exotic side that complements most dishes
	3. Sarina’s Sparkling Ginger-Lime Shandy (recipe) Bubbly and sweet with a slight tang of lemon and beer. An unusual refreshment that is sure to garner raves!
	4. Sarina’s Spinach-Ginger Salad (recipe) This quick and simple salad is perked up by the addition of slivered stem ginger. Stem ginger is an ingredient that doesn’t get as much love as I think it should. It’s usually found in the baking aisle, but at times I have seen it hiding rather uncomfortably in the aisles that house ‘international ingredients’ and/or random salad dressings.
	5. Sarina’s Bubbly Guava-Ginger Ale (recipe) A light and refreshing non-alcoholic cooler.
	6. Butternut Squash Soup With Ginger (recipe) Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine, this warm and creamy soup became an instant classic in my home and graced the table at last year’s Passover Seder.
	7. Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread (recipe) Rich, coffee laced chocolate icing forms the perfect counterfoil to the sweeter chocolate gingerbread base. Studded with slivers of fresh (as well as crystallized) ginger and chocolate chips this gingerbread has no problem staying light, moist and vibrantly flavoured. It’s without a doubt the best gingerbread I’ve ever made, and the best gingerbread I’ve ever had!
	8. Fruit & Nut Cookies (recipe) Gingerbread fruit and nut ‘cookies’ are colorful, festive, and not-too sweet. Perfect for any gathering from formal to informal.
	9. Iced Lemon Ginger Tea (recipe) This drink is wonderfully refreshing and has a soft muted tone, thanks to the use of honey. Not only does the honey take the sharpness off the ginger flavour, it also makes this drink especially soothing on the throat.
	10. Get Your C Ginger-Lime Tea (recipe) This recipe for Ginger-Lime tea comes from Everyday With Rachael Rayand is chock-full of goodness. Fresh lime/lemon juice provides a boost of vitamin C, and grated ginger brings powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. The combination of citric sweetness and spicy heat is not just good for chilling out on an afternoon but the health benefits also make it the perfect pick-me-up if you are feeling queasy, or like a cold is coming on.

5 More Ginger Inflected Recipes from my favourite Food Blogs!

1. Ginger Beef Patties with Lime Noodle Salad (sidewalk shoes) 2. Bajan Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream (Vegan In The Sun) 3. Iced Ginger Chai (elana’s pantry) 4. Fresh Ginger and Basil Pasta (Kahakai Kitchen) 5. Asian Salmon Burgers with Tangy Ginger Lime Sauce (Mommie Cooks)

Have questions about Ginger? Tweet me! I’d love to hear from you

Want more ideas? Here are 5 Ginger Intensive Cookbooks, picked for your enjoyment

	1. Spoonful of Ginger Part cookbook, part primer of Chinese medicine, Nina Simonds’s A Spoonful of Ginger offers dietary advice, herbal home remedies, and lively, unintimidating Asian recipes for the American home cook.
	2. Ginger and Ganesh: Adventures in Indian Cooking, Culture, and Love The recipes shared in this collection are far from ordinary; they are treasured family recipes from vegetarian homes in India — from homemade cheese cubes in a rich cilantro and almond curry to coconut-stuffed okra and luscious potato-curry dumplings. Power’s recipes and stories pave the road to understanding a culture that is at the same time ancient and so very much part of our modern world.
	3. Blue Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai Blue Ginger offers many ways to spice up family meals and dishes to surprise guests without too much effort. Cooking from this book is an opportunity to take Asian ingredients you may have eaten in restaurants and master using them in your own kitchen.
	4. Ginger (The Basic Flavoring Series) A collection of 30 ginger recipes from around the world.
	5. Ginger: A Book of Recipes (Little Recipe Book)

This post was first published June 9, 2010. It has been updated once since then.