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.

Cassava latkes, an idea so simple, so obvious, and yet so left-field, that if it wasn’t for a chance comment from Ramin Ganeshram a year ago on Twitter, I may never have thought of whipping up a batch! I had been on a cassava kick, trying to see how many uses I could find for my favourite provision, besides the tried and true. I had made Vichysoisse Creole, and Cassava porridge, and then, as it was Hanukkah, Ramin asked “Have you ever tried cassava latkes?”

Eureka! I mean why not? Cassava, like potato, is a starchy tuber. It’s a shoo-in! I immediately headed to the kitchen, grated my little heart away and half an hour later was munching on cassava latkes. In some ways I even prefer them to the traditional potato (imagines purists fainting at the very thought). Underneath the slightly sweet crispy exterior they retain that warm, slightly gooey texture that to me signals the best qualities of comfort food. Because cassava has a more neutral flavour than potatoes they respond well to slightly more aggressive seasoning, however if you prefer your latkes on the milder side that’s OK too. Serve them with the traditional sour cream, or if you like to venture to the spicier side of palate town, pair them with tamarind or mango chutney. Veni mangé!

Cassava Latkes

Makes 12 latkes

INGREDIENTS
3 cups peeled and grated cassava root (also sold as yuca and manioc)
1/2 cup grated onion
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbl chopped chadon beni/culantro (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

TOPPINGS
Sour cream
tamarind chutney
mango chutney

METHOD
1. For crisp latkes you want to press as much liquid out of the grated cassavas and onions as possible. You can do this by pressing them against a strainer or colander with the back of a spoon, or by wrapping them in a clean dish tower (or 2 layers of paper towels) and squeezing vigorously.
2. Transfer the cassava and onion to a large bowl.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and chadon beni (if using).
4. Warm the oil on high heat in a large nonstick skillet.
5. Take 1/2 cup of batter per latke and drop into skillet.
6. Flatten with spatula.
7. Fry on both sides (about 5 min. per side) until brown and crisp.
8. Drain on paper towels.
9. Serve with suggested toppings.

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 year Hanukkah falls from sundown December 20th – December 28th. Many people know this holiday as the Jewish ‘Festival Of Lights’ however it is also often mistakenly thought of as a Jewish equivalent of Christmas causing me to field many a puzzled look when someone wishes me a Happy Hanukkah around December 25th only to be made aware that it ended quite some time ago. Although there are times (like this year) when the two festivals do overlap it isn’t a regular occurrence.

Hanukkah cuisine is marked by an abundance of fried foods, all edible testimony to the story behind the festival.

I hope you will enjoy this listing and draw some inspiration from it for your table (or for the table of a friend if you are invited to a celebration)!

DECORATING/TABLESCAPES

Hanukkah Tablescape Ideas

APPETIZERS

Curried Potato ‘mini’-Latkes
Samosas
Trinidad Sahina
Trinidad Saltfish Accra
Trinidad Pholourie

BEVERAGES

Bubbly Guava-Ginger Ale

BREADS

Poori

DESSERTS

Trinidad Black Cake
Trinidad Kurma

ENTREES

Asian Crisp-Fried Noodles and Chili Vegetables
Caramelised Onion & Anchovy Tarts
Pan-Fried Snapper with Tomato Salsa

SIDES

Fried Okras
Oven-Crisped Potato Latkes
Pesto Latkes
Cassava Latkes (above!)

This post was originally published on October 13, 2006. It has been updated twice since then.

Bake is a popular breakfast bread here in Trinidad. Hearty by nature, its heavy crumb keeps you feeling satisfied for hours. Especially when taken with a savory topping. My version here, raises the fiber content through a healthy dose of wholewheat flour. Be sure to pay attention to the resting time and icy water, it’s necessary for tender ‘non-brick’ results

Wholewheat Bake

Ingredients:
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz butter (or margarine)
1 1/2 oz vegetable shortening
1 cup ice cold water

Method:
1. Sift flour with the baking powder and salt

2. Rub in the fats
3. Slowly add the water to make a smooth dough (dough will be sticky at this point)
4. Begin to incorporate enough wholewheat flour to make a smooth, dry, but elastic dough. Knead well.
5. Shape the dough into a bowl and allow to rest for 60 minutes
6. Preheat oven to 400F
7. After 1 hour, place dough onto floured board
8. Roll to a thickness of 3/4″ to 1″

9. Place dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes
10. Serve hot, cut into wedges.

makes 4 – 6 slices

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 recipe’s origins lie in an impulsive purchase of starfruit (carambola) in 2007. Somehow I had an idea of using it to make a cheesecake topping but the cheesecake never materialized and I was stuck with the silly things in my vegetable drawer. Rather than let them go bad I pondered what else I could use it for. See I’ve been committing myself to not only recreating and sharing as many local/traditional foods as possible, but also to re-interpreting foreign dishes into a local lexicon as much as possible.

After seeing recipes for zucchini bread and then a vegan recipe for Sunshine Citrus Bread it occurred to me… why not make Carambola Bread! D’OH! I mentioned my plan to a few friends – all of whom viewed me with suspicion. I remained undaunted though, in my mind the tart juiciness of carambola (locally dubbed five-fingers) made it the lovechild of the zuchinni and citrus worlds! There was no way this would fail!

The finished product was ridiculously soft and moist. At first I thought it was not sweet enough, but mom said it was fine. After a few hours when I went back to it I agreed. But adjust to suit your own preferences. The bread is good as-is.. but I highly recommend having it slathered with butter. Oh it was insane! The loaf was gone by the next day

Maybe I should get back to figuring out that cheesecake topping now ?

Carambola Bread
——————————————————————————–

Serving Size: 12

Ingredients:

1 cup pureed five fingers (carambola/star fruit) – about 3 to 4 small
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup wholewheat flour
1 cup white flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and oil or spray one large (9 X5X3-inch) loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the puree, sugar, milk, and egg.
3. In another bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix well. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir just until all the flour is moistened. Do not over-stir.
4. Pour into the prepared loaf pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.

Note: If using a black non-stick baking tin reduce the heat to 325

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.

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 January 8, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

Chalk it up to my high functioning autism, or my devotion to High Fidelity, but I just LOVE making ‘best of’ and ‘top’ lists. This time around I’m making a list of my Fave 3 Caribbean baked goods for May. Why for June? Well no reason really, maybe cos my Top 3 is constantly evolving and changing. So this is just a snapshot really, hope you enjoy it

1. Wholewheat Bake (recipe)

Simple. Hearty. Wholesome. I usually make this for Sunday breakfast. It’s buttery and very filling, and preparation is a cinch!

2. Coconut Bake

When I run into people in ‘real life’. Many of them have cited this recipe as one of their faves. Well I have to confess it’s one of mine as well

3. Ciabatta Bread

Although most people don’t think of Italian food and Caribbean as going together there -are- Italian communities to be found. Here in Trinidad, street names like Prada in the area of St. Clair are a testimony to the Italian immigrants of yore. One of my favorite eateries used to be Giovanni’s on Abercromby Street (then Tragarete Road, now Tunapuna?). Run by an Italian chef who fell in love with Trinidad, he at one point also resided at the Hotel Normandie’s Ciao. Another great authentic Italian eatery is Ristorante Garibaldi, and rounding the bunch we also have Il Colesseo, Panini Café and Caffe del Mar at Crew’s Inn. Recent arrivals also include Buzo on Warner St, and over in Tobago there is La Cantina with its wood burning brick oven. This recipe for Ciabatta Bread creates a very light loaf, soft and chewy on the inside with a thin crunchy rustic crust. It’s been linked to by TheFreshLoaf.com and so I’ve gotten quite a lot of traffic because of it. I hope that the visitors who try it like it as much as I do

This post was originally published November 28, 2006. It has been updated once since then.

Sandwiches and soup go together so well that I had to mention them in this series. If you are having an evening wedding, sandwiches can form part of your appetizer course (cut as quarters). However, for a breakfast or lunch reception they can share the stage with your soup course, forming a light entrée all on their own (cut as halves).

Quick and easy to prepare (they freeze and thaw very well), look for a variety of fillings and breads, however don’t feel that you have to go overboard. Three, I believe is the perfect amount! Even better, create a gluten-free version of one or more of the sandwiches so that those with dietary allergies need not feel left out If one of the gluten-free versions is also vegan you’ll make even more attendees feel welcome with little extra effort. Any of the sandwiches above can be easily made with a gluten-free bread, and Tofutti is a well-known vegan cream cheese alternative. Vegan Soul Power also has a great listing of 50 Vegan Sandwiches that are sure to alleviate any guesswork.

Whether offering gluten-free or vegan fare, such dietary mentions are easily added to the placecards for each item being offered and the printed menu (if used) itself. Although optional, it also always good to make note of any items that contain common allergens such as nuts, as well.

For the above selections I turned to some of my mother’s vintage cookbooks.

I enjoy going through old cookbooks as many of the flavour combinations and stylings offered are nothing like what one finds in contemporary publications. Although some of the pairings seem odd on the surface (cream cheese & ginger?), it is this unexpected element that I believe will create interest and raise curiosity. Always a good thing. And yes, they taste good (well I think so ).

The following recipes are deliberately vague as the taste adjustments need to be made on your side to your own personal preference. Fortunately they are also quite forgiving so feel free to add a dash more of this, and dash less of that, or even to omit/replace as you see fit.

All recipes adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 1965 Edition

Egg Sandwiches on Wholewheat

Eggs scrambled with minced onion and green pepper. Apply a thin layer to lightly buttered bread. (The thin butter layer will prevent the sandwiches from getting soggy)

Tea Time Sandwiches on White

Soften two 3-ounce packages cream cheese. Add 2 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts, 1/4 teaspoon grated onion, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup mayonnaise; mix well. Chill. Spread on lightly buttered bread.

Cream Cheese and Ginger on Rye

Softened cream cheese with chopped candied/crystallized ginger

It often happens that culinary inspiration hits me late at night. Although this is great for my confidence, it’s not so great for my waistline The other night, as I was relaxing to a new episode of Jersey Shore (don’t judge me!) I started to get a craving for fried goodness. Maybe it was the boardwalk scenes, maybe it was the platters of home fries, but before I knew it I started to think about what I chomp on with little more than some tins of tuna fish and salmon on hand.

The result was this – French Toast Tuna Sandwiches! As soon as I mentioned it several people on Twitter asked me to share the recipe. I rarely post the snacks I make for quick consumption because I figure they are not really ‘recipe-worthy’, but maybe I’m wrong? Either way, here it is. The recipe reflects my current fascination with combining sweet and savoury flavours. As with most snacks, treat this recipe as a template and go ahead and make it your own. It’s infinitely flexible and will work with whatever you have on hand with regards to seasonings, herbs, even the type of tinned fish!

===============
Sarina’s French Toast Tuna Sandwiches
SERVINGS: 1

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 slices bread (you want a sturdy bread that won’t disintegrate upon soaking)
1 7oz. tin tuna
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
butter
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon honey
finishing salt or sea salt (click here to see my favourite)

METHOD:

1. Combine egg, evaporated milk, water and sugar
2. Butter both slices of bread
3. Combine tuna, parmesan cheese and mayonnaise.
4. Season tuna mixture with salt and pepper to taste
5. Spread each slice (on buttered side) with about 1 tbsp tuna mixture per side (save the extra for other sandwiches )
6.Pair both slices to form the sandwich.
7. Preheat a small frying pan or skillet over medium heat and melt 1 – 2 teaspoons of butter
8. Dip both sides of sandwich in egg & milk mixture (about 8 seconds per side – use a spatula to help you turn the sandwich, it keeps it from breaking!)
9. Transfer sandwich to pan. Cook about 90 seconds per side – it’s ready to turn when heated side is crisp and has lovely dark brown streaks running through.
10. Transfer sandwich to plate and drizzle top with 1 tsp of honey
11. Sprinkle with a slight dash of finishing sat or sea salt (table salt will work too but the flavour won’t be as complex).
12. Slice diagonally.
13. Enjoy!
===============

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

There is something about Sundays. The pace of life is slower, the roads are empty, the neighbourhood is quieter, and the sunshine seems slightly brighter. Sundays lend themselves to leisurely baking like no other day of the week. That’s why last Sunday I decided to make some Baking Powder Biscuits. These biscuits remind me a lot of those that you get at Kentucky Fried Chicken (at least the ones in Trinidad). They are light, crumbly and buttery. You can make them more uniform in appearance by rolling out the dough and using a cutter, however I like the freeform ‘drop’ forms so that’s why I went that route

Baking Powder Biscuits
——————————————————————————–

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsps baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (on the correct advice of a reader )
1/4 cup cold butter, cut up
2 tbsps chilled solid shortening
2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 425F
2. Butter the cookie sheet or cover it with parchment paper
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt
4. Cut in the butter and shortening until it resembles coarse meal

5. Add the milk and toss it in only until the dough hold together. (If the dough is becoming sticky place it in the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes)
6. Add a drop or two more milk if the dough is too powdery

7. To make drop biscuits, scoop 10 equal portions of the dough onto the baking sheet, placing them at least one inch apart

8. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until a light golden brown on top.

9. Cool on wire rack, serve warm

Makes 10 biscuits

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 January 17, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

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How cute are these ‘latkes’? I have to put the quotation marks because they are neither fried, nor flat (oh the sacrilege!). But… they are so light, crisp and flavourful that I can’t get too worked up so do ignore my faux outrage

Ignoring weighty fillers, this latke recipe (which like yesterday’s Oven-Crisped Latkes comes from EatingWell Magazine) is instead oven-baked, in muffin tins no less!. The result is perfectly round bites of crunchy potato goodness with just enough creaminess in the middle to give you that oh so satisfying sense of indulgence!

Healthy-and-rich? Now that’s a holiday miracle! These vibrantly hued morsels find themselves on my plate year after year, which is why they were a no-brainer for my Hanukkah 2010 recipe roundup.

Pesto Latkes (d)
SOURCE: EatingWell Magazine
SERVINGS: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup pasteurized egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters (or 1 or 2 eggs -depending on size)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Peel potatoes, then grate them through the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Squeeze in small batches between your hands over the sink to remove excess moisture. Then grate onion into the bowl through the same holes in the box grater.
3. Stir in garlic, basil, egg substitute, cheese, oil, salt and pepper. Place a generous 1/2 cup of the potato mixture into each muffin cup, packing the mixture firmly.
4. Bake the latkes until lightly browned and firm, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before unmolding.

This post was originally published August 10, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

This recipe is one of many to be found in mom’s homemade scrapbooks. She’s been compiling them since the 1970′s and as a toddler I would occupy myself on the kitchen floor by flipping through them, amazed at the colours and scribbles contained within.

Some of that must have rubbed off on me because as a teenager I began collecting recipes myself, pages from Seventeen and Teen magazines loosely held in various Lisa Frank folders. My enthusiasm for recipe collecting however was not matched by the quality of creations at that time though, and the files eventually grew dust.

It wasn’t until my first engagement (yes there’ve been more than one) that I gave cooking another try, and this time I found out I was pretty good at it! From that point on I kept my recipes in plastic page covers, neatly held together by three ring binders. A method that worked rather wonderfully until I stumbled across MacGourmet and learnt the wonders and advantages of recipe databases. I’ve been leisurely converting my considerable recipe collection into digital format ever since, and in the process have also found myself coming full circle, as I’ve also found myself rereading my mother’s scrapbooks with a new more appreciative eye.

My mom’s recipe scrapbooks came into being as she ventured into two unknowns. One, married life, and the second, married life in Trinidad. Many of the recipes chronicle Trinidadian recipes that obviously intrigued and/or delighted her. Many were clipped from newspapers and magazines, others were typed and/or stenographed, and others still were scrawled in various hands, their owners long forgotten. Most of the recipes appear to also have been forgotten, as I have not heard of quite a few them, and mom never got around to making them. Something that I plan to rectify

One of the big surprises of this carrot muffin recipe is that it doesn’t call for wholewheat flour. This was probably an addition that my mother made on her own, she’s even more of a health nut than I am I decided to stay true to the recipe and stuck to 100% all-purpose. I also lowered the cooking temperature from 375 to 350 degrees. The results were light and moist. It is not a sweet muffin, the only sweetness comes from the raisins and carrots, so it is quite healthy in that respect. This is the only dessert/snack that my mother makes on any regular basis and, when made with wholewheat flour (replace 1 cup of the all-purpose with wholewheat), it also has a nutty aspect. To be honest though, I didn’t miss the wholewheat flour, and neither did my mother apparently cos she said “hey it tastes better than when I make it”.

Carmen’s Carrot Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
2 or 3 cups finely shredded carrots
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla essence

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Set aside.
3. Beat eggs and add vegetable oil, nutmeg, vanilla essence, raisins and carrots.
4. Combine flour mixture with egg mixutre, stirring until just combined. (If the mixture is too dry, add up to 1/2 cup water to keep it moist and ‘gloppy’ as shown below)

5. Pour into muffin tins

6. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown

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

For more recipes like these check out the Bread, Baking & Desserts section of Veni Mangé – The Trinigourmet Amazon Bookstore!