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!)

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.

Like sorrel, Black Cake in Trinidad is a Christmas institution. Made predominantly of alcohol drenched prunes, currants and raisins, variations abound (and I love taste testing when we make the visiting rounds). Still, the best black cake is always the recipe that one grew up with. In this case my black cake comes from my aunt, who also uses this recipe to make grooms’ cakes for weddings (in Trinidad these are also traditionally black cake).

You’ll notice the insane amount of liquour that goes into this dessert. Not only does that make the final cake unbelievably moist it also renders it virtually ageless. My aunt makes a batch of these at xmas time, keeps them in ‘old time cake tins’ and even in July and August we are still eating the remnants!

Trinidad Black Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 lb unsalted butter (use margarine for pareve)
1 lb sugar
8 eggs
1 tsp lemon essence
2 tsp lime rind (zested)
2 tsp almond essence
2 tsp vanilla
1 lb all-purpose flour (use 1/2 cassava flour + 1/2 lb rice flour for gluten-free)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

Fruit Base:

1 lb pitted prunes
1 lb raisins
1 lb currants
1 bottle cherry brandy
1 bottle rum and/or Bailey’s
2 tbsp Angostura bitters

Browning:

1 lb brown sugar
1/2 cup boiling hot water

Have on Hand:

1 more bottle of rum

Method:

Three to Five Days Before:

Up to 5 days before you make the cake, chop up all the fruits for the fruit base. Place in a large bowl, pour in Angostura bitters, cherry brandy and rum (I use Bailey’s when I have extra $$$ and it really makes it extra special ). Leave in a cool corner, covered, to soak up the liquor. As I said 3-5 days before is the best option, 24 hours minimum if you must be ‘so last-minute’!

On the Day Of:

Blend Fruit Base:

I pour the soaked fruit and juices into a blender and blend until thick and still a bit chunky (like tomato sauce). Note: If you have been macerating your fruit for a minimum of a month in advance you can skip this step

Prepare Browning:

Burn sugar until caramelized, add hot water gradually. Mix well and leave to cool.
Please be extra careful at this stage as a ‘browning’ burn is NOT a fun thing!

Once that is done…

1. Preheat oven to 250F (no that’s not a typo)
2. Cream the butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate
4. Add lemon essence, lemon zest, almond essence and vanilla
5. Mix and sift flour, baking powder, mixed spice and nutmeg.
6. Gradually add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture
7. Mix in fruit base puree and ‘browning’
8. Pour batter into greased tins that have been doubly lined with brown paper or parchment paper
9. Bake for 3 hours
10. Once removed from the oven soak the tops with equal portions of the remaining bottle of rum. Don’t be surprised if the top of the cake starts to look pale and ‘weird’. Kinda like below

Believe me, after several hours, and definitely by the next day all that alcohol will be absorbed and you will finally understand how this cake got its name!

NOTE: For those who avoid alcohol for religious or personal reasons, soaking can be done using grape or apple juice! Thanks to Chennette for that tip! You can find her recipe for non-alcoholic halaal Trinidad Black cake here.

This post was originally published November 26, 2006. It has been updated three times since.

What is Parang? Well Parang is the soundtrack to Christmas here in Trinidad. More than that however Parang is also a culture, a way of life that sweeps through my island after the lights of Eid and Divali have been put away.

The What is Parang? webpage has a wonderful overview of the history and features of Trinidad Parang.

‘Parang’ is the present Trinidadian interpretation of the Spanish word, parranda . Parranda is the action of merrymaking and also refers to the group of carousers who serenade their friends throughout the year. The word parranda in general Spanish is used mainly in the expression andar de parranda, which in the modern Trinidadian vernacular is ‘to go paranging,’ akin to the Venezuelan parrandear, meaning not only merrymaking in the original sense, but also ‘liming’ or enjoying oneself, with or without music, moving from place to place with no time limit in mind. (Moodie-Kublalsingh 1994, 65-66).

Growing up parang meant two women in particular, Daisy Voisin and Sharlene Flores. Daisy Voisin was the Grande Dame of Parang and no one will ever touch or claim her crown, I think all would agree. Her voice and passion for the music have not been matched and it really is a shame that more has not been done to document her life, her performances, and her artistic legacy. I am really glad to be in possession of one of the last CDs she made before her death in 1991. Fortunately through the magic of YouTube we never have to be without her voice or image

For more on Daisy Voisin:
• Alexandra “Daisy” Voisin – de Queen of Parang (TnT Island)
• Daisy Voisin (Wikipedia)

Unlike Daisy, Sharlene Flores was the ambassadress of a new musical hybrid ‘parang soca’. Distinguished by English lyrics and a more secular message she put a fresh young face onto the art form. I haven’t really heard her much from her since the 80′s, and those songs from my childhood still remain her most popular, becoming local standards.

For more on Sharlene Flores:
• Sharlene Flores (Wikipedia)

In the past 2 decades the lines between carnival soca and parang soca have become increasingly blurred. The parang soca of Sharlene Flores’ day seems downright languid compared to the faster rhythms of today’s fete joints. first by melding calypso rhythms to become parang soca, and most recently by incorporating classical Indian rhythms and tonalties to form ‘chutney parang soca’. Much like our cuisine, the possibilities for musical fusion seem endless!

The current Queen of Parang Soca for the past decade or more has definitely been Marcia Miranda! This song brings to mind the roving bands of parang singers (parangderos) that used to be very popular criss-crossing the country. You’d welcome them into your home and they would sing in exchange for food and drink. Pretty similar to Christmas carollers I suppose. I haven’t seen them as much in recent years, but I know that they are still going strong in many communities around the country. Unfortunately however, as the below video demonstrates, it seems Marcia’s vistors left with a whole lot more!

So far I have been focusing on the ladies of parang and you would be forgiven if you thought there were no men. The fact is that the men in recent years have not been as prominent, however for many decades the Lara Brothers ruled as Parang’s Kings (alongside Daisy’s Queen).

The men of parang today are much more likely to be found in its more lucrative hybrids. Parang soca is pretty much owned by Scrunter.

And for chutney parang you need look no further than Neeshan Prabhoo

Wikipedia has a pretty exhaustive entry on the parang genre as does the National Library and Information Service of Trinidad and Toabgo

So, there we have it. Christmas as Parang. It could only happen in Trinidad!

Over the following days I will be sharing the following with you (links will automatically update as each post goes live ) …

TriniGourmet’s Official Christmas Recipe Round-Up!

• Trinidad Black Cake
• Sorrel
• Sorrel Rum Punch
• Ginger Beer
• Ginger Beer (quick)
• Pastelles
• Paime
• Punch de Creme/Punch a Creme/Ponch de Crema

This post was originally published December 7th, 2006. It has been updated once since then.

I adore brownies, and I definitely don’t make them often enough. Although there are now dozens of variations on the brownie theme (even blondies), for emotional satisfaction I still find that nothing surpasses the simple all-chocolatey goodness of the original.

This simple recipe from Everyday With Rachael Ray has stood the test of the time as I have made it several times since first posting it in this blog way back in 2007. It calls for very simple ingredients (most of which should already be in your pantry) and takes no time to put together. Cleanup is minimal and the taste is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Amazingly enough, these brownies only get better the longer they sit. Fresh out of the oven they are light, airy, and oh so chocolatey… but as they sit they slowly get moister and fudgier… oh the decadence. Give it a try, you won’t regret it!

Even though this recipe calls for 4 serving sizes, as brownies I cut the cake sheet into 12 portions and found these portions much more acceptable. If I was entertaining though I would defnitely serve the quarter portions, especially with an additional dollop of vanilla icecream and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce. MMMMMM No one would ever guess that it took you practically no time to bring together

Fudgy Chocolate Cake
——————————————————————————–

Recipe By: Everyday With Rachael Ray
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275°. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan. In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate chips with the milk and heavy cream over low heat. Add the butter and sugar and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

This post was originally published June 9, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

This post has been submitted to “Any One Can Cook”

This post was first published February 8, 2009. It has been updated twice since then.

What do you get when you combine Fried Eggplant with the skill and experience of a world class chef? These out of this world ‘Eggplant Cutlets’. Like many of the Mario Batali dishes that I have tried, this recipe provides rich flavour and a satisfying contrast in textures, through what appears as relatively few ingredients. Although Batali’s recipes uses breadcrumbs, I substituted that with cornmeal so that this dish would be gluten-free. The change in flavour was not displeasing, and the crunch was probably even a little more satisfying. At the end of the instructions Batali provides an assorted array of suggestions for toppings and accompaniments. I merrily ignored them opting instead to use up some leftover mozzarella that I had on hand, and topping the strips with my then freshly made ‘Blanched’ Basil Pesto. As Batali always recommends improvisation based on what you have on hand, and what is freshest, I can’t help but hope that he would have approve

Eggplant Cutlets: Cotolette Di Melanzane

SOURCE: Food Network / Mario Batali

INGREDIENTS:

3 large purple eggplants
Salt
3 large eggs
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs (use cornmeal if gluten-free)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces grated cacviocavallo cheese, for garnish
Fennel fronds and orange wedges for garnish

METHOD:

1. Slice the eggplants into round slices, each about 1/2 -inch thick.
2. Sprinkle the slices liberally with salt and then place them in a colander.
3. It is all right if the eggplant slices overlap or cover one another.
4. Leave the eggplant in the colander for at least 1 hour, giving the salt time to absorb the eggplant’s bitterness.
5. Don’t rinse the eggplant, just shake off excess water.
6. When eggplant are ready to be used, use a fork to lightly beat the three eggs in a shallow bowl.
7. Spread the breadcrumbs out in a baking pan.
8. Season the eggplant slices to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Lightly dredge each eggplant slice first in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
10. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat extra-virgin olive oil to come up a 1/4 way u pthe side of the pan, over medium heat.
11. When the oil begins to smoke, lay several eggplant slices in a single layer in the pan.
12. Fry the slices until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.
13. When the first batch is cooked, remove the eggplant from the pan to a serving dish using a slotted spoon.
14. Repeat the cooking process, beginning by adding 3 fresh tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, until all of the cutlets are cooked.
15. Serve warm, garnished with caciocavallo cheese, fennel fronds and juice from the orange wedges.

For more Italian recipes check out the Italian cooking section of Veni Mangé - The Trinigourmet Amazon Bookstore!

This cake is Dorie Greenspan’s take on tiramisu, but, as the title alludes, in cake form. When I first baked this dessert, back in 2009, it was also the first time that I’d worked with mascarpone. I instantly fell in love. It’s so light and smooth and reminds me clotted cream (a rather unhealthy indulgence of mine )

Like all of Dorie’s recipes, that I’ve tried to date, assembly was a cinch. Don’t be daunted by the various components and stages. They look much more elaborate on paper! The first stage is making 2 vanilla layer cakes. Then soaking them with a rich liqueur-laced espresso sauce. Don’t worry if the sauce seems very bitter and intense. It mellows out considerably once absorbed by the cake. A mixture of liqueur, whipped cream and mascarpone cheese forms the basis of the filling, and Dorie veers a tad from convention by including chopped chocolate. I was a little worried that the chocolate would be too crunchy, as I love tiramisu for its creamy smoothiness, but this wasn’t the case at all To finish things off the cake is ‘iced’ with leftover espresso sauce, liqueur, whipped cream and mascarpone cheese and the top finished with a dusting of cocoa. I really recommend that you chill the ‘icing’ a bit so that it holds to the cake

And voila! There it is Let it sit for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, for all the flavours to meld and serve! This cake is best served at room temperature. So slice it and let it sit for about 15 minutes before letting others dig in. Bon Appetit!

Since making this recipe I have been asked by others to make it for them on request. They’ve even offered to pay! I’ve taken their enthusiasm to be one of the greatest testimonials to the sheer dreaminess of this recipe and encourage you to give it a try as well.

For this Tiramisu Cake Recipe turn to pages 266-268 of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours or visit Megan of My Baking Adventures

This post was originally published May 5, 2009. It has been updated once since then.

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

What makes this lethargy even more confounding, is that in the length of time it’s taken me to actually sit down and write these sentences I could have started and completed another batch of the pesto which forms the basis of this post. That’s how quick and easy it is! And in fact, I’m getting so giddy remembering how it tasted that my writer’s block is fading rapidly now. Aw yeah!

This recipe comes from that king of lifestyle simplicity Michael Chiarello and it differs from most pesto recipes that I’ve used in the past in that it requires you to blanch the greens before blending them with the nuts and olive oil. This is a touch that I believe was added to preserve the vivid green color and to soften the powerful punch that one would expect 3 cups of basil leaves to have!

Our basil ‘crop’

So what is pesto exactly?

According to Wikipedia:

Pesto (Italian ['pesto], Genoese ['pestu]) is a sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy (pesto alla genovese). The name is the contracted past participle of pestâ (“to pound, to crush”, from the same Latin root as the English word pestle), in reference to the sauce’s crushed herbs and garlic.

Immediately after completing this recipe (which start to finish probably took about 10 minutes) I put it to use. Not only did I toss it with some fettucine – yum!

I also used dollops of it on that evening’s Eggplant Cutlets (recipe coming soon!) and gave the last bit to my mom to use as her spread in her arepas (also coming soon!)

“Blanched” Basil Pesto
Source: Food Network/Michael Chiarello

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups lightly packed fresh basil
1 cup lightly packed Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup pure olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, see note
1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

METHOD:

1. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
3. Put the basil and parsley in a sieve and plunge it into the boiling water, pushing the leaves down into the water and stirring them so they blanch evenly. (I just placed them in the top of a steamer)
4. Blanch for 15 seconds, then plunge the herbs into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain immediately, squeeze the herbs dry, and roughly chop.
5. In a blender, puree the herbs with the oil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, pepper, and ascorbic acid.
6. When well blended, add the cheese and whir briefly just to mix.
7. Transfer to a bowl and adjust the seasoning.
8. Store the pesto in a small, covered container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. Or freeze the pesto for as long as 1 month.

This post was originally published December 8, 2008. It has been updated once since then.