Last month the Jamaica Gleaner had an interesting look at a pooja that was hosted there recently. Titled Vishu’s pooja it gives readers a glimpse into what occurs at these religious yet festive occasions.

Although I wish they had paid a little more attention to the foods (I admit I’m a bit biased there) there was this little bit mentioned.

Excerpt: “In olden times, the food was served on banana leaves, but buckets were able substitutes. There was no meat or alcohol and after each set of guests finished dining, they would get up for the next set to have their meal.”

I’m sure that barfi, parsad, were shared by all. What other foods have you enjoyed at a pooja?

Read “Vishu’s pooja” in its entirety.

Hey everyone, I’ve been laying low a little but don’t let the silence mislead you things have been -very- active on the Trinigourmet side. I have been working on expanding the support system that responds to your questions and comments and am also working on my first mini e-book! I have also brought on an Online Community Manager and have some other collaborations in the works that I am quite excited about. It is my hope that they will ultimately help me to make your time on this site even more enjoyable and productive.

As these projects bubble to perfection I’m also happy to announce that popular Guyanese food blogger and cookbook author Cynthia Nelson of “Tastes Like Home” will be in Trinidad for a book signing tomorrow at Nigel Khan’s West Mall branch.

Happy weekend all, and if you read this in time, why not drop by my Facebook page for my weekly Facebook Friday chat session, 1p.m.-2p.m. EST. I’d love to say hi!

It was one of those moments you always hope for, but can never predict or plan. A message on Twitter in early January letting me know that Sam Sifton, Dining editor of The New York Times was working on a piece about Caribbean Style Oxtail Stew and that I should probably drop him a line. The messenger? Sanura Weathers of My Life Runs On Food.

After a brief bout of should I/shouldn’t I, I decided to ‘go brave’. My mantra this year is to think big and that was nothing short of an early test of my resolve! He responded in record time, and over several days an extremely pleasant dialogue developed. At this point I didn’t know what shape or form the article would take, when it would come out, or if any of my answers or information about this site would be included. It wasn’t until I was contacted by his assistant a couple weeks later to go over some parts of my responses that I realized that my odds of inclusion were extremely good! The fact that the article would be in the Sunday Magazine only made the icing that much sweeter!

Friday morning I woke to emails mentioning my appearance in the New York Times and asking me questions about oxtail stew or just thanking me for having this site! I had no idea until then that the Sunday magazine goes live online before it is in print. I was beyond thrilled and in more than a bit of shock It’s one thing to hope and to visualize. It’s quite another to have it in black and white looking back at you! The article, “A Winter’s Tail” can be found here.

Yesterday my best friend in Miami, collected the print edition which she shared shots of me via text message. That brought it to a whole other level!

I can’t wait to get it in my hands! Another special shoutout to Sanura for bringing the opportunity to my attention, and another shoutout to all my readers (old and new) – your support keeps this blog and my passion for it, going!

Hey everyone! I am so happy to officially announce my partnership this year with Macaroni Kid Trinidad!

In the past I have been offered opportunities for collaborations and I have, until now, turned them all down. Until now. You see, for me, a project has to be aligned with my core values, and I have to feel that in some way, the project is for a larger good to remain committed.

This is truly what I feel is at the heart of Macaroni Kid Trinidad‘s existence. We all have fond memories of the Trinidad we grew up in, and a vision for the Trinidad that still can be (and at its best moments still is).

From Nicole Greene’s Outlish Magazine profile:

“Greene started the Macaroni Kid Trinidad franchise, which is the only Caribbean Macaroni Kid site, in March 2010, and has made some strong strides since, leveraging their framework to bring about the change she envisions. Her business agenda is all about a social agenda – bringing families together, literacy, and a passion for being Trini, through rediscovery of great places and activities.”

Read the full profile here.

Nicole Greene’s support of a kid and family-friendly Trinidad is one I completely stand by, and through the submission of some exclusively designed recipes I hope that I can help her readers to jump in and out of the kitchen in record time.

Over the course of 2011 I will be sharing with her members recipes that fall into one of several categories:

1) 30-minute meals (time-friendly)
2) 5 ingredients or less (budget-friendly)
3) kid-friendly dishes/desserts (get the little ones in the kitchen
with you!)

If you are not already a member of Macaroni Kid Trinidad why not check them out! While there, sign up for their newsletter. It’s full of wonderful kid and family-friendly activities and advice!

It’s been two years+ since I joined Twitter and in that time I’ve found it to be an extremely valuable way to meet and connect with foodbloggers (local, regional, and international) as well as readers. These connections have grown and developed in ways that I would never have imagined! One thing that I really enjoy as well is hearing from readers. Your questions and feedback continually inspire me, and it’s great to put faces to names and get a sense of who is really on the other side of the screen, reading these words.

Over the past weeks I have rolled out some new social media initiatives that I hope that you will enjoy as much as I am!

1. Twitter Thursdays

Every Thursday from 1p.m. – 2p.m. (local time, GMT – 4) I’ll be on Twitter taking your questions and requests, and just chatting about all things related to local/regional cuisine.

Click the below image to ‘Follow me’ as the parlance goes.

2. Facebook Fridays

Not on Twitter? Not a problem! Fridays are when I hang out on my Facebook page and do the same The time is the same. 1p.m. – 2p.m. local time (GMT -4)

3. The Trinigourmet Times

This very stylish tool aggregates the most popular links shared by myself and those I ‘follow’ on a daily basis. It’s a great way to discover new sites and recipes. I’m still tweeking it to raise the level of local/regional content but the feedback so far has been great! Click here to read it

4. The #CaribbeanCooks Daily

Several months ago I helped to create the #Caribbeancooks Twitter channel to enable cooks in, and from, the diaspora to share their food-related thoughts, questions, and pics of their creations. This daily online publication helps to feature those offerings and shines the light around Click here to read it

I’m still getting the swing of these new additions but I’m itching to interact with y’all in new ways! Also, feel free to use the various social media buttons that I’ve added to each post to ‘tweet’ or ‘like’ those articles and recipes that have caught your eye

This post was originally published on December 10, 2008. It has been updated once since then.

It’s been over 2 years since Taste T&T last opened its doors, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and disheartened patrons in its untimely demise. In the interim, many foodies like myself have wondered if and when its resurrection would occur and what, if anything, could rise to fill its place.

In a matter of hours Sauté Trinbago will throw its hat into the ring as a contender and, if reviews of last year’s Sauté Trinidad are anything to go by, the crown may be theirs for the taking.

From the Trinidad Guardian:

The perfect mix

“To sauté, literally means to heat different ingredients together and essentially that’s what we’re doing on this occasion: creating the perfect mix of the finest, hottest ingredients,” Shelly Ann Hee Chung of Link Me Ltd explained. Sauté will feature a wide assortment of culinary delights, from the tastiest aloo pies, mini roti and doubles, to pelau, oil down, bake and shark, souse and corn soup. Specialty dishes will also be prepared by popular establishments such as Benihana (Sushi rolls); Miss Trim’s (Tobago—curry crab and dumplings); Nick’s Gyros; Woodford Café; and, Coco Lounge (appetisers), just to name a few.

As patrons feast on these sumptuous dishes, enjoy indigenous treats like sugar cake, red mango, fudge, jub jub and Flavorite frozen desserts, their digestion will also be enhanced by a multi-cultural dance troupe, drummers, midnight robbers, moko jumbies, steelpan and tassa ensembles, as well as live entertainment from Shurwayne Winchester and YOU, Dil-e-Nadan, DJ Darryl and event founder DJ Shaun Christian.

…

“We’re really trying to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said event co-ordinator, Sheena Tang Nian. “We want our patrons to become fully immersed in everything that is Trinidad and Tobago. So, from the time they enter the gate, all through their meals, drinks, the entertainment segments and even after they leave the venue, they should resonate with the power of the ambience and the total Trinbagonian experience.”

Read the full article here.

Sauté Trinbago is an all-inclusive premium event

Lofty goals indeed, and I sincerely hope they are met. Driving around the Savannah yesterday, and viewing the preparations underway on the grounds of the wonderfully restored Queen’s Royal College, I began to experience that heady rush that I last felt standing outside the doors of Taste T&T 2008.

This will be the first year that I attend a local food expo without Chennette by my side, and Trinifood (who made it to Taste T&T 2008) will also be missed. My camera bag is packed with batteries and memory cards and I look forward to capturing extensive footage and relaying it to you over the next few days.

In the interim I leave you with some previously unpublished images of Taste T&T 2008. Enjoy!

Remembering Taste T&T 2008

• Taste of T&T 2008 – We Does Eat Nice (article) – looking back now it’s clear that the writing was on the wall that the event would be be no more
• Taste of T&T 2008 – Tickets and Gourmet Menu details
• Taste of T&T 2008 – A Fabulous ‘Taste’ (article)

From The Mountain Express:

The Simma Down Caribbean Café just recently opened on Market Street downtown [Asheville], in the area formerly occupied by One Love. The restaurant is also surprisingly affordable, offering lunch plates laden with jerk chicken or pork and heaps of coconut rice and peas, greens and plantains — for the rock-bottom price of only $7. Chef/owner Sam Briggs says that the prices might go up eventually, but for now his aim is to draw customers through the front doors. The menu offers other traditional island dishes like salt-fish fritters, cassava fries and Jamaican patties — think Caribbean-style empanadas. Also offered are American classics (“for the less adventurous,” chides the menu) like hamburgers and chicken strips.
For the full article & contact details click here
Image “Up Market Street” by Jeff Pitman – Artist

Have you eaten at Simma Down? Why not share your thoughts?

The site CaribWorldNews.com recently published a piece on the current severe drought conditions which are affecting the Caribbean region. Here in Trinidad our reservoirs are at record lows. This combined with severe, chronic, bush fires has meant that food prices have continued to inflate. I keep waiting for the rains to come but am also reminded that it is not likely that this will happen before June. I shudder to think what will happen to our infrastructure and to the hills when that does happen. Recent years have brought record flooding, I suspect that this one will also be one for the books

Excerpt:
In Trinidad, the Water and Sewerage Authority has reported that reservoir levels are dropping to an unprecedented level. The country is now running on just about one third of its water supplies and there are now real fears that the country`s water supply will run out before June as levels in dams and reservoirs, traditionally around eighty per cent at this time of year are closer to forty per cent with the last significant rainfall in May 2009.

Read “That Caribbean Drought” here.

Hi everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I recently upgraded the way that comments operate on TriniGourmet.com. Previously I moderated every comment as the site receives a strange amount of hateful comments/attacks that I would rather not publish, and as to be expected, a fair amount of spam as well.

Unfortunately as the comments can be quite numerous at times I don’t always have a chance to respond in a timely manner to every question that is addressed (which leads to again, an increase in hateful comments/attacks – you can never win!). So, I’ve installed a new system that empowers each of you to take part and assist in the conversation AND moderation. Even better you can now log in with your Facebook account, Twitter account (if you have those!).

So how can you get involved?

• If you see a comment that poses a question that you can answer hit the reply button immediately below it to post your response. This will keep things nice and organized for future readers.

• If you see a comment that you think is particularly good/intelligent/helpful ‘promote it’ by clicking the “thumbs up” icon.

• If you see a comment that you think is abusive flag it for moderation by clicking the “Report Link” and/or downgrade it by clicking the “thumbs down” icon (see above).

This is one of the longest running Trini food blogs on the Internet and I’d like to think my readership is one of the most informed and vibrant as well. Although my words/photos/recipes are an important part of the site, don’t underestimate your contributions either! It’s part of what makes what we have here so unique. I look forward to seeing how the site continues to evolve with this addition and I will award giveaways periodically to those users who are rated as the “most useful” as my way of saying ‘Thank You’

Citizen journalist photos from the Trinidad floods on November 18, 2008. For more, visit www.news.co.tt Photo by Trinidad News on Flickr

The following article appeared in Trinidad’s Newsday Newspaper last month. As I have written previously the rising cost of food prices has hit us hard here. It’s not uncommon to see the price of a product rise every 7 days on some items. It’s almost criminal. Who is to blame? The suppliers? The distributors? The supermarkets themselves? And should the government help to offset these fluctuations? These are all questions that are hotly debated in the media, and on the street. Heavy rains last month caused intense flash flooding throughout the island. To say that it was a dire call to the populace on our woefully inadequate infrastructure would be an understatement. But perhaps more alarming is the news that those floods will affect the prices we’ll have to pay for weeks to come on even the most basic vegetables.

Again, as I stated here, a new approach towards agriculture and farmers is urgently needed in this country. Whether it be through such ‘radical’ notions as community and/or urban farming, or something mandated from ‘those on high’ we need to have more respect for the land, and those who have chosen the often thankless and precarious job of harvesting it. Unfortunately, comments such as those made last month by the Minister of Agriculture (and yes the tragic irony of that has been lost on no one) and the demonstrations that subsequently followed show that this is a saga that is far from over…

Vegetable prices rise

By LEISELLE MARAJ

Tuesday, November 25 2008

LAST week’s heavy showers not only flooded the capital but also damaged, and in some cases destroyed, fields of food crops leading to a rise in the price of several popular vegetables.

A trip to several markets yesterday showed that tomatoes are priced between $10 and $13 a pound, cassava is $2 a pound, up from $1.50 a pound, while sweet peppers are priced at $10 a pound, an increase of three dollars from the previous price.

Wholesale, the price for hot peppers increased by $50 to settle at $400 a bag and cucumbers are selling at $350 a bag, up from $275.

A farmer out of Paramin, who did not want to be named, said she had to destroy her tomato crop and begin replanting after heavy rains ruined the November crop. She added the high cost of fertilisers also added to her distress.

“After spending $5,000 on that crop, the rains came and ruined it. We have to start anew and spend a further six to seven thousand dollars on the next crop.

And then we are blamed by government for high food prices. The situation is unfair to farmers,” she complained.

Sahadeo Babwah, another farmer whose field is located in Aranjuez, blamed the high price of tomatoes on low production.

With most crops being destroyed by heavy rains and flooding, he explained, farmers’ stocks are low or have been depleted.

“I am now planting a new crop of tomatoes but this will be ready in nine weeks,” he said.

Terry Bahal, a farmer in Caparo is predicting even higher prices as the Christmas season rapidly gets into full swing.

“People will feel the effect of the recent floods in about two to three weeks time when Christmas produce is expected to hit the markets.

There will be a shortage because of the floods,” he predicted.

Bahal, who said he is one of the largest grown cassava farmers said this crop would be particularly scarce since the access road to his crops has been impassable since the recent heavy rains.

“I have no access to my crops because the condition of the dirt road leading to it is deplorable.

The road has deteriorated because of the rains but mainly because of a lack of maintenance,” he lamented.

The rise in the prices of vegetables would come as bad news to consumers after the price of rice and poultry was reduced last week.