A Jamaican Patty from Rituals Trinidad is a weekly ‘ritual’ of my own
It’s the start of another month, and with that comes the posting of my monthly roundup of those items that you all have been clicking (and purchasing) this month. Ramin Ganeshram’s ode to local cuisine “Sweet Hands” took a bit of a hit this month, falling out of the top spot. This may partly be due to it going (temporarily) out of print. However, I am happy to say that it is now in a new …

Church Street, Woodbrook, Trinidad, W.I.
It’s the start of another month, and with that comes the posting of my monthly roundup of those items that you all have been clicking (and purchasing) this month. Coming in on top is Ramin Ganeshram’s ode to local cuisine “Sweet Hands”. Unfortunately it appears as though the book has once again gone out of print. I have no idea if (or when) another run is scheduled so your best bet is to snag a second-hand copy. You won’t regret it!
New to the top 10 …

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 …

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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
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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 …

Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad and Tobago
– Ramin Ganeshram

Book Description

Callalloo and Buss Up Shut, Mother-in-Law And Kuchela, Chip Chip and Doubles. The verbiage of Trinidad’s cuisine is both lyrical and mysterious. The variety of foods from this Caribbean nation and their fanciful names tell the story of a rich and eclectic cultural hertiage. A British colony from 1779 until 1962, during those years Trinidad & Tobago’s population grew to include East Indian and Chinese indentured servants who worked in the sugar plantations alongside former African slaves. Trinidadian food …

Last month the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a piece on a Trinidadian food stand called Calypso in Chestnut Hill’s Farmers Market.
Excerpt: “It is time to make the next round of roti. Campbell slides balls of dough made with ground split peas and garlic from under a kitchen towel, flattens them, and rolls them out with a big, wooden rolling pin. Then she lays the tortilla-like rounds on a circular griddle called a tahwah, brushing them with oil, and flipping them repeatedly with a blunt spatula.

The roti I buy is wrapped in …

“Best Ever Lentil Soup” (link to recipe, below)
On a semi-regular basis I like to check what keywords are driving people to this site. Without fail “lentil soup” in one form or another is on the list. This surprises me as I often think that I am the only person who loves these humble brown beans (they certainly don’t elicit much response when I mention them to others ). If you are one such search engine browser feel free to check out any of the 3 most popular lentil …

Well, well, well looks like a simple Google search for recipes containing avocado and honey, has led me unknowingly into the seedier side of the Foodie-verse. Yes my dears, did you know that there is a whole section of cookbooks devoted to the goals of seduction and sensual (culinary) surprise?
The interplay of food and physical desire are as old as time. Just look at the biblical
Song of Songs or read/watch “Like Water For Chocolate“, if you need a refresher. Still, I must admit some of these titles made me …

Better late than never, here are the top 10 posts of 2009.

1. Trinidad Corn Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings (recipe)
Corn soup is a street food favorite here in Trinidad, especially at carnival time when vendors ply large pots of it that they spoon into styrofoam cups outside of fetes and clubs. It’s also popular as a Saturday lunch.

2. Top 10 Chicken Recipes on Trinigourmet.com
You’ve voted for these chicken recipes with your clicks and your comments! Faves include Oven BBQ Chicken, Jamaican Fricassee Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, and (naturally) my father’s …

1. Trinidad Corn Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings (recipe)
Corn soup is a street food favorite here in Trinidad, especially at carnival time when vendors ply large pots of it that they spoon into styrofoam cups outside of fetes and clubs. It’s also popular as a Saturday lunch.

2. A Beer Is A Carib (video)
Ask any Trinidadian to complete the following phrase. A beer is a … and you’ll instantly hear a loud uproarious ‘Carib’. For over 50 years the Carib Brewery has been producing Carib beer to the delight …