Last month, Sunrise Bakery a UK-based Caribbean food firm, celebrated their 45th birthday by launching an authentic Caribbean Rum Cake based on their original recipe. Founded in 1966 by Herman Drummond and William Lamont, to service the demands of the growing Caribbean community in Birmingham and the surrounding area, Sunrise Bakery has expanded significantly within recent years. Their full product range is currently in more than 90 Asda stores and 60 Tesco outlets across the UK, as well as more than 250 independent retailers. No small achievement!

Current CEO Errol Drummond, was kind enough to participate in the first installment of my new 2012 series “Five Questions”. He is also going to send a Paradise Estates Rum Cake to one lucky blog reader. More on that though, after our interview…

TG: Dear Errol, first of all let me thank you for allowing me this opportunity to ask you a few questions about yourself and Sunrise Bakery! According to your website you are “the leading producer and wholesaler of Caribbean Hard Dough Bread, Spiced Buns and Cakes in the UK”. I’m sure my readers would love to know a little more of the human story behind your company’s founding. Who started Sunrise Bakery and why?

ED: Sunrise Bakery was established in 1966 by my father Herman Drummond, and his partner William Lamont, to supply the growing Caribbean community that settled in the West Midlands. For the first fifteen years our market was concentrated within a thirty miles radius of the original site in Bearwood, but in the early 1980s we developed new markets nationally.

TG: How has the original vision for Sunrise Bakery changed or evolved since its formation?

ED: Our original vision has remained consistent in that we have always striven to be the premier supplier of quality Caribbean products throughout the United Kingdom, and to bring Caribbean cuisine to the wider market.

TG: What does Caribbean food represent to you?

ED: Caribbean food is an amalgamation of many cuisines from around the world which includes: Native Caribbean, African, European, Chinese, Indian and some Middle Eastern. It is this fusion that has created the great Caribbean taste. Given this historical journey through time and taste, plus our large variety of root vegetables, Caribbean Food is crying out for a larger audience. The challenge for those of us engaged in the industry, at whatever level, is to market and sell effectively.

TG: What are 3 of your favourite Caribbean dishes?

ED: I love Caribbean style soup, it doesn’t matter what the meat is, or whether there is meat, as long as there are plenty of dumplings. I am also quite fond of fish with anything. Stew-peas and white rice tends to hit the spot. I can go on but you did say 3.

TG: in closing, what is one piece of advice you’d like to give readers who may also have dreams of opening a Caribbean food-based business in the Diaspora?

ED: My advice is quite simple. Look at the other cuisines that have achieved success in the marketplace and learn lessons. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. For those looking to go into the Restaurant or Takeaway side remember that you are effectively the gateway to Caribbean Food and as such you need to focus on your core market and the market you are trying to attract and always exceed your customer’s expectations.

TRINIGOURMET’S JANUARY GIVEAWAY – SPONSORED BY SUNRISE BAKERY

One lucky reader will win a Paradise Estates Rum Cake this month. YUM! Will it be you?

HOW TO ENTER:

1) ‘Like’ Trinigourmet’ on Facebook (click the ‘Like’ button below)

2) ‘Like’ Paradise Estates’ on Facebook (click the ‘Like’ button below)

3) Post your favourite Rum (Black) Cake memory to Paradise Estate’s Facebook wall

A Winner will be announced on January 27th. Best of Luck!

Reader’s Question: I made ginger beer but there was a milky paste at the bottom of the jar. Whatcha know about that?

Trinigourmet’s Answer: Great question! Although it looks a little ‘spooky’ that milky paste is perfectly natural and inevitable. It’s a mixture of the solids that have settled, and the fermentation that has occurred to create the ‘beer’. Similar to the ‘mother’ that fosters vinegars, these solids (called ‘the bug’) feed the ginger beer and are why you will tend to find the flavour gets harsher the longer it sits. If you really find their appearance upsetting you can strain them out with an extra fine cheesecloth but I tend to leave it as is. I think it has ‘character’

Try on Trinigourmet:
Carmen’s Jamaican Ginger Beer (recipe)

May 30th is Indian Arrival Day, a public holiday here in Trinidad and Tobago. Indian Arrival Day commemorates the arrival of the first East Indian labourers to our shores.

From the National Library Website:
Indian Arrival Day, celebrated on 30th May, commemorates the arrival of the first Indian Indentured labourers from India to Trinidad, in May 1845, on the ship Fatel Razack. The Fatel Razack brought not only a new labour force to assist in the economic development of Trinidad, but also a new people with a new culture.
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While this momentous event has been celebrated among the East Indian community in Trinidad and Tobago for many years, it was not until 1994 that it was made an official public holiday. It was called Arrival Day. In 1995, it was re-named Indian Arrival Day. On 30th May each year, Indian Arrival Day commemorates this momentous event by staging a re-enactment of the arrival of the Fatel Razack at various beaches throughout Trinidad and Tobago. There is also music and dance, and outstanding members of the community are honoured for their contributions to society.

Since its establishment in Trinidad, Indian Arrival Day has given rise to similar celebrations in Guyana, Jamaica, Britain, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

To commemorate it this year I’ll be making the following:

• Trinidad Saheena with chadon beni (cilantro) chutney
• Channa Katte
• Pre-bought dhalpuri (or some butter naan from the tandoori place down the road…)
• Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

For More Information on Trinidad’s Indian Arrival Day:

• Indian Arrival Day (National Library Portal)
• Indian Arrival Day on Wikipedia

Want more East Indian recipes? Check out the East Indian section of Veni Mangé – The Trinigourmet Amazon bookstore!

After the frenzied crescendo of Carnival Tuesday all merriment and debauchery ends (or is supposed to end) with the ushering in of Ash Wednesday and the start of the Roman Catholic observance of Lent. My father tells me that ‘back in the day’ all sound stopped at midnight and no calypso would play on the radio with the end of Carnival Tuesday. Things have definitely changed since then! Although you still see many individuals with ashes on their forehead heading to work, you are also equally as likely to see the throngs of people who take the day off work and head to the nation’s beaches for a ‘cooldown’.

SIGHTS:

SOUNDS:

Here you can see some video of Trinidad’s most popular beach, Maracas Bay. The little huts are concession stands, the most popular offering of which is ‘Shark n Bake’

TASTES:

For many in Trinidad Ash Wednesday is a day for relaxing (or partying) at the beach. And, as mentioned above, the defacto beach snack here in TnT is Fried Fish n Bake

No Carnival writeup would be complete, especially this year without mention of the ever-popular yet ever-controversial Machel Montano.

From an earlier incarnation of his MySpace page:

Machel Montano began his career in 1982 at age seven. As early as 1984, he formed his band Panasonic Express now called XTATIK. Machels debut album TOO YOUNG TO SOCA, released in 1985, was an instant hit which earned him many rave reviews and standing ovations wherever he performed.

In 1986, he appeared on Star Search in Hollywood bringing Soca Music to the screens of US National Television. He was described as a Stevie Wonder of Soca. Machel and XTATIK have performed with many popular international entertainment personalities including: Freddie Jackson, TLC, Third World , Shaggy, El Debarge, Destinys Child, The Boyz, Kris Kross, Buju Banton, Ziggy Marley, Garnet Silk, Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killa and many others.
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In 1987, at the age of twelve, Machel became the first Trinidadian and youngest Entertainer to win the Caribbean Song Festival. In 1991 at sixteen, he won the Young Kings Competition. XTATIK won best playing music band on the road for CARIBANA 94 and MIAMI CARNIVAL 94. In 1995 Machel won Party Vocalist of the year and in 1996 XTATIK won Party band of the Year. In 1995 and 1997 Machel & Xtatik journeyed to London and mesmerized the sold out crowds.
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In 1997 Machel became the youngest ROAD MARCH KING of Trinidad & Tobago and XTATIKS album HEAVY DUTY has been described as one of the best selling SOCA Albums ever.

SIGHTS:

In 2007 I watched him play an almost 90 minute non-stop set at the Zen nightclub… that was pure musical brilliance. The first 1/2 he performed his popular tunes (new and old) in a stripped down acoustic styling (think MTV Unplugged). Many of the uptempo numbers were retooled as ballads crossing several genres and the air was crackling with a feeling of spiritual release and oneness.

Tears came to my eyes several times. I won’t lie! For the second half many of the tunes were re-performed in all their uptempo Carnival frenzy. It was like 2 albums/concerts in one!

SOUNDS:

Today is Carnival Tuesday and many are wondering if, after a brief hiatus, Machel will once again be crowned Road March King (he won it in 1997,1998 and 2007). He’s already nabbed this year’s Power Soca Monarch Crown (a fact that is still being hotly debated). Will he take even more Advantage?

Advantage (Official Video)

To learn more about Machel Montao check out:

• Machel Montano (official site) – www.machelmontano.com
• Machel Montano on Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machel_Montano
• Machel Montano on Twitter – twitter.com/machelmontanohd

TASTES:

As I’ve previously mentioned where there’s a fete or nightclub street food is not far away. That Friday night in 2007 was no exception. Outside of the nightclub I spotted a corn soup vendor.

There were also two food stands.

One well lit one attracted many patrons

The other’s dubious choice of neon green lighting made it stand out from the crowd, but not in a good way. Does anyone really think yummy and hearty when they see a neon green glow?

Guess who my friend and I ate from?

The sign reads “Bake & Shark, Burgers (Beef/Chicken), Fries, Soft Drinks, Hops & Cheese)” and at the bottom “Real Trini Style”. Now that’s more like it! We both ordered beef burgers. They come standard on a bed of coleslaw with ketchup. Dont’ be fooled by the plain appearance, my friend and I both agreed that was one of the best burgers we’d ever hard. The patty was redolent with garlic and herbs to a degree that I had never had. And straight off the grill, so so good! It was the perfect end to an awesome evening

I have done my best to recreate that flavour and taste in this post for Trini-Style Hamburgers.

This post was originally published February 20, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

Dear Readers,

Today is one of those days when I get to turn the tables and pose the questions to -you- You see, last month Alana, a fellow reader, asked me about “Chinese Cakes”.

I’m looking for a recipe called chinese cake but it looks like a cookie and is very soft and melts in your mouth, can you please help? My mom loves those but I cant find it. I would greatly appreciate ifyou can get me the recipe.

I sent her a link to Ramin Ganeshram’s recipe for said “Chinese Cakes” however it turned out she was looking for something quite different!

Thanks, but those are not them! This dessert looks like an actual cookie and doesnt have fillings.  These cookies are very rare, when my grandmother was alive she used to bring them to the states…These cookies are just plain nothing in them or on them just yellow cake-like color that was a cookie.

Well, that definitely piqued my curiousity. As regular readers would know, one of my missions with Trinigourmet has been to record and preserve our older culinary traditions. Too many of which have died, or are nearing extinction. This ‘cookie’ is one I am quite unfamiliar with and so I did some more digging, even turning to popular Chinese treats from overseas, hoping to find some correlation.

After some back and forth, we ruled out the possibility of these “Chinese Cakes” being like Taiwanese Sun Pastries or Mooncakes/Mooncake biscuits.

This cookie is not crunchy, when you bite into it it is moist like a cake! It almost reminds me of a coconut drop but its kind of like that texture if not softer and its thick like a coconut drop but has nothing in it, nor is it covered with any raisins or anything else.

So that’s what we’re left with. A Chinese-Trinidadian bakery treat that is:

• shaped like a cookie
• plain yellow and thick like a coconut drop
• cake-like in texture
• no fillings…

Hmmm…

Well readers, I am stumped! If you think you know what Alana is referring to, please assist by leaving a comment on this post. I’d rather all responses be preserved on this site, not just for Alana, but also to assist future web searchers who may be trying to find this obviously unique treat! Whether it’s a name, a picture, or even a recipe that you may have, please don’t be shy, the more contributions we have the more complete a picture we’ll all have on this elusive item.

Reader’s Question: Have you ever used peppers (for Trinidad Pepper Sauce) that you had previously frozen? I have a bunch of peppers from last season that I steamed, ice bathed, and then shrink wrapped & froze. Looking for a good use for them. Plus, 2 1/2 pounds is a lot of peppers to gather when you only have one plant!
Thanks!

TriniGourmet’s Answer:

Hi there! After rereading my father’s recipe for Trinidad Pepper Sauce I see no reasons why steamed and frozen peppers can not be used. If it was a recipe where the peppers needed to retain their form it may have been a problem but as they are pureed I say go right ahead! The only difference I think you will experience is a reduction in the heat profile. Let me know how it turns out. Best Wishes!

If you have other suggestions for our reader why not leave them in the comments? Thanks!

ETA (Oct. 16, 2010): Reader @Tacarigua tweeted me to confirm me that there is indeed a reduced heat profile when making pepper sauce from steamed and frozen peppers. “From my own experience @Trinigourmet , it’s better to wash, dry, and freeze hot peppers uncooked. They retain their heat.” He goes on to state that freezing them -uncooked- is the best compromise for those who need to store the peppers for long periods. Thanks for chiming in Tac!

Reader’s Question: Hey, I have been trying to get the "pocket" in my bakes since I began making them. I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong? I have tried your recipe (maybe they were too large), tried margarine, tried butter, tried yeast and still no pocket. What am I doing wrong? Could it be the size?

TriniGourmet’s Answer:

Hi there! There are two main problems that I think may be contributing to your bakes not having that ‘pocket’.

1) Your bake may not be thin enough. The thinner you can get it the lighter it will and the easier it will ‘puff’. You don’t want it to be to the point of transparent however the thicker it is the more likely it is that the final result will be a dense one.
2) Your oil may also not be hot enough. If the oil is not at the right temperature the result will also be flat. I like to test my oil by dipping the stick of a wooden spoon into the liquid as it heats. When bubbles immediately form around the circumference you know your oil is hot enough!

Until then check my Fried Bake and Fish post for step by step pics and instructions. Best Wishes

If you have other suggestions for our reader why not leave them in the comments? Thanks!

For more Caribbean recipes check out the Caribbean Cooking section of Veni Mangé – The Trinigourmet Amazon Bookstore!

Reader’s Question: Anyone used polenta (in Trinidad Corn Soup with Dumplings) instead of cornmeal? Former more common in Europe, but both made from corn.

TriniGourmet’s Answer:

Polenta grade cornmeal can be a good bit coarser. I would suggest grinding it more finely in a blender or food processor, but after that is done it can be used in place of cornmeal Best Wishes!

As I continue sorting through the 297 photos and videos that I took at this weekend’s wonderful Sauté Trinbago, I thought I would allow you the chance to glance through bits and pieces of Taste T&T 2008. For 3 years it was Trinidad’s premier culinary festival, before being unceremoniously pulled without announcement. Although Sauté Trinbago did not compete with it in scale, it definitely went a long way towards capturing its spirit. More on that in my next post! Until then… let’s look back at the sights & sounds.

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)