Black Cake
For most West Indians it's not 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire or Jack Frost nipping at your toes' that evokes feelings of Christmas but black cake soaked in lots of rum. It just wouldn't be Christmas without it. So much so that I have actually had to mail tins of this cake to friends and family abroad who craved a taste of home.
Black cake is also used for weddings. As per tradition I saved a layer of my wedding cake which we consumed in celebration of the birth of our first child - six years later! I confess to being more than a bit skeptical as I contemplated that well-aged slice of cake. Curiosity won out. I ate it and crossed my fingers that there wouldn't be any ill effects. My fears were unfounded. The cake tasted about the same as it did on the day of my wedding. Delicious.
This year's black cake was baked by November, wrapped, soaked in rum and put to cure for Christmas. The hectic season means that I am only now finding time to post this amazing, fragrant and boozy treat that we will be enjoying well into January.The New York Times has a good recipe for Black Cake.
My own cake is not the traditional black colour. Click here to see the colour that it should be. Some years I get it right, some years not. This year I chickened out and removed the sugar from the fire too soon. You'd be surprised how quickly the sugar goes from dark brown to a bitter charred mess. It takes experience and careful watching to get it right. If you have read about my struggles with custard then you will know that I am an an impatient cook. The lighter coloured cake is no less delicious than a dark one.
The NY Times recipe suggests that you brush the cake with rum. I don't know anyone who does that. Here is how we soak our cakes. Make small holes all over the cake with a skewer. Throw away the brush and drench the cakes in rum. Nothing less than a full bottle will do.
On Christmas Eve the caterers at my husband's firm served black cake. A co-worker decided that since it was the last day of work before a holiday there was little chance that the drug and alcohol tester would show up. Turns out he was wrong. Copious amounts of water was drunk and frantic calls to the caterer ensued. Luckily the cake only contained a mild cherry brandy. Let's just say, had the cake not been watered down my boy would have failed the alcohol test and lost his job for sure!
Here are some sites that talk about this cake
A fruitcake soaked in the tropical sun
Black cake - a dry run
Black Cake
birthday meat and potatoes 3rd draft
Say the word birthday and one invariable thinks of cake. In fact the celebration of a birthday may seem incomplete without cake. For my birthday, despite tradition, I asked that there NOT be any cake.
I will explain.
Every week during the month of November, there is a birthday in my family. That's one cake every week. This translates to a slice of cake almost everyday if it is not to go to waste. By the time my own birthday rolls around in mid December I am pretty much sick of cake! Yes! It absolutely can happen that you can have too much of a good thing.
So this year instead of cake , I wished for a family dinner. I decided that it would be nice if for a change we could all sit down to eat together. I applaud all of you for whom that is a normal occurrence. In our home it seems like at least one person is always standing, doing something or other while some are eating.
Also I must confess that we let the kids look at television while they eat. We are going to parent hell, I know. In our defense it's a welcome distraction for the younger ones. If it's a school night we usually use this time to pack the children's lunches for the following day while they eat and look at their favourite shows. Hey don't judge me. Hire me a maid and I'll focus on etiquette 101. Until then Sponge Bob you are my #1 man in square pants. I so heart you.
So in the interest of being less like cave people, my one wish for my birthday was for us to all sit in a civilized manner and have dinner together. In my mind's eye, I envisaged a perfect evening, sharing a delicious and lovingly prepared meal with the people I love most in this world.
Here is how it actually went down.
The baby screamed LOUDLY and a lot. He screamed as we attempted to guide his spoon to his mouth. He is learning to self feed and wants to do it all on his own. He screamed with frustration when we did not help and food was unintentionally catapulted out of his bowl. He screamed with joy when he finally got it right and into his mouth instead of my hair. Cheers all around.
My eldest doesn't like pak choi (bok choi), so lots of grumbling on her part with threats on ours in order to get her to eat it. A ban on Nitentedo DSi can be a powerful tool in getting a child to eat their veggies:-)
The four year old whined. He was upset that the TV was off, therefore no Sponge Bob.
At first I was distressed that my little soirée seemed to be a disaster. My darling husband tried his best to help me rally our mutinous troops by pouring us both, very, VERY generous glasses of wine. We needed fortification. My son Marley took this as a cue to stop whining about cartoons. He raised his juice cup. "Hey mummy let's ching ching." Glasses were raised and a toast was made. Happy Birthday was sung.
After the usual reminders to use the cutlery provided and not eat with his hands, Marley then picked up his knife and fork asked "So mummy, how was your day?" My husband's eyes smiled at me across the table. I lifted my glass to him as I beamed at my 4 year old son's gentlemanly attempt to make conversation. " My day was perfect sweetheart. Just perfect." And then I picked some potato out of my hair.
Roasted Potato With Rosemary
Serves 6
Potatoes don't need to be boiled before oven roasting. However boiling them first, results in a better texture that is very much like steak fries.
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs of potatoes
1 or 2 tablespoons herbes de provence *
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Method
Wash potatoes. Boil them with 1 tsp of salt until just tender. (5- 8 mins) Drain and cut the potatoes into halves or quarters. Small potatoes can be left whole. Drain the water (reserving some if you are making a gravy).
Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray with herbes de Provence, then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake the potatoes for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is tender.
* you can season potatoes with which ever is your preffered spice blend
Braised Pak Choi Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds pak choy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large oniions sliced
4 cloves of garlic (sliced in slivers)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1. Trim the base of the pak choy, then chop off the leaves. Cut the base in half lengthwise, then cut the halves crosswise on a diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Cut the leaves crosswise on a diagonal into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips.
2. Place a large wok or a pot large enough to hold all the pak choy over high heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until browned. Then add the onions. Cook , 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pak choy and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Pot Roast in the Pressure Cooker
I have never done a pot roast in the pressure cooker before so I followed the recipe from Cook's Illustrated as closely as I could. It was good but I feel it can be made more to my taste with a few adjustments. For one thing the the cooking time of 1 hour needs to be shortened as the beef was falling apart tender. Great for sandwiches. Not so great for slicing and serving.
2nd draft meat and potatoes
Say the word birthday and one invariable thinks of cake. In fact the celebration of a birthday may seem incomplete without cake. For my birthday, despite tradition, I asked that there NOT be any cake.
I will explain.
Every week during the month of November, there is a birthday in my family. That's one cake every week. This translates to a slice of cake almost everyday if it is not to go to waste. By the time my own birthday rolls around in mid December I am pretty much sick of cake! Yes! It absolutely can happen that you can have too much of a good thing.
So this year instead of cake , I wished for a family dinner. I decided that it would be nice if for a change we could all sit down to eat together. I applaud all of you for whom that is a normal occurrence. In our home it seems like at least one person is always standing, doing something or other while some are eating.
Also I must confess that we let the kids look at television while they eat. We are going to parent hell, I know. In our defense it's a welcome distraction for the younger ones. If it's a school night we usually use this time to pack the children's lunches for the following day while they eat and look at their favourite shows. Hey don't judge me. Hire me a maid and I'll focus on etiquette 101. Until then Sponge Bob you are my #1 man in square pants. I so heart you.
So in the interest of being less like cave people, my one wish for my birthday was for us to all sit in a civilized manner and have dinner together. In my mind's eye, I envisaged a perfect evening, sharing a delicious and lovingly prepared meal with the people I love most in this world.
Here is how it actually went down.
The baby screamed LOUDLY and a lot. He screamed as we attempted to guide his spoon to his mouth. He is learning to self feed and wants to do it all on his own. He screamed with frustration when we did not help and food was unintentionally catapulted out of his bowl. He screamed with joy when he finally got it right and into his mouth instead of my hair. Cheers all around.
My eldest doesn't like pak choi (bok choi), so lots of grumbling on her part with threats on ours in order to get her to eat it. A ban on Nitentedo DSi can be a powerful tool in getting a child to eat their veggies:-)
The four year old whined. He was upset that the TV was off, therefore no Sponge Bob.
At first I was distressed that my little soirée seemed to be a disaster. My darling husband tried his best to help me rally our mutinous troops by pouring us both, very, VERY generous glasses of wine. We needed fortification. My son Marley took this as a cue to stop whining about cartoons. He raised his juice cup. "Hey mummy let's ching ching." Glasses were raised and a toast was made. Happy Birthday was sung.
After the usual reminders to use the cutlery provided and not eat with his hands, Marley then picked up his knife and fork asked "So mummy, how was your day?" My husband's eyes smiled at me across the table. I lifted my glass to him as I beamed at my 4 year old son's gentlemanly attempt to make conversation. " My day was perfect sweetheart. Just perfect." And then I picked some potato out of my hair.
Roasted Potato With Rosemary
Serves 6
Potatoes don't need to be boiled before oven roasting. However boiling them first, results in a better texture that is very much like steak fries.
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs of potatoes
1 or 2 tablespoons herbes de provence *
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Method
Wash potatoes. Boil them with 1 tsp of salt until just tender. (5- 8 mins) Drain and cut the potatoes into halves or quarters. Small potatoes can be left whole. Drain the water (reserving some if you are making a gravy).
Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray with herbes de Provence, then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake the potatoes for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is tender.
* you can season potatoes with which ever is your preffered spice blend
Braised Pak Choi Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds pak choy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large oniions sliced
4 cloves of garlic (sliced in slivers)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1. Trim the base of the pak choy, then chop off the leaves. Cut the base in half lengthwise, then cut the halves crosswise on a diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Cut the leaves crosswise on a diagonal into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips.
2. Place a large wok or a pot large enough to hold all the pak choy over high heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until browned. Then add the onions. Cook , 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pak choy and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Pot Roast in the Pressure Cooker
I have never done a pot roast in the pressure cooker before so I followed the recipe from Cook's Illustrated as closely as I could. It was good but I feel it can be made more to my taste with a few adjustments. For one thing the the cooking time of 1 hour needs to be shortened as the beef was falling apart tender. Great for sandwiches. Not so great for slicing and serving.
My birthday Meat and potatoes.
I am a mom and wife. My sit down I have never like red wine in my meat. JOurney with me as I learn to roast beef , feed my family healthy meals, make cakes dessserts
Say the word birthday and one invariable thinks of cake. In fact the celebration of a birthday may seem incomplete with out cake. For my birthday, despite tradition, I asked that there NOT be any cake.
I will explain.
Every week during the month of November, there is a birthday in my family. That's one cake every week which translates to a slice of cake almost everyday if it is not to go to waste. By the time my own birthday rolls around in mid December I am pretty much sick of cake! Yes! It absolutely can happen that you can have too much of a good thing.
So instead of cake this year, I wished for a family dinner. I decided that it would be nice if for a change we could all sit down to eat together. I applaud all of you for whom that is a normal occurrence. In hour home it seems like at least one person is always standing, doing something or other while some are eating.
Also I must confess that we let the kids look at television while they eat. We are going to parent hell, I know. In our defense it's a welcome distraction for the younger ones. If its a school night we usually use this time to pack the kids lunches for the following day while they eat and look at their favourite shows. Hey don't judge me. Hire me a maid and I'll focus on Ettiqutte 101. Until then Sponge Bob you are my #1 man in square pants. I so heart you.
So in the interest of being less like cave people, my one wish for my birthday was for us all to sit in a civilized manner and have dinner together. In my mind's eye, I envisaged a perfect evening, sharing a delicious and lovingly prepared meal with the people I love most in this world.
Here is how it actually went down.
The baby screamed loudly and a lot. He screamed as we attempted to guide his spoon to his mouth. He is learning to self feed and wants to do it all on his own. He screamed with frustration when we did not help and food was unintentionally catapulted out of his bowl. He screamed with joy when he finally got it right and into his mouth instead of my hair. Cheers all around.
My eldest eldest doesn't like pak choi (bok choi), so lots of grumbling on her part with threats on ours in order to get her to eat it. A ban on Nitentedo DSi can be a pwerful tool in getting a child to eat their veggies:-)
The four year old whined. He was upset that the TV was off, therefore no Sponge Bob.
At first I was distressed that my little soirée seemed to be a disaster. My darling husband tried his best to help me rally our mutinous troops by pouring us both, very generous glasses of wine. We needed fortification. My son Marley took this as a cue to stop whining about cartoons. He raised his juice cup. "Hey mummy let's ching ching." Glasses were raised and a toast was made. Happy Birthday was sung.
After, the usual reminders to use the cutlery provided and not eat with his hands, Marley then picked up his knife and fork asked "So mummy how was your day?" My husband's eyes smiled at me across the table I lifted my glass to him and beamed at my 4 year old son's gentlemanly attempt to make conversation. " My day was perfect sweetheart. Just perfect." and then I picked some potato out of my hair.
Roasted Potato With Rosemary
Serves 6
Par boiling the potatoes before baking them in the oven results in a better textures roasted potatoes that is crisp on the outside wither soft innards. Very much like my favourite jumbo fries.
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs of potatoes
4 - 5 Sprigs Rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Method
Boil the potatoes with 1 tsp of salt until just tender. (5-8mins) Drain and cut the potatoes into halved or leave whole if smaller.Then drain off the water (reserving some for the gravy). Place the lid back on the saucepan then, holding the lid firmly, and protecting your hand with a cloth or oven glove, shake the saucepan vigorously up and down.
Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray with Herbes de Provence, Italian seasoning etc rosemary and thyme. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake the potatoes for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh are tender.
braised Pak Choi Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds pak choy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onioins sliced
4 cloves of garlic (slice in slivers)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1. Trim the base of the bok choy, then chop off the leaves. Cut the base in half lengthwise, then cut the halves crosswise on a diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Cut the leaves crosswise on a diagonal into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips.
2. Place a large wok or a pot large enough to hold all the pak choy over high heat. Add the oil and rotate the wok or pot a bit to coat it evenly. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until browned. Then add the onions. Cook , 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bok choy and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Read more at Suite101: Braised Bok Choy: Bok Choy Recipes Don't Get Much Easier Than This One | Suite101.com http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/braised_bok_choy#ixzz0aIdPsrM4
Pot Roast in the Pressure Cooker
I have never done a pot roast in the pressure cooker before so I followed the recipe from Cook's illustrated as closely as I could. It was good but I feel it can be made more to my taste with a few adjustments. For one thing the The cooking time of 1 hour needs to be shortened as the beef was falling apart tender. Great for sandwiches. Not so great for slicing and serving.
By the time my b'day rolls around I am usually sick of cake and ice-cream
Say the word birthday and one invariable thinks of cake. In fact the celebration of a birthday may seem incomplete with out cake. For my birthday, despite tradition, I asked that there NOT be any cake.
I will explain.
Every week during the month of November, there is a birthday in my family. That's one cake every week which translates to a slice of cake almost everyday if it is not to go to waste. By the time my own birthday rolls around in mid December I am pretty much sick of cake! Yes! It absolutely can happen that you can have too much of a good thing.
So instead of cake this year, I wished for a family dinner. I decided that it would be nice if for a change we could all sit down to eat together. I applaud all of you for whom that is a normal occurrence. In hour home it seems like at least one person is always standing, doing something or other while some are eating.
Also I must confess that we let the kids look at television while they eat. We are going to parent hell, I know. In our defense it's a welcome distraction for the younger ones. If its a school night we usually use this time to pack the kids lunches for the following day while they eat and look at their favourite shows. Hey don't judge me. Hire me a maid and I'll focus on Ettiqutte 101. Until then Sponge Bob you are my #1 man in square pants. I so heart you.
So in the interest of being less like cave people, my one wish for my birthday was for us all to sit in a civilized manner and have dinner together. In my mind's eye, I envisaged a perfect evening, sharing a delicious and lovingly prepared meal with the people I love most in this world.
Here is how it actually went down.
The baby screamed loudly and a lot. He screamed as we attempted to guide his spoon to his mouth. He is learning to self feed and wants to do it all on his own. He screamed with frustration when we did not help and food was unintentionally catapulted out of his bowl. He screamed with joy when he finally got it right and into his mouth instead of my hair. Cheers all around.
My eldest eldest doesn't like pak choi (bok choi), so lots of grumbling on her part with threats on ours in order to get her to eat it. A ban on Nitentedo DSi can be a pwerful tool in getting a child to eat their veggies:-)
The four year old whined. He was upset that the TV was off, therefore no Sponge Bob.
At first I was distressed that my little soirée seemed to be a disaster. My darling husband tried his best to help me rally our mutinous troops by pouring us both, very generous glasses of wine. We needed fortification. My son Marley took this as a cue to stop whining about cartoons. He raised his juice cup. "Hey mummy let's ching ching." Glasses were raised and a toast was made. Happy Birthday was sung.
After, the usual reminders to use the cutlery provided and not eat with his hands, Marley then picked up his knife and fork asked "So mummy how was your day?" My husband's eyes smiled at me across the table I lifted my glass to him and beamed at my 4 year old son's gentlemanly attempt to make conversation. " My day was perfect sweetheart. Just perfect." and then I picked some potato out of my hair.
Roasted Potato With Rosemary
Serves 6
Par boiling the potatoes before baking them in the oven results in a better textures roasted potatoes that is crisp on the outside wither soft innards. Very much like my favourite jumbo fries.
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs of potatoes
4 - 5 Sprigs Rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Method
Boil the potatoes with 1 tsp of salt until just tender. (5-8mins) Drain and cut the potatoes into halved or leave whole if smaller.Then drain off the water (reserving some for the gravy). Place the lid back on the saucepan then, holding the lid firmly, and protecting your hand with a cloth or oven glove, shake the saucepan vigorously up and down.
Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray with Herbes de Provence, Italian seasoning etc rosemary and thyme. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake the potatoes for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh are tender.
braised Pak Choi Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds pak choy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onioins sliced
4 cloves of garlic (slice in slivers)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1. Trim the base of the bok choy, then chop off the leaves. Cut the base in half lengthwise, then cut the halves crosswise on a diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Cut the leaves crosswise on a diagonal into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips.
2. Place a large wok or a pot large enough to hold all the pak choy over high heat. Add the oil and rotate the wok or pot a bit to coat it evenly. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until browned. Then add the onions. Cook , 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bok choy and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Read more at Suite101: Braised Bok Choy: Bok Choy Recipes Don't Get Much Easier Than This One | Suite101.com http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/braised_bok_choy#ixzz0aIdPsrM4
Pot Roast in the Pressure Cooker
I have never done a pot roast in the pressure cooker before so I followed the recipe from Cook's illustrated as closely as I could. It was good but I feel it can be made more to my taste with a few adjustments. For one thing the The cooking time of 1 hour needs to be shortened as the beef was falling apart tender. Great for sandwiches. Not so great for slicing and serving.
By the time my b'day rolls around I am usually sick of cake and ice-cream
Golden Apple tarte Part 1
Although this fruit is widely distributed in the
Caribbean region, Asia and Central and South America, the use of mature-green
fruits to make a drink is geographically restricted to the French West Indies
(Martinique and Guadeloupe) and Grenada.
The Golden apple (Spondias cytherea Sonnerat or Spondias dulcis Forst) belongs
to the Anacardiaceae family which includes several important tropical fruit trees such
mango (Mangifera indica L.) and cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) (Purseglove,
1974). Native to Polynesia, it was introduced into Jamaica in 1782 and nowadays is
mainly cultivated in the Caribbean region, Asia, Central America, South America and, to
Information and Technology for Sustainable Fruit and Vegetable Production
FRUTIC 05, 12 – 16 September 2005, Montpellier France
Post Harvest Technology
84
a lesser extent, in Africa. Golden apple is a medium-sized (15-25 m) tree with olive green
hairless leaves (2-6 cm length) (Fournet, 2002). The fruit is an ellipsoid to ovoid drupe (4-
12 cm length; 3-8 cm diameter) and can weigh up to 450 g (Persad, 1991; Daulmérie,
1994; Fournet, 2002). Structure of an immature green Golden apple is presented in
Figure 1 and its physico-chemical characteristics are given in Table 1. When the fruit
ripens, its skin and flesh turn Golden-yellow, emitting aroma components characterized in
previous papers
Unripe Golden apple fruits are eaten in curries
or green salads or made into pickles (3tbspoons brown sugar
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/4 ginger
1/4 cinnamon
2 0z butter
pinch salt
30 mins
Caribbean region, Asia and Central and South America, the use of mature-green
fruits to make a drink is geographically restricted to the French West Indies
(Martinique and Guadeloupe) and Grenada.
The Golden apple (Spondias cytherea Sonnerat or Spondias dulcis Forst) belongs
to the Anacardiaceae family which includes several important tropical fruit trees such
mango (Mangifera indica L.) and cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) (Purseglove,
1974). Native to Polynesia, it was introduced into Jamaica in 1782 and nowadays is
mainly cultivated in the Caribbean region, Asia, Central America, South America and, to
Information and Technology for Sustainable Fruit and Vegetable Production
FRUTIC 05, 12 – 16 September 2005, Montpellier France
Post Harvest Technology
84
a lesser extent, in Africa. Golden apple is a medium-sized (15-25 m) tree with olive green
hairless leaves (2-6 cm length) (Fournet, 2002). The fruit is an ellipsoid to ovoid drupe (4-
12 cm length; 3-8 cm diameter) and can weigh up to 450 g (Persad, 1991; Daulmérie,
1994; Fournet, 2002). Structure of an immature green Golden apple is presented in
Figure 1 and its physico-chemical characteristics are given in Table 1. When the fruit
ripens, its skin and flesh turn Golden-yellow, emitting aroma components characterized in
previous papers
Unripe Golden apple fruits are eaten in curries
or green salads or made into pickles (3tbspoons brown sugar
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/4 ginger
1/4 cinnamon
2 0z butter
pinch salt
30 mins
Pan de Jamon- Christmas Bread from Venezuela
Every year for the past four years this Christmas bread from Venezuela has graced our table for breakfast on the morning of December 25th. Oh wait, every year except last year.
You see, we have an electric range and my bread was in the oven about ten minutes when poof! There was a power outage that lasted all day and I was left with raw dough mess.
I am not ashamed to tell you that I cried. Seriously for real, I cried. Do you know how much a ham costs? I was angry that a my money had been wasted on those ingredients. Maria, my Venezuelan nieghbour cried too. She has not had this taste of home for years and was so excited when I told her that I was making it. She was surprised that I even knew about it.
The first year that I baked this I gifted my friend Hannah with a loaf. Every year since then all she wants from me for Christmas is this bread. I have been happy to oblige that is until last year.
This year I am beside myself with joy. I have found a Venezuelan run establishment that sells these! Christmas breakfast has been saved!
Don't have a Venezuelan baker in your neck of the woods, then click here to link to the recipe I used in past years to make these. You will also see a picture of one that I baked. I am happy to report that it's pretty darn close to the real deal.
Merry and...Light!
'Tis the season and every one is busy with Christmas preparations. The countdown is on for the big day. Like many of you I am also planning the meal for the big event. This is the salad that I plan to serve to serve on Christmas Day. Salad? Yikes! Where is the ham? Where are the pastelles, the cake and other edible indulgences of the season? Who really cares about salad on Christmas Day?
Let me plead the case of this humble salad. Trust me it too can be a star of a holiday menu. It's light, crisp and fresh. Oranges are in season now and citrus is perfect for awaking your palette. This salad is a perfect pairing for all that heavy, decadent traditional goodness.
Don't drown this salad in dressing. With all the rich main and side dishes to be served alongside, a sprinkle of salt and some cracked black pepper is all you really need.
Do you have a favourite holiday salad? I'd love if you would share it with me.
Ingredients
Orange Onion Salad
Romaine lettuce (shredded)
Onions ( red or white )
Kalamata olives
oranges (peeled and segmented)
Toss all the ingredients together
Salt and black pepper to taste.
Let me plead the case of this humble salad. Trust me it too can be a star of a holiday menu. It's light, crisp and fresh. Oranges are in season now and citrus is perfect for awaking your palette. This salad is a perfect pairing for all that heavy, decadent traditional goodness.
Don't drown this salad in dressing. With all the rich main and side dishes to be served alongside, a sprinkle of salt and some cracked black pepper is all you really need.
Do you have a favourite holiday salad? I'd love if you would share it with me.
Ingredients
Orange Onion Salad
Romaine lettuce (shredded)
Onions ( red or white )
Kalamata olives
oranges (peeled and segmented)
Toss all the ingredients together
Salt and black pepper to taste.
Oven Roasted Ratatouille
This is healthy and delicious version of a french classic. It makes a great side dish and is quick and easy. Leftovers can be stirred into pasta for another meal so that you can cook once but eat twice. The traditional method is a vegetable stew that is made on the stove top. It's not complicated but I prefer to make this in the oven. I like that I can prepare an accompanying dish at the same time that this is cooking in the oven. Also I prefer the use of olive oil instead of the butter called for in the traditional version.
Many recipes say that salting melongene (eggplant) before cooking makes it less bitter but I don't bother. I have never found eggplant to be a particularly bitter vegetable and the family never complains when I cook it. However I must warn you that I generally don't entertain complaints when I cook. If it's not charred beyond all recognition, it's considered edible. Furthermore, if you didn't stand around in a hot kitchen but sat in front of the television waiting for your dinner - you are not entitled to an opinion. Just kidding, everyone is entitled to an opinion. I run a very democratic houshold but trust me, under the aforementioned set of circumstances you are better off keeping your opinion to yourself!
This is one of those dishes where I don't use measured amounts of anything. I just toss stuff together until it looks to be enough. Feel free to use a little more or a little less - whatever.
Oven Roasted Ratatouille ( serves 6)
Ingredients
* 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
* 3/4 lb eggplant, cut in chunks
* 1/2 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
* 1 lb plum tomato, seeded and cut into 4 wedges
* 1 sweet red pepper, cut in large strips
* 1 yellow sweet pepper, cut in large strips
* 2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 red bell pepper, diced
* 1 green bell pepper, diced
* 1 yellow bepper, diced
* 2 small zucchini, diced
* 2 red onions, quartered
* 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
* 1-2 teaspoon Herbs de provence or mixed Italian herbs
# Place all vegetables and garlic in an ovenproof dish.
#
2
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle herbes de provence or Italian seasoning. Mix well to coat vegetables.
#
3
Bake at 400.c for approx 45 mins until vegetables are tender, check after 1/2 hour and stir to ensure even browning.
#
4
If your vegetables are particularly juicy you may need to drain a bit of liquid off half way through cooking.
If I am doing it, I prefer a quickie
It's true. I love food. I love to eat. But I do not love the daily chore that is cooking. (Gasp!) But wait, you have a food blog, you say. To which I reply, yes the occasional foray into food preparation and creating a healthy, satisfying or at times an extravagant, feast pleases me. Having to do it everyday - does not. The duty bound, run of the millness, everydayness; what the French call le train-train quotidien,of cooking can exhausting and as dull as dirt. So like many home cooks, I have developed routines and quickie cheating versions of kitchen tasks that help me cope.
Case in point, let's examine a hugely popular cooking method the world over. There is some evidence to suggest that barbecue was transported to the rest of the world when Europeans observed the manner in which Amerindians smoked and prepared the meats on a grill called a buccan. Wild game was cured with salt and spices, then covered with wet leaves and cooked on a grill of local wood over an open fire pit. This early method of barbecue was adopted by the French and the word boucaniers buccaneer)was used to describe persons who prepared their meats this way. The term eventually came to describe pirates who I can only surmise found this a convenient cooking method that served their swashbuckling, beach lifestyle.
Convenient though it may have been for early colonial settlers. It's a pain in the butt for a working mom of three - maybe four (counting the days when DH might be acting like a kid himself). Here is my big tip for preparing this popular meal: get your significant other to do it for you:-) Easy enough since the modern day grill seems to draw out a man's primal need to rustle with coals and giant slabs of raw meat which must be tamed with secret marinades, spice rubs, slapped with special sauces and then charred, uhmm I mean grilled. Even if the self same guy doesn't know where to locate a fork in his own kitchen (yes M I am talking about you), he will no doubt be the owner of the Mercedes Benz of outdoor backyard grills. What's more he will be more than willing to show you how to use it with swashbuckling flair. BTW gas grills are for sissies, he'll declare through a cloud of smoke thick enough to keep all but the dragonfly sized mosquitoes away.
I love BBQ. Mr H and I tend to get all dewy eyed when we taste meat that has been smoked to a sweet, smoky, succulent, sticky perfection. Spare ribs at Pussers Marina Cay - we'll be back. Unfortunately, the chances of me hauling out a grill, fanning hot coals under an already sweltering Caribbean hot day, getting smoke in my eyes and my hair are really - NEVER! Instead, when friends invite me to a barbecue, I will ask if it's okay to bring extra meat and whatever extra ingredients the cook might need. These extras are grilled and I take them home for later on in the week. Roll your eyes all you want Marguerite Gorden you have never taste my friend J's barbecue.
Finally, as I say in the title to this post, If I'm doing it I prefer a method that does not sacrifice flavour but at the same time gets lunch or dinner on the table in quick time. Oven BBQ chicken is a very popular cheat version that appears often on the table for Sunday Lunch in many homes. There are many variations to suit personal preferences. The only must here is that your herbs should be fresh. Okay so the purists out there are probably firing up their own grills now to roast me for deigning to name my baked chicken, bbq. All I can say is so long as you have that grill lit, May I come over with a few extra pieces of meat ;-)?
So here it is my quickie version of BBQ chicken done in the oven better known as (It's too damned hot to BBQ Chicken recipe! Or for those of you approaching Winter in your country feel free to swap out the word hot for cold.)
3 1/2 - 4lbs chicken, cut up
1 lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbs spoons green seasoning
2 cups Hunts bold (or your favourite babbecue sauce
1/2 cup ketchup (optional)
splash Lea and Perrins worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Caribbean pepper sauce ( made with scotch bonnet or Congo peppers)
1) Wash chicken with lime. Squeeze one lime in 3/4 cup of water. Add to bowl of cut up raw chicken and mix. Pour off the lime water.
2) Season chicken with salt, garlic and green seasoning. Leave in the fridge overnight of at least 1/2 hour
3) Place skin side up on a foil lined baking dish. Discard marinade. Sprinkle some additional green seasoning over chicken. Mix the ketchup, barbecue sauce and the pepper. Cover chicken with this sauce and bake for 35 - 40 mins at 325 degrees F.
4) Remove from the oven. Coat chicken with additional barbecue sauce and return to the oven.
5) Cook until done about 15 mins more, basting occasionally until chicken has a nice colour and the sauce is a thick gravy. You could always add a little water to it for a thinner sauce. We like a cooked sauce and this saves us the extra step of cooking one on the stove.
Okay lets talk green seasoning. This is the key to this dish. Cynthia over at Tastes Like Home has already blogged extensively on it so I will point you to her site. So click here to read more about it. I make my seasoning using chives, celery, Spanish, French and Portuguese thyme, Trinidad seasoning peppers, chadon beni and garlic.
<
Case in point, let's examine a hugely popular cooking method the world over. There is some evidence to suggest that barbecue was transported to the rest of the world when Europeans observed the manner in which Amerindians smoked and prepared the meats on a grill called a buccan. Wild game was cured with salt and spices, then covered with wet leaves and cooked on a grill of local wood over an open fire pit. This early method of barbecue was adopted by the French and the word boucaniers buccaneer)was used to describe persons who prepared their meats this way. The term eventually came to describe pirates who I can only surmise found this a convenient cooking method that served their swashbuckling, beach lifestyle.
Convenient though it may have been for early colonial settlers. It's a pain in the butt for a working mom of three - maybe four (counting the days when DH might be acting like a kid himself). Here is my big tip for preparing this popular meal: get your significant other to do it for you:-) Easy enough since the modern day grill seems to draw out a man's primal need to rustle with coals and giant slabs of raw meat which must be tamed with secret marinades, spice rubs, slapped with special sauces and then charred, uhmm I mean grilled. Even if the self same guy doesn't know where to locate a fork in his own kitchen (yes M I am talking about you), he will no doubt be the owner of the Mercedes Benz of outdoor backyard grills. What's more he will be more than willing to show you how to use it with swashbuckling flair. BTW gas grills are for sissies, he'll declare through a cloud of smoke thick enough to keep all but the dragonfly sized mosquitoes away.
I love BBQ. Mr H and I tend to get all dewy eyed when we taste meat that has been smoked to a sweet, smoky, succulent, sticky perfection. Spare ribs at Pussers Marina Cay - we'll be back. Unfortunately, the chances of me hauling out a grill, fanning hot coals under an already sweltering Caribbean hot day, getting smoke in my eyes and my hair are really - NEVER! Instead, when friends invite me to a barbecue, I will ask if it's okay to bring extra meat and whatever extra ingredients the cook might need. These extras are grilled and I take them home for later on in the week. Roll your eyes all you want Marguerite Gorden you have never taste my friend J's barbecue.
Finally, as I say in the title to this post, If I'm doing it I prefer a method that does not sacrifice flavour but at the same time gets lunch or dinner on the table in quick time. Oven BBQ chicken is a very popular cheat version that appears often on the table for Sunday Lunch in many homes. There are many variations to suit personal preferences. The only must here is that your herbs should be fresh. Okay so the purists out there are probably firing up their own grills now to roast me for deigning to name my baked chicken, bbq. All I can say is so long as you have that grill lit, May I come over with a few extra pieces of meat ;-)?
So here it is my quickie version of BBQ chicken done in the oven better known as (It's too damned hot to BBQ Chicken recipe! Or for those of you approaching Winter in your country feel free to swap out the word hot for cold.)
3 1/2 - 4lbs chicken, cut up
1 lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbs spoons green seasoning
2 cups Hunts bold (or your favourite babbecue sauce
1/2 cup ketchup (optional)
splash Lea and Perrins worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Caribbean pepper sauce ( made with scotch bonnet or Congo peppers)
1) Wash chicken with lime. Squeeze one lime in 3/4 cup of water. Add to bowl of cut up raw chicken and mix. Pour off the lime water.
2) Season chicken with salt, garlic and green seasoning. Leave in the fridge overnight of at least 1/2 hour
3) Place skin side up on a foil lined baking dish. Discard marinade. Sprinkle some additional green seasoning over chicken. Mix the ketchup, barbecue sauce and the pepper. Cover chicken with this sauce and bake for 35 - 40 mins at 325 degrees F.
4) Remove from the oven. Coat chicken with additional barbecue sauce and return to the oven.
5) Cook until done about 15 mins more, basting occasionally until chicken has a nice colour and the sauce is a thick gravy. You could always add a little water to it for a thinner sauce. We like a cooked sauce and this saves us the extra step of cooking one on the stove.
Okay lets talk green seasoning. This is the key to this dish. Cynthia over at Tastes Like Home has already blogged extensively on it so I will point you to her site. So click here to read more about it. I make my seasoning using chives, celery, Spanish, French and Portuguese thyme, Trinidad seasoning peppers, chadon beni and garlic.
<
I wanted to love you but sorry I only like you.
When you are in love, research has shown that a large part of the cerebral cortex which is responsible for judgement and reasoning is deactivated to the point where you do stupid things. It can be argued that the same thing happens when one is inebriated. In my case it's just my innate weirdness gene and neither of the aforementioned that made me decide to grow my own mint for the sole purpose of making my own mojitos.
Years ago, my good friend D introduced me to the mojito and I fell in love. Unfortunately, it isn't very often that I find a place that serves mojitos due to the fact that fresh mint is only sporadically available here - if at all.
Finding a mint plant was easy. The garden shops have a good supply of a few varieties, spearmint, chocolate mint, ordinary mint. Growing it is not so hard. It doesn't do well in our full Caribbean sun. It seems to prefer filtered light and doesn't like it when the soil dries out. Water well. It bounces back easily from periods of drought i.e when you have forgotten to water it.
Why then is this a post about ice-cream and not a highball glass, beaded with condensation from a lovely cold mojito? In short, dear friends, I do not own a muddler. In the event that you even care about my mojito dilema let me describe one for you. As much as I am tempted to use the term to describe a particular Minister who sought to defend his Ministry's purchase of a 2 million dollar flag - a muddler is not a politician. Even if said politician attempted to clarify for the public that the flag itself only cost $18,000 and the design and engineering of the pole could not be considered to be part of the cost of the flag, but was a separate cost entirely. Mr. Minister further muddled the issue by suggesting that citizens should not protest the asstronomical cost (not a typo). Instaed we should rejoice with the national pride that this flag was meant to inspire. Befuddled are we?
Let me clarify.
This is a muddler
Yes you may consider gifting me with one. (D are you listening?)
This is NOT a muddler (though it may behave like one)
As much as one is tempted to think otherwise - a muddler is in fact a doohicky that one uses to bruise the leaves to releases the oils of the mint into your drink. In my quest to become my own mojito barrista, I discovered that processing mint leaves in a blender does not work. Also, your loved ones will not tell you that you have leaf bits stuck between your teeth, preferring instead to make jokes to get you to smile even more.
Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-cream
2 1/2 cups light cream, half-and-half or milk (whole or skim), or a combination
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
3 cups of fresh mint leaves (not stems), rinsed, drained, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 quarter cups chocolate chips
1. Put the mint leaves in a heavy saucepan with 2 cups cream, half-and-half or milk, in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until just steaming (do not let boil), remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Reheat the mixture until steaming add the sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 more minutes.
2. Strain the milk cream mixture into a bowl, pressing against the mint leaves with a wooden spoon to get the most liquid out of them. Return the milk cream mixture to the saucepan. In a bowl, blend cornstarch with remaining 1/2 cup cream, half-and-half or milk; there should be no lumps. Add cornstarch mixture to pot. Cook, stirring, until it starts to thicken and barely reaches a boil, about 5 minutes. Immediately reduce heat to very low and stir for 5 minutes or so until thick. Stir in vanilla extract.
3. If mixture has lumps, strain it into a bowl. Chill until cool, When cooled, pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add chocolate chips according to the manufacturers instructions - usually in the last 10 - 5 mins of churning.
Yield: 1 generous pint. ( A pint is only 2 cups!)
Okay so for the ice-cream I consulted with my BIFF (Best Internet Friend's for life) Mark Bittman, David Lebovitz and Elise Bauer. Awwright, Awwright so these people don't actually know that I exist but I visit their sites often enough. Funny how social networking has legitimized stalking. Anyway my BIFFS inspire me with their recipes and I am in awe of their curiosity about and skill with food. These guys have such a large following of fans, that I am a little bit afraid to be anything less than adoring. Still, friends tell friends the truth don't they? So here is how our conversation went....
Elise says, "The taste of the ice cream using fresh mint really is out of this world, so if you can get your hands on fresh mint, I highly recommend using it for this ice cream."
Wizzy: " Elise, now you know you are my girl and fresh ingredients are usually best but in this instance I prefer my home-made not gourmet so it's peppermint oil for my ice-cream the next time.
Dav-ee-d says: Strain the mint-infused mixture through a mesh strainer into a medium saucepan (the milk will be a lovely shade of emerald.)
Wizzy: Dav-ee-d. Mah boy! I hope jewlery is not on your signifiant other's christmas list! No it doesn't.
David: W - ee -zy, I don't want to say that you are culinary challenged but maybe maybe your mint was just a little bit chlorophyll challenged.
Robin Lee : It couldn't only be for me that eating fresh mint ice cream killed the desire to eat the regular stuff that I grew up on ever again.
Wizzy: Girlfriend, I tried to go there with you and Dav-ee-d. You are my BIFF after all. Sadly it was not to be. Fresh mint tastes like grass. Fresh minty grass but there is the unmistakable grass flavour which in my very unimportant opinion ( only have 45 followers ) while you no doubt have thousands. is just so wrong in any dessert.
Wizzy: Marcos, your cornstarch recipe liberated me from the drama that was pudding. thanks but I'll not be taking you up on that offer for ice-cream at your house. Your cornstartch recipe has made me a star man but a pint cannot be descibed as generous. It's just two cups, man.
A muddler I need a mojitoegineering of the pole and twhea dohicky used to here Such was my love for the drink that I decided to for months after I ( maybe in part due to insobriety)I'll admit but I was smite to the point where. Yes I decided to ot due to insobrietyin love (n but One major difference between love and hate appears to be in the fact that large parts of the cerebral cortex – associated with judgement and reasoning – become de-activated during love, whereas only a small area is deactivated in hate.. Why do I grow my own mint?
Years ago, my good friend D introduced me to the mojito and I fell in love. Unfortunately, it isn't very often that I find a place that serves mojitos due to the fact that fresh mint is only sporadically available here - if at all.
Finding a mint plant was easy. The garden shops have a good supply of a few varieties, spearmint, chocolate mint, ordinary mint. Growing it is not so hard. It doesn't do well in our full Caribbean sun. It seems to prefer filtered light and doesn't like it when the soil dries out. Water well. It bounces back easily from periods of drought i.e when you have forgotten to water it.
Why then is this a post about ice-cream and not a highball glass, beaded with condensation from a lovely cold mojito? In short, dear friends, I do not own a muddler. In the event that you even care about my mojito dilema let me describe one for you. As much as I am tempted to use the term to describe a particular Minister who sought to defend his Ministry's purchase of a 2 million dollar flag - a muddler is not a politician. Even if said politician attempted to clarify for the public that the flag itself only cost $18,000 and the design and engineering of the pole could not be considered to be part of the cost of the flag, but was a separate cost entirely. Mr. Minister further muddled the issue by suggesting that citizens should not protest the asstronomical cost (not a typo). Instaed we should rejoice with the national pride that this flag was meant to inspire. Befuddled are we?
Let me clarify.
This is a muddler
Yes you may consider gifting me with one. (D are you listening?)
This is NOT a muddler (though it may behave like one)
As much as one is tempted to think otherwise - a muddler is in fact a doohicky that one uses to bruise the leaves to releases the oils of the mint into your drink. In my quest to become my own mojito barrista, I discovered that processing mint leaves in a blender does not work. Also, your loved ones will not tell you that you have leaf bits stuck between your teeth, preferring instead to make jokes to get you to smile even more.
Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-cream
2 1/2 cups light cream, half-and-half or milk (whole or skim), or a combination
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
3 cups of fresh mint leaves (not stems), rinsed, drained, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 quarter cups chocolate chips
1. Put the mint leaves in a heavy saucepan with 2 cups cream, half-and-half or milk, in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until just steaming (do not let boil), remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Reheat the mixture until steaming add the sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 more minutes.
2. Strain the milk cream mixture into a bowl, pressing against the mint leaves with a wooden spoon to get the most liquid out of them. Return the milk cream mixture to the saucepan. In a bowl, blend cornstarch with remaining 1/2 cup cream, half-and-half or milk; there should be no lumps. Add cornstarch mixture to pot. Cook, stirring, until it starts to thicken and barely reaches a boil, about 5 minutes. Immediately reduce heat to very low and stir for 5 minutes or so until thick. Stir in vanilla extract.
3. If mixture has lumps, strain it into a bowl. Chill until cool, When cooled, pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add chocolate chips according to the manufacturers instructions - usually in the last 10 - 5 mins of churning.
Yield: 1 generous pint. ( A pint is only 2 cups!)
Okay so for the ice-cream I consulted with my BIFF (Best Internet Friend's for life) Mark Bittman, David Lebovitz and Elise Bauer. Awwright, Awwright so these people don't actually know that I exist but I visit their sites often enough. Funny how social networking has legitimized stalking. Anyway my BIFFS inspire me with their recipes and I am in awe of their curiosity about and skill with food. These guys have such a large following of fans, that I am a little bit afraid to be anything less than adoring. Still, friends tell friends the truth don't they? So here is how our conversation went....
Elise says, "The taste of the ice cream using fresh mint really is out of this world, so if you can get your hands on fresh mint, I highly recommend using it for this ice cream."
Wizzy: " Elise, now you know you are my girl and fresh ingredients are usually best but in this instance I prefer my home-made not gourmet so it's peppermint oil for my ice-cream the next time.
Dav-ee-d says: Strain the mint-infused mixture through a mesh strainer into a medium saucepan (the milk will be a lovely shade of emerald.)
Wizzy: Dav-ee-d. Mah boy! I hope jewlery is not on your signifiant other's christmas list! No it doesn't.
David: W - ee -zy, I don't want to say that you are culinary challenged but maybe maybe your mint was just a little bit chlorophyll challenged.
Robin Lee : It couldn't only be for me that eating fresh mint ice cream killed the desire to eat the regular stuff that I grew up on ever again.
Wizzy: Girlfriend, I tried to go there with you and Dav-ee-d. You are my BIFF after all. Sadly it was not to be. Fresh mint tastes like grass. Fresh minty grass but there is the unmistakable grass flavour which in my very unimportant opinion ( only have 45 followers ) while you no doubt have thousands. is just so wrong in any dessert.
Wizzy: Marcos, your cornstarch recipe liberated me from the drama that was pudding. thanks but I'll not be taking you up on that offer for ice-cream at your house. Your cornstartch recipe has made me a star man but a pint cannot be descibed as generous. It's just two cups, man.
A muddler I need a mojitoegineering of the pole and twhea dohicky used to here Such was my love for the drink that I decided to for months after I ( maybe in part due to insobriety)I'll admit but I was smite to the point where. Yes I decided to ot due to insobrietyin love (n but One major difference between love and hate appears to be in the fact that large parts of the cerebral cortex – associated with judgement and reasoning – become de-activated during love, whereas only a small area is deactivated in hate.. Why do I grow my own mint?
When Bread is Not the Staff of Life
Can you imagine a life without bread ? The history of bread goes back to ancient times and anthropologists tell us that wheat has been cultivated by man since before recorded history. The ancient Greeks and Romans ate bread as a staple food. The Lord's prayer asks God to "Give us this day our daily bread" - the bread here symbolizing moral sustenance as well as satisfying physical need. If there is one food unites the world it is a love and appreciation for bread. Be it leavened or unleavened all cultures consume some version of this food; in Jamaica there is a Hard Dough bread; Barbados, has Salt Bread; Guyanese, love their tennis Rolls, British Virgin Islands has Dumb Bread while Trinidadians crave Hops bread and Roti in it's various forms. If there is one food that the world can agree upon, it is the love and appreciation of bread in all forms.
So what happens if you are allergic to wheat the fundamental ingredient in bread?
As a mom, it's my job to stay informed and make the best dietary decisions possible for my family. This is even more important when someone in your family has a food allergy.
Although he was breastfed for 10 months, we realized early on that Little Bear had problems digesting his food. I had to eliminate all peas and beans from my diet as they made him uncomfortable and gassy. Certain foods also aggravated his eczema. It was difficult to pin down exactly which foods in my diet were the culprits and for the first year we struggled to determine the likely offenders. A few thousand dollars in doctors bills and dietary adjustments later we have determined that he is sensitive to tomatoes, melongene (eggplant), ochros (okra) and gluten. Gluten causes the most severe reaction. Not only does it flare up his eczema but he also gets allergy like sniffles and painful tummy cramps. His stomach gets rock hard. He screams for hours and is inconsolable.
Celiac Disease is a digestive tract disorder. When people with celiac disease eat foods which contain gluten, it creates an adverse reaction that damages the small intestine so that nutrients from food are not properly absorbed. While his doctor hasn't diagnosed celiac disease, we have been advised to keep his diet gluten free (for now anyway). My fingers are crossed that it will be as the doctor says and he may very well outgrow this sensitivity. In the meantime I have set about learning about gluten free food so that I can feed Little Bear stuff that doesn't make him ill and cause him pain. I am trying to remain hopeful that as he grows and his digestive system matures, things will work themselves out.
It is a challenge to maintain a gluten free diet because gluten is the protein found in wheat, oatmeal*, barley and rye. Wheat is the fundamental ingredient in bread; a food so universally important in the diet of so many cultures it has been described as the staff of life? But what if you are allergic to this staple food and all the other foods made with wheat flour like , pies, pizza, pastries, cookies, cakes, roti, doubles, dumplings, pasta, macaroni pie, noodles, lasagna, fried chicken, muffins, and pancakes? And those are only the obvious gluten containing foods.
More difficult to avoid is the 'hidden' gluten that is often present in commercially prepared foods. Wheat flour is often used in processed foods as a binder, emulsifier, and a filler. Here are are some foods which may be a source of hidden gluten: sausages, luncheon meat, soy sauce, snacks, malt and malted milk, icings, baking powder, some curry powder powders, some types of cocoa, some seasonings where flour is used as a flow agent, Ovaltine, Milo, baked beans (there may be gluten in the tomato sauce), textured vegetable protein, yogurt, chewing gum, potato chips, popcorn, ice cream cones, beverage mixes some pharmaceuticals and even some toothpastes.
Initially it was easy to avoid gluten because in the Caribbean we are blessed with a wide variety of starchy foods that can be substituted for cereal. Little Bear's first foods were primarily porridges of sweet potatoes, eddoes, tannia, dasheen, breadfruit, green figs, yams, and cassava. Many parents today start their babies on rice cereal followed by barley, oatmeal and wheat. It is easy to forget that this is a fairly new dietary change brought on by our convenience food culture. These cereals do not grow here and have only recently become staples. Many West Indians still choose to start baby on our fresh, local foods which are nutritionally superior than anything coming out of a box that was packed with preservatives and shipped halfway around the world. Listen I am not saying I don't keep a box of baby rice cereal flakes in the cupboard for emergencies but for the most part I don't find it at all difficult to boil a root vegetable and smash it with a fork with a bit of milk.
Little Bear is a 'big' boy now and the proud owner of 4 spanking new teeth. These teeth need substance. No more mushy mush for those bad boys. Biting (not always food related) is almost an obsession with him. I suppose chewing will come later. Sigh. At times it's alarming the huge chunks of food that he bites into and swallows without chewing. He bites everything. Furniture, toys, his clothes, paper, a grasshopper ( well almost - we got to poor Jiminy in the nick of time).
Time for some toast so small man can gnaw his way to biting nirvana. I used the only gluten free flour available to me, Doves Farms flour Gluten and Wheat Free Brown Bread Flour. At $7Us it's not cheap. I have made this twice and both times it produced a dense loaf with a depression in the middle. I am a bit puzzled by the picture of the well risen, loaves shown on the Doves Farm site since mine sagged in the middle. The recipe on the website mentions that the dough should be pressed inwards and upwards to form a domed top. I did not do this as it was not mentioned on recipe on the the package of flour. So maybe that's the reason.
In any case the center depression in my loaf makes it look like the bread is smiling when you cut it, don't you think? It has a nice crust but the texture is rubbery. If you don't expect this to taste like bread then you won't be disappointed with the flavour, which isn't off putting. It's just very bland. Think of it as a delivery method for your sandwich fixings. If I was gluten intolerant it would be an acceptable substitute for a sandwich but I can't see myself rushing to eat a warm buttery slice of this bread straight from the oven. It's not bread; just an acceptable substitute.Gluten Free Bread
16 oz Brown bread flour (Doves Farms)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Quick yeast
2 tbs Sugar
12 floz warm milk
1 tsp vinegar
2 eggs
6tbps oil
Mix together the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. In a large bowl beat in the milk, vinegar and eggs. Add the flour and mix to form a sticky dough. ( Looks wet and spongy). Continue mixing adding the oil. Place the dough in an oiled 2 lb bread tin, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 40- 45 mins 425 degres F
*Oats on their own do not contain gluten. However, they are not gluten free because of the potential for contamination during growing and processing.
My fingers are crosseddecision possible, but it's irritating when you wonder if your server really knows if there is a dollop of cream, or butter in your dishWe dined out often when my first son was a toddler Beers brewwed the tradiyonal way contain gluten .roti! doubles, pizza, fried chicken. Great but eating out I don't Just to be sure I called up gfree
Chefs are not dieticians but ceratinly restaurants have a responsibility to be knowlegedebale about food allegies and knowlege of ingredients so as to guide inform patrons food choices. I onnec had a friend end up in the Er shelfish allery. It turns out that cross contamination occured when the cutting board used to prepare her dish had been used earlier to prep shrimp.
A call to one of the country's ptremier restaurants revealed the extent of
Good evening. Do you offer any gluten free meal options on your menu.
Uhmm gluten free. Everything in this restaurant is gluten free.
uhhh huh. Yes mam please hold while I check that wit the chef for you.
The chef assures me that he doesn't cook with gluten and everything is gluten free. . Do you serve pasta? Yes we do.
I'm already frustrated at how little servers know about the food they are serving. I haven't even dined out that often with our little boy, )
You do know that pasta contains gluten
Does it?
Thanks for your help good evening.
Tips fpr dining out. Okay then.
Clearly
my favourite restaurant
It's been a while since I penned a blog entry for this site and it's been something I've missed. I intended to post something in June, but the gluten-Gods had something else in mind for me, and on June 20th I was seriously gluten-poisoned while eating out at an Italian restaurant - and have been suffering the serious physical and mental consequences ever since.
As much as I love home-cooking, I certainly also enjoy a nice meal out and the social life that usually accompanies dining outside the home. Since being diagnosed as a celiac disease nine years ago, I've learned to navigate through many restaurants safely and with confidence, yet on the other hand, there have also been many times when the message of cooking gluten-free was not properly transmitted from server to chef, and I've paid the serious price for their lack of awareness via a very sick body.
This past incident, however, has made me really angry and that's not like me - but when a restaurant so blatantly goes to great lengths to advertise and serve homemade gluten-free pastas on their menu, in my opinion, they are announcing that they have not only the understanding but the full awareness of exactly what gluten-free food preparation entails - this was so sadly not my experience on that lovely June evening. In fact, I went to great lengths to speak with the restaurant staff, and server five times from when the reservation was made on line, to a phone call, and throughout my meal. What more can a paying Celiac customer do to ensure their safety?
As it turns out, the special gluten-free pasta that I ordered ahead of time was then prepared with a basil cream sauce that was mixed with wheat flour, and then poured all over my delicious pasta and served to me. I instinctively asked the server as the beautiful plate of too-good-to-be-true pasta was placed in front of me, "okay so this meal is 100% gluten-free, correct?"...."Yes, enjoy!"....I was told.
It's this kind of negligence, and lack of understanding about how Celiacs and gluten-intolerant folks truly have to eat to ensure safety, that really incenses me.
I'm sure there are many of you out there who have experienced similar situations, and hopefully survived to tell about it. Our voices need to be heard and in my opinion when gluten contamination of food in a restaurant happens, it's not simply a stomach ache that ensues...there are serious symptoms involved that restaurants all across this nation need to be educated about. It's really a matter of life and death.
Malt vinegar Outcast outsider Please God don't let my baby have celiac disease. Other food allergies Dougnuts, bakery cookies, pies, pastry's, pasta (although wf is not that bad, it's just trying to convinve my parents to eat it), chicken noodle soup, ice cream in a cone, pretzels, raisin bread, sultana cake and basically the freedom of eating out without having to order salad after salad. with themit is understandable that breakfats is a bit of a challenge. It would be nice to break up the monontony of breakfast with the occaisiona l sandwich, or pancake or muffin. i had to look for agluten free bread for sandwiches, pancakes
Dougnuts, bakery cookies, pies, pastry's, pasta (although wf is not that bad, it's just trying to convinve my parents to eat it), chicken noodle soup, ice cream in a cone, pretzels, raisin bread, sultana cake and basically the freedom of eating out without having to order salad after salad.
At 4500 for of flour that yields two breads! Ouch it's a good thing he is the only one eating them Here is my bread lover opinion. Do not expect it to taste like bread. It has anice crust but the tecture The texture is somewhat rubbery.
This is my second attempt at this bread and bothe times the results were tthe same. NOw he eats from the family meals. I have struggled with finding a bread substiturewas especially frustrating since and we have to wait untilmost time
Power to Purslane and a Profesor
You know that nasty weed that keeps popping up all over the garden? Well I ate it! Just so you know and in case you find me on the floor foaming at the mouth you'll know what to tell them in the ER.
Let me start at the beginning. I'm not much of a gardener but I do love growing things. A few months ago, I came across some packets of seeds that must have been at least 2 years old. I wasn't at all optimistic about them sprouting but on the off chance that they might, I planted them in some seed flats. After 3 weeks, I was very excited to see that my seeds had sprouted. Wow! I really did not expect it and so many of them too. Hoorah! I diligently watered my sprouts.
As time went by and the first true leaves started to form, I grew suspicious. My tomato seedlings looked the same as my eggplant, which looked a lot like my peppers and so on. Huh? Darn it! They were weeds and they were every where. They were in between my flowers, in my pots, in amongst my herbs . and even in the cracks of the garden path. Once a month I engaged in the seemingly pointless activity of pulling them out only to have them return - as weeds are want to do - winking at me with little, yellow-flower eyes.
One day I was hanging out on a recipe forum when a woman in France posted a photo of a lovely salad. I blinked twice and stared. The greens on her plate looked a lot like my weeds!
Holy Cow! I had an epiphany. I ran outside and looked at my weeds. Those yellow flowers winked at me but this time I winked back! Then I headed indoors to dream up recipes for their demise.
Three months later I still hadn't tried them. I wasn't brave enough. Two Caribbean plant books contained illustrated drawings and botanical descriptions of what looked like my weed. I read long winded descriptions of leaf shape and pattern, something about ovate, ovoid, spatulate leaves blah, blah, blah. There was a lot of 'to-ing and fro-ing' on my part, to the glossary and main text. Eventually I did what any right minded thinking person would do. I called a perfect stranger on a Sunday afternoon and asked. "There is a weed in my yard, can I eat it? "
Professor Julian Kenny is considered an authority on biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago. He was a lecturer and Head of zoology in the faculties of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. The Professor doesn't know this but I am a huge fan of his due to all his efforts in conservation of the biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago. No, we do know know each other unless that you count the fact that I sporadically read his articles in the newspaper.
I am sure he must have thought I was crazy, ringing him up on a Sunday afternoon to say that I was eating weeds and thinking of feeding them to my family. I was nervous and I am sure barely coherent as I rambled on about doing research for an article. Yes, somehow my lowly blog got elevated into and article. I also mentioned not wanting to kill my children with a salad that I was making for dinner. Nice, I'm sure he thought I was a lunatic as well as rude. He must have been rolling his eyes skyward on the other end as he kindly directed me to make enquiries at the Herbarium at the University of the West Indies.
A week later I had my answer, my weed had a name. It was Portulace L. better known as Purslane or Pussley. A highly nutritious vegetable that is currently being touted as a superfood due to it's high Omega 3 content- the highest of any plant.
Sadly, in the Caribbean it seems that something has gone wrong with our food and it's culture of production that we could lose sight of such a lovely vegetable in favour of foriegn imports. In most cases imported produce is harvested well before the food has developed peak flavour and will never ripen into anything but insipid tastestless of what it should really be. Purslane is currently an 'it' ingredient with chefs in Europe while our local population has lost all knowlege of it. I wonder if it is still a commonly used ingredient in other Caribbean islands? on the Caribbean as little as 20 years ago.
Here is the salad I made or rather I co-erced Mr H. into making for me. He's so supportive isn't he? Imagine making a salad that your wife foraged from the wild bushes in the yard. Now that's trust!I'm sur ehe must have been thinkinon the urging of your wife from
In our society, foraging for food has become the most radical of acts seen as unessesary in an era of farmed and cultivated crops. The problem with this is thatIt is truly the only effective protest, one that can - and will - overturn the corporate powers that be. By the process of directly working in harmony with nature, we do the one thing most essential to change the world - we change ourselves. ~ Jules Dervaes ~
Bless
Farewell My Love
The last bag of mangos arrived via my dad. I was so excited that I did not notice until the following day that he was limping. It turns out he had climbed the mango tree to get the last ones which were in the topmost branches. He quickly sought to reassure me that he hadn't fallen out of the tree but had only slipped. This was said with the cheeky grin of an impish boy. There was a twinkle in his eyes that said he enjoyed shocking me by climbing trees at his age. Uhhmmm dad you are 72 years old! Too old to be climbing trees! I scolded, I preached, I ranted at his folly.
Seriously though who can resist the lure of a mangoes intoxicating perfume, the cherub yellow cheeks with just a blush of rose....like a babies cheek just made for biting. It's coming on to the end of the mango season. I is with a heavy heart that I am readying myself to say goodbye. I have have been cutting up and freezing them so that I can have some later on in the year. While doing so it struck me that I haven't done anything with my mangoes other than make baby food purée and greedily eat them just as they are for the past several months. Everyday I have had one for breakfast and the other as a snack as soon as I get home from work.
I know, I know terribly boring but I am of the view that there is no better way to enjoy mango than the way nature intended.
In the past I have tried various mango tarts and puddings. I can honestly say that I do not like the flavour and texture of a cooked ripe mango. The natural sugars concentrate to a cloyingly sweet mush. - bleh! What I needed was something to offset the overbearing sweetness of the cooked mango. I decided on a rich chocolate. It worked.
Mango Chocolate Gâteau
Mango Topping
ingredients
3 ripe but firm mangos (sliced as you prefer)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup butter
Slice mango and sprinkle with lemon juice. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add sugar. Spread the butter sugar mixture on the bottom of a round 9" cake pan. Arrange mango slices and pour cake batter on top.
Ingredients
cocoa powder for dusting cake pan
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup shortening (melted)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Instructions
In a bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add milk, cooled melted shortening and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed till combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg and beat 2 minutes more. Pour into a greased and floured ( use cocoa powder in place of the flour) 9" round cake pan.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly on a rack.
The End. There are no more mangoes.
say hello to pomme de cythere just commming into season. what can I say My love is fickle (smile0
http://carmensfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/search?q=chocolate+cake
A Tale of Whale
I have the dubious distinction of being the great grand daughter of a whaler. Dubious because it is now politically incorrect to even talk about killing whales. Yet at one time there were about ten commercial whaling stations operating in the Caribbean, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in Barbados, Trinidad and Grenada. Today under international agreement, Bequian whalers can harpoon no more than two whales per year. The whale is caught by traditional methods of hand thrown harpoons in small open sailing boats. The catch is not sold and is exclusively used for local consumption. It is given away to family and friends.
© 2009 All Rights Reserved, BDL&P
How does something like this end up on my breakfast table? Simple. The men in my family are mostly seamen with strong ties to the sea. I would not say that they are the romantic type -in fact just the opposite but for some reason they romaticize a meal of whale meat. These are taciturn men. Men who can spend all day looking out across the bay with a pair of binoculars without saying a word or it would seem moving an inch. They are men of slow grunts and uhhms for conversation. The ship captains among them have permanent squints from staring for hours on end at vast empty horizons. Apart from an almost a voyeuristic love of listening to VHF channel 16 and its call and distress conversations; silence and monotony are their thing. That is unless there is whale meat on the table. Then they come to life. They become animated. They trade stories about their adventures at sea. To hear them, you'd swear that they battled the beast themselves. And while they don't actually beat their chests and say Arrrg! As cousin A put it, " The way they carry on it's like, hoist the flag fellas we gah(got) whale!" You'd swear they sat in that boat themselves like the lateAthneal Ollivierre risking life and limb to bring it to the table.
I was to have broken that male seafaring tradition when as a teenager, I put to sea on my father's ship. At the time I was full of romantic notions (delusions:-) of being the first female ship captain in the family. Eight days later, somewhere off the coast of Jamaica with my last book read and nothing to do but cast about aimlessly in the 8 X 8 tin quarters of my room - that dream perished from the sheer boredom of life ( all eight days of unbroken monotony) at sea.
I would sit in silence on the bridge with the captain, my uncle V. A taciturn man of slow grunts and uhhms for conversation, But for explanations on how to read charts and plot a course (hopeless gibberish to me since I was flunking mathematics), there was a lot of silence and . I healthy 16 year old has an aversion to silence that and the knowledge that partying their summer away on some beach burned away Ahh yes my toothpick chewing Uncle V embodiment of the solitary sea dog. Lover of silence, vast endless horizons and voyeuerr of channel 16 Vhf call and distress radio conversations. That and the knowledge that my fiends were all partying on a beach somewhere, quick is the word I decided a life at sea was best left to the men and jumped ship in St. Lucia!
T Before you turn up your nose
As to the taste - meh. Nothing to write home about. But don't tell that to the older men for whom it's like har har ppound our chests Raise as one cousin put it it's more a psycological thing for the older men folk, it's like raise the flag we ga whale. It's smelly, oily. the blubber sits in the fridge waiting for someone to fall ill.
Nota Bene - Balls!
Back in July I spent the most fabulous, pampered and romantic holiday in Tobago. So this post was inspired by my memories of that trip and the taste of their most popular treat, Bene balls.
Bene is an African word for Sesame seed. I secretly call these Tobago Jawbreakers and they are my guilty pleasure. Considerable effort is required to bite into one; the old and infirm need not apply. Oh, but they are so good. Family and friends upon hearing of your intent to visit the island of Tobago will beleaguer you with requests to bring them some Bene Balls.
My stash from that July trip did not last very long and I decided I should try to make my own. It's super easy to do and I can't imagine why I never thought to make them before.
Trinibagonians abroad who can't get home and need a nostalgia fix. This is the real deal.
I was surprised that not one of my many Caribbean cookbooks had a recipe for this? Maybe it’s a Tobago national secret; a closely guarded formula like Angostura bitters? Never fear I finally wrangled an authentic recipe from a Tobagonian friend.
NB (Nota Bene): I have strayed away from the traditional ball shape and added honey so as to make it softer and more pleasantly crunchy. Your dentist will thank me I’m sure.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sesame seeds
4 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons honey
1. Line a 8 x 8 inch brownie pan with a sheet of waxed paper. Coat the waxed paper with cooking spray. Coat a silicone spatula with cooking oil spray. In a medium skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they're fragrant and golden, 7 minutes to 10 mins
2. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and honey. Cook over low heat, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is thick. No need to sir. Cook until the sugar reaches the soft ball stage. I keep a small bowl of water on the cook top to test the sugar. Use a teaspoon and drop a small amount of sugar in the water. Feel the sugar with your finger you should be able to roll it into a soft ball. At this point add the sesame seeds to the sugar and stir well with a wooden spoon.
3.Use the greased silicone spatula. Scrape the mixture into the brownie pan and onto the paper. Press down and smooth the mixture until it Is evenly spread across the bottom of the pan.
4. Cut the candy into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Let the candy cool completely. Break apart the pieces and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about twelve squares.
TIP: Another way to prepare these squares would be to coat two large sheets of waxed paper with cooking spray. Place one sheet of the waxed paper on a work surface, greased-side up. Scrape the mixture onto the paper and top it with the remaining sheet of waxed paper, greased-side down. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture into a square about 1/4 inch thick.
