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.

Give Your Dog a Makeover

Do your hot dogs need a makeover? Mine did. Honestly I had fallen into a rut. Bun, dog, ketchup, mustard - maybe some slaw at the side - NOT (God forbid) for fear of histrionics and major toddler meltdowns, slaw on the top. Never slaw on the top people!

How many of you are like me in thinking that this is kiddie fare, not suitable for adult tastes? Well think again.....here they are... hot dogs for grown ups! Inspired by my July 09 issue of bon apétit's, 'Around the world in 80 Hot Dogs'


Topping: caramelized onions, mushrooms, blue cheese


Topping: mngo chow,Grace mild jerk marinade,Trinidad Seasoning peppers

My friend Thorsten has got me thinking that I should add cucumbers to The Jamaican. Check out his gorgeous photography and his German take on the hot dog here.

Picture my son's face when I said I was making Hot Dogs for Lunch. He did a little happy dance/jig. He ran around in a circle singing/screaming HOT DOGS, H - 0 - T Dogzzzzz! We're having HOOOOOOO T DOOOOGS!

Now, imagine the scene when I put these in front of him? Silence. He stared at them for such a long time without saying a word. But his face, oh how his face said it all! Finally, in continued silence he ate. Chew, chew, chew, pause to throw an aggrieved look my way, chew, chew, chew, exaggerated swallow. When he was done he only had one comment " Mom, next time PLEASE don't make 'special' hot dogs for me. Special, said with an inflection that one reserves for the disabled or mentally incapacitated. LOL

Seriously though it's summer time. I don't know about you but I don't like to be in the kitchen much when I am on holiday. You don't need to fire up a grill for these. Boil then fry the hot dogs, toast the buns slightly and you are all set. The more complicated toppings can be prepared in advance.



These were so easy and so good. I want to do more. Do you have any ideas for me to try? Name your hot dog and send your 'special' topping suggestions my way.

I cook because I photograph.

Julia over at, A Slice of Cherry Pie asked, "What can you do with watermelon and mint?" Here is my answer, A Deconstructed WMF Salad. Why deconstructed? Why not a full on watermelon-mint-feta salad like the one from Food and Wine which has been on my to make list for well over a year? It's because I made this well in advance of the actual meal and I was worried, that having it sit too long would make it soggy. There's nothing as unappetizing as a soggy salad.

This is a simple salad to be sure but clean, bright and fresh. I am of the opinion that the olive oil dressing suggested in Food and Wine would have dulled the sweetness of the melon. I am glad that I omitted it. In this instance I seasoned with a sprinkle of sea salt. The salad kept well and what little moisture it did produce was easily wiped up before serving.

Oh all right! I'll fess up. The truth is I saw a picture....which gave me an idea for a pattern. So now you know my awful secret. I do not cook to feed my family, I cook because I photograph. The fact that they can eat the by product of my creative efforts is just a lucky bonus for me. If you are at all confused that my cooking is less driven by a need to nourish my family and more because I want to take a picture of food, then clearly you need to read, 10 Things You Should Know about Food Bloggers, by Not So Nigella. In it she explains the strange creature that is Foodus Bloggerus. Enjoy!

A-maizing Green Corn Dumplings!

Is there a certain food or meal that takes you back to your childhood? Perhaps there is a meal that evokes a story in your family? The dish comes to the table and someone invariably says, "Remember the time when....."

Our favourite dishes are usually not gourmet fare nor are they cooked up a Michelin chef, although those are nice too. Our best meals are often those that have been , lovingly prepared by mothers, grandmothers or dads :-). Such food is unpretentious and honest. It makes use of readily available local ingredients and carves a spot in our psyche that makes it extra special.

Some weeks ago we received a bag of fresh corn. My father was immediately transported to his youth and spoke excitedly about making Green Corn Dumplings. 'Green' meaning raw corn, straight off the cob. I became curious as to the taste. Calls to various family members directed me to my Aunt in Union Island who told me how to make them.

All told it was a fun project and a look back in time to when Caribbean islanders were more directly involved with the food that they ate, from it's cultivation, to processing and cooking.

My four year old enthusiastically helped with the grinding of the corn, hopefully creating his own nostalgic ties to this traditional food. For my part, I remembered my Carib grandmother who grew corn and ground her own cornflour. My brother remembered the time when... "all the corn had to be harvested early because of Hurricane David and we glutted ourselves on roasted corn".



Green Corn Dumplings

Rough approximations.

Ingredients
8 cups Green Corn
1 1/2 tbs white flour
1/4 cup warm water, slightly brackish ( translation: slightly salted- don't you just love the Vincy turn of phrase?)
A pot spoon of flour ( Ah yes, the standard measuring spoon of West Indian cooks:-)

Method

Mix together flour and corn. Make a well in the center of the corn and slowly add 1/4 cup or less, warm, salted water stirring until it comes together - enough that you can shape it with your hand. Make your dumplings in the shape that you prefer and place in coconut milk which has come to a rolling boil. Traditionally in St Vincent and the Grenadines these dumplings are served in a soup that is called Boilin.


Once the dumplings were cooked, we added some well seasoned dolphin (Mahi- Mahi) fish steaks on top of the dumplings and simmered until they were cooked.

Many of my parent's generation are of the opinion that the convenience of processed foods means that we sacrifice taste and nutrition for ease of preparation. What do you think? In this instance I am inclined to agree. These dumplings were a treat and so full of flavour that it was akin to eating an actual boiled corn. Simply put they taste like corn and you will be amazed after eating them to discover that in comparison processed cornmeal doesn't actually taste like corn at all.

Not So Skinny Bitch

Every once in a while I happen upon a recipe that tempts my inner skinny. That part of me that is buried under the ravages of pregnancy, busy days, skipped meals, little exercise and late at night junk food noshing. I found this vegan recipe for Pecan Crusted French Toast while browsing through my hairdresser's magazine stash in People Magazine Sept 2008.

"Huh?" I thought. "Egg bread (my childhood name for French Toast) without egg."
Hmmm..... I considered.
"No way!" shouted my carnivore self; lover of butter, chocolate, cheese cake, oil down, pizza, ice-cream and other calorific comfort foods, "Don't you dare mess with my "Eggy bread!"

The promoters of this recipe were former Ford model agent, Rory Freedman and former model, Kim Barnouin. They are the co-authors of a diet book called Skinny Bitch. They are both radiant and look the epitome of health and yes ....skinniness.

And so, in the hopes that one day I too might be a skinny bitch...on the outside, as well as on the inside - this recipe entered my life.

Here is the recipe with my adaptations in bold.

Not So Skinny Bitch Pecan Crusted French Toast

1-1/2 cups vanilla soy or rice milk
3 tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons chickpea flour or brown rice flour split pea powder
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, or more as needed for cooking
6 to 8 slices vegan whole wheat or whole wheat raisin bread
Maple syrup for topping * honey

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy or rice milk, corn starch and cinnamon. Whisk in the chickpea or brown rice flour. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl. Place the pecans in another shallow bowl.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the coconut oil. Once slice at a time, dip the bread in the milk mixture, turning to soak both sides. Do not soak bread in mix too long as it gets soggy fast. Dip one side in the pecans, pressing to coat. (The pecans don't stick easily on the bread.) Arrange the bread in the skillet (you might have to do more than one batch), pecan side down. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pecans are well-browned. Carefully turn the bread, and continue cooking until the second side is browned, 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Bite after bite I kept expecting to dislike this but it was quite good. Imagine then my surprise to find out that just one slice with honey is approximately 400 calories! Granted these online calculators are not 100% accurate but OMG I had two of these for breakfast! True they did take me through to lunch without needing to have a mid morning bite. As a result I am renaming these Not So Skinny Bitch Pecan crusted French Toast:-)