Admittedly this is the worst cake ever
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.
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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.
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!
