When Lilandra came to visit a couple weeks ago, I made dinner. It’s always easier and more interesting to cook special meals when someone is there to share. After having received several snide comments about her hoping there’d be food, I decided to try some things I’d wanted to experiment with for a while. The whole menu as pictured from the left then clockwise round the plate:

• Pan-fried Havarti Crostini
• Rocket leaves for greenery
• Roasted Potato rubbed with garlic from a Roasted head of garlic
• Roasted Aubergine and Crimini Mushroom
• Steamed Cauliflower

First the FRIED CHEESE!!

Ever since we watched the Take Home Chef (before May 1, 2007 and Food Network on TT cable, this show on TLC was really the only cooking-show fix we had), where chef/host Curtis Stone made these Pan-Fried Scandinavian Cheese on Crostini we’ve been dreaming of trying it. I mean, fried cheese on crusty slices of French bread? Mmmmm. Being in Barbados with access to lots of cool ingredients in the posh groceries, I bought a block of Havarti cheese weeks before, just waiting to try it out.

Before I picked Lilandra up from the airport I cut the cheese into rectangular slices and popped them in the freezer (it needs to be somewhat frozen so it doesn’t melt and ooze into a gooey mess while frying). Back from the airport a little more than an hour later, it was back to the recipe.

Before frying the cheese, prep the bread. Slice the baguette a little diagonally into thin slices, brush with oil (and some of the roasted garlic) and toast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp. While that’s happening, fry the cheese!
Rinse the cheese in cold water quickly then dredge in flour. Then it’s on to the FRYING. Fry the floured cheese slices in a couple tablespoons of oil until it’s golden on both sides. Pay attention and don’t cook it too long, as the cheese will melt and bubble and ooze out of its crust. This is what happened to me when I ran to get the camera to capture the beauty of frying cheese. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far gone.

Place the fried cheese onto the crostini and enjoy nice and hot. The cheese will ooze and be melty inside the golden crust. Now, Curtis topped this crostini with sour cherry jam. I wasn’t too sure about that so didn’t try it this time, but the truth is, fried havarti is very savoury, cheesy and a bit salty. So…a touch of sweetness on top may be a very nice contrast. Next time!

Roasted Aubergine and Crimini Mushrooms

These were basically sliced, tossed with some cracked black pepper and cilantro and roasted until cooked the way I wanted it. The method that was new for me was the prepping of the Aubergine (by the way, I do call it eggplant, melongene or baigan, but feel like using “aubergine” this time – I don’t use that word enough!). I watched Alton Brown on the Good Eats episode “Berry from another planet” (Alton Brown is without a doubt my favourite tv chef – explanations, history, scientific reactions, diagrams and huge molecular models – what more could one want?) and I like the way he did the purging of the aubergine. It took me a while to learn to purge aubergine before some cooking, so the whole process is still a bit new to me. Always wonder – how much salt? Will it taste salty? How long should it drain for etc etc. But now I know – slice, salt liberally and let drain for at least 30 minutes – to drain, Alton laid them out on a rack over a sheet pan. Recipes usually tell you to lay on absorbent paper. That’s messy. I like the draining on a rack. I sat it over a bowl and lots of dark brown liquid was there after half an hour. Nice. Rinse and roll in paper towels to dry.

Roasting a head of garlic

I love garlic. Tried very hard in this meal not to add it to EVERYTHING as would be my instinct But since I had the oven on, roasting the potatoes and veggies, I thought “why not roast a head of garlic?”. I have seen it done on so many shows, where they roast it till the garlic is soft and spreadable and mmmm. Well, at least I assumed it was mmmm. I sliced off the top of the head (hehe, how often does one get to say that unless they are a neurosurgeon or something?), drizzled with olive oil and popped it into the oven. Roasted till it looked cooked soft and spreadable.

I used this lovely spready garlic to spread on the crostini and then on the potatoes. After they were roasted, we (Lilandra) sliced them in half and spread some of the garlic with butter (ok, I didn’t have butter and we had to use margarine, but that was the intention). Then the potato halves go back in the oven until a little golden on top and the kitchen smells even better.

The meal was fun to make, didn’t actually take too long to organise and it was actually appreciated by the guest. I really should make things that I have collected in my head more often! The Pan-Fried Havarti Crostini was really the best part, both for fulfilled expectations and just because, as you may have surmised, it was FRIED CHEESE.

This should be my last cricket post, before I get back to the food. Unless somehow I end up in England for the Windies tour. Contributions of money and pressure on my bosses to give me the appropriate vacation leave will be gratefully accepted.

I made it to the Finals! Unexpected, but greatly appreciated. Yay. There’s much that can be said about the rain, and the rain, Adam Gilchrist, the actual match, the end-that-was-not-an-end and the ceremonial bits. I don’t want to get into that in detail; you can read reports like this one or this one.  Or read the updates Lilandra had posted on her blog, since she was the one sending me messages to keep me updated I don’t deny that Australia deserved to win but even so they deserved a better battle. And that has nothing to do with the mettle of the competition Sri Lanka. There were moments with Sri Lanka where it seemed entirely possible (including two 6′s that got me on tv!). Jayasuriya and Sangakkara had some great moments at bat, but too few to win.

In the end many of the highlights were Aussie. Like Mc Grath – another great ending his career. Very successful. Particularly against the other retiree Brian Lara. But Glen McGrath gets to retire on the highest note possible as a World Cup champion and Man of the Tournament! Adam Gilchrist made the fastest century in a World Cup final 100 off 72 balls. And Australia won the cup in the dark. Twice.

But being at Kensington Oval for the final was a tremendous experience. I got there early. Early enough to get rained on all the way down Fontabelle to get into the Oval. Passing the dancers, the scraggly homeless ticketless Aussie fans trying to get in. Seeing the oval fill up with eager excited people. There were large blocks of Aussies. Streams of yellow. Their support has been great and vociferous throughout this tournament. Complete domination of the party stand today – to the point where, even though I was the furthest point from them, I could make out the words clearly when they sang without music or speakers “I COME FROM A LAND DOWN UNDER…”

However…West Indians like the underdog. Plus, everyone in that oval – South Africans, Kiwis, West Indians, English, Indians, Pakistanis…all been beaten by Australia (well mostly) and all backed Sri Lanka (some in their own fan gear, some went out and bought Sri Lankan stuff). There were times when the whole Oval was chanting SRI LANKA!! Actually managed to overpower the Aussie support sometimes. I didn’t see as many Kiwis as I would have thought – didn’t the New Zealanders have hope that they could get into the finals?

The presentation ceremony as always was really for the tvs and the main stand where the VIPs are. But fortunately organisers had a show for the plebs. I understand most of this show was not broadcast once the Cup was handed over to the victorious Australians. The closing party was filled with twirling moving dancers and moko jumbies and panmen(and children) with the touches of Minshall as evidenced by the tall mobile figures in white with dreads. Performances by Allison Hinds and Rupee. Fireworks!

And leaving amid the masses wasn’t a nightmare. In fact, I think Barbados got the organisation right for the movement of people – whether through airports and seaports or in and out of the Oval. Fantastic achievement during the whole tournament – even at other grounds and one that deserved some appreciation from the ICC/CWC at the closing ceremony. But no go. Who likes to thank the public servants? We prefer to thank Mello. Sigh.

The refurbished Kensington Oval is beautiful. Holds upwards of 28,000 people with the addition of temporary stands. Called the CWC North and South Stands, they are made of metal adding an additional musical element to the oval atmosphere.Confused? Imagine thousands of people stomping on metal in unison. Ahhh. Scary the first time. But the stands held and everyone got to be part of the rhythm.

Pictures from Kensington Oval:

Australia vs Ireland: April 13 2007

Ireland vs Bangladesh: April 15 2007

West Indies vs England: April 21 2007

THE FINALS: Australia vs Sri Lanka – April 28 2007

Asian Palm Thai Restaurant, Holetown, St James, Barbados

Asian Palm is described as a Thai and Chinese restaurant and is situated in the same street as the very nice Sitar Indian Restaurant. Little narrow 2-storey house, very unprepossessing on the outside. We decided to go there, because we were in the mood for Thai, but were in St James and didn’t feel like heading all the way to Tamnak Thai in Christchurch. Plus, we wanted somewhere a little cheaper. So, fingers did the walking, found a Thai place, and out we went.

Well, it wasn’t a particularly fancy restaurant, but that’s never a problem if they have good food and service. The only guy we saw was friendly enough and led us upstairs past the empty bar/downstairs area (no real need for a reservation in the middle of the week, perhaps). The decor could have been really great – nice curtains and colours on the walls. Asian bamboo touches etc. Ruined completely by a blue-ish tablecloth that clashed with the other colours, and covered in plastic!! Sigh. Could still have good food, right?

I ordered the shrimp and pineapple Red Curry. I had not had Thai food in sometime and a red curry with pineapple sounded great. But it wasn’t really a red curry – it didn’t taste particularly Thai, and wasn’t very red. It looked like it had been made with regular curry powder ingredients, and not the red curry paste, which starts with red chillies. It didn’t taste bad, but it wasn’t anything special or Thai. I had egg-fried rice, which was standard Chinese takeaway type fare. My friend had Pad Thai, since she loves loves that dish, but she was also disappointed. Yet again, not a very authentic flavour. Now I do accept that Pad Thai and even curries can vary from cook to cook, but I am sure you get the idea – the food didn’t blow our minds or satisfy the particular craving we’d been having. Now, my experience with Thai restaurants before this is mostly from the UK, while my friend would have enjoyed hers in the US. And both of us were left wanting. Tamnak Thai on the other hand, in Christchurch, meets our Thai needs.

Of course, this is not to say that I am advising that you avoid this restaurant. The service was friendly, although not particularly attentive. The food is not bad, just not particularly special or noteworthy. Just be forewarned that it is more akin to your standard Chinese restaurant fare and not really Thai. Also, the menu has flying fish options, so you get a Bajan-Chinese-Thai kinda food. I would probably go there again and try some of their other dishes. And it isn’t overly expensive or formal, so it was a good liming dinner. We actually stayed there really long. Long enough to get past the usual “work people crazy. What is wrong with all these lunatics?” and move on to normal conversation. And trust me, my life right now, the work-people-crazy talk can go on. And on.

Sitar Restaurant, Holetown, St James

Holetown is one of those prime tourist areas in Barbados. And there’s a reason for that. In a small area, there are shops and restaurants tightly packed for visitors’ enjoyment. I am sure the shopping is great, but the real reason I like it is the abundance of eating options. You can just drive along and find somewhere nice to eat. Although generally, I’d recommend calling for a reservation. They seem to like it in most places.

Sitar is located somewhere in a pair of side streets of the main road, amid other restaurants, a couple bars, karaoke and otherwise and there are always people on the street looking very much as if they’re enjoying themselves. The restaurants are in quaint narrow houses and you can’t quite tell what it’s going to be like from the outside.

Sitar, an Indian restaurant, is small, with good food. I’ve only been once so far, but I will go again, time permitting. I am not quite sure about the service – people were friendly, but the service was a bit slow considering there were only a couple other tables there. But I did like the food. I had veggie samosas (nice, hot crispy, but low light and the one picture I had is too blurry). And then Matar Paneer, Pilau Rice and some Garlic and Onion Nan. I don’t think I have had Matar Paneer before, although I always like Paneer. The Nan was very good. Light, a bit crispy on the outside and nice flavour.

The serving sizes are decent and the price is not too bad. Another reason to like this part of Holetown, the food is fairly affordable. I noticed the dish they served the Matar Paneer in looks JUST like the ones that Rasam in Trinidad uses. Must be a Caribbean Indian restaurant supply store. But the plates were cool and different. Colour. Nice.

Update (18 May 2007): I have visited Sitar at least three more times since this post. They know us now. Seriously. Everyone came over to say hello. I thought I could post a bit more on the food and prices.

Appetizers - The samosas really are consistently good – flaky, hot and flavourful and served in 3s. Not very spicy for those who worry. And the slightly sweet red sauce they serve with it is a good compliment. I have also had the ground split pea patties (like Trini kachorie, can’t remember the name they use) which are also good – crispy and well seasoned. You get 3 of these per order.

Nan - The nan at Sitar is light and thin and just the right amount of crispy on the outside. Very very nice. The Aloo Nan (with a layer of seasoned potato in the middle) is a particular favourite. Word of caution – 2 people can comfortably eat 1 order of nan with your main course.

Side Orders - Sitar’s rice dishes are made from basmati rice and are nice. I have not tried the biriyani (which would be a main course) and only 2 types of the rice, but Ithink they do a good job. I don’t think they are necessarily spectacular, but if you like rice, you won’t be disappointed. I have also had some of the vegetable sides, like the Aloo Gobi (pictured on the left), which is a mixture of potato, cauliflower and other vegetables, cooked in a mixture of spices like turmeric and cumin. I think the actual flavour may vary with the chef and spices used, but I love the 2 main ingredients, so I ordered it, but I found the taste of the fresh coriander leaves to be somewhat overpowering. I usually like coriander/cilantro, but not as much as chadon beni/culantro from T&T. This dish had too much of the slightly grassy/woody taste that cilantro/coriander can sometimes contain.

Curries - I have tried quite a few of the curries and come to the conclusion that I don’t really like the overly creamy Indian curries. I think I prefer the ones that are tomato based at Sitar. The Vindaloo is good and I think I would like to try the Jalfrezzi if I get a chance to visit again (my time in Barbados is almost up). The last time I had the Kerala Fish Curry, which seems to be just some spices (usual suspects like turmeric, ground coriander, cumin) and some yoghurt. It was a nice balance to the fish, with a hint of tangyness from the yoghurt. One of my friends orders the Chicken Korma every time, and loves it. I am not sure I like Kormas, so go with her recommendation As mentioned above, the Matar Paneer is quite nice. And the lamb curries are apparently well cooked and seasoned.

Desserts – Sitar offers 2 Indian desserts – Gulab Jamoon and Kulfi. Indian Gulab Jamoon is of course not Trini Gulab Jamoon; Indian Gulab Jamoon is more like Trini Rasgullah – fried balls of milk in a spiced sugar syrup. Sitar’s Gulab Jamoon (pictured on the left) is very good, but a little too much syrup for me. Plus they top it with whipped cream and a cherry (why??). The Kulfi, Indian icecream, is dense and condensed milky sweet, with nuts, ginger and spices. Mmm. But also topped with whipped cream and cherries…

You can also end the meal with a very nice Masala Chai.

I kept the bill (if only I could find it) and Sitar is relatively reasonable in terms of price (it’s still Barbados). A 3 course meal, plus coffee or chai and soft drink came up to BD $90 (US $45). And we still had take home bags of curry and nan.

Il Tempio, Fitts Village, St James

Italian obviously. I have been here twice and I like it. It’s pricey (the ice cream alone while very good, costs about the same as a typical fast food meal) but has a nice atmosphere and usually friendly attentive service. Plus it is ON the beach – what more can one ask from a restaurant, but the opportunity to sit in candlelight looking out at waves, while getting simple, but tasty Italian meals. Of course, that nice candlelight doesn’t make for great pictures, not having a DSLR just yet. But, you can get the idea of the ambience.

Upon arrival, you get a little tidbit from the chef, some nice tiny mouthful of something. And a personal greeting etc from the nice Italian owners. The service the first time was excellent – frequent refilling of water glasses, quick delivery of hot bread when more was requested and generally good attention to the diners. The second time was just as friendly, but not quite as attentive, but they were very busy with some large parties, perhaps. Friendliness can forgive a lot, so I’ll wait to assess the service again at a third visit.

The bruschetta was pretty good – slice of tomato, slice of cheese and basil leaf, grilled…mmmm. I always try the bruschetta. Always different in every restaurant! Their homemade pastas have really nice flavours, even if the servings are a bit small. The pasta pictured was agnolotti stuffed with cheese in a walnut and gorgonzola cream sauce. Very nice. Very creamy. Straight to my sinuses by next morning, but it was worth it (well, maybe it was that AND the chocolate and hazelnut gelato I had after). I also had (with Lilandra) the Ravioloni alla Sorrentina (pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese and asparagus in a cherry tomato sauce (this is what we had right? or was there a special we ordered? I forgot to write it down).

The gelatos are excellent and creamy. But about BDS$20. Starters range from about BDS$25 to $40. Main courses start from about $38. US $1 = BDS$ 2. The menus are available online, so you can get the idea.

Brown Sugar, Aquatic Gap, St Michael

I have been to this restaurant 2 or 3 times and each time I was impressed and satisfied by the food. It was really well presented (beautiful and sorry I don’t have any pictures) with lovely combinations of seafood and veggies. The decor is leafy outdoors, which is nice, and the walls are reminiscent of a woven hut (note: it is enclosed and covered). It is a mid-sized restaurant for Barbados, but on busy nights I think a reservation would be recommended. Service was very friendly. This is gourmet Bajan food, using primarily local ingredients to create the dishes.

Short review, I know. But the only times I have been there so far have been with senior work colleague and I didn’t want to pull out the camera and fully document the experience.

I didn’t make it back right away – busy, busy, sick, then sick again (but differently). But yesterday, while waiting to pick up my prescription, I got a sign. The antibiotics I needed were ONLY available at the pharmacy in Cave Shepherd on Broad Street. A SIGN!! I made my way to Cave Shepherd this morning by taxi (the medicines I managed to get yesterday were doing their job and I didn’t think I should be driving, plus the whole trying to find a park).

So, to get back to my opening statement. I’ve been liking Barbados. Even liking the Bajans.

BUT…

Someone in this country has MY NIKON D80!!!!!!! Where is it?

The cameras sold out in the first week. Who has it? Who has MY camera? Who in BIM bought my camera from Cave Shepherd and deprived me (and Lilandra) yet again of the joy of having our DSLRs??

Sigh.

Maybe it’s a sign. NOT that we should by the Canons (after all, why are THOSE still on the shelves?) but that we should have taken our vacation and bought our cameras somewhere else. I mean, yes, I am mad at the unknown Bajan(s) who bought our cameras, despite the high price, but it is their country. They’d probably be mad if some Trini came into their country to take away their limited camera supplies. Maybe.

Sigh.

And I had even planned to celebrate having the camera by documenting my first attempt at Thai green curry with the real Thai ingredients (I improvised the last time).

Keep tuned in for more. This story doesn’t seem to want to end.

Although I am still not regularly online, I feel like I have been neglecting my blog. So although I don’t have the energy to write anything particularly interesting, at least I can report on where I have been eating With pictures.

Champers Restaurant is off the main South Coast Road in Barbados, literally ON Accra Beach. The location is reason enough to visit this restaurant since you see nothing but those crystal clear blue waters of Barbados – as if you are asea. Sitting at the table and staring out at the sea was so soothing. While this may have influenced my views of the food, I do have pictures to prove that at least the meals also looked great

I had lunch there as part of a business meeting, so I can’t claim to have experienced the regular experience. However, the food was excellent, so at the very least the chef is good! And judging by their online menus the meals offered for the group lunch are part of their normal offering. The Menu at right, which was printed especially for our group, offered the following:

To Start

Hot Split Pea Soup

Warm Duck Breast & Apple Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Champers Caesar Salad

Coconut Shrimp and Chilli Sauce

Main Courses

Shrimp Curry with Basmati Rice & Vegetables

10 oz Striploin Steak with Peppercorn Sauce with Frenh Fries

Grilled Dolphin with Orange & Ginger Sauce served with Savoury Rice & Garden Salad

Chicken & Mushroom Fettuccuni with a Creamy Chardonnay Sauce

Desserts

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberry Coulis and Vanilla Ice Cream

Warm Bread Pudding with Bajan Rum Sauce and Ice Cream

Mango Sorbet served with Fresh Fruit

Double Chocolate Brownie with Pecans served with Vanilla Cream Sauce and Ice Cream

They served the meal with these absolutely lovely garlic herbed rolls. Which they took away after the starter. Bad people. Sometimes maybe people want bread during the meal. Especially small little delicious rolls. Good thing I stashed one away in my bag for later!

I had the following (pictured from the left going clockwise):

Starter: Hot Split Pea Soup: The soup was a bit spicy, with ginger and a touch of sweetness. Nice balance of flavours so it didn’t taste like dhal

Main Course: Shrimp Curry with Basmati Rice & Vegetables: It was good shrimp. And a very nice side of fried ripe plantain (love fried ripe plantain – what caramelises better?). The curry itself wasn’t fantastic, but at least it was not bad and gritty (which happens when people think that throwing in curry powder at random intervals will create a “curry”). However, it could have had more flavour. And more of it. Started to think that I should have saved some of the starter to use as dhal! The poppadum thing in which they served the vegetables was also a nice touch. I like to have a range of textures and since they took away the bread it was an acceptable substitute despite not being herbed and garlicky.

Dessert: Double Chocolate Brownie with Pecans served with Vanilla Cream Sauce and Ice Cream: So Good. So Chocolate-y. So very very good. But after the other 2 courses, even though I didn’t eat all my rice (trying to leave room) I still couldn’t finish this.

And there’s a picture of the bread pudding because I was sitting next to a recipient of same. And it looked so pretty. Of course, I didn’t eat that because of the rum sauce. I wish I knew what was topping the desserts though. It looks real, but no clue what it could be. Any ideas? (UPDATE: I have been informed, after taking a picture of the same topping at the Flindt Patisserie that Cynthia mentions, that this is Physalis Peruviana or Cape Gooseberry.

I am still internet-deprived, but Lilandra is visiting so neither of us have updated our blogs. I am at work, so I have an unfair advantage For the past 10 years I have heard much about how nobody every invited her to visit Barbados (never mind she was busy doing A-Levels and getting those As) and how she only went there once and she never see how or where I live or anything like that. Usually ending in a “nobody loves me” refrain. The past few days I have been able to check the following off the list:

* Visit to a supermarket (it was on the list! and we’ve done this many times now…)
* Drive past UWI, Cave Hill Campus (not made it inside yet)
* Drive past 1 of my 2 student residences
* Visit to Bridgetown, a very pretty waterfront city (note pictures)
* Dining on Bajan flying fish and macaroni pie
* Eating at Chefette’s
* Driving along the west coast
* Pointing out “The Esso”
* Providing 1 homecooked meal
* Going to a mall
* Getting lost while driving in the dark
* Dining at other restaurants (not counting Chefette’s)

So, there’s been Lilandra’s visit in a nutshell. There is more, but I’ll leave that for her to tell. And pictures of food will always follow – we have been eating reaasonably well.

See what my life has been like? Beaches and sun, relaxation and all-around good times. Like a dream. Well, that’s exactly it – a dream. A vague idea, that this would be the life that it would be nice to have at some point. But I am not actually living it now. Not just yet

I have been offline for weeks, months, so very long (ok, maybe just about 3 or 4 weeks) while I work in Barbados. It’s been tough, this separation from communications with family and friends. Plus the work is hard. And long hours. But it’s not all bad. I got to have lunch on the beach one lazy Sunday. Note the emphasis on ONE. The supermarkets and shops offer great variety (albeit at high prices) and it would make for great shopping…if I ever made it out of the office before they closed. I have a great flat and it will probably remain pristine and new, unless people COME VISIT me and use it.

It really isn’t all that bad. And it’s not going to be that hectic for too long, so these are the things I enjoy and look forward to enjoying more in the next few months.

* The sea is almost everywhere you look – blue, clear and bright. I am so an island girl – I could be stuck in traffic and if I can see the sea, I am good. It’s why I always took the Lady Young into town after the morning commute.

* Barbados is not quite as flat as I have painted it before. The roads do go up and down hills, but it’s sort of a gentle roll rather than Northern Range mountain ruggedness. And the beauty of the kind of height the land in Barbados gets, is that you get the views of the island and the SEA fairly regularly.

* Roundabouts. They can be annoying and confusing and not as easy to predict traffic movement as good old traffic lights, but I like them.

* Working every day with the same group of people. And even when I DO hop on a plane, they go with me. That’s new and very cool. Solitary travel is ok in doses and I love it, but traveling in groups is also fun. Even if you’re going into 18-hour meetings.

* Restaurants!!! All around. Different foods and cool places. Granted, it’s like this probably for the tourists, but the restaurants are THERE. Yay!!

* Reminiscing – I am living fairly close to where I last lived in Barbados as a student and it’s just cool to be there again, although with none of those friends around. Luckily I am in contact with enough of them so that while it’s poignant, it’s certainly not depressing. And hopefully some of them can make the trip back in time when they visit me.

* So, these are the pictures from my day at the beach. Well, lunch at the beach in between sleeping late and doing nothing. Oh, for another day like that!