Photos should be at least transferred before you reach 220 shots…

Earth crust displacement theory is the best device ever for a screenwriter who needs the earth to move to suit the bare threads of a plot…or just to get his characters from Vegas to a precise location in remote China on time…

Photos of places you have never been to before and are unlikely to revisit soon should be saved on your hard drive as soon as possible…

Don’t go sticking your memory card in strange computers, even if just to view the photos…

The passport office might be able to deliver some of those 26,000 unclaimed passports it alleges are sitting in the office if it would just tell people if their passports were ready over the phone, before forcing them to make the trek to line up again and again…

Don’t stick your memory card in alien computers without moving the teeny switch to lock it…

No matter how cool, colourful,  appropriate and appreciated the gifts you buy, the 3 year old niece will still ask how come she didn’t get a pen too, like her mother got…

When you lose all 220 photos of Eid food (for which recipes are still to be posted), your first glimpses of Haiti, rare family get-togethers, seminar for your newsletter, brilliant flamboyant in Guyana, top local performers in Haiti, great Indian food in Barbados and Trinidad, (did I say Haiti?) try not to cry or smash the alien computer that ate them on contact.

SIGH.

And that’s why I haven’t posted the za’atar chicken recipe yet or anything else. That and I’ve been so overwhelmed at work that I got my boss to give me this week off which I am spending in the homeland and avoiding the computer.

The photo is unrelated to this post. I am just liking my 50mm f2.8 lens. This is at the Belmont Estate in Grenada, from September…which apart from a few of my Eid food shots, is the last set of photos I have…except for the couple hundred on the camera now…darn…getting to it NOW!

Halwa is somewhat similar to parsad, which is associated with the Hindu Indian community in T&T. They both generally have a flour base, cooked with ghee/butter, milk, sugar and spices. The textures are different, however, parsad being heavier and moister, usually with a gluey feel. But then, as with any dish, different cooks can produce radically different goods and you may have halwahs that taste like parsad and vice versa. And it isn’t just Muslims or Hindus who make one or the other anymore.

Halwah can be made from plain wheat flour, rice flour, semolina, or even Cream of Wheat. If you take a look at the Wikipedia entry for Halwa, our halwa is most similar in concept to the Semolina version from India mentioned there ( I also love the tahini halwa, which we -our family- call halawi). While I don’t mind regular flour halwah, I absolutely LOVE rice or cream of wheat halwah, partly because of the grainy texture but I also think that they have an extra flavour, a nuttiness that the plain flour can’t match. So of course, when I was away from home, and Eid ul Fitr was approaching, I requested a rice halwah recipe from Mom. Mom generally whips up the halwah on her own, even if we have been given prior notice to lend assistance, we often find it already made when we weren’t looking. So I had never made this on my own, and in fact have only made it twice. (Recipe at the end)

I had to particularly request a SMALL recipe, not the full family-for-Eid size. And so Mom sat down and worked out a recipe with suitable proportions. And when I made it, I was a bit surprised that it was just so yellow. I thought, ok, maybe it’s because I am using real butter…but then I tasted all the butter. Some of my kitchen mates loved it, and although I hid it away in the fridge to forget about it, they kept nabbing bits. Ewe was convinced it was like cookie dough and asked me if it needed to be baked or something (this didn’t stop her from repeat sampling of course). Upon relating the tale to Mom, she hurriedly checked and advised that she had scaled down everything…BUT the butter… So she scaled the recipe properly, and did a test run to double check before she sent me the recipe again. While I wondered if I should have put this stress on her to provide a recipe to serve less than 50 people.

So here you have it. The recipe from my mother, as tested by her. Enough to fill a regular cookie sheet, if you choose to spread out the finished product and cut into squares (and this is a good idea – easy storage and serving). Alternatively, you could roll it into balls.  A very traditional way of serving however, is parceled off into a little bag and served at functions. Or a bowl and spoon when you’re at home and pigging out indulging.

RICE HALWAH

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rice flour- 4 ounces
• 1/4 cup white flour- 2 ounces
• 1/4 cup or 2 ounces butter
• 1/2  of large tin evaporated milk
• 1 cup water or more if needed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• whole spices- elaichi, clove, cinnamon
• ginger (grated)  to taste, about a tablespoon if you like it that much! 
• Extras – raisins, nuts or almonds (sliced or ground), maraschino cherries (very traditional ingredient here…in anything)

Method

* In a deep pot (milk boils over) add milk, water, sugar and ginger and allow to boil slowly on low heat

* While the milk mixture is cooking, on medium heat in a separate heavy-bottomed pot, add butter and spices and allow to come to a boil

* After a couple mins, add your nuts of choice

* Fry until golden brown

* Add flours to pot stirring well until all butter is mixed into the flour mixture. Stir constantly until flour-butter mixture is lightly browned – DO NOT BURN – Mom calls this the raham mixture – this is also called parching (sounds like patching) the flour

* When raham mixture is brown, add raisins and cherries (IF desired) and then slowly add milk mixture to pot stirring constantly until it starts to thicken, then lower heat and keep stirring until no longer gooey and is firm. At this stage is mixture looks a bit dry then a little water can be added. In the photo on the right, the halwah needs a little more drying out before being done.

* Butter cookie sheet/pan and spread halwah out evenly. Allow to cool and then cut into square. Alternatively roll into balls and serve.

Note – condensed milk (plus the equivalent tin of water) can be used instead of the evaporated milk, but you would need to reduce the amount of sugar.

——-

The number of searches for Trini halwa in the last couple weeks has just skyrocketed. I believe it’s because Ramadan is around the corner. The way barfi searches were tops last year. So I hope this recipe is timely enough to catch the hopeful googlers who want to practise this sweet before Eid ul Fitr!

I do apologise for the not quite in focus state of some of the photos – these were taken with my old Nikon CoolPix 7900 (before I tragically lost it in Gatwick) and not so great lighting at night in my flat in Barbados last year. Mom made this batch while visiting

Cocoa Sticks

Originally uploaded by Chennette

I have been wanting to post about cocoa for a few weeks now, to report on the various cocoas I have been trying – in the rolled and not-so-processed form – from T&T, Grenada, St Lucia and Guyana. But not like this.

As I was reading through the Guyana news online tonight, I discovered my own photo staring right back at me.

[Me screaming!!!!!]

I have sent an email to the editors, but I note the caption says it’s a GINA (Government Information Agency Guyana) so I don’t know who stole it originally. All I know is that I have never given anyone permission to use this photo and no one has ever contacted me about it either!

Fortunately, I have lawyers in Guyana…

[Edit: It's on the GINA page for July 14 2008, so I have emailed them also. Come Monday morning, my lawyer will be on it!]

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

The Trini Gourmet
Sarina’s blog was about the first I encountered when I started this enterprise, and her site was so snazzy and professional, I assumed she had been doing this for a good long time. Imagine my surprise when I realised she didn’t start that much earlier than I she’s just better at these grand undertakings! At the Trini Gourmet, you’ll find recipes both original and tested, lots of information on cooking essentials for the Trini/Jamaican and kosher kitchen, recommendations for books and gifts…it’s all there. We’ve even started a annual (2 years so far) tradition of visiting the Taste T&T together and increasing the posse every time we hope.

Lilandra…
…is my sister, and although she resists being described as a food blog (well, she IS a person, not a blog…) she has blogged many of her forays into cooking, whether it’s handmade chocolate truffles, trini macaroni pie, hops bread or lemon meringue pie and she has access to the same source for traditional Trini fare – our mother. And she’s my company (dare I say sidekick) when we go explore food in T&T, including at the Taste.

CanCookMustCook
TriniFood is a trini journalist in London, who has a passion for food and food-writing. Her interest has no boundaries, delving into books, and markets, trying out the traditional with no fear of using new techniques to adapt the old. You get reviews, recipes, deep thoughts and always something interesting.

The Caribbean Garden
Nicole was the first person I know in real life who came across this blog entirely on her own and figured out who I was. Of course, there may be others, but they haven’t let me know, so I can pretend to be secure in my anonymity She’s passionate about food and gardens, growing food and landscaping and travel! If people think I travel a lot…wait till you see her pictures of Laos! And yes, I count it as a food blog, because she posts her recipes

Simply Trini Cooking
A relatively new blogger, but prolific and regular. Traditional recipes for coocoo, stew chicken, curry cascadoo…lots and lots and he posts regularly, with step by step pictures. There’s also a glossary of useful cooking terms (emphasis on the Trini terms) and a Trini dictionary to help you navigate through our food talk.

All Tings Trini
Jevon is of Trini descent, living in the US and interested in food. He’s had chef training, and although he’s not a regular blogger, he has posted about Trini favourites including a pictorial recipe for sorrel.

So Epicurious it Hurts
Marsha is a Trini living in the US and she posts about food and places she’s eaten and her cooking, including of course some traditional Trini foods.

Mark Ruins Dinner
Mark is from the US, married to a Trini (Karen’s blog is here). I sorted him into the Trini category because I believe I first encountered his blog when he was proclaiming his #1 search status in March 2007 for “how to make Trinidad food” possibly due in large part to his post on making doubles, called “Two doubles, slight pepper”. Despite the name of his blog (and the latest post) he makes quite good dinners, and lunches and possibly breakfasts and desserts, with great pictures of the attempts and successes both. And of his helpers, the ever increasing tribe of boys.

Caribbean Recipes
This is in the T&T category because of the actual blogger name (trinidadrecipes) as well as his current base in Trinidad. He’s a Brit, married to a Trini I believe, and having lived and worked in Trinidad (and parts of the Caribbean) for some time, has posted about food and cooking. I only discovered this blog this week, but he’s only been blogging about Trini and Caribbean food since March.

BARBADOS/GUYANA

Tastes Like Home
Cynthia is a food writer and photographer, who has a cookbook in the works! She posts every Saturday (oh for that discipline!) along with her column in the Stabroek News of Guyana. She’s Guyanese, living in Barbados who writes about her favourite traditional foods, intrinsically linked to her memories of home and family, as well as the new things she learns and tries out – like making paneer! Her adoring fans are many, and every post provides such gorgeous pictures. I can’t wait for the book!

BELIZE

Rice and Beans: A Belizean in DC
The title tells you part of what you need to know – Lyra is from Belize and lives in DC. She’s a great advocate for eating local, seasonal and organic produce, and healthy and her blog is delicious.

DOMINICA

Gourmet Global
A chef and entrepreneur in New York City, claiming several Caribbean heritages, but I believe primarily from Dominica. She reviews restaurants, provides recipes, and even blogged about her travels back to the homeland.

GRENADA

Spice Isle Food for Thought
Kimberly started blogging in February, with traditional recipes from Grenada. As she reminds us (me) on her blog, there are so many similarities in Caribbean foods, and particularly between T&T and Grenada, because we both received Indian indentured labourers and therefore the foods! 

CARIBBEAN MAGAZINES

There are two publications, one available online and one with a blog that should be part of the online Caribbean food experience:

Caribbean Beat
This is the inflight magazine of Caribbean Airlines (formerly BWIA) and in addition to showcasing major tourist events and attractions, and the people of the region, always has a good food article, sometimes even by TriniFood The issues and archives are available online, complete with any recipes featured. And as I have said before, this is one of my favourite magazines so disregard any preconceived notions you may have about infight publications. And no, that’s not just because my blog was once featured

MACO Caribbean
Toute Bagai publishes several Caribbean lifestyle magazines, highlighting Caribbean destinations and events, and of course sometimes, food . Their website has recipes and plans to review restaurants in addition to providing information and reports on various food festivals around the region. MACO is also going to issue later this year a magazine on Food & Rum. 

————–

As I said, I don’t believe this is the complete list, so I am open to your contributions – any Caribbean blogs out there that I should know about? I know there are some recipe sites, and I hope to link to those, but in a another post/page.

I made whole wheat hops bread from Mom’s recipe, posted by Lilandra with modifications for whole wheat provided by Mom over the phone. Mom and Lilandra also made up a batch of wholewheat, so I expect Lilandra will has posted the adjusted recipe and her own pictures very soon.

Hops is a traditional Trini bread, crusty on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, sold in every bakery and so good hot out of the brown paper bag. In fact our nearest “big” bakery has a special flashing electric sign “Hot Hops Available Now” so passersby on the main road know to stop.

Sold by the “quart” which was 12, then 10 depending on the economy. We used to buy a quart and a half; the half was for us to devour in the car on the way home. Hops goes with everything. It’s like the original vital supplies!

Wholewheat hops are never quite as fluffy as white, but these came out really good (yay Mom) and the niece ate one and asked for another (half) and even the nephew kept biting with his one tooth. We had it with butter, cheese, and some with Nutella. Tomorrow it will go really well with sardines.

Lilandra’s photos of the traditional white hops bread.

My Hops Bread Set on Flickr. The recipe makes 15 – I got 16 partly because I wasn’t sure of my pan sizes, and mostly because I am not too good at the eyeballing for even portions of dough. I also made a half batch later so I’d have enough for tomorrow and that came out ok too.