Coconut Swirl Bread, Salara

I must admit that I have a weakness for all things coconut. The fact that I live in the Caribbean and coconuts are synonymous with island life, may have something to do with that. I always have a stock of coconut products on hand for cooking and baking. Essentials are coconut water and coconut milk….

Brazilian Gluten-Free Cheese Puff

If you’ve ever been to a Brazilian Steak House restaurant, chances are you have tasted these delicious little cheese “breads”. This recipe came to me via a good friend Lauretta who has lived in Brazil. They are made with tapioca flour and are gluten-free. These little balls of deliciousness puff up beautifully while in the…

Comfort Food

As a child, one of my favorite meals was a Chinese style chicken soup which my dad was an absolute master at making. It was made with a whole chicken and he used aromatics like ginger, scallions and a star anise for the broth. The “shun” or broth was delicious in itself. The clear stock…

Enchanting Passion Fruit Curd

I distinctly remember the first time I tasted passion fruit. I was about 6 years old and we were visiting family in Trinidad. Even at this age, I was absolutely wowed by the flavor of this exotic and exciting fruit. I exclaimed, "What kind of juice is this?" I had already fallen in love with…

Caramel Banana Pecan Upside Down Cake

Last Thursday, we were given an entire hand of sweet fig bananas from a good friend, who is a farmer. We got these while they were still green and as such, we hung them in a hook in our kitchen. You may be wondering why there are paint marks on the skin of the bananas….

Small Pleasures 

 Pretzel rolls fresh out of the oven I love cooking with my daughter Gabby. She's thirteen and has been shadowing me in the kitchen since she was a baby. Her keen interest has grown and developed since she could stand on a chair to reach the counter. We enjoy cooking and experimenting in the kitchen…

Handy Baking Tips

My love of cooking and baking was something which began when I was about 7 years old. My grandmother catered and I often went along with my mother to help her when she had large orders and needed extra hands in the kitchen. I would help make bouchée cases with pastry, which would be later…

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins 

Nothing more enticing than the smell of fresh baked goods in the morning. I love to make muffins, and banana chocolate chip are a constant favorite in my home. They are easy to whip up and I can use up bananas which have gotten too ripe to be eaten but are perfect for baking up…