Pickled fruit and Pepper sauce in the West Indies

Most of the English speaking Caribbean will share a similar type of culture and history. Even though Guyana is situated on the continent of South America, we are culturally a part of the Caribbean. The food and the spices used in Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica are very similar. These are countries which once had large…

Potato Balls Guyanese Style

If you are Guyanese you will certainly have grown up eating this favorite food. It’s vegetarian and is made with a tasty mashed potato seasoned with fragrant spices and coated in a batter made of ground chick peas and then fried until golden brown. As I do not have yellow split peas readily available here…

Custard Apple and Cachiman

Such a rush of childhood pleasure fills me as I sit here and eat this fragrant custardlike fruit. I have been eyeing this one here for the last 24 hours and waiting for it to ripen perfectly. I just touched it and one of the outer bumps moved in revealing the cream colored inner flesh…

Fried Zucchini with Herb Yoghurt Dip

This is an easy and very tasty little appetizer which you can make quickly. It’s perfect as an hors d’oeuvre or a snack and gives the crunch and satisfaction of a fried dish without the guilt of a heavy fried fritter. Makes ( 24 wedges) serves 2-3 as an appetizer  Ingredients 3 small zucchini about…

Twelve Tips to Master the Art of Aging Gracefully

Growing older is a fact of life which we will all face at some point. Our perception of age and aging probably differs greatly depending on which part of the world we come from. However, aging signals to most that we are no longer in our hay day and therefore are bound by a different…

An Excellent Weekend on the North Coast of Haiti

I have been fairly quiet since early last week as I have houseguests. My son Michael is home for a few days, with a few friends for a working visit home. As you can well imagine, there has been a constant flow of movement and activity associated with the arrival of friends and family. Meal…

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…

Summertime cooler: Watermelon Cucumber Mojito

I have to find ways to keep cool in the height of Summer here in Haiti. I honestly feel that every year the summer is hotter than the previous one. Yes, I was born in a country which is 10 degrees north of the Equator, but sometimes I feel like I can barely tolerate the…

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….

The Hearty Comfort of Noodles and Pasta 

What is it about pasta and noodles that makes us feel content and happy when we eat them? It is supposedly the heightened level of serotonin produced in the brain, which gives us the feeling of wellbeing and comfort. When I eat Chinese style noodles in a restaurant or at home, I usually have them…