Pumpkin Soup or Haïti Independence Soup Joumou

All over the world we celebrates the New Year on January 1st, but in Haïti we have a double commemoration. So many are oblivious to Haiti’s pivotal role in history in the early 19th century. The battle for independence was courageously won by a rebellion of unified people including Blacks, Mulattoes, French, Spanish, Polish, German…

Roasted Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

I think that chicken is such a versatile protein. It can be used so brilliantly with a myriad of various spices and flavor profiles to produce a delicious meal. Chicken can be cooked in so many ways, that you could have several different styles of chicken dishes together on a table and each would be…

Smoked Herring Chiquetaille Haitian Style

A breakfast plate of chiquetaille d’hareng or smoked herring and avocado with cassava bread, artisanal crackers and baguette. I am a firm believer of always having pantry staples on hand. You never know when you need to whip up a little something at a moment’s notice. It’s always a good idea to also have a…

Memories of Guyana: Strength in Community and Pow Making

Have you ever noticed that there are certain powerful triggers which can induce a wave of nostalgia in us? Sometimes it can be seeing images of a place which can take us back in time or even seeing a familiar food which perhaps you have not eaten for many years. It’s amazing how things such…

Chewy Coconut Cookies

Living in the Caribbean, we can always find fresh coconut on hand. It is a mainstay in my kitchen and I keep a few packages of freshly grated coconut in my freezer. I can then use these convenient packages whenever I need to make some fresh coconut milk or to make a coconut dessert like…

Amazing Creamy Tomato Shrimp Pasta

Pasta makes such a satisfying and delicious meal. In my home, we absolutely love pasta in all of its forms. There are so many varieties to chose from and so many flavor profiles which lend their goodness to enhance the humble noodle. Pasta can range in length, size and form; from the well known spaghetti…

Chia Coconut Pudding Delight

In recent years, there has been quite an interest in chia. One would think that this is a new food discovery. In fact, the chia seed has been appreciated and cultivated for hundreds of years in Central America. It’s virtues have been recognized and favored by the ancient Maya’s and Aztecs as a superfood. The…

The Health and Wellness Benefits of Teas and Infusions

Tea for me is a sacred thing. I look forward to starting my day with my big blue teacup of my favorite robust black tea. I must admit that I prefer to make a pot of tea rather than simple one serving mug. I enjoy the ritual of filling the teapot with boiling water from…

The Best Chicken Soup Ever

I have always known about the virtues of chicken soup and the almost magic properties of a clear chicken broth for treating all that ails you. As a child, various types of soups were often on the menu at my home in Guyana. The soups at home were of different types, flavor profiles and consistencies,…

Learning to let go

Last week I made a trip which I had been planning for the one year. It was much like one which I had first made 10 years prior, under the very same circumstances. I felt the same bittersweet wave of emotions that come with the excitement of new beginnings; coupled with the anxiety of having…