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We Kitchen
"A
hungry man, is ah angry man"..... a Trini saying
The
Spanish, French and English colonists and African slaves left
an indelible mark on our cuisine, which was later spiced by
the East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and other Oriental
indentured immigrants. The resultant cosmopolitan nature of
our islands has tweaked our taste buds to a level, which is
reflected in our food-fare.
The variety of foods to be had on the islands is comparable
to any major city in the world in terms of taste and presentation.
The high percentage of inter-racial marriages has also had
an effect on the home cuisine. Of note is the fact that ethnic
foods are no longer restricted to its indigenous roots. Curries
are common fare in any Trinidadian household; as are peas
and rice, chow mien, sancoche, paella and potato salad, to
name a few.
It is said that the way to a man's heart is FOOD…. and
the Trini women really try to prove it!
 There
is a proliferation of websites with recipes indigenous to
Trinidad and Tobago and you will find links below that take
you to some of the best. The recipes we have put on our site
are family proven and have been handed down to us by our parents.
We invite you to prove them yourself…Bon Appetit!
A POEM
TO ME MUDDER
When me prayers were poorly said,
Who tucked me in me widdle bed,
And spanked me till me ass was red?
Me Mudder
Who took me from me cozy cot
And put me on me ice-cold pot,
And made me pee pee if I could not?
Me Mudder
And when the morning light would come,
And in me crib me dribble some,
Who wipe me tiny widdle bum?
Me Mudder
Who would me hair so gently part,
And hug me gently to her heart,
And sometimes squeeze me till me fart?
Me Mudder
Who looked at me with eyebrows knit,
And nearly had a king size fit,
When in my Sunday pants me shit?
Me Mudder
When at night the bed did squeak,
Me raised me head to have a peek,
Who yelled at me to go to sleep?
Me Fadder
Ponche
Crema
Ponche
Crema is an egg-nog like drink and Venezuela's National
Liquer. It is very rich and delicious and a favourite
during the Xmas season.
Ingredients
4
eggs
1 can condensed milk
200ml Rum
1 tsp Angostura Bitters or to taste
1/4 tsp.Ground Nutmeg
Lime zest
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Procedure
Beat
eggs well with lime zest. Add half of rum and condensed
milk. Add rest of rum,ground nutmeg and Angostura. Strain
to remove zest and pour into bottles. Refrigerate and
serve cold, shaken over cracked or shaved ice.
Tip: A 750 ml bottle of rum + 4 cans condensed milk
+ 16 eggs + 4 tsp Angostura yields approx. 5 Lts. Ponche
Crema.
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Trinidadian
Black Cake
To
a Trini, Christmas without black cake is likened to
Carnival without colour...... and my mother-in-law's
black cake is 'de best.' This recipe is a family heirloom
and she agreed to divulge it only if, 'it is followed
to a tee.' Also she added, 'use a wooden spoon!' It
is with pride I highlight "AMIES' SPECIAL BLACK CAKE"
recipe.........
Fruits
Ingredients
1
lb. Seedless Dark Raisins
1 lb. Golden Sultana Seedless Raisins
1 lb. Currants
1 lb seedless Prunes
2 ozs.Mix Peel
2 ozs. Citron Peel
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Bott. (26 ozs.) Rum (amber coloured)
1 Bott. (26 ozs) Sweet Madeira or Port Wine or Cherry
Brandy
Burnt
Sugar
Ingredients
2 cups Brown Cane sugar; 2 tsp. shortening; Rum.
AMIES'
SPECIAL BLACK CAKE
Ingredients
1lb.
Butter
2 cups Brown Sugar
3 cups Flour (All Purpose)
10 large eggs
1 tsp Baking powder
2 tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 cup of Burnt Sugar (or add to your desired colour)
Soaked Fruit from above recipe (LESS 1 & 1/2 cups)
*Some people like nuts in their cake and you may add
if desired. Just remember some people are allergic to
nuts.
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Tips
on preparing Trinidadian Black Cake
First
of all here are a few tips on Trinidadian Black Cake:-
-Making Black Cake is a labour of love.
-You cannot skimp on the ingredients.
-The fruits to be used, should be put to soak in advance
in RUM....The longer the better.
-The fruits should be chopped and not blended. Blending
results in a doughy/ pasty consistency to the cake.
-Add spices (cinnamon) to the soaking fruits instead
of the cake mixture.
-It is better to use Burnt Cane Sugar as the darkening
agent, instead of the commercial browning. It gives
the cake a better flavour.
-For your cake, use butter with salt (not Salted Cooking
Butter) If you use Salted Cooking Butter, it should
be first washed with water to remove some of the salt.
-Remember to use a double thickness of wax paper to
line pans for baking, as this will prevent the bottoms
of the cake from becoming burnt.
-Remember to lower the oven temperature after the first
1 & 1/2 hrs. of baking.
Preparation
of Fruits
Wash
and dry Raisins, Currants and Prunes. Grind or chop
fruits together. Put fruit to soak in wine and rum,
reserving 1/4 bott. of each for 'topping off' as the
fruits, over time, absorbs the liquid. Fruits should
be put to soak about two-three months before baking
date.
For this recipe you use all of the soaked fruits,
LESS 1 & 1/2 cups. The amount reserved can be used
for a surprise cake during the coming year!
How
to prepare Burnt Sugar
Melt shortening in heavy pot. Add sugar and stir. Keep
stirring until sugar turns a thick, gooey liquid and
black in colour. Remove from heat and add RUM slowly
while stirring to get a consistency of honey. Cool,Bottle
and store. This should produce enough for at least 2
Christmas bakings and for adding to stews or for recipies
requiring a browning agent. It can also be used to colour
white rums, where a dark rum is called for. Just remember,
add a little at a time....
Method
Cream
butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, while continuing
creaming. Add fruits,vanilla and burnt sugar. Add baking
powder to flour and fold in slowly to batter. Pour mixture
into double lined, greased pans. (The best pans to use
are pans about 3inches in depth, and if used , the mixture
would produce three cakes- a 10inch, 8inch, and 6inch)
Preheat oven, and bake at 300F for first 1 1/2 hrs,
then lower heat to 250F until done.
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AMIES'
SWEETBREAD RECIPE
Ingredients
- Makes Four 9"x13" loaves
3lbs
Flour
1 1/2 tbsp. yeast
3tsps. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 medium size coconut (grated)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3tsp. vanilla essence
1 cup raisins
4 ozs. shortening
2 cups water
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Method
Put yeast to prove in 1/2 cup of warm water and 1tsp.
sugar. After yeast has proven, melt shortening, then
mix all ingredients
except raisins, which you add last of all. Knead dough
and divide into 4 equal pieces. Leave to rise to double
its size, then
LIGHTLY roll to form loaves and put into very well greased
pans. Bake at 350F.
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PAELLA
Ingredients
20-25 pc mussels
1 c squid, sliced (or 5 pc medium squid)
2 pc crabs
1/2 c medium-size shrimps
1/2 kg chicken breast, leg, gizzard, and liver
3 tbsp chorizo fat
2 tbsp oil
1/4 kg pork cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 c ham cut into 1-inch squares
1 pc chorizo de bilbao, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped fine
1 c tomato sauce
3 1/2 c chicken broth
2 c rice, washed
1 pc red pepper, in strips
10 pc string beans
1 tsp soy sauce or patis
2 tsp salt
2 tsp monosodium glutamate(optional)
1/4 c sweet peas
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 c parsley
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Method
Steam
mussles. Set aside 1 cup broth. Remove ink of squid.
Slice and boil. Set aside. Boil crabs and shrimps together;
set
aside. Boil bony parts of chicken; set broth aside.
Heat fat and oil in skillet. Fry chicken, pork, ham,
and chorizo. Cook until
half-done. Remove from skillet. Saute garlic, onion,
and tomato sauce. Add chicken broth and rice. Mix well.
When rice is
half-done, add red pepper, string beans, mussles, squid,
and other meats. Season with soy sauce, salt, and MSG.
Cover tightly
and cook without stirring until broth is absorbed. During
last 5 minutes of cooking, put shrimps, crabs, and peas
on top.
Garnish with sliced eggs, strips of pepper, and parsley.
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