The Inner Gourmet

Spice up your Easter: Sriracha Deviled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:16:00 +0000

A few years ago I had the experience of working in a French-American restaurant. I worked as a garde-manger chef and sometimes helped out on the line. It was an awesome experience; one that showed me that I really didn't want to be in the restaurant business, but somehow wanted to keep the culinary arts very much a part of my life in other ways. The most exciting times for me while working at the restaurant was plating/food styling and Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when we tested new recipes. I particularly remember my head chef making an amazing smoked paprika deviled egg, garnished with an olive and sprig of chive. He served it as an appetizer during the fall months. I thought it was so old-fashioned, compared to the other menu items, but it was the most frequently ordered item on the appetizer menu during that time. It was a testament to the fact that you can put a modern spin on a classic and people are bound to give it a try-kind of like these sriracha deviled eggs. They're flavorful, spicy, and pretty, just as you would expect of a deviled egg. What makes them different is the tangy and uniquely spicy flavor from the main ingredient- sriracha.

Sriracha, also known as rooster sauce, is a Thai condiment that seems to have developed this cult following here in the states. People (me included) just put it on everything! It has this great tangy taste that leaves a nice spicy finish at the end. It's made of red chili peppers, garlic, salt, sugar and vinegar and the consistency is thicker than that of a traditional American hot sauce. In the U.S., it is best recognized in this iconic plastic bottle that has an outline of a rooster on the front and a bright green nozzle. I first had this sauce a few years ago at a Thai restaurant and became a fan instantly. I love it on fried rice and especially in Vietnamese Pho. It tastes so good on everything, that there is even a cookbook- The Sriracha Cookbook.

You can find this sauce at any Thai or Vietnamese restaurant, it will usually already be on the table along with a few other condiments, waiting for you. It is also sold in Asian markets and grocery stores. I have seen it more often in the ethnic aisle at larger grocers as well.

I've made these sriracha deviled eggs a few times for dinner parties at my house and they're always a hit- talk about a modern take on a classic. They're pretty easy to make too; the hardest part will be boiling the eggs, no seriously. An overcooked hard-boiled egg will leave you with extremely stiff egg whites and a rubbery yolk. Overcooked yolks will be tough to smoothen out and will make your yolk filling quite lumpy. So here are my recommendations based on my own mishaps and a little bit of research.

Use old eggs that are at least 4-5 days old. Fresh eggs are extremely hard to peel and will rip and tear while removing the shell.
Bring eggs to room temperature before boiling, otherwise you risk them cracking.
A continuous rapid boil is not needed to completely hard-boil an egg- this method can overcook the egg and result in green rubbery yolks
Do not stack eggs on top of each other, the pot must be wide enough to fit all of them.

How to hard-boil an egg:

Place eggs in pot first, fill with water, about 2 inches above eggs.
Bring to a rapid boil. As soon as water reaches a rapid boil, remove pot from heat and cover tightly with lid. Let eggs rest in water for 17-18 minutes. Do not open lid during this time.
Drain hot water and immediately run cold water on eggs.
Hit egg slightly against a hard surface, peel and rinse.

While still warm, slice eggs in half, scoop out the yolks and place in a mixing bowl. Mash them up then add 1 tbsp sriracha, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt.

Mix it up pretty well. Add 4 tbsp mayonnaise and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Mash until smooth and very little lumps remain. Mixture should start to look smooth.

That's good enough.

Give the egg whites a gentle rinse, one at a time. Pat dry and place in a platter.

Fill a pastry bag with the egg yolk mixture, pipe into each egg hole. If you do not have a pastry bag, you can use a freezer zip-lock bag, snip the edge off and use as a piping bag.

Drop a dot of sriracha on each egg. If making these ahead of time, wait until ready to serve to garnish with the sriracha.

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

Makes 18 deviled eggs

Ingredients

9 eggs
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
chives or scallions for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Place eggs in pot first, fill with water, about 2 inches above eggs.
Bring to a rapid boil. As soon as water reaches a rapid boil, remove pot from heat and cover tightly with lid. Let eggs rest in water for 17-18 minutes. Do not open lid during this time.
Drain hot water and immediately run cold water on eggs. Hit egg slightly against a hard surface, peel and rinse.
Slice each egg in half, scoop out the yolk and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add spices and sriracha sauce to egg yolk mixture, combine thoroughly.
Add mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, mash until mixture is smooth and has very little lumps.
Adjust spices to suit your taste.
Fill egg yolk mixture into a pastry bag and pipe into egg holes. Drop a dot of sriracha sauce on each egg. Garnish with chives or scallions.

Coconut Choka

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Fire-roasted coconut that has been ground into a fine texture, seasoned with lots of onion, garlic, and hot pepper, served over dhal and rice, then eaten with your bare hands, is a meal you just can't buy at a roti shop. It's rustic and earthy and just makes me feel like I'm home. Mom would make this only on the weekends, most times for Saturday afternoon lunch. After I ate a plate of dhal, rice, and coconut choka, all I ever wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch a good movie. I guess that's what makes comfort food, comfort food right?

So what is choka?

Choka describes the manner in which a dish is prepared. A vegetable, such as eggplant, or fish is typically what is used in making a choka. The method most times begins with fire-roasting then grinding, flaking, or mashing. Oil, raw onions, garlic, and hot pepper along with other spices of choice are added afterwards for flavor. The result whether it is a fish or vegetable type choka, is a smokey and flavorful dish. Read on to learn more about choka and its various forms.

The traditional way of making coconut choka

Although my recipe takes a slight deviation from the conventional way of making coconut choka, I thought you'd like to know how it is traditionally done. A dehusked coconut is cracked open and removed from its shell. It's chopped into large pieces then roasted over an open fire. The roasted coconut is scraped to remove the burnt layer, then grated. Finally, the grated coconut along with additional ingredients are hand-ground into a fine texture using a lorha and sil.

A lorha and sil is the vessel that is traditionally used to make coconut choka. It is comprised of two separate entities that rely on each other to get the job done, very much like a mortar and pestle. A sil is a thick slab of brick made from a particular type of stone (granite, sandstone, or limestone); the lorha is the smaller hand-held brick that is used to do the grinding. This brick is also known to many as a masala brick since it is widely used to grind spice mixtures such as garam masala. After a continuous back and forth motion, and some pressure, the grated coconut turns into a fine paste-like texture which, believe it or not, is part of what makes this type of choka so unique and desirable. It certainly takes some time, but the result is worth the effort.

Here's a photo of a lorha and sil being used to grind coconut choka.

This image is copyright protected by Cynthia Nelson

These days, a lorha and sil is so hard to come by. If someone in your family owns one of these, it was probably brought back from Guyana. My mom has been trying to bring one for so long now, but it just never works out. Our suitcases always end up being over its weight limit because, well, it's a huge slab of brick! And we usually have other packages of homemade condiments that take priority. My father understood why we wanted to bring one back to NY, but always thought we were out of our minds. He would make some sarcastic comment like, "Home Depot does sells so much cheap cheap brick, and you want to bring back brick from Guyana?" We haven't been able to find any good ones in Queens, NY either. I've heard many horror stories of the sils available here being made out of a type of brick that ends up grinding itself away with the food you are grinding. Can you imagine having brick in your food? Blah!

So my mom's challenge of not having her glorious lorha and sil has left her with no other option- she decided to use a coffee grinder instead. Brilliant. It grinds the coconut into such a fine texture and cuts a whole lot of time. She also uses a pureed onion and garlic seasoning to help achieve that paste-like texture. Once the choka is done and mixed up with the dhal and rice, you won't even be able tell the difference in which method was used.

This recipe calls for 2 coconuts. It will make a lot of choka. If you are a family of four, I would say one coconut should suffice.

Crack coconut in half. Using a thick knife, remove flesh from its shell.

Chop into large pieces. Roast over an open fire.

Continue to roast on both sides, until you see black patches.

Scrape the burnt layer off of the coconut. Wipe with a damp towel.

Chop coconut into 2 inch pieces. Place in coffee grinder and pulse until coconut has fine, coffee-like granules.

In order for the coconut choka to have a similar texture to that of using a lorha and sil, the ingredients must be blended or pureed. I always have a batch of this seasoning in my refrigerator. I use it to season meat, fish, and rice, among many other things. It's simply one large yellow onion, one head of garlic, peeled, 2-3 wiri wiri peppers (you can use scotch bonnets or red chili peppers), and fresh thyme leaves. Blend with 1/4 cup of water to make the puree. Store in an air-tight glass jar.

Add salt, 4 tbsp of the onion/garlic seasoning, hot pepper sauce, and freshly chopped wiri wiri pepper, if desired.

Get your hands in there and mix it up!

To check if choka has the right texture, press down into a bowl, it should keep its shape. This is how you know it is moist enough.

Serve with dhal and rice, then watch a good movie.

Coconut Choka

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Onion/garlic seasoning

one large yellow onion
one head of garlic
2-3 wiri wiri pepper or scotch bonnet
thyme leaves
1/4 cup water

Choka

2 coconuts
4 tbsp pureed onion/garlic seasoning
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 wiri wiri pepper chopped finely
1 tsp salt

*Coffee grinder needed

Directions

Break coconut in half. Drain water. Remove coconut flesh from shell. Chop into large pieces.
Roast coconut until edges and back are dark brown/black. Let cool.
Scrape off burnt pieces as much as you can. Wipe with a damp paper towel.
Chop into 2-inch pieces and grind using a coffee grinder. Empty into a large mixing bowl.
Puree onion, garlic, pepper, thyme leaves, and water using a blender. Use 4 tbsp of the mixture and add to ground coconut. Refrigerate remaining seasoning for another use.
Add salt and freshly chopped pepper, mix thoroughly with hands.
Adjust salt and pepper to suit your tastes.

Press mixture down into a bowl, mixture should be moist enough to keep its shape.

Notes:

This recipe makes a lot of choka, if you are a family of four, I'd recommend using one coconut.
Garlic and pepper needs to be blended and smooth to achieve a similar texture from using a lorha and sil.
A food processor won't work here, it cannot get the coconut down to a fine enough granule.
Coconut can be roasted in the oven using your broiler. Turn off your smoke alarm, because it will get smokey in your house!
A juicer can be used to make this dish as well. Once the coconut is separated from its juice, add the juice back to the shredded coconut. Proceed as normal with seasoning.

Cherry-Apricot Hot Cross Buns

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:59:00 +0000

Did I ever tell you that I grew up in an inter-faith home? My father is Christian and my mother is Hindu. When I was younger, my father wasn't so much of a church-going person, even though he was a believer in God, so I was never exposed to his religious customs as much as I was of my mom's. Dad went to church once in a while and more so on holidays such as Easter and Christmas. My mother didn't want my brother and I to grow up without religion in our lives so she made us go to temple with her consistently- we did, and eventually we adapted Hinduism as our faith. Nonetheless, we still supported my father and went to church with him and also celebrated Christian holidays. For me, it was interesting to learn about a his religion and the different ways people accept God into their lives. Some may disagree or turn their noses up at this open-minded way of life, but it worked for our family and that's all that really mattered. My parents tried their best to not let their differences in their religious beliefs get in the way of their marriage and have been married for 31 years now. I know I've said nothing about the relation to hot cross buns so far, but keep reading, it comes full circle.

I remember on Good Friday, we would go to church and would come back home with paper bags containing hot cross buns. Family and friends that we knew from church would give them to us after service was over. My favorite part was the top of the bun, it always had more flavor it seemed, with or without icing. That was always my setback with hot cross buns-lack of flavor. I'm not sure if it was intended to taste plain so that a condiment could accompany it, but I always found myself toasting it and rubbing a little jam or jelly in there to enjoy it fully.

I don't normally make hot cross buns for that reason (and also because it was always given to us), but this year I decided to test out a few family recipes and add some additions of my own; apricots, cherries, and apricot jam. I loved the combination of fruits and the flavor of the dough, I added some orange and lemon zest in there too and ended up with some nice citrus-y notes. The amount of cherries and apricots you add is up to you, I think even a handful of currants or dried blueberries would be delicious in here as well. I like to think of this dough as a blank slate where any nuts or dried fruit can be added, give it a try and let me know what you think!

I did not find it necessary to write about the history of these buns since there is already so much information out there- check out some basic info here.

You'll need about 1/2 cup each of dried cherries and apricots. Add as little or as much as you like. Add any other dried fruits if you want.

Start with the milk. Make sure milk is not too hot, otherwise it will kill the yeast.

While the yeast is blooming, in a separate bowl, combine all the spices, salt, and zest of one lemon and orange. I added 1 tsp of all-spice to this batch and for me it was too strong, I reduced the amount to 1/2 tsp in the second batch which turned out fine for me. If you love the all-spice flavor, then add one whole teaspoon.

Mix in all the spices, sift it if you want. Add butter and shortening and combine until flour mixture is crumbly. Add the yeast/milk mixture and eggs, mix to make a sticky dough.

Give the apricots a coarse chop. You can leave the cherries whole or chop them up if you want.

Add dried fruits to the dough, with your hands, combine so they are spread throughout the dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead until dough becomes smooth and elastic, this should happen pretty quickly, within a few minutes of kneading. Place dough into a deep oiled bowl. Allow to double in size uncovered, about 1 hour or more.

When dough has doubled in size, punch down and knead for a few minutes. Pinch off lemon-sized pieces and place in an oiled 9x13 baking pan uncovered. Allow to double in size, about 25 minutes.

After dough balls have doubled in size, bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until tops are browned.

Like this.

Grab some apricot jam, heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Brush on top of buns while they are still hot.

Let buns cool down before piping icing, if you do it while they are still hot, the icing will melt and your cross will not be a cross, it might look like a splatter of icing. You can use store bought icing (not frosting) if you don't want to make it.

Makes 12 buns

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground clove
1 tsp salt
zest of one orange
zest of one lemon
3 tbsp vegetable shortening
2 tbsp softened butter
1 1/4 cup milk, warmed
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tbsp active dry yeast
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
1/2 tsp mixed essence (optional)
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 dried cherries, chopped or whole
1/4 cup apricot jam for glaze
oil for greasing bowl and pan

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tsp milk
1/4 tsp almond extract
You can use store-bought icing as well

Directions:

In a bowl, combine sugar and milk, heat in microwave until lukewarm. Stir in the yeast and allow yeast to bloom for 8-10 minutes.
Place flour in a deep mixing bowl. Add spices, lemon and orange zest, and salt. Mix together. Add softened butter and shortening, combine until crumbly.
Add milk/yeast mixture to flour mixture, combine to make a sticky dough. Add vanilla to beaten egg and pour egg into dough, mix well until egg can no longer be seen. Add dried fruits and mix in well.
Place sticky dough on a floured surface, using the heel of your palm, knead until dough becomes smooth by bringing the edge of dough into its center. Place dough in a deep oiled bowl and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
After dough has risen, break off lemon-sized pieces. Make the dough ball round by tucking it under itself so the top becomes round and smooth.
Place dough balls into an oiled 9x13 baking dish, allow to double in size uncovered, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until tops are brown.
Heat apricot jam in microwave, brush buns immediately after removing from oven.
After buns have cooled slightly, put powdered sugar in a bowl, stir in a little milk at a time until desired consistency is reached, add almond extract. Pour mixture into a zip-lock bag or pastry bag and pipe the crosses onto the buns.

Notes:

Place dough in a warm location with a bowl of steaming water. I placed mine in the microwave with a bowl of boiling water. The steam helps to keep the air moist, which helps the yeast develop and bloom in the dough.
Making the dough balls round is not necessary, you can just break off the pieces and place them into the 9x13 pan, but if you'd like to have a round shape, take a look at this video at the 2:15 minute mark to see how to tuck the dough into itself to get the smooth top.

Mom's Gulgula (Banana fritters)

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:22:00 +0000

The Hindu festival of Holi, also known as Phagwah, is soon approaching and I can't help but feel the optimism and joy that the holiday tends to evoke. The purpose of this colorful extravaganza is two-fold; celebrating the new season of spring and also the religious significance of good over evil. Hindus observe this holiday by smearing colored powder, all over their friends and family, lighting bonfires, and enjoying music and dance. The colored powder, known as abir, comes in so many different colors that when thrown into the air, everything just looks like a Crayola plant exploded into pieces - it's all just so vibrant and energizing to me. Sweets are prepared and also shared with loved ones to celebrate this wonderful time of year. In my family, gulgula, which is a sweet banana fritter, is commonly made among other goodies like goja, a coconut stuffed patty and vermicelli cake, colored with a little pink, yellow, or green food coloring. What would a celebration of anything be without food.

My childhood memories of Phagwah
I remember the very first year I attended the Phagwah parade in Richmond Hill, Queens. It was so much fun seeing everyone in the community happy and just embracing the festivities. I couldn't even tell who was who out there; it was just a sea of pink. I remember my brother filling up his super soaker nerf gun with water that had been mixed with abir to ensure when he sprayed us, we'd come back home a different color than when we left the house-you always had to watch out for anyone that had a nerf gun. My cousins and I ran up and down Liberty avenue as we made our way to Smokey Park; running away from each other to avoid getting smeared and soaked, even though we knew it was inevitable and all a part of the fun. We had such a blast!

When it was all over, my mom picked us up from the parade, with the interior of her car lined with garbage bags to avoid getting the seats stained. We headed over to my uncles house to enjoy some sweets, including one of my favorites- gulgula. That night, no matter how much I showered, no matter how much I scrubbed, my face was still pink, and well, a little green and blue too. The abir just didn't come off! I went to school the next day and certainly received a lot of strange looks. I mean can you blame my non-Hindu classmates? The last time they saw me I didn't look like a rainbow threw up on me! I took the opportunity to educate my teacher and classmates about my culture and why my skin was so pink. Naturally, they all wanted to come to the parade with me the following year.

I have not attended the Phagwah parade in many many years, but when it comes to mind it reminds me of a time well spent with family and friends as we embraced the arrival of a bright and beautiful time of year. Today I'd like to share with you my mom's gulgula recipe, it's a favorite of my cousin, Ashley. She always used to wait patiently for Phagwah to come around for my mom's "sweet pholourie" as she would commonly call it. She said it tasted even better when made especially during Holi. For all those celebrating next week, have a happy and safe Holi!

Abir/Abeer - colored powder (Photo taken from Google Images)

Holi celebrations (All photos taken from Google Images)

You'll need two very ripe bananas.

Peel and get ready to mash it up- the banana, not the dance floor. (I cut this recipe in half since it's just my husband and I that will eat it- that's why you only see one banana here).

Keep mashing...

Until it's as smooth as you can get it.

Add the following spices, sugar and extract.

Stir in the flour and baking powder.

Fold in any raisins or maraschino cherries, if you desire them.

Use two spoons to drop batter into hot oil. Scoop up some batter with one spoon and use the other to sort of shape the batter before dropping it into the oil. Fry until dark brown, but not burnt, drain on paper towel.

Gulgula (Banana fritters)

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract or mixed essence
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
handful raisins
maraschino cherries, chopped (optional)
oil for frying

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, peel and mash bananas until smooth.
Add sugar, spices, and vanilla extract, mix in well; set aside.
In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder together.
Stir flour into banana mixture, combine thoroughly. Fold in desired amount of raisins or chopped maraschino cherries. Let mixture rest for 20 minutes.
Heat a deep pot with enough oil to fry gulgula.
Use two small spoons to shape batter and drop into hot oil. Scoop up some batter with one spoon and use the other to sort of shape the batter before dropping it into the oil. Turn frequently to ensure even browning. Fry until dark brown.
Drain on paper towels.

Notes:

Bananas must be very ripe to achieve the best flavor.
The amount of flour you'll need will vary based on how big or small the bananas are, start with 1/2 cup. Batter should be slightly thicker than cake batter and should be able to slightly hold its shape when dropped into the oil. If this does not happen, add more flour -a tbsp at a time until consistency is reached.
Do a taste test by frying one gulgula first before frying up the entire bowl of batter so you can check to see if there is enough sugar and spices to suit your palate.

Guyanese-style Fish Cakes with Mango Sour

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:22:00 +0000

Last week my husband and I went to a dinner party at a friends house and I decided to bring over a popular appetizer I grew up eating- these delicious fish cakes. They remind me so much of Queens, NY. Anytime I was out running errands on the weekends and happened to be on Liberty avenue, I'd stop into a local West Indian bakery and buy two of these fish cakes to keep me going until dinner time. They would come with a side of mango sour which made the taste just out of this world. The tangy sauce with the spicy fish cake was just too delicious for me. Mom used to make them for parties and get-togethers at our house as well. I remember them being simple to make and very filling. A good fish cake for me has to be spicy, have good flavor, and contain more fish than filling (potato), pour a little mango sour on top, grab me a cream soda, and I'm a happy girl.
The great thing about fish cakes is that they are completely versatile and can be seasoned any way you like. There's even more versatility in the types of fish you can use. Any type of white flaky fish or even something with a little firmness will work well. Saltfish (salted cod) is a popular choice and is what's traditionally used, just be sure to remove the bones. I recall the one bad experience I had with fish cakes a few years ago. I purchased a couple of pieces from a local Queens bakery which shall remain nameless (since I don't entertain bad-talking) and I remember taking a bite of the fish cake and a bone went straight into my gum- yea it was a complete turn off. This particular bakery used saltfish, but was not careful to remove all of the bones. If you're going to use this type of fish, your best bet is to go boneless, it will save you (and anyone eating them) a lot of headache or toothache, which ever you prefer :).

Types of fish that will work:

King fish
Snapper
Tilapia
Flounder
Trout
Whiting
Grouper
Perch
Porgy
Striped bass
Trout
Catfish
Boneless salted cod (saltfish)

These are some pretty good options to choose from, but don't feel limited to anything on this list. If you like another type of fish or would like to experiment, go ahead and use something else or even combine one or two types (saltfish and tilapia are great together)- and don't forget to let us know how it turned out :).

You'll need about 2lbs of fish. I used tilapia fillets since that's what I had available. Wash and pat dry fish with paper towels. Place on a greased baking sheet or line your pan with aluminum foil to help with the clean up.

Season fish how you like. I sprinkled black pepper, salt, and some Cajun seasoning.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until completely cooked.

Place fish in a deep bowl and flake with a fork.

Add desired seasonings. I added salt, Old bay, garlic powder, and lime juice.

I always have a batch of this seasoning in my refrigerator. I use it to season meat, fish, and rice among many other things. It's simply one large yellow onion, one head of garlic, peeled, 2-3 wiri wiri peppers (you can use scotch bonnets or red chili peppers), and fresh thyme leaves. Blend with 1/4 cup of water to make the puree. Store in an air-tight glass jar.

Chop up 1-2 scallions, wiri wiri pepper, and desired amount of freshly chopped onion and garlic or a couple of tablespoons of the pureed onion-garlic seasoning above. If you are making this eggless, I recommend using the pureed onion-garlic seasoning because it will give the mixture a good texture. Chopped onion and garlic will need an egg in the mix to help keep it together. You can also add any fresh herbs that you like to this mix.

Mix in scallions, pepper, and chopped or pureed onion/garlic- which ever you are using.

Mix thoroughly.

Peel and chop two medium potatoes. Boil until potato is cooked, but still has a give to it when pricked with a fork meaning, it doesn't fall apart easily. Mash immediately after draining. For a variation, cassava can also be used in place of the potato.

Add enough mashed potato, a little at a time so that you can form a ball. If you have a little potato left over, then add some butter and salt and eat it whenever you want. Taste fish cake mixture to see if you desire any other seasonings.

Form into little disc shapes. I got about 10 cakes out of this mixture.

Options for coating

For eggless: Immediately after forming cakes, press cake firmly into breadcrumbs to coat. Get ready to pan fry.

Using eggs: beat one egg, add 1 tsp water and mix. Add fish cake to egg mixture, coat on both sides then immediately place in bowl with breadcrumbs. Coat on both sides.

Heat a shallow frying pan with enough oil to pan fry. Place cakes in pan, leaving enough room to turn them over. Cook until they are golden brown. For eggless cakes, turn only once or twice, fish cake will be slightly soft when frying since there are no eggs, but once it cools down it will stiffen up.

Here is a photo of the fish cake without eggs (and just breadcrumbs). Golden brown and crispy!

Here is a photo of the fish cake coated with eggs (and breadcrumbs). The crust is thicker because of the egg. Equally as yummy!

These fish cakes make wonderful bite-sized appetizers as well, serve 'em up at your next get-together!

Fish Cakes

Makes about 10 pieces

Ingredients

2lbs white flaky fish - seasoned as desired
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp lime or lemon juice
1-2 scallions, chopped finely
freshly chopped herbs (optional)
desired amount of hot pepper, chopped finely
2 tbsp onion-garlic puree or desired amount of onion/garlic, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes or cassava (yuca)
1 egg + 1 tsp water (optional)
1 cup breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Mango Sauce: See recipe here

Directions:

Wash fish and pat dry with paper towels. Place fish on a baking sheet and season as desired-I sprinkled black pepper, salt, Cajun seasoning.
Bake fish at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
Place fish in bowl, flake, and add dry seasonings- mix thoroughly. Add chopped scallions, pepper, onions, garlic (or onion-garlic puree)- mix and set aside.
Peel and chop potatoes. Boil until potatoes are cooked, but not falling apart. Mash immediately after draining.
Add enough mashed potato, a little at a time to form a ball. Taste mixture and adjust seasoning to suit. Shape into small discs.
If using eggs: beat together one egg and 1 tsp water. Add fish cake to egg mixture, coat on both sides then immediately place in bowl with breadcrumbs. Coat on both sides. Heat enough oil in a shallow frying pan on medium heat and fry until golden brown on both sides.
If not using eggs: after shaping into discs, press firmly into breadcrumb coating on both sides, and fry immediately in a shallow pan until golden brown.
Top with mango sour and enjoy.

Notes:

Eggless fish cake will be slightly soft while frying, so be careful when turning them in the frying pan, once cooled, they will become stiffer.
If using saltfish (salted cod), be sure to boil fish twice to remove salt. Boil once, drain, add more water to cover fish and boil again. You can also soak fish overnight in enough water to cover the fish. Flake fish, then continue with recipe.
Keep heat on medium when frying; the breadcrumbs can burn quickly. Peanut oil is a good option to use for frying as it can withstand high temperatures for a long time without burning. If you don't have any on hand, vegetable oil or canola oil will work fine.

Mango Sour

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:24:00 +0000

The thing I love about Guyanese cuisine is that every element of a dish is equally important. A side of pepper sauce or sour is not just a side; in fact it's the part of a meal that brings it all together. A good condiment can take a dish to another level; a more intense level of taste and flavor and can really make that dish be the best it can be. If there was a Guyanese condiment I couldn't live without, besides pepper sauce and tamarind sauce, it would have to be mango sour. Similar in texture to a sweet and sour sauce, Guyanese mango sour has an intensely tangy and sour taste that pairs so well with fried appetizers such as cassava balls, pholourie, fish cakes, potato balls or even plantain chips. For me, if these appetizers don't have mango sour on the side, it just feels like something is missing; it's like having a french fry without ketchup- it just wouldn't make sense. This condiment in particular is quite easy to make and can be paired with many different foods; take a dip with your finger and you'll probably like it by itself too!
Growing up, whenever we had company over, my mom would make a small pot of this sour to serve alongside any one of the previously mentioned appetizers, needless to say, I had no qualms about grabbing a spoonful while it was still simmering down on the stove. I also remember mom not putting a lot of hot pepper in the sour because she didn't want the heat to overpower the mango taste. The mango really is the star of the show, and it should be, since there aren't many ingredients in the mixture besides mango, garlic, salt, and hot pepper. The method itself is so simple; boil mango with all ingredients, mash or puree and enjoy. Really, that's it. There might be a few variations here and there with different recipes, but generally there shouldn't be any real "hard" work involved.

Over the years, during various foodie-related conversations, I've noticed that people seem to get uneasy when it comes to the idea of making a condiment at home. Something about the word "homemade" tends to exude some level fear. I guess it's because "homemade" can translate into "labor intensive" so it's no surprise that most Guyanese condiments are readily available for purchase in West Indian stores these days. Most people tend not to spend time making them at home like their parents did and while nothing is wrong with purchasing ready made condiments, there are some condiments such as this one that can be easily made in your own kitchen and enjoyed fresh and hot. Not to mention, you'll feel pretty proud that you made something that is deemed "labor intensive." If you feel up to it, give this one a try. I fried up some plantain chips to eat alongside this yummy sour- it was the perfect snack as I spent the day packing up my apartment into u-haul boxes! Enjoy everyone :)

You'll need one unripened mango- commonly referred to as "green mango." One medium-sized mango should yield about two cups chopped.

Peel and chop mango into 2-3 inch pieces. Set aside. Discard seed.

Grab three garlic cloves, mince finely and set aside.

In a deep sauce pot, add mango, salt, garlic, and desired amount of hot pepper. You can also add hot pepper sauce. If you like a little extra tangy taste, you can add vinegar as well after sour has cooked and cooled down.

Boil for about 10-15 minutes on high heat then reduce heat to a simmer. Mash mango when it is cooked all the way through. You can use several different instruments to mash or puree the mango:
1. Potato masher
2. Food processor
3. Handheld immersion blender
4. Swizzle stick (dhal ghutney)
5. Blender

I used a potato masher because I like my mango sour slightly lumpy.

I could eat mango sour with everything, it's one of my favorite condiments. It tastes wonderful with plantain chips, pholourie, cassava balls, fish cakes, black pudding, and channa to name a few.

Mango Sour

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups green unripened mango, chopped (about 1 mango)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-2 wiri wiri peppers or scotch bonnet (or desired amount of pepper sauce)
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 1/4 cups water
2 tbsp vinegar (optional)

Directions:

Peel and chop mango in 2-3 inch pieces. Discard the seed. Chop garlic, set aside.
Combine all ingredients (except vinegar, if adding), in a small pot and bring to a rapid boil for 10-15 minutes.
Reduce heat and simmer until mango is soft and cooked through. Mash mango until desired consistency is reached.
Adjust pepper and salt to suite.
If adding vinegar, allow mixture to cool slightly then stir in.
Sour will thicken up once it is cooled.

Guyanese Chicken Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:36:00 +0000

Stemming from the Indian influences on Guyanese cuisine, curry has become a fundamental dish in our food culture. Chicken curry in particular is such a staple in a (meat-eating) Guyanese home that you would think it was the national dish of the country. This delicious finger-licking stew is generally made by simmering some type of meat in a curry powder-garam masala mixture until some of the liquid has reduced, leaving a thick broth. It is typically enjoyed hot, and paired with roti or rice. You can be sure if you attend a party, shower, BBQ, Christian or Muslim religious function, or just a hangout at a West Indian person's home, you will most likely find curry on the menu.
Every Guyanese person has that one auntie or uncle in their family who makes "the best" curry and in my family, it's my mother and my cousin Shammie. Mom's curry always had the perfect balance of spice and flavor. It was never watery and always boiled down to the right amount of gravy. It was the type of curry that made you lick your fingers after you were done eating, even if you used a fork. She frequently paired her chicken curry with dhal and rice or homemade dhal puri, both of which were enjoyable for me. Mom's curry turned me into what many West Indians call a "curry mouth"- someone who loves curry for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I have come to accept this description of my curry eating habits, because I believe it to be true! :)

So what makes a good curry for me?

The gravy must be thick, not watery.
It must contain the right amount of salt.
It must have a spice balance- good ratio of masala to curry powder.
The chicken must have color (not white and washed-out looking).
The curry must not be overwhelmed with too much unnecessary herbs and spices.
The masala and curry powder spices must be fresh and great quality. It makes all the difference.

How do I like to enjoy my curry?

I enjoy curry right off the fire, while it is still hot. If I am having it with rice, I prefer it without dhal-I really like to taste the curry. I wait until I have eaten all of the rice to enjoy the meat on its own and my favorite piece is the neck. Oh! And how could I forget- there always needs to be a sprinkle of pepper sauce on my plate! This is what I call my comfort food. How do you like to enjoy your curry?

That's my mom's dhal puri, that's good stuff right there.

Make the Seasoning

In a blender combine one medium onion, one head of garlic, leaves of a few sprigs of thyme, and desired amount of wiri wiri or scotch bonnet peppers.

Add enough water to blend into a smoothie type texture. You should need be about 1/4 cup water.

You will have extra seasoning left over. Store in an air-tight container and use to season meats, soups, rice etc.

Clean chicken. See notes section for more details on how to clean meat.

Add 2 heaping tablespoons of seasoning, massage into meat. Let it rest for 1/2 hour minimum.

In a bowl, mix seasoning, masala, curry powder, and geera, form into a paste. My mom makes her own masala mixture, but see below for a recommendation of brands you can buy at a West Indian grocery store.

Add 1/3 cup of water and mix into a thick paste.

Add 6 tbsp oil to a cast iron pot, add masala mixture and fry 2-3 minutes until paste darkens and dries slightly. Be sure not to burn the paste, turn frequently while frying.

Add chicken to pot and stir to coat with masala-curry powder mixture. Cover pot and let chicken cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat stirring every once in a while. Remove lid and allow water from chicken to evaporate.

Chicken will then start to look "dry" after 15-20min. It will look like the spice paste is seared onto the meat- this is known as bunjaling/bunjaying. Add salt and more hot pepper if desired. Turn to incorporate.

Once chicken has bunjayed, add 3 cups boiling water, tomato paste, chopped potatoes, and two cloves (not pictured). Stir and cover pot to allow potatoes to cook. Curry is done when liquid reduces by 1/3 and gravy looks thick.

Chicken Curry

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped
1 head of garlic cloves, peeled
leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme
desired amount of wiri wiri pepper or scotch bonnet pepper
1/4 cup water

Curry

4 lbs chicken, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 tbsp seasoning (for chicken)
4 tbsp seasoning (for masala-curry powder mixture)
4 tbsp garam masala
3 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground geera (cumin)
1/3 cup boiilng water
6 tbsp oil, canola or vegetable
2 tsp salt (or salt to taste)
3 cups boiling water
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cloves, (not pictured)

Directions:

In a blender, combine medium onion, head of garlic, thyme leaves, pepper, and 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth and thick like a smoothie.
Wash and clean chicken (see below). Remove fat, chop into 3-inch pieces. Pat dry with paper towel, set aside.
Add 2 tbsp seasoning to chicken. Massage into meat, let it rest for 1/2 hour minimum.
In a bowl, mix 5 heaping tbsp seasoning, masala, curry powder, geera, and 1/3 cup water into a paste.
Heat a cast iron pot with 6 tbsp oil. Add masala-curry powder paste and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture looks darker and not watery .
Add chicken to pot and stir to coat with masala-curry powder mixture.
Cover pot and let chicken cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat stirring every once in a while. Remove lid and allow water from chicken to evaporate. Chicken will then start to look "dry." Add salt and stir.
Add boiling water, tomato paste, and chopped potatoes, cover with lid.
Let curry boil on medium-high heat until gravy has reduced by one-third and thickens to your desire.

Notes

Make sure chicken has bunjayed (meat has been seared with the masala and looks dry) well before adding the boiling water. If water is added too soon, it will wash the masala off the chicken and you will end up with a watery curry.
Pat meat dry before adding seasoning. The meat will absorb the seasoning better.
Brands- these are the brands my mom has used in the past and yields a great taste:

Curry Powder - Chetty's
Garam Masala - Lalah's

How to clean meat
When my mom would buy chicken from the halal meat store in Queens, they would roast the skin of the chicken and chop it up in curry/stew size pieces. Roasting the chicken skin gave it another layer of flavor when cooked. When she brought the chicken home, she would "clean" it with a little bit of flour, sugar, vinegar or lime, and water. She'd let it sit for 1/2 hr to 45 minutes then rinse it off piece by piece then pat it dry. This method of "cleaning" the meat is a way to remove any slime, rank smell, or taste that the chicken might have. This is the way we always cleaned meat, but feel free to use your own way.

Happy Shivratri: Recipe Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:56:00 +0000

For those of you celebrating Maha Shivratri, you might be making several or just one or two of the sweets in the photo above. I've received a few emails asking for these recipes, so I thought a roundup might help make things easier for you. Please feel free to email me at innergourmet@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Crunchy Mithai
Sweet Rice
Soft Mithai
Peera
Cream of Wheat & Flour Parsad

Other recipes my mom would make while we were fasting during Hindu holidays:
Eggless Cake
Khichri

Wishing those of you who are celebrating, a very happy and blessed Shivratri!

Photo source: Google images

Mom's Peera (Milk Fudge)

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:19:00 +0000

Shivratri is soon approaching and I know this recipe couldn't come at a better time for many of you. I also know that some of you think I've been hibernating, I haven't :) but life just gets in the way sometimes . With the hectic holidays and back to back traveling, and not to mention moving, I just couldn't find the time to sit down to blog. I figured if I came back strong (and sweet) with this delicious peera recipe, you'd be more inclined to forgive me for disappearing. So here's a recipe I've been waiting to share with you for a long long time, my mom's peera.

Peera/pera is a variation of an Indian milk sweet known as Peda. I say variation, because the version I've seen made in Guyanese homes is different than a traditional Peda recipe. The version I grew up eating consists of evaporated milk and sugar that has been reduced down to a taffy like texture then rolled into balls. It is slightly hard and chewy and once you get it into your mouth and start swirling it around, the milky-sugary flavor and texture just falls apart and takes you over, well it takes me over at least. These little delicacies were typically served in a paper bag alongside other sweets like parsad and mithai after the commencement of a religious ceremony.

When I was a teenager, probably even younger, buying peera at a roti shop wasn't very common. Usually it was available and best enjoyed at religious functions. Nowadays you can buy a pack of peera at a West Indian bakery or roti shop for something like $2.00 for four or five pieces. If purchased, it was usually only to have as a novelty in your pantry as large batches of peera was still made at home for jhandis and poojas.

Making peera is such a labor of love. It takes a great deal of attention and requires a lot of time, especially during these functions where there were so many other dishes that had to be cooked and tended to, like the parsad, roath, mithai, and the seven different types of curries that was commonly served after the function was over. Usually there were a lot of hands available to help with the different foods that needed to be prepared so the work always got done. My cousins and I usually helped out with other stuff like washing the dishes and cleaning, but no matter what we were doing, we'd put our chores aside so we could help with making the peera. I have such good memories of us helping to roll the peera because we wanted to be aware of how many pieces were left over for after all the parsad bags were stuffed. I even remember the arguments and fights we had that involved who hid an extra handful of peera in their bedroom because somehow, we never had any peera left over, when we all knew we should have. Ahh those were the good ole' days that have now become memories. I mean we're all adults now and I'm sure we've all managed to control our peera consumption, or maybe we just found better hiding spots, ha!

The challenge

If you ask anyone who has made peera what the biggest challenge is, they'll tell you it's the turning. Standing in front of the stove turning the mixture constantly so it won't burn is just draining and exhausting is really what they'll say. And it's true, there is a lot of turning and muscle strengthening involved, so be prepared. If there was one tip I could give you to help you achieve a great tasting peera, it's to keep the the heat low and slow after the first hour. It is so important to do this to help prevent scorching. No one wants burnt chunks of sugar in their peera. In addition to keeping the heat low, consistently turning the mixture keeps it from "catching" the bottom of the pot. Unfortunately, the turning is a necessary evil and something you just have to do because once your batch as been scorched there's no coming back from it, you'll just have to start over.

The one benefit to all this is using evaporated milk. Evaporated milk has already been concentrated so that means less boiling as compared to starting the process with whole milk. I know back in my grandmother's time, they made peera from cows milk and had to boil it and boil it for hours to reduce. If making peera with concentrated milk is exhausting, can you imagine whole milk? Well neither can I, but my good friend and journalist, Cynthia Nelson can tell you all about it in her detailed post on peera and her adventure with making it from scratch using whole milk, if you're interested (and you should be) take a read here.

You'll need 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg and cinnamon, 1 1/4 cup white granulated sugar, and one 12oz tin of evaporated milk.

Pour milk, sugar, and spices into a cast iron or stainless steel pot. Give it a stir and heat on medium-low heat for about an hour and fifteen minutes. In the meantime grab a plate or tray to place peera in after it's done, a glass of ice water, and a small spoon, set aside for later.

Let mixture boil for an hour on medium-low heat. Stir every now and then, always making sure to scrape spices down from edges of pot. When the color starts to become golden and the texture becomes like pancake syrup, turn heat to low.

Around an hour and a half mixture should be thick like molasses, keep turning mixture to keep from scorching. Scrape sides down frequently so sugar does not build up. When mixture begins to look thick like cake batter, do not leave the stove, keep turning. The edges of the pot will begin to look dry and white. Remove mixture from heat, tilt the pot and beat mixture until the texture becomes like frosting or taffy.

Rub some ice cold water between both palms, roll about a teaspoon of peera mixture to form a ball, place in plate or tray, and press down slightly with your finger to make an indent. The cold water will help to keep your palms from scorching, keep the peera mixture from sticking to your skin, and will also help to make the peera smooth. Let peera dry for an hour or so, then enjoy!

A Recipe Test

I asked a few friends and family members, including my mom, for their peera recipes. The most common one I received is that of batch #1 - one tin of evaporated milk to one tin of sugar. Batch #2 which is my mom's recipe is slightly different in that she adds spices and a little less sugar. I wanted to test both recipes to see if there was a big difference. The disparity came in the texture and flavor- both which were very good. Here's my breakdown:

Batch #1

1 12oz tin evaporated milk
1 tin white sugar (using the same evaporated milk tin as a measuring unit- this is actually 1 3/4 cup sugar)`

You'll notice this batch is lighter in color and also smoother. This is due to two reasons: 1. Removing the mixture from the heat earlier and beating it a little longer. 2. Rolling the mixture into balls right away while mixture is still hot. This batch was tasty except, I could taste the sugar granules as I smeared the peera on my tongue once it was set. If this is how you like your peera then by all means, enjoy! Overall, this batch tasted more like the Spanish fudge you could buy at a bodega that is sold in the little plastic containers. If you live in a metropolitan area, you may be familiar with this reference. It was certainly as tasty as it looks.

Batch #2

See recipe below

The second batch is darker in color and also a little bit stiffer. The darker color is a result of keeping the mixture on the stove longer towards the end, allowing the sugar to caramelize more. I prefer this way because the flavor is more pronounced and it is also how I grew up eating peera-slightly on the darker side. You'll also notice the second batch has cracks, this is because once the pot was removed from the heat, the mixture dried too much before being rolled into balls. I had to stop to take photos and unfortunately the peera mixture got a little stiff so when I rolled them, cracks appeared here and there, no biggie.

Both recipes were delicious and worthy of a great peera, if you decide to take on this challenge, remember to be patient (especially if it is your first time) and invite some family or friends over to help take shifts with the turning!

Mom's Peera (Milk Fudge)

Yield: about 15-20 pieces

Ingredients

1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

Grab a plate or tray to place peeras in after it is done, a glass of ice water, and a small spoon, set aside.
Pour milk, sugar and spices into a cast iron pot. Heat on medium-low for about hour and fifteen minutes uncovered. Let mixture boil, turning occasionally and scraping the sides down each time.
Mixture should start to look slightly thick, like pancake syrup and have a caramel color. Turn heat to low and turn every 2-3 minutes. Mixture is at most risk for scorching at this point so keep heat on low.
Around an hour and a half mixture should be thick like molasses, keep turning mixture to keep from scorching. Scrape sides down frequently so sugar does not build up.
When mixture begins to look thick like cake batter, do not leave the stove, keep turning. The edges of the pot will begin to look dry and white. Remove mixture from heat, tilt the pot and beat mixture until the texture becomes like frosting or taffy. It is now ready to be rolled into balls.
Rub some cold water between both palms, roll about a teaspoon of peera in between your palms to form a ball, place in plate or tray, and press down slightly with your finger to make an indent.
Allow peera to harden then enjoy.

Notes:

I recommend not using a non-stick or enamel coated pot. You will be turning the peera mixture frequently and wouldn't want to risk scratching the bottom of one of these types of vessels or getting the scratched pieces into the peera mixture. A cast iron or stainless steel pot works best for this recipe.
Use a metal or wooden spoon, a plastic spoon may break while beating the mixture.
After an hour of boiling, be absolutely sure to keep heat on low, otherwise the mixture will scorch on the bottom and as you turn it, you'll see the scorched pieces turn up in the milk.
Roll peera while mixture is still hot, it will help to keep the peera smooth and free of cracks. The darker peera in my photos had a few cracks since I had to stop to take photos, so as you can see, even a minute cannot be spared. When the sugar begins to dry, it makes it harder to roll the peera, so work quickly. Don't worry about burning your hands, the cold water will not only help with keeping the peera smooth, it will keep your palms from being scorched.
If you are not sure when to take mixture off the stove, you can drop a little bit of the mixture into a glass of warm water, if it keeps its shape and does not dissolve, it is ready to be removed from the stove and beaten.

Coquito - Puerto Rican Eggnog

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 20:11:00 +0000

The first time I had coquito was a few years ago during a visit to Florida to spend the holidays with my parents. It always feels so festive when I am there. My mom and I cook up a storm and bake all sorts of goodies. We never really know who's stopping by, but we always make sure there is enough treats for any amount of visitors. Back in 2009, my mom's friend Zulieka, who is from Puerto Rico and also lives next door, came over and brought with her a bottle homemade egg nog to help us wash down all the goodies we baked. I was intrigued; she had me at egg nog. It was so delicious. It had this wonderful creamy coconut taste with lots of cinnamon in the background. My taste buds were delighted. It was her mother's recipe and they make it during Christmas time every year. I've also had coquito from my friend Jeff, who is from the Dominican Republic. It tastes pretty much the same as Zulieka's. The recipe seems to be standard, with very little variation.

Coquito reminds me of other egg nog variations like Trinidad's ponche de creme which has more of a citrus profile. My husband makes it every year as well and I indulge in it probably a little too much! What I love about these egg nog drinks is that they are meant to be savored; letting the ice melt and stirring frequently makes it taste better. It's even reminiscent of Irish Bailey's, where you just sip and stir, stir and sip, but never gulp.

Since my first coquito contact in 2009, I have made this a few times at home and it is a hit every time. There are two methods of preparation; you can blend the ingredients with the raw eggs or temper the eggs and milk until thick, then blend with the rest of the ingredients. I usually throw all the ingredients into a blender with the raw eggs and hit go. I was never too concerned with salmonella from the raw eggs since this drink contains a lot of alcohol and most likely kills the bacteria in the eggs, if any. Store-bought eggs go through a washing and sanitation process where most of the salmonella from the egg shells are removed, however since salmonella can also be found on the inside of the egg, there is no way to remove it without cracking the egg. I have found in my research that 1 in every 10,000 eggs contain salmonella, according to the Center of Disease Control, so I guess we can say the odds are on our side. If you still feel nervous about having raw eggs in your coquito, then you can cook the egg and milk mixture until it reaches a temperature ranging from 155-160 degrees if you care to use a thermometer. This indicates the egg yolk has been cooked to a temperature where the bacteria has been killed. Whether you choose to blend with the raw eggs or cooked, the result will still be a velvety, creamy, coconut-y drink that is sure to please any crowd.

If you try this recipe, I hope you enjoy it and remember to add as much or as little of any ingredient you choose, especially the rum :). If you are making this for a party, I suggest doubling or tripling the recipe since it only makes about 6 cups! I wish you all a very happy holiday season!

These are the typical ingredients that go into coquito: Condensed milk, coconut milk, evaporated milk, egg yolks, spices, vanilla, and of course- rum :). The Bacardi 151 is pretty strong and I used it because that's what I had on hand. If you are using another rum; white or dark, I recommend adding 3/4-1 cup. Since the this Bacardi is so strong, I used only 1/2 cup. Also coquito is traditionally made with fresh coconut milk, but canned coconut milk is just as good and used in place these days. I used the light version because I prefer my coquito with more of a delicate coconut taste. You can either pour all these ingredients into a blender and blend till frothy, or you can continue from here and temper the eggs.

Bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a double boiler. Place aluminum bowl over water, add egg yolks and evaporated milk only. Continue to stir about 10 minutes until mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon. OR, if using a thermometer, this mixture should reach about 155-160 degrees. At 155-160 degrees, the egg yolk has cooked enough to destroy any bacteria it might contain. I didn't use a thermometer, so don't feel you can't make this beverage if you don't have one.

Pour egg/evaporated milk mixture into a blender add coconut milk, spices, vanilla, condensed milk, and rum. Blend until frothy.

Frothy.

Pour into glass bottles. Add the star anise to the finished mixture. This is optional, but I think it gives a nice background flavor to the beverage.

Coquito

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 13.5oz can regular or light coconut milk
1 15oz can condensed milk
3/4 - 1 cup white or dark rum (if using 151 proof, use 1/2 cup)
5 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1-2 star anise

Directions:

Bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a double boiler. Add evaporated milk and egg yolks. Stir until mixture coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes on low heat). Or, stir mixture until it reaches 155-160 degrees.
Pour milk/egg mixture into a blender, add rest of ingredients and blend until frothy.
Refrigerate until chilled then serve over ice.

Alternate Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender with raw eggs and blend until frothy. Refrigerate until well-chilled, serve over ice.

Tips

To prevent mixture from flowing over, a blender that can hold more than 6 cups is preferred. Mixture can also be whisked in a large bowl and then poured into a blender 3 cups at a time, if your blender does not hold more than 6 cups.
If you do not prefer a strong coconut taste, light coconut milk can be used as well.
Rum is the traditional alcohol used in this beverage. Whether you choose white or dark rum is based on your preference. Since 151 proof is a lot stronger, I recommend starting with 1/2 cup.

Cheese Straws for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:16:00 +0000

I could never talk about childhood memories without mention of these delicious cheese straws. My mom used to make them for us on Christmas Eve when we were wrapping last minute presents or watching a movie with the rest of the family. She would make them into strips or "straws" at random times throughout the year, but during Christmas time, she used cookie cutters to make fun holiday shapes instead. I always remembered my brother and I fighting over who got the snowman since it was the biggest one. Silly kids.

Mom made her cheese straws in two different ways. Sometimes she would make them where the dough was soft enough to pipe from a pastry bag, other times, like for Christmas, she made the dough similar to that of a cookie dough, where it was pliable enough to cut into shapes. Both ways were equally delicious, but the ones she made during the holidays were my favorite. I always loved eating them right out of the oven; the melt-y, gooey cheesiness sent me right to heaven! They were so flavorful too with a hint of mustard and just the right amount of spice from our homemade pepper sauce.

What I love about cheese straws is that you can use any type of cheese you want. Cheddar is the most popular, but other types like pepper jack or monterey work wonderfully too since they tend to melt beautifully when baking. Feel free to combine different types of cheeses for an added layer of flavor.

This year I decided this was going to be my savory Christmas cookie. Instead of sugar cookies, I am giving these out along with slices of sponge cake. I think they are wonderful to bring into work too, it will be a nice change amongst all the sweets that will be going around the office.

Flaky, buttery, cheesy. That is all.

The headless gingerbread man.

So lets get started on this recipe. You'll need 1lb of grated/shredded cheddar cheese. Make sure it is room temperature. Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 heaping tsp cayenne pepper, and a few dashes of dry parsley flakes. Mix to combine.

Add 8oz softened butter. Heat in microwave for 20 seconds until soft, but not melted. Rub in with a fork until small pea sizes form. Set aside.

Beat two large eggs, add desired amount of hot pepper sauce, I added 1 tsp. Add 2 tsp mustard. Whisk to combine.

Add cheese to flour mixture, mix in thoroughly. Add egg and knead until dough ball is formed.

Divide dough in two and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 10-20 minutes.
Flour your surface and roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Pay no mind to the lines/indents on this dough ball, it came from placing it on the rack in my fridge.

1/4 inch thickness.

To cut into strips follow this diagram. Ball up the ends until all dough has been used up.

Place on parchment paper (not wax paper) or a non-stick silpat mat and get ready to bake.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Over-baking will cause cheese to burn-bottom of cheese straw should be golden brown.

And now for the fun part!

Grab your favorite Christmas cookie cutters...

...and cut away.

My dear brother, if you're reading this, I just wanted to tell you that this year, he is mine :)

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. If you bake it any longer the cheese will burn.

Eat them right out of the oven or package them up to give away!

Cheese Straws

Ingredients

1lb grated/shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces softened butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
few dashes dry parsley flakes
2 large eggs beaten, room temperature
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp hot pepper sauce

Directions:

Grate cheese, set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, cayenne pepper and dry parsley flakes. Add butter and rub into flour with a fork until small pea size crumbs form.
Add grated cheese to flour mixture, combine thoroughly.
Add mustard and hot pepper sauce to beaten egg, add to cheese/flour mixture. Mix/knead to form a soft and pliable dough ball.
Divide dough ball in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes.
Roll dough ball out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut into strips or use desired cookie cutters.
Bake on parchment paper at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
Serve hot, or after cooling, wrap in wax paper to preserve freshness.

For Piping:

Soften butter in microwave, do not melt. Set aside.
Heat cheese in microwave, do not melt. Set aside.
Place dry ingredients in food processor, pulse a few time. Add butter and cheese, pulse until mixed in well. Batter will be thick. Add eggs until batter is smooth. If it is still a little stiff to pipe, add a little milk until texture is soft enough to pipe.

Tips:

All ingredients can be pulsed in a food processor until a dough ball forms. Butter and eggs should not be room temperature though if you are using the food processor. Keeping the butter cold will create flakes in the cheese straw. Only bring cheese and butter to room temperature if making cheese straw to pipe in a pastry bag.
Extra sharp cheddar is recommended for best flavor.

The Ragoo Family's Ginger Beer Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:11:00 +0000

I have a confession. Ready? It took me years before I could drink a single glass of ginger beer. There, I said it, I was never a huge fan. It is truly one of those beverages that you'll either love or hate, and for a long time, I hated it. I disliked the one thing that everyone seems to love about it; that burning sensation in your throat after one sip. Some say that's how you can tell a good ginger beer, from a bad one-the burning. I suppose the burning from this beverage makes it a great contender for a sore throat or cold. My mom makes this every year during Christmas time, like most Caribbeans, and all I could ever drink was one small glass, with lots of ice.

Ginger beer is a spicy (from the ginger of course) beverage typically made during Christmas time in the Caribbean. A classic ginger beer is made by soaking grated ginger and various spices in water. It is placed outside in sunlight for a few days to ferment, it is strained and then served over ice. It certainly has a bite and packs a punch with its fruity notes and warm aroma provided by the clove, cinnamon, and citrus peel. You can find ginger beer in the stores these days, but there is no comparison to the homemade version, simply because of freshness.

Last year after complaining to one of my blog fans, Kumar Ragoo, about my love-hate relationship with ginger beer, he promised to send me his family's recipe, noting that since it is not a traditional recipe, I might really enjoy it. What's different about his family's recipe is that they add ginger ale and orange soda to give it some fizz and added flavor. He explained how much of a hit this ginger beer is at their Christmas parties; everyone always loves it. I was convinced and now here we are. So what's the verdict? Kumar was right, I did enjoy this recipe. What I loved was that I could customize it as much as I wanted by adding more or less of the orange and ginger ale sodas. There is a fine line though, adding more sugar towards the end and then a little bit of soda at a time, ensures that you don't turn this into a ginger soda, taking away from the fresh ginger taste.

So if you are not a fan of ginger beer, I'd say try this recipe out, perhaps it might bring you along the adoption curve as it did for me. Thanks to Kumar and his family for sharing with us his family's recipe!

Here is what you will need:

Soak all ingredients in one gallon of water.

You'll need 1 1/2 pounds ginger root.

Chop into pieces and peel. You can grate by hand or place in food processor.

Add grated ginger to pot with water.

Give it a good stir and let it steep for at least 24 hours.

...The next day

Strain ginger beer, make sure to squeeze the ginger pulp to get every last bit of liquid out. As you keep straining, the ginger will come out first then the rest of the ingredients. Be sure not to pour all at once.

This is where Kumar's recipe differs, you can stop here and add as much sugar as you like or you can add a little bit of orange soda and ginger ale along with more sugar to sweeten up.

Give it a good stir and serve over ice.

The Ragoo Family's Ginger Beer

Makes one gallon

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb grated ginger root
1/8 cup barley
1/8 cup rice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1/2 orange peel
1/2 lime peel
2 tsp mixed essence
1 gallon water
1 cup orange soda - optional
1 cup ginger ale - optional

Directions:

Grate ginger by hand or place in food processor. Set aside.
Peel half orange and lime, set aside.
In a deep pot, add water, barley, rice, mixed essence, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Stir in ginger. Cover and let steep for at minimum 24 hours.
The next day, strain beer, squeeze ginger to get most liquid out. Add additional sugar to sweeten. Add orange soda and ginger ale until desired flavor is achieved.

Fried Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:02:00 +0000

Every culture has dishes that make them feel warm and cozy on the inside; something rich, decadent, and emotionally pleasing. Americans have mac and cheese, fried chicken, and chicken pot pie to name a few, and Guyanese? Well for me, comfort food has got to be a plate of dhal and rice with a nice piece of fried fish. Something about the spicy hot dhal combined with the crunch from the fish makes me feel like home. This is a meal I make on Sundays, not that it wouldn't taste just as good on any other day, but for me it is the ideal comfort meal on a day where I can just eat, relax, and watch a good movie.

This is how I enjoy my fried fish- and you know I have to have my pepper on the side ;)

This is my auntie Mala's recipe. I particularly love her version because she uses thin flounder or whiting fillets. The result is a nice crunchy piece of fish with a great ratio of flesh to batter. This batter can be adapted for many other types of fish like, catfish, banga mary, butter fish, or any white flaky fish you choose. My mom used to make these delicious little fried fish called coco belly fish to top our dhal and rice meal. They were so mini and cute, and I would just gobble them up with a dipping sauce I made with pepper sauce and ketchup! I also love fried red snapper or king fish, but I prefer it cut into large chunks and used in stews. I made a batch of fried snapper for a fish stew I cooked that same day.

So, are we ready for this recipe?

Use any white flaky fish since it is best for frying. I used 1 lb whiting fillets.

Soak it for 20 minutes with lime and water to help remove any rank odor.

In the meantime, make the seasoning. I usually have a batch of this in the refrigerator for use in meats and other seafood. Blend 1 chopped onion with 1 head of garlic and desired amount of wiri wiri pepper. Store in a glass jar for up to one week.

Onion/garlic/pepper seasoning. See steps and measurements here.

Rinse and drain lime water out of fish. Dry with a paper towel. Set aside

Add 6 tablespoons of onion/garlic/pepper mixture. Add a dash of salt and Old Bay seasoning. Let fish rest in seasoning for 10-15 minutes. It will be very moist and wet from the seasoning. Don't let it sit out for too long, the longer seafood sits, the more bacteria starts to develop.

Prepare batter. In a shallow and wide dish, add 1 cup all-purpose flour. You may substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, it adds a nice color too. Add curry powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, Old Bay seasoning, and salt.

Mix the flour and spices together, using a whisk helps to distribute things evenly.

Coat fish in flour on both sides, make sure you press it in there to get every part of the fish covered.

Fry fish until dark golden brown.

Best enjoyed hot, I can imagine a good fish sandwich right now, perhaps stuffed between tasty butterflap bread, Mmm!

Fried Fish

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

For fish

1 lb whiting fish fillets
2 limes
6 tbsp onion/garlic/pepper puree - see here for recipe
few dashes of salt
few dashes of old bay seasoning

For batter

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp salt
Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Directions:

Squeeze lime juice over fish and soak in water for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water, dry with paper towel and set aside.
Make onion/garlic/pepper puree. Add 6 tbsp to fish, mix in thoroughly. Add salt and Old Bay seasoning. Let marinate for 10-15 minutes.
Mix batter. In a shallow and wide dish, add flour and spices, mix to distribute spices.
Heat oil.
Coat both sides of each fillet in flour batter. Press firmly into flour to get every part of the fish dredged.
Fry fish until golden-dark brown. Remove from oil onto a dish lined with paper towels.
Best enjoyed hot!

Tips & Advice:

1/4 cup whole wheat flour may be substituted to batter mixture. It will give a nice color to the batter once fried.
Use a light flaky fish for frying, oily/high fat fish such as salmon won't work as well here.
Make sure to scrape your knife across the skin of the fish to ensure all scales have been removed.
Many are afraid of getting burned while frying. Ironically I've found the key is to not be afraid :) if you throw the fish into the oil, it will pitch and burn you. Place fish gently into oil and as quickly as possible.

Bite-sized Pecan Pies

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 12:11:00 +0000

Every year for Thanksgiving, my family's dining room table is graced with many different types of dishes. From Caribbean options to the American regulars; we always have more than plenty to eat. Desserts especially come in many different forms for us. You'll find pine tarts, cheese rolls, pumpkin pie, apple pie, of course a cheesecake, and certainly a pecan pie on the table. This year though, I decided to break a rule and make a tinier version of one of our favorites, pecan pie. I kind of like the idea of having a little pie all to myself. I get the whole crust and the entire filling, all in just 2-3 bites.
I suppose these pies will also appeal to those who are strict about their portion control. Who can possibly be concerned with portion control during a holiday that is celebrated by eating and eating, and eating some more? Well believe it or not, we're bound to have yet another few family members come over this year for Thanksgiving that will claim to be on a diet. I won't lie, I frown, but only out of confusion. I mean, I love y'all and everything, but this is crazy! If people coming over for Thanksgiving are always on a diet, then why is the salad always the last man standing on our table? I mean most times it hasn't even been touched! Ah, the irony. Anyhow, I still want to respect dietary goals since I am usually the designated dessert-maker, so hopefully these bite-sized pies will fill the need of wanting a little something sweet, without feeling like you've cheated on your diet. As for me, I know that once I am done making these on Thursday, I'll certainly be having more than one, and possibly with a scoop of ice cream on the side. There's no shame in my sugar tooth game, well at least not for Thanksgiving :)

Grab some pecans, chop about 1/2 cup and set aside.

To start things off, you'll need pie crust. You can make your own (check out a recipe here), or you can take a shortcut and use store-bought pie crusts, like I did. With the various time-consuming dishes you'll probably be making for Thanksgiving, these shortcuts really make life a bit easier in the kitchen. Besides, store-bought pie crust tastes pretty good and is quite inexpensive. This is the one I used. You'll need both rolls for this recipe, it should give you 36 bite-sized pies.

You will need a mini-cupcake baking pan for these. I bought this one at Michael's Arts & Crafts store for $6. Roll crusts out on a cutting board. Use a round cookie cutter or glass with a diameter of about 3inches to cut rounds. Line each opening and press down to shape.

Use a fork to press edges down, this just makes it look pretty, but is not necessary.

In a mixing bowl, add two medium eggs, light brown sugar, melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and dash of cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.

Most pecan pies contain light corn syrup, this adds that sticky, tacky texture that pecan pie is known for.

Add corn syrup and mix thoroughly. Mixture should be thick. Fold in chopped pecans.

Place 1 tbsp of filling in each opening, fill only half way. I would recommend not filling these all the way to rim. I did that with my first batch (pictured here) and when baked, the filling flowed over.

Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes until crust is golden brown.

I secretly want a scoop of ice cream with this :x

Bite-sized Pecan Pies

Yield: 36 pies

Ingredients

2 9-inch pie crusts (store-bought)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 medium eggs
2 tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp light corn syrup
dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out pie crust. Cut 3-inch circles with a cookie cutter or glass. Line each insert of mini-cupcake pan with circles. Tuck in and shape. Use a fork to press edges down. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, add eggs and brown sugar, mix thoroughly. Add melted butter, vanilla, light corn syrup, and dash of cinnamon. Mix thoroughly then fold in pecans.
Fill pie crusts with 1 tbsp of pecan pie filling. Fill halfway, not to the rim.
Bake 18-20 minutes until crust is golden brown.
Serve warm and enjoy.

Accordion Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:57:00 +0000

When I first saw these potatoes, I couldn't wait to make them. I came across the recipe on one of my favorite food blogs called, Almost Bourdain. The idea is so simple; scrub, slice, season, bake. Somehow, it still only took me about a year to get around to them. The trick in getting these potatoes to fan out so beautifully is to not slice them all the way through. I think they are stunning visually and they taste equally as good. Don't you just love it when your taste buds meet your eyes' expectations? By now, most of you know that I love potatoes; sauteed, fried, roasted, steamed, and especially baked. There can never be enough potato recipes for me, or enough ways to present them.

With Thanksgiving nearing the corner, I wanted to share this option with you for a side dish. I will be making these this year instead of my scalloped potato dish.

Here are some additional potato sides to choose from for your Thanksgiving spread this year:

Spicy Scalloped Potatoes

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Roasted Dill Potatoes

Use desired number of potatoes. Scrub the extra dirt off of them and rinse. Use a large spoon to cradle the potato before slicing. This will prevent you from cutting the potato all the way through. Cut thin slices, being careful not to cut through at the ends. I recommend using a very sharp knife for this step.

Can you see how the slices didn't go all the way through?

Place on a baking sheet and get ready to baste.

You can use melted butter or olive oil to baste the potato. I used 3 tbsp melted butter for 5 potatoes. Season the butter however you like. I threw in a dash of cayenne pepper and garlic powder.

Brush the tops, sides, and insides of each potato. Try to get in between as many slices as you can.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Top as desired. Sour cream, butter, chives, cheddar cheese, parmesan, you decide.

Accordion Potatoes

Yield: 5 potatoes

Ingredients

4-5 russet potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
dash of garlic powder
dash of cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Scrub each potato and rinse.
In a large spoon, cradle each potato and slice thinly, but not all the way through.
If using melted butter or olive oil, mix in garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
Brush potato with oil/butter. Try to get in between slices.
Place on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Test doneness by piercing bottom with a fork.
Serve warm and add desired toppings such as sour cream, chives, or cheese.

Notes:

If you don't have a potato scrubber, you can use a balled up piece of aluminum foil. This works well as a scrubber.
Potatoes are very stiff when raw, so a very sharp knife should be used to cut slices.
The thinner the slices the more accordion-like the potato will look.
Seasonings can be altered to your liking.
These potatoes are best enjoyed right out of the oven. Wrap unused potatoes in foil and reheat in oven when ready to consume.

Happy Diwali!

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Aren't these diyas beautiful? I bought them on Liberty avenue in Queens, NY. Although I have some brass ones, these were too pretty to pass up!

To all my Hindu friends celebrating Diwali today, I want to wish you a very happy and prosperous new year! May the Lord's blessings be with you now and always!

Now that I am married and live hundreds of miles away from my parents, I will be starting my own tradition of making sweets and lighting diyas on this auspicious night. Of all the Hindu holidays, this one is my favorite. It brings back many memories of my childhood and teenage years. I especially remember our cold Diwali nights in New York. It was always very chilly, given the time of the year, and my mom used to always make my brother and I keep watch of the diyas that we would place outside in the yard of our house. My brother and I stood outside like two guards, making sure if one diya blew out, we were armed and ready with matches in our hands to re-light them. Haha! I smile and giggle when I think of these times. What are some of your favorite memories of Diwali?

Here are the sweets that I will be making today to share with friends and family members. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Cream of Wheat and Flour Parsad

Vermicelli Cake

Soft Mithai

Crunchy Mithai

Sweet Rice / Kheer

Best,
Alica

Crunchy Mithai / Kurma

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:01:00 +0000

As described in the photo, these little fried pieces of dough certainly have a crunchy texture that keeps you wanting more. Sort of like potato chips; one is just never enough. What the photo doesn't describe though, is the flavor that's packed into each slender stick. Grated coconut, anise seeds, cinnamon, and ginger are all the main ingredients that unite to form this perfect union. The bold flavors from these ingredients form a perfect balance of tasty and crunchy when combined in the right measurements.

There are two types of mithai known to Guyanese. The first one is soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. Check out my grandmother's recipe for the soft type here. The second is this one, thin and crunchy all the way through. Crunchy mithai/kurma is made by mixing all the ingredients and forming into a dough ball. It is rolled thinly, then cut into strips, shallow-fried, then coated in a delicious sugar syrup. Yes, it is as divine as it sounds.

My parents used to tell me childhood stories of growing up in Guyana and buying this treat after school from a local street vendor, they mostly bought the crunchy type, which is also known as lactoe, but I haven't heard many people call it this name anymore. In the U.S. it is also sold in little bags, just not from a street vendor :). It can be found at local West Indian stores and bakeries. I would typically buy a bag or two if I happened to be at a West Indian bakery, but I usually enjoyed these fresh, after my mom was done frying them at home. She usually made them for Diwali or other Hindu religious functions to be shared with family and friends. For Diwali, she would package them in little bags alongside a serving of parsad, peera, goja (little pastries filled with shredded coconut), and gulgula (a sweet banana fritter). Mithai of both types are also quite popular during Hindu weddings. It is easy to make and yields quite an amount from a single batch of dough, which makes it great for sharing with large crowds.

I hope you enjoy my mom's recipe, I guarantee you won't be able to eat just one!

The crunchy type of mithai is known to Trinidadians as "kurma." The ingredients are usually the same, but may differ in measurements from time to time.

Measure 1 1/2 tsp anise seeds, 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

You'll need 1/4 cup white granulated sugar, 3 tbsp butter, 1/3 cup grated coconut (squeezed and drained), and 3 cups all-purpose flour.

Measure 3/4 cup evaporated milk and then add 1/4 cup water. 1 cup liquid in total. Add grated ginger to liquid to ensure it is equally distributed in the dough. Set aside.

Mix all the dry ingredients.

Add butter and cut into flour until small pea sizes form. I used a pastry cutter, but you can use your hand or a fork to work it into the four. Add liquid and knead into a ball. Add more flour if needed to bring the dough together. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 1/2 hour maximum in refrigerator.

Cut dough in half and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.

Cut into thin strips. The thinner, the crunchier it will be. Shoot for a little wider than the diameter of a pencil. Use a dough cutter or very sharp knife. If you notice the dough is sticking to the knife while you cut, just dip the knife in flour between cuts.

Heat oil to medium fire. Drop strips one at a time in oil. Mithai will first sink to the bottom then float. If it floats immediately, then the oil is too hot.

Fry until golden brown.

And now for the hardest part; the sugar syrup or "paag." Combine 1 cup white granulated sugar with 1/2 cup water. If using a candy thermometer, let mixture boil until it reaches the "soft ball" stage.

If you do not have a candy thermometer, then we will have to use the "soft ball in water test." Let mixture boil on low for about 35 minutes, or longer depending on your stove, this is why doing the sugar test is also important. To test if sugar is ready, drop a little into a glass of water, if the sugar does not dissolve but keeps a round shape, then it is ready.

If you let the mixture boil a little too long and notice that a thread forms when you do the water test, don't worry, you can still use the sugar syrup. All it means is that the sugar will dry faster when tossing it with the mithai. It will also be little bit chunky and coat the mithai heavier. This is called the "hard ball" stage.

After sugar is done, toss repeatedly, making sure to not break the mithai strips. Use a pot spoon to toss mithai. You'll begin to see the sugar drying on the strips, keep turning until sugar is dry and becomes powdery white.

Like this :)

Crunchy Mithai / Kurma

Ingredients

Dough

3 cups flour
1/3 cup freshly grated coconut, (squeezed to drain milk)
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp anise seeds (optional)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Sugar Syrup

1 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

Mix flour, coconut, sugar, and spices in a deep bowl. Cut butter into mixture until small pea sizes are formed.
Combine evaporated milk, water, and grated ginger, stir, then add to flour mixture. Knead to form a dough ball. Set aside for 1/2 hour minimum.
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into thin strips. The thinner you cut, the crunchier it will be after frying.
Heat oil on medium fire. Fry strips until golden brown. Let strips cool completely before tossing in sugar syrup.
Combine sugar, water, and vanilla, if using. Boil on low for about 35 minutes, or longer depending on your stove. Test sugar in water to see if it has reached the "soft ball" stage.
When sugar is ready, pour over mithai strips and toss until sugar is no longer clear and has become white.

Tips and additional notes:

Freshly grated coconut can be found in the freezer section of ethnic grocery stores these days. I have used the Birds Eye brand numerous times and it works perfectly. This is what it looks like. I have found other brands at local Indo-pak stores as well.
1 tsp Bird's custard powder can be added to the dough mixture for added flavor.
Flatten dough with hands first before rolling.
When cutting dough, if dough sticks to the knife, dip knife in flour in between cuts.
If you feel more comfortable using a thermometer, this is the one that I have, it was pretty cheap and is reliable.
I advise that you start cooking the sugar syrup half way through frying the mithai strips. I prefer doing this because once the sugar is done it will need to be poured right away, so the mithai will need to be ready and cooled. If the mithai strips are still hot, you'll risk breaking them while tossing in the sugar.
When heating the oil, you'll want a medium fire. The Mithai will first sink to the bottom then float. If strips float immediately upon dropping into the oil, that means the oil is too hot. Your mithai will be soft on the inside and not crunchy enough.

The Parsad Duo

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:17:00 +0000

If there were ever a dish that brought back young childhood memories of growing up in a Hindu home, it would have to be this one. We had so many jhandis and poojas in my house that making parsad in the kitchen became a norm. This bread pudding-like dessert is something that is only available at these types of Hindu religious functions so it cannot be easily found at a local roti shop. Makes it all the more desirable, doesn't it? I remember attending countless numbers of jhandis as a young girl and usually by the end; I was so hungry that I couldn't wait for the brown paper bags to be distributed, because I knew there was going to be parsad inside. I know I can't possibly be the only one who has felt this way, right?

Many of you who have never attended a jhandi might be wondering what the heck I am talking about. Well, in short, jhandis are Hindu religious ceremonies, where devotees pay adoration to Hindu deities by offering mantras (often facilitated by a priest or swami), flowers, fruits, and homemade sweets. These ceremonies usually last anywhere from 2-4 hours and are attended by family and friends of the person hosting the jhandi. Once the ceremony is over, guests are offered a vegetarian meal and a variety of sweets usually packaged in brown paper bags. One of the main sweets in the bag is this glorious parsad I speak of.

The highlight of the "after-jhandi" for me was the paper-bagged sweets. There were usually two zip-loc bags inside; the ugly stepchild, which was the bag that was filled with small pieces of cut up fruit that people usually never ate, and the other bag contained the good stuff. The good stuff is what I like to call, "jhandi sweets trio"; peera, parsad, mithai. These were the sweets that were all made by hand and required a labor of love; it was the bag that most people looked forward for after these religious functions were over. The best part was eating the piece of the parsad that was sitting right under the peera, because it had an extra sweetness to it - does anyone else know what I am talking about here? It wasn't uncommon either for people to ask to take home a paper bag or two for their cousin's aunty's neighbor. Yea, we know who that second and third paper bag was really for ;).

Parsad, which I believe originally started as prasada, means divine offering. It is also known as Mohanbhog, meaning offering for the lord (Mohan, one of Lord Krishna's 108 names and bhog, meaning prasada), and is traditionally offered during the prayer ceremony. A separate batch of parsad is usually offered to guests after being blessed by the officiating pandit or swami.

The ingredients in parsad generally include sugar, milk, flour, and clarified butter, which is also known as ghee. The cream of wheat version is also quite tasty and equally as popular. I can never seem to choose which I like the best, hence why I've made both. When my mom made parsad for use as offering in any prayer ceremony, she made it solely with pure ghee, flour, sugar, and milk and sometimes semolina or cream of wheat. Whereas the batch that was being served to guests was usually made with part butter (salted or unsalted) and part ghee. The reason that only a small about of ghee would be used is because ghee can sometimes have an overpowering taste. It also had the addition of various spices, cherries, raisins, or nuts. This dessert is made by parching all-purpose flour in hot ghee until a brown paste forms. Warm milk is added to the paste and stirred vigorously until a fluffy, smooth, and buttery pudding comes about. Sounds simple, right? Well believe or not, there is a technique involved here and it comes from learning how to properly parch the flour in the ghee until it becomes a dark brown color, all without burning it.

This past week I practiced making my mother's recipe to get it just right for Diwali, and also to share with you all. Although it seems complicated, once you do this a few times, you'll easily become an expert. The key to making a tasty parsad is getting the right color when parching the flour. Have you ever seen parsad that looked "whitish" and pale and also had a sort of raw-ish taste? Well that comes from not parching the flour enough and also adding too much ghee.

These two recipes belong to my mom. I always loved the brown color and taste her parsad had. She always made both versions, the cream of wheat one and the original flour-based one. Since this pudding is highly customizable, feel free to add anything you like, such as golden raisins, cherries, peanuts, pistachios and even cream soda.

Let's start with the flour-based parsad which most are familiar with.

Various spices are added to the mix, my mom always included cardamom/elaichi, it gave the parsad a really nice flavor. You won't need too much though, just about a 1/4 tsp, ground.

Gather all the spices, place in a small dish.

If adding cherries, chop coarsely, set aside. I used maraschino cherries, pure ghee, and one tin of evaporated milk plus 4oz more. In total 16oz evaporated milk.

Add evaporated milk, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and spices to a pot. Warm milk mixture on stove. Keep warm until ready for use.

Measure 4oz butter, 4oz ghee, and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Set aside. *You may use all butter or all ghee, this is your preference. Heat butter and ghee on medium heat until melted. Add flour and stir to dissolve.

Continue to stir until mixture thickens and forms a paste.

This is the part that will take some time and will probably give your arm a little workout. Turn heat to medium-low and stir continuously (parch) until a golden to dark brown color is apparent. This should take anywhere from 15-20 minutes. I would advise that you do not walk away from the stove, this mixture can burn easily which is why it is important to stir continuously until color is achieved.

Once mixture has become golden to dark brown, slowly pour in warm milk. Stir until mixture becomes thick, add cherries. It will start to come together quickly, so continue to stir vigorously until the pudding leaves the sides of the pot, this is how you'll know it is done.

I know you'll be tempted to taste once it is done, go ahead, no one is looking.

Are you a fan of the semolina or cream of wheat version? If so, take a look at how my mom makes this delicious and slightly grainy pudding.

These are the brands I used. I also used just a handful or raisins. You can include golden raisins, currants, cherries, or any other addition you prefer.

Mmm look at those wheat kernels!

Similar to how the flour-based parsad is made, gather the same spices, set aside.

Add spices and this time, only 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to 16oz evaporated milk.

For this type of parsad, you won't need as much ghee or butter. Start with 6oz butter or ghee or 3oz of both. Melt in a pot then add flour, stir to dissolve. Add cream of wheat kernels next. Parch until mixture is golden, but not dark brown.

Add milk mixture and raisins, continue to stir until mixture is thick and pulls away from sides of pot.

Parsad

Serves 10-12

Flour Parsad

16oz evaporated milk
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cardamom/elaichi
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
6-8 maraschino cherries, chopped
4oz ghee
4oz salted or unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

Measure 16oz evaporated milk into a small pot, add sugar and spices, stir to combine. Warm milk on stove to dissolve sugar, do not boil. Keep milk warm until ready to use.
Heat a large pot or caharee on medium, melt ghee and butter, add flour and stir quickly to dissolve, begin parching by stirring continuously.
Turn heat to medium-low and continue to parch flour/ghee/butter mixture until golden brown. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Do not walk away from stove, the bottom of this mixture will catch quickly to the pot and will burn.
Once flour/ghee/butter mixture is golden brown, pour in warm milk. Stir quickly and vigorously as mixture comes together, add cherries and continue to stir.
Parsad is done when it begins to pull away from the sides.

Cream of Wheat Parsad

16oz evaporated milk
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cardamom/elaichi
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2-3 tbsp raisins
6oz ghee or unsalted butter
3/4 cup cream of wheat
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

Measure 16oz evaporated milk into a small pot, add sugar and spices, stir to combine. Warm milk on stove to dissolve sugar, do not boil. Keep milk warm until ready to use.
Heat a large pot or caharee on medium heat, melt ghee and butter, add flour and stir quickly to dissolve, add cream of wheat and begin parching.
This should take about 10-12 minutes, cream of wheat kernels will begin to look brown. Do not walk away from stove, the bottom of this mixture can catch quickly to the pot and will burn.
Add warm milk mixture and raisins, continue to stir until parsad comes together and leaves the sides of the pot.

Additional Info:

This pudding can made in many different ways, many include peanuts, 7up soda, cream soda, orange soda, and even eggs (commonly called syrnee). Add whatever you prefer.
Although I didn't use one here, a cast iron or caharee is commonly used to make this dessert as it can help with achieving the brown color faster.
When adding warm milk, be sure to add slowly because it can pitch out of the pot and burn you.

Trinidad Corn Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:32:00 +0000

The skies are grey and the trees are trembling, hurricane Sandy's a'comin and I've prepared for her by equipping my dining room table with this hearty and comforting soup. Considered to be an after-party street food in Trinidad & Tobago, this soup is rich, creamy, utterly nourishing and delightfully filling; whether enjoyed after a long night of dancing, or during a dark and stormy hurricane.

There are many variations of how to make this soup, therefore there is no correct recipe. I've had corn soup with cassava, spinach and big chunks of carrots. It is even tasty with cornmeal dumplings and potatoes, throw in a handful of ochroes even, it will still warm your soul and make you feel nice and cozy. However you choose to customize your corn soup, one thing is for sure, it’s got to have pureed corn kernels and ears of corn afloat. My husband made sure I was well aware of this before we got married; it was even written in our vows, no really. Okay, maybe not, but the pureed corn makes a difference and nothing beats biting into a sweet and juicy ear of corn that has been simmering in a coconut milk and split pea broth that's been packed with flavorful and nourishing vegetables.

I remember the first, second, and third time I had this soup. The first was during my trip to Trinidad a few years back. We went out with a few friends to a local night club and danced the night away, upon leaving the night club, there stood a man behind a stall, dishing out large foam cups of this aromatic soup. I had to have one. It was sweet, salty, crunchy (from the corn kernels), and smooth. Pure heaven. The second time I had this soup was during my trip to Toronto. Similar setting- night club, dancing, hunger, corn soup man waiting outside. It was equally as delicious and memorable as the one I had in Trinidad. The third time I had this soup was right in my own kitchen. Making it myself brought back fun memories of laughter, shenanigans, and just plain out having a good time with friends.

Today I have am having this soup under different circumstances; hurricane Sandy has made her way to upstate New York and is lashing my window sill with heavy rain. As I sit here enjoying each spoonful and watching Sandy’s wrath, I am remembering my time in beautiful Trinidad and chilly Toronto. Enjoy my friends and be safe for those who are living on the East Coast of the United States.

I see you hiding and I promise I will eat you after I'm done with this blog post.

Look at that plantain, swoon!

These are the ingredients you'll need to create the base of the soup: split peas, corn kernels, green and red peppers, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, black pepper, butter and water. Whew, that was a mouthful!

Grab a deep pot, melt the butter, add all the ingredients, except the water, and saute for a minute or two.

Grab a sprig or two of thyme and parsley...

Add 3 cups of water and bring to a low boil until split peas are soft.

Once liquid has reduced, check to see if peas are soft.

Mmm deliciousness in the making...

This part is important, we need to puree the ingredients to make the base of the soup creamy and thick. You can use a swizzle stick, whisk, or a blender. Now you all know how much I love my immersion blender, I use it for so many things, especially soups. It takes about 30 seconds to puree this soup using this hand held blender.

Some may prefer the base a little chunky and if you do, don't puree too much.

Others, like myself, prefer a smooth and silky base.

Grab some coconut milk, I prefer to use a lite coconut milk since canned coconut milk can sometimes be overpowering and quite heavy.

Add 4 cups water and 1 1/2 cups coconut milk to the puree, give it a good stir. Add black pepper, additional salt, or a bouillon cube here. Bring to a low boil for about 30 minutes so all the flavors can slowly meld together.

While the broth boils, prep the other ingredients you'd like to put in the soup. I love chewing bits and pieces of corn in my corn soup so I've included kernels. I also love plantains and cassava, and even spinach. Today I've kept it simple with just corn kernels, diced carrots, green plantains, and a must for corn soup, ears of corn. Feel free to use freshly chopped corn or frozen corn. I've used the frozen ears here.

Add plantains, carrots, and corn, let boil until cooked through. Add dumplings (which I forgot to take a photo of!) when soup looks like it is almost done as dumplings cook within 2-3 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Trinidad Corn Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
1 celery stalk
1 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/3 cup yellow split peas
Scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
4 tbsp salted butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 sprigs parsley
1 sprig thyme
3 cups water (for base)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
4 cups water (for use after pureeing base)
1 tsp salt or 1 small bouillon cube
1 tsp black pepper
2 green plantains
1/4 cup diced carrots
Corn kernels
6-8 ears of corn

Dumplings

See recipe here.

Directions:

Finely chop onion, garlic, celery stalk, carrot, red pepper and green pepper, set aside. Melt butter in a deep pot, add all finely chopped vegetables and corn. Add salt, black pepper, parsley, and thyme, saute for 1-2 minutes then add 3 cups water, bring to a low boil for 35-40 minutes. Add more water 1/2 cup at a time if split peas still need to cook more.
Once split peas are completely soft, use a blender to puree soup.
Add coconut milk, 4 cups water, salt or bouillon cube, black pepper, and scotch bonnet if using. Stir and bring to a low boil, about 20-25 minutes.
Make dumplings, set aside.
While soup boils, peel and chop plantains into 2 inches. If using fresh corn on the cob, chop into 4 inch pieces. Add corn kernels, corn ears, diced carrots, and plantains to soup. Break dumpling dough into pieces and drop into soup. Let vegetables and dumplings cook until plantains are cooked through.
Remove from heat and adjust salt and black pepper to taste.

Tips

Spinach, potatoes, cassava, edoes, or ochroes can all be added to this soup based on your preference.
If soup is too thick the next day, add a little bit of water and reheat on stove top.
Buy and immersion blender, it will make your soup making feats so much easier! You don't have to break the bank for one of these, here is a good one at a decent price. This is the one I own, which was a gift.

Pineapple + Coconut Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:55:00 +0000

I've decided to take a break from Guyanese recipes to share with you a delicious cheesecake that I have been making for years. A recipe that was consistently used to bribe my good (tech guy) friend Jeff to help me out with any blog issues I needed assistance with. I've made it for his birthday, as a thank you gift, and even sometimes as a warning to say, "heads up: next week I'll need you to write some code for the blog." It worked every time; sweets usually do that to men. To this day, it is so hard to make this cheesecake without it reminding me of my cunning and mischievous ways (insert evil laugh here).

This cheesecake has also been a hit at our family gatherings, especially during the holidays when we would all congregate after dinner for a dessert coma. Its rich and decadent, just like a cheesecake should be, but what puts this cheesecake over the top is the occasional, and rather pleasant, burst of pineapple in your mouth as you take even the smallest bite. The batter is made with seven simple ingredients: cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and flour. When combined, and in the right measurements, these ingredients will give you a perfectly tasting cheesecake; mildly tangy and sweet, with a silky smooth texture. This cheesecake is even delicious plain and served with fresh fruit. It is also quite versatile in that the batter holds up nicely to heavy additions like crushed pineapple, dulce de leche swirls, or even Oreo cookie pieces. It is really quick to whip up and if you are using a store-bought crust, which I use most times, then this will really be a breeze to make.
Surprisingly, people either love or hate cheesecake. Some feel it is too sweet or too dense, and there are some who have just had a bad experience, like me. I'll never forget it, it was a plain cheesecake at a diner in Queens, NY and it was so sweet that I could feel the residual sugar in the back of my throat, you know that syrupy feeling you get after eating something really sweet like sorbet? To make it even worse, it had a rank-y/egg-y aftertaste, that taste never leaves your memory. Since then, I have tasted many different types of cheesecakes; enough to prove that this is actually a very tasty, decadent, and delicious dessert. You taste the bad, you taste the good, then you develop your own criteria for what a good cheesecake should and shouldn't taste like.

A good cheesecake:

1. Should be smooth, not crumbly.

2. Should be creamy, not watery.

3. Should be slightly sweet, not sugary.

4. Should be tangy, tart, or sour, but not acidic.

5. Should never ever, ever have an egg-y aftertaste.

So are you ready for the recipe?

How 'bout that crust?

You'll need crushed graham crackers to make the crust. If you'd rather use actual graham crackers, you'll need about 10-11 crackers. Crush them in a large zip-loc bag or in a food processor.

Place crushed graham cracker, sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix with a fork until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Many people have asked, "how do I get the crust to come up the sides of the cheesecake?" This is a trick my chef taught me when I worked at the restaurant: using a round glass to press against the bottom and around the sides, helps to keep the graham cracker smooth and intact.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until edges are golden brown. You will begin to smell the lovely aroma of graham cracker in your kitchen...you can thank me later :)

If you are pressed for time and just want to use store-bought crust, just make sure to buy the one that says, "2 Extra Servings" otherwise you will have some batter left over if using the standard size.

You'll need 8oz crushed pineapple.

Drain pineapple, if it is too wet, it will result in the cheesecake becoming soggy once baked. Press down with a spoon to drain excess liquid, set aside.

Cream two 8oz packages of cream cheese with 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar.

Make sure there are no lumps.

Add vanilla, sour cream, and lemon zest, blend on low.

Add two eggs, blend on low, we don't want air whipped into the cheesecake, the higher the speed the more air you will add to the batter. The texture needs to be dense, not fluffy, so low and slow guys :)

After eggs are incorporated, gently mix in flour.

This is a good time to taste the batter...Mmmm!

Stir pineapple in.

Pour batter into crust.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes. Center should jiggle slightly when done. If cheesecake cracks, don't worry, you can always put a topping on it. Besides, its all about taste right? Turn heat off and leave cheesecake to rest for about 10 minutes in oven. Remove from oven and leave cheesecake to rest for an additional 30-40 minutes to cool slowly. Place in refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours or overnight before topping.

Oh goodness.

You can use sweetened coconut flakes if you like, I just happened to have this one in my cupboard and wanted to use it up.

I forgot to take a photo after I toasted it, oops :x

Grab some thawed Cool Whip topping or use some homemade whipped cream...

Rub desired amount all over top of cheesecake, be generous, sharing is caring folks.

I have no words for this.

There's that crust again, just keeps popping up everywhere huh.

This is my cousin Subrina Geer's version: she used this cheesecake recipe and just omitted the pineapple. She topped it with a strawberry glaze and fresh strawberries. Feel free to email me at innergourmet@gmail.com if you'd like her recipe for the topping.

Pineapple + Coconut Cheesecake

Serves 8-10

Crust

1 ½ cups crushed graham cracker
6 tbsp melted butter
4 tbsp white granulated sugar
Dash of cinnamon

Filling

2 8oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup plus 3 tbsp white granulated sugar
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp lemon or orange zest
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
8oz crushed pineapple, drained and squeezed

Topping

Cool Whip topping, thawed
Coconut flakes, toasted

Directions:

Bring eggs and cream cheese to room temperature while you make the crust.
Mix graham cracker, sugars, and cinnamon together. Add melted butter, stir to combine.
Press graham cracker mixture into an 8-inch springform pan. Use a round glass to press graham cracker into and around the side of the pan.
Bake crust for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees until edges are golden brown, crust will begin to smell fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Toast coconut in a non-stick pan on low heat until flakes are light brown, set aside. Drain and squeeze pineapple, set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Place a shallow pan filled halfway with water in the oven to help create moisture, this will help to keep cheesecake from drying out while baking.
Cream sugar and cream cheese until smooth and no lumps remain. Add sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, blend to incorporate.
Add eggs, blend on low speed, add flour.
Fold pineapple into cream cheese mixture. Pour filling into crust, bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees.
Center of cheesecake should jiggle slightly when shaken. Turn heat off and leave cheesecake to rest for about 10 minutes in oven. Remove from oven and leave cheesecake to rest for an additional 30-40 minutes to cool slowly. Place in refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
Top with cool whip or desired topping, sprinkle toasted coconut on top.
Serve and enjoy!

Tips

A 9-inch springform pan may be used, but will yield a thinner cheesecake.
If using store-bought crust, be sure to buy the one that says, "2 extra servings" otherwise, you will have left over batter.
Cheesecakes have a tendency to shrink and sink in the middle when cooling, so you will want to use a knife to run along the outside of the crust immediately after the cheesecake is done. Otherwise as it cools, the outer part of the cheesecake will stick to the pan leaving a circular crack in the center. This only applies if you are using a springform pan. As you can see, I missed this step, but its nothing that a little cool whip can't cover up :)

And the winner is....

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:43:00 +0000

The winner of the pine tart t-shirt giveaway is JAYA MOOTOO! The winner was selected using a random selector in excel. Jaya - please email me at innergourmet@gmail.com so I can take your order and ship you your t-shirt!

For those of you who wish to see Jaya's response, here it is:

Thank you to all those who participated, if you'd still like to own this t-shirt, you may purchase it and other West Indian inspired gear through Hot Peppa Sauce: http://hotpeppasauce.spreadshirt.com/.

Stay tuned for more awesome free giveaways like this one, if you have an idea for a cool giveaway feel free to pass along your suggestions!

FREE Pine Tart T-shirt Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Wear your pine tart and eat it too. Yes friends, anything is possible these days, especially when we are so lucky and blessed so have such brilliant and creative minds in our community like Am Bacchus and David Shaw who are the creators of the design on this shirt (and many other shirts which you will soon learn of). Am and David are the visionaries behind the popular West Indian comic strip, Hot Peppa Sauce and we have teamed up to offer you a shirt and a recipe, all for free! This shirt comes in men's and women's sizes along with a variety of colors to choose from.

Am and David work hard behind the scenes to provide us with a giggle, a really loud laugh, and a place that we can culturally identify with. Am is the imaginative and creative element, while David offers his technical skills to make sure everything works the way it should. These guys do what they do because they have a passion and appreciation for our culture and they enjoy sharing it with the rest of us. Check out www.hotpeppasauce.net to learn more about what Am and David are working on to help keep smiles on all of our faces and have a pine tart or two while you read their comics :)

How to enter:

1. Like The Inner Gourmet's Facebook page: The Inner Gourmet FB

2. Like Hot Peppa Sauce's Facebook page: Hot Peppa Sauce FB

3. Answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

What is your favorite memory that involves pine tarts?

Rules:
1. Only one entry per person.
2. Winner will be selected using a random comment generator/picker.
3. Winner will be announced on Friday, October 5th, 2012

Good Luck!

Here are two of my favorite comic strips from Hot Peppa Sauce!

Guyanese Pine Tarts

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Would you like to win a free Pine Tart t-shirt? Enter here for details! Pine Tart T-shirt Giveaway

Saturdays or Sundays marked my family’s routine visit to Liberty avenue in Queens, NY. This is where we did our weekly shopping for our vegetables, meat, and Guyanese bakery goods for the rest of the work/school week. My favorite stop was at Sybil's bakery. My father would buy Guyanese plait bread and a host of other pastries including one of my favorites, pineapple tarts, commonly called, pine tart, (not to be confused with South East Asian pineapple tarts). Sometimes I'd even go inside with him to make sure he didn't forget to buy me a cream soda to go with it. I also remember that before we got home, at least one pine tart or cheese roll would have already been devoured from the bag, the crumbs as evidence in the backseat of the car. Yes, these are my childhood memories of Guyanese pine tarts.

Although Sybil's pine tarts are ingrained in my memory and taste buds, there was another bakery that made a pine tart I would never forget, Hack's bakery near Stabroek market in Georgetown, Guyana. From the moment I laid eyes on it, I couldn’t wait to take the first bite. I remember it from beginning to end; tangy, sweet, tart and tasty, just how I imagined it to be. I had never been so in love with a pine tart as much as I was at Hack's. I assumed it had to be the fact that nothing compares to a baked good made with fresh everything, including the pineapple filling. The filling tasted so different from any other I've had before, it tasted like it was made with fresh pineapple and I had to find a way to taste it again. Now thousands of miles away from Hack's bakery, I have made my own version, just as tasty and just as fresh, thank you Hack's for the inspiration. I give you the jewel of my eye, the ever so glorious and outstanding, pine tart.

You'll need a ripe, medium sized pineapple. If you are not sure if your pineapple is ripe as yet, read this. Peel and chop into large chunks, make sure you remove any seeds that are stuck in the pineapple. Pulse in food processor until small lumps remain.

A medium sized pineapple gave me 3 cups crushed pineapple. I only used 2 1/2 cups (20oz) and used the remaining 1/2 cup for a few pina coladas ;) I drink while I cook, don't you? Well if you don't then you can place any left over crushed pineapple in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months :)

Place in a medium sized sauce pan that you will use to simmer the pineapple.

Add all the spices and sugars...

Some may enjoy making their pineapple jam with just pineapple and sugar, I prefer to add some kick with all these spices. The dark and light brown sugar also really adds a nice molasses taste to the jam, this is my way, but you can flavor the filling however you like :)

Simmer the pineapple mixture for about 45 minutes on low heat until it becomes thick and most of the juices have evaporated. Once it is done, set aside to cool completely before use. If you'd like to speed up the process a little, you can add some cornstarch to help thicken the mixture. See my "Tips" section below to learn how to add the cornstarch.

While the pineapple jam is cooling, make the dough. It looks like there is only 1/2 stick of butter in the photo, but the other half is buried under the flour, didn't want to confuse anyone :)

You'll need this utensil, it's a pastry cutter or dough blender. It helps to cut the butter and shortening into the dough. I like it to use this when making any crust recipe. You can also put all the dough ingredients into a food processor instead of using a manual instrument like this one. If you don't have a food processor, you may use a fork to work the fats into the flour. You've got lots of options here, no excuses when it comes to pine tarts ;)

Continue to cut the fats into the dough until pea size lumps form, then add ice cold water a little at a time to bring it all together.

Give the dough a slight knead to bring it all together, you can work your hands in here a little unlike some other crust recipes where handling the dough less yields flakier results, with a pine tart crust, you want a slightly stiffer dough so don't be afraid to knead a little. Form dough into a small log.

Roll with your hands until log is about a foot long.

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before use.

ASSEMBLY

Grab a cutting board, the dough log, some flour for dusting, egg wash, egg whites. Oh! Don't forget the rolling pin!

Also grab the pineapple filling, a knife or pastry chopper, a tablespoon, and brush for egg whites.

Chop a few circles off the dough log, few at a time, flatten with your palm then roll to about 7-71/2 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thickness.

Sorry, I just like this photo, so here it is again. Okay you may proceed.

Brush the edges with egg whites, really get some on there, we want these babies to be sealed up well and good before putting into the oven!

Place desired amount of pineapple filling (about a heaping tablespoon) in the center about an inch from the edge. Fold edges into the center to form a triangle.

As you make each tart, place them on a baking sheet. I've lined my baking sheet with a non-stick silicone silpat mat. Silicone mats are awesome because they prevent burning and help with even baking :) You can certainly use parchment paper here as well if you don't have a silicone mat.

Brush each tart with egg wash then pierce with a knife or fork so any steam can be released while baking.

Voila!

Options for Substitutes
There are times when we all need shortcuts due to time constraints. If you find yourself in a hurry but still want to enjoy home baked pine tarts you can use pre-made or boxed pie crust (add 1/2 cup flour to the mix) for the pine tart crust and a 20oz can of crushed pineapple for the filling or ready-made pineapple jam. I have used both boxed pie crust and canned pineapple and ended up with a really tasty pine tart.

Pineapple Tarts

Yield: about 15-18

Ingredients

For Crust

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
dash of salt
3/4 cup ice cold water
1 egg white
egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp water

For Filling

20oz freshly crushed pineapple or One 20oz can (2 1/2 cups)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
3 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Directions

If using fresh pineapple, peel and chop pineapple into large chunks and pulse in food processor a few times until pineapple has small lumps. Measure 2 1/2 cups and reserve for use. Any extra pineapple may be frozen for up to three months.
If using canned crushed pineapple, place entire contents into a medium size sauce pan (including juice). Add all spices and sugars and bring to a slow simmer for 45 minutes on low heat or until mixture looks thick and has a jam like consistency. Stir frequently to prevent from burning. Remove from heat and set aside to cool thoroughly.
Place 2 3/4 cups flour in a mixing bowl, add sugar and salt, sift together. Add butter and shortening. With a pastry cutter, cut shortening and butter into the flour until it forms pea sized lumps. Add cold water a little at a time, knead slightly, form into a log. Place log on plastic wrap and continue to roll until it is about a foot long. Wrap in plastic ad refrigerate for up to 4 hours before use.
For assembly:

Cut log into 1 inch thick rounds, flatten with your palm then roll dough to about 7-71/2 inches in diameter. If you like a thicker crust, roll to about 6 inches diameter, about 1/4 inch thick.
Brush edges with egg whites.
Place a heaping tablespoon of pineapple jam in center 1 inch from the edge.
Fold corners into center to form a triangle.
Brush tops with egg wash then pierce with fork.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes on top or middle rack in oven until golden brown.

Tips:

Dough and pineapple filling can be made a few days ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready for use.
A food processor may also be used to mix the dough.
Let the dough log come to room temperature slightly before use, working with it cold will cause the edges to break when you roll the dough.
How thick or thin you want your crust will depend on how thin you roll the dough. Do not cut the dough log into pieces all at once, if you want a thicker crust you will have to cut a thicker round from the log, make sense?
If you don't eat eggs, you can still achieve the yellow color on the pine tart by adding a drop of yellow food coloring to 2 tbsp of melted butter. Brush on each pine tart before baking.
If you would like to use the Betty Crocker boxed pie crust mix, add 1/2 cup ice cold water instead of the amount indicated on the box. Add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour to the mix and knead it till it forms a dough ball. Add more or less water as needed.
If you are short on time, you may add a little cornstarch to the pineapple filling to help it thicken up a bit. Add 1 tbsp of cornstarch to a separate bowl and mix in 2 tbsp of cold water. Stir till the cornstarch dissolves, then add cornstarch mixture to pineapple mixture while it is still simmering.
If you don't have shortening, you may use unsalted butter instead.

Hitched.

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:31:00 +0000

It was the most amazing day ever. Our insanely talented and super awesome photographer even said it was the calmest wedding day he's ever been a part of, now that's a huge compliment given the hundreds of weddings he's done. It truly was a day to remember and if you've ever had a wedding, I'm sure you'd say the same about your wedding day! Sean and I dated for seven years, got engaged last year, and celebrated our wedding on August 24th, 2012. We smiled for the cameras, danced, laughed, ate, drank, and were the merriest we could ever be!

I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to post my wedding pictures on here, but I feel I have developed so many amazing virtual friends through this blog. Many of you have been so kind to send emails introducing yourselves and building a connection with me that it feels like I have an extended family out there. For these reasons alone, I wanted to share my special day with you.

We decided to have a small wedding (by Guyanese standards that is) with 106 guests. The hardest part of all of this was certainly the guest list, but we stood our grounds. We invited the people that meant the most to us, friends and family members that were an active and positive part of our lives, and those we knew would genuinely be happy for us. It was a wonderful day had by all and we were so happy to have all the people we love celebrating with us.

I spent most of the summer planning all the little details and working on a few DIY projects to add my personal touch. We also had a small Hindu ceremony to honor my religion and invited just close friends and family. Planning a wedding is certainly stressful especially when you realize the wedding is more for family members than it is for the bride and groom! We even went back and forth on making a decision on whether we wanted to have a wedding or not, because after all, you don't need to have a wedding to be married right? We decided to have a wedding because there was so much to celebrate; our accomplishments, overcoming challenges, new beginnings, families uniting, and most importantly, love. I really don't want to get too cheesy here, but it's not everyday you find someone that is supportive of your every goal in life, continuously tries to make you a better person, and sticks with you through all the challenges life poses. We have been together longer than some people have (and had) been married and we were so proud that we made it to the altar to take the next step in continuing this wonderful relationship. I am very thrilled to share this with you all, I hope you enjoy the photos, why don't we start with the invitations!

Do-It-Yourself Invitations

During the research phase of finding an invitation, I was shocked at how expensive they were in general. I was also shocked at the price people pay to invite someone to their wedding. Now if you look at this at face value, you'll realize that all your guests need this invitation for is the date and the address of your wedding. The invitation being pretty is just an added bonus. I didn't want to break the bank on invites, especially because there were so many other things that weighed heavier on the priority list that needed to be paid for. We went to three invitation vendors and looked at an invite that had shimmer cardstock paper, invitation mats, envelopes, and RSVP cards. Including all the printing, it was upwards of $600 for a set of 75, that's $8.00 an invite, for me this was pricey especially given how plain and generic they looked. I knew right away I was going to attempt to make my own invitations, they would be unique, handmade, and just the way I wanted them. I also knew I wasn't going to spend $600.

Vendors

Folded invitation cards (shimmer cardstock), customized 2x2 squares with our names, envelopes, and RSVP cards: Cards and Pockets
Pearls, ribbons, glue: Michael's Arts & Crafts
Printed invitation mat: A Printable Press

This is what my finished product looked like. You can't tell from the photo, but the colors throughout the invite are sand, ivory, and cream. Except the actual printed invite, the paper is all shimmer cardstock which is really pretty for a wedding or party invitation. These took me a few weeks to put together, but if you grab a few cousins and friends and set up an assembly line, you can get them done in a few days.

The invitation card came folded. I wrapped the ribbon around the entire invite and sealed it with a clear glue called Zip Dry which is great for use with paper. I did not glue the ribbon down on the inside left flap of the invite since this is where I placed the RSVP envelope. I glued the printed invite on the right side, let it dry, then embellished the cover with pearls and a customized 2x2 printed card with our names. I made each one different by off-setting the 2x2 card and either putting the ribbon in the center across the card or on the lower half of the card.

Overall, I was very pleased with how these turned out and most of all, I felt accomplished that I made something that looked like it costs more than $8 a piece. That's the power of DIY!

Our Wedding Day

Most brides spend months looking for their perfect gown. I found mine in one day. I chose a sweetheart neckline and something covered in lace. The dress looks white here, but it is actually ivory. It was perfect.

Not sure when I'll wear them again, but these shoes were good to me, I felt tall and pretty, which is what I was hoping for with a satin platform heel ;)

For the ceremony, I wore my hair up with a pearl set that I borrowed from my aunt, I changed my jewelry and makeup for the reception later on.

Meet Pastor Deebrah, such a wonderful man. I especially loved that he was very open-minded and respectful to the fact that this was an inter-faith marriage. He made us both feel very comfortable and assured us that we were making the right decision in getting married.

We're married now, say cheese!

One of my favorite photos in the batch. There is a running joke amongst us that this photo looks like an ad promo for a reality TV show ha! What do you think?

In this photo, we see Sean dancing his way across the dance floor to remove my garter. Because Sean is from Trinidad, the DJ felt so compelled to play this song for his performance. It was quite funny and I just could not stop cracking up!

And this is what we spent most of the night doing, just how I wanted it!

Photo from our Hindu Wedding

I chose to wear a burnt orange/dark peach color instead of red or yellow. My grandmother brought my jewelry and outfit from India, I was quite fortunate to have her in my life and with us in New York during this wonderful time.

So there is a piece of our wonderful day. Before I close out the wedding posts, I have one more thing that I need to share with you, my wedding favors. I did not want to include the recipe and how-to on this post, can you imagine how insanely long this entire post would've been?! Well anyhow, here's a sneak peek...

and of course, what would a West Indian/Caribbean wedding be without it?

Until next time friends....

Wedding Vendors
Hindu wedding photographer - Veda V. Photography
Veda is a good friend from college, check out her work, she's got a great eye :)

Christian wedding photographer - Jashim Jalal Photography
Jashim has become our friend through this process, he is fun, calm, cool, professional and really is talented at his work.

Makeup Artist for both weddings - Danielle Gray, The Style and Beauty Doctor
Danielle will have you cracking up and excited the entire time she is doing your makeup. She is more than professional, no regrets here!

DJ- First Class Entertainment
(long time friend of mine Emille Rajnarain, professional, respectful, calm, and caters to the crowd, he will get recommendations from me for as long as he is a DJ!)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Alica) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Well this is certainly long overdue isn't it? Don't be mad, I have a good excuse! I was busy getting married this summer and the planning left me with no time for blogging! We had two weddings, a Christian wedding and a smaller Hindu ceremony. My next post will be all about the wedding and I will be sure to include photos. I will also share with you my DIY wedding invitations and wedding favors. Now that the wedding is over, I am back on the blogger scene and can't wait to share a recipe that I've had in my queue since May, a flavorful, spicy, and mouth-watering jerk chicken!

My love of all things spicy spans far beyond just a pepper sauce made from wiri wiri peppers. Spicy for me is more about flavor than it is about heat. This is one of the reasons why I love jerk chicken; the ingredients in the seasoning meld together and hit your taste buds all at once, creating a uniquely intense and tasty experience that no other seasoning can offer. This is obviously not a Guyanese dish, but I can tell you it is certainly one that you will find at a barbecue or party where there are Guyanese people congregating! Having access to jerk chicken seasonings at the local West Indian stores in the U.S. has made it possible for us to enjoy a spicy taste of Jamaica without the expense of traveling there. It is certainly a must have dish at any of my family's functions.

Traditionally made up of scallions, scotch bonnet peppers, onion, thyme, pimento pepper (also known as allspice), and salt, this seasoning is bound to have your mouth watering for more. Jerk seasoning can come in the form of a dry rub or a wet marinade. The dry rub is great for sprinkling on vegetables, salads, or fruit, the wet marinade seems to have more of an intense flavor and works great on meat. The most popular brands I've seen in West Indian stores in Queens, NY as well as larger grocers, are Grace and Walkerswood. These seasonings are quite tasty and really brings home the jerk flavor without the hassle of having to make your own. In fact, I remember when I set out to make this seasoning, I reached out to a few of my Jamaican friends to ask for their family's recipe. The response I got was, "Alica, no one makes their own jerk seasoning, we use the store bought/ready-made ones in the glass jar." Hey, I couldn't be upset, most Guyanese buy their garam masala mix in the store too, from what I understood, jerk seasoning is just one of those things you don't make at home.

I was still determined to make this marinade from scratch, at least once in my life, so my next move was to purchase Helen Willinsky's book, Jerk from Jamaica and also reach out to the chefs at the Caribbean Culinary Network, an organization based in Jamaica, whom I also write a monthly column for. Chef Anthony Mair was really helpful in confirming this recipe was going to taste outrageous and authentic. He provided a few tips in which I will also share with you today, but before we move on, there's one question that needs to be answered...

What exactly is Jerk?
The term "jerk" can refer to the name of the seasoning or the method of cooking. It is known to many as the authentic way of preparing meats, fish, vegetables, and even fruit over an open fire pit, barbecue grill, or smoker. No one is really sure where the term "jerk" originated from, but Helen Willinsky describes the many theories people have as to how "jerk" got it's name:

"Jerk may be related to charqui, an Incan word that means, basically, jerky or dried meat. Some speculate that Spanish sailors who landed in both Peru and Jamaica made the connection. Some people say it is called jerk because the meat is turned over and over again-or jerked over and over again as it cooks over the fire. Others say that is not right; it is called jerk because, when it is served, the jerk man pulls or jerks a portion of the meat off the pork" (Willinsky xi).

No matter how jerk got it's name, one thing is for sure, this is one of the tastiest and most unique ways to eat chicken.

Best Cooking Methods
Jerk chicken can be cooked over an open fire pit, barbecue grill, and most popularly, in a smoker, which is the way I have chosen to prepare my chicken today. I've also seen many people bake or roast their jerk chicken, it's all about preference people. I ordered pimento wood to use in my barbecue grill in order to give this chicken an added layer of flavor, you can learn more about smoking here (this is also the website where I ordered the pimento wood).

When smoking meats, low and slow is the key. If you don't have a smoker don't worry, you can transform your charcoal grill into a smoker by adding wood chips and not opening the sealed lid! My husband was in charge of the grilling, as he usually is. To smoke this chicken, he mixed the wood chips with charcoals and then lit them (no lighter fluid needed). He then waited until most of the charcoal was ashed over before adding the chicken. He also placed a dip tray in the middle of the charcoals (center of the grill) to allow the juices from the chicken to drip into the tray and circulate in the grill. A great tip to prevent the wood chips from burning fast is to soak them in water overnight, that way the steam that they will release will have the flavor of the wood chip in addition to providing moisture for the meat. Now let's get on to this recipe, in which of course I have added my own touch!

Allspice the fruit of the pimento tree and also the main spice in this seasoning. Pimento in Jamaica is known as allspice in the states. Jamaican allspice is unique because of it's oil content. The oil content of Jamaican harvested allspice is much higher than allspice grown anywhere else in the world and that's what gives Jamaican allspice it's pungent flavor an uniqueness. Not all of us can get access to allspice harvested in Jamaica, so regular allspice will work fine here.

I used my coffee grinder to make ground allspice. I stored it in a glass jar and sealed it tightly. Grinding spices right before use gives a fresh and intense taste to any dish.

This photo shows the ingredients I used to make my jerk seasoning and not necessarily the amount. I added a few different peppers to mix up the spiciness in this marinade.

Grind all the seasonings together to make a paste. I tried with my mortar and pestle, but man let me tell you, it took forever! Into the food processor it went!

Pulse all the ingredients until you achieve a course paste.

After cleaning chicken, pat dry with paper towels, drizzle a little bit of oil, then add marinade, use as much as desired. There's about 4lbs of meat here.

I live with a Trini so of course I had to throw in a few dashes of Angostura bitters! I love this stuff, I put it in everything!

I could not find wood chips at any West Indian store in Queens, so I ordered this bag online from www.pimentowood.com. The wood chips came sealed in plastic along with this cool looking straw bag.

You really don't need a lot of wood chips when smoking in a barbecue grill. A little bit goes a long way. I purchased a large bag and used about 1/3 of it.

Pimento wood chips mixed with charcoal. See the drip tray on the right?

My husband bought special containers for the wood chips from The Home Depot. He mixed it with charcoal, lit the fire, and then let the smoke swirl and develop before we added the chicken.

Place chicken on grill, cover with lid, and let it cook slowly for about an hour and a half or as needed without opening the lid too often. Chicken is done when the juices run clear. You might see a little bit of a pink color in the meat, don't panic, the pink color is a result of smoking the meat, it does not mean it is under cooked.

ON THE GAS GRILL

We also threw a few pieces of chicken on the gas grill to see if there was a real difference in taste between a smoked jerk chicken and the grilled version. Hands down, everyone at our bbq agreed the smoked version was the best. The grilled version was great also, but we'll reserve it for nights when we just want to get dinner ready in a hurry!

I like my chicken with a some char on it, but cook to your liking! Enjoy my friends :)

*If you don't feel like grilling or smoking your chicken, you can also roast or bake your chicken using this marinade, it's tasty all the way around!

Jerk Chicken Seasoning
For 4-6lbs of meat
(Adapted from Chef Anthony Mair, and Helen Willinsky's, Jerk from Jamaica, and my own touches!)

Ingredients

2 medium onions, chopped
3-4 cloves peeled garlic
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 medium scotch bonnet peppers
2 wiri wiri peppers
1 serrano chili pepper (optional)
2-3 green chili peppers (optional)
1 tablespoon oil

Directions:

Clean meat, pat dry with paper towels, set aside.
Add onions, garlic, scallions, ginger, thyme, salt, ground spices and peppers, and oil to food processor, pulse until marinade looks course and thick.
Use desired amount of seasoning on meat. Let meat marinade in jerk seasoning overnight or for one hour minimum.
If using a gas grill, grill until juices in chicken run clear or use a meat thermometer to check when chicken is done (165 degrees or higher).
If smoking on a barbecue grill: mix charcoal and pimento wood chips and scatter on bottom of grill. Light wood chips/coals and let smoke develop for about 20 minutes. Add chicken and let it cook slowly for about one hour to an hour and a half. Do not open lid often as this will let out the smoke. Juices will run clear once chicken is done. If you see a slight pink color in the meat, do not be alarmed, the pink color is a result of smoking any type of meat.