This video has been making the rounds recently. From the first time I saw it I -knew- I had to share it with y’all Created by Trini animator, Ansar Sattar, Vendor Rivalry won Animae Caribe’s 2009 Most Oustanding Caribbean Animation Award.

Synopsis: A casual encounter soon escalates into a battle royale, as two local vendors get pushed over the edge. An animated take on a day in the life of two Trini Caribbean vendors, as an initial battle of words is transformed into a kung fu showdown on the busy streets of Trinidad.

Yes! I’m back! A day late for the proper Tuesdays with Dorie post but back nevertheless. Thanks so much for the inquiries and well wishes, I have been dealing with some chronic health issues that flare up from time to time. But now everything seems to be under control again And just in time too! I’ve been working hard lately over the last few months to begin losing some extra pounds that have accumulated so I was really glad to see this recipe was this week’s challenge. Although the original recipe calls for a filling of apples and cranberries, I decided to focus on what I had on hand and combined apples, bananas and raisins. Not only was it almost too effortless to put together, the final result was so delicious that it practically all disappeared the same day (even my notoriously finicky father had seconds and thirds!) This recipe is definitely a keeper, I can’t recommend it enough! Even if you lighten the original recipe by using a little less butter and sugar it will still be very very good.. You can also turn the receipe vegan or pareve by substituting margarine for the butter, and feel free to get adventurous with the fruit combos. It seems very forgiving!

For this Apple Crisp recipe turn to pages 422 of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours or visit Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef

Malta Carib has been a staple in my home since I was a child. Growing up I felt like quite a ‘big woman’ drinking it from the bottle (I had no idea it was non-alcoholic ). During the 80’s it was promoted not just as an energy booster, but also as an aid for students preparing for exams!

2. Fried Bake ‘n Fish (recipe)

‘Shark n Bake’ is -the- ultimate beach food here in Trinidad (although it can be bought in other places as well). Its epicentre (where i’ve been told the dish was also first created) is Maracas Bay (which is also the most popular beach on the island). Many beach seekers who are going to other beaches on the North Coast will stop at Maracas en route, to pick up their ‘Bake n Shark’ before proceeding to their ultimate destination. 3. Caramelised Onion and Anchovy Tarts (recipe)
This savoury tart recipe from Australia’s Donna Hay has received rave reviews from everyone who has tasted it 4. Trinidad Buljol (recipe)
Salted codfish, tomatoes and the hottest peppers known to man. Probably not the most scintillating combination on paper, but believe me one taste and you -will- be hooked! 5. Trinidad Hot Baked Fish (recipe)
This dish is very simple and economical, and even better it pleased the palates of my parents who have very divergent benchmarks of appreciation

This recipe is a staple side dish of mine that I’ve adapted and modified at length through the years. Both colorful and flavourful I think it creates a texturally interesting background for spicy curries and other East Indian flavoured entrees.

Coconut Rice with Lentils and Cashews

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb. basmati rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon stone ground mustard
1 teaspoon urad dhal or brown lentils
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon madras curry powder
2 ounces fresh coconut, grated
1 ounce unsalted roasted cashews
salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. Put the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.
2. Bring 2 cups lightly salted water to the boil in a large pan.
3. Add the rice, bring back to the boil and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Drain and return to the pan, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. In a small pan, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute until the seeds start to pop.
6. Add the lentils, red pepper flakes and curry powder and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils are golden.
7. Stir in the coconut and cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com. A link back to our site is not necessary but always appreciated

Do you trust your oven? A lot of times I get questions from readers criticizing how a recipe came out and demanding that I change the instructions or details It always somewhat amuses me that clearly -I’m- the one to blame if -their- attempt comes out wrong One simple suggestion that I make, and I make it from my own experience, is to always keep a thermometer in your oven.

“But what I need a thermometer for? The recipe says x degrees and I put the dial on x degrees”.

Yes, this was something that I did myself for years, until one day I decided to put an oven thermometer into my oven and was shocked at the results.

You see, oven thermometer dials are just suggested ranges, and if (as was my case) your oven has lost its calibration or ability to auto-regulate, those temperature ranges may be fluctuating dramatically during the baking process from what the number on your dial says! In my case, I found out that my oven (several years ago) was varying from 25 to 50 degrees higher than the number on the dial. It was definitely time to call in the repairman, who quickly blamed a faulty thermostat and remedied the issue.

Since then my trusty oven thermometer has not left its lodging place on the second row of our oven and the consistency of my efforts (especially where baking was concerned) has left the responsibility for my efforts squarely on my shoulders, where it belongs!

Call it nostalgia but it’s hard to convince me that the local commercials of the 80’s and 90’s didn’t have a certain ’something’ that the current set lacks. There was something very magnetic about the hooks and taglines back then. Lion’s Baking Powder had a long running advertising campaign that really drilled home that not only would they make your breads lighter, you would also somehow now be magically linked to an unbroken family tree of local culinary traditions. I’m not sure how that worked but it did. To this day Lion’s Baking Powder is pretty much my first and last choice in baking powders. Now and then I’ve strayed, but I’ve always come to regret it. Or maybe that’s just subconscious guilt kicking in Local cooks, are you loyal to any brands, or do you just go with what’s closest/on sale?

As previously mentioned, Malta Carib was actually posited as an integral ‘educational aid’ I don’t know if it ever helped me in my exams, but I certainly loved (and still love) the taste. Yum!

Please visit my earlier post for more information on Malta Carib.

Corn soup is a street food favorite here in Trinidad, especially at carnival time when vendors ply large pots of it that they spoon into styrofoam cups outside of fetes and clubs. It’s also popular as a Saturday lunch. Chopped pieces of corn on the cob are often included, however in the variation I prepared below I have left them out. Feel free to add them back in though if you want the added texture

This post was originally published on February 14, 2007. It has been updated once since then and has been submitted to September Tasty Tools, hosted by Joelen’s Culinary Adventures.

Trinidad Corn Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings
(adapted from a recipe in the Naparima Girls’ High School Cookbook)

1 14-oz tin cream style corn
1/2 cup chopped green onion or chive
1 carrot, diced finely
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp margarine
3 cups milk

Cornmeal Dumplings:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup – 1 cup water

1. Melt margarine, cook onions .

2. Add corn and vegetable stock.

3. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat
4. Prepare dumplings in a separate bowl by combining flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and water. Dough should be soft enough to be dropped from a spoon.

4. Add milk, carrots, salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil
6. Drop in dumplings

7. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

I am definitely in denial about the High Holidays this year. I barely scraped into Rosh Hashana and am now getting ready for the start of Yom Kippur (I am writing this before it has begun). This year I am prepping my ‘break-the-fast’ menu as much as possible beforehand and am focusing on no-cook recipes.

Coconut-Raisin Challah
Easy Vegan Spicy Peanut Soup with Fresh Mung Bean Sprouts
Open-Faced Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Sandwiches
Challah, Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon Sandwiches
Banana Mylkshakes
Hibiscus (Sorrel) Granita

Not only does this approach relieve a lot of post-fasting stress and preparation on my part, it also is budget friendly and gives me more time to get into the mental space for reflection that the next 25 hours require. This could definitely be the start of a lovely new tradition

To all who celebrate, have a safe and easy fast. G’mar chatimah tovah!