Whether you partake in Meatless Monday or you're meatless every day, Veg Out is a lovely little shop-type restaurant located in UWI, St. Augustine that has something for everyone. It's a special place because there are very few vegetarian and/or vegan restaurants in Trinidad. It's also the only one of its kind on the campus. The pastries are some of the best I've tried from many bakeries in Trinidad; buttery and flaky, even when it cools. They also now serve seasonal salads and have a variety of lunches every day of the week. The lunches are always pretty good so they sell out fast! Besides the boxed lunches, they have a small vegetarian sandwich selection (ready-made) if you're on the go or in a hurry. Recently, they've updated their tea and coffee selection. If you're a tea/coffee fan, definitely check them out. I must say however, my absolute favourite part of Veg Out is the service. It's like a big family whenever you enter; it's a warm and inviting environment that really makes you feel at home. They are always smiling and friendly and making conversation, making you feel like you've known them forever. Even if you're not a student and just in the area, stop by and say hi, try something... you won't regret it!
I forgot to mention that they sell local corn soup (one of my favourites!) on Fridays at lunch. These are probably some of the fastest selling items they have. My camera battery died just after I took the first picture so it is all I got. However, I will try to remember to take a few more the next time I visit.
I celebrated my Golden Birthday last Sunday. Rather, my golden birthday was last Sunday. I didn't celebrate much at all. However, I did enjoy my weekend, simply hanging with friends. It was a relaxed birthday; nothing like what I had thought it would be a few years ago. For the past week or two as my birthday approached, I did quite a lot of thinking: where I am in life, what I have accomplished or what I have not accomplished, my health, my dreams, my friends and family...
I have thought at least once before about my golden birthday. I thought it would be brilliant; a huge luau with all my acquaintances, elaborate décor with hula skirts and tiki torches, lots of food and booze, even a pig in the pit maybe! It wasn't like that. I'm out of acquaintances but I've got a tiny group of lovely friends. We watched movies, cooked pasta, baked scones and drank wine. As I type, it sounds a lot more grown up that I even thought. A luau seemed like a nice idea, I still love the idea of luau, but a simple gathering like we had is pretty great as well. My interests while still similar, have been a bit refined as well. I absolutely adore brunch and afternoon tea. Who'd have thought? Sometimes sitting and existing with friends can be far more entertaining than you'd imagine. While all that is part of the good life, I really have put living the way I want to, and wanted to, on a hold. I have not made much of an effort to really do the things I want to do and live in a way I'll always be proud of, whether I depart young or old. While my passion for cuisine if a fairly new discovery, travelling is something I have always loved. It's something baffling to think of how different people can be. Some people are content or happy being exactly where they are for all of their life, and they feel no desire to discover somewhere new. Others want to see the world, or at least as much of it as they can. I'm one of the others. Even before I was 10 years old, I remember telling my teacher that I wanted to be a flight attendant so I could travel the world. I no longer want to be a flight attendant. I'm sure they spend the majority of their time looking at the inside of a plane.
I had a lot more to say but after taking a little break, I realized I was babbling a lot. The point of it all is that I have neglected to do a lot of things that I think could(would) make my life more fulfilling and rewarding. My feelings of demotivation have not been a secret, I'm sure I have mentioned it in a post or two before. But I have yet to do anything about it. Waiting for the right time is not really a good option because there really never is a "right time". We don't know where we will be in our lives tomorrow, or even if we'll be here at all. Why aren't we making the best of it now? It's not too late to start, even though too many times I feel like it is. Having regrets is a waste of time because it really just holds us back from doing something about it! I hope I can remember this way I feel and continue living my life to the fullest, and so should you! (If anyone actually reads this, of course.)
I really like the version that combines the movie "The Bucket List". Brilliant movie, you should watch it.
Some years ago, my parents brought back a bottle of Frank's hot sauce after a visit to New York. It was instant love: the mild spice from the cayenne and the wonderful tang from the vinegar... and who doesn't want to eat food that's so vibrantly orange?
This hot sauce is obviously nothing like our local hot sauce. It's far more similar to Tabasco than our regular scotch bonnet or habanero type very hot pepper sauce. While I've always been a fan of our local pepper sauce - it compliments a lot of our dishes very well - I also adore the orange, vinegary type of hot sauce as well. If you like a little tang, you'll love Frank's. Frank's is the gold star in buffalo sauces; most buffalo recipes that call for hot sauce, call for Frank's in particular. It's a very versatile sauce, and though I am yet to try all the varieties, I do really like the ones I have tried. Like I mentioned in my last post, you can put Frank's on anything and it'll taste great! Buffalo everything!
Frank's themselves have a lot of recipes on their website, but you can find a lot of delicious recipes using Frank's everywhere on the Internet.
It's been a while since I've been here. I have missed it but I'm still learning to not let my demotivating emotions get the better of me. Frank's (which is going to be the focus of my next post), is a wonderful vinegary cayenne hot sauce that's extremely popular for making buffalo wings. But I think you can put Frank's on anything and make it delicious! Recently, chickpeas has become more and more popular as a healthy snack alternative. In Trinidad, we make a lot of spiced roasted chickpeas as snacks, but not like these. Buffalo chickpeas is as good of an idea as it sounds. Why not buffalo everything? I've heard buffalo cauliflower is brilliant!
Simply combine all ingredients and bake at 375ºF for 20-30 minutes or until crispy.
These can be served in a number of ways or just eaten as a snack and it's still great. They can be used for filling for lettuce wraps with a little bleu cheese dressing or a little crumbled gorgonzola and some sour cream. Or maybe as a filling for a soft taco or a quesadilla? Or as a crunchy topping for salad? There are a lot of possibilities for these yummy little guys. I knew roasted chickpeas might be good, but I was thrilled with the results of making it buffalo! And the hot sauce is already so flavourful on its own, minimal ingredients and effort is required. I'm definitely making some buffalo cauliflower soon too!
I was finally home early for a change today, but also incredibly hungry. I'm not sure why. I had lunch but it was small. The easiest thing when you're hungry and want something fast - sandwiches! I remembered some leftover cooked lentils I had in the refrigerator and decided to make me a sloppy joe... vegetarian style! It was quick and delicious, even though I didn't have any good bread. It is also quite hearty with a lovely texture that you don't even miss the meat. The list looks a little long but the quantities of each are small and it's things we always have.
Lentil Sloppy Joes
1 can Lentils (drained and rinsed)
1 small Onion (chopped into fine cubes)
1 small Bell Pepper (chopped)
1/2 small Carrot (chopped)
1/2 stalk Celery (chopped)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
2 small Tomatoes chopped (with juice)
1 Tbsp. Ketchup
1/8 C. Tomato Sauce (or 1/4 C. if you like it "sloppier")
Two days ago, another late Christmas present arrived and I am excited! I've always found French cuisine to be quite intriguing. My sister knew this and bought me this wonderful book!
This book should work wonderfully with a few of my resolutions; I am eager (and nervous) to read it and try some recipes. It will give me an opportunity to expand my culinary horizons. Everyone loves French cuisine!
On another note, I have hardly been cooking for the year thus far, I've been quite busy with work and other things but that's just another opportunity to challenge yourself. What's fast and delicious, easy and cheap? One of my absolute favourite pasta dishes of course... Spaghetti Carbonara!
Traditional spaghetti carbonara is super easy, and incredibly flavourful, even with just three ingredients besides salt and black pepper, and the optional parmesan. Pasta, bacon and eggs! Sounds like a good breakfast too when you list it like that. Mmm, I'm thinking about it now, I can do with a little carbonara.
Spaghetti Carbonara (serves 4)
400g Spaghetti
200g Bacon (cooked and crisp)
4 Medium/Large Eggs (or 6-8 egg yolks)
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan
Salt water well and boil until al dente.
Crack and beat eggs in a large bowl, add black pepper.
Using tongs, add spaghetti directly from boiling water to eggs a little at a time and toss, coating the pasta with eggs well. We add a little pasta at a time to ensure that we don't scramble eggs.
Mix in bacon and grated parmesan if desired and toss to distribute evenly(ish).
Serve hot! Carbonara is not the same when cooled/cold.
If you're in a hurry or on a budget but still want a flavourful, restaurant-quality meal, try some carbonara. You won't regret it.
2013 was a challenging but good year. I've got a whole new year, with opportunities for whole new experiences, ahead of me and I am going to try to make the very best of it. I've only got a few resolutions, trying to keep them all as realistic as possible.
I am going to work on my writing style; there's quite a bit of room for improvement.
I will try more new recipes, and accept more challenging ones.
I will be more consistent in my writing, as long as I have the time and opportunity. I'll also try to make more time, when possible.
I will work on my food photography and styling.
I will travel more often, whenever the opportunity presents itself.
I received a wonderful late Christmas present to help me out with some of those resolutions and I'm super excited about it.
This book also contains practical exercises at the end of each chapter so I can put what I learn to immediate use. And what better way to improve other than doing?
In my last post, I spoke about passions: children, travelling and food. I mentioned before that this combination of things can easily be transformed into a more fulfilling life - charity! Travelling and doing good for people, which will not only be fulfilling because of personal passions but also because of that incredible sense of fulfillment that you get from doing charity. However, I can't do it as much as I would like to... Yet! Once I have the opportunity however, I will be giving more, trying to create happiness and children's lives, as they do for me so often.
There are quite a few things on my list of things to make this year, and I'll try to get as much of them done as I can. Included in this list are quite a few vegan and raw recipes, as well as perfecting some classic recipes. I don't intend on trying to finish it all in one year... The end of the year or the duration is not final. I would simply like to try a little harder and do a little better in everything I do.
Delicious grated chutney for Divali.
It'll make anything taste great!
This year, I tried more new places for dining than I ever have for most of my life. Of course it has only been recently that I really discovered my love for food - dining and cooking. Sometimes I feel annoyed at the fact that it has taken me this long to find something I like, but truth is, it hasn't. I've had few other passions in my life thus far, and I'm guessing there's a few more to discover.
I've always loved working with and being around children. Children are so raw and honest, and their innocence is very refreshing. Honesty is something I, as do most people, highly value. It's not impossible for children to learn deceit from a young age, but more often than not, they are honest and pure. They do not hold grudges and they are so good at forcing a smile out of even the grumpiest of people. My time I spent working at a children's Summer Camp for some weeks were some of the happiest days of my life (that I can remember, of course). I would wake up every morning and look forward to going to work and I would spend my entire day happy with no worries in the world other than exactly where I was and what I was doing in that moment.
Travelling and seeing the world is something most people want. Some people are content exactly where they are, and that's fine. When I was a child, I wanted to be a flight attendant. I thought they had it all... They were always so pretty and poised, travelling around the world and meeting so many people. I suppose then I didn't understand the dynamics of the job, but it showed me that there was something about discovering new places and meeting new people that had such an appeal.
And then came food... The aroma, the sizzle, its beauty and taste, what's there not to love about food? We eat to survive, but food can be so much more. It's more than just a vice. It the way food can do so many different things for/to different people. It's the way when you're sad, you eat ice cream. Or when you're happy, you eat ice cream. Okay... I just love ice cream. But, it the way that for our birthdays or any special occasion, we celebrate with a special meal. Even when our pets are good, they are rewarded with treats.
This combination of things can easily be transformed into a more fulfilling life, if I am willing to work for it. And I feel like that has been a big part of my problem for a lot of my life. I'm not sure which path I should take, it's hard for me to focus on the end result. Like most people, immediate gratification seems far more satisfactory. Too often than not, I let my feelings get the better of me. Sometimes it's hard for me to understand why I can't just suck it up and get on with getting on, but I'm learning, and that's most important!
Enough about that until my next post... Here's some of my most favourite things I enjoyed in 2013!
For starters, my very own scallop scampi with bacon.
It's beautifully light but still quite flavourful.
The pork belly at Restaurant Chaud.
You simply have to try this incredibly tender morsel yourself.
The apple beignets at Restaurant Chaud.
The most beautiful texture on a beignet... like a cloud.
The steak salad at Chaud Cafe.
Delicious and filling! And I mean... steak!
The amazing mussels soup at Chaud Cafe that I never got to have again.
Perfectly cooked steak at Prime!
Take-out at La Cantina.
Bresaola, arugula and parmesan.
My favourite 2013 (I think) discovery that I wish I knew about sooner...
CLOTTED CREAM BABY!
Nothing like a warm scone piled with clotted cream at Jaffa.
And my absolute favourite thing I ate for 2013 (no lie)...
Just some mac and cheese at Prime.
Let me assure you... I ate a lot more incredibly things this year, things that make my heart smile and if I even think about, I can taste it. But these were just a few of the lovely things that you absolutely should not be missing out on!
Christmas Eve has always been a special day for my family. It's the one night of the year we all sit around the dining table and eat together... ALL of us. This almost never happens otherwise. Because of this, it's something my father looks forward to every year, and even though sometimes it might not matter to the rest of us... Anything for daddy!
When he was a child, his mother would make stuffed baked chicken and freshly baked bread for Christmas Eve dinner. It was a tradition for his family to eat this meal every year, and he carried it on to his own family. I must admit, we (my siblings and I) do look forward to this meal ourselves; it's evokes a sort of nostalgic feeling, I suppose.
Panettone is sweet bread dessert filled with raisins and/or other dried fruit served around the holidays in Italy and some other parts of Europe. It is most popular in Italy, originating in Milan. There are many different recipes for panettone but they are also sold commercially. And if you are not a big fan of the regular sweet loaf, there are even recipes re-using or repurposing panettone!
Bûche de Noël or a yule log is a type of Swiss roll cake decorated to resemble a log (as beautiful or as "rustic" as you like), typically served in France during the Christmas season.
We don’t know who exactly made the first Yule log cake, but judging from the individual ingredients it could have been as early as the 1600s. Marzipan and meringue decorations, two of the most popular choices for Yule logs, appeared on many a medieval table. Sponge cake, which often constitutes the base of the log, is one of the oldest cakes still made today. It dates back to at least 1615, when the first known recipe appeared in Gervaise Markham’s tome “The English Huswife.” (source)
As the name suggests, mince pies are simply pastries stuffed with mincemeat, eaten around Christmas traditionally in England. "Christmas mincemeat is not, as the name suggests, meat, if you look at the Christmas mincemeat recipe you will see it is sugar, fruits both fresh and dried, Brandy and suet." (source and recipe)
"Christmas (or Plum) Pudding is the traditional end to the British Christmas dinner. But what we think of as Christmas Pudding, is not what it was originally like!
Christmas pudding originated as a 14th century porridge called 'frumenty' that was made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. This would often be more like soup and was eaten as a fasting meal in preparation for the Christmas festivities.
By 1595, frumenty was slowly changing into a plum pudding, having been thickened with eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and given more flavour with the addition of beer and spirits. It became the customary Christmas dessert around 1650, but in 1664 the Puritans banned it as a bad custom.
In 1714, King George I re-established it as part of the Christmas meal, having tasted and enjoyed Plum Pudding. By Victorian times, Christmas Puddings had changed into something similar to the ones that are eaten today." (source)
A hallaca is basically like a Trinidadian pastelle.
"Hallacas is the oldest food tradition in Venezuela and it is the most popular Christmas meal served during the holidays. It is still prepared in a similar fashion to colonial times with some modern refinements.
The hallaca is also considered one of the most representative icons of Venezuelan multicultural heritage, as its preparation includes European ingredients (such as raisins, nuts and olives), indigenous ingredients (corn meal colored with annatto seeds), and African ingredients (smoked plantain leaves used for wrapping). Its name is pronounced "ah-ya-ka"." (source)
Yes, it is true! They love KFC for Christmas in Japan!
"The tradition of eating KFC at Christmas dates back to the early 1970s, when an expat customer at the chain’s Aoyama store observed that, in a land bereft of Yuletide turkey, fried chicken was the next best thing. The store’s canny manager was paying attention and passed word on to the higher-ups, leading the company to launch its ludicrously successful “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) campaign in 1974.
At least, that’s what the company says on its website (www.kfc.co.jp/qa).
Or it might just be because Colonel Sanders in a Santa cap looks like Santa Claus." (source)
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