Behind the Cookbook Cover

Recently, I shot the cover of my cookbook and I wanted to share with you guys some behind-the-scenes shots over the day. It was a loooong day and a great time! and I worked with an incredible photographer, Michael Creagh. The day was full of antics and outtakes, a make-me-laugh playlist, and plenty of goofing around. Check out some of the shots after the jump.

Food and set styling courtesy of Yvette

The scrutiny begins

How many cameras do I need

More scrutiny

It was freezing out, so all of us are getting psyched to brave the cold

The day could not have been possible without the help of all the friends that made it amazing, so thank you, thank you, thank you to Michael and Michael, Hawa, Yvette, and my hardcore, roller-wearing girl Yahaira. Can’t wait to show you guys the final pics

Cookbook War Stories Part 1: Musings on Chocolate Cake

Ok….I warned you guys I’d be talking about the trials and tribulations of writing this cookbook and with my half manuscript deadline creeping up in a few weeks, I’m starting to freak out a bit! I’ve been steadily chipping away at this cookbook: ticking off recipes, photos and writing on a daily basis. Recipe testing is just that – testing and sometimes you get it on the first or second try (woot!) and other times it takes a bit more. I’ve been working on a chocolate loaf cake recipe for about a month now (with my own special exotic twist, of course..) and it has literally been the bane of my existence!

It’s a loaf cake, and to me, a chocolate loaf cake has to be nothing less than moist, dense and ridiculously luscious. And I kid you not, I’ve tried umpteen iterations to get this recipe right. How delicate is this cake process?

Here are a few things I’ve learned:

- 1 cup of all-purpose flour is equal to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cake flour but none of this matters because all purpose is perfectly fine for a loaf cake.

- Crème fraiche is a far superior if not a completely fatty substitute for buttermilk in a recipe. It also might mean your cake doesn’t set in the same amount of time….

- Too much flour can make your cake crumbly. So can too much sugar or too much baking powder. So can not waiting long enough to unmold the dang thing because you are so desperate to take a bite of it.

- LOVE dark brown sugar over light brown. I’m not going back.

- Too much fat in your batter can make your cake sink in the middle. So can opening the oven door too early to baby your beautiful cake.

- Grease AND flour….

- You may slowly be driving your husband insane with these five little words: “How does this one taste?”

The perfecting of this recipe continues, but I’m so close I can literally taste it. It will be so worth it I promise you. Once or twice more and it has to be right!

As always, would love to hear your own cake war stories!

Musical Inspiration: A Culinary Playlist

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about inspiration. Cooking for me is a complete joy, but being creative with food also requires bringing together tastes, experiences, and thoughts from all over and continuing to be inspired on a daily basis. I’ve decided it’s really important to be an inspiration hog! Grab it whenever and wherever you can….One thing that is a must when I’m cooking is great music in the background – it allows me to zone out and just do my thing. And, oftentimes, it’s the thing I need to get my creative juices flowing. So with that, I thought I would share with you guys my current playlist – what I’m listening to when I’m working on recipes in the kitchen.

Here goes in no particular order…Now, I totally realize how eclectic this is, but my music, like my food, comes from all over, geographically and otherwise!

Electric Relaxation – A Tribe Called Quest

Samba Triste – Stan Getz

I Chase the Devil – Lee Scratch Perry

Dreamworld – Robin Thicke

What You Need – The Weeknd

Unthinkable – Alicia Keys

Glory Box – Portishead

Hometown Glory – Adele

You’re My Thrill – Amel Larrieux

The Sweetest Thing – Lauren Hill

Candela – Buena Vista Social Club

Water No Get Enemy – Fela Kuti

In The Closet – Michael Jackson

Lovesong – the Cure

Genevieve – Cymande

Cherish the Day – Sade

War/No More Trouble (Medley) – Bob Marley

Thinking of You – Frank Ocean

Upgrade U – Beyonce featuring Jay Z

Tanto Tempo – Bebel Gilberto

Enjoy!

Cookbooks as Inspiration

For a number of years now, I have become a cookbook collector of sorts. It’s a natural gift I receive from houseguests, friends, and family (a tradition I completely adore!), and it’s become an obsessive habit to find THE cookbook that defines a cuisine when I travel. As I’m embarking on writing my own cookbooks, I flip through my favorites to check out everything from fonts to page layouts to important passages and, of course, recipes. Cookbooks have long served me as inspiration, and I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you here.

Now, these are rather wide-ranging, but I have to say some of my most treasured cookbooks have been sent or suggested by the individuals with whom I’ve had the privilege of cooking with in other countries. They swear by these cookbooks as “the real deal” – showcasing the cuisine’s authentic traditions – so I’m starting with those.

(1) Naparima Girls’ High School Cookbook: The Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago & the Caribbean

I LOVE this book! This dives deep into West Indian food and its multitude of influences from Indian to Chinese to Latin. I definitely use it as a flavor reference, and it’s practical chapter divisions, glossary and intense indexing make it super easy to follow.

(2) The Art of Peruvian Cuisine I by Tony Custer

Visiting Peru earlier this year opened up a world of flavors, produce, and cuisine styles I hadn’t experienced. The country has so many different climates, and the food reflects the terroir – coastal, mountain, Amazon. This cookbook delves into a number of the dishes I loved while visiting the country – ceviche, tiradito, the rice dishes, and the famed aji de gallina to name a few.

(3) Exotic Ethiopian Cooking by D.J. Mesfin

This, to me, is the seminal text on Ethiopian food. Not only does it give in-depth, easy-to-follow instructions for how to make all of the beautiful stews, lentil dishes, and even breads of the country, it gives a clear history of the food and culture of Ethiopia. I love that the fundamental techniques (spiced butter, how to make berbere, etc) are all outlined in this book.

(4) Brasil: Gastronomia, Cultura e Turismo by Eva Ribenboim Steinbruch

A great cook in Rio de Janeiro recommended this book to me. She implicitly trusts the recipes and authenticity here and, most importantly for me, the book is written in both Portuguese and English! It has a ton of Brazilian favorites – feijoada, moqueca, farofa – and is divided by region, so it requires a little flipping through and imagination…

(5) All Cookbooks By Claudia Roden

Claudia Roden has to be one of the most impressive food writers out there – she was born in Egypt, studied in Paris, and writes from upwards of 45 years of experience. Her first Middle Eastern cookbook came out in 1968, and she is a woman after my own heart – she learned from home cooks! These aren’t glossy, just-for-looking cookbooks; they are straight utilitarian, and some have 800+ recipes!

(6) The Great American Cookbook by Clementine Paddleford

I recently received this cookbook as a gift, and it has shot up to one of my favorites! The story behind it is amazing – Clementine (a woman!) was the first American food journalist, writing for the New York Herald Tribune from 1936 onward. She also wrote a monthly column for Gourmetmagazine, published seven books, and traveled across the U.S. (when travel was not the easiest) to research and document immigrant, regional, and farm-to-table American cooking in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Imagine! I love flipping through this book and seeing what the cuisine looked like then, how it has evolved, and finding inspiration for today.

(7) Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myhrvoid, Chris Young and Maxime Bilet

So, the rest of these books are reasonably priced and have rather traditional procedures for the recipes – the geek in me had to give you my favorite food science-related book. This 6-volume behemoth required a team of chefs and scientists and years of research. What started out as a 150-page book on sous-vide cooking became a 2,400+ page manual detailing the science behind cooking and over 1,500 recipes. This set may seem daunting but contains invaluable information for the serious cook. An “At Home” version is on its way for this October by the way.

These are only a few of my favorites, and I hope you enjoy and glean as much inspiration from them as I do!

Thanksgiving Ideas

Thanksgiving has to be my favorite holiday! I love the gathering of friends and family, that crisp fall weather, and, of course, the serious spread of food…I admit I get a little insane for the few days leading up to it with a master recipe list and plan of attack for prepping for the 3 days before (last year it was 14 pages long. I know, crazy.). And although I go a bit traditional for the turkey, I like to use the sides, apps and desserts to be creative and incorporate all of the delicious exotic flavors you guys have been reading about here. SO I thought I’d give everyone some ideas today on how to spice up your Thanksgiving…

Let’s start with appetizers. I love a big, beautiful cheese plate dressed with some membrillo, a great variety of honey, a rich balsamic vinegar to accompany the blue cheese, and perhaps some concord grapes. I’m doing that this year along with a bit of Indian street food called pani puri that I’ll have to post soon! Pani puri are little crispy puffs stuffed with a mixture of chickpeas, red onion, tamarind, yoghurt and cilantro-mint chutney. I wanted to keep the apps light this year because of how much food I’m making for the main meal, but if you’re going for hot apps, pao de quiejo is always a winner; you really can’t go wrong with Brazilian cheese bread, chewy cheesy goodness. I also love these harissa cheese-stuffed fried olives, this mushroom pissaladière and lamb meatballs with quince and black olives.

This year I’m doing red wine-braised short ribs to accompany my heritage turkey. For the sides, I love love macaroni pie, a West Indian version of mac ‘n cheese that has onions, garlic, and habanero and is baked in the oven– you can stick to the traditional one or try the porcini version (which is what I’m making…). My brain goes straight to casseroles when I think Thanksgiving sides, so smoky spicy corn pudding is always on my list as is South African shepherd’s pie or bobotie as it’s called there, a layered dish with spicy-sweet ground beef or lamb cooked down and topped with a velvety egg custard. The recipe I have shows how to make individual ones, but you can easily transfer it all to a gratin or casserole dish and just adjust baking time. I’m also planning for simple roasted, market vegetables and a rice dish. This pilau makes a beautiful accompaniment.

Ah, and now for dessert. Definitely, apple pie with star anise brown butter that I’m going to serve with vanilla ice cream and some homemade dulce de leche and some of the Greek-inspired madeleines. This recipe for cape malva pudding, another South African treasure that features a moist cake drenched in a bit of brandy cream works really well and is something I’ve served at previous Thanksgivings OR, if you’re going a bit more elegant, these Arabic coffee panna cottas are also silky and gorgeous. The easiest by far though would be these amarena cherry and dark chocolate clafoutis – yum…

Whatever you choose to do, I hope everyone has a warm, fun-food-family-friends-filled Thanksgiving!

Exotic Homemade Baby Food

How adorable is my godson Uri? He was all about the banana tapioca pudding here…AND the camera. I’ll be posting more ridiculously cute pictures of Uri, his beautiful mother, and my attempts at getting all of the baby food in his mouth on my facebook page.

So why exotic baby food…I remember growing up I had an incredible tolerance for spicy food. My mom would always tell me that, after I was born, she had no desire to cook multiple meals or make her food more bland when I could finally eat solids, so she ramped me up by adding cayenne and other spices to my baby food. Genius!

In many cultures, baby food is by default homemade, and ingredients being what they are, things like cumin, cilantro, coconut milk, and even lemongrass are added. Doctors do say that babies learns to tolerate certain spices through the breast milk, so it makes sense to get them adjusted to flavorful foods early.

I told my girlfriend that I wanted to cook for my godson and try out a few flavors. So, not having a baby myself, I did a ton of research to figure out what was safe – I was paranoid!

- So first, a baby should be over 8 months old before introducing different spices (pediatricians’ recommendation).

- Next, no sugar or salt should be added.

- Spices like cinnamon should be avoided because they can cause allergic reactions. And no using extracts that contain alcohol (like vanilla).

- Fruits, other than bananas or avocados, and vegetables should be peeled and cooked – roasting or baking is the best way to develop flavor and avoid total nutrient loss.

- If you are introducing milk, it’s best to cook the milk to break down some of the milk proteins to aid in digestion.

These are only a few of the do’s and dont’s…

I went with one sweet and one savoury baby food for little Uri. I thought the roasted butternut squash with rice, coconut milk and cilantro was a hit until I gave him the banana tapioca pudding with star anise and vanilla. He went literally bananas for it! And, quite frankly, I found myself sneaking in a few more tastes than I needed to…I love to cook, and I can’t tell you how rewarding it was to see a baby honestly love what you made him…it was great. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Homemade Baby Food with Rice, Coconut Milk, & Cilantro:

Ingredients

Yields 1 ¼ cups

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into a small dice (approx. 3 cups diced squash)

olive oil

½ cup cooked white or brown rice

¼ cup coconut milk

1 – 2 tbsps cilantro, finely chopped

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a bowl, toss squash with a little bit of olive oil to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet making sure squash is in a single later. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes until soft.

In a food mill or food processor, process squash with rice, coconut milk and cilantro to desired texture. Serve warm.

Banana Tapioca Pudding with Star Anise and Vanilla

Ingredients

Yields 2 cups

¼ cup tapioca

1 ½ cups milk

1 star anise

1/8 tsp vanilla bean powder or ½ vanilla bean (no extract!!)

1 ½ bananas mashed

Procedure

In a saucepan, bring tapioca with milk, anise, and vanilla to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a low simmer and simmer uncovered 5 to 7 minutes until tapioca is soft. Remove star anise.

In a bowl, mash bananas to desired consistency. Add tapioca mixture and stir to combine. Serve warm.

Photos of me and Uri: Izaz Rony / http://www.methodizaz.com/

A Trinidadian BBQ

I recently went to a bbq my husband’s family was throwing, and I thought I’d give you a glimpse into what a Trini bbq looks like. I’m not sure this could really be termed “typical” because his family is definitely comprised of foodies and make sure you have a staggering number of delicious dishes from which to choose.

I was starving when I got there which was such a bad move on my part. West Indian culture (much like many other cultures I could detail…) dictates that the chance an event starts on time is slim to none. I knew this! and still showed up hungry, but, luckily, my mother-in-law snuck me some phulourie.

Typically a street food, these little fried dough balls are made from split pea or chick pea flour mixed with curry spices. They are traditionally served with a thin, fruit chutney or, like here, a tamarind sauce. Deliciously poppable. And really hard to stop eating even when you AREN’T hungry. I quickly devoured these goodies and used all the willpower I could summon to stop, so I could leave room for the serious food ahead.

To paint the scene, we had brought some friends and positioned ourselves strategically on a table in the middle of the deck, so we could partake in all the conversations around us. Ladies were sitting next to us, chatting away and swooning over a pair of 9-week-old twins, the newest additions to the family. Men were out on the lawn in chairs discussing cricket and politics, while the kids were throwing around a football. We were heavily embroiled in a card game, and the trash-talking was reaching a new height at the point the food was brought out. Everything halted, and cards were thrown to the side to make room for the plates…

It was impossible to choose what to eat: jerk chicken, sweet and spicy pork ribs, hot dogs, sausages with onions and peppers, grilled fish…and those are just the proteins! The sides were equally dizzying – regular potato salad, sweet potato salad, lo mein, peas and rice, and callaloo. So the lo mein may be confusing, but it shouldn’t be. Trinidadian cuisine is multi-cultural and has been influenced by the ethnicities that inhabit the island. Chinese and Indian traditions are interwoven into the cuisine yielding dishes like lo mein or even the phulourie, which are really close to pakoras and bhajis in South Asian cuisine.

Of course, no West Indian bbq would be complete without the pepper sauce! The main ingredient of these sauces is the scotch bonnet pepper, which is beyond hot but with such incredibly distinct flavor. And this sauce, which is made by my husband’s uncle (from whom I’m still trying to pry the recipe…), will make your eyes water with the best of them. Although now, he tells me he’s coming with even more thunder and going to grow Bhut Jolokia, the hottest pepper in the world, to make some sauce. Can’t wait to try….a little, tiiiiny drop.

Such a great weekend. I will definitely be cooking some of the authentic, Trinidadian dishes I mentioned above in the coming months…

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