Curry, Callaloo & Calypso - Macmillan Caribbean

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9780230038578.indd 6 25/07/2011 13:08
Introduction We are a nation in love with our foods and never is the time not right to enjoy a good pot of pelau, hot doubles, a spicy roti and curry, or a hot shark and bake. The idea for a ‘T & T’ cookbook came to me a few years ago when I realized that globalization and foreign influences might dilute our local cuisine – or that was my opinion at the time. I envisaged a book that would showcase all our indigenous foods, by way of old and new recipes, for present and future generations! When I actually started to collect the recipes I realized that much is still cooking in our home kitchens, and as a result of globalization we have in fact embraced many more recipes into our lives. There is even a renewed interest in cooking local sparked by the Internet and cooking programmes on both cable and local TV. Growing up in the sixties in the town of San Fernando (it’s now a city), local food was not celebrated as it is today. Indian and Creole foods were mainly cooked in people’s homes, by either hired cooks or the head of the household. The only Indian food for sale was found in a wrap roti from roti shops and doubles at the street corner doubles vendor. Creole foods were hardly ever served up outside. School lunches brought from home were rarely shared between friends! Snacks then included pepper mango and chilli bibbi, and the occasional aloo pie from the school snackette. Eating out was only for special occasions and the choices were slim: Chinese food at Marsang’s restaurant in San Fernando, where they wokked up some of the tastiest Cantonese dishes I have ever tasted, and, when we were in Port of Spain, Ling Nam restaurant on Charlotte Street. Steak dinners were enjoyed at Chaconia Inn or Bel Air Restaurant, Piarco, and these were just for the grown-ups. Usually, for any celebration, the entertaining was done at home. Fast forward to the twenty-first century: industrialization, education, travel, migration to urban areas, inter-racial marriages and technological advancement have all worked in favour of knocking down racial divides and bringing together our ethnicities. This unity of our races is no more apparent than in our cuisine. Today, the foods reflecting the rich culinary heritage of our forefathers are enjoyed by everyone, so much so that our cuisine has transcended itself, marking out a permanent place on our cultural landscape and on the world culinary map. Our 50:40:10 per cent ethnic make-up of African:Indian:European and Chinese respectively is shown in a cuisine that is bold, explosive in flavour, eclectic and addictive. Opposite: Nariva Swamp meets the sea. Above: Port of Spain 9780230038578.indd 7 25/07/2011 13:08 7
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Page 3 and 4: Curry, Callaloo & Calypso The real
Page 5: Contents Introduction 7 A brief cul
Page 9 and 10: Lunch menu board Mangrove roots Goa
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Page 13 and 14: Yams and plantains were other popul
Page 15 and 16: The African slaves also had a great
Page 17 and 18: The Indians made their rotis on a t
Page 19 and 20: Maracas Bay 19 9780230038578.indd 1
Page 21 and 22: Snacks and Indian delicacies Snacki
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Curry, Callaloo & Calypso - Macmillan Caribbean

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