tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20193643302751659592009-11-24T21:03:27.859-04:00TLH is a virtual dining table. You're invited to gather... let's swap stories, gaff and revel in the tastes of a good home-cooked meal.Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-78090390344136449682009-11-21T08:23:00.004-04:002009-11-21T09:14:41.291-04:00

Bunches of beautiful ripe, red Annatto can be found on the tree just outside the classroom where I teach. I’ve tried to get my colleagues and students to try using it in their cooking but I’ve had no luck so far. Perhaps I can convince you? Read more about this spice that's popular in this week's column and why it is referred to as "poor man's saffron".This is what the fruit looks like:It is used

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-25868131726965773232009-11-14T11:22:00.006-04:002009-11-14T13:52:00.010-04:00

What's the difference between juice and drink? How much does 1 cup of raw rice yield when cooked? Do you know the difference between evaporated milk and pasteurized whole milk?Here's a challenge, write your answers and then read the column and see how on or off the mark you are. This week's column also explains how appetite is different from hunger, servings from portions and much more. You

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-58355914092726849652009-11-07T18:14:00.004-04:002009-11-07T19:06:35.497-04:00

The other day, a friend of mine threw up her hands in exasperation and exclaimed, “I love eating shrimp but I hate cooking it! It always turns out hard!” “Ah,” I said, “that’s because you are overcooking it.” “So how long should I cook it for then?” “That depends,” I said, and explained further in this week's column.N.B. Before attempting the dishes below, please ensure that you read my notes on

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-47483442612961025052009-10-31T14:16:00.005-04:002009-10-31T14:42:22.595-04:00

A fish-egg frittata and a non-dairy bread pudding that will make you think of Christmas cake are recipes I'm sure will enthral and delight you. And, if you're looking for a rice dish that you'd feel satisfied eating by itself, as a meal, then a bowl Lemon Rice will hit the spot. Read this week's column to find out how I came up with the idea for the fish-egg frittata and non-dairy bread pudding.

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-68297608859161676392009-10-24T08:10:00.003-04:002009-10-24T08:50:56.028-04:00

Are you tired of stirring and waiting for the sugar to dissolve in your drinks? Do you dislike the “raw” sugar taste your drinks have when you sweeten them with the actual sugar? If you do, then Simple Syrup will become your new best friend. Read this week's column and find out about the various degrees of thicknesses for Simple Syrup, how easy it is to make and what a time saver it is!Simple

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-45112898447783003212009-10-17T08:33:00.002-04:002009-10-17T09:28:01.342-04:00

From the bark to the leaves, to the fruit and its seeds - the Jamun tree is another of nature's wonderful gifts. Apart from providing vitamins A & C, Jamun contains antioxidants that can fight certain diseases and help protect our bodies. Read this week's column to find out more about Jamun. This fruit also makes excellent wine and vinegar because of it high tannin content. The easiest way to get

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-15657169024564256882009-10-10T09:50:00.004-04:002009-10-10T10:26:03.988-04:00

“Will the Garlic Pork taste as good as you claim?” That’s a question I was asked recently after a reader received my Garlic Pork recipe that he requested. I love these taste-challenge questions because they provide the opportunity to discuss some basic things about cooking such as taste being relative, the importance of ingredients and key to it all - practise and experience. Click here to read

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-28913401815861357702009-10-03T09:28:00.005-04:002009-10-03T10:50:36.031-04:00

Room temperature is a term used often in the preparation and cooking of certain foods, but what exactly does it mean? It is not a precisely defined term. A definition familiarly used is that room temperature refers to the general level of comfort in a room in which people live. While this definition is true, what also is a fact is that this level of comfort varies, depending on the individual and

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-24852863616457961042009-09-26T14:54:00.004-04:002009-09-26T15:32:00.093-04:00

Have you had your guava today? Packed with Vitamin C (some scientists argue that it has more Vitamin C than Orange) and other nutrients, this is one of nature's gifts that you should not pass up when it is in season. Right now, in the Caribbean, we are enjoying a bountiful guava season! Click here to read the column and learn more about the health benefits of this fruit. Be sure to check out my

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-76838774459201946332009-09-19T08:48:00.004-04:002009-09-19T09:37:39.348-04:00

I chuckled a couple of weeks ago as I read Dave Martins’ article, Guarding the recipe, in which he expressed his enjoyment of some “mouth-watering” and “mek yuh foot bottom lif’ off de ground” (make your feet lift off of the ground) food in the forms of corn bread, fry bake, pepper sauce, fried snapper and coconut fish. Dave enjoyed these creations so much that he wanted to try making them

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-27043590785234739962009-09-12T07:58:00.005-04:002009-09-13T13:43:19.061-04:00

Boiled & ready for drinking. Look at the cream on top!I ran myself ragged this past Tuesday in search of a pot in which to scald milk. I visited eleven stores before I found the kind of pot I was looking for – one with the capacity to hold a gallon of milk and the requisite heavy bottom. Four and a half hours after setting out from home, I returned, tired and hot, but triumphant. I had my

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-87337600545126240802009-09-05T12:20:00.004-04:002009-09-05T13:08:01.091-04:00

Are you like me – do you give your best friends and loved ones a list of food to bring when they’re coming to visit from overseas, especially if they are coming from home? I do! A few days ago I had a taste of home. My mom’s visiting and she brought for me Chinese Fried Rice and Chinese Cakes (moon cakes). Bliss! Click here to continue reading the column. I'd love to hear what are some of the

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-35807254918390618852009-08-29T09:52:00.004-04:002009-08-29T10:40:28.766-04:00

I am rich with the bounty of the season! My freezer, refrigerator, pantry and countertop are looking mighty attractive with all the goodies that have been entrusted to them. What about you? Click here for more in this week's column.Onions have been pickled. Scroll down to the bottom of the column for my recipe.Manisha's lime and lemon pickles are set and cooking in the hot Caribbean sun!Guava and

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-5005213686576550992009-08-22T08:24:00.004-04:002009-08-22T09:13:30.248-04:00

I'm in love with Basil, the herb, not the man. The aroma draws you in; you sniff and take deep breaths as your senses are beguiled by the bouquet. Is it clove, is it anise, is it lemon, is it... read the rest of the column here and for a pesto recipe.Mahi Mahi is popularly known as Dolphin in Barbados. This fish is prized among locals and appears on most menus in the many restaurants across the

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-71888050928687529302009-08-15T09:27:00.006-04:002009-08-15T10:36:45.236-04:00

Last week, news broke that there was a battle over who could claim ownership over Chicken Tikka Masala. Scottish Members of Parliament had invoked the wrath of Delhi historians and chefs. These Scottish MPs tabled a motion to have the dish's origin be officially recognised as Scottish through a Protected Designation of Origin. Personally, I think that this desire to hammer down the origins of

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-50250279695647789352009-08-08T12:44:00.005-04:002009-08-08T13:18:41.651-04:00

United by a complex history, the Caribbean is made up of four parts – the English-speaking Caribbean, the Dutch Caribbean, the Spanish Caribbean and the French Caribbean. While there are many similarities in the ingredients we use, some techniques and methods of preparation are as varied as the languages spoken. First colonised by the Spanish and then the French, the Haitian cuisine is a uniquely

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-18191599564471492022009-08-01T14:24:00.004-04:002009-08-01T15:37:03.353-04:00

Conversations that trigger a memory of one’s upbringing and how it has influenced or impacted our lives often yield two reactions – we marvel at the freedom some people had or we are astonished by the discipline enforced. In this week's column I share with you some of the rules my parents (read my Mother) laid down when it came to Eating at the Table, such as seeking persmission to leave the

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-22053821091953170712009-07-25T14:42:00.005-04:002009-07-26T01:40:52.950-04:00

It peels just as easily, it cooks faster and it can be prepared very much the same way as you’d prepare the English potato – baked, boiled, mashed, sautéed and even be made into chips and fries. Which potato is it? The sweet potato! Click here for this week's column to find out more about the white-fleshed sweet potato. In the column you will also find the method for preparing all the dishes you

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com68tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-62774339900332306562009-07-18T14:01:00.006-04:002009-07-20T01:10:30.445-04:00

Over the years I’ve made quite a few chicken salads and I’ve experimented with various cooking methods as well as various parts of the chicken all in a quest to find the most effective way for the chicken to remain moist and flavourful. There's a particular cooking method I prefer coupled with a particular cut of the chicken that gives me the results and flavour I am looking for. Click here to

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-91449066472347128582009-07-11T14:22:00.008-04:002009-07-11T14:59:48.405-04:00

When my travels take me up North, it is not always easy to return home and recreate the dishes I enjoyed. Sure, I can find some of the ingredients back in the Caribbean but they are usually imported, sometimes not of the best quality and they often cost a fortune. You know, like they were flown in on first class or something! Click here to read the column.I'm currently on holiday and I'm on a

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-85101372445887245102009-07-04T14:30:00.004-04:002009-07-04T15:03:01.008-04:00

I spent several weeks with a friend in the USA and of course, I cooked. I felt totally off my cooking game. The simplest of tasks had me questioning my cooking skills. I found myself scorching things, burning things, under cooking some dishes and over cooking others. I have always felt that a good cook is one who is able to adapt to various cooking environments. I began to ask myself, if I was

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com73tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-30299497606391780432009-06-27T13:25:00.004-04:002009-06-27T13:41:30.253-04:00

I made pizza for the first time several weeks ago and marvelled at how well it turned out... As I stepped back to admire my work, I must admit, along with my pride, I felt a twinge of embarrassment; I realized I had not needed to buy the special pizza pan to make pan perfect pizza. Click here to read the rest of the column.Thin-curst pizza with proscuitto, ham, salami, pineapple, basil pesto &

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-3261343982985155902009-06-20T14:30:00.004-04:002009-06-20T14:57:53.256-04:00

Have you ever sat down to a meal and as you are eating, you think of others – be they family or friends – that you think might enjoy the meal and wish that they were there to share it with you? That’s what happened to me this past Wednesday. Click here to read the rest of this week's column.Here's what I was eating:Braised Baby-back Ribs with Black Bean & Garlic SauceStir-fry Baby Bak ChoyPan

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-84348450928368167962009-06-13T13:41:00.002-04:002009-06-13T14:09:16.846-04:00

What’s your steak preference – ribeye, strip, flank, sirloin, porterhouse, t-bone, prime rib…? And how do you like your steak – rare, medium rare, medium or well done? Ah, the choices when it comes to steak. For a steak novice, it can be a nerve-racking experience making these decisions and choices. And then there are those of us familiar with steaks that spend a lot of time trying to cook them

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-62265487566915605872009-06-06T12:21:00.006-04:002009-06-06T13:22:45.155-04:00

Food plays a central role in the cultural identity of any nation. It defines us. All over the world today, popular media, technology, and a changed pace of life have already made significant down payments to some loss of our food identity. This week's column is an appeal for us not to lose sight of who we are in our quest for advancement and acceptance. Click here to read more.Almost every dish,

Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199tasteslikehome@gmail.com48