Baileys & Cherry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust 

• Oreo - 3 Cups 
• Butter (melted) - 1/4 cup plus one tbsp

Filling

• Cream Cheese (room temperature) - 4 cups
• Eggs (room temperature) - 4 large eggs
• Granulated Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Icing Sugar - 1/4 cup 
• Corn Starch or All Purpose Flour - 1 tbsp
• Bailey's or any Irish Cream - 1/3 cup 
• Mixed or Vanilla Extract

Cherry Topping

• Cherries - 3 cups (pits removed) you can do this with fruit
• Sugar - 1/2 cup (feel free to add less or more depending on tartness of fruit)
• Lemon Zest - 1 tsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt - pinch
• Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

Topping

1. Add cherries, sugar, water, salt, lemon zest and juice into a sauce pan.
2. Cook until liquid has been reduced and cherry topping is a thick consistency.
3. Allow to cool down and keep in mind it will thicken up a little more as it cools down.
4. Place into a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to top off your cake.

Crust and Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 F
2. Crush oreos until they look like crumbs. I used a food processor for this. You may also put into a large ziploc and use a rolling pin to crush them.
3. Add melted butter into a bowl with crushed oreo, mix and press into the entire bottom of your 9 inch spring form pan
4. Bake in oven for 8 to 10 mins then allow to cool completely
5. You can choose to do this in a food processor, stand mixer or hand held mixer.
   Begin with the room temperature cream cheese and beat until fluffy (approx 3 mins)
6. Add sugar and mix until it is combined. Add eggs one at a time and add cornstarch or flour, and Baileys with the last egg mix until fully incorporated
7. At this point your crust should be completely cooled. Begin to boil a kettle of  water for your water bath.
8. Tightly wrap your spring form pan with aluminum foil to prevent leakage. Not all pans require this but I like to be safe than sorry
9. Strain your cheesecake batter into your cool baked crust to remove any lumps
10. Take a spoon and knock the side of your cheesecake pan a dozen times (this helps remove any air bubbles.
11. Place your filled cake pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan
12. Bake for 1 hour, edges should appear set and center will have a slight jiggle. Turn oven off and leave the oven door slightly cracked open so cheesecake can rest in the oven for an additional hour
13. Remove cheesecake from the oven and take out of water bath to continue cooling down for another hour or two
14. Once Cheesecake is completely cooled, place into the refrigerator overnight
15. Top with cherries, slice, serve and enjoy!

DIY Coconut Bowls

Ingredients:

• Coconut

Tools:

• Saw (wood or hacksaw)
• Knife or peeler
• Sandpaper
• Vegetable or Canola oil
• Work gloves
• Marker (eg Sharpie)
• Paper towel

Method:

1. Scrape off the husk as much as possible with a knife or vegetable peeler. The latter is a safer option, but always remember to use these tools safely.
2. When most of the husk is removed, switch to sandpaper to smooth out the exterior of the shell.
3. Draw a line around the coconut where you would like to cut. One way to get this line even is to spin the coconut on its end while holding the marker steady.
4. At this point, get your saw and start cutting, take as many safety measures as needed to feel safe. The shell is very hard and get started by sawing the saw towards yourself until a groove is established. Once the flesh is reached, rotate the coconut to continue the cut without further cutting the flesh of the coconut.
5. Once the cut is complete around the circumference, separate the two halves. If you want to capture the water inside, do this over a bowl.
6. Use a small knife or spoon to pry the flesh from the interior of shell. Then scrape out excess inner coconut skin with a spoon
7. Leave to dry for 10 minutes, then sand them inside and out.
8. Some of our research showed that if you sand the outer ends of the shell it will sometimes stand on it's own. It takes a long time to sand down the point at the top of the coconut but the bottom halves stood with only a little bit of sanding. We opted to stabilize the top bowls with ramekins and finish them later. The bottoms shells stood on their own perfectly.
9. Use a paper towel to apply oil to the interior and exterior of the shell. Repeat this process 5 times.
10. Add some delicious looking food and take amazing pictures.

Trinidad Sweet Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking Powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups shredded coconut (not dried- use fresh or frozen)
• 2/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup mixed/glazed fruit
• 1/2 cup halved maraschino cherries (red, green or both)
• 1 tbsp vanilla Extract
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter (melted)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg

Glaze:

• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sugar

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325 F
• Grease two loaf pans
• Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt
• In a separate bowl mix together shredded coconut, raisins, mixed fruit and cherries
• To the melted butter, add, milk, sugar, beaten egg and vanilla
• Combine milk mixture and fruits
• Add sifted dry ingredients into the fruit combination and mix until all of the flour is fully incorporated
• Pour into two greased loaf pans and garnish top with a little extra cherries and mixed fruit
• Bake for 55 to 60 mins or until tester comes out clean
• Mix up glaze and pour half of each mixture over each loaf
• Return bread to oven for 3 to 4 mins and turn oven off
• Remove bread from oven and sprinkle a little granulated sugar over top to give a frosted appearance
• Allow to cool in pan for at least 40 mins
• Turn over and allow to cool on a wire rack

If you are using salted butter please omit the salt from the recipe.

Sweetbread is one of those things I grew up with in Trinidad. Funny story, one time I was watching Iron Chef on cable, I was probably around 15 years old. I remember the host revealing the secret ingredient as "sweetbread" then uncovered a table full of what the rest of the world know as this sweetbread. My goodness I remember feeling so confused, I thought to myself I would never eat that stuff and in typical trini/caribbean form thinking to myself they need to come here to see what real sweetbread is. Fast forward to my second culinary school in Niagara and we had a class where we had to cook these sweetbread. Definitely not for me. I learned to make sweetbread mostly because my late father loved it but I was tired of seeing him eat some from a couple bakeries that I found to be quite dry. This recipe is quite moist and delicious. I hope you are all well. Enjoy!

Batter in pans and ready for the oven

Sweetbread after baking and adding sugar

Sweetbread on cooling rack

Mango Chow

Ingredients

• 2 Mangos (Half-ripened)
• 1 tsp Lime Juice or sub Lemon
• 1/2 Scotch Bonnet/Habanero
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 tbsp Bhandania/Culantro/Saw tooth Coriander or sub Cilantro
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Method

1. Peel and slice mangoes, then cut into strips and place in a bowl
2. Finely chop garlic, bhandania and hot pepper or place in food processor
3. Add to sliced mango with lime juice, salt and black pepper
4. Eat and enjoy

* Growing up on a small island fruit was bountiful, my Dad ensured our yard was filled with fruit trees and he would often experiment cross breeding seeds which sometimes worked out for him. In the islands if you didn't have fruit on your tree, chances were your neighbour had something in their yard you could use for chow. Chow to this day remains a popular snack for children and adults alike. 

* This salsa, or savoury fruit salad, if you will, is best enjoyed on a hot summer day. It will leave you salivating and sucking in air through your teeth if spicy enough. You can simply dice the mangoes instead and use as a "salsa" on grilled salmon, shrimp, chicken, pork and even vegan proteins like tofu and tempeh. 

* The mango is interchangeable with other fruit so you are definitely not limited. Best with fruit that has sweet and sour tones like pineapple, june plum or pommecythere as I know it, strawberries, cherries and apples to name a few. Cucumbers also work really well as they absorb all the delicious flavour. I have added pictures below for variations I have done along with my good friend Shivanan. That boy could make a mouth watering Chow! Enjoy!

Pineapple Chow

Pineapple & Cucumber Chow Ingredients

Mango Chow with riper mangoes

Pommecythere/June Plum Chow

Apple &  Grape Chow

Pineapple Chow

Trini Pholourie

Ingredients

• 3 Cups All Purpose flour
• 3/4 Cup of split pea powder or cooked pureed yellow split peas
• 1 1/2 Tsp Instant Yeast
• 1 Tsp Baking powder
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 3/4 Tsp Turmeric
• 1 Tsp Bhandania or Culantro
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• Water 
• 1 litre Canola or Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Method

1. Place garlic and 3 leaves bhandania in a mini chopper with 2 tbsp water until its finely chopped
2. Add all dry ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl and stir, then add the garlic bhandania mix.
3.  

   

   A photo of the batter-like dough
   provided by my friend.

   Start adding water to the flour mixture little by little and squeeze through fingers until a very wet & sticky dough is formed. A consistency almost like a batter that is a bit too thick. Mix dough with wooden spoon or by hand vigorously for about 2 mins to incorporate some air for a lighter texture.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place. It should double in size. I used my oven at 170F for 1.5 hours because my kitchen is colder.
5. Use a deep fryer or a Pot for frying. Pour in Canola or Vegetable Oil. 
6. When oil is at the right temperature 330 degrees F.  You can use two eating spoons to drop batter into the oil or by hand to form little balls.
7.  If using the hand method, have a bowl of water for your hand to dip into, dip your hand in water then pick up pholourie batter and make hand into a fist, turn hand up side down thumb side down and squeeze batter gently into the hot oil through thumb and index finger with your entire hand remaining closed. Don't worry if they're not perfect. This skill takes time. use spoons if you're not comfortable.
8. Remember to keep fire at medium heat to ensure the pholourie is fully cooked through without turning brown. Should be yellow in colour and fluffy inside. 
9. Mix around in the oil and fry for about 4 mins with each batch. 
10. Remove pholourie once cooked and place on paper towel in a bowl so excess oil can drain off.
11. Enjoy with any type of chutney. My personal favourites are tamarind and mango.

Peanut Punch Flan

Ingredients

• 1 whole Egg
• 2 Egg yolks
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Evaporated / Heavy cream / Buttermilk
• 2 tsp Condensed milk
• 1/4 tsp Angostura bitters
• 1 tsp mixed/vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Peanut butter, unsweetened
• 1 cup Sugar (for dry caramel)

Method

1. Turn oven to 325 F
2. Spray baking insert with Pam spray (we used 4, 6oz ramekins)
3. Add 1 cup sugar to a dry clean pan on medium heat. This is to make a dry caramel
4. Once you see bubbles on the side and the sugar starts turning brown, keep swirling the pan in a circular motion until the sugar is completely melted and dark brown.
5. Pour 1/4 cup of caramel into the bottom of each ramekin or all at once into single insert and set aside.
6. Crack eggs into a clean medium sized mixing bowl, add condensed milk and whisk for 5 minutes until eggs are lighter in colour & properly beaten.
7. Add all other ingredients to a blender and blend for 1 minute.
8. Add egg mixture to blender and blend until fully incorporated.
9. Strain peanut punch mixture into a bowl and pour over set caramel.
10. Place filled insert/s into a waterbath at 325 F for 40 to 50 minutes or until set. It should have a very slight jiggle.
11. Pull out of oven and leave in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from water bath so it can start cooling down. 
12. After 15 minutes of cooling, if ramekins were used, go around the edges with small offset spatula or small knife to release flan.
13. Place a plate, tray, or appropriately sized flat surface over your insert. We are about to create magic! Say a quick prayer and flip it over. It SHOULD come out with ease.
14. For a decorative sugar piece after flan is flipped over, if there is leftover caramel in the bottom of your insert, heat in microwave for 30 seconds or until melted (It will be a thicker consistency) use a metal spoon to pour caramel onto parchment in random designs. This will add a beautiful garnish to impress your friends & family. 
15. Place flan in refrigerator for a couple hours to get cold or overnight. Leave sugar piece in an airtight container at room temperature. Before serving, add your sugar piece into the flan and take a couple photos. Be proud of yourself! 

NB: If you are lactose intolerant, feel free to use substitutions of coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk etc and you can use sugar instead of condensed milk. If you don't eat eggs, custard powder works well. In that case I recommend cooking mixture on low heat for about 7 mins until thickened and then strain before adding over hardened caramel.

Sugar Caramelizing in the pan

Caramelized sugar in the bottom of oil sprayed ramekins. The tray provides the water bath during baking.

Garnish made with the drizzled sugar.

Flan mixture in the ramekins.

Flan in the oven

Pepper Shrimp

Ingredients

•  2lbs Shrimp de-veined
• 1 Carrot, halved & sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup Red bell pepper, medium dice
• 1/2 cup Green bell pepper, medium dice
• 1/2 cup Yellow bell pepper, medium dice
• 1 White onion, medium dice
• 3 sprigs Green onion, 1 inch cut
• 3 Pimento pepper (Trinidadian seasoning pepper) medium dice
• 1 tbsp Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Ginger, minced
• 5 leaves of Bhandania/Culantro, sliced
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, sliced
• 3/4 cup Ketchup
• 1 tsp Lime juice
• 4 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp Sugar 

Method

1. Wash & season shrimp with salt, black pepper, bhandania, half of the ginger and garlic.
2. In a clean bowl, mix together ketchup, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and lime juice; then set aside.
3. Get a clean bowl ready for the shrimp to sit in when the vegetables saute.  
4. In a hot wok or pan add 2 tbsp sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and hot pepper. Saute for 1 minute.
5. Add seasoned shrimp and saute for 2 minutes, then place 1/2 cooked shrimp into the clean bowl and set it aside.
6. In the hot empty pan, add remaining 2 tbsp sesame oil, carrot, and onion. Saute for 2 minutes. 
7. Add remaining vegetables excluding green onions to the pan and saute for 3 minutes until tender but still crisp.
8. Return the shrimp to the pan and add sauce. Simmer for 3 more minutes until shrimp is fully cooked
9. Finish with green onion.

Tamarind Chutney

Ingredients

• 8 oz or 1 cup shelled Tamarind 
• 2.5 cups Water
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 5 sprigs or leaves Culantro/Cilantro
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper or any spicy pepper (optional)

Method

1. Add all ingredients into small sauce pot on medium heat.
2. Cook until sauce is reduced by half. Add more sugar or Hot Pepper if you'd like it to be sweeter or more spicy. Sometimes tamarind can vary in tartness.
3. Remove from heat & strain to remove seeds & skin from chutney for a smooth consistency.
4. Use as a dipping sauce for anything you'd like. Sometimes I use this chutney to dip my spring rolls or wontons. Enjoy!