It is not easy coming up with ideas as to what to cook to eat on a daily basis. It must be nice to come home to a homecooked meal that someone else prepared. I like the idea of being surprised by what’s on the menu. By surprise I do not mean that the dish is new, it is just that you did not know what was being cooked that day. I’ll always remember an afternoon I came home from secondary school and found, to my utter delight, that mommy had made one of my favourite dishes – Chicken Curry. That was not weekday food in our home when I was growing up; I could not believe that there were no vegetables, fish, or shrimp on the menu that day. Happiness.
Generally speaking, I buy and cook what I feel like; I do not have to consider the tastes of others. What this means is that my two favourite vegetables – ochroe/okra and corilla are bought every week. And the other vegetables would be rotated in addition to those two, mainly callaloo or pumpkin. If there’s nice saime and bora available, I’d buy those too. When it comes to meats, which I mostly cook on the weekends, each week would be something different. Fish, I buy whenever my fish guy has the kind of fish I like. My meals can become repetitive in that I cook the same things every week, not just the ingredient, but the way in which it is prepared, mostly due to laziness and time constraints because of work. However, I am never bored with my food. I cook what I feel like eating. Nevertheless, there are times that one looks for inspiration and turns to others for ideas. Thanks to food media, there is always much to consume.
I tend to stay close to home (the Caribbean) and simplicity when it comes to my everyday meals, so I take pleasure is scrolling through the Caribbean Recipes feed on social media. It is a group made up of folks from all across the region, living at home and abroad. There are also members who are not of Caribbean descent but travel to the region often and love our cuisine. Within this group, it is not so much about formal recipes, it is about sharing what was cooked that day. So, people cook, take pics and share what’s on their plate. There are times when people would simply post photographs of stuff they bought at the market, or that a neighbour or friend dropped off and they ask for ideas as to what to make with the ingredients. It’s a really good place for ideas of what to cook. This past week, I made a list of things I saw that I am going to be making next week. The ideas will last me through for the next 2 weeks because I am not into cooking every day and I don’t mind eating the same thing 2 – 3 days in a row (something I adjusted to when I moved away from home).
I’m sharing with you a few things from my list in case you are looking for ideas too.
Fried salt fish and potatoes along with clapped paratha roti – When I saw the photo of this dish, I immediately felt hungry. It has been a long time since I’ve cooked fried salt fish and potatoes and had it with paratha roti. Imagine, the roti, hot, soft, and fluffy; tear off a piece and mash the potato with some of the salt fish for the first bite. Taste it. Good eh? Whether at breakfast, lunch for dinner, this would go down well. I am thinking late weekend breakfast or dinner time along with a big mug of tea, cocoa, Ovaltine or a favourite hot beverage.
Split pea rice with fried smoked herring – As you well know, there is something unique and special about the flavour and combination of split peas and rice. Think about the different types of Cook-up rice that we can make with various peas, beans, or vegetables, nice, right? Now think of how we tend to gravitate towards a split pea Cook-up, never mind the heartache is gives us to cook when the peas melt! LOL. Split pea rice in the Caribbean is cooked the way that rice and peas is in Barbados, Jamaica and elsewhere. It is simply the peas cooked with the rice, sometimes with onions and thyme. Most of the times when I cook split pea rice, it is accompanied by some type of meat stew or stewed fish; I’ve never thought to have it with fried smoked herring or fried salt fish. Some pickled cucumbers on the side along with either hot pepper sauce or a few boiled wiri-wiri peppers and you are set. Swank (lime water) or Mauby would be good accompaniments.
Okra and salt fish Cook-up with fried fish – Yes, yes, yes! Everything is homely and delicious about this dish. The person who posted this dish (from Trinidad) served it with fried shark, but you know this would go down well with some fried Bangamary. I want to eat this with achar instead of pepper sauce.
Boil and fry cassava with fish curry – Though I have heard of this combination for years, I have never had it, and these are two of my favourite things to eat. Why I have not eaten them together boggles the mind. The photo I saw, the cassava obviously boiled softly, it looked almost like creamed potatoes. Flecks of the onions and herbs from the fry up peppered the cassava. On the plate, the gravy formed a lake at the base of the cassava with fish piled on one side.
Sweet plantain pancakes – I definitely have to give this a try. You want to use very ripe plantains, the ones with the skin almost black. I would opt to steam or boil the plantains first, mash while hot, let it cool and mix with other ingredients to make pancakes. Yum!
I’ll be rounding off the week with two beverages posted – a pineapple, ginger and passion fruit drink and a mango, banana, coconut milk smoothie.
I’m looking forward to my meals next week. What about you?
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
