Dominica Part 3 of 5
So Friday was here and after getting less than 2 hours of sleep I was like a charged battery ready to meet all the invited chefs. I was still running around 30 minutes before start time speaking to my newly adopted staff at The Anchorage Hotel and making sure that everything was close to perfect. Chefs started to file in from all over the island, some from hotels, small restaurants and even Eco Lodges chefs. One of the most funny events were that people were not expected someone so young to be facilitating the event so when I introduced myself I always got this facial expression from everyone…I smiled it off:)
Last minute preparations were made and I was ready to face 30 plus people and cook…I was tired as you can see in the photos but very excited.
Take a look at what happened ..please excuse my appearance I did not sleep that night.
Health & Wellness Event -Astaphans Sponsor's Table Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event -Deschamps arriving greeted by Terri Henry Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Hotel Manager of The Anchorage Yvonne Amour giving opening Address Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - The invited guest Chefs Workshop Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - starting to teach Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event -talking about braggs and other soy masking agents Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - doing seitan demo Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - finished seitan Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Vegan Chef Taymer Mason Cassava Pancakes Ready for Tasting Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - q&a Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Accra Demo Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Eggplant Accras from Caribbean Vegan Styled by the staff at Anchorage Hotel Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Tofish Caribbean Vegan Styled by the Staff at Anchorage Hotel Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
We did the Tofish Demo in detail speaking about pigments and seaweed strength. This was served with a new creole sauce recipe I made which is richer than the one in Caribbean Vegan.
Health & Wellness Event - Chefs Sample Tofish Recipe Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - The ever engaging Martha Cuffy tasting the Sauce Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event -Caribbean Vegan Love in Dominica Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event -The beautiful Debra poses with her copy of Caribbean Vegan Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - signing certificates for the chefs Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
I felt like I was writing lines but to be able to contribute of an event like this was amazing.
The food I choose to make was a mixture of recipes in Caribbean Vegan and new recipes I developed after my book was published. We decided to do a buffet for the chefs as it would be easier and they could choose what they want. I was aided by a 5-7 staff members at the Anchorage Hotel who came though for me. As tired as they all were Bernadine and Chef Nelson kept smiling and laughing at my corney jokes as we went in close to 2 am prepping for a buffet for 4o.
Health & Wellness Event -Open face sanwiches Tapenade (new recipes) , eggplant choka and a brushetta with ham Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Vegan Chef Taymer Mason Coconut Rice Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Vegan Chef Taymer Mason selection of chutneys Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Nelly with her plate Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Bara for the Doubles Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Vegan Chef Taymer Mason Tofu Pattys Chopped Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Bellyful o Food Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - chowing down Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event -New Fantastic Recipe a Raw Christophene Salad with Caribbean Secret Sauce Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
I would like to eat this salad everyday seriously it is so good.. Thanking Bernadine pastry chef and cook for following my quick verbal advice on the sauce..people raved about this.
Health & Wellness Event - I LOVE HER you should have been there to see her face Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event -a few desserts you know me all about real food but still Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
That is a rustic coconut and fruit tart at the back and rum cake topped with a pecan Dominican Praline. Bernadine decorated this as I was doing the class.
Here is Bernadine smiling even if she did not have any sleep too.
Health & Wellness Event - My rock Bernadine Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Vegan Brioche New Recipe Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - My support staff and Manager of the Anchorage Hotel making a speech Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
I was exhausted but so happy at the same time. I cannot thank the staff at the Anchorage Hotel enough. Chef Nelson the new chef at the Anchorage is Barbados trained. He really controlled the kitchen and was there for me every step of gthe way. Thanking Devon, Renwar Joseph, organic farmer and cook George, the amazing Elizabeth who smiled for ever demo I called her up to do, Bernadine, my rock and Yvonne Amour a long time vegetarian who opened her hotel to me to do these events.
Health & Wellness Event - Terri handing out the certificates:) Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Health & Wellness Event - Thanks Guys Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
Later that night the Anchorage Hotel in Dominica served vegan snacks using some of my recipes and their existing vegan options.
Health & Wellness Event - Vegan Snack Menu Anchorage Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
After this event my night started all over again. I had a big workshop in the forest compliments JTAS and I had even more people to cook for….The chefs workshop was a big success and news was flying fast around the island about what happened at the Anchorage Hotel.
What really made me want to tear up was hearing people speak about food memories as they ate. They were eating vegan food yet it was oh so familiar. Emotions stirred within me and I started to think more deeply about the effect of Dominica was having on me. I was tired but I felt a calmness within and looking over at Terri smiling about that days success made me want to work even harder for the next workshop.
Before I go take a good look at this amazing woman Terri Henry who has pulled off this event for the last 3 years with this year being the biggest and most difficult.
Health & Wellness Event Terri Henry Event Organizer Copyright Celia Sorhaindo
A big thank you to Celia Sorhaindo from Tropical Ties for donating these photos.
You can also like Taymer Mason on Facebook to see other photos from that day.
Dominica Part 2 of 5
So we got into the van and was headed to the Emerald Pool and Carib Territory ( a reserve where the indigenous people still live). I choose Emerald pool because later that night I would be up until 2 am in the morning making dishes and prepping for Friday’s first Caribbean Vegan Culinary Workshop where chefs from all around the island would come to train with me and do my introductory course on Caribbean Vegan Food. Something struck me when I was there and it made me feel a little uneasy…it was that this island was filled with all the fruits that are almost “extinct” in many islands including Barbados and I did not use any of these fruits because where I live in St Martin is void of anything fresh and local. I started to sweat a bit as I passed the market in Roseau where they were beginning to set up for the weekend starting on Friday morning. Then my nervousness turned to anger where I thought about all the times I have been chastised for using a local ingredient in my book by non Caribbean people…from when I used bread fruits in 2 recipes to my use of West Indian Pumpkin.. I then started to question everything I did leading up to writing Caribbean Vegan, my choice to publish the book, the market I courted in the past, the attitude of people to me, the content of the book and I wondered who was my realised audience. I wondered if I was chasing a goal that would never fit with me and a whole rush of thoughts came through my mind at this stage I was overcomed with emotion and started to cry right there and then in the van in front of a complete stranger when he got out and picked me this fruit. After eating this fruit I realised there was time for a change.
cashew whole Taymer Mason
This is the fruit from the cashew nut and I went to secondary school in the countryside of Barbados where these fruits were plentiful. I have not tasted this fruit in almost 11 years and when I saw them on the tree hanging down without name or destination…I knew where I was …I knew I was in a place of inspiration…a place where finding the fruits and veg I longed to cook with were accessible. As I bit into my cashew the juice flowed down my arms and I pushed my neck forward to avoid it going on my clothes as it stains. I was overcome with emotion again….
Clem also picked me 3 big white fleshed guavas and I devoured those on the spot. These were not too sweet as I know some guavas to be but it did the trick. Clem knew the trees well and told me the other tree had very sour guavas!
As we drove through Carib Teritory..faces peaked out from small homes and sometimes mothers and daughters went down the street and some waited on the side of the road for transportation. There was a sense of calm there, a calm I only felt years ago when I was growing up in Barbados. There is still a calm in Barbados but the calm has been destroyed by many other factors. I choose not to take any photos of the Kalinagos without permission as I respect people and did not want to shoot them like if I was on safari tour or something as I myself disliked being photographed by tourist without asking my permission.
When Clem made a stop we were greeted by several members of the community who Welcomed us to Dominica and with genuine smiles. This one nice gentleman was selling a giant soursop and a big bags of passion fruit just for 2 usd! It is ok to pay more and I did because as it was off season I was not sure if he would make many sales that day. I purchased a bag of passionfruit for my husband who can eat up to 7 a day if I let him but I did not have anything to put my lovely fruit in.
kalinago gentlement selling fruit t mason
I was then greeted by this lady who sold authentic Kalinago baskets that were made for carrying heavy loads like ground provisions. I purchased two items, a basket for fruit which was made from the spines of coconut and another large basket for shopping. I love this basket and take it everywhere I go. She also gave me a hand carven spoon and fork. One thing I did not like about Dominica was rthe water in the air which constantly made my curly long afro shrink down to 2 inches! lol
Taymer buying some Baskets
I also purchased Bajan Cherries from the side of the road for around 3 usd for 6 pounds and I made juice when I got home with the ones that did not spoil. Eating 3 of these cherries gives you the right amount of vitamin C for the day.
bajan cherry t mason
bajancherry copyright t mason
and one more because I know you are curious to see the inside..
cherry bitten copyright taymer mason
Before I got the Carib Territory I made a quick stop at the Emerald pool where I wet my feet and took in the beautiful scenery.
on the way to Emerald Pool t mason
Here are some photos from the pool
getting escorted into the pool to wet my feet
We got back into Roseau around 1pm and I had to meet Terri Henry. Terri had contacted me at the beginning of the year excited that there was a new Caribbean Vegan book . After hundreds of email exchanges and the event was confirmed Terri worked day in and day out with the help of her two friends Martha Cuffy and Celia Sorhaindoto pull off this event and it was not all about me and my food…that was just one aspect…there were speakers, tents, a million things to organize and Terri was still up cheering even on the final day. I really saw the true meaning of veganism there finally because all the reading in some magazine and reading about other people and things I cannot relate to I was able to see a really passionate spirit at work. Terri wanted to me meet one of her friend “Deschampes” who is the chef at his own establishment called Rootz Healing Foods and he is an Ital Chef. When we got there he was still making the special of the day was unknown but we waited patiently and I was presented with this ital dish. Now ital food is suppose to be 100 percent natural food…some Rastafarians are vegan but others eat ital foods which can include honey and will wear leather crafts. As I spoke at the event and I was face to face with persons of the Rastafarian faith I asked myself who the hell am I to try to change a religion, a resistance and a culture because I do not eat honey. I
I took a look at where I was coming from and it was from an island that did not grow its own food and it depended on the USA and Europe for everything. Most bloggers write from these places of mass import but many have access to fresh ingredients, I did not. In essence their ideals become the standard for veganism. Were my ideals coming from a privileged place and was I too practicing Western Veganism in the Caribbean or was I just benefitting from some imported health food products that took my dishes to another level? I also wanted some products to be available in Dominica but hoped that it maintained its whole food approach to veganism as well. Things like yeast flakes, and aluminium free baking powder and also some sea vegetables which are processed there but are not widely available. As I stayed longer in Dominica I realized I needed to rethink and redo a few things and I knew I did not want to come across as privileged and ignorant. When I went vegan in Barbados I was a student with not a lot of money and to bake meant money even apple cider vinegar cost and ground flax and I grew tired of the rice beans and vegetables or the ground provisions and beans. After moving to St Martin I had access to cheaper health food items and some of the vegan “luxury” items but as I write this there was a part of me that wanted to give up because I longed for the baked goods I ate before and for other familiar textures and flavours. Knowing what and what was not there Terri and I formulated a list of things I had to bring. I like the fact I can find everything in St Maarten but loath the fact that I cannot find anything completely fresh and nourishing. At this stage I was rethinking my approach because everything I do had to be from a place of respect. I personally just accept it as it is and try not to force my beliefs on other people’s culture as Rastafarians were living and eating like this for years and I am in no place to tell someone how to live. They are also show good examples in sustainable living. This is why I always try to tell people to take ital for what is is ital food and that veganism was another aspect but can fit in the Rastafarian faith…yes it is confusing but I don’t cook a lot of ital food but Daja has inspired me to cook more especially when I move somewhere like Dominica with fresh organic vegetables and ingredients because by the time the few roots get to St. Martin the taste and essence is lost to be honest.
Here is Daja’s dish
Ital plate from Deschamps
Here we have some dal cooked in coconut milk, some root vegetables and fresh vegetables. I could not move after eating this and I love “the fry” at the top which reminded me a little of fried fish I grew up eating even if he did not use seaweed the spices he used reminded me of that. I loved it and it was my first ital sit down meal. Thanks Deschampes!
rootz healing foods taymer mason
chef working at Rootz and Healing
He also sold plantain chips and also nut cake or nut brittle and both of them were the best I ever had. I picked up some raw cocoa and some nutmeg with the mace still intact to make some cocoa tea when I returned home.
Dominican Peanut Brittle Nutcake
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Basket of Passion Fruit
rawchocolatennutmeg taymer mason
oyster mushrooms from rainfores tmushrooms
After lunch Terri and I ran to the supermarket Astaphans one of the major sponsors to pick up some items I needed to work with on the Thursday night. I then headed back to the hotel to relax a bit and prep for my big night of cooking and acting an the executive chef for a event at the Anchorage.
Before I end….the hotel offered us a vegan meal that we could have gotten at the buffet like everyone else
Here is it
It is a lentil croquette with vegan mushroom sauce, italian pasta salad…..
Buffet Night at Anchorage with Vegan Options
After eating this I rushed to change into my kitchen gear and take over the kitchen to prep for 14 dishes in 4 hours…..as I walked up the stairs with my non skid Nikes and hair wrapped in a scarf and makeup wiped cleaned I began to feel a change within me…a fire that I never felt before and a worth that many tried to take away from me due to fear.
Coming up Event number one ..where I meet the chefs from all over the island, interviews, new found friends and me actually making cupcakes…yeah me!
and why am I sitting like this anyways?
Fin out next time
Dominica Part 1 of 5
Hi All
I have been away from blogging for a while as you noticed. I was busy preparing for Dominica’s 3rd Annual Health and Wellness events sponsored by Discover Dominica Discover Dominica’s Tourism Awareness Month which was three days of events focussing on health and wellness. This year I was invited as the guest chef for the events and initially getting into it I had no idea what I was in store for but in the end it was one of the most satisfying moments of my life and I left the island with a new sense of direction as I had been looking in the wrong places for guidance and acceptance in the past.
Trip to Dominica…flight and journey
I arrived in Dominica on the 10th of May at 6 pm and was met with some rain. This is my first time on this island but I had stopped once in transit a few years ago to Guadeloupe. I grew up in flat Barbados so approaching a mountainous island was something that took my breath away the first time I flew into Dominica. Immigration was quite fast and
That is me!
I was outside within 15 minutes. I was greeted with this sign and a smiling team member of Khatts Tours greeting me. We were starving as the stop over in Antigua did not provide me with any vegan options so I was ready to eat in 20 minutes. When I got into the van the driving introduced himself as Johnny and he will be my driver for the next hour and a half to 2 hours!!!!! What!!! Where was I and where was the hotel? Later I found out Melville Hall airport was in the North and we had to make a long journey to the capital Roseau to get the Anchorage Hotel, Whale Watch & Dive Centre. The drive was beautiful and I could feel a big different in temperature from St Martin and the roads were winding and both sides were lush sometimes with a few houses peeking out and a slight activity of the late Caribbean evening. I saw lots of people walking with large backpacks on their way home from work and many tried to hail the taxi I was in for a ride as taxi also double as buses. After an hour we came to what I later learnt as Carib Territory and I saw a man placing flat cassava breads on a big metal disk for baking but before I could say stop to let me get out to buy my driving zipped up the road in the thickening dark roads. Hardly any road was straight and one must have great dexterity and experience to master these roads and we watched Johnny drive in admiration. After an hour and a half I started to feel a change a temperature …a drastic one…we were coming out of the mountains and into the city of Roseau and I could see more lights and we met more cars…I was getting excited and nervous and could not wait to get out to see my new home for the next 6 days. Finally we arrived at The Anchorage Hotel and Whale Watch Centre and I was quickly escorted to my room which was one of the biggest hotels rooms I ever stayed in. It consisted of two double beds and the large windows opened up and I was face to face with the sea and a jetty. I loved it. I quickly put up my cold items I was travelling with and made my way to the bar where I was offered a rum punch that was out of this world. A total 360 from the recipe in Caribbean Vegan I loved their rum punch and I crave it even as I write this.
We were then escorted to the restaurant which had a beautiful view of neighbouring hotels and the glittering sea. The waves lapped the shore and the warm sea breeze tickled my face. I was hungry and excited to see what the hotel was going to serve me. I was greeted with a menu which had a section called Vegetarian Selection and there was an Asian Tofu dish. As I had spoken to the hotel before about what I wanted as my first meal I knew that there was something else in the kitchen for me. We were first presented with a
1. Anchor Salad which is a fresh salad with a vinaigrette
2. Creole Red beans, rice and a fresh fresh fresh steamed string bean and spinach warm salad. It was a great start for the night and the beans were mildly spice and the vegetables were all one dreams of organic vegetable..
3. We were then served with a fruit plate which consisted of Mangoes, watermelon and papaya (or as I saw paw paw)
4. Then!!! yes then they listened to my request and offered a complimentary flask of fresh coconut water….I could not move after this meal. ( Please note I was not a regular guest at the hotel but an invited guest so I got some extras but this does not mean that the hotel will not provide you with the same)
We got up and perused the menu at the Anchorage and saw they had a Vegan high protein breakfast menu and also offered vegan porridge as well…
It was time to go to sleep and get ready for my only full day of vacation.
The next morning I woke up early as I do when I sleep in a strange bed and we were up at 7 am and I was hungry to say the least. I went up the restaurant and tried to put my meal together. I wanted a heavy breakfast as we were going whale watching later in the day and would be out at sea for a good couple of hours.
This is what they served us
Breakfast Baked Beans Anchorage Hotel
first breakfast I bought some Vegan Slices with me
Ok so the juice you can see is passion fruit. I got fresh tomatoes every single morning and hash browns. We also got a bread basked which consisted of fresh toasted bread and freshly made bakes.
bakes compliments Anchorage Hotel
The day rolled on and I went on the weekly whale watch where no one saw a whale. I did get a glimpse of a tail of a whale but it was too fast so I could not alert the other on the boat or snap a photo. Whales come to Dominica to birth and it is common to spot whales off the coast. These whales are not fed or aided to come up, we go out on a boat and watch and wait. For lunch I was given a
Spinach, chickpea and potato roti with sweet mango chutney.
After whale watching I grabbed a pina colada which was not too sweet and I got ready for dinner. Since I was going to be having tofu and seitan later in the week I asked Chef Nelson (Barbadian trained) chef to make me a fast bean or pea dish and I wanted something spicy.
He made a rustic dish which reminded me of home which was an oven roasted butternut squash with a beautiful chickpea fusion curry.
Chickpea nest with gingered yellow sweet potatoes Anchorage
That was it for the night and I knew what tomorrow meant..my first test to cook for 40 people and run a kitchen staff to pull of the first vegan training course for chefs in Dominica. I knew it was a lot of work and knowing that the staff never made my recipes before I did not know what to expect and still I did not see the kitchen…But, tomorrow also meant I had a quickie island tour and I would have lunch with the organizer of the event Terri Henry at one of her favourite Ital restaurants.
To be continued….
Yam and "Cheese" Pie Copyright Taymer Mason
Long time no see or hear huh? Yes I have been slacking off and working on the upcoming Health and Wellness Expo in Dominica. I also have been eating really light just to save time these days. Well it is Sunday and some people are celebrating Easter so, I decided to actually “cook” a dish I have not done since I went vegan. I wanted to make a yam and cheese pie which is very popular in Barbados and in my household but I wanted to elevate the pie a little. Before we go on yam is not what Americans call yam and this is not no situation where this country calls something one way and the other country does but this is a factual issue. What Americans call yam is a sweet potato. In Colleen Patrick Goudreau’s book the Vegan Table she explains what I am trying to explain here, and I was impressed with her for that. Yam looks like this and it is like a nuttier richer version of potato. It has a lower glycemic index in comparison to English potato and is high in potassium. To read up on true yam click here and do pick up one when you go to a market that sells West Indian or African food products to try. I remove the skin before I boil it, others do not. If you hand itches you for about 20 minutes do not start to freak out..it will go away. To minimize yam itch as I call it peel the yam in cold water or use gloves.
True Yam Copyright Cynthia Nelson Photography
So I wanted to remake cheese and yam pie which is basically mashed yam with some cheese thrown in and grated onion then baked…it is nice comfort food but I wanted more so what I did was to make a loaded roux with a smiggin of yeast flakes, vegan cheese which doesn’t taste like much, mushroom, shallots, white wine, hot peppers and Caribbean fresh herbs inclusive of broad leaf thyme. I cooked my yam soft and mashed it with the roux, added in grated onion and then baked the pie with a flavoured panko topping which some of the left over mushrooms and roasted garlic. I finished it off with some crisped capers and served it with Barbadian onion gravy and salad. Unfortunately with the vegan cheese I have it does not melt so the top did not get that bubbly crust I was use to. When you mash yam with any liquid like milk or the roux in this case the texture gets very very soft and it may look like a failed recipe. Do not worry, bake and cool and the pie will become sliceable again.
Yam and "Cheese" Pie Copyright Taymer Mason
Raw Christophene Salad
That beautiful salad you are wondering about is raw Christophene (chayotes) with apple, carrots and a light lemon and kelp dressing with a little agave. Raw christophene taste like a stronger version of cucumber and really pairs well with other sweet crispy vegetables. I use to steam my christophenes and stuff them but raw really does this under appreciated squash justice. The crunchy salad paired well with the rich yam pie and gravy. To read up more on christophenes click here and, there are some christophenes on my left in this photo.
christophenesalad copyright Taymer Mason
Coconut Bread with a Slight Difference
Wholewheat Coconut Bread Taymer Mason
Coconut bread is a spiced dense bread consumed throughout the Caribbean made with freshly grated coconut. It is generally not vegan as cows milk and an egg usually appears in most recipes. I bought a freshly husked out coconut yesterday and wanted to make some coconut bread with it for the weekend. I forgot there was no unbleached flour in the house and all I had was oat and whole wheat. I substituted whole wheat and oat in the recipe from my book Caribbean Vegan..added some gluten flour and some molasses and the bread came out well. Coconut bread is always this thing that brings about debate. Each island makes a different version in terms of texture and each household makes it different as well. The coconut bread my father use to make for me growing up in Barbados is very heavy and medium dense in body. It is not anything like the texture of banana bread so when you make it and it is the way it is it is correct:) The crust is hard and hearty and what we do is brush the crust with sugar-water over and over until the crust has a caramel look and taste. Some people sprinkle with sugar as well but I do not. My partner does not like the raisins and cherries that we usually add to coconut bread so, basically this is a plain whole wheat and oat coconut bread. When you use whole wheat flour you really can see the coconut in the bread which bothered me a little. Sometimes I mix coconut, brown sugar and almond extract together with a little cinnamon and nutmeg and put it in the centre of the bread so when it is sliced you have extra coconut in the centre. Coconut bread is excellent for breakfast and tea times and you can dunk it into your hot beverages. There is something else like coconut bread made in Barbados called Lead Pipe which I will make vegan…I know I will go through lots of flour to perfect that one but that is eaten with cheese. I have some vegan cheese here today and will try my coconut bread with it as I wait to perfect my Vegan Bajan Lead Pipe recipe…stay tuned…you can hold your breath. The recipe for coconut bread and other Caribbean favourites inclusive of turnovers and coconut flan can be found in Caribbean Vegan.
Wholewheat Coconut Bread Taymer Mason
Until next time
Breakfast On The Go and Other Eats
I have been testing new recipes and updating concepts so my week has been hectic. This post is going to be short this week but there will be more recipes coming up soon.
Tofu Pockets Copyright Taymer Mason
Here is a flavourful breakfast on the go I made this week. They freeze well, the crust is whole wheat and the filling is made up of tofu and fresh vegetables and herbs and a bit of Caribbean spice to make the tofu pop.
Tofu Pockets Copyright Taymer Mason
You know tofu is one of my least favourite soy products but the filling was so flavourful and the texture was perfect because I semi froze the tofu and squeezed it out. I will share how to do a flavourful scramble in my future post.
tofu pockets broken Copyright Taymer Mason
This week I also worked on my vegan brioche and finally it is done…whew.. It was not a lot of work but I always tell people sometimes for vegan cooking you sometime have to do untraditional and somewhat weird methods to get a proper end result. Here is an inside shot of my brioche. It is coloured with a bit of turmeric. It looks almost cake like. I had to work on this recipe for my expo as I want to do some dishes that people would not identify with vegan food as well.
vegan brioche broken copyright Taymer Mason
Finally I made this wonderful Calabaza Squash and Mushroom Soup this week with a bit of Soba…..one word yum ..sorry I made it without writing a recipe because I thought it was just a little thing I was making to curb my hunger. I was wrong…I am going to re do it. It is a mixture of Caribbean, Asian and Italian flavours.
calabaza mushroom soup copyright T Mason
Stuffed Plantain Dumplings and some news
Some housekeeping I know I owe some of you that fat free crust it is coming this week.
Plantains like coconuts and mangoes have become somewhat adopted by North America within recent times but, like an adoption it takes a while for the necessary papers to come through and right now these ingredients are in the transitioning stage now. Basically, plantains are nothing new to those reading this. Plantains get too much abuse by being boiled in oil so, I wanted to do some new things with this versatile fruit. Today I had great success in my test kitchen and this would be one of my new appetizers…see my pepper sauce flames? Yes I am the original” pepper mout”
- Stuffed Plantain Patties Copyright Taymer Mason
I am sick of plain old fried plantains aren’t you? I wanted a way to eat ripe plantains that would be exciting,quick,morish and yet healthy and this is it. You see in the Spanish speaking Caribbean they like a lot of meat with their plantains..something I never ate in the English speaking Caribbean…plantains were eaten mostly with fish or fried as a side…hmmm…beefy seitan and plantains…sweet plantains with a touch of smoky vegan bacon and crushed garlic…sounding like a mofongo but we are using ripe plantains…mashed to perfections and stuffed with Caribbean styled veggie mince.. and then seared on each side..ok this is one of the best things and ever ate and I am kinda sorry I made it because I come off looking like a narcissist…bleck..This should be street food..enough said ..maybe not!
What is so interesting about the plantain is that as you mash it it changes in texture, it becomes pliable and not sticky, it is also very strong to contain the stuffing yet, when you bite into it it is mellow and all the beautiful flavours compliment each other in this dish. The first flavour is the mellow sweet plantain then you get a punch of smoky “bacon” flavour, beautiful roasted garlic and then to lighten things up cilantro. This is an appetizer and would also be nice as a main with some bitter salad.
- Stuffed Plantain Patty Copyright Taymer Mason
Dominica Health and Wellness Expo and Book Launch
Next month I would be the headliner chef at Dominica’s Health and Wellness Expo and, during the course of this week I will be developing new recipes to 1. train chefs so that when you want to go on holiday in Dominica you would have something gourmet and vegan to eat and 2. for The Caribbean Vegan Culinary Workshop which is a day of yoga, cooking, eating and listening to me speak about all things vegan. It is going to be a blast and the new dishes I have been working on have been really out of the box, easy and Caribbean. I am very excited and will be giving you an update when I have the official poster and, the dates of my workshops and training courses. If you live in the Caribbean or you just want to come down to Dominica for the expo please contact me at caribbeanvegan@gmail.com and I will give you the necessary information. The expo is expected to run from May 13th- May 15th and I will also be officially launching Caribbean Vegan (yeah I know what took me so long) and signing books and giving out samples of food from Caribbean Vegan. Yes there is so much action going on right now. If you cannot come do not worry as I will be giving full coverage in multiple posts and hopefully get some video coverage as well to put up on youtube. I will show you one more sneak peek of what I am doing for the chef’s training course next week and that is it.
Do enjoy your week and remember to respect those plantains a little bit more:)
Split Peas two ways
Green and Yellow Split Peas Copyright Taymer Mason
I love split peas so much..I eat them once a week and I never get tired. I never get tired because there are many ways that one can enjoy split peas. Have you tried my Green Split Pea Soup with “Ham” in Caribbean Vegan..it is one of those recipes that I am proud of because it is spot on.
Anyways these days I have been using my pressure cooker to make my 24 minute dals and mopping them up with roti or pholorie ( another split pea creation).
I actually make dal by mixing my peas with a little sunflower or coconut oil and putting the peas into boiling water and then flavouring it after before I put on the lid of my cooker. Even on busy days I can eat lunch in 35 minutes.
Here is what I ate for lunch last week: Green split pea dal with dal puri roti ( No I did not consume all those roti “skins” in one dish and curried pumpkin. All of these recipes are from my book Caribbean Vegan.
Dal Puri Roti, Curried pumpkin and Green Split Pea Dal Copyright Taymer Mason
As you see my roti “skin” or bread is very pillowy soft and stuffed with a mixture of seasoned split peas. The peas are semi cooked, cooled and dried and then ground to the size of fine cous cous and seasoned with garlic, scotch bonnets, cilantro, cumin and salt. The dough is then left to rest then rolled out and cooked on a tawa or a frying pan until just cooked. Full recipes for roti “skins” including buss up shut with step by step pictorial guides can be found in Caribbean Vegan.
Here is how the semi cooked split peas look before being stuffed into the roti dough. I recommend using yellow split peas because you dont want your roti looking like the Caribbean version of green eggs and ham.
Dal Puri Roti before being stuffed with split peas Copyright Taymer Mason
Now I want to go off a little tangent here. I saw a post where an individual was airing their views about that there is no such thing as a roti skin, and why we do not call tortilla or pita’s skins as well. First of all roti is none of these things and second of all roti can be the flat bread as you see here or it can be the flat bread with curried potatoes, curried meat or veggie protein and vegetables inside and rolled up like a parcel. There was need to differentiate between the two things so in Barbados (I do not know about any other country ) we call them skins as they were rolled thin and for people to know if we are speaking about the dish or the flat bread by itself as the flat bread is sold alone for people who do not want to make roti at home. I try to promote other islands on this blog and big up places like Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana where roti is a staple and I will continue doing so until the end of this blog. I am always sharing and receiving info for different names of foods because, even if we are in the Caribbean as many think is a very small place it is not, EACH COUNTRY IS UNIQUE and even some Caribbean nationals seem to forget that. So, like I respect that you call the wrapped up parcel and the flat bread roti (which I stated in Caribbean Vegan) respect that I make the difference between the two. I am writing as a Barbadian woman and more than often I write the many names either a fruit or vegetable or dish is called throughout the region so that everyone knows what I am speaking about. Do help me if I forgot a name or, did not know one ..someone always want to have me on the guillotine. I have never spoke about this before and probably will not ever again because, really it pointless responding to some people but do want to stand by my decision! The adventures of blogging:) I like it regardless of the bickering and nasty remarks it sometimes brings. I think that all Caribbean bloggers are doing something really revolutionary may it be remaking classics on their blog or cooking with familiar ingredients and doing a twist on them. Before to find out about the food and culture you would have to travel to the countries which is a good thing but the tourist experience (food) is not the same as the local experience and that is what many of us are sharing. Our food memories and each island and each writer brings something unique to the table.
For this particular instance I was asked to crisp up my roti which is a big no no for me but my partner likes it crispy for the purpose of dipping in dal so I couldn’t say no. I actually liked it. The next day when the dal got firm I made dal roti which reminded me of an all potato roti without the guilt and i rubbed my skin with a bit of kuchela. That was one of the best rotis I ever had and I will not be doing any potato roti anymore but instead make the fake potato one with dal.
Green Split Pea Dahl and Crisped Roti Copyright Taymer Mason
For more recipes like this go out and get your copy of Caribbean Vegan a celebration of the beautiful and rich complex food of the Caribbean without the animal products.
