Sapodilla Brown

04/25/2013 08:36 PM

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The Giveaway is officially closed and the Winner is…

Geeta – please send me an e-mail at sapodillabrown12@gmail.com with your mailing information so I can send you the prize! A big thanks to all who entered and welcome to the new followers. If you have any recipe request or pictures of dishes that you have prepared feel free to share them on the Facebook page. Thanks again to all of you xoxo! Check out Geeta’s response an

Sapodilla Brown

04/08/2013 02:05 PM

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Sorrel Drink and my first Giveaway!!!

I heard birds chirping the other day and got excited, I got even more excited when I say the cherry blossoms in my neighborhood begin to blossom and was over the moon when I heard the weather forecaster say that we won’t be hearing the words wind chill until the fall! Spring is finally in the air and what better way to kick it off with a cool drink and my very first giveaway.

Sapodilla Brown

03/06/2013 10:45 PM

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Oxtail and Beans Stew

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at home relaxing with the family. For the first time in a couple of years, I did not think about work. I usually check in while on vacation but thanks to limited internet service, I did not turn my work laptop on at all. It was truly a wonderful and relaxing vacation for me. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen shadowing my parents and

Sapodilla Brown

01/25/2013 09:52 PM

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Italian Wedding Caribbean Lentil Soup

What a delicious mouthful! It’s frigid outside! The temperatures are in the single digits. It has been a heavy coat, gloves, scarves, hat and long john (yeah I know) kinda week. It is cold in the Northeast. On cold wintery nights, nothing warms me up more than a nice hearty bowl of soup. Caribbean soups are usually thick with dumplings, plantains, and ground provisions such as

Sapodilla Brown

01/13/2013 07:18 AM

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Mac and Cheese or Macaroni Pie

Mac and cheese or macaroni pie as it is known in the Caribbean is a regular feature on most Sunday lunch/dinner tables in the region. It was not a regular for me growing up and still isn’t today. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good serving of macaroni pie but it is jam packed with calories and not everyone makes it well. When I do indulge in macaroni pie it is from someone that I k

Sapodilla Brown

12/16/2012 06:16 PM

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Fried Shark

I spent the afternoon liming at my uncle Herbie’s today and he was preparing some shark for frying so of course I had to whip out my phone to take notes and pictures for you all. This is a really simple recipe, not much involved except soaking, seasoning, frying and enjoying the fish. Unfortunately, there were no bakes handy otherwise I would have made bake and shark. From what I am

Sapodilla Brown

11/18/2012 09:11 AM

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Curry Craze Part Duex – Channa and Aloo (Potato) Curry

Yes I know, I am still making curry dishes but that’s just because they are so delicious. Here is a simple vegetarian dish made with channa (aka chick peas or garbonzo beans), potatoes and peas. This recipe was inspired by a good friend of mine Smriti, who hails from Nepal. She served it as a pre-dinner snack with pita bread. It reminded me of the fry channa we make in Guyana wit

Sapodilla Brown

11/09/2012 09:54 PM

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Curry Craze

For some reason, I have been craving curry lately. My craving has not been for curried meat like curried chicken or goat but curried vegetables. You can curry almost anything and the beauty of curry is that everyone has their own way of cooking it and it all tastes good. My mother likes to “burn” or fry her curry before adding the main ingredient, my Aunt Jean likes to use it as a

Sapodilla Brown

10/22/2012 08:28 PM

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Guyanese Beef Patties

I finally had a weekend with nothing planned so I hopped into my car and drove to Brooklyn to spend some time with my Aunt Jean. Aunt Jean is my Dad’s oldest sister and her 70th birthday bash was the inspiration behind this blog. She is hip and fabulous and always a joy to be around! I love visiting her because I get to relax and enjoy her tasty Guyanese dishes. There was no relaxin

Sapodilla Brown

09/30/2012 08:59 PM

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Quinoa Salad

I was recently introduced to Quinoa and have been experimenting with it over the last few months. Quinoa is really a seed but because it is used in the same way we use grains, it is known as a grain. I love its versatility. It is a great substitute for rice, great in salads and even works as part of a healthy breakfast by preparing it in the same way you would prepare oatmeal. To le

Sapodilla Brown

09/22/2012 09:43 PM

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Baigan Choka (Roasted Eggplant)

There are many things that I did not enjoy eating as a child. Eggplant was one of them. I don’t know if it was the slightly bitter taste or the texture of the vegetable, I just was not a fan. As I grew older, I opened up to eggplant a little bit but it was always masked by something else like cheese, tomato sauce or breaded and fried. Everything tastes

Sapodilla Brown

09/02/2012 06:37 PM

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Bora Bora

I wish this post was about a fabulous vacation to Bora Bora :)! Not so much, it is more about a fabulous vegetable that shares the name. I remember visiting Guyana as a child and my mother being really excited about eating some bora. It had been a while since we had been back and she was looking forward to enjoying foods that she had not eaten in a while. As a child I really d

Sapodilla Brown

08/26/2012 08:51 PM

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I had one of those rare moments last Sunday when I wanted nothing to do with meat. No beef, no chicken, no pork, none of it! This probably occurred because on Saturday I had gorged myself with jerk beef ribs, jerk chicken and jerk pork at a jerk festival that was hosted by a local Jamaican restaurant in my town. Yes, I had OD’d on meat and my body wanted nothing to do with it for a few day

Sapodilla Brown

08/11/2012 07:43 PM

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Green Seasoning

“What’s that green stuff?” I remember sitting at my uncle Herbie’s kitchen table as a teenager watching him prepare some food. I don’t recall what he was making but I remember him opening a jar with some “green stuff” in it and adding it to the food. Being curious, I asked, “What’s that green stuff?” Uncle Herbie looked at me perplexed and exclaimed, “Seasoning!”

Sapodilla Brown

07/21/2012 11:29 AM

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Baked Bakes

I love bread! It’s something that I can’t get enough of. Fried bread, flat bread baked bread, sweet bread, you name it! I have actually tried giving up bread for lent but to no avail. So what does a bread lover do when she runs out of bread and does not feel like going to the store? She bakes! DISCLAIMER: This is not the famous Guyanese plait bread recipe! I have not attempted t

Sapodilla Brown

07/01/2012 09:32 PM

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Not Your Average Potato Salad

It’s summertime, the heat is on, the grills are fired up and the salads are chilling in the refrigerator! Yes, I love me some summertime salads. I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge that I needed to do something with. I googled cauliflower and came across a recipe for cauliflower salad from AllRecipes.com. This recipe is essentially potato salad without the potatoes. I was a lit

Sapodilla Brown

06/23/2012 11:55 PM

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SWANK

What a hot week in NJ! We were well into the upper 90’s and with the humidity it felt like 105. Nothing like the heat of Botswana which can get just as hot but is more tolerable because it’s a dry heat. My Dad’s favorite way to cool down was to drink a nice tall glass of SWANK! Swank is the Guyanese version of lemonade. The main difference being that swank is made with limes instead

Sapodilla Brown

06/17/2012 07:31 PM

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Bakes Round 2

I was in Toronto at the end of May visiting my wonderful sister and lovely nieces :). Upon arrival I was greeted by this: Yum! I was thrilled, I love bakes stuffed with saltfish. I must have devoured three in one sitting. I have never attempted to make these let alone regular bakes. Luckily for me my sister was making another batch for a friend so of course I took the oppor

Sapodilla Brown

05/19/2012 01:58 PM

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Spinach and Rice

I am Guyanese so you know I love my rice and gravy. A few years ago my mother spotted a Guyanese family that had just moved to Botswana in hotel. She knew immediately that they were Guyanese simply by the rice on the young man’s plate and the manner in which he was adding gravy to it. The great thing about rice is that you can enjoy it plain or jazz it up in so many ways. My

Sapodilla Brown

05/06/2012 12:16 AM

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A Cause and Channa

Confetti at the beginning of the walk/run I got out of bed at 5:30 am this morning to head into NYC for the 5K EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women. Thousands of men, women and children gathered in Times Square and made the trek to Central Park. The walk supports research, diagnostic treatment services for medically under-served women, and provides psycho-social & financial support

Sapodilla Brown

04/29/2012 03:08 PM

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Chow Mein – A Tasty Twist

There is a local grocery store in my town that has fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and an array of international goods. I was strolling through the store today trying to figure out what to make for lunch. I knew I wanted a green leafy vegetable but was not sure which one. There was fresh spinach, kale, bok chow, swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, beet leaves etc. I settled on t

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:28 AM

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Success with Cook Up Rice

Cook up rice is a traditional Guyanese dish that is usually eaten on Saturday and New Year’s Eve (so I learnt recently). Growing up, we would eat cook up rice every Saturday without fail. We did not have access to salt beef and pig tail in Botswana so we almost always used plain beef. On occasion however, my dad would use tripe instead – totally not my favorite! I tried mak

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:27 AM

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Guyanese Style Chow Mein

I mentioned in a previous post how Guyanese food is influenced by different regions of the world. Chow mein is one such dish! I am sure by now you have figured out that this dish is influenced by the Chinese. Oh blimey…it just dawned on me that I have no idea what Chinese chow mein tastes like!!! I have to change that…stay tuned. Anywho, back to the Guyanese version, it’s a quic

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:27 AM

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Dish Up Some Dhal

The kitchen is definitely my Dad’s domain and making dhal is one of his specialties. This is my first attempt at making dhal and I must say it turned out pretty well. This is a great dish that can be eaten alone or with rice or roti. You can also add other vegetables such as okra or spinach towards the end of cooking the dhal for some added flavor. This go around, I made mine plain

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:26 AM

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Petite Pulled Pork Sandwiches

If you are like me, you enjoy being creative with leftovers. I made these petite pork sandwiches a couple of days after I made the crockpot ribs (click here for recipe) and have just gotten around to submitting a post. Since I used boneless ribs, it was easy to pull the pork apart. For the bread I used the flat bread I bought from Costco. Yes, it freezes well! I took it out of the

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:26 AM

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Crockpot Ribs

Do you ever have those days when you just don’t feel like slaving away in the kitchen for hours, or you don’t have time to cook but want to have a good meal? I know I do and that led me to purchase my first crockpot. I got the crockpot about a year ago and I have to admit that I have not put it to good use. Very sad since I have a number of recipes to try including crockpot lasagna – yeah

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:25 AM

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Guyanese Rock Buns with a Southern African Twist

I was in the mood to bake today and as usual, I wanted to do something easy, quick and simple. So I figured I would bake some rock buns. My brothers and I love when my mum makes these, the burst of coconut and the crunch just make you want to go back for more. As children growing up, this is one of the baked goods that rarely lasted more than a day. Ah memories! At

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:25 AM

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Chakalaka…Say What?!?!

It’s pronounced just the way it is spelt Cha-ka-la-ka! Chakalaka is a uniquely South African dish that has been adopted by other Southern African countries. The exact origins of the dish are a little unclear, some say it originated in the townships of Johannesburg while others would argue that it originated in the mineral mines of South Africa. It was actually mentioned on House Wives of

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:25 AM

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Hot Cross Buns

As I was talking to my uncle Herbie yesterday I mentioned to him that I was planning to make some hot cross buns. He immediately commenced into telling me stories about Easter in Guyana and how early on Good Friday morning, a lady would come down the street singing at the top of her lungs, “Run a lady run, the rain is coming down, one a penny, two a penny hot cross buns…” The kids would r

Sapodilla Brown

04/15/2012 09:24 AM

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Banana Fritters

These were a favorite of mine as a child growing up. Bananas that were as tad too ripe were always turned into fritters or used to make banana nut bread. Banana fritters are great on their own, dusted with powdered sugar or like mini pancakes with a little butter jam or syrup. I have also enjoyed these with mango sorbet or ice cream. Ingredients 2 large ripe ban

Sapodilla Brown

02/10/2012 09:44 PM

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Product of the month – Lollipop Tree Summer Berry Bread

It’s the middle of February and we're supposed to get snow tomorrow but I am already thinking about summer. Bring on the heat! Since I can’t control the weather, I figured I would bring some summer into my home by baking some Summer Berry Bread. I am not sure how popular the Lollipop tree brand is, we discovered it in the food isle at Marshall’s. We came across th

Sapodilla Brown

01/30/2012 09:12 PM

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Red Beans and Rice

I got this recipe from my cousin Carlene. It is one of the dishes that she is known for. It is delicious, nutritious, and easy to make. I had a pretty busy weekend, 2 hours of Zumba – don’t plan on doing that again for a while, late lunch with some friends, a movie and yes and devoted part of my Sunday to work, much to my chagrin. I did not have much time to spend in the Kitchen but a lad

Sapodilla Brown

01/22/2012 08:03 PM

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Brown Stew Chicken

Brrrrrr it’s cold outside! Up until a week ago, the weather in NJ has been pretty mild. But alas, old man winter has arrived and brought with him a little snow storm. We only got about an inch and a half but as usual, any snow storm no matter how small causes delays and cancellations. I was a little bummed this morning because my Zumba class got cancelled due to the weather.

Sapodilla Brown

01/21/2012 04:05 PM

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Oven Roasted Broccoli

This is a recipe that I got from my good friend Dave. It’s a delicious way of cooking broccoli especially if you have kids who don’t like eating their vegetables. It's a great side to accompany any dish. I love just eating it as a snack. Ingredients 1 head of broccoli washed and cut into florets 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil (adjust based on the size of the broccoli.

Sapodilla Brown

01/20/2012 09:53 PM

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Butternut Squash

Oh my gosh, I have not blogged for a week. The holiday season is over and I had to adjust to my first full week back at work. Hooray for Fridays. Let’s get back to food. Ever since Thanksgiving, I’ve been craving a pumpkin dish that my folks used to make. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin so I did find this craving odd. Fast forward two months – yes, it took me that long to satisfy the cravin

Sapodilla Brown

01/12/2012 03:43 PM

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Flat Bread Pizza

In my previous post I wrote about 2 lbs of flat bread that I purchased from Coscto and what I was going to do with all that bread. The flat bread looked perfect for pizza so I cut one piece in half and froze the rest. To freeze the bread, I cut it into portions, wrapped them in foil and stuck them in freezer zip lock bags before placing them in the freezer. Now back to the flat bre

Sapodilla Brown

01/11/2012 07:31 PM

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I Love Costco!

Yes, I said it! I ? Costco! Ok but really, I like when I have to go there because I get to taste test different foods. I have even gone there on an empty stomach and left pleasantly satisfied---hangs head low, but only for a second. You have got to admit, it is fun to walk around to the little stations and try new foods. Any-who, the other day I was in Costco and did my usual “tou

Sapodilla Brown

01/04/2012 08:43 PM

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A Tasty Cup of Lemongrass Tea

The other day I cooked a non-Guyanese dish with lemon grass. This was the first time I had cooked with lemongrass and I was pleasantly surprised at how the dish turned out. While talking to my cousin about the dish, she told me about the lemongrass tea that she used to drink while growing up in Guyana. Since I had a few lemongrass stalks remaining, I made myself a refreshing cup o

Sapodilla Brown

01/02/2012 12:47 PM

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Garlic, Pesto and Lemongrass Chicken – Courtesy of the Hungry Giant

No this is not a Guyanese recipe J! I found this gem while perusing pictures on foodgawker.com. I was drawn to the picture submitted by the Hungry Giant and intrigued by the recipe as I had never cooked with lemongrass before nor had I thought of adding pesto to chicken. I decided to give the recipe a shot with a few minor alterations to HG’s recipe (hope you don’t mind).

Sapodilla Brown

12/28/2011 06:49 PM

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Something Easy – Fried Rice

Caribbean cuisine like the people is influenced by African, Amerindian, Indian, Chinese, British, Spanish, French and Dutch cuisine. So I figured I would start with something simple. Fried rice! There are many variations of this dish. You can add chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, vegetable etc. I usually make mine with vegetables and serve it with a baked meat dish. Ingredients

Sapodilla Brown

12/28/2011 06:49 PM

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A Taste of Nostalgia

I was craving some Setswana food the other day and decide to pull out my packet of A1 cornmeal AKA paleche, pap, sadza, hugali and hook it up. I was never very good at preparing palache but thanks to my Kenyan roommate, my skills have improved. Palache as it is called in Botswana is similar to polenta except it is cooked to be a little stiffer. It is normally served with mea

Sapodilla Brown

12/27/2011 11:18 PM

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Curry, Curry Beef

I had a long day today and was craving something hearty for dinner. It had been a whiles since I had stocked up so I did not have too many options. I had some beef and coco bread (normally stuffed with a Jamaican beef patty) and pondered for a minute how I could combine the two. I think coco bread is fabulous for dunking in stews so I decided to make some curried beef. I am used to currie

	Sapodilla Brown
	My foray into cooking West Indian food, mixing it with my African upbringing and everything in between.

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