shed tWhat if I started this article with a statement like: cream cheese is a must in any worthy fridge?…
How do you eat your Haitian sweet potatoes?
Keeping the Fall theme going, after serving you six giraumon pumpkin recipes, I have included sweet potatoes on this week’s…
Garlic Roasted Fall Vegetables with thyme
A while ago, we established that I was not a fan of our Haitian soup joumou. It was right around…
Six giraumon pumpkin recipes for your Fall Cookbook
Fall flavors, what does that mean on an island that knows no season and on which pumpkins grow year-round? Technically…
Acassan, a toddler’s worst corn porridge nightmare
3:00pm. The time of the day I have been dreading is here. We’re all summoned by the orange liquid dispenser.…
How to make the best of your citrus & a candied fruit recipe
Nothing beats a glass of freshly squeezed handpicked citrus juice in the morning. There’s no denying it. That juice is…
My potpourri citrus pie
A potpourri pie? What kind of pie bears such a name? The kind of pies I create on Tchakayiti while…
On Fridays we ate pate kode
Don’t take this title too literally. When I talk about Friday pate kode, I am not actually referring to every…
Our chicken marinades are not a seasoning mix
A first communion without chicken marinades? Have you lost your mind!! Pa gen komunyon san marinade! (You can’t have a…
A sour orange curd does make for a sweet treat
I should have entitled this article “how a sour orange curd helped me through dark times.” But that would be…
The ultimate Haitian griot pork sandwich
Today, I am proudly serving you my homemade griot fried pork sandwich. I won’t deny it. I am definitely bragging…
Habanero spiced pineapple avocado salad & blackened fish filet
This grilled pineapple avocado salad atop blackened fish was born out of a desire to explore. I was looking to…
An orange cake with candied citrus, a birthday baking challenge
There’s an orange confit garnished cake on the blog! Did you read that?! There’s a cake on the blog. That’s…
Plantain salad, to have or not to have?
What is the point of a plantain salad? I’ve asked this question countless times. I have yet to come up…
Zanmann jam, an unusual Indian-almond jam
One afternoon, a few moons ago, I came across a rather unusual dish being prepped in our kitchen. My mother…
A spicy mango chutney or how to keep summer in a jar
A spicy mango chutney…wait, what? Mango again?!? You must be wondering where my creativity has gone this summer. I mean…
Creamy wine and tomato infused shrimp and grits
Today’s shrimp and grits is unlike anything you’ve had before. I must warn you, however. It is not quite your…
The stingy plum tree
I first published this plum article four years ago on August 6, 2015. The 2019 update includes a few text…
Maïs à la bonne femme, a cheesy Haitian-style polenta casserole
Maïs à la bonne femme. It took me years to get used to this cheesy polenta casserole. I was never…
Six ways to eat our Haitian cassava bread
Ever wondered what to make with a batch of cassava bread? What if I told you the possibilities were endless?…
Blan Manje, a Coconut Dessert
We call this dessert blan manje. Commit those words to memory, even if this is not your language. Why? Because…
A spicy ginger mango lobster salad
The best dishes are the ones we create accidentally. The ones we prepare on a whim. This ginger mango grilled…
An unusual summer limeade
If I told you to prepare a limeade by blending the entire fruit, would you do it? Let me guess,…
Pineapple chicken kabobs with ginger and habanero pepper
Summer is here. And with it has come the most perfect weather with beautifully sunny skies. The kind that make…
A Haitian fresco with peanuts
Forewarning: Today, there won’t be an actual recipe with this article. I will tell you which fresco flavor is my…
Summer in a fruit salad
At first, I wanted to name this article the deconstructed fruit bowl. Instead of a fruit cup, I was planning…
Mango sorbet with a hint of lime and mint
Summer has just begun. Yet, the temperatures are already to the roof. We’re feeling it in our mountain location. And…
Goudrin, a pineapple beverage
ieWhat if I told you that for some the pineapple peel is just as important, if not more important, than…
Caramelized banana waffles with a hint of rum
What happens when this Haitian girl prepares caramelized banana waffles? Well, she adds her own twist to the batter, of…
A sumptuous peach jam
What do you do when you have too many peaches? Why, you make a homemade peach jam of course! And…
Spicy lemony grilled octopus
It took me years to acquire a taste for octopus. 33 long years to be exact. I was about nine…
Spicy fried shrimp & a trip back in time
Today, we’re taking a trip back in time. We’re once more off to school. Worry not, we won’t spend any…
Sticky Caramelized Haitian style sour tamarind wings
I am not a fan of chicken wings. Fact. Chicken wings are messy, especially with a caramelized sauce. Fact. I…
Tamarind popsicles, a refreshing summer treat
The 12:00pm bells are ringing. It’s Friday. School is officially out. A swarm of bees in blue uniform gathers around…
A spicy mango salsa
Mango salsa and painting. What do those two have in common? A lot. In my world at least. Both mango…
Lam Veritab, every child’s nightmare
In Pre-K, all of the children were terrified of a fruit we found on the playground. We had baptized it…
How to make breadfruit taco shells
You’re probably wondering why in the world I am making taco shells. That dish is unrelated to the Haitian cuisine.…
Haitian-style salt-cured pork and shrimp paella with djondjon
On the menu today, my Haitian-style salt-cured pork and shrimp paella. Did that flavor combination just make you grimace? If…
Haitian poisson gros sel my way, two ways
Raise your hand if you’ve accidentally cooked fish before without scaling it! Yes, I just raised my hand. You read…
Haitian Salade Russe à la Tchakayiti
Good Friday is knocking at our door. And I cannot wait for the traditional Haitian meal we prepare on that…
Banm graten diri djondjon…a Haitian wild mushroom story
♪♩Diri djondjon, diri djondjon, banm graten diri djondjon… ♫ (Djondjon rice, djondjon rice, give me graten from djondjon rice) This is…
Pitimi pumpkin risotto style
I feel like I should start this article with an apology. Last week, I promised you a risotto-style djondjon pitimi.…
Fried beans & how we ruined dad’s Good Friday meal…
According to my dad, as far as he can remember, fried beans were always part of Good Friday’s menu. My…
Millet salad, a new way to eat Haitian pitimi
Have you ever bitten into microscopic rocks while eating millet without meaning to? Is their crackling sound something you’re familiar…
Tchaka, a family tradition
Pretend today is Saturday. Now dim the lights. Better yet, light a tèt gridap in a room featuring a straw…
How to prepare and enhance dishes with salt-cured pork meat
Dear salt-cured pork, how did it take me so long to fall in love with your bold flavors? Yes,…
Creole Kitchens Mardi-Gras Edition: a beignets cook-off
“I really should have named this article: How a beignets cook-off convinced me that I am not destined to be…
Street-style Haitian beignets, Carnival Treats
This article was first published on February 26, 2014. I have updated it with an improved recipe. ♪♩Qu’y a-t-il oh,…
Would you try a sour orange marmelade?
Got an excessively fruitful sour orange tree? Why not make a sour orange marmelade!? We have two sour orange trees…
Rum infused layered Haitian chocolate truffles dessert
Today, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I am revisiting our chokola peyi. I am serving you layers of flattened chocolate…
From cocoa to Haitian chocolate balls
I initially published this Haitian chocolate article on November 12, 2014. Today, I have updated it with new improved pictures. …
Creole Kitchens cook-off and a mirliton soup
The mirliton soup recipe below is part of a food challenge. I created it in hopes of showcasing this vegetable…
My not-so-Haitian crab salad
A zesty chipotle crab salad on a food blog devoted to Haitian cuisine?!? I can imagine your shock at seeing…
Haitian Cassava Chips
Our Haitian cassava chips are the perfect easy “healthy” homemade go to snack in my opinion. They’re a great bread…
A Caribbean chestnut hummus recipe
Every year, we host the family at Christmas. To mix things up a bit, my mom and I always try…
Labapin, Caribbean Chestnut?
Lapabin in Haiti, Caribbean Chestnuts elsewhere, but truly Breadnuts in English… When I was younger I was a bit obsessed…
A cheese spread and childhood memories
This morning, I woke up with cheese spread and kids birthday parties from my childhood on my mind. Truth be…
Haitian cheese sticks: my very first baking lesson
Haitian cheese sticks are probably the very first pastry I ever baked. I was about eight or nine when I…
Herring Chiquetaille
For lack of an accurate translation, I use the name “chiquetaille de hareng” throughout this article to refer to this…
How we use Tête de Maure (aged Edam) in our cuisine
Tête de Maure (aged Edam), the very Haitian Dutch cheese. Haitian Dutch cheese, I think this appellation suits this aged Edam,…
An onion hater & an onion pie
On the menu today, a young girl, a grown woman and a traditional onion pie recipe. It’s Christmas Eve. The…
Douce kokoye, Haitian coconut fudge
Foreign readers, think of douce kokoye as a Haitian-style coconut fudge bold in flavor. What happens when you’re stuck at…
Haitian pain patate (sweet potato pudding) recipe
Pain patate in French, pen patat in Haitian Creole, petit pain pa’ as a term of endearment…sweet potato pudding in…
Sour oranges, how to use them
Zoranj su: sour oranges also known as bitter oranges in English, key ingredient in Haiti’s cuisine. The high acidity of…
Bonbon Sirop Recipe
“Goodgood syrup, goodgood syrup…” – I can still hear my dad using those words to refer to this special sweet…
Haitian style baked sweet potatoes
Today’s recipe features our local sweet potatoes, which I have oven-roasted, mashed and reduced to a puree topped with prepared…
How to brighten your shallots
Today, I am launching new “Tips & Tricks” section on the food blog with this quick trick to brighten your…
Haitian dried salted codfish in oil
In Haiti, codfish is about as popular as salted smoked herring. Our repertoire of recipes is quite rich. It includes…
Spicy grilled shrimp sandwich with caramelized bacon
The spicy grilled shrimp sandwich finally comes together! It’s my adaptation of a New Orleans shrimp po’boy. I always loved…
The “everything” spicy orange rum glaze
World Food Championship Po’Boy sandwich Part 2: Spicy Orange Rum Glaze Remember how I promised to share my first World…
Spicy garlic grilled shrimp with a splash of rum
A year ago, on October 12, 2017 to be exact, I was excitingly telling you about my qualification for the…
My first attempt at Haitian pumpkin fries
Yes, another giraumon post. Twice in one week! I must be fond of that squash! If you’ve read my previous…
A savory Haitian pumpkin pie
Joumou in Haitian Creole, Giraumon in French, English translation of our Haiti pumpkin to be determined. I have yet to figure…
Sour orange infused hot pepper sauce
I should probably start this hot pepper sauce article with an apology. Perhaps, I should apologize to the person who…
One weekend, four yuca recipes
Yuca, tapioca, manioc in French, manyòk in Creole, cassava elsewhere… Boiled yuca, mashed yuca, yuca garnished with cheese, yuca fries…
Aransò, smoked herring recipe
An impromptu olfactory visit of a neighbor’s kitchen while he’s cooking mayi ak aransò. A smoked herring mousse. Cold polenta…
Want a mango cocktail?
Remember those mangos that attacked us daily one summer at the office? And how we had decided to take our…
Vinaigrette for those artichokes
Vinaigrette…a word you’ll rarely hear in Haiti, if ever. “Sauce de salade” (salad dressing) is more commonly used. Why share…
Artichoke battles
It’s Sunday. The table is set. Alongside each place setting are brown ramequins. Their sight brings a smile to a…
Haitian mayi moulen bites, a new way to eat polenta
I am not typically fond of cold mayi moulen (Haitian cornmeal). I actually strongly dislike it. Yet, here I am…
Pomegranate
Today, we’re going back in time to a Sunday morning 20 something years ago. It’s about 9 or 10 am.…
Djondjon polenta bites & a food contest
“Prepare a locally inspired dish. Post it on Facebook with a mouth-watering picture. Include recipe instructions and you’re set. You…
A flying shoal of dried fish
You’re driving on an empty road outside of town. From afar you spot something fishy dangling in the air…Do you…
Our homemade pork feast
A couple of weeks ago we received a phone call. The day had finally come. A piglet had been bought.…
Silky-smooth mango ice cream
Yes, you read right! The ice cream recipes on this blog keep getting more interesting year after year! Just last…
Veritab boukannen, “véritable obsession”
Today, we’re taking a road trip outside of Port-au-Prince. Our destination? Jacmel, a city located in the South East of…
Endless Haitian family dinners
As I look back to the above table, I cannot help but smile at the memories of that unforgettable 30th…
Shrimp marinades next door
Remember that I told you about how, without wanting to, I often inadvertently take a peak into a neighbor’s kitchen…
A girl discovers bouyon tèt kabrit
A starry night…a makeshift candlelit plywood table… a simmering pot of bouyon tèt kabrit…pink and orange-colored candle balls…loud laughter…joyful conversations……
Strawberries turn us into birds
Have I introduced you to the human version of birds that steal strawberries? I have certainly told you countless times…
My grandmother, Haitian cordon bleu
Yesterday, during an escape to the hills of Furcy, I stumbled upon this wild flower in the middle of a…
A leftover seafood bisque
What do you do when you have tons of leftover seafood in your fridge? If you’re Haitian, you definitely mix…
A life lesson from an orange tree
Last Sunday morning, after a long hiatus, I decided to take a walk through our property in search for inspiration.…
Tablèt pistach, gooey beach treat
Imagine yourself on the road back to Port-au-Prince from a great day at the beach. The mountain is on one…
Haitian mango blan etiquette
It’s 5 o’clock. I am getting home from work. Upon my arrival, I am greeted with numerous questions. My mom…
An apple tree in Haiti?
Two years ago, I was marveling at the beauty of perusing through our at-home garden. Yesterday, after work, I took…
A mango kòn….avalanche
Imagine being absorbed in your work when suddenly: po’w, po’w, po’w…an avalanche of mango kòn makes you jump out of…
Ti bonm, aromatic herb
Itchy throat? Runny nose? Nothing some freshly brewed te ti bonm (ti bonm tea) won’t cure! At least that’s what…
Lalo, unappealing yet tasty
A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to finally enjoy the savory dish pictured above thanks to an…
Our rezen are actually mulberries
Dear readers, I am back. Yes, finally. I apologize for my long absence. This month marks two years since I…
Cabbage, mèchi & 7 cooks
– Should we cook the rice and meat first? – The recipe says not to cook them, but you know…
Butcher’s shop & boudin noir
Growing up, there was nothing I hated more than our bi-weekly visits to the butcher. Every Tuesday and Friday, on…
Poud damou, a coconut favorite
Imagine yourself discovering a snack called poud damou, powder of love, on a playground when you were 8 or 10…
Shelling congo beans
“Rale ti chèz ba’w, vinn kale pwa” (Grab a low straw chair, and come peel some congo beans). These are…
Got (coconut) milk?
After sharing four coconut milk based recipes that include our famous blan manje, Haitian goodies known as dous kokoye, Haiti’s…
Haitian cooking, a labor of love…
It just dawned on me that for the past 18 months I have told you about the aromas, smells and…
The itchy grape punishment
I love that this blog earns me food gifts from friends and family especially since most of them are usually…
A day at the market
This brave woman carrying her fresh harvest downhill is not an unusual sighting in the mountains of Haiti. Women like…
How do you cook your rice?
Yes, you read right. Rice is once again featured on this blog. You didn’t really think I would leave you…
Sòs pwa, Haitian bean sauce
My grandmother’s dining table on a weeknight, eight regulars, a bowl being passed from one set of hands to the…
Granadilla or grenadia sucrée?
What do you do when you come across a fruit from your childhood and want to try and figure out…
One pot coconut ice cream
A few weeks ago, I decided to finally give in to what I had been longing to do all summer…
Zanmann, tropical almond
There are two great things about the above-featured fruit: nothing beats a nap under its tree’s branches, and they make…
Mayi Boukannen the right way
As you may already know from reading my mayi boukannen or bouyi article, growing up, there was nothing quite as…
A peak into the neighbor’s kitchen
As I emerged out of bed later than usual this morning, the aromas of a meal being prepped pleasantly greeted…
A cabbage plantation
The other day, as I ventured outside into the far corners of our backyard, I couldn’t hide my surprise at…
Douce Kokoye, Coconut Recipe
These chewy looking chunks of goodness are not brownies. They are homemade melt-in-your mouth coconut milk and sugar bites by…
Haitian Apricot Jam
Yes, you are reading right. Caribbean apricots are back on this blog, and it’s only been two weeks since this…
For the love of “graten”
A child sneaks into a kitchen, lifts a lid that’s covering a simmering pot of rice and pours some oil…
Caribbean Apricot, unlike any other
A small square bowl with a red lid, a pack of my favorite salted crackers; a staircase, small talk punctuated…
Chanm chanm
These days I am definitely going back in time. There’s no doubt about it. After my salted plastic bags filled…
Papita, gou lari a
Heat, school, salt, excitement…such are the memories that come to mind as I look at the above pictured papita snack…
Endless mango…
Mango kòn, mango fransik, mango tòtòt…mango kanèl, mango muska, mango baptiste, mango blan…. If you haven’t guessed it yet, it’s…
Plantains, full of life
“Renmen sa ki soti nan lakou lakay nou!” (love what comes from your backyard) – such was a song my…
Embracing life in the mountains
Look at this picture. Imagine crops lining up to infinity on each of those mountainsides… Think of cabbage or potato…
My first watercress swim
Yes, you read right! I swam with watercress this past weekend. We had gone exploring in Saut d’Eau, north of…
Haitian Touffe Legume
….or how to start eating vegetables Carrot, cabbage, mirliton, eggplant, green beans…how do you get someone who hates vegetables to…
Coconut, sun & beach
As I stare at the above picture of the remnants of one of our wonderful days at the beach here…
Fresh raw oysters on a beach
“Sluuuuurrrppppp!” That is the sound of dozens of oysters being eaten on a beach on Haiti’s Côtes des Arcadins (coastal…
Behind the scenes: coffee cherries
« I feel like I am in an amusement park » are the words a friend from Europe uttered as…
Pig Head Salad
Who would have thought that just one appetizer plate could be the life of a party? Well I sure didn’t…
Banana Beignets
In exactly ten days, it will be Carnaval here in Haiti. Dance, music and mostly letting go of the daily…
Happiness in a glass of fruit
Would you have ever thought to look for happiness in a simple glass of juice? We often speak of happiness…
Galette des Rois
You are reading a Queen today, well a temporary Queen that is. I found the fève (bean) in our Galette…
Our Haitian Christmas Dinner
When we were kids, there was nothing we loved more than Christmas and the day after Christmas. As is the…
Cremas, coconut Holiday drink
As I commit these words to paper at 7:00 in the morning, I can’t help but think of the fact…
Tranpe, macerated drink
Bottles of all shapes, sizes and colors are often lined up on shelves as part of the décor in many…
Sugarcane, cold remedy?
“Depi gòj mwen kòmanse gratem, mwen manje on mòso kann” (I eat sugarcane at the first signs of a sore…
Grenadia, Passion fruit
A few years ago, to my grand dismay, dad introduced the passion fruit tree, a fruit tree I was not…
Cattle, meat & giblets
The sight of this plate at a family gathering, a few weeks ago, brought back many childhood memories. Before I…
Where peanuts come from
This past weekend, I stepped away from my mountain retreat of Fort-Jacques and headed towards the Center of Haiti to…
Let’s go pick cherries
When we were younger, we often hung out among cousins at the same house that had become our pied-à-terre. One…
Gou Epis Lakay
Just last week, I attended Haiti’s first Pork Festival. As the name implies, pork was the main ingredient on the…
A douce escape
This plate brings back souvenirs of brown bags that dad would bring us home from downtown when he went to…
My frustration with an avocado tree
As many of you know, it’s avocado season practically everywhere around the globe. Here in Haiti, the season is at…
Guava, green or ripe?
It’s amazing how big of an impact childhood memories can have on the one who recalls them. Just yesterday, I…
Marquise au chocolat à l’haïtienne
It’s been a while since I last shared a recipe with you. To make up for it, today I am…
For the love of rice
I will never forget the cafeteria conversations I had with my friends over dinner while in college in the US.…
Voyage to quenêpes country
Voyage to quenepes country… You are certainly wondering which country I am referring to in the title. This blog is…
Kalbasik, sour seeds
Rumor has it that this fruit cannot be open without a door. Throughout my childhood, we enjoyed breaking up these…
Homegrown peaches from our backyard
Would you eat a green peach? What if I told you that it is as tasty as a ripe one?…
Carnaval des Fleurs
This week, instead of serving you the flavors of our local Haitian cuisine and gastronomy only, I am taking a…
Loquat, homesickness remedy
If I told you that one tiny bite of this fruit was the remedy to my homesickness while abroad would…
Accras, Haitian Appetizer
The appetizers pictured above, known as accras, don’t ask for much to disappear on a plate. Don’t fry them quickly…
Tamarind, sour fruit
Today’s fruit is featured at the top of my list of fruits that got us in trouble throughout my childhood.…
Lambi Grille Recipe
This week was a very hot one. And when the temperature is this high, the sky as blue and sunny…
Mandarins in summer?
Summer is upon us. And though mandarins are not a summer fruit – the peak of the season is between…
Lakou Lakay
Just the other day, I spent a good hour revisiting our garden, something I had neglected to do in a…
Lambi boucane, seafood bliss
When my best friend from college went on a cruise to the Caribbean for the first time a couple of…
Konparet de Jeremie, Konpareeett…
“Konparet, Konpareeeet” is how we yelled out to draw the attention of our « pratik » from the first floor…
Bonbon Amidon Recipe
These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are prepared with amidon (starch), a manioc (yucca) flour. As a child, I loved eating bonbon amidon…
Mayi boukannen or bouyi? Se la pou la
At my house food vanishes within seconds. And when it comes to mayi boukannen or mayi bouyi, se la pou’w…
Lames Veritables Pesees
As mentioned in my previous article about Lame Veritable, this fruit has many preparations. Lames Veritables Pesees are my favorite…
Piment bouc & the red-faced guy
Imagine sitting at a table next to a tomato-red guy whose forehead is dripping with sweat falling in his plate…
Sauce Ti Malice, a hot sauce
The typical Haitian sauce Ti Malice is served with any fried or grilled meat or seafood. It is a hot…
Cocktail Native, a Haitian cocktail
Cocktail Native is a typical Haitian Cocktail, which gets its particular flavor from clairin, an unrefined rum prepared locally. Since…
Cassava, the most versatile snack
Kasav for breakfast, Kasav as a midday snack, Kasav for lunch, Kasav as a late night snack… Kasav with butter,…
Standard cooking measuring tools?!?
“Add 2 gourdes” of garlic” – these are instructions I recently found in a recent edition of a Haitian cookbook.…
Cassava Pudding spiked with Rum
I discovered cassava pudding a couple weeks ago and really loved it. I actually combined 2 recipes because the one…
Haitian Pilon Rhythm
The staccato rhythm of a Haitian pilon (wooden pestle) in a house is music to my ears. Maybe it’s because…
Haitian Beignets Recipe
This Haitian beignet recipe is inspired by an experiment my mom did this year. She substituted sugar cane syrup for…
Bananes Pesees
I got this bananes pesees recipe from an uncle who added his own twist to it. He used to add…
Haitian Pikliz
The Haitian pikliz recipe is a mix of vegetables cut using the julienne method (shredded in long thin strips) spiced…
Wild berries ? Berries ? « Rezen » ?
One of the greatest pleasures of mountain life in Haiti is to be able to stop along the way during…
Des bananes “pesees” ?!?
“Bananes (plantains) pesees?! I thought they were pressees?!” That’s what a French speaker from abroad once told me when I…