Candlemass crêpes & never-ending family traditions
I grew up in what I dare call a “traditional” Haitian family. By that I mean a family that does…
Category: “culture”
Haitian Djondjon mushroom infused okra stew
A few years ago, I described our Haitian cuisine as a labor of both love and patience. Today’s okra stew…
Standard cooking measuring tools?!?
“Add 2 gourdes” of garlic” These are instructions I found in a recent edition of a Haitian cookbook. What in…
Haitian mortar and pestle rhythm
“taap, taaap, tap….tap…taaaap…” The staccato rhythm of a Haitian mortar and pestle is music to my ears. Maybe it’s because…
Shelling congo beans (pigeon peas)
“Rale ti chèz ba’w, vinn kale pwa” (Grab a low straw chair and come peel some congo beans (pigeon peas).…
Lèt a kola, a Haitian child’s favorite milk soda
Today is not a Sunday, that’s a fact. Yet, I can’t help but reminisce on the wonderful Sunday evenings from…
My Haitian joumou pumpkin soup in velouté form
Fair warning, today, contrary to Haitian practice, I am serving you a pumpkin velouté instead of our traditional pumpkin soup…
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.…
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…
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…
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. …
Our homemade pork feast
A couple of weeks ago we received a phone call. The day had finally come. A piglet had been bought.…
Endless Haitian family dinners
As I look back to the above table, I cannot help but smile at the memories of that unforgettable 30th…
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……
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…
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…
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…
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…
A peek 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…
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…
Behind the scenes: coffee cherries
« I feel like I am in an amusement park » are the words a friend from Europe uttered as…
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…
Cattle, meat & giblets
The sight of this plate at a family gathering, a few weeks ago, brought back many childhood memories. Before I…
Gou Epis Lakay
Just last week, I attended Haiti’s first Pork Festival. As the name implies, pork was the main ingredient on the…
Carnaval des Fleurs
This week, instead of serving you the flavors of our local Haitian cuisine and gastronomy only, I am taking a…