Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I made the Vegan Ham for Easter and everyone loved it! I'm really excited to try the Doubles one of these days when I have some extra time.

My favourite recipe from this book so far has been the Macaroni Pie, it passed the omni boyfriend test but I couldnt wait for it to cool before digging in! The doubles were yummy but the bara was so oily, I had to wipe my face down after every bite. I tried making the coconut rice with the oil down method in a rice cooker but ended up having to finish it on the stove top with additional water as it wasnt cooked enough. I made accras and buss-up-shut roti for a dinner party and they were a huge hit, as were the potato pumpkin curry and the chickpea curry. I also cooked with okra for the first time using the sofrito recipe and it wasnt as scary as I thought it would be!
Still have to try the St Lucian Bakes and other breads, plus a dessert recipe!

I just bought this book a couple of weeks ago & cooked from it for the first time tonight. I made the Bajan seasoning so I could make the Lentil Stew, & also made the Yellow Split Pea Dal & the Coconut Rice.

Negative feedback first...the dahl was too liquidy even though I only added the initial measure of water. I don't tend to like stews & soups too thick, but this was too runny even for me. No big deal - just means I'll adjust the water next time.

Apart from that, the rest is all postive. The Bajan seasoning was really interesting to make because it combined ingredients I've never put together before. I had enough for the lentil stew & a full jar of it left over to keep in the fridge. The lentil stew was really delicious. Spicy but not super-duper hot, with a nice acid kick from the lime juice & vinegar in the Bajan seasoning. Really tasty & full of flavour. The dahl was milder, as I'd expect, but was a great accompaniment to the lentil stew. The coconut rice was the best version of that recipe I've tried yet. A lot more going on in it than other kinds I've made. Creamy & mild but tasty enough to eat on its own if you wanted to, & very pretty & colourful too.

I imagine I'll end up making all the stews in the book based on tonight's success. It's a pity we don't have all the ingredients available here in Aus for all the recipes, but there's enough to keep me happy. I think I'll try the Cou-Cou & Tofish next!

That one always comes out great for me. Maybe there was something wrong with the lentils?

I don't remember having any problems with the dal either.

I love the Bajan seasoning! I always keep some in my fridge.

My favourite recipes are:

- Creole Spaghetti: I make a modified version of this regularly as a main dish when I'm eating on my own. It's quick and easy, and tastes sooo good!
- Lentil Patties: It's a time- and labour-intensive recipe, but the patties are great. Really great if you need some packed lunch, too.
- Creole Rice
- all the stew recipes are great, but especially the red bean stew, chickpea curry and lentil stew
- Creole Sauce
- Lasagna and Macaroni Pie: definitely not low-fat, though! ;)
- Hearts of Palm and Tofu Scramble

I still have to try most of the more advanced recipes.

Mystery solved! I soaked the split peas for a couple of hours & wasn't supposed to. Because I was making the lentil stew too, which called for soaking the lentils, I mistakenly thought the peas should be soaked too - which is not a bad idea because they can take some time to break down, but of course, that messed up the water quantities in the recipe. I ended up with something more of a soup consistency, but not unpleasant - & it still tastes great.

I heard a rumor this cookbook is going out of print. Anyone know any details? Or have I been punk'd?

Anyway, I ordered this off Amazon today.

I'm making the ham for Christmas!

The kindle is $2.99 ...

Thanks for the tip, tofulish! I've wanted this book for so long.

I made a ton of recipes from this book for a dinner party and they all turned out delicious and made me so excited to try more recipes soon.

The Doubles were absolutely to die for! Who doesn't love fried bread and chickpea curry? We topped it off with the cucumber chutney from the book, so good!

The Bajan Macaroni pie was spicy and delicious! I think I would add some more nutritional yeast and maybe some chix style bouillon to the recipe when I make it again but it was a hit as is.

The Rum Cake was heavenly and boozy! The Rum Punch was perfect!

Taymer is awesome. This book is so beautiful. I've made the rum punch like 6 times already. I did notice that on several of the condiments, the recipe made way more than it said the yield was. I don't mind, since I've been putting them on everything. The pepper sauce is dank, we even dipped pretzels in it.

I think I'll try making the vegan ham for Christmas this year, and pick some side dishes that I know are popular in Guyana, to win over my family (they keep telling me how limited I am, and saving all the channa for me because of this)

The ham is amazing, definitely make double quantities. Our's lasted about thirty seconds, and I did want to see if it ages as well as promised!