Following my last column about the responses to textures, particularly in food, a friend asked how I felt about souse. For a fleeting moment I thought she had made some and was offering me a taste that Sunday morning. Although her message was about the column, my brain is so …
Read More »Vaneisa: Acid reflux and burning desires—the consequences of our “zesty palates”
Bird peppers turned up everywhere. You didn’t have to plant them; they took root wherever they were dropped off by their bird friends. Small and innocuous looking, they were hot—none of the warning signs like scotch bonnets, whose succulent exteriors were a fire alarm. My younger brother, at four, was …
Read More »Vaneisa: Stuffing on memories—what makes you think of Christmas?
Every now and then it feels necessary to step back from the daily bombardment of unpleasant news that can wrench your spirit into a forlorn space. It helps to summon cheerful thoughts that remind us that there is beauty around us, and that life very often goes on inside our …
Read More »Daly Bread: Baigan soufflé and judicial macafouchette; a Mayaro postscript and JLSC jab
Reaction to last week’s Mayaro resumed column was as I expected. Readers welcomed and want more of “feel good” topics that bring some relief from the anxiety afflicting all but the one percent and the mindless fete people. This column is a postscript, but I must acknowledge reality first. People …
Read More »Dear Editor: A Tale of Two Critics; why Bourdain’s T&T review was ultimately tasty
“[Anthony] Bourdain doesn’t concern himself about whether the food is too much for his ‘tummy’—as [Megan Ogilvie gripes—he explores and situates the cuisine within Trinidad’s history: doubles, roti, fish, kibbeh, pastelles, souse, callaloo, crab and dumplings… the delicious and unique list goes on.” The following Letter to the Editor was submitted …
Read More »Dear Editor: How to reform Port of Spain in 22 steps
“Create legislation to tackle food waste, convert vacant lots to green spaces, modernise the Central Market, acquire or repurpose abandoned buildings, close the QPS entrance/exit opposite Dundonald Street… partner with businesses to provide free WiFi!” The following Letter to Editor with 22 steps to reform Port of Spain was submitted …
Read More »Doomed to importing foods: Raffique points to economic risks of our diet
Recently, there has been much noise over Trinidad and Tobago’s capacity to produce the foods that we eat. I use the word “noise” instead of discussion or debate because so much of what is said and written is uninformed. With the economy in full-blown recession and foreign exchange inadequate to …
Read More »Whey the money really gone: Shah identifies our other big users of forex
Central Bank governor Jwala Rambarran was the unlikeliest man to kick the hornets’ nest. But that he did when he named the firms that used the most foreign exchange—or forex—over the past three years. Amidst a cacophony of complaints from businesses and individuals about being denied adequate sums of forex …
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