Take a drink of dis…take a drink of dat

WENDY RAHAMUT

"Trini Christmas is de best"…so say the words of the parang song, and they are so right!

We show our culture and creativity at every festive season, Christmas is one of them. Ask any Trini, religious preferences aside, what is the best thing about a Trini Christmas? You will hear, ponche de creme, black cake, sorrel, ginger beer, ham and pastelles, home baked bread and sweet bread.

Many of these foods are foods which we inherited from our culturally diverse ancestry. So this year as we prepare any of our iconic Christmas foods, take a drink of dis, take a drink of dat…and cheers to our forefathers.

Sorrel

To make sorrel drink just clean the sorrel, by removing the seeds, put the sepals into a large non-reactive pot, add some cloves and cinnamon bark. It does not matter the quantities, do this to your taste preference. Add enough boiling water to barely cover the sorrel, cover tightly and steep overnight. Sweeten to taste with sugar syrup. Chill and serve over crushed ice or with club soda for a refreshing sorrel cooler!

Remember to always store sorrel in glass bottles, plastic can promote spoilage.

Some persons boil the sorrel with spices and sweeten the next day, it’s really your preference.

Basic sugar syrup

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 pound sugar

Directions

Combine water with sugar in a small saucepan.

Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Boil for 10 minutes.

Cool, bottle and refrigerate until ready for use.

Ginger beer

Ingredients

1 pounds green ginger

10 cups cold water

1 lime

2 sticks of clove

Directions

Wash, peel and grate ginger.

Peel and juice lime, keep the peel.

Mix ginger, water, cloves, lime juice and the lime skin.

Pour this mixture into clean bottles and leave to ferment for about one day, preferably in the sun.

Strain the ginger beer and sweeten to taste with basic sugar syrup.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Ponche de creme

Ingredients

6 eggs

5 8oz packages of evaporated milk (preferably non-combined, or non-filled)

14 ozs condensed milk

2 cups dark rum

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp minced lime zest

1 tsp Angostura aromatic bitters

1 tbs Angostura Cocoa Bitters

Directions

In a blender process eggs with lime zest until light coloured.

Add evaporated milk and condensed milk, process to blend well. Strain.

Add bitters, nutmeg and rum, mix well, taste and adjust flavourings to suit.

Serve over crushed ice, and garnish with lime slices.

Best ever Christmas black cake

Ingredients

1 lb raisins

½ lb currants

½ lb sultanas

½ lb prunes

½ lb chopped walnuts

¼ lb mixed peel

¼ lb cherries

1 ⅔ cups dark rum

1 ⅔ cups cherry brandy

1 lb butter

1 lb brown sugar

6 eggs

1 lb all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon and allspice, mixed

2 tsp mixed essence

Directions

Combine rum and cherry brandy and add fruits to mixture. Let soak overnight or up to one week.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together flour and baking powder, cinnamon and allspice.

Drain fruits reserve liquid. Chop or mince in food processor.

Add drained fruits to butter and sugar mixture.

Add cut up cherries and nuts.

Fold flour into fruits and butter mixture.

Add mixed essence, mix well.

Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans with waxed paper, grease and flour paper.

Spoon cake batter equally into prepared baking pans.

Bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours.

Drizzle extra rum over cake when baked.

Cool in pans before removing.

Makes two nine inch round cakes.

The best sandwich loaf

Ingredients

5 to 6 cups all- purpose flour

1 tbs instant yeast

2 cups milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup butter or shortening or mixed, melted

2 tsp salt

Directions

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, place two cups flour yeast, salt and sugar.

Add milk, melted butter and eggs, beat until smooth.

Add the rest of the flour and knead to a soft smooth dough, about 5 minutes.

Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Punch down dough and divide into 2.

Prepare two loaf tins.

Roll dough out to a 10-inch rectangle. Roll up and place seam side down into the loaf tins. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the bottom of the loaves give a hollow sound when tapped.

Makes 2 9x5 inch loaves