Sorrel

Sorrel 

Sorrel

A Trini Christmas is not Christmas without sorrel.

A good homemade sorrel is absolutely refreshing!

Refreshing glass of Sorrel

Because I enjoy sorrel so much, I ensure that I have my supply throughout the year, so that anytime I crave a cold refreshing glass or sorrel I am able to indulge in a real Trini semi-non alcoholic drink.

I say semi-non alcoholic drink, because when sweetening sorrel I do include a bit of rum, angostura bitters and cloves.

I am aware that many persons have their own secret ingredient, which they include when preparing their sorrel, to get that special taste they can call their own.

One point to note is that Sorrel takes a lot of sugar to sweeten, so always remember the high sugar content when consuming.

Red and Green/White Sorrel

Do you have a liking for the white or some call it green sorrel? I really think it taste different, so I normally stick to the red sorrel.


What about you, which one do you prefer?

Hope this recipe help make the sorrel drink, just as you like it.

1lb of Sorrel

11 cups of Water

1 cup of Sugar

8 Cloves

4ozs. of Rum

3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Directions  

-          Clean and wash sorrel thoroughly to remove leaves and bugs

-          Place sorrel in a large pot with cloves and boil for approximately 30 minutes

-          Allow to cool and draw

-          Strain twice and add sugar, angostura bitters and rum

Now enjoy your refreshing glass of sorrel.

If your ingredients and method is different, I welcome you to share.

Entertainment
Bottle & Spoon

Remember the good old days of Bottle and Spoon. This concept dates back to the 1930’s before Trinis figured out how to tune an oil drum to play music.

The beating of Bottle and Spoon was synonymous and still is at house parties and impromptu gatherings, especially for Christmas. It is said that the Bottle and Spoon are “Ancestors of today rhythmic instrumentation found in the steel orchestras”.

I strongly believe that instrumental to keeping this tradition alive is Lord Relator’s Christmas Song “Bottle and Spoon” – with the popular line “man does be ringing out real tune”.

I have really good memories back in the 1990’s of Lord Relator by my Aunty Jean in Coconut Drive Movant over the Christmas holidays, paranging and the whole family being festive and merry and beating their Bottle and Spoon. Children and all, we had a lot of fun. Those were the good old days!

Check out this You Tube Video of Lord Relator’s performance of this Song.

Enjoy.

Culinary Delights

Traditional Pastelle

Hum when yuh hear Pastelles yuh know Christmas is near. I have never met anyone who does not like Pastelles.

Well, I know we are all familiar with traditional fillings for Pastelles, like chicken, beef, pork, vegetable and even fish, but has anyone ever ate a Spinach and Salt Fish Pastelle ? Yes Spinach and Salt Fish I said; believe it or not it tasted really really good. I was so impressed that I ordered a dozen and I am boss Pastelle maker and have never purchased a Pastelle in my life until tasting that scrumptious Spinach & Salt Fish Pastelle.

Yuh know many, modern day Pastelle makers doh use fig leaves, and use only foil when making Pastelles. I have to confess that I am half traditional, half modern. Yes I use foil to totally wrap the Pastelles but also use a piece of fig leaf, as I was told the leaf actually adds flavor, I don’t know how true that is, but I do it anyway.

Are there any half traditional, half modern Pastelle makers out there?

Do It Yourself  Christmas Decoration

The Joy of Decorating your house for the Christmas season. The season comes and goes so fast, so in order to really enjoy your Decorations you have to put them up early. I saw a lot of the large stores have already put on display their Christmas Decorations for Sale. Me and house decorations is like a child in a candy store. But boy the prices of the decorations in these stores leave me like a really disappointed child that mummy could not afford to buy the candy I wanted.

For those who know me, I am a real economist and watch meh dollars when ah have to spend it. So I thought about you all and decided to share these really cool Do It Yourself Decoration (DIY). When you are finish viewing, I think you will really be thanking me for these beautiful inexpensive decorations that you probably have most of the items in your home already, to create.