Lily’s Blog, Dragon Absconded!
Baking Until I Drop

Well mep *just* tweeted about Taste T&T, linking to their post.

And from there, I got to the press release on TDC’s website. Okay so you’re thinking why didn’t I go there in the first place? Well they didn’t link me to there did they?

I wish they could keep track of their multiple websites.

Previous posts:
Taste T&T 2010 Hits the Road
Further Thoughts

(Ramadan post coming soon…I have pictures of food! But I haven’t looked at them yet…doubtful as to their quality. But our masjid has at least 3 more iftars! woohoo!)

See first post.

It occurs to me the workshop is on September 2nd and 3rd.
Bear in mind, so you don’t attribute anything to sour grapes, I have no expectation of being invited.

But, that’s during Ramadhan. You know fasting?
But I guess muslims only account for about 6% (or something like that) of the population.
And of that, who knows how many fast, right?
So, maybe muslims not really invited.
Maybe after all, we’ve not really contributed to what’s made Trinbagonian food so unique…so good.
So fasting muslims don’t need to be invited to the workshop at all!

And then the first Sunday lunch is on September 12th.
Well, let me tell you, Eid-ul-Fitr is most likely September 10th or maybe the 11th.
Will I really be able to convince my tired parents and other muslim family to drive up to Toco the next day?

Well, Chennette might be here for that weekend.

ETA: This link has two links to T&T websites, neither of which work.
What a release.

Casually flipping through the Sunday Express, what do I see?

Taste T&T 2010: Many Flavours ONE FESTIVAL

Wow!
And I wonder to myself when is it?
How often do I pick up the physical newspaper and read it?

Have other people heard about it and not me? But I do check Twitter. Chennette keeps track of local food blogs better than me…

Anywayz, details for those who might not have seen it (someone tell me how long they running these ads because if it is only today then seriously need new committee real bad…if beginning of August…still need one).

It is in two parts all to discover what makes our food unique.

On September 2nd and 3rd is the Taste T&T 2010 Workshop (by Invitation Only) where local and international chefs will analyze our dishes.

Then they will continue on for a series of Sundays in the “villages that made our trademark dishes famous”. Come for Sunday Lunch (10am to 5pm)

• Toco Sea Food, 12th September @ Toco Regional Complex Grounds.
  Special Prize for Best Seafood Broth
• Tunapuna Creole Food, 19th September @ Honeymoon Recreational Ground.
  Special Prize for Best Curry Duck
• Debe East Indian Delights, 26th September @ Venue to be determined.
  Special Prize for Best Doubles

ADMISSION FREE

Did I just give TDC a free ad?? :)
(ha! not much people read this)

Well they said for further information call head office or go to the website gotrinidadandtobago.com but I didn’t see anything listed there for current Taste…SURPRISE! (not!)

Not sure I want to go.
But want to go. Not sure about Chennette’s plans.
It’s very annoying…have they been planning this long?

I’m trying to read a lot more Qur’an now because of Ramadan.
My arabic understanding is limited but I can read.

Unfortunately, I’m not all that confident. Maybe it’s this little inferiority feeling…

A couple days ago I screwed up my courage and read for mom who was like, what? you’re not reading that bad.
Then I read for my brother.

I’m told I get more blessings struggling than those who are very fluent.

I always hope to carry on the quantity of reading I do in Ramadan out of Ramadan.

Software plug: On that subject, I use Zekr. It’s Open source Qur’an software.
The best thing about it is it works on Windows, Mac OSX and Linux (well I hope all Linux). It can display the Arabic with the transliteration with the translation, or alone. And you can add recitations (or use the online ones) and play each verse one at a time so you can read along with the recitation. I made sure all my family have it.

I must add that the audio doesn’t work on Linux PPC. I think it needs Java… But it still works nicely as a Qur’an.

Okay, I still use my hard copy qur’an because the script is *nice* and big, but I really need to get one of those colour-coded tajweed Qur’ans…it would help a lot more when I don’t have my computer.

I think we are onto our 10th fast…and
THERE IS AN IFTAR IN THE MASJID TONIGHT
Yay!
Pictures? :)

It’s a hard Ramadan when your family is split up.
We started taking pictures around both Eids so that my brother in Saudi Arabia and my sister the elder in Guyana could see what we were cooking. Mom said we were making them jealous and we shouldn’t. But truly, that wasn’t the reason (or the total reason). My brother *wanted* to see what we were making. My sister wanted to live vicariously through pictures.

Now my brother is home for this Ramadan and as you know Chennette is in Guyana with our other sister so…there are enough people in Guyana to make the things we like too.

Chennette craves macaroni pie…posts pictures of macaroni pie. Well yesterday mom baked lamb in bbq sauce and I made macaroni pie. I also made a macaroni pie with beef that went into the freezer, a meal to be baked for another day.

She made googni (boil and fry blackeye with onions and whatever else) and next day mom makes it.

We make aloo pie and channa and cucumber chutney she says hmm maybe I want that instead of pizza.

And I think, hmm, how long has my brother been home and I haven’t made any pizza?

Last night, she chirps that

you can’t make style on us @empresslilandra WE making Aloo Pies tomorrow for #iftar! http://bit.ly/aOpPiU #Ramadan #Caribbeancooks

What else is in the lineup?

So, I guess, in a way, we are celebrating Ramadan together.

:-)

Hmm…I wonder if she’ll feel for non-stuffed but fried beef kibbe with tahini?

Fried Kibbe, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

It looks kinda like felafel, doesn’t it? :)

Well, I missed a day of posting, so now we’ve had 9 Tarawih and I started my 9th fast.

Almost

Hey, a week of Tarawih prayers are done!
And Alhamdulillah I managed to make it to the masjid every night for it, although I think I was falling asleep last night.

Water has finally come last night and hopefully it stays to fill up our tanks.

We got sahina to break fast from our neighbours but otherwise, yesterday was a day of leftovers.

I really want Chennette’s pizza, googni.
I also might have to make Golden Wheat Carrot Cake and for some reason am considering trying homemade pastrami (because where would I get halaal pastrami in Trinidad?)

Finally.
I did mention we went and bought a fridge the FIRST day of fasting. I searched through my old posts and found one almost exactly a year before we bought it, complaining about the fridge. I know I’ve been complaining for even longer but I don’t seem to have mentioned that here.

So after Tarawih, it settled. We moved the old fridge out into the porch. We moved the new fridge into position and plugged it on and I wiped the insides with hot water. Filled the ice trays and went to sleep.

(okay a bit more involved than that. We had to take out the doors from the old fridge, so empty the doors, twist around back door, fiddle with new fridge feet…let people run around and not fall asleep after).

Happily when we woke up for suhur, the ice was frozen.
Of course the old fridge said the temperature was 38F after months when it couldn’t go below 45F and I think recommended is 40F at most. Our electronics are infamous for being jealous.

Hopefully someone will buy it even knowing it needs some work. I can’t deal with two fridges again!

And for iftar yesterday…
Well mom (with my help) made aloo pies, curry channa with cucumber chutney while we waited for the fridge to arrive. That was dinner for me too. And iftar.

Aloo Pie, Channa and Cucumber Chutney, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

Hmmm…

Well, I’m tired and have many pictures to go through but I will post a link to Chennette’s recipe with picture. I need to sleep so I can do more stuff tomorrow…:)

Today: 6th Ramadan.
Last night: 6th Tarawih
This morning: 6th Suhur

We’ve almost done a week of fasting. Wow time flies!