It's my blog's 8th birthday, or as bloggers like to call it, our blogiversary! This is a really special milestone because eight years ago this week, I decided to try something new and enter into this world that I essentially knew nothing about. I am a very private person so starting a blog seemed daunting to me, but with some encouragement from close friends, I decided to take a chance. The recipes I wanted to share were critical in helping me stay connected to my culture and I knew there had to be others out there who would find them useful as well. What I didn't know was how to reach this audience and if they'd even read my blog! But here we are after 8 years, 150 recipes and thousands of readers later.
It All Started With a Facebook Post
Lakisha is one of my best friends from college. She still remains a constant support in my small circle of friends.
Reading this Facebook memory made me realize if I didn't take a chance, I would have missed out on so many connections, so much fulfillment, so many opportunities. All I can say is, if you have an idea for a business or a project, just start. There will never be a right time because there will never be enough time. I started this blog when I was in graduate school and had no idea how I would fit it into my schedule. Eight years later, my life seems more hectic, especially after having kids and I still feel like I don't have time to blog, but I am so glad I started.
I am so very thankful to my family and close friends for encouraging me and consistently supporting me. Especially my husband, who washes the dishes after I recipe test and also occupies the kids so I can get blog work done. I'd also like to thank my good friend Kami, who was an incredible resource to me when re-branding my blog last year. I don't know if I could've done is as quickly without her help. I was on a blogging hiatus and she really helped to spark my passion for blogging again. Thank you, Kami <3.
What's next for 2018?
I plan to continue posting recipes consistently throughout the year. I also have two big projects planned, but will wait to share the details because bad eye is a real thing, amirite?
The Giveaway!
I'm giving away a few kitchen tools that I cannot live without. We all have kitchen tools we do not use, but I feel you'll get good use out of all 5 of these items. If you don't win, but would still like to purchase these items, see corresponding link.
- Two 8inch Wilton baking pans - http://amzn.to/2r5k22Y
- One full size microplane zester - http://amzn.to/2raaHaj
- Three Kuhn Rikon peelers - http://amzn.to/2D3Js2F
- Ozeri Kitchen Scale - http://amzn.to/2D1akjG
- Taylor Oven Thermometer - http://amzn.to/2D4WiNK
To Enter:
- Comment only on this blog post answering the following question: What is your favorite Caribbean dish?
- Please enter your full name (first and last name) when commenting.
- Comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter will not be considered.
- U.S. participants only
- Winner will be announced on Sunday, January, 21st 2018 on this blog post and on social media.
Good Luck!
WINNER: MELISSA NARAINE
The winner was selected using a random name picker formula in excel. Please see video below. Thank you to everyone else who entered and left some wonderful comments! I will reply soon!
Pamela Marks
Guyanese pepper pot.
Nkechi Jack
As a first generation Guyanese American I love your blog and can relate to everything you post.
My favorite dish is during Christmas, garlic pork and homemade bread !! It’s so yummy with the salt, vinegar and hot peppers ?
Kamlawattee Dukhi-Ramprashad
Congrats!!!! Happy 8th Blogiversary!
My wife and I used almost all of your recipes.
They are all absolutely scrumptious.
My favorite Caribbean Dish would be DUCK CURRY WITH RICE/DHALL PURI & A COLD TALL GLASS OF MAUBY DRINK.
Travita Ramdin
Chicken curry of course!
Natasha Cyril-Brooks
Hmm... my favourite carribean dish would have to be dhal and bake! I love it, my kids love it, and it’s so good. My mom adds spinach in the dhal which makes it even healthier and a little fried bake doesn’t hurt ???
Kesrie Harris
Goat curry and roti
Alliah Mohamed
Curry goat with Buss up shot!
Johanna Nurjahan
Congrats! Your blog always makes me hungry and wanting to cook. My favorite Carribean dish is dhal puri.
Melanie Games
My favorite dish is curry chicken with dhal amd rice.
Melanie Games
Priya Sharma
Potato roti!
Mariel Juarez
Ackee and Saltfish with green bananas.
Jasmin Gunraj
Happy Blogiversary!
So tough to choose just one favorite dish. Duck curry & potato roti. Yum!
Esha
My favorite dish is fry baigan and Roti! I have to say before joining your blog, my roti never came out the way I wanted it to, but after following your receipe it comes ouy perfect! I refer all my Newley-wedded girlfriends to your site so they can make a good roti for the husband lol.
Selena Ramdhani
Happy Bloganniverrsary
I love all your recipes
Hmm it's hard to decide what my favorite Caribbean dish is- there's so much to love.
I'd have to say saltfish and bake. I love the recipe u shared and everytime I make it, I always use your recipe. Looking forward to more delicious recipes in 2018.
Keija Seemungal
My favorite Caribbean dish has to be Pelau with a side of coleslaw ?
Kami | Life with Kami
So excited and happy for you Alica, your blog is amazing and I know how much work you put into your recipes and posts. I can't wait to see what the next 8 years will be like for you. A few things while I'm commenting btw 😉
1. You don't have to thank me, but you're always welcome my friend.
2. My favorite Caribbean dish is chowmein
3. Yes, badeye is a real! lol
Devi rambrich
My favorite dish is chicken curry and dhal Puri. It was the first dish I ever cooked on my own. One day I called my mom at work and asked her for the recipe. I started off and burnt the masala so bad that I had to bring out another karahee to start over. I enjoyed making it so much that I would make it quiet often for the family even though it wasn't as good as Mom's. Whenever i go away, the first thing I do when I'm boarding the plane back home is to call my mom and ask her to make chicken curry for me. Being her big baby, she always delivers on my request. It's the best thing after a vacation in a foreign country eating bland food. If I had to had to pick a last meal it would be chicken curry.
- Devi Rambrich
Farrah Stellingburg
Happy Anniversary Alica,you have been an inspiration to me and its because Of you that i now enjoy cooking again,you make it all so easy to do,thank you
My favorite carribean dish is dhal puri chicken curry
Belena Dianand
Happy 8th blogiversary!!!
My favorite Caribbean dish is pepperpot.
Thank you so much for creating this blog and sharing your knowledge. Growing up my mom never made pepperpot, only until I tried it from my ex’s mother I fell in love with it and regular Guyanese food because she was an amazing cook. I’m now married and living in the US and at the beginning of my marriage I’d often google Guyanese recipes and that’s how I discovered your blog
Blanca Quattlebaum
My favorite dish is curry chicken and roti. Congratulations on your blog !!! Looking forward to more recipes.
Danielle Pointdujour
Pholourie with slight pepper of course!!
JoAnn Ramdin Singh
5 years ago I asked my husband what are some of his family traditions during Christmas. He replied “One of my greatest memories is waking up Christmas morning and eating pepperpot with fresh bread”. That year I found your recipe for this dish and made pepperpot for the first time...he ate two bowls and licked his fingers. Now, even though his mom makes it for him for Christmas brunch, he tells me to make my version because he prefers mine over any other ?
So my favorite dish is pepperpot for this reason.
Merle France
Peas and rice and jerk chicken
Ismelda Rodriguez
Pepperpot is my ultimate favorite
Alyssa Mooney
Congratulations on eight years of blogging! I think my favorite is pholourie.
TOMIKA ADAMSON
Congratulations!! So happy I found your blog. It gives me a nostalgic feeling everytime I see one of your recipes/posts. Keep up the good work and please keep adding new recipes of Guyanese dishes. My favourite caribbean dish is cookup rice with fried plantain and cucumber with a cream soda and milk to wash it all down!
Thank you,
Tomika Adamson
Sunita McCarthy
Pumpkin and roti
Sharmila Singh
Happy Blogiversary. I really enjoy your blog and recipes.
Too many good dishes to choose from. My favorite dish is lamb curry and dhal puri.
Tiffany0
Happy Blogiversary!!
My favorite Guyanese dish is gailbaka curry
Tiffany Panchu
Jayadevi James
Chicken curry and dhal puri
Nerissa Thaman
Lamb curry & dhal puri
Feroze Khan
Congrats on your anniversary!! We wish you many more. My favorite dish is lamb curry and dhal puri.
Nadia surajbali
Omg there are so many wonderful recipes but for me I have to say the dhal and rice with bunjay white belly shrimp is the winner. Yummmmm
Zaleina
Pumpkin and roti!!! Yum. Thank you for continuing your beautiful blog all these years. I enjoy reading your stories and relating to your Caribbean childhood. And I love those gorgeous step-by-step photos. You truly make it an easy experience to follow the recipe steps.
Anjanie Khimraj
Cook up rice due to its versatility because once you have the baseline ingredients, then i feel like you can customize it with additional ingredients of your choice and even make the meat on the side such as BBQ pork chops etc.
Alina Barnwell
Happy blogiversary!
Can’t go wrong with some delicious roti and curry! Craving! ?
Patrice Boyce
My favorite dish is Roti and curry!
Char Mcnish
I literally Just made your dhal recipe today and added the optional tomato as you suggested and it was so delicious!!! And every recipe I try of yours is spot on reminding me of all of my childhood treats , making it so easy to prepare and share with my daughter's. I think my favorite carribean food would be dhal and paratha roti.
Thanks for sharing your love with us Happy Blogversary!!!
Melissa Ally
My favorite dish would be bake and bigan choka !
Amanda Chinapen
Amanda Chinapen
Congratulations on eight years. My favorite dish is duck curry, dhal and rice with a side of hot pepper sauce. Good luck on your blog.
Vanita Singh
Dal, rice, chicken curry and mango achar.
Shabana Walker
Dhal and rice! Dhal is so versatile and brings back such good memories for me.
Melissa naraine
Happy 8 years! So thankful you started blogging with recipes that include real measurements!! =)
My favorite food is dhall! =)
Pamela Dimarzio
My kiddos influenced this choice because they LOVE it so much - fried bigan with chicken and chota. Yes, a different choice but I love that it is a healthy vegetable and I pump up the chota with a multi-grain mix: regular white flour, ground chia, ground flax and ground wheat germ.
Cindy Apana
Congrats! What a great achievement! I am so glad you have this blog. Not growing up with my mom and being on my own as a teenager there was nothing guyanese I knew how to cook. I knew I needed to learn how to cook all the foods I loved. I remember doing a Google search for guyanese chicken curry and there was a whole bunch of websites that I checked before stumbling upon yours. What I loved was how you went into detail about everything. You explained everything perfectly step by step and shared pictures which helped. I followed your recipe and the food came out prefect! I have made quite a few things with the help of your blog so I want to thank you! Your blog is my go to whenever I am unsure.
Oh yes, and my favorite dish is chicken curry. Rice or roti it doesn't matter ?
Avril Husbands
My fav is chicken curry with loud pepper ?.
Tatiana Carr
Man Alicia, this is a hard question but after much thought pepperpot is my favorite. I just love the smell, the taste and the fact that I can eat it with different sides.
Happy 8th Blogiversary!
Bakare Olayinka
I am not even Caribbean. I am Nigerian but you and other bloggers have made me fall in love with Caribbean food. I love me some curry and I cook them a lot with goat or chicken and serve with rice mixed with chopped cilantro
Nadeen Singh
Happy Anniversary! I love your blog and consistently refer to it for those recipes that include ‘a little bit’ of this or that. Too many Caribbean dishes that I love to just name one but at the moment I wish I had roti and baigan choka. Nadeen Singh
Karen Dang
My favorite dish is roti!
Maishah Ramdeen
My favorite dish since childhood has always been spicy chicken curry with potato roti! Thanks for the chance of winning a giveaway Alica! I love all of your recipes!
Tatyana Gap
So many favorite dishes (all?). Doubles that is!
Camille N
Congrats Alicia! I’d have to say, roti, Dhal, and baigan choka!
Gladys
Congrats! It would have to be curry goat!
Jennifer Ramprashad
Congratulations Alica! I love the blog and I am so glad you did it! If I had to narrow it down, My favorite dish is dhal, rice and chicken curry.
nadia hergash
Sponge cake all day everyday. Actually made some today lol
Chandra Petter
Duck curry and dhal puri
Ammen
My all time favourite is Cook Up.
Nikita Mohammed
Curry goat and macaroni pie! ?
Pratima Khan
Potato roti and chicken curry
Ahalia
Saime Curry and Fluffy white rice with wiri-wiri, fresh off the tree (respectively)
Catrina
5 years ago I would never have said this, but after an ex friend made curry fish for me I was hooked. Curry fish with mixed peppers is one of my faves.
Alana Lam
Hard to choose but I would have to say roti!
Emily Smith
Five years, how exciting! My favorite is Caribbean Black Cake. YUM!
Melvin Alexander
Over the years I have been introduced to many of flavors and dishes that is hard to keep track of. But I fell in love with doubles from Trinidad, as well as Akee and Saltfish, from pelaou (spell check) to arepas... But my favorite dish of all time, that I have to get every year, even trumping my curry chicken, would be Pepper Pot, Guyanese Pepper Pot!!
Francisca Jorgensen
My favorite Caribbean food is my mother's pelau made with smoked chicken and pigtails. Her sweet hands make everything taste so much better!
Amanda Balasar
MY favorite would have to be chicken curry ! I love to cook and was actually thinking of starting an Instagram blog. Your blog has inspired me!
Rajdai Joaquin
My favorite dish is fried rice with baked chicken. Cngratulations. please keep posting recipes. I don't remember who referred me to your blog, but it is my go to for parsad, rote and pastry. My mom makes pinetart and cheese roll but she never measures. I was happy when I tried your pastry recipe and it came out so well. Thank you and I look forward teeing new posts.
Denise Lee
Very hard to choose one, I love food lol.
But bread and pepperpot on Christmas morning is the best!
Andrea Brown
My favorite Caribbean dish would be stewed shrimp cakes with roti. Yum!
Angela Martin
I love so many foods but I would have to say my favourite would have to be split peas cookup with fried fish.
Geeta Ramsumare
Hard to chose: Baigan choka with oil roti followed by dhal and rice with coconut choka. Sorry I'm a foodie and these kept fighting for a place on this page 🙂
Love your blog!!!
SivaShakthi Sivaramakrishnan
Congratulations Alica on your blogiversary. My favourites from your blog are Christmas fruit cake, phalourie, pepper sauce.
Icelsa Mejia
Is so difficult to chose only one but can say my favorite dish is Stewed Oxtail with Rice with Pigeon Peas, I'm Dominican born, but the day my husband Guyanese friends send me wiri wiri peppers, they change my recipe for the better. I love your country foods, Congratulations on your anniversary!!
Carolsue
My favorite is Canoas de Platano Maduro (sweet plantains stuffed with ground beef)
Carolsue Ezovski
Whoops. You asked for our full name. Mine is Carolsue Ezovski
Aaron Fisher
My favorite Caribbean dish roti
Sherry Razack
My favorite dish is Lamb Fried Rice from your recipes. May family loves it when I make this.
Shaneeza Khan
Congrats!! My favorite caribbean dish is chicken curry and dhal and rice.
Shaneeza Khan
Tasha Seyad
Chicken curry and rice. Congratulations on your 8 years anniversary!
Roshnee
Happy Bloganniversary!! My favorite Caribbean
dish is Bhaigan Choka and roti!!
Sunita Chandra
Congrats on your blog! So glad I found it. I love your recipes with actual measurements! My favorite dish is bake and saltfish. Looking forward to your new recipes!
Susan
As a Trini, i have so many. ......so many choices. Hmmmm
Coo coo and callaloo with fried fish. I enjoy your blog. When i go home i feast on my moms cooking.
Congrats on your blogversary! I wish you continued success!
Amrita Sooklall
My favorite is gilbaka curry and green mango.
Savitrie Suenarine
Jerk chicken
Savitrie Suenarine
Hi Alicia I know I am not eligible to enter since I live in Canada.
Amalie ramsay
Chicken curry and roti!!! I married into a guyanese family, and use your recipes to make food for my husband and children! I don't want the recipes or traditions lost with our generation!
Sherry Bachan
Congratulations on your 8th blogiversary! I enjoy making your recipes! You certainly make me feel like a pro in the kitchen! Thank you for that. I look forward to your new recipes!
My favorite Caribbean dish is chicken chowmein.
Lea Banwell
So many of your recipes come to mind but have to say my favorite is Saltfish and Bake!
Ruwayda Ally Khan
Congratulations on 8 years of success! Thank you for all of your delicious recipes. I am a stay at home Mom that didn’t know how to cook many things, until I came across your recipes. My kids now tell me “Mom you make the best food”. My favorite guyanese dish is bigan choka and roti.
Barbara E Lashley
‘Curry Chicken’. - is my favorite. Quick, tasty, healthy and
can be eaten with so many other accompaniment. Roti, Dahl puri, busup shut, bake, white rice, brown rice, all types of peas & rice, ground provisions, all types of vegetables, Naan, pitas and even any type of pasta!
Roshan Ali
Congrats you are doing a great job. Love all the recipe!
My favorite is fry baigan and aloo roti. It's delicious.
Keep up the good work.
Allison Miller
Congrats! LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog. It taught me to cook! Favorite dish (cant choose one) - curry anything and roti, salt fish, dahl and white rice. yummy. I'm so thankful for your blog! Keep it going!
Marlene Olson
Pepperpot and roti (which I still can't make right)!
HEIDI PURCELL
My favorite Caribbean dish is chicken roti! A close second is oxtails! A succulent currant roll would top it off for dessert..Ay yi yi...I'm hungry now!!
Happy Blogiversary! Thank You For Your Inspiration!!
Heidi Purcell
Geeta Latchana
Gilabaka curry - my favorite with green mango and with some sajan bagee and rice...yum, mouth watering 🙂
Love your blog!
Happy Blogiversary!
Sha narain
Duck curry n dhal puri
Happy blogiversary
Jennifer Ram
Dhal, Rice, and Chicken Curry
Sandy Baptiste
Congratulations Alicia!!! What an accomplishment!;) Thank you for making my life so flavorful??. My all-time favorite comfort dish is chicken curry, roti, and white rice. I am Haitian-American, but grew up eating this dish at a close friend's house & I love that I can now replicate the same authentic flavors whenever I like. It brings back such great memories:)
Shanny Persaud - Atherley
Congratulations on your blogiversary ! Your site is an inspiration for me. Thank you for taking the time to respond to questions. May you enjoy many more blogging years.
It's hard to have one favorite but I will have to say a nice old fashioned chicken chowmein.
Vesna Naidoo
Thank you so so much for deciding to do this!
I sent you an email in 2012 or 2013 telling you how your blog helped me lose weight. I was doing WeightWatchers at the time and it was so difficult to eat Guyanese food and track my points. Your recipes helped me eat the foods that I love and track them with my point system! I am so grateful for your blog. Thank you.
My favorite Caribbean dish is pumpkin (with shrimp) and oil roti!
Please continue to post recipes!
Best,
Vesna Naidoo
Debbie Gunraj
My favorite dish is curry chicken with roti. I just discovered your blog and am loving your recipes.
Diana Persaud
Congratulations! I love your blog and I am desperately awaiting your cookbook. I can cook almost anything but struggle with Guyanese Indian food. When I discovered your blog several years ago, it was Godsent. Thank you for doing what you do and doing it so well! My favorite dish is Pumpkin and shrimp with roti!
Candy Bruce
Happy New Year Alicia, I would have to say...my mom’s Lo Mein w/ Chinese Sausage. Whether it’s with beef, chicken, pork or duck, with that sausage makes it extra special. I would be in charge of cutting up the sausage for the lo mein and would sneak a piece every chance I got. Reminds me of the days going on bus rides to Bear Mountain and waking up early in the morning to the smell of that amazing lo mein!!
Mareia Persaud
So many delicious Guyanese dishes but my all time favorite is gilbaka curry with fish egg , hot pepper , mango , okra and tamarind.
paulita nasim
Ccongrats! My favorite dish is chicken curry.
Evelisse Viamonte
Dhal, rice, and coconut choka, of course!! *Yum!*
P.S. Thank you so much for this amazing blog! Being first generation Guyanese-American, with elders telling me "a pinch of this, a dash of that" when teaching me to cook my favorite Guyanese meals, learning to cook our beloved foods was nearly impossible until I stumbled upon your blog years ago. Thank you for the love and dedication you put into sharing your amazing recipes with the world!! Congratulations on your 8th blogiversary, and cheers to many more successful years to come!!
Mohamed Ally
Chicken curry!
Nadia
Hi there! My name is Nadia Shakur-Sooknauth. My all time favorite Guyanese/Caribbean dish is Fried Okro with shrimp. Congrats on your blog anniversary! Xx
Shaneeza Khan
Congrats! My favorite dish is curry chicken, dhal and rice.
Valerie Khan
Salt fish and bake.
I've been making salt fish for the last 20+ years, but for the life of me I couldn't make a decent bake. The previous recipes I used came out too dense, too flaky, wouldn't puff up, or just weren't any good.
I came across your blog and at first I was reluctant to try your recipe for bake because of all my previous failures, but when I finally did oh my word! My Guyanese husband and I started dancing in our kitchen while the bakes were still in the hot oil just because of how beautifully puffy they became. And the taste, outstanding!
I'm just a white girl from Niagara Falls and thanks to my husband's heritage, recipes from his auntie's (OMG auntie Suabis black cake is to die for), your blog (and a handful of others, I can't lie) many of our West Indies friends and family have told me I'm the best cook they know.
Thank you so very much and please keep posting your delicious recipes.
Shivan Charran
Thank you for sharing your knowledge of these authentic recipes, along with foolproof methods to recreate these amazing dishes within our home!
Difficult question, as so many Caribbean classics are a favorite. Puri and 7 curry are my all time favorites. Brings back memories of my grandfather, mom, and I in the kitchen during religious functions. ---These classic foods are linked to fond memories, amazing how much value it has