I mentioned previously my deep, unending love for baked goods so it was only inevitable that this would happen...The ultimate pastry blog post. Here are some of my favorites:

Local cinnabon

Old habits of eating pastries while studying die hard. The rich, creamy icing of the cinnamon roll is just the sugar rush I need to keep at the books.

Cheese roll

Cheese roll features a cheese filling flavored with oregano and thyme. They could reinvent the wheel as much as they wish but it never gets better than this.

Meat Loaf

When I need something a little heavier, I go for a meat loaf filled with salami, tomato sauce and cheese. My taste buds are never disappointed.

Good old Currant Roll

Currant roll is one European pastry that has stood the test of time. Thick pastry is balanced with juicy dried currants.

More pastries coming soon!

Sun hits the shore

Growing up next a beach is one of the many blessings as a kid. Despite the time away, my skin's candid familiarity to the sea water is astonishing. With each crinkle of sand, my entire body was at peace.

A view of the capital city

While waiting on the pot of oil down, we kids would make sand balls, chase each other around and then skin up the Sea Grape trees (Coccoloba uvifera) to see what fruit could fill our famished tummies.


This kind of grape is more seed than flesh, so we had to consume many of the pebble-sized berries. The tangy-sweet fruit combined with salt from the sea sprays must have given us more energy, for soon we would be engaged in a war with the naked seeds as our cannons until we worked up our appetite once more. Had this been summer vacation, you would have seen many pictures of ripe fruit. I found these hidden behind some leaves.

Sweet sea grapes

Blessed Morning indeed!

Another old friend is the Sea Almond tree. The (Terminalia catappa) were and still are at least 100 ft tall. Without a stone, the birds enjoy all the purple flesh. That leaves me with the work of cracking open the husk to get to the seed.

I plopped down into Grenada smack dab in the middle of Mango and French Cashew season. Talk about good timing!

Freshly picked French Cashew

Cashew Apple or English Cashew (local names from our colonial days) is a fleshy fruit that carries a nut embedded at its base. In Grenada, and I'm sure in other parts of the world, there are many species of the Anacardium occidentale. Presently, the 'nutless' version, known as French Cashew (fries aren't the only thing the French stole), is at the height of its season, sold on every sidewalk and bursting from every tree. A sweet, ripe cashew can more or less be guaranteed by a rich, royal red skin. The occasional poke from a bird is not only further confirmation of ripeness, but a warning that if you don't eat it, he will.

I get so excited when it's time to travel; plane, train, boat whatever it may be. My current trip began with a train ride of 24 hours. Nope, there was no way around it. So instead of complaining about the fact that I won't get to flirt with a handsome air host, I made preparations for a comfortable ride and that obviously meant carrying things that made my tummy happy. With the help of my friends and the experiences of previous train excursions, I gathered a bunch of traditional and maybe not so traditional travel food essentials for the long journey ahead.    

Today we visit the beautiful country Tanzania of Southeast Africa. I adore their chicken pilau, chips mayai (potato chips fried in egg), and general approach to cooking. The food's natural flavor is prominent with little flavor embellishments and enhancement. When I am eating, I taste the vegetables and meats for what they truly are, not seasoning-covered potential. It is a welcome relief to my palette to eat with my Tanzanian brothers and sisters, who by the way, are some of the warmest, kindest people I have ever met.

I was introduced to the possibility of eating homemade yoghurt with sweet potatoes. Being intrigued and apprehensive at the same time, the sampling conversation when something like this:

Friend: Try a little and tell me what you think
Me (looking at spoon in hand): I don't know about this combination.
Me (finally putting spoon in mouth): Why would you guys eat this together?
Me ( putting another spoon in mouth): I don't get it.
Me (one empty bowl later): So next week, I bring the yoghurt and you bring the potatoes, okay?

My friend laughed at me the whole time. Although I didn't understand the dish, my taste buds some how appreciated it. I want to eat it all the time. It's now part of the scared-meals-thou-shalt-not-add-store-bought-ingredients-to.

In terms of nutrition, sweet potatoes are high in fiber among other things mentioned here. Yoghurt provides protein, calcium and healthy bacteria for a smooth running intestine. So if you have this for dinner, your entire body will thank you. You're welcome in advance.

This is my last post from China for a bit...Can someone say HOLIDAYS!?!...So see you soon from a new location!

Happy New Year to each and everyone of you. Thank you for accompanying me on this journey in 2013. I hope and pray that 2014 will bring many more wonderful food-related opportunities my way to share with you.

Unfinished noodle soup

Watermelon and Cheese is a true reflection of what I eat, so you are probably wondering how I survived such a circus diet. At first, it started as 'when in China, eat like the Chinese'. That meant you needed to master efficient chopstick use. I am still working on that but once you have worked so hard to put it in your mouth, you should eat it right?

The island girl spirit of 'never see, come see' also contributed to active sampling of new foods. And yes there were instances of upset stomach but my Antiguan brothers taught me well. Try it THREE times to confirm that particular thing made you sick. With the exception of Black Fungus 木耳 Muer  (apparently I am allergic)，  either something else was the culprit or my tummy grew in resilience. Safe to say this method is more effective than the three second rule.

Black Fungus 木耳

Lastly, the only way I could truly adapt to a place so far away from home is by understanding their culture. Every food choice made by the Chinese is backed by a world of reason. I have learnt to trust that and found myself becoming healthier and happier. So this year, I will break down any remaining walls of fear and doubt. Look forward to many more hair-raising, appetite-awakening foods coming your way.

The clock strikes at 1 a.m. and it happens again. Cravings for something delish from home awaken in my pit of a stomach; obviously she refuses to change time zones. The pineapple on top of my fridge is finally ripe and begging me to use it. The first thing that comes to mind is the wonderful pineapple upside down cake I ate every Saturday at the St. Joseph of Cluny residence. I pause to thank the Sisters of this house for the unconditional love, support and teaching throughout my adolescent and adult life and this cake that is forever seared in the memory of my food sac stomach.

P.U.S.D cake is traditionally made with a base/cover of caramelized tinned pineapple, maraschino cherries and shredded coconut but as you know at Watermelon and Cheese we have to adapt a lot...but hey, we never lose the flavor....so here goes.

Pineapple -Where Have You Been- Upside Down Cake

No coincidence the supermarket had this in stock for Christmas

As a kid, I recall being bombarded with multiple TV ads of  "Guinness, it's good for you", "I got the power" remixes and a superhero named Micheal Power who could escape fires and land unscathed from high buildings. An after-work Friday lime was not complete without a Guinness (T.G.I.F = True Guinness Is Forever). With the addition of milk, angostura bitters, a dash of spices and sometimes an egg, it evolves into a punch for contenders of the World Strongest Man competition or at least makes you feel like one.

If Barbie drank Guinness....

For the ultimate hookup recipe check Chris at www.caribbeanpot.com and bring in your Christmas Eve feeling unstoppable.

I absolutely love and miss malta, especially the Vita Malt brand. Although it is available all the time, my parents always kept a case around at Christmas, so I tend to associate it with this season. Malta is made by brewing barley and hops and is later sweetened and carbonated. It's non-alcoholic so its smooth, creamy taste can be enjoyed by all.

Vita Malt, in particular, is said to provide energy and a great amount of nutrients (Vita stands for vitamin).

What I actually meant to say was Winter Solstice Day which occurs the 22nd of December every year. Roughly translated, it can be called Winter Coming Day although honestly, it really felt like winter 'done came' through these parts. Any advice for this island girl on how to keep warm?

The longest night of the year is usually spent with family and friends eating a dinner of dumplings and mutton, both of which are considered heating foods. One mao ( a Chinese ten cent) is placed in one of the dumplings, so everyone bites carefully until it is found. The winner is granted good luck for the rest of the season and the dumplings are eaten at leisurely pace one more.

Lovely bowl of steamed dumplings

Sauces and soups are the key to a great dinner

Mutton and vegetables cooking in a well seasoned soup

Recently, I found my own form of 'luck' in these sequential one yuan (a Chinese dollar). So happy that they were not hundreds so I am perfectly content with saving them.

呵呵呵圣诞节快乐！！ Merry Christmas to all my readers!! Well in advance hehehe.....This Christmas season's countdown features Grenadian cuisine that warm the heart, mind and most importantly the body.

This wonderfully flavored chocolate is the proof of my country's resilience in the face of Hurricane Ivan's destruction in 2004.
















It's earthy, fruity and all over rich. It can be eaten raw but I love to make cocoa tea with it. Not to mention that it much easier to use than the traditional method :P

This tea is brought to life by organically grown spices and raw brown sugar. Condensed milk is a must have or else my ancestors will cry a rainstorm from the heavens.

Spicy Cocoa Tea

1. Bring spices and water to a boil. Continue boiling for 5 mins while your nose enters olfactory bliss.

Strawberries!!

Don't they look yummy....I guarantee you they taste even better than they look. These fruits are placed on a bamboo stick and then coated in a sweet syrup made from rock sugar 冰糖 Bīngtáng. Rock sugar is preferred because it offers a more complete flavor than ordinary white sugar.  Although it contains mor e calories, its full taste allows you to use less of it, therefore eliminated that concern, if it is one of yours. All this transforms the fruit, already packed with nutrients, into a super duper snack for the winter.


Originally, Chinese hawthorns were used because of their contrasting sour taste. Over time, however, other tart fruits and even nuts have been introduced to this enjoyable winter snack.


Chongqing winter weather rarely drops below zero, so we can safely thank the northern states of China for sharing this with the rest of the country.