Grilled Potatoes with Bajan Inspired Dipping Sauce

Last week we spent five blissful days in beautiful Barbados. It was a quick trip but a great way to see old friends, meet new ones and enjoy a little time under the Caribbean sun.



Our snorkeling trip was a rare treat for me. We spent a wonderful morning snorkeling with majestic Hawksbill sea turtles. These marvellous creatures sailed past us so closely that they just grazed our fingertips. With all of the regular boat tours and foreign interlopers flailing about in the water, I suspect the sea turtles have come to recognize the sound of the boats engines as a Pavlovian conditioned response: Boat engines = food.

But we spent the balance of our time in Barbados primarily out of the water. We explored the island, ate the local cuisine and enjoyed the night life. On one such night, our friends boasted a Rihanna sighting at one of the local bars across from our hotel. (All the things you miss when you don't stay out until 3am!)

Nevertheless, I still love the adventure of travelling. My favourite aspect of being away from home is enjoying an experience that I have never had before, meeting new and interesting people and of course, discovering the local cuisine. Like most Caribbean cuisines, Bajan food is known for spicy flavours (though not necessarily the most fiery), and the freshest fish (including my new favourite, flying fish) cooked on the hottest grills.

Most people who spend time in Barbados make their way to Oistins for the Fish Fry. The weekly event takes place on Friday and Saturday nights and draws in both tourists and locals on a steamy night for a little music, some handicrafts and alot of delicious food.

As much as I was looking forward to our friend's wedding, I was also quite eager to experience the famous Oistins Fish Fry. When Friday night arrived, we packed ourselves in a taxi with a camera in hand and a healthy appetite. We followed the crowds down to Oistins. The parking lot heaved with taxis and buses lining up to unload hungry folk intent on experiencing the famous Oistins Fish Fry.

One side of the market is what I would call the fresh side. This is where fish comes off the boats caught that day to be brought up to stations where masters with expert hands deftly scale and gut fresh fish for sale. By the evening, there is little for sale as stand owners prepare for the next day's business.




As we moved over towards the crowds, we found the Fish Net Stand, the recommended dinner spot from the locals we polled. It turned out we weren't the only ones who knew about this gem. We lined up for ten minutes to order dinner. The line moved quickly and the staff hustled to move the line along. By far, the most popular choice was Dolphin-fish. (Don't worry - we didn't eat Flipper, it's another name for Mahi Mahi.) The dinner comes with a generous serving of the fish of our choice (Marlin, Dolphin, Tuna, and Swordfish), a small green salad, two potato halves grilled to perfection. But best of all, was the slightly spicy tartar sauce. This tartar sauce was creamy and smooth, studded with little bits of sweet relish and finished with a smooth touch of heat. We thought this tartar sauce was excellent with the fish, but it was even better with the grilled potatoes.



I think the base of this sauce was a combination of mayonnaise and sour cream but I decided to lighten it a little bit with a little low fat sour cream and skipped the mayonnaise.

These grilled potatoes would be a great addition to your next BBQ dinner. Also, this is simple enough to a great side to a weekday dinner.

Grilled Potatoes with Bajan Inspired Sauce


Quantity of potatoes
Olive oil

Dipping Sauce
1 c sour cream (low-fat is okay)
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dill
1/4 tsp dry mustard
6 sweet gherkins (minced finely - use a food processor) or 2 tbsp sweet relish
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lime juice

Boil the desired quantity of potatoes until mostly cooked. Cool slightly and slice lengthwise. Brush lightly with olive oil and grill on the BBQ or a grill pan.

To make the dipping sauce, mix ingredients together and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside. If possible, make the dip in advance to allow the flavours to meld.

Serve sauce alongside grilled potatoes. (This is fantastic with raw vegetables as well.)

While in Barbados, I recommend:

Cuzz's Fish Stand (the most fantastic flying fish sandwich I had on the island)Located beside the Dive Shop Ltd in St Michael by near the Hilton

Fish Net Stand for the grilled "Dolphin-fish" dinner at Oistins Fish Fry
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Gallic Inspiration: Moules Mariniere

I think if there is one place I could travel to over and over, it's France. There are few places in this world that soothe my culinary soul the way France does. It is quite clear to me as to why this is: It is the marriage of food and travel. Here you can enjoy the world's finest cuisine in celebrated restaurants as well as the little unpretentious gems frequented by the locals and all of this highly accessible thanks to a fantastic and extensive train system and Grade 12 French class.

And of course, my return luggage is a Canadian Customs officer's curiousity. They unzip my luggage only to find a chef's menagerie of sel gris, truffle oil, herbes de provence, wine, dark chocolate, and whatever exotic Gallic delights the country offers me. I have learned overtime, you can't bring back butter, or foie gras laced with black truffles no matter how much you plead. And boy do I try.

During our last visit to France, we took the train to Dieppe in the northern province of Normandy. We had spent the better part of the week exploring the fine cuisine Paris had to offer and now we craved soemthing more rustic and indicative of how people eat everyday.

The town of Dieppe is several hours away from Paris and we enjoyed the slow langourous ride through the French countryside. Rolling pastoral green fields stretch out beyond the horizon, occasionally interupted by small farmhouses frame after frame like pages of National Geographic. It was serene.

When we arrived in Dieppe, there was a distinct smell that city people don't experience often: the sharp metallic smell of the sea. It is a briny and strangely fresh smell that appeals to anyone who loves seafood. It's the smell of that kind of fresh. As we strolled past the many seaside bistros, it became apparently clear what the part of Normandy had to offer us today: Mussels.

Every bistro along the boat quay advertised its the daily special on hinged blackboards out front. It beckoned like a siren to hungry tourists to stop in for a little lunch in the seaside beach town. Moules et frites. Mussels and fries. Who could resist the shiny onyx shells lured open by a fragrant boozy steam to reveal dedicate saffron coloured mollusks in light garlic studded broth and a large bowlful of crisp delicate potato matchsticks and creamy pale mayonaise? So we stopped in and ordered huge bowls of steamy mussels and watched as boats bob up and down and fashionable French tourists wondered if they should stop for a bite. It was ridiculously contagious.

But today, we were at home missing that day. So, we decided when we were at St. Lawrence Market this morning, we would take a peek at the huge tank of PEI mussels at the fishmonger's. If the stars were aligned, we were going to have a delicious lunch that would transport us back to that summer day by the sea in Northern France.


Moules Mariniere
2 pounds of PEI mussels (bearded & cleaned)
1 small onion - diced
1/2 small pepper - diced
2 small carrots - sliced into coins
1 c of halved baby heirloom tomatoes
1/2c of white dry vermouth
3 cloves of crushed garlic (we love garlic)
1 tbsp of butter

In a pot large enough to hold the mussels, melt the butter until it is foamy and hot. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened. Turn down the heat slightly and add the peppers, and carrots. Cook until the vegetables start to soften. Add the cleaned mussels to the pots and pour the vermouth on top. Cover. After two minutes, add the tomatoes to the pot and cover the pot again. Steam until the mussels open. Pour into a large serving dish and serve with slices of cursty baguette or fries.

Back to My Roots

I am a hungry gal, I live in Toronto, and my thing is food. I love to cook and I love to eat. I think about it pretty much all the time. I am also fortunate to live in this great city with such a multi-cultural population that you can get almost any authentic ethnic food that piques your fancy. But still, I like to get on a plane, go some place special and spend a ton of time seeing and eating.

So my OTHER thing is travel. I love to see the world and to meet new people. Food is a universal need and language. So much can be communicated over food without a word ever spoken. There are few things that can top a stroll through a chaotic fragrant night market taking an opportunity to sampl e new foods from local vendors. For me, a fabulous holiday has three components: some weight gain, a little cash deficit, and a suitcase full of exotic goodies to test out in my kitchen at home. Oh and I love to read menus. Surely, I can't be the only one.

I decided to start a blog to indulge in these two passions, and to keep a record of the triumphs of being alive, healthy and happy through culinary and travel experiences. And every foodie who loves to cook has a culinary inspiration: my mother. She is the first person who cooked for me and nurished me. Though not an avid traveller (because the world is "dangerous"), the woman can cook. I know everyone says their mom is the best cook. But really, my Mom is the best. Her specialty is the amazing cuisine of her homeland, Singapore, which I hope to share with you over time. She is regal, and lovely and I know you're going to love her food.

Speaking of which...
Last night, I stopped into the grocery store and found a LARGE container packed with slippery plump Fanny Bay oysters. As Victoria Beckham would say, "Major!" I put one container in my basket, along with some fragrant fresh ginger root, and a bunch of spring onions and I was ready to roll.

I can't stress the importance of mise en place. Organize and prep all your ingredients before you start cooking and you will find the experience far more enjoyable. Trust me.

Oysters with Ginger & Green Onions
1 large container of large oysters (put aside 6 large ones for the omelet)
2 sprigs of green onion - sliced
1 thumb size ginger root - peeled and sliced into fine matchsticks
3/4c of water
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp of minced garlic

1. Pour the oysters into a large bowl. Pour enough hot water to cover oysters.
2. In the meantime, prep the ginger, garlic and green onions. Create a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with water, oyster sauce, salt & pepper. Stir until there are no lumps.
3. Pat oysters dry.
4. Heat a large pan or wok with 1 tbsp of oil (I use olive oil- but, it has a low smoking point and people say it is too expensive to use - but nevermind them.) When it starts to glisten, add the ginger, and garlic. Stir around until slightly golden- don't let it burn.
5. Add oysters and let them sizzle and brown slightly. At this point, the oysters are mostly cooked and we want to give them some colour but not over do it because they can get tough.
6. Give your slurry a quick stir again before adding to the pan and it will thicken as it heats into a nice silky gravy. If it gets too thick, add more water and stir quickly to incorporate.
7. Move off heat, sprinkle the green onions on top and throw the lid on it for a quick 2 minutes. (I started to plate our dinners and by the time I was ready for the oysters. Voila! They were done.)

We have been eating alot of brown rice lately. It's better for you - it does take some getting used to though and I think it is especially hard for Asians who grew up on white. Our latest thing is called "Kenn's Healthy Rice Mix" - it's a brown rice mix. It does take some getting used to, but this stuff, I am telling you, is major! And it's good for you. :)

The other inspiration I had for the Fanny Bay oysters was a famous Singaporean hawker dish called Oyster omelet. Singaporeans have a strong culture of open air eating. The country boasts many beautiful open-air food courts where you can order from many different kinds of foods from a variety of vendors aka hawkers and really have an exquisite informal feast. It is a Singaporean way of life to share meals with friends and family at a hawker center. It's a must do if you ever visit. More on that in the future...

But I must warn you- this is not an omelet in the French sense: a pillowy, delicate eggy cloud. By contrast, the Singaporean oyster omelet is a massive rubble of curds and oysters punctuated by bold spicy chili sauce. It's substantial and you should share. Or not. Here's my version, inspired by the gorgeous produce I found in the market yesterday.


Oyster Omelet
6 large oyster cut into thirds
2 large eggs
1 heaping tbsp flour
2 tbsp water
1 sprig of green onion - finely chopped
1 handful of pea sprouts - roughly chopped
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of salt
pepper to taste (white pepper if you have it)
1 tbsp of sambal olek

1. Measure flour out and pour into a bowl. Slowly add the water until you have a smooth batter. Add the eggs, salt & pepper and whisk until scrambled.
2. Heat pan - and add oil when the pan is hot.
3. Add pea sprouts and stir until wilted. Add green onions.
4. Pour egg mixture over top and stir gently as you would scramble eggs.
5. Cook over low to medium heat for about five minutes.
6. Serve immediately with a nice dallop of sambal olek.

Delight, delight, delight!




Hope to see you again.