Hazel's Sweet Hand...

It’s always good when college girlfriends can get together and reminisce over some good food, isn’t it? 

My girl Hazel and I have been doing the reminiscing part each month-end when we meet to go grocery shopping, so you can imagine how excited I was when she invited me over to spend the weekend with her and her family in San Juan recently.

“Don’t worry about food; I handling yuh!” she had said with a smile. My excitement grew when she mentioned that our menu would include something I hadn’t tasted in a long time… cow heel soup.

Now many Trinis love their cow heel soup with lots of provisions such as green bananas, dasheen and flour dumplings, but not us. Hazel’s cow heel soup was all about the spicy liquid and long before my arrival, the soup was already in production in her slow cooker, and the smell was intoxicating. Her recipe is secret, but I do know that carrots, potatoes, split peas, seasonings and some canned corn all had a delicious role to play in that pot.

And yes, I had to include a pic of said pot, hahaha!

I'm not ashamed to say that this was my bowl. It's so biiiiiiiig!

"Wait... did you just take my picture?"
(Everyone, meet my girl Hazel!)

And meet her bowl of cow heel soup too, lol!

The next morning, breakfast was a True Trini classic, bread and some tasty saltfish buljol studded with sweet onions and tomatoes, served with some sliced hard-boiled eggs on the side. 

We washed it all down with some orange carrot juice. There were a few zabocas (avocadoes) on the table as well, but they weren’t ripe yet.

(But just imagine that they were and smile at the thought… mmmmm…)

Instinctively, I reached for the butter bread and ladled on the salty goodness and topped them with the slices of egg. For the finishing touch, a sprinkle of pepper sauce which complemented everything perfectly. 

Later in the day, my girl picked some pommecythere (golden apples) from the tree outside her house, peeled them and produced a hot and delicious chow in no time with just the right amounts of garlic, hot peppers, chadon beni and salt.

I don’t have to tell you that by the time I spun around, the bowl of chow had
dwindled to just one lonely tenant.

My girl said, “No problem. He will go in the pepper sauce I'm making,” and coolly grabbed him and began to cut him up to put in her blender of garlic, chopped hot peppers, vinegar – and a couple other secret ingredients!

Sistren even hooked me up with a bottle as a lovely parting gift! Yaaaaay! :-D

My fellow foodies, it's easy to see that I had a great time chilling with my homegirl. Everything she prepared was so delicious, and I was truly happy to share her kitchen. Of course, I'll never forget the taste of her cow heel soup. She even laughed when I told her that with the first taste of her soup, I heard angels singing. (It's true!)

So, I'd like to say thanks for checking out my new posting, and Hazel girl, keep massaging that sweet hand of yours. 

And, like I always say, don’t forget to mind the pot!