Ramin Ganeshram
Cookbook Author, Historian
Ramin Ganeshram is a journalist and chef trained at the Institute of Culinary Education. For many years she was an award-winning writer for the New York Times and Newsday. She is the author of several cookbooks including Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago and Cooking With Coconut.
Ingredients
There's Black History in Every Pinch of Kitchen Pepper
Once an integral part of the American culinary experience, this customizable blend has been too long absent from the discussion of the world’s great spice mixes.
Holidays Events
The Spirited Foods of Trinidad’s Carnival
Trinidad’s cuisine tells a subtle story of those who learned to make something from nothing.
Expert Advice
A Highly Opinionated Guide to the Best Plant-Based Dairy
A 15-year veteran of vegan butter, cheese, milk, and yogurt weighs in on which brands are best.
Recipes & Menus
Vegan Sour Cream and Onion Dip
The best plant-based substitute for sour cream? Plant-based cream cheese. When blended, it best approximates the flavor and texture of sour cream. Top the bowl with crispy fried shallots for additional brightness and texture.
Recipes & Menus
Spicy Coconut Pumpkin Soup
This coconutty soup from Ramin Ganeshram is ideal for fall, when squash and pumpkin are readily available. Serve it with crusty bread or a hearty green salad for the perfect autumn lunch.
Recipes & Menus
Baigan Chokha
When grilled (or broiled) whole, eggplants get silky and smoky inside and charred on the exterior—perfect for mashing and mixing with sautéed onion, garlic, and fresh tomato.
Recipes & Menus
Dad's Curried Chicken
This Trinidadian version of curried chicken is an earthy, rich stew of whole chicken pieces in an aromatic, vibrant broth, spiked with hot chile and a traditional herb paste.
Recipes & Menus
Trinidad Curry Powder
Hot pepper is notably absent from this mixture—unlike curry powder from Madras. Trinidadians like to add fresh hot pepper to dishes, according to taste.
Recipes & Menus
Green Seasoning
Green seasoning is one of those herb mixtures that is unique to the Caribbean and differs slightly from island to island.
Recipes & Menus
Chicken Pelau
Pelau, rice cooked with meat and vegetables, really exemplifies Trinidadian cuisine because it is an admixture of various cooking styles.
Expert Advice
Reverse-Engineering Roti: Perfecting the Buss Up Shut
For most of my life, paratha roti has frustrated me. It took a pandemic to set me on the right path.
Recipes & Menus
Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)
To create the fluffiest, most pillowy Buss Up Shut, Ramin Ganeshram took a deep dive into the version she’d included in her cookbook, Sweet Hands. Here, she shares a few tips for making great roti.
Recipes & Menus
Doubles
This popular breakfast food is also a late-night favorite after a good "lime." "Lime" is the Trini term for "hanging out." On Friday and Saturday nights, smart doubles vendors take to their stations to serve hungry revelers seeking a midnight snack.