A good book challenges us and makes us ask difficult questions, and Black Cake: A Novel by Charmaine Wilkerson does this expertly. — ​I stopped eating Black Cake when I reached the acceptable drinking age in my mother’s house. However, the memories of that childhood intoxication and those Christmas baking sessions with my granny and mum live in me. Perhaps that internal revelry and reverence drew me to the novel, Black Cake by…

A plant-based holiday main, you didn’t know you needed. — I’ve been living in Trinidad & Tobago for roughly a decade now and we don’t have Thanksgiving here. This probably explains why only now, as I am writing this, has it dawned on me that this roast would’ve been a great addition to a plant-based (PB) Thanksgiving table OR an…

The most important guest you may be forgetting to invite into your life. — Years ago, famed Professor, Shame Researcher, Author, Podcaster, etc., Brené Brown said during an interview with Oprah, “Joy is the most terrifying emotion.” She explained that often we experience what she called a “foreboding joy.” …

Chili Crisp plus veggies equals a life-changing salad. — It’s salad season! What have you been eating? As for me, I’ve been eating my veggies! A ton of them because I spotted this cucumber salad on IG and decided to explore what it would be like with other veggies. And you know what? It’s a hit! Asian Spicy Veg…

A noodle dish so good it doesn’t even contain noodles and you won’t notice! — Last month, my partner and I set out to do a two-week anti-inflammatory eating challenge. We both had seen a dip in our energy levels and wanted to take a proactive approach to feeling better. We thought anti-inflammatory foods would help us to boost our immune systems. After the initial…

A quick and fancy-ish weeknight meal. — Back in the early 2000s, let’s say circa 2006/7 — when I first started eating Thai food — there was Thai restaurant and Sushi Bar in Dupont Circle (Washington D.C.)that saw me every week. You know what I ordered every week? Thai-style pineapple fried rice and unagi rolls. Throughout the…

When was the last time that you truly trusted the process? — Have you ever made a conscious decision to suspend your disbelief? As a facilitator and coach for small business owners, entrepreneurs and NGO leaders, ninety percent of my job is developing processes to help people graduate to the next level of their growth. However, processes only work if they are…

A quick and “fancy” meal for the lazy or uninspired cook. — This recipe was born out of desperation and cooking fatigue. I really wanted to reach for a food delivery app, but my partner and I have decided to eat less takeout. There was a ramen packet, tomatoes and a carrot the rest is, well, this recipe! Full disclosure, I was…

What happens when a mother chooses silence? — On the eve of my mother’s 62nd birthday, just 22 days after my 37th birthday, three days after my partner’s 36th birthday, and 132 days after my daughter’s 7th birthday celebration at Walt Disney World, I sat in reflection. We all — my mother, her partner, my twin sister and…