Chinese New Year, Trinidadian-Style with Ramin Ganeshram

Jean-Paul Vellotti for NPR

Chinese New Year started yesterday, and the festivities will continue for 15 more days (shouldn't everyone do that?). Sweet Hands author Ramin Ganeshram shares how to celebrate the lunar new year like a native Trinidadian with NPR!  Trinidad & Tobago usually brings to mind glossy travel photos of beaches and palm trees, or rum-infused Carnival partying, but the celebrations for Chinese New Year run a close second. Ganeshram notes that: 


"Chinese were first brought to the islands in the 19th century as indentured laborers on British colonial plantations. They soon became part of the general population of Africans, Indians, Europeans and Syrians. Their influence on the island's food was profound, perhaps because once they left indenture, Trinidad's Chinese often owned the island's grocery stores."


Now a part the multiethnic population, Ganeshram says "it's common to see Chinese New Year good luck symbols in retail centers in Trinidad, and parades, complete with dragon dances, are hosted by various Chinese associations islandwide." Of course, this intermingling made for great eats, and Ramin has adapted some of her recipes for you to enjoy, including Fried Wontons, Shay Shay Tien's Pow, Eight-Treasure Trini Chow Mein, Dasheen Pork, Five-Spice Rum Pork and Vegetables, Bitter Melon with Onion Seeds, and Chinese Cakes. See the article for recipes!

Christmas Cookies in "Sweet Hands"

Sweet Hands author Ramin Ganeshram has been featured on NPR's Kitchen Window, sharing new recipes for holiday baking! While a variety of other sweets were a part of her family's traditions, cookies were not  put out for Santa or given as gifts.

"Slowly, I began to incorporate cookies into my holiday baking that, until then, mostly involved making up to 40 Trinidad Christmas fruitcakes for family and friends. Once I resolved to make cookies part of the season, it only seemed right to start with the kiffles. It was part of my in-laws' traditions and also seemed like a singularly American thing to do: a cookie native to Hungary, kept going in an Irish family and passed on to me."

Ganeshram has created 7 delicious kinds of cookies: Aunt Fran's Kiffles Redux, Caribbean Sugar Cookies, Tropical Jam Thumbprints, Chocolate Chili Stars/Chocolate Ginger Stars (above), Coconut Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Coconut Thumbprints and Cocoa Tea Cakes. See the article for all the recipes!

Sweet Hands Book Signing This Thursday!

Author Ramin Ganeshram will be signing copies of Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago this Thursday, September 2nd! If you are in the New York City area come to Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe at 2319 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (between 124th and125th Streets). Ramin will be signing from 6 to 8 PM.

You can get to Hue-Man Bookstore by taking the A-C or B-D to the 125th Street stop on St Nicholas Avenue, or the 2-3 to the 125th Street stop on Malcolm X Boulevard/Lenox Avenue. We hope to see you there!