Calypso Kitchen

Caribbean Warmth, Island Soul, for the PNW cold.
There’s something about fall and winter in the Pacific Northwest that makes me lean into comfort,slow simmered pots, fragrant steam, bowls that feel like a hug.
But truthfully… stews, soups and braises were comfort even in the Trinidadian heat I grew up in.
Rainstorm or blazing sun, soup, stew, braise were always welcome.

Now, living far from home, these dishes take me right back to who I am.
This week in the kitchen I simmered:

🍲 Stewed Chicken with Long Beans (Bodi) tender, saucy, full of bell peppers and tomatoes
🍛 Curried Beef with Potatoes + Carrots, melt-in-your-mouth beef, warm spices, deep flavor
🥥 Light Coconut Curry with Flat Rice Cake Noodles broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, meat-free, silky, vibrant

All three are pure comfort, have the beef and chicken over rice, with naan, quinoa, or whatever grain you love.The rice noodle dish can be eaten on its own or paired with a main. Yum!
Warm bowls for cold Pacific Northwest days… and a taste of home for me.

🌱 Four Flavors of Home 🌱

As a child in the Caribbean, I was blessed with easy access to these four incredible plants, all growing in our backyard:
✨ Curry leaves – nutty, citrusy notes when tempered in hot oil
✨ Lime leaves – aromatic, citrusy perfume for curries and soups
✨ Bay leaves – subtle depth, perfect for slow-simmered dishes
✨ Lemongrass – refreshing, citrusy, and one of my favorites for tea 🍵

I grew up watching my grandmother use them daily, each one transforming dishes in its own way.

Living in the Pacific Northwest now, I don’t have the same easy access but I can sometimes find them in local supermarkets, and more often at ethnic or Asian markets. Every time I bring them home, it feels like reconnecting with my roots.

💛 These are not just ingredients they are memories, traditions, and comfort.

“From Our Kitchen to the Community”. Please help us eliminate food insecurity in our community.
🥘 “Every plate we serve helps fill another plate in our community.”
At Calypso Kitchen, we believe food is love , and everyone deserves both. That’s why we proudly support the work of Pnw Plateful, a local nonprofit providing 800 scratch-made meals each week to food banks and organizations serving our neighbors in need.
When you choose Calypso Kitchen, you’re helping us fund and create meals for people experiencing food insecurity in Whatcom County.
💛 Learn more about https://www.pnwplateful.com/ and join us in the fight against hunger.