haitianculture:

My name is Patricia and I am organizer of a meet up group in NYC called Ann Pale Kreyol.  The purpose of the group is to create opportunities through activities and cultural events for Haitian-Americans to improve their Kreyol speaking ability and connect with the Haitian culture.  We are doing a 3-hour Kreyol workshop this Saturday, 3/17 and 2pm.  The workshop is for advanced beginners and will focus on the structure, sound and vocabulary of the language. Participants will also learn about Haitian culture through a brief introduction to music and art. The workshop will include class discussion, brief presentations and some tasty traditional Haitian treats.

Here’s the link for more information and to register.  http://haitiancreoleworkshop.eventbrite.com/

my prayers answered!

Ayiti (land of mountains)is the original Taino name for what is now known as the island of Hispañola. When General-Governor Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared what was then Saint Domingue a free and independent Black Nation in 1804, he changed the name back to Ayiti, in an act that W.E.B. Dubois, among many historians, believed was an “attempt to symbolically disrupt centuries of European empire and brutality”. 

this tag definitely needs some expansion, but you could technically make yourself an entire dinner with this link. stay tuned for haitian stewed chicken, diri a sauce pois (rice with haitian black bean sauce) and griot (fried pork).

you’re very welcome and happy eating!

it’s that time of year again! traditionally served on new year’s day in celebration of haiti’s independence, soup joumou is a popular and very delicious holiday dish. on january 1, 1804, newly freed slaves consumed the once forbidden dish after running the french off the island and claiming their independence. in my house, half the day is spent in the kitchen and only the women cook. histories are shared, secrets revealed, stories passed on… it really is my favorite day of the year!

the thickness and mildly spicy taste of this vivid, flavorful stew is perfect for warming the bones in the middle of winter. soup joumou is made from pumpkin or yellow squash and often contains meat (beef or pork), hearty autumn veggies, vermicelli, and little doughy soup dumplings called domnbwey. domnbwey is an easy project for kids who want in on the fun of cooking too! i’ve included the simple recipe for domnbwey at the bottom of this post. enjoy and happy new year!

SOUP JOUMOU
ingredients:
• 1 lb beef neck or oxtail
• 1/2 lemon
• fine sea salt
• crushed black pepper
• water (enough to cover meat; more water may be added later to adjust consistency)
• 2 lbs pumpkin, peeled & cubbed (alternately, use canned pumpkin)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 scallion stems, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 leek, chopped
• a small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley (about 3 sprigs), minced
• a small bunch fresh thyme (about 3 sprigs), minced
• a hearty bushel of spinach
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped
• 6 small potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 3 large carrots, chopped
•1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp hot pepper (add more if you like more heat)
• 1/4 lb vermicelli pasta or macaroni
• domnbwey (soup dumplings)

directions:
in a bowl, clean meat with lemon and hot water, then season with salt and pepper. chop into cubes and marinate meat in onions, scallions, garlic, parsley and thyme. refrigerate covered overnight (alternatively, if making same day, set aside for one to two hours). 

in a small saucepan half filled with water (maybe 2 cups), cook pumpkin until tender, about 30 minutes. mash/puree pumpkin in pot.

in a stockpot, cover and cook meat with 1 cup water over low heat for 30 minutes. add pureed pumpkin (add additional cup of water if necessary) and bring to boil for about 30 minutes. add spinach, bell pepper, celery, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, nutmeg and hot pepper. cook uncovered for 20 minutes. add pasta and dumplings. cook covered for 10 minutes. add sea salt and black pepper to taste. 

serve hot with buttered haitian or french bread.

*********************************************************************************

DOMNBWEY
haitian soup dumplings are soft, chewy and take on the rich spicy flavor of your soup joumou. to ensure they don’t get too tough, add dumplings about ten minutes before soup is finished cooking. this is a fun and simple project for kid chefs!

ingredients:
• 3 cups white flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup water 

directions:
in a bowl, combine ingredients and kneed until lumps are gone. hand mold into round or oblong balls, then spoon into boiling soup and cook until more or less solid (about 10 minutes). that’s it! 

(Source: laeticia)

godspen asked: Ki kote an Ayiti ou soti?

i wasn’t born in haiti, but my folks come from port-au-prince and croix-de-bouquets. my sister and i were born in brussels.

i would’ve written that answer in creole, but my creole is shit.

the day i met my mom’s entire family. all in one day. there was lots of kissing and smiling and crying. none of them had seen my mom in over 25 years. seeing me was an enormous moment for them. for me, meeting 20 more cousins, two more uncles and a bunch of close neighbors was at once overwhelming and incredibly satisfying. this was the purpose of my trip. i’d found the connection i’d been seeking.

i also saw the house she grew up in, a tiny little place with a massive garden. like, huge. so huge, you couldn’t see the back. i picked from a banana tree in front of the house and wondered if mom had picked from this same tree as a young girl. i stood on the porch and looked into the now empty rooms. tiny. i’ve always thought of my mom as big, not physically big. it’s her personality and her generosity. and her laugh. huge! it was hard to imagine her fitting inside.

that was a pretty dope day.

YO DI
Suze Baron

Yo di
san kretyen
enrichi
late

Si sete vre
Si sete vret
mezanmi

ala diri
pitmi
ak mayi

ki ta genyen
la peyi
D’Ayiti

They say
human blood
enriches
soil

If that were true
If that were true
my friends

how rice
millet
and corn

would thrive
in
Haiti