A Caribbean Christmas

Brickelia Street in Rancho Penasquitos blends into the other suburban homes that dot the hills of this north San Diego community. But on this pre-Christmas weekend, the street sways to a Caribbean rhythm.

Inside Carl and Sita Chan’s home, a dozen friends are busy cooking. Some are oiling banana leaves. With the moves of a masseur, a Trinidadian man is kneading a ball of dough from superfine corn flour. And the host, Sita Chan, is stirring a pot of seasoned meat. The aromas of thyme and fat red peppers accompany the jumpy Caribbean music as it wafts out to the other cookie-cutter homes.

The people at this gathering are mainly from Trinidad, the Caribbean island where locals will tell you that the three most important things in life are music, fellowship and food, especially at the holidays.

On the island, throngs of carolers take to the streets to serenade their neighbors with parang, a Spanish-Trinidadian type of music with a tradition dating back five centuries. Visitors drop in unannounced, and hosts are expected to feed them well. So most Trinis, as people from Trinidad are affectionately called, keep on hand an abundant supply of holiday food, including Trinidadian black Christmas cake; poncha crema, a version of eggnog; and pastelles, corn meal patties cooked in green banana leaves.

For many Trini expatriates, the holiday season is a time when homesickness strikes like a nasty flu bug. While their West Indian island is shimmering under the weight of festivities and seemingly endless Christmas parties that usher in the Carnival season, Trinis abroad feel marooned, some battling freezing cold in their new homes in New York, Toronto and London.

In Southern California, one group of Trinis has sought to cure their homesickness with an annual pastelle-making party, the Trinidadian equivalent of the Mexican tamalada.

Trinis are a global gumbo of ethnicities and religious faiths. In Trindad, Muslims, Hindus and Christians join to celebrate Christmas. Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, an adopted son of Trinidad, calls them fragments from the continents of the world: Asia, Africa, Europe, with a dash of South America thrown in.

Carl Chan, the host, is a first-generation Trinidadian whose own history sounds like something out of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. His father, Soo Chan, and two other men were on a Chinese freighter docked outside Port-of-Spain in the early 1940s. The three decided to swim ashore and make a new life on this island where Sir Walter Raleigh once came searching for El Dorado’s gold.

Like Raleigh, the two other swimmers never found it. They were rounded up by the authorities and returned to the ship. Soo Chan fared better. The local Chinese helped to hide him, and he ended up working at a Port-of-Spain laundry alongside a beautiful single mother, a descendant of Scots and Africans.

Only two months after their first meeting, Soo Chan went to visit his co-worker, Ruby Mitchell, at her home. He spoke no English, she no Cantonese. And he carried not flowers but a kingfish.

The brief courtship resulted in marriage with six sons and a daughter. All but one left the island to study in the U.S. and Canada. After graduating, they stayed away.

Carl graduated with an accounting degree from a New York university. One weekend he went to Long Island with a friend who promised him roti, a Trinidadian flatbread with a thin layer of seasoned split pea puree in the middle. At that meeting, Carl was introduced to Sita, the great-granddaughter of Indian immigrants to Trinidad.

The two moved to California 20 years ago. But the Chan homestead in Rancho Penasquitos shows that they have never really left Trinidad. The pictures in the Chans’ house are of old French-style buildings in Port-of-Spain, ones that resemble homes in New Orleans.

Visitors are immediately greeted by a tall Scotch Bonnet pepper tree growing out of an oak barrel near the front door, plump red, orange and green peppers dangling like Christmas ornaments. In the small backyard, clumps of sugar cane plants bloom near guava and citrus trees. Meaty Portuguese thyme, the variety preferred by Trinis, accents the herb garden.

Inside, the table is set with potluck food. Sita Chan has made her delectable callaloo, a swampy spinach and okra soup cooked in coconut milk. (Trinis prefer their callaloo with crab legs jutting out of the soup, but today Sita has decided to spare the crabs because there are some vegetarians in the house.)

The callaloo is eaten with a dish of rice and pigeon peas. The flecks of Japanese kabocha squash in the dish are worthy substitutes for Caribbean pumpkin, also known as Cubana squash, which is hard to find even in Southern California’s extensive ethnic markets.

Guests who don’t like their callaloo over rice have a choice: a platter of sweet potato, taro root, white yams and plaintains.

Sita has also made a dish of curried green mangoes and June plums. The dish, redolent with the roasted flavor of cumin and fresh Scotch Bonnets, is eaten as a condiment, like an Indian achar.

For dessert, there is a Trinidadian black cake that has been hoarded since last Christmas. It keeps well in the fridge, being re-christened every few weeks with rum, wine or cherry brandy and patted for good luck.

With the black cake, there is poncha crema, initially spiked with half a bottle of Trinidadian rum. After some people begin swilling it like mango lassi, the hosts discreetly increase the milk-to-rum ratio.

The guests take turns eating. Now and then, someone shuffles to the parang music on the stereo.

Parang is the oldest musical form of Trinidad, better known as the birthplace of steel drums and calypso. Parang was brought in by the island’s former Spanish rulers and taught to the native Caribs and Arawaks.

Although Trinidad has gone through periods when the dominant language was French patois or English, parang has survived. Although it is most popular during the Yuletide season, parang is composed and sung in some parts of Trinidad for all religious holidays on the Christian calendar.

Because few young Trinidadians master Spanish, parang has adapted to survive. So now there’s soca--soul calypso--parang, which uses English lyrics and fuses a modern calypso beat with the quatro, the four-string guitar that gives parang its distinctive sound. Another new genre is “chutney” parang, which borrows spicy East Indian rhythms.

The soca parang song blaring on Carl’s stereo today is a playful tune about a Trini woman who entertains a foreign visitor:

“I give him bread and ham

“Together with some pastelle,

“Ginger beer, poncha crema, sorrel.

“A glass of local wine went to his head--

“He turned to me and said,

“ ‘Oh, yes! Trini Christmas is the best.’ ”

The main part of the evening has arrived. It’s time to make the pastelles. Trinidad’s pastelle-making tradition was imported from Venezuela, just seven miles off the coast. Venezuelans call the dish hallaca and especially relish it as a late supper after returning home from midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

The job of kneading the cornmeal dough has fallen on Glenn Roget, who as a boy would help his mother make dozens of pastelles for relatives. Glenn uses ProMasa, a Venezuelan-made cornmeal. During a recent trip to Trinidad, he stuffed several packages in his suitcase, with this pastelle-making party in mind.

ProMasa is a precooked corn meal. It is superfine and has the consistency of cream of wheat. Most Trinis swear by it and won’t use any other cornmeal. (The Times Test Kitchen used Maseca brand instant corn masa and reported better than satisfactory results.)

Glenn pinches off pieces of dough and rolls them into balls, slightly larger than golf balls. The other Trinis form an assembly line around the Chans’ oval table.

The corn meal balls are flattened on a pastelle press, between two lightly oiled banana leaves. The flattened corn meal is passed along to Liz DeSantis, who places the highly seasoned meat in the middle.

Liz passes the leaf down the assembly line, where small amounts of raisins, capers and olives are added, before it is handed to Arlene Howell.

She folds the pastelle to make a crescent-shaped pillow, then uses cotton string to tie the banana leaf snugly in place. The finished product looks like a tidy little parcel. When the pastelles are steamed, the banana leaves infuse them with a flavor reminiscent of artichokes.

DeSantis and Howell are the founders of this pastelle-making party. The two attended St. Joseph’s Convent, a prestigious Catholic school in Port-of-Spain. Liz’s mother was Arlene’s Latin teacher.

After leaving the island, they lost contact with each other. DeSantis settled with her family in Temecula, Howell in Mira Mesa.

Several years ago, and 5,000 miles from the island, they were attending a party at another Trini’s home in San Diego. Howell walked up to DeSantis and said with incredulity: “You couldn’t be Liz Pounder? [her maiden name].”

The meeting renewed their friendship and, with the Chans, they started the pastelle-making party.

“Making pastelles is fun, but we do this mainly to enjoy each other’s company, to practice a tradition we know,” DeSantis says wistfully as the strains of parang fade in the background.

Trini Calypso Rice and Peas

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

From Carl Chan. Serve this dish with Callaloo. Ngo gai is available at Asian markets. Green pigeon peas can be found in the Latino aisle of well-stocked supermarkets.

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or ngo gai

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, minced

1 (15-ounce) can green pigeon peas (gandules)

1 cup diced kabocha squash, peeled

3 cups long-grain rice

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups hot water

1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk

1 tablespoon butter

Pepper

* Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, thyme, cilantro, garlic and green onions until softened, 10 to 15 minutes.

* Add peas and squash. Cook until squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

* Add rice, salt, water, coconut milk and butter. Stir until ingredients are mixed. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat until rice is cooked, 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving and season with pepper to taste.

12 servings. Each serving: 304 calories; 216 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.49 grams fiber.

Sita Chan’s Callaloo

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

If you prefer, omit the pureeing step for a colorful vegetable dish.

2 tablespoons oil

1 Scotch Bonnet pepper or habanero chile

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds spinach, chopped

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

1 medium kabocha squash, peeled and chopped (about 7 cups)

1 pound okra, chopped

2 sprigs thyme

4 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

2 cups water

2 tablespoons butter

Freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons salt

* Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cut slit in Scotch Bonnet and saute it with onion and garlic until softened, about 15 minutes.

* Add spinach, coconut milk, squash, okra, thyme, green onions, cilantro and water. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until ingredients are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove whole pepper, add butter and puree mixture in food processor until smooth. Add freshly ground pepper to taste and salt.

12 servings. Each serving: 162 calories; 482 mg sodium; 5 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 2.54 grams fiber.

Poncha Crema

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 2 hours cooling

Trinis keep this drink on hand during the holidays. This is from Times Staff Writer Davan Maharaj.

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 gallon whole milk, plus more if necessary

6 eggs

Grated zest of 1 lime

12 ounces rum, preferably Jamaican

2 tablespoons angostura bitters

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crushed ice, for serving

Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

* Combine condensed milk and 1/2 gallon whole milk in large saucepan. Warm over low heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring regularly.

* Beat eggs with lime zest. Add eggs to milk. Stir regularly over medium-low heat until mixture thickens to consistency of eggnog, 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to overheat or boil or milk will scorch. Cool mixture to room temperature, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.

* Stir in rum, bitters and vanilla, mixing well. Strain to remove cooked egg particles. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Serve over crushed ice. Top with sprinkle of nutmeg. (If crema is too thick when ready to serve, thin with more whole milk.)

10 (1-cup) servings. Each serving: 279 calories; 112 mg sodium; 148 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0 fiber.

Trinidad Black Christmas Cake

Active Work Time: 1 hour * Total Preparation Time: 3 hours plus 2 days chilling

Maharaj makes this cake for Christmas each year.

FRUIT

1 cup pitted prunes

1 cup raisins

1 1/4 cups currants

1 cup mixed candied citrus peel, chopped

2/3 teaspoon ground allspice

2/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup cherry brandy

1 cup dark rum

* In large bowl, mix prunes, raisins, currants, citrus peel, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, almond extract, brandy and rum. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain Fruit, reserving liquid.

ASSEMBLY

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons boiling water

10 1/2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing

4 eggs

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon grated lime zest

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, cut in half

1/2 cup glazed cherries, quartered

* In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt brown sugar, stirring constantly until sugar is dark brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in boiling water. Mixture will steam profusely; be careful not to stand too close. Mixture should be darkish brown and thick. Set aside to cool, 15 minutes.

* Cream butter. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Add lemon zest, lime zest, almond extract and vanilla extract.

* Sift together flour and baking powder. Add gradually to creamed mixture. Mix in melted sugar, walnuts, pecans, maraschino cherries and Fruit. (If melted sugar has hardened, before adding to mixture return it to stove and stir over low heat until it thins, 2 to 3 minutes.)

* Pour into greased 9-inch round cake pan lined with 2 sheets greased wax paper. Bake at 250 degrees 2 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake from pan. Soak cheesecloth in 1 cup reserved liquid from Fruit, then while cake is still warm, wrap cake in cheesecloth. Let cool, then wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight or up to several months. Refrigerate any liquid from Fruit and periodically drizzle cake with liquid. Decorate with glazed cherries before serving.

20 servings. Each serving: 258 calories; 129 mg sodium; 59 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.74 gram fiber.

Trini Pastelles

Active Work Time: 2 hours * Total Preparation Time: 3 hours

From Liz DeSantis. To make this a vegetarian recipe, substitute 3 pounds vegetarian breakfast patties for the beef and pork. You can find instant corn masa at Latino markets and many supermarkets. Packages of banana leaves are available at Asian and Central-American markets.

2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, grated

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 2 chopped serrano chiles

1 onion, minced

1/4 cup chopped chives

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stalks

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 1/2 pounds ground pork

4 tomatoes, diced

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup sliced pimento stuffed olives

1 (4-ounce) bottle capers

1/2 cup raisins

4 1/2 cups instant corn masa

5 to 6 cups lukewarm water

3 pounds banana leaves

Cotton string or foil

* Heat 2 tablespoons oil in deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cayenne, onion, chives and thyme. Cook until onion is transparent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add beef, pork, tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat to meld flavors, about 30 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until sauce is almost cooked away and meat is thoroughly cooked, 15 minutes. Stir in olives, capers and raisins. Let cool 30 minutes.

* Pour corn masa into large bowl and make hole in center. Add 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and 5 cups lukewarm water to hole. Mix quickly to make smooth--not sticky--dough. A little more water may be needed. Set masa aside.

* Wipe banana leaves clean and dry with paper towels. Cut in 12-inch squares. Rub leaves with 1/3 cup oil. Pinch off pieces of masa mixture and form into balls slightly larger than golf balls. Place ball in center of 1 leaf. Place another leaf on top and and press between two cutting boards or roll out to 6-inch circle. Flattened corn mixture should be as thin as possible. Put 2 tablespoons meat filling in center. Fold 1 end of flattened corn mixture over to cover meat filling and to make a semicircle. Make sure edges are sealed by pressing together. Now fold banana leaf to make a parcel (as if wrapping a present). Tie with cotton string. If foil is used instead of banana leaves, tightly fold over the ends.

* Place “parcels” in steamer basket and steam over simmering water until masa is cooked but still tender and moist, about 40 minutes. Serve in banana leaves. Unwrap and eat warm.

About 2 1/2 dozen. Each pastelle: 202 calories; 536 mg sodium; 25 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.80 grams fiber.

*

Maharaj is a staff writer in The Times Business section. This year, he and his family made last-minute plans to spend Christmas in Trinidad.