Reggae singing celebrity cook Levi Roots has published his first cookbook, the Reggae Reggae Cookbook! I haven’t bought it yet but I had a glance a few days ago and it looks great. It’s going to be a massive hit for lovers of Caribbean food and food.
I applaud Levi (whose real name is Keith) because he’s a true example for young black people in this country who doubt their ability to succeed. In a recent interview in the Observer Food Monthly, he said that refused to change to suit corporate tastes; “At first, people thought the logo was too Rasta. Too Jamaican. Too black. But I thought ‘to hell with them’. That’s me.”
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I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cuss when I read this in the Times today: Sales of oranges are declining because people can’t peel them.
It sounds totally ridiculous! How could people in 21st century Britain not know how to peel a damn orange?
The article says; “Several reports this week have alerted us to that fact that sales of oranges have plummeted for the third year running because peeling an orange is now considered too time-consuming. And because they drip all over your keyboard, and make your hands sticky, and give off such a powerful scent that someone asks “Who’s been eating an orange?” and you end up justifying to a colleague, neighbour or spouse an act that should in ideal circumstances be private.”
What’s the world coming to? Anyway, if you think you need a refersher in peeling oranges, get your sharp knife, a tablespoon and check out the article.

I’ve just come back from a really short holiday in Trinidad. I went primarily for Joanne and Jim’s wedding and was also quite lucky to be there to pick up on the latest in the Trini culinary scene at the Taste TNT exposition.
Taste TNT was great, I ate some good food and did interviews with a couple of exciting chefs. I’m going to buckle down and write more about that soon.
I had a totally unplanned food experience at Tobago Plantations or VHL Tobago (formerly Tobago Hilton). My flight was cancelled and I had to spend an extra night in Tobago. The inconvenience was annoying but it was somewhat allayed by the dinner at the hotel. It was buffet style and I had more than my fair share of flying fish! I just wish that the restaurant staff would smile a bit more.
Having just received my luggage three days later, I feel as if I’m finally back home, so you can look forward to reviews of a couple of books I picked up on holiday and more about Taste TNT.