I was raised with my grandparents in St. Lucia since I was little and my granny being the wonderful farmer’s wife that she was, introduced me to food and since then it has always been a part of my early life. I remember helping on the farm when we were free from school mostly and then coming home to cook some of what we harvested that day. At the age of 8, I already knew how to peel the yams and bananas so well and wash the sweet potatoes and breadfruit that I loved so much before cooking. My grandmother was quite the cook and she had me in her kitchen from young, stirring the pot and tasting for salt and flavor.

Fast forward to many years later when I moved to the UK, to finally join my mom, seeing her modern ways of cooking inspired me even more. The way she would make a meal out of whatever was in the house and calling it her own creation was just incredible. Even when I finally moved to my own home, trips back to my place consisted of lots of bowls of food wrapped up to take back with me because I just couldn’t get enough. To this day I still have some of her cutlery in my marital home (Sorry Mom).

This food journey is a symbol of the love I have for authentic Caribbean food passed on from my grandmother and mother to me as a young woman and featuring some of the experiments that I’ve made into masterpieces.

I hope you enjoy and feel the love I have poured into these books as you cook and share with your own families.

To all my Darlings. Love, Terri-Ann