Trini Tuesday-Happy Valentine's Day

When we moved to Trinidad we pretty much hit the soil and I got pregnant with Calypso. Anyone who has ever lived with a pregnant woman can attest to how insane we can become with food cravings. My cravings were enhanced by the fact that many things I craved were simply not available in Trinidad. I LOVED a lot of Trinidadian dishes and quickly learned how to make many of them, but it did not satisfy my urges for the things I missed.

I would have given an arm and a leg for lasagna. I could make my own sauce. I could even get lasagna noodles. The cheeses were problematic. No mozzarella, ricotta, or parmesan were to be had on the island. Oregano and basil were also unheard of. My dad came to visit and I told him not to even get off the plane unless he had those cheeses and spices. He would not be welcome. I also begged him to bring Doritos and peanut butter Tastycakes. Dad came through. He carried the Doritos in his briefcase and the bag exploded leaving crumbs in every corner. No matter. I collected the big chips and then very carefully licked my fingertips to retrieve each tiny crumb from the corners of the briefcase. OK, I KNOW this is gross. I KNOW this is really bad manners. But I was DYING for Doritos! The baby NEEDED Doritos!!!! My father watched in stunned disgust, 'Damn, haven't you eaten since you've been here?'

My lasagna, Doritos, and Tastycakes urges having been fulfilled, there was only one hunger yet to satisfy. Broccoli! I wanted fresh , green, crispy, delicious broccoli. I wanted it bad. Dad was unwilling to try to carry broccoli through customs. It likely would have been confiscated and destroyed by the Ministry of Agriculture due to the possibility of it harboring an invasive pest. BUT WHERE DID THAT LEAVE ME, a poor pregnant woman fantasizing about cruciferous delights???? The only thing available was some nasty imported frozen broccoli that had been thawed and frozen more times that you can imagine and was 95% stems. Dissapointingly vile.

Valentine's Day was just around the corner and I didn't really have any expectations. I figured we'd simply exchange cards and I would make a special dinner of Mr. Lime's favorite foods. The day came and he was later than usual getting home. When he walked through the door with a silly grin and hiding his hand behind his back, I figured he had a bouquet. As it turned out he did.......a great big bouquet of fresh broccoli, complete with a bow! AND he said I did not have to share it. Woohoo!!! There is no bouquet of roses or even fine chocolates (and you KNOW how I love chocolate) that could have come close to being as delightful and satisfying as that bunch of broccoli. Heck, it was 13 years ago and it still stands out as the best Valentine I ever got.

Happy Valentine's Day!