Simply Trini Cooking cookbook by Felix Padilla

Trini cooking: Culture preserved with a healthy twist

“I’m just a normal Trini, no flairs, just humble and doing my part in this life to help people… My take on our recipes comes from one of preserving our Trini cooking culture in its entirety but with a healthy twist.” Felix Padilla shares insights about his blog and cookbook called ‘Simply Trini Cooking’.

My recipes are for everyone. There are recipes to suit anyone’s diet whether you’re a vegetarian or just trying to eat healthier mixed in with the traditional. Simply Trini Cooking is a recipe blog that has been in operation for the past 13 years. My take on our recipes comes from one of preserving our Trini cooking culture in its entirety but with a healthy twist. I find that our people suffer from ailments that could be treated if we prepared our food at home and made healthier food choices.

Running Simply Trini Cooking by ourselves

Well, I’m just a normal Trini, no flairs, just humble and doing my part in this life to help people; telling it as it is. I’ve been running the website with my wife alone for the past 13 years. We do everything by ourselves. When I started the blog, I knew nothing about html and coding. But with perseverance and passion, loving what I was doing, I was able to learn as I went along. As I continued I eventually got my domain name and hosting and ran the website myself. Again, just learning things along the way.

A teacher with a skillset for blogging

As for education/profession, I’m a teacher, so this blog came as a natural extension to what I do. I play guitar, I love reading and just love learning new things. Some may call it destiny I guess… lol … I never even realised I would be good at this whole food blogging business until I got into it. I had the skillset for blogging and didn’t even know. I love writing, have an eye for detail and enjoy listening to people and their stories.

Taught young people how to cook

Blogging as with any platform will have its ups and downs. On the bad side, things have happened but why dwell on the negative? On the good side, I’ve had many compliments on the work I was doing in preserving our Trini cooking culture for the future generations. I’ve certainly touched a lot of young people so far to be self-sufficient and learn how to cook.

Trini cooking: Culture preserved with a healthy twist 5

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‘Growing up in the 80’s picking peas’

Others have appreciated the trouble I went through to get the recipes perfected because no one wanted to share particular recipes with me. Foreigners have also complimented me on my writing with its nostalgic ambience when I reminisced about growing up in the 80’s picking peas on the mountainside in Caura with my uncle or eating biscuit cake for the first time in Maracas Bay as a boy.

‘Simply Trini Cooking’ my first cookbook

Now, as I look back on this journey, I see growth as an individual and these things don’t bother me anymore. Every dog has his day! Presently, I have my first cookbook called Simply Trini Cooking available on Amazon, globally, in print and e-book format. The Simply Trini Cooking Cookbook has over 600 recipes some of which are not available on the website. The book itself is like an encyclopedia of Trini recipes lol. It’s one-inch thick and packed from cover to cover with recipes and lots of pictures.

Contact me, access my recipes, visit my website

Anyone who would like an autographed copy in Trinidad or Tobago can always contact me on Facebook and I’ll make the necessary arrangements. Anyone can access my recipes by going to simplytrinicooking.com or simplytrinicooking.org if you want just the recipe in printable form. I’m on Facebook as well Facebook.com/groups/simplytrinicooking. To email me, just visit my contact page on the website.