Island Living Archives - Page 2 of 2

Vernette May 3, 2016

Turkish Coffee In Trinidad

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Years ago, I read a book and the only thing I remember about the story was one main character detail: the guy’s need for a cup of Turkish coffee. Being a coffee lover myself, I totally understood. Thinking at the time that it was probably some special Turkish treat, it was noted and filed away for future reference.

A recent post on my ‘go-to’ blog for all things foodie in Trinidad: TriniChow highlighting a new cafe serving Turkish coffee, brought back the memory of the curiosity I felt after reading about this type coffee all those years ago. I happened to be in the area this weekend and decided to stop in. I was not disappointed.
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Turkish coffee is best enjoyed after your meal and it pairs well with a sweet treat. You DO NOT add milk to your coffee…which was fine by me. You also do not add sugar after it is poured in your cup. Sugar is added up front. Since I was having it with a sweet treat anyway, I chose to have mine with just a little sugar and it was still good.

Tiny cup of joy.

The delicious blend of finely ground coffee, sugar and spices is served in a long-handled pot made of brass, which you pour into a tiny cup. Though, the serving is small, the coffee is not meant to be rushed. Sip. Savor. Linger…over great conversation and a yummy sweet treat. I enjoyed my coffee with a bit of chocolate cake.

Layali Cafe offers a few options for sweet treats and quick bites. If you’re a coffee lover, it’s worth checking out.

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Thick layer of coffee left at the bottom of the cup.

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Second cup of joy.

Vernette April 26, 2016

Finding My ‘C’ Spot

As life gets more hectic, getting four friends together for an evening of wine and some painting took some coordinating and the patience of our awesome facilitator Simone.

Last Saturday after many stops and starts, we finally made it to CSpot Studio for some painting and sips.

Click here for more info on CSpot.

The target!

My thoughts at the start: There is no way my painting is going to look like the original.

Aaalll the burshes!

So many choices.

Photo credit: Ruhi F.

At this point, as the painting started shaping up…I was amazed.

My Masterpiece! Never mind the wonky bird.

Our facilitator Simone, kept things lively. A genius idea, this “finding your C-Spot”. She had everyone chuckling with many veiled references to techniques on finding your creative soul. The laughter certainly helped ease the anxiety about perfection or questions about skill.

She has only been running the sessions since July of 2015 but already the idea is catching on here in Trinidad. Sessions run for two and half hours and can be tailored to your needs – private sessions, birthday celebrations etc. She also runs creative sessions for kids – of course tastefully tailored for the audience, which I think is a great idea for family fun and if you’re already thinking about things to do during the August Break.

An artist herself, Simone said that she wants to enjoy what she does as much as the creatives who come to the sessions. Thus, she would not paint the same thing two days in a row and there was evidence of quite a few options in rotation. Here are some other options available for creatives:

An evening well spent discovering our creative spots, definitely next level girls night out ish! I certainly recommend this session and will be back, as soon as I can synchronize watches with my friends once again.