- There's a lot of beans in there
I hope you sleep by yourself.
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba! (laughter)
(drums playing)
- My mom is from like a really small village
in Tobago which is like the sister island of Trinidad.
- Yeah.
- Each village has their own harvest so
around harvest time Black Cake is always coming out.
- This my friends is a very very very very very
popular dish called Tembleque, all I'd eat was
frijol negro which is like black beans with rice and tostone
and Tembleque, like that was like my diet
whenever I went to Puerto Rico.
- My family would get together on the weekends
and there was this lady like up in 181st
you'll see like a long line in New York City
there's people waiting to buy the Habichuelas con dulce
- My father he does a lot of poetry
and we go to like African and Caribbean festivals
and we'd go and buy these from the
street vendors.
- My first introduction to Pain Patate was
probably during my communion because it
so hefty sometimes it would literally be the only meal
it's like what are you in the mood for
oh today Pain Patate and then they
would just make that and then that's
what you would have for dinner.
- This is like the most Cuban thing I've ever said
My tia Yoya would take the bus and visit
my grandfather, my grandfather's sister, and she
always made flan for us, when it was time
to see Tia Yoya, it was time to eat some flan.
Even though flan is very popular in other
countries if I didn't choose this I would
be disowned by my own people.
I love you!
- You ready?
- I'm ready let's do this.
- Yo you ain't ready for this!
- Don't drop it I swear to God
- I got this.
- Cookies are awesome, they have the cross in there
- Those cookies came straight from
the Dominican Republic, alright?
So you enjoy every cookie.
- That's really good.
- It feels like the yam was soaked
in there for so long, it's really sweet.
Let me dip it in the beans actually.
- That's a good idea.
You've discovered something new.
- Open up like a Jamaican Dominican fusion treat store.
- Oh my God.
(laughter)
- We're gonna be rich, okay we gotta cut
this is our idea. (laughter)
- Cheers.
- La Haim.
- Yeah great, it's coconut-y but it's not.
- It's subtle.
I did a good job when I made it.
That's so funny you don't like coconut
I don't like raisins.
- Tell me what you taste.
- It's so good it's almost like a bread pudding.
It doesn't feel unhealthy.
- Wow you should tell my Mom that.
- I'm so impressed with this, I could eat
this all the time, thank you so much.
It's so good, thank you.
- [Mother on Phone] You're welcome.
- I like her so much.
- My mom is dope.
- It dances, even the flan knows
how to dance meringue, bom-ba-dom-ba-dom
- Check this out.
- It's really good.
- I know, I know my shit.
I'm gonna dive into this flan, this looks
like an enemy from Final Fantasy 7.
That is bomb, that is very good.
- Yeah it looks like there's hair in it
I didn't realize that it was because of the sweet potato.
Considering that I've been eating sweet potato
every day like a good girl.
- Why?
- It's packed with nutrients, this is not
an after school special, what is happening
right now we are crossing the streams.
- The funny thing about the Caribbean is like
you pretty much like remixes of each other
- I was raised in the Bronx you know
there's like Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, but
this is awesome and I actually want
to like look up the recipe and make it.
- It's crazy that I visited your country
but did not have your country's food
and I am missing out clearly.
- I feel like at home, having you eat
that Tembleque, like my heart is happy.
- And my mom is happy.
- Yes.
- That you at some Black Cake from Trinidad.
- You know I live by Jamaicans in New York City
and I never ever tasted this, I'm glad
I was able to taste this, this is delicious
this is amazing.
- Shout out to the Cubans, this is bomb.
- Shout out to the Haitians.
(laughter)
- Crazy man.
(laughter)