Trini cuisine and green seasoning

In the last year or so, I've gotten into "Trini" cuisine, that is, the food of Trinidad and Tobago.  Trinidad and Tobago lie off the coast of Venezuela in the Caribbean, basically the other end of the West Indies from Cuba.  I don't think people usually get that far along the island chain, so I don't think most people think too much about Trinidad, but it is the home of a Nobel Prize winning author, V.S. Naipaul and one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket, Brian Lara.  Obama is such a fan of Lara that he got his picture taken with him when he visited.  Trinidad, like many Caribbean islands, was basically turned into a floating sugar plantation and populated almost exclusively with slaves.  The natives were more or less immediately wiped out.  Unlike other islands, Trinidad got heavily populated with Indians (from India that is).  I imagine that was a hell of a boat ride.  This settlement led to significant differences between Trini cuisine and that of Jamaica.
You find a lot of classic Indian ingredients and dishes made in Trinidad, but with a unique island spin.

The defining ingredient to Trini cuisine is "green seasoning".  Green seasoning is basically the herb equivalent to mild curry powder.  They use is about everything and so can you.  I love it in beans and rice and will post a recipe soon.  I've found that the "basic" green seasoning is relatively boring, both store bought and homemade.  After reading a couple of books on the cuisine, I found the one below that really snaps.  It makes enough that you can keep digging into it for a while and won't have to spend the time remaking it anytime soon.

"Shado beno" is like super-cilantro.  It has big, toothy leaves.  It is also called "Mexican cilantro", but I've never seen it in a Mexican food store, though I've only actually been looking for it recently.  Jungle Jim's has some.  Cilantro is a fine replacement.

MAKES 1 CUP

– 4 large shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
– 1 cup minced fresh chives
– 1/4-cup minced fresh thyme
– 1/4-cup stemmed and chopped flat leaf parsley
– 2 tablespoons minced shado beni or cilantro leaves
– 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
– 4 cloves garlic
– 1/2-teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
– 1/2-teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
– 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and puree. If you need to add a bit more vinegar—amount 1 teaspoon at a time--to achieve a smooth, somewhat liquid paste. Store in the freezer.

From:
Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago (Hippocrene Books 2n ed. 2010).