Side dishes

This dish uses vinegar to enhance the natural sweetness of plantains. It’s a showstopper to serve.

When chef Suzanne Barr opened her first restaurant in Toronto, Saturday Dinette, she served up cornbread nightly to her guests, crisping slices of it on the flat top and serving it with floral butter. Here, she's updated that recipe with the addition of puréed beets, creating a psychedelic moment with the bright red swirls.

You can use collards, Swiss chard, callaloo or even kale for this recipes. Adding the coconut milk softens the leaves and creates a creamy sauce at the bottom of the pot that coats each leaf.

Gluten-free and full of natural sweetness, these twice-cooked cakes are an island staple from Jamaica. Cassava is a starchy, nutritious shrub root that’s cooked as a staple carbohydrate in many cuisines of the global south. For perfect bammy, ensure the grated cassava is peeled well, washed thoroughly, drained of as much liquid as possible and cooked all the way through.

Besides adding crunch and freshness to bánh mì, this pickle recipe by Giao Châu makes a great addition to salad and rice bowls.