Hi I’m Althea. Welcome to my blog. I have a real passion for cooking, especially Guyanese and Caribbean food. I was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana. I moved to the USA (Brooklyn and later Queens, New York) with my parents when I was 18 years old. When I got married and moved to Denver, Colorado I found myself recreating dishes that were no longer easily accessible to me. Without the convenience of my mom’s cooking or all the cook shops and Caribbean restaurants that Queens offered, I started recreating some of my favorite dishes, especially around Guyanese holidays when I craved dishes that we traditionally serve during those celebrations.
Why I started this blog
I started this blog as a way to share step by step recipes with family and friends, and I am excited to share it with all of you. Guyanese cooking instructions typically include steps like “a handful of flour and stir until de ting soft, but not too soft, and yah don’t want it stiff.” In fact, when my mom taught me how to make roti many, many years ago she told me “one handful of flour equals a medium sized roti, but don’t heap up too much flour in your hands.” How was I going to share a recipe that could vary tremendously depending on the size of your palm? So I decided to carefully measure and record every step for the dishes I love most, and this is how metemgee (the blog) was born.
Why Metemgee
Metemgee (pronounced meh-tem-gee) is a hearty soup made with root vegetables (ground provision, if you’re Guyanese) in a coconut milk broth. This dish is truly my definition of comfort food and every Guyanese I know has had metemgee at some point in their lives (probably last Sunday). I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like it. Metemgee is the perfect combination of all the things I love about Guyanese food—good hearty provisions drenched in broth that is lick-your-bowl good. I want the recipes I share here to be just that—lick-your-bowl good, hearty and satisfying like a hot bowl of metemgee on a Sunday afternoon. Click here for my metemgee recipe.
Whole 30 and Me
I completed my first Whole30 in 2015 at the recommendation of a colleague who suggested that I try an elimination diet to narrow down what was causing my acid reflux. That first Whole30 was very hard. I only had a list of the rules and all the foods to avoid for 30 days. I made it but wasn’t sure what to do next. I completely skipped reintroduction and went back to old eating patterns. Then I decided to buy the Whole30 books and really dive into what the program was all about. I completed my second Whole30, went through reintroduction and with the help of a GI doctor narrowed down what was making me sick. Turns out I have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
From that second Whole30 to today I mostly live a gluten free life. I say mostly, because sometimes a piece of roti from my mom is worth the tummy ache.
Caribbean Whole30
I started recreating my favorite Caribbean dishes to be Whole30 and Paleo as a way to enjoy familiar dishes with ingredients that work for me. I recently started sharing those recipes here, although many of them I had been making at home for the past 4+ years.
In March 2020 I hosted a Caribbean Whole30 and spent an entire month cooking and sharing Whole30 compliant Caribbean recipes. You can find the full list of posts for that month here.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope that you will join me in this journey and try a few of my recipes, especially if you are like me and can’t walk into a cook-shop or bakery and order some tennis rolls or roti and curry.
If there is a particular recipe you would like to see, I would love to hear from you.
Follow me on Social Media
Be sure to check out my Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest pages for more content and to stay connected.
Altee I think because we grew up in C/ville we have developed similar traits! I love love love good Guyanese food and miss it too and I take every opportunity I get to buy some . You are bolder than I am. I am happy to leave the kitchen fast too, love experimenting with spices and foods but I prefer ‘not to’ learn to cook some Guyanese dishes myself (way too time consuming). You also took a brave step to start this blog and I am proud of you! Carry on smartly good luck with your future TV show or book lol!! Yum
Thanks Yoyo. Baby steps. I hope to learn many new recipes along the way and will be pulling on friends and family for ideas 😉
Dis won always have sometime long to write. lol
🙂
Shut up Jo, I speak my heart and all who don wan hear it just have to ignore, not read or cark deh aze, I can only be me..this Altee blog and if she nah wan me all she have fe do is chase me lol
I’m ready to start cooking, glad you posted a fish recipe because I need to start eating fish. Yea I know, a guyanese that don’t eat fish. Thanks Love!!!
I hope to post every Wednesday and Sunday going forward. Stay tuned more fish dishes to come.
i’ll be looking 4ward to sum interesting tips n recipes
Stay tuned. I have some delicious recipes and video tutorials coming up.
More reasons for me to cook! Keep it up Ms. Altee!
Beautiful photos and stepby stp instructures. I am part Guyanese and would like to recature som of the dishes of my maternal heritage!
Thank you, thank you. I am trying to make some of the classic dishes, mixed with some other favorites. Stay tuned!
I just found your blog through YouTube and and wish you the best! I do hope you keep posting. Of course I’m going to recommend it to all my Guyanese friends and family (and others). Love the recipes and the pics.
Thanks for the love! More goodies coming up!
Altee, I love, love, love all the recipes you’ve posted. I think I mentioned this to you before but it’s so nice to have actual measurements for these dishes we all so love and grew up on. When ever we ask an older person back home who is usually a pro they tell us a butter cup of this and a pinch of this and salt to taste 🙂 Please keep your post going and these yummy traditional foods alive.
Girl when I was taught these dishes that’s exactly how to they were taught to me. Can you imagine that when my mom taught me how to make roti she said 2 handfuls of flour equals 1 roti! And don’t ask how she measured the baking powder. Imagine if I put that on the blog!
Hello and good morning, I just discovered your blog and fell in love with it. I’m going to try your fudge recipe when I get home.
Do you have a recipe for chicken foot sous?
Hi there, did you make the fudge? How did it come out?
I love chicken foot souse, but haven’t made it in a long, long time. If I find chicken foot at the Asian market, I’ll make it and post my recipe, which is actually my dad’s recipe and is pretty amazing.
Your step by step visual instructions will help me learn lessons I missed from my grandmother. Your blog makes me happy!
Glad you found the blog and also found it useful. Check out my youtube page, metemgeeblog, for videos and other recipes.
God bless your soul for sharing your recipes! I love the details and I am going to start trying them. I live in Cleveland, Ohio so I don’t get too much Guyanese food unless my mom visits. I know my wife will also love these as she loves to try new recipes.
Many thanks for sharing your love of Guyanese food with all of us!
Thank you, you are too kind. Let me know how the recipes come out when you try them.
I see that you grew up in C/ville…I also grew up there. I lived near Sheriff and Enachu St.
Stumbled upon this site looking or a “chicken foot” recipe. Great stuff, keep it up and let me know if you need help with the website.
Thanks. I try to keep the posts coming. What kind of help are you talking about. Email me please. Metemgeeblog@gmail.com
Just saw this,
I am a front-end web developer but I also cook. Can contribute posts or development 😀
Great to see some guyanese cooking in Denver. I am a guyanese too living in Denver and love cooking the lovely guyanese dishes as well.
OMG! I’m so happy to find another Guyanese in Denver. I’ve been desperate to find Caribbean people. We should meet up!
Love ur recipes..I jus trident ur bok Chou with teriyaki sauce,it was delicious thank u.good luck
Thank you and I’m glad you liked it!
Childhood delicious food’s, do bring Guyana to all over here!
🙂
Hello! I’m a (non-West Indian) New Yorker who loves Indo-West Indian cooking.
I found your blog via youtube, watching your roti video, which is the best, clearest one I’ve seen on the internet (and I’ve watched a lot of them, because I was obsessed with making roti as good as Annie’s Roti on Rockaway Boulevard).
I’ve made some version of most of these recipes, but you do things differently and I’ll be trying your versions asap.
Unfortunately, I lack a Guyanese grandmother to teach me all this stuff, so it’s blogs and videos or nothing. Can’t wait to get started on these recipes.
Thank you for your kind words. I hope you try my method and let me know how it comes out. Other roti virgins have had great success following my video just remember to take your time. Making roti cannot be rushed. Thanks for taking the time to check my blog out and stay tuned for more recipes and videos.
Liked your chicken foot recipe. I use spit pea flour, or ground split peas which was previously soaked then blended. I also add lots of garlic to my mixture. So I would say equal proportions of split pea to flour mixture. I also have a Guyanese neighbour who showed me a cool kitchen tool she found in an indian store. It is somewhat like a cookie pump, except it has a plate with tiny perforations which allows the mixture to come out like noodles into the hot oil, in that way it cuts down the cooking time. If I can locate this tool, will let you know. By the way, I’m Guyanese living in Brampton.
Man I wish I could find that tool. My husband would be in chicken foot heaven. Lol
The other day I was feeling for guyanese roti the one that brings back childhood memories and I stumbled on your site. It was a joy to see familiar home phrases and a true Guyanese food site. Tried your paratha roti recipe it came out perfect. Thank you for making my day.
Can you make “Cheese roll” lol
Guyanese ” Linden” girl living Dubai, UAE.
Thanks and sorry it’s taken this long to reply. I’m glad it came out great. I’ll post a pine tart video tutorial soon.
Of course I meant cheese roll
Hi,
I represent the Media/net Publisher Partnerships group and am interested in advertising on your website, metemgee.com.
I have reviewed your site and have identified a few opportunities that we would be interested in.
Please let me know if you are interested and I will send you more details.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Ittira
Hi there, you can email me info at metemgeeblog@gmail.com
Thank you for the pine tart recipe. I added a pinch of ground cloves and ginger to the filling, it was delicious. Also used the pastry crust to make cherry turnovers, love your blog, keep it up. thanks again.
Yum. I’ll try that next time.
Altee, You need to put up that pepperpot recipe on the blog.
Ok, ok. I posted it, a bit late, I know, but still in time for you to run out and get the ingredients and make some pepperpot for Christmas morning. Enjoy!
🙂
I was looking for the recipe for “Shine Rice”, would be nice if someone can post it up. Just a suggestion.
No joke for shine rice, follow the recipe for cook up, just don’t put any peas or meat or tomatoes and just add green onions. It’s basically, seasoning, rice and coconut milk. Struggle food. Lol. But so delicious.
Thank you, thank you, I was looking for a Guyana fudge recipe, my husband has a sweet tooth a mile wide and all my previous attempts as a child did not work out too well but yours looks easy to follow.
Eh eh! lol…your site is awesome. It brings back so many memories and traditions my family still share till this day. Question…do you have recipes for Garlic Pork, Souse, Pone, Black Cake, White Pudding and Hatchar?
Thanks for the support. You have quite a list. I have posted any of those things but check out Wayne’s Guyana outpost for tons of Guyanese recipes.
I know how challenging it can be to incorporate a blog into the already busy life of being a daughter, wife, mother and all the other many hats our gender wears on any given day; so I had to take a moment to say thank you.
Thank you, for your detailed Youtube videos and the informative information on your blog. Your explicit steps show your compassion (for those of us navigating new recipes) and your love and passion for GOOD food. Each recipe and post is nourishment not only for our bodies but our souls as well. Helping us to reconnect to the feel good food of old and thereby ministering to the child in each of us yearning for a taste of “home.”
Please know that both your sites are a blessing to those of us who no longer have (or never had) a Mater, or Auntie to guide our hands in the kitchen.
I hope you realize the value and impact of what you do.
Again, I say Thank You and May God Continue to Bless You as you have blessed your readers!
Thanks for the support. I keep trying to add a new post and life keeps getting in the way.
Very Well said
Beautifully written and I ditto all that you have said.
Thank you Althea. May God bless you continually.
Hi! Where in Colorado do you get cassareep and wiri wiri peppers? I’m here in Denver and can’t find any for the life of me.
I am grateful for all who see it fit to post our beloved Guyanese food recipes. Many thanks Altee.
Tendai
Hey, I am recently following your blog. I want to know witch specific recipes come from French Guiana, my little sister has a school project and she needs to cook a meal to share with her friends when explaining the country.
Love your picts, keep posting!
Hi! I am recently reading your cooking blog, i have a question about the desserts, witch ones are from the French Guiana, my little sister has a school assignment about the region and she needs to prepare a meal to share with her friends!!
I’m a jamaican married to a guyanese and I am in love with achar! Can you please make a video on this? Many thanks
Hi Altee, where can I find that cookbook What’s cooking in Guyana?
Hi Loretta long time!!! You can buy it on Amazon
On Amazon.com. I bought one from there for a friend.
Good afternoon Ms. Altee,
I tried finding an email address (contact us) on your site, but i can not find one. Can you please send email address to me, because there is something I like to discuss / ask you which is related to specific recipes. Thank you in advance.
I am trying to find the origin of the word Metemgee.
Nigel
I’m a white boy married to a Guyanese woman who is wonderful in more ways that I can mention, but who does not cook. That falls to me. And your blog has been a life-saver. I made your pepper pot and she got teary-eyed. “Just like mamma used to make…”
Thank you. If you ever publish a cook book, I’ll buy it.
And if you ever come to WA… There are, like, 7 Caribbean people here, and “dey all be Bajans…” So you could double the Guyanese population just by crossing the state line.
This made me smile. Thanks for sharing.
Been checking this out since last year, finally read this section. I’m in the front range too, didn’t know that there were other Guyanese out here as well but shouldn’t be surprised.
There are quite a few Guyanese and Caribbean folks in Colorado, particularly Denver and Colo Springs.
Got to make black cake this year and maybe a few extra pans. Done with a mixer these days instead of being the designated creamer as a kid, in addition to picking the five finger and cashew, making and grinding the fruit. Ah, memories . . . .
I wasn’t of several Guyanese living I Denver, Colorado. I would love to get/keep in touch with you. I live in a little city in Wyoming and travel to Denver quite a bit
Send me an email Lorna. I’m always looking to connect with people. Metemgeeblog@gmail.com.
Hi I Recently Like Recently Just Moved To Colorado Well Colorado Springs. I’m also Guyanese and I can’t deal already. It’s been less than a week and I can’t find the correct seasonings ! I’m craving home cooked foods and I need cassereep and peppers oh gosh. I’m just venting but I really need proper seasoning
Have you found a Caribbean market yet? I know exactly how you feel. Send me an email and I’ll try to help metemgeeblog@gmail.com.
Joy, brought cassareep and I’m home. Email me at slowedownkid(at)gmail.com
I’m in Guyana right now. I can bring back cassareep. Going to pick up three types of pepper sauce now. Let me know in the next two hours so I can make it to the supermarket before they close.
Forgot to mention. Coming back to Denver tomorrow night. I will get the cassareep anyway, just in case. Let me know.
If you’re in Guyana you should get Cassareep from the Amerindian hostel. Best cassareep ever!
Don’t have time. Leave early in the morning. In Linden at the moment.
Good morning, I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to you for your very informative, detailed and easy to follow recipes and instructions on how to prepare Guyanese cuisine. Yours is the very best that I have come across and has helped me to recreate dishes that I enjoyed over the years.
Roti, saltfish and bake, etc. your instructions have been very helpful.
I am not looking for detailed instructions on how to make mango achar (Guyanese style) and could not find one that I like or trust.
Can you help please?
Thanks much
I love your recipes. They are so clear and easy to follow. do you have a recipe for metagee or provision?
In the About me I explain why I don’t have a recipe for metemgee.
I really love this blog and the work you’ve put into making these recipes accessible to us. It’s allowed me to recreate foods I enjoy while away at school. Thank you so much Althea.
My father taught my siblings and I to cook. Every Saturday one of us had to take turns at baking bread. I found your blog, your recipes reminded me of all he taught us. I live in Maryland now and I would only bake when I am home. We do Christmas in Guyana almost every year.
With the quarantine I turned to baking. Thank you, I tried your recipe for Tennis Roll (the original) and my family and friends can’t get enough.
Continue to post your detailed recipes to teach us, remind and guide us. Continued Blessings.
Thank you.
I just love all your recipe
I’m just delighted to have found this blog. I was born in Guyana but left at a very young age (9yrs.) A few years ago in my old age it was discovered that I was allergic to wheat & corn.
Needless to say my annual Christmas Black Cake was a great disappointment with substituting regular flour with gluten free flour. So I’m thrilled to be able once again to make a black cake which my husband(an American) loves. It’s too late for this year but I’m tempted to make it in the new year.
I used to help my mum make Roti, (I had to chuckle at “a handful of flour” etc) I’d love to make the Roti but can you suggest a substitute for the Xanthan Gum since this is derived from corn?
Congratulations on your Blog, you’ve done an excellent job. Thank you so much.
Hi Paula,I just discovered this site and like you,I’m also gluten free.I make a really good black cake and the Guyanese fruit cake with my own GF combination of flours that I tried for a while,until I can’t tell the difference anymore.I will post it up a litter later.
Hi Paula,I just discovered this site and like you,I’m also gluten free.I make a really good black cake and the Guyanese fruit cake with my own GF combination of flours that I tried for a while,until I can’t tell the difference anymore.I will post it up a little later.
Pleasure to watch you cook our Guyanese food . I would ask to marry you if i was not happily married already:).
As we speak my wife and i are trying your tennis roll recipe . I found myself thinking back to when i was a little boy in Guyana and waiting for my Grandmother and aunt to make all this stuff. You have great things on here that we are eager to try wish us luck. Thank you so much from Brampton Ontario Canada .You have a beautiful family god bless.