The word "cocktail" is tossed around pretty loosely these days, used to describe
just about any liquid sum that is greater than its parts. That wasn't always the case. When the term was first coined by a newspaper editor back in 1806, it referred specifically to a beverage comprised of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. Today, we call it an Old Fashioned, and anyone who's ever made one, well, the old-fashioned way, knows it can't be done without Angostura bitters.
But what are Angostura bitters, and how did they earn their place in some of the most classic cocktails on the planet? What's with that label? In the interest of helping you go to the bar smarter, here are five facts worth learning about the best-known bottle of bitters.
Angostura was developed as a cure for upset stomachs.As is typical in the spirits world, Angostura's place in society pre-dates its spot at the bar. All the way back in 1824, Dr. Johann Siegert—surgeon general for Venezuelan military leader Simón Bolívar—developed the stuff as a medicinal tonic for Bolívar's army. Created from a blend of herbs and spices, it was intended to cure upset stomachs. Originally called Dr. Siegert's Aromatic Bitters, it would later be renamed for the Venezuelan city of Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar) where it was concocted. Operations eventually moved to Trinidad, where it is still produced today.

That label was a mistake.Besides its bright yellow cap, what really distinguishes a bottle of Angostura bitters is the label: It's too big. As legend goes, once Siegert's sons took over the business from their dad, they set out to market the bitters however they could, which included entering them in a competition. In a scramble to get their product ready for judging, one brother was assigned the task of retrieving bottles, while another went to print labels. Due to a miscommunication or mistake, they ended up with labels too big for their bottles, or bottles too small for their labels. By the time they realized the error, it was too late to correct. Though Angostura lost the competition, a friendly judge suggested the brothers make that label their signature. The advice stuck.
The recipe is a closely guarded secret.Allegedly, only five people in the entire world know the exact combination of herbs and spices that go into a bottle of Angostura. As the only people with the recipe, they've even made a pact to never fly together or so much as eat together at the same restaurant, should, god forbid, the worst happen, according to VinePair. Guessing how much of this is fact, fiction, or just good marketing is all part of the fun, but it's clear the secret formula is kept close to the chest.
Some people use it as a cooking ingredient.As anyone who has ever cracked an old cookbook knows, the sixties and seventies were a weird time for food. (Check out this Twitter account for examples.) In 1961, the brand capitalized on some of that weirdness, releasing The Secret of Good Taste: The Angostura Cookbook. From turkey to pies to bean soup, the book suggests a number of ways to incorporate bitters into everyday cooking. Why not?
Wisconsinites drink it by the glass.There's a bar in the Badger State called Nelsen’s Hall and Bitters Club that serves full shots of Angostura to patrons, a practice that's been kept alive since 1920. It began as a means of skirting the rules of Prohibition—it's simply a medicine for upset stomachs, after all—but as Punch reports, the tradition has lived on, giving Wisconsin the unique distinction of selling more Angostura per capita than any other state.
Source: Esquire.com, January 2019

When you meet Myles Marbella, you quickly learn that she does not easily take no for an answer.
That tenacity and determination were vital to her simultaneously holding the portfolios of co-owner and Executive Chef at Roll Sushi and owner of Myles Express at the age of 23.
Her ability to say ‘no’ extended even to her parents. Although they wanted her to pursue architecture and petroleum engineering, her love for cooking and strong-willed nature led her to pursue the culinary arts at TTHTI instead.
While studying, she started her first job working at Kaizen Sushi at the age of 19. While the experience helped, Hyatt Regency was always her end goal, as she wanted to become the first female sushi chef at the hotel, something that had never been accomplished before in Trinidad.
Persistence is in her blood. Her drive to work at the Hyatt would not be outweighed by idle rejection. ​​“I applied 10 times to work at the Hyatt and got declined nine of those times”.
She was there for about six months and was already receiving rave reviews about her sushi from guests, local and international. It was there she also met her future business partner, Dana Balliram.
Like the other guests, Balliram was impressed with not just with Myles’ sushi but her work ethic. Balliram said that she saw a lot of potential in Myles and decided to invest in her.
“She has the potential, she is a house of talent. Being around Myles and seeing what she’s done, what she’s offered people and her creativity, I realized that she has talent worth investing in. All she needed was that push to bring it out and present to the world.”
She later also worked alongside Joe Brown (Jaffa at the Oval, Solimar) but it was Dana's faith in her craft that led to her recommending Myles for the role of Executive Chef for a new sushi spot on  Ariapita Avenue. She faced stiff competition at the time. Not only was she the lone female applying for the job, but she was going up against chefs who were many years her senior with more culinary experience. Myles, however, had a cutting edge with a unique taste and presentation, which led to her becoming Executive Chef at Roll at 23, a rarity in the industry.
While it was a monumental achievement in itself, it wasn’t enough for Myles. When a business space became available downstairs from Roll, her business partner, Dana, was the one that pushed her to take it.
“I know Myles’ potential and I knew that she could do so much more than sushi. She’s very creative in the culinary arts, always sampling with different tastes and styles of food.”
The two played around with ideas, concepts and menu, eventually settling on a takeout spot, with a deli-style menu. Soon after, Myles Express was born.
She has accomplished a lot such a short period of time at such a young age, but sometimes it can be a double-edged sword as she might not be taken as seriously given her young age.
“It’s challenging, but I get strength because people like Dana push me; I sometimes find it challenging to manage people who are older than me but I’m learning and I’m conquering.”
Running multiple businesses, of course, requires sacrifice.
Her day starts at 4AM, where she preps to open Myles Express for 6AM to 1PM; from 1PM to 3PM she begins prep for Roll. She then naps for about an hour before working at Roll from 4PM to 1AM. However, when you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like too much of a sacrifice.
"I always say do what you  love, love what you do. You can’t give up, especially, if you have a dream. I learned that, especially with regard to Hyatt.  I was turned down nine times! But this was my goal, I wanted to be the first female sushi chef there so I couldn’t give up.”
At such a young age, Myles is an inspiration, not only for other entrepreneurs but young women as well. Her steadfast nature and refusal to take 'no' for an answer has allowed her to achieve her goals and break down barriers in a male-dominated industry. 
Source: The Loop T&T

​ James Hackett, Founder and Creative Director of The Lush Kingdom was commissioned by NY-based designer Felisha Noel to design the prints for her new line which is currently being featured in Vogue’s January 2019 edition! James is also one of FashionTT’s VCIP designers

​IT was an emotional ceremony yesterday as the Express presented its 2018 Individual of the Year awards at the Radisson Hotel in Port of Spain.
As brothers Ravi and Navin Kalpoo collected their award, they revealed that it was the one-year anniversary of their mother’s death.
The Kalpoo brothers became local heroes following last October’s unprecedented flooding in Central and East Trinidad, rushing out to help rescue more than 300 people in distress in Kelly Village.
Their mother, Doolarie Kalpoo, was known for her tireless community work.
Source: Express, Feb 2019.
​Check out this video below... starts around 1:24 

THE EDITOR: The early development and use of “West Park” was under the auspices of Charles Arthur Richards Farrell who was the first local city engineer and not his son Harry Farrell as has been stated in Newsday twice in December. He was my grandfather.
Charles Farrell must be remembered for bringing potable water to the people of TT as well as for the building of beautiful pumping stations around the city which are now memories and one in West Park, Cocorite (directly opposite The Falls at West Mall) – a relic crying out to be restored.
His grandchildren remember being taken on many a Sunday afternoon drive to see the then functioning pumping station in Cocorite. They remember that there were three stations in all around the city, they remember being mesmerised by the huge, gleaming, brass fans and shiny fittings, the curiously shaped windows with curved window panes spotted with diamond shapes of brightly coloured glass, and they also remember the smooth patches of grass surrounding tall trees where they could play.

He was commemorated by the Trinidad water production sector when they formed the Farrell Pumping Station Credit Union Co-operative Society Ltd in 1958, which later became the COPOS Credit Union Co-operative Society Ltd of TT. COPOS still functions as a financial co-operative that is member-based and designed to provide financial and economic services to the community.
The fifth child of an Irish army officer and a half Carib girl from the Hazel family, Farrell was a brilliant student of Queen’s Royal College (QRC), winning the Island Scholarship twice. The first time he was 16 and it was found the scholarship could not be awarded to him as he was too young. The next year he came first again and chose to study engineering at Edinburgh University. On his return to Trinidad he worked for a short period as a land surveyor until he was appointed Port of Spain city engineer. He was the first local to hold that post.
While studying in Scotland, Charles Farrell became acquainted with a fellow Trinidadian who was also pursuing studies in Great Britain. She was Mary Marguerite Brunton, one of twin daughters born to the wealthy landowner in Diego Martin and Chaguanas, Nicholas Brunton and his wife Mary Langton.
On their return to Trinidad, the pair married in 1898 and their first son, Arthur, was born at River Estate in 1899. Six other sons followed, all of whom were A students at QRC and went on to become sterling sons of TT, contributing through their official careers and in the sporting arena to the development of this country.
Their first son, Arthur, a teacher, became acting head master at QRC and St George’s. QRC students of his era familiarly referred to him as “The Ghost” as a result of his practice to appear almost out of nowhere immaculately dressed all in white.
Reginald (Reggie), an engineer, followed in his father’s footsteps to also become the city engineer.
Edward (Dr Edward “Teddy” Farrell) became a dentist and is mentioned in a 1938 calypso, Darling Kimberlin, by The Tiger (Neville Marcano) among his preferred legal and medical practitioners.
Harry was appointed the city’s town clerk in 1941.
Patrick died young while still at QRC.
Frederick (my father, called Freddie) became sub-intendant of Crown Lands and Director of Surveys.
Francis (Frankie) became the supervisor of Elections and Boundaries.
We, the descendants of Charles Farrell, live in hope that his name will be attached to the renewed building, however it is to be used, and that some attention will be given to the man for his enormous work in the development of his country.
ROSEMARY (FARRELL) STONE
retired journalist

​From Maracas to Brasso Secco and down the trail towards Paria.
Catching more of our island’s beauty.

Trinidad and Tobago's lone hopeful in Judo for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo Japan, Gabriella Wood, continues to make us proud as she gets closer to making that dream a reality.
Gabby who is currently ranked #1 in the English speaking Caribbean and #134 in the world, competed yesterday Saturday 19th at the Scottish Open Championship in Glasgow Scotland where she placed second in a highly competitive group .
Ms. Wood who has been training extensively at an International Judo Federation ( IJF) camp in Budapest, Hungary, continue to prepare for Olympic qualifications by training in Europe her next step in this journey is the Paris Grand Slam which takes place 9-10 February and the Dusseldorf Grand Slam in Germany 22-24 February 2019.
We look forward to continued success from Gabriella Wood as she continues to make Trinidad and Tobago proud.

​This February, the artist of the month at the Main Branch is none other than a son of the Trinbagonian soil, Winton Bascombe. 
Winton is a talented artist who works in water-colour and acrylics.  His artistic talent began early in life and continued into adulthood blossoming while he studied at Memorial University, Newfoundland.  He now lives here in Ottawa. 
Prints of Winton’s artwork are up for purchase and the exhibition can be seen until the end of February. 
Feel free to drop into the Library to enjoy his work on the 3rd floor balcony, Main Branch, at the corner of Metcalfe and Laurier Ave.