I hope you had a splendid Memorial Day weekend. As for myself? Well. When it comes to long weekends I over-book and under-accomplish. After creating a ten-item honey-do list, I typically only manage to “check off” half of one item. The reason I didn’t get anything done? We went out and had fun splashing at the water park, romancing on a dinner date, rummaging at yard-sales, swimming with a friend, and more! There’s worse things than undone chores, let me tell you. All that running around did get me a bit frazzled. I needed something familiar, yet a little exotic, to soothe my brain after a hectic holiday weekend … which is why I’m happy to dive into the cuisine of Belize. For those of you who have been following along, you’ll see that their food is somewhat similar to the Caribbean food we’ve explored in past weeks, with the common overlapping of flavors from Europe, Spain, South America, India, and Africa. However, Belize is unique in the number of Mexican inspired dishes they enjoy. …
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5 a.m. The tornado sirens sound. I bolt up in bed and stare, bug-eyed out the window. The trees are sideways. Sideways. Side. Ways. Practically laying over, playing dead. “This is it. I’m going to die,” I mutter. My husband wakes up and groggily wanders out of the bedroom. I’m still frozen in bed. “Where are you going?” I whisper-yell, barely audible over the wailing wind and sirens. “I’m checking the weather on the computer,” he says. I can barely hear him. I run into the bathroom, hoping the shower stall will hold together, even if my paper house blows down. But I’m all alone and I feel silly. I stick my head out of the door. My husband is no where in sight. Again I whisper-yell, afraid of drawing the storms closer. “Come! Here!” Finally he comes, we turn on the radio and listen to the weatherman. We’re told the winds are 90 miles an hour. But even violent storms pass. After a few minutes the sirens wind down, the trees ascend to their …
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Serves 4 Peas n’ Rice really is “beans” and rice. This savory side will go with almost anything – chicken, pork, fish, vegetables – especially grilled or roasted. In Barbados Peas n’ Rice is often served with fried fish. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 1 Anaheim pepper, minced 1 habanero pepper, minced (optional) 3 cups water + extra as needed 1/2 cup dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight 1 1/2 cups rice 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 Tbsp fresh parsley Method: 1. In a large pot, add oil and fry onion, Anaheim pepper, and habanero pepper (if using) until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the black eyed peas, stir and sauté for about 5 minutes. 2. Add 3 cups of water, and simmer covered until the peas are almost done (just slightly hard still). This might take 45 minutes or so. Just taste a bean every once in a while. 3. Add salt, pepper, and rice. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 3o minutes or until rice is done, stirring occasionally. …
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Makes about 7 average fish cakes Two kinds of fish cakes are popular in Barbados: deep-fried balls and pan-fried patties. This recipe makes lovely golden pan-fried patties. The sweet potato in these Bajan Fish Cakes is subtle and provides a great variation for those who don’t like a lot of heat. Serve with hot sauce for those who enjoy it! Ingredients: 1/2 lb cooked sweet potato (about 1/2 an average sweet potato) 1/8 cup milk (only add as needed) 1/2 onion, grated (about 1/8 cup) You can also mince the onion if you want the texture, but you may need more milk to make up for minced onions not being as wet as grated. 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 egg, beaten 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley 12 ounces skinned, deboned, cooked mahi mahi (or other white fish) Tip: The skin is thick. Have them remove it at the fish market, you’ll save the cost of several ounces 1/2 cup flour for dredging vegetable oil for deep-frying Method: 1. Mash sweet potato, using only …
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Makes 1 drink Although I came up with this name, the drink idea came to me from Jimmy Buffett. He recommends this refreshing blend for the slightly tropical, headache free, sipping pleasure it provides. He probably doesn’t use coconut rum, but I like my drinks sweeter than stout, so I went for the Parrot’s Bay. Go with your instincts when making yours. Ingredients: 1 shot chilled coconut rum or plain, Caribbean rum 2 shots chilled coconut water (available at whole foods) 1/2 a lime, juiced crushed ice lime wedge for garnish Method: 1. Pour all ingredients in a short glass. Add crushed ice to the top. 2. Garnish with lime wedge. Stir and sip! We made two… 🙂 Spiked Coconut Water Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Although I came up with this name, the drink idea came to me from Jimmy Buffett. He recommends this refreshing blend for the slightly tropical, headache free, sipping pleasure it provides. He probably doesn’t use coconut rum, but I like my drinks sweeter than …
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Today I am happy to feature two videos by Heather Johnston of SoGood.tv In the first video Heather presents a food tour in Barbados that includes sustainable, local food. In the second she looks at hot sauces and rum punch with nutmeg. Mmm, she makes me want to jump over to Barbados!
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TGIF everyone! – Barbados is tiny at only 430 square kilometers. The island was uninhabited when the British moved in to make sugar plantations. As a result there is not much that can be grown commercially on the island, aside from sugarcane, some vegetables, and cotton (Source: CIA World Factbook). – Although the supersonic Concorde planes have been permanently grounded, one was retired to Barbados to serve as a museum for tourists and locals. http://www.barbadosconcorde.com/ – Flying Fish and cou cou is the national dish of Barbados. Cou cou is a smooth puree of cornmeal peppered with okra. – I’ve asked around. Rumor has it there’s not a whole lot of veggies being eaten in Barbados. The veggie-type foods they do eat include sweet potato, asparagus, plantains, okra, and cucumber. – Bakes, made of flour, water, and sugar, are considered the most basic food in Barbados. According to Totally Barbados: Bakes are affectionately known as “survival food”, and rightfully so because when cupboards are bare, you can almost always find these three ingredients somewhere. – Jimmy Buffett …
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Take a stroll down the beach. White sands. Crystal waters. Beans. If you’re in the Caribbean, chances are you’re going to have beans on your plate at least once during your stay. Beans show up most famously in ‘Peas n’ Rice.” Don’t be fooled by the absence of the word “bean” in the title, though. In this case “peas” refers to the bean called Pigeon Peas (or Black Eyed Peas). As an alternative Peas n’ Rice is sometimes made with kidney beans. If you don’t end up eating Peas n’ Rice, you’ll probably end up eating a spicy soup or side dish made with black beans. Dried beans are healthy and cheap. I used to be one of those people who popped open a can of beans whenever I needed them. Then I found out that a can of beans contains my daily allotment of sodium. Unable to stand the guilt, I started to use dried beans. Dried beans contain no sodium, so the power is in your hands to make them as healthy (or unhealthy) as you …
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Thank goodness you guys aren’t subjected to the agonizing decision process that goes on in my house each week. It literally takes me two days of sifting through recipes to narrow things down. My husband deserves an award for the moral support he gives so freely. Anyway, from all the great options in Barbados, I finally decided on a solid menu of “comfort food.” Bajan Sweet Potato Fish Cakes [Recipe] Large flakes of Mahi Mahi blended with mashed sweet potato and seasoned with onion, pepper, and parsley. Substitute your favorite white fish if Mahi Mahi is not available. Bajan Peas N’ Rice [Recipe] This common Caribbean side dish comes to life in Barbados with your choice of pigeon peas or kidney beans, rice, and parsley. Spiked Coconut Water [Recipe] This stout, mildy sweet drink mixes coconut water with coconut rum and fresh lime juice. Serve over crushed ice. Bajan Christmas Puddin’ (Pound Cake with Cherries) [Recipe] Although this pretty pound cake is most common at Christmastime, locals enjoy it all year round. Bake in a …
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A couple of years ago my husband spent a week in Chicago for a work training program. Every day his teacher spent 4 hours off-topic, gushing about his trips to the beautiful island. You’d think this would make my husband an expert on Barbados, but unfortunately he didn’t take notes. Also known as “Little England,” the island of Barbados is an ethnic melting pot. Although the majority of the Bajan people originally came from Africa, the people and the cuisine are also peppered with influence from South America, England, India, and China. The result? A unique and diverse food culture. Mainstays include fish, seafood, and more fish. The list includes some funny names like flying fish and wahoo (like a mackerel), and dried cod (salt fish), smoked herring, conch, crayfish, grouper, and snapper. Fish is served a multitude of ways – including fried (in a cornmeal crust), baked, stewed, in fish cakes, and grilled. England is one of the dominant influences because Barbados was a British colony for over 300 years. As a result, popular sweets include …
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This is meal # 12 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. Our Bahamian feast in a snapshot: An especially nerdy group of writers eating Bahamian food under the stars, vaguely lit by tealights, reading Hemingway to the crickets. I’ve always used the word nerdy as a compliment. To me, a nerd is a person who cares enough to delve deeply into a subject and really get to know it. Quite the opposite of superficial. So, as I was saying, this week I hosted a backyard Bahamian pot luck for my especially nerdy writer’s group. I’ve already told you how much I loved the pot luck we had for Australia. There’s something exciting about seeing what everyone will bring to share. This week was just as great. Here are the contributions: – A Bahamian inspired playlist on her iPod (who says people can’t bring music to a pot luck? What a great idea!) – Various wine – Fresh mango – Carrot cake with pineapple and other goodies tucked …
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