Caribbean Living Lifestyle Blog - Food and Drink

Caribbean Food - A Little History

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:20:00 -0500

The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of
the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day
islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti,
Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and
fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the
process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots.

The Arawaks
are the first people known to make a grate of thin green wood strips on
which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor
of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and the word we know
today as barbeque is taken from this early Indian cooking method.

The
Carib Indians added more spice to their food with hot pepper sauces,
and also added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes. The
Caribs are said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No recipes exist
since every time the Indians made the dish, they would always add new
ingredients. The Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and
the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe.

Then the Caribbean
became a crossroads for the world . . .

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Caribbean-Style Tilapia with Fresh Lime

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:40:00 -0500

Escape from the ordinary, boring fish recipes that call for just
butter and a little lemon. This zesty, mouth-watering recipe will make
your taste buds come to life as the flavors of the Caribbean combine to
create a spicy, healthy meal. Enjoy this easy-to-prepare entree with
plantains, black beans and grilled corn on the cob. Yummy!

Ingredients

4
tilapia fillets

2 tablespoon margarine; low-fat

1/4 cup
green pepper; chopped

4 tablespoon chopped onion

1/4 cup
toasted almonds; chopped

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4
teaspoon oregano

4 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon
chopped coriander; (or parsley)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cup
water

2 cloves garlic; crushed

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon
red pepper flakes

1 lime peel

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Dominican Republic Food: What to Expect in Punta Cana

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:11:00 -0500

Dominican Republic food is a mix of Spanish influences and those of
the native Taino Indians. Columbus claimed and subsequently exploited
the island on his first voyage in 1492. Many of those Spanish traits are
still present and you will definitely notice a Latin American feel to
the island and its cuisine. Seeing the way Spanish dishes like Paella
have become truly Dominican dishes is interesting. They are still
essentially Spanish, but ingredients and flavors have changed to reflect
fresh ingredients available in the average Dominican household.

Their
cuisine is not as spicy as you may expect after visiting other islands
in the West Indies. The main spices used in Dominican recipes are
onions, garlic, coriander and oregano. In fact, much of the livestock on
the island graze on wild oregano which gives Dominican dishes a kind of
pre-marinated flavor. What Dominicans tend to eat depends highly on
where they live, near the Sea or in the mountains. Regardless, most
Dominican meat dishes tend to involve goat meat as the animals are
farmed quite heavily on the island. The Dominican Republic does have
excellent cattle, but they tend to export the bulk of their prime beef
stock. Keep in mind that meat dishes tend to be very well cooked or even
stewed in Dominican restaurants, a tradition stemming from lesser
availability of refrigeration on the island.

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Raise Your Glass for Caribbean Christmas Drinks

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:47:50 -0600

Christmas in the Caribbean is a warm-weathered social event where you spend time visiting friends and family and joining in the local festive fun. At the homes of your relatives and loved ones you will surely be offered a selection of seasonal drinks that really get you in the spirit of Christmas.

Sorrel is a number one favourite for many people. Made from the petals of the sorrel plant, the fruity and tart drink is a deep red beverage. It is often made with ginger and spices for extra heat and flavour. Sorrel is usually served chilled although it can also be warmed and some add a splash of rum too. As well as being deliciously refreshing, Sorrel is also very nutritious and is said to have anti-cancer properties and boost the immune system.

Another drink to warm the taste buds is Ginger Beer. This drink made from fresh ginger, limes, cinnamon and nutmeg if often prepared in advance and left to ferment for a few days before storing in the fridge. I found an exclusive recipe for ginger beer on the Trini Gourmet site which looks as though it makes an extra-hot batch. Whilst many do relish in the fiery tang of ginger beer, the intensity can be too much to bear for some so take a small sip first to check your tolerance level!
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A Miraculous Experience - The Miracle of Miracle Fruit!

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:57:58 -0600

Yesterday I had the privilege of not only witnessing a miracle but actually participating in one! No, I did not levitate, walk on water or turn water into wine…but I did manage to get an extremely sour orange to taste like a sugar coated candy. How? Well the miracle was Miracle Fruit.

Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) is a small red berry that is native to West Africa but grows well in most tropical regions. After sucking on the pulpy seed for about a minute your taste buds are dramatically transformed so that everything that was once sour or bitter tastes extremely sweet and delicious.

The effects of Miracle Fruit are temporary but they last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours during which time you can indulge an array of foods that will taste nothing like before. The miracle of Miracle fruit has been scientifically explained by a glycoprotein called Miraculin that coats the tongue and binds with the taste buds to act as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids.

The Miracle Fruit encounter is such a mind blowing trip that one US lawyer has created ‘Flavor Tripping’ parties to allow a group of people to come together and taste foods that they would normally not like. It’s a fun and super safe way to have an altered life experience although participants should be warned that while Miracle Fruit changes the flavour of foods it does not alter their innate qualities, so overindulging in a host of extra sour or acidic foods will still have a negative effect on the digestive system.
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Amaranth - Healthy, Easy and Delicious

nospam@example.com (Guest Contributor) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:04:27 -0500

In the Caribbean, you may have noticed that if you burn the bush and dried grass in your yard, what you usually see after a few weeks is a wild weed. Often this weed is actually a commonly available vegetable - wild spinach.

Wild spinach can be found almost anywhere because it is extremely adaptable to adverse growing conditions. It is a great addition to have in your vegetable plot as it will even grow just from sticking a branch into the soil, I know because I have tried it. I myself have become very fond of this vegetable because it is so easy to grow, needs very little care, and has so many ways in which it can be cooked.

Amaranth; locally known as wild spinach or zepina, is a weed that has been eaten by mankind for thousands of years and can be found growing wild and/or cultivated worldwide. The young leaves and stems of the amaranth plant are consumed as a vegetable in many countries and cultures. The leaves are eaten in salads, soups, stews, stir-frys, and a wide variety of other savoury dishes. In the Caribbean this plant is often the spinach used in callalou soup.

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Mango Mania - the Healthy and Delicious Fruit

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:51:43 -0500

Since my last post I’ve been steadily enjoying mangos and since it’s one of life’s pleasures that have numerous health benefits, I’m feeling great! The bright yellow/orange flesh of the mango signifies that nutritionally it is high in vitamins A and C – the great antioxidants that help the immune system and protect our cells from damage. Mangos are also a rich source of iron and are a positive source of this nutrient for those suffering with anemia.

Mangoes also score well in quantities of B1, B2, B3 and B6 and have good amounts of magnesium and calcium in them. The significant levels of potassium in mangoes make it an excellent choice to boost the body after a sports work out. With no saturated fat and lots of fibre, a mango really has to be at the top of the list in choices for a healthy diet.

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Juicy, Bright and Succulent – the Delights of Mango

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Few things in the world are more satisfying than biting in to a ripe and juicy mango. The sensory pleasure that comes from the taste, texture and the feeling of the juice running down your arm is a pure delight!

Mango season in the Caribbean is at its height right now and there is an abundance of fruits throughout the summer although there are always a few odd trees sprouting some off season varieties. Mangos originated in Asia and have a rich and long history. However whilst they are not indigenous to the Caribbean they have settled into the region for so many years that it would be impossible to disassociate the islands with the mango fruit.

Amazingly there are up to 1000 different types of mango in the world! Although there are far less in the Caribbean there is still a profusion of varieties and during the height of the season I like to make it into a personal contest to see how many different kinds I can eat before lunchtime! I love the juicy richness of Julie mangos, the stringy and tart ‘mango long’, the enormity of mango ‘bef’, the fresh flavour of ‘mango woz’, the perfumey taste of the small and as yet unidentified mangos we have in our garden, the list could go on….I have a farmer friend who has a rare type he calls ‘ice-cream mango’ because in truth the mangos actually taste like they are filled with sugar and cream. They are so delicious that my mouth is already watering at the thought!
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Why Are Water Lemons So Rare?

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Water Lemons. The name sounds like a mispronunciation and most times when I mention the words, people look at me strangely and ask: “Don’t you mean watermelons?” No I definitely mean water lemons, the common name for the fruit Passiflora Laurifolia also known as Bell Apple, Yellow Granadilla or Golden Apple. They are a relative of passion fruits and grow in the same way on a vine. But unlike passion fruits they are hardly cultivated and quite rare.

I tasted one a few years ago and ever since then we have only had very sparse and intermittent encounters. Very few people have even heard of them much less tasted one which I find weird as they are one of the most delicious fruits on the planet! (By my classification of course!)
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A Little More Avocado Please!

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0500

As an enthusiastic lover of avocados there have been many times I have paced up and down past the fruit bowl waiting for one to hurry up and ripen. Avocados only ripen after being picked from the tree as mature fruits. I have found the process is speeded up by keeping it in a brown bag, a closed drawer or with bananas whose ethylene gas hastens the ripening. If possible I solve the waiting problem by buying several at a time mixing a selection of ripe, half ripe and hard to see me through a few days.

If for some reason you do not eat a whole avocado in one sitting, (strange), the uneaten part should be stored in the fridge either resting with the cut part on a plate or sprinkled with some lemon juice to prevent oxidization and that yucky brown appearance. If they do go brown however this does not mean it is bad and the dark part can be scraped off with a knife to reveal the green fresh part underneath.

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The Drama of Picking Cherries.

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Our cherry tree has just exploded into full fruiting and the red berries look absolutely gorgeous as they hang shining from the branches. The only problem is that most of the branches are out of my arms reach. At 8 months pregnant my upwards stretching capacity is limited and as much as I try, I fail to reach about 90% of the fruits!

The ground underneath the tree is full of flowers so it’s impossible to just shake the tree and pick up the fallen fruits. I wasn’t keen on that idea anyway as I don’t like bruised fruits. The other option would be to use a ladder but the problems with that are:

a) I don’t have a ladder
b) Even if I did it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to climb it right now
c) And even if I did have the ladder and could persuade someone else to climb it, there is actually no where flat enough to balance it!

So what’s a girl to do? I’ve tried looking up inventions for long-handled cherry picking devices that would allow precision snipping of the fruit and a small drop into an awaiting bag. Alas I have come up with nothing.
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Eat and Rub it in - The Many Uses of Avocados

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:12:00 -0500

Last week I could hardly contain my excitement at the return of avocados. Although they are still fairly sparse as the season warms up, I’m scouting for them everywhere in order to delight my taste buds, stomach and skin with their goodness.

Because they are so high in fat and fibre avocados add a filling depth to salads. I also love them as a snack on roasted plantain or spread onto breadfruit with a little hot pepper sauce. These are very simple ways and there are thousands of other, more complex and creative, recipes to try. I just found a new recipe to make guacamole in a Caribbean style which I am definitely going to experiment with as soon as I can. Interestingly, I just found out that guacamole will keep well in the freezer, something I had not really thought of doing before. So there’s no doubt what my little freezer space is going to be crammed with in a few months time as I attempt to extend the duration of my darling avocados oh-too-short seasonal appearance.

Avocados also make a great starter food for babies after 6 months of age as they are slowly introduced to solid food. This is useful to know as my bulging 8-month pregnancy nears its culmination and in a few more months I’ll have a baby to feed with something other than breast milk. In the meantime I've read that all the good nutrition I’m getting from eating the nutrient dense avocados will enrich the breast milk too!

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A Cause for Celebration!

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Today I happily welcomed back a long lost friend into my life. It seems like ages since we were last together and I have been, almost desperately, craving the reappearance of my dearest one. Well, yesterday afternoon, my much-missed comrade returned, as fat and pear-shaped as always but beautiful nonetheless. Of course my favourite pal was instantly invited to dinner and took pride of place at the table as we celebrated the joyous return - Avocados are back in season!!

Avocados are just so delicious and nourishing that it is hard for me to live without them. In fact they are one of nature’s most perfect foods and the Guinness Book of Records names them as the most nutritious fruit in the world!! (Yes they are a fruit and botanically classified as a berry) Avo’s, as they are affectionately known, are an amazing health food, containing 60% more potassium than bananas and more than 20 nutrients, including vitamins E, B6, K and C.

As part of a healthy diet, avocados can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. The high fibre content is good for the bowels and optimal digestive function. Avocado has also been revered as a sexual stimulant and the name stems from the Aztec word ‘ahuacatl’, which means testicle – a reference to its shape as it hangs from the tree! With all that nutritional goodness packed inside it stands to reason that it would enhance every bodily function!!
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Better Bread - Breadfruit and Breadnuts

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sun, 11 May 2008 10:01:00 -0500

There are certain products and services that are named so eloquently that they describe exactly they are and do and leave you in no doubt of what to expect. Such is the case with Breadfruit and breadnuts. They are almost exactly as their names suggest – a cross between bread and fruit and a blend of bread and nuts, respectively. But to stick to that simple definition would be to do an injustice to their deliciousness!

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and breadnuts (Artocarpus camansi) are not native to the Caribbean region but they are welcome guests that have been around on the islands for a few hundred years and look like they have gained permanent citizenship without any problems!. The trees are originally from the western Pacific islands and their introduction to the Caribbean has been credited to Lieutenant William Bligh, a sailor on HMS Bounty in the 18th Century. I’m scornful of the glorified history of these colonizing sailors who wandered off course, violently conquered and exploited people and their lands and generally plundered the natural resources of any place they anchored. The only positive thing I can say about them is at least they chose to bring along some good food.

A breadfruit tree is tall and majestic, growing up to 20 metres (66ft). Each tree can produce an amazing 200 fruits when in season making it one of nature’s most prolific producers. However climatic conditions in the Caribbean mean that most trees produce a lot less than the optimally highest amount in this region of the world. The fruits are green on the outside although when mature they start to leak a little sap and become a little more yellowy in colour. It’s important to only pick a breadfruit when it is mature. One of the worst crimes against food is to pick an under-ripe breadfruit which is rubbery and tasteless.

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The Fluid of Life - The Healing Qualities of Coconut Water

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:57:42 -0500

After exploring the healing qualities of Caribbean Sea and Sulphur waters I could not resist continuing the watery theme and raving about one of my favourite cleansing waters on the planet; coconut water. Of course I am not talking about bathing in it but going internal and drinking it - preferably in gloriously large quantities!

Tall palm trees bearing coconuts is a quintessential image of tropical Caribbean islands. Yet more than just an iconic figure, coconut trees are a vital and life enhancing part of daily living. The uses for this amazing plant are multiple, but for now I’m focusing on the juicy, delicious water contained within the tender coconuts. For anyone unfamiliar with it, coconut water is the water from a young coconut and is not the same as coconut milk from the mature ‘nuts’ which I recently wrote about as being in my all-time favourite food list!

A young coconut is often referred to as a ‘jelly coconut’ on account of the delicious slippery food to be found inside. The sweet water is naturally filtered and acts as an instant re-hydrator, nourisher and detoxifier of the body. I definitely subscribe to the philosophy of ‘a jelly a day to keep the doctor away’. Well actually more than one if possible!

So what makes me so hyper-excited and enthusiastic about this seemingly simple tree seed? (Yes actually the coconut is not a nut at all but a seed) Well as a natural health advocate, I have found that coconut water is an essential part of an optimally healthy lifestyle. For instance, the water is a natural diuretic making it useful for treating urinary infections, kidney and urethral stones and cases of mineral poisoning. Drinking a few coconuts provides a laxative effect and so is a useful colon cleanser which has been shown to kill intestinal worms. The high potassium and electrolyte levels of the water make it a perfect isotonic sports drink which is useful for providing energy and aiding recovery from high exertion.
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