Callaloo, A Natural Viagra?
September 29, 2009 by Angeli · 4 Comments
Callaloo – what on earth is it?
It’s a luscious leafy Caribbean Food green vegetable, found in the Caribbean and Asia. It grows easily in the summer without much fuss, in the same way as chard or spinach, and is bursting with minerals and vitamins.
Some even swear that it’s a natural viagra!
One autumn, when I was a young child, my dad brought back some seeds from the Caribbean and decided to plant them to see if they would grow. We ceremoniously followed him into the garden whereupon he raised his hand magestically in the air like a priest about to sanctify a marriage. He freely scattered the seeds around the garden, like throwing confetti at a wedding, with wide circular arm movements. Some landed in the warm, fertile, soil while others landed on the barren path.
The following summer Callaloo had been given birth everywhere.
Like unruly excited toddlers, callaloo had invaded every nook and cranny in the garden. They giggled with the poppies, played hide and seek with the sweet corn, others danced and swayed lazily in the sunshine as if at party.
Actually, Callaloo is very ordinary looking, and could easily be mistaken for a garden weed if you didn’t know what to look for. There is no defining smell, and it’s charming, more-ish, taste is hidden away to be discovered, like a honeymoon kiss.
Once harvested, cleaned and cooked, the tantalising aroma with its melt-in-the-mouth taste, is sublime.
Try this simple Caribbean Food recipe with spinach, sorrel, or chard if you can’t find callaloo. As it has to be made quickly, you need to have everything ready so that you have no interruptions.
RECIPE
2 medium sized tomatoes
2 medium sized shallot onions
a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme (you want the strongly flavored one with the tiny leaves).
1clove garlic
red scotch bonnet pepper to taste
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly crushed black pepper
approx 1 tablespoon of oil (I use Sunflower oil)
approx 1 tablespoon of water
Approx 1/2 kg Callaloo
Cooking time = approx 10mins
1x Ciabbata loaf or French loaf
METHOD
chop the tomatoes into quarters
Thinly slice the onions
Thinly slice your scotch bonnet pepper
wash your thyme.
Put a medium sized saute/frying pan on a medium high heat, add the oil and heat for a few seconds.
Next add your onions and the thyme and saute until the onions are soft.
Now add your tomatoes, cook down until they are soft too.
Add your scotch bonnet, garlic and water. Cook for a minute or two.
Now when everything has come together, add your callaloo, and allow it to wilt down into the tomato sauce, using a wooden spoon/fish slice to turn the mixture.
After a few minutes everything will have melded so you can now take the pan off the heat.
Add your salt and black pepper to taste.
Now for the Bruschetta
Take the bread and cut into thin slices.
Toast or grill until crisp on both sides.
Rub one side with cut garlic.
Arrange on a plate and spoon on the callaloo mixture.
Now Enjoy!
Callaloo, Love, Laughter, And Food For All 
Caribbean Food: Why You Must Eat Your Dad’s Trees
September 2, 2009 by Angeli · 8 Comments
Caribbean food cinnamon. Pale, dusky brown, with a seductive spicy aroma and a sweet woody taste.
Its soft fragrance fills your nostrils caressing your throat with it’s complex ambrosial flavour. Next to nutmeg, this is probably the most frequently utilised caribbean food spice of my cooking-crazed family. Used in cakes, drinks, and savoury dishes, cinnamon evokes in me strong emotional memories of warmth, safety and celebration.
On my dad’s farm in Jamaica, he had a couple of ever-green cinnamon trees. He said they were ancient, almost antique. I remember, he didn’t touch the outer bark as this might cause the tree to become infected which would make it rot, even die! Instead, he only ever used the inner-bark. As it dries out, the sides of the bark curl inwards and are called ‘quills’. This is what you buy in your supermarket.
I remember, my first encounter with caribbean food cinnamon was as a four year old child. It was winter, dark and cold outside and I stumbled downstairs tousled and sleepy-eyed to watch my dad light the fire in the kitchen. Once it was crackling, hissing and spitting, he went to get ready for work. I sat close to the fire feeling safe and warm, watching the fire dance and skip, impatiently awaiting my breakfast.
After my mum had made my dad’s lunch, she began the preparations for our breakfast. Velvety cornmeal porridge with soft, fluffy, fried dumplings, or freshly baked bread and butter, was a favourite in the winter months. My dad claimed it would make our brains grow. The scoundrel could get away with such claims – I was only young and my dad was the font of all knowledge.
As my mum began cooking the porridge, I watched every movement avidly, eagerly anticipating the flavours filling my mouth. She took out an enormous pot and an old wooden spoon, followed by all the ingredients, and lay them down on our scuffed-up old wooden table.
She measured out a tiny handful of golden cornmeal into the pot. Then, filled the pot with what seemed like an ocean of water and placed it onto our beaten-up old stove. When she lit it, it made a loud whooshing noise and then hissed like a witch all the way through the cooking process. Mum began to stir the porridge and then added the magic ingredient – cinnamon. She stirred for what seemed like hours and went into a trance! Mum had a habit of thinking out loud whilst cooking; to a four year old she was chanting a magic spell.
I watched this spell-making in quiet fascination as the ‘brew’ transformed from an odourless, grey, watery mass into a majestic golden elixir. The smell of cinnamon in the porridge was divine. I devoured it.
Hallelujah for Caribbean Food.
Pic by oiseauxbleu
CORNMEAL PORRIDGE
50g (2oz) Cornmeal (I prefer coarse)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
approx 1 teaspoon of finely grated cinnamon.
300ml (1/3 qt) water.
100ml (4fl oz) skimmed milk
Brown demerra sugar to taste
Small wooden spoon
small/medium pot
Put Cornmeal, milk and Water into a medium sized pot.
Place on cooker on a low heat and begin to stir.
After 5 minutes, add the cinnamon. Keep stirring.
After another 5 minutes, add the vanilla. Keep stirring.
Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring all the time to prevent lumps.
Your porridge is now ready for eating. Pour into a bowl, add sugar to taste.
Love, laughter and food for all!