Caribbean Food Summer Cooking
May 28, 2010 by Angeli · 2 Comments
Do you hate cooking in your kitchen during the summer heat? Me too!
But if you think it’s a punishment from above for past-life misdemeanors, to be standing in your kitchen perspiring, sweat running down your back in heat strong enough to melt your brass door handles, then spare a fleeting thought for those cooking food in their kitchen in the caribbean.
Because, in Jamaica it’s hot. I don’t mean warm. I don’t mean ‘oh look at my skin, it’s gleaming’. I mean hot. That’s why many people in Jamaica cook outside whenever they can.
In the caribbean like to go outdoors to cook and bbq their food. Jerk chicken is a ‘must have’. As is curry goat. I promise to post Caribbean Food recipes for these bbqs.
And they are creative cooks; they improvise. They improvise their recipes. They improvise what they eat it with. They improvise what tools they use to cook it.
At least in N.America and Europe we have access to a vast array of summer cooking ware. Since I started my blog over a year ago, i’ve had many emails asking me not only how to cook certain dishes but also what cookware and utensils to use. Well, i’ve decided to add to my blog by occasionally highlighting good cookware. For outdoor summer cooking I use a powerful grill. Below is a good quality dual purpose outdoor grill from Amazon with 5 Star customer reviews. Simply click on the image to find out more.
Personally, I like to cook on a full-sized charcoal grill that can also be used as a full-size gas grill combined, if need be. I also like it to have an adjustable-height grate so that i can keep my food warm when i’m not actually cooking it. And, of course, enough cooking space is a premium, giving a lot of preparation flexibility, allowing me to concentrate on creating great food and not having to fiddle about with the limitations of a small grill. Yep, good cooking needs good tools. Again, you can see a good example by clicking on the Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill
Happy summer cooking. I will post Caribbean Food bbq recipes in the near future.
Love, laughter and food for all. Angeli.
Let me see you ‘stamp and go’
May 1, 2010 by Angeli · 1 Comment
Patois, or Caribbean Creole is a blend of different languages, each island in the Caribbean posessing it’s own dialect.
I grew up to the sound of Jamaican Patois. At times highly amusing, occasionally very frustrating, but on the whole extremely entertaining. Every now and then I would have no idea what my parents were saying and would have to make an educated guess as to what they wanted me to do. If I were wrong it would be to my disadvantage because then would come “a wa mi jus seh?” (what did I say?) or “Ow com you too ‘ard airse?” (why are you so wayward?).
I remember the first time I went to Jamaica -I was 10yrs old – the people were colourful, gregarious, and affable. However, I had no idea what anyone was saying so my mum had to act as translator.
My grandmother – sister sweetie as she was known, was lovely. She and my grandfather spoilt me rotton. She would say things like “a wat im waant fi eat?” , “ow im pretty soh” and “leave im alone G”
My Grandfather, not understanding anything I said, would dispassionately grunt a reply, stare at me uncomprehendingly, or get my mum to translate.
The Jamaican language is heavily influenced by the West African dialects brought in by the slaves, I’m no expert, but I do know that African men and women can have the same name, because in Africa you give your child a name according to the meaning, not the gender. Perhaps that’s why I became a ‘he’ and a ‘him’.
Grandma was also a wonderful cook when it came to Caribbean food – Her fish fritters were simply gorgeous! The spicy, spongy interior was beautifully offset by the silky, soft-crisp exterior. They were so moreish that once I started eating them I couldn’t stop.
Of course there was a price to pay - I always ate far too many.
Grandma would always laugh affectionately and one of her sayings was
“Now yu see, yu nyam far too much. Yu eyes far bigga dan yu Mout, yu gwine get bang belly.” (You’ve eaten too much and now you’re going to have a tummy ache).
The fish fritters were worth it though. I loved them 
Fish fritters have different titles in different caribbean islands – for example - Accra(Trinidad),Bacalaitos(Antigua), Saltfish cake(Barbados), Stamp and go(Jamaica).
Why not try these at home, and create a bit of sunshine.
RECIPE
Angeli’s Caribbean Food Fish Fritters – 
150g (5.5 oz) chopped salt fish (Remember to soak the fish overnight to remove the excess salt. You can then taste the fish to see if it is at the right saltiness for you – I use the salted fish that has been filleted and de-boned)
250g (1/2 lb) plain flour
1 tablespoon chopped tomato
1 dessert spoon chopped scotch bonnet
1 tablespoon chopped spring onion
1 egg
1 teas thyme leaves
Approx 500ml (1pt) water
Oil
Large deep frying pan, or wok.
Heat oven to 220 degrees centigrade (428 fahrenheit)
Put the fish, flour, tomato, pepper, onion, and thyme leaves in a bowl and mix together.
Add the water bit by bit until you have a thick watery dough – you may not have to use all the water.
Roughly beat the egg and add to the mixture
Now vigorously beat everything together with a hand whisk to incorporate as much air as possible.
Put oil in pan and heat – you want it to be about 4cm (2inches) deep , you will know it is hot enough if you sprinkle a tiny bit of flour in and it sizzles.
Using a dessert spoon, drop in spoonfuls of the mix, and fry on both sides until golden brown.
Take them out and place in an ovenproof dish.
Once all are fried, put in hot oven for aprox 8-10 mins.
Your fritters are now ready to serve.