The Jamaican Cookbooks I Can’t Live Without
Many of us learn to cook while watching the women in our families - our mothers, grandmothers, and aunties. Many others learn from using cookbooks. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen in my early days - but I was doing homework rather than actively watching my mother cook. Frankly, I wasn’t very interested, maybe because I was a picky eater, but she also wouldn't let me near the stove. So the kitchen wasn’t alien territory to me…
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Jerk Roast Turkey for Thanksgiving
For many Jamaican families in the U.S., the traditional baked turkey will not take center stage at this week's Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, it will be replaced by jerk roasted turkey. It started a few years ago. I suspect, because somebody got bored with the traditionally baked turkey and decided to add little kick to it. When you think about it, jerking a turkey makes sense. If you can jerk a chicken, why not jerk a turkey? Well, that idea has…
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Where Was I? Remembering November 22 1963
November 22 1963 fell on a Friday, like it did today. I remember because we were home from school and on Fridays, we had half-days off. I was playing ball in the backyard of the house we rented, with my new friends, Janet and Errol, brother and sister, grandchildren of the lady whose house we lived in. I don’t remember who said it first – my mother or Miss Mag, the grandmother – or what their exact words were. Somehow,…
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The Animals That Caught My Eye
I'd be the first to say that I'm not an animal lover so I was mildly surprised at the number of photos of animals I've taken during the last year. Here are a few: The Cat at Croydon A friend who was a cat owner used to say that cats were humans in an earlier life. That's why they act so superior. [caption id="attachment_13421" align="alignnone" width="728"] The cat at Croydon[/caption] As we sat listening to the Croydon Plantation tour guide…
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5 Ingredients That Fire up Jamaican Cuisine
Jamaican cuisine draws heavily on the culinary traditions of the people who have called it home – the Tainos, the original people, Africans, Spanish, English, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese, and our own Rastafarians. However, almost everyone associates our cuisine with pepper, specifically Scotch bonnet. But you'd be wrong to believe that we rely solely on Scotch bonnet to fire up our food. Here are five ingredients that you're guaranteed to find in every Jamaican pantry. Scotch Bonnet pepper – One of…
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Sometimes, It’s All in the Hands
I started out with a clear idea of what I wanted to do for this week's Travel Photo Thursday, but by the time I finished going through my photos, I decided to do something I call, It's All in the Hands. Our hands perform many different tasks throughout the day. But I'm fascinated by people whose hands pull nets full of fish, hammer nails or pound stone, keep tradition alive - ordinary people doing ordinary things with their hands. Here…
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Stir Fry Vegetables with Jerk Tofu
A few years ago, my extended family started a monthly gathering to cook the meals that we grew up on, the dishes that we don't have as often because we no longer have the luxury of someone else to prepare them for us. Each gathering was an all-day affair with reminiscences about growing up, side-splitting, tears-running-down-the-face laughter about who did what when, and plenty to eat and drink. The best part was you never knew which old favorite the hostess…
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Mike’s Having a Contest!
In celebration of their 200th blog post, Mike (and Phoenix) at Past My Curfew are having a contest. [caption id="attachment_13375" align="aligncenter" width="527"] Phoenix[/caption] You can enter by leaving a comment on Past My Curfew or posting something on your blog. But don't take it from me. Here's what Mike and Phoenix had to say -- "So, if you leave a comment below telling us about your favorite blog, you’re entered. And if you post about the contest on your own…
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A Meeting and Music at The Cloisters Museum
Elizabeth and I planned to meet uptown at The Cloisters Museum & Gardens a few days before I was scheduled to leave New York City. A friend from the blogging world, we’d read and commented on each other’s blogs for several months before we met and strengthened our connection offline. Talk about six degrees of separation? About a year ago, I was on the phone with Elizabeth arranging our first meeting when friend of hers arrived. Accompanying her was a…
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Stewed Peas (Meatless)
I love legumes and turn to them whenever I feel like taking a break from meat. Mostly, I make stewed peas, which is red kidney beans that's cooked with spices and coconut milk. Traditionally you make stewed peas with meat - pig's tail, corned beef or pork, or chicken. But a few years ago, perhaps as a result of the popularity of the Rastafari's ital way of cooking, which excludes meat, a meatless variation started cropping up on restaurant and…
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