When most people think of the tropics they think of sun, sand, sea… and coconut trees! For those who don’t know, coconuts as we know them are really the seed of the coconut “fruit”. When they’re young and the outer husk is still green they contain lots of water and the white flesh is a jelly texture. I used to love drinking coconut water straight from the coconut and then scooping out and eating the tender jelly...
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I have had several requests for this recipe! Whether you call it Mackerel Rundown or Rundown Mackerel, the term “rundown” is used to describe a thick sauce made of coconut milk boiled down with seasonings until it begins to form a custard. In some places in Jamaica rundown is also called “Dip and Fall Back”, more so in the past than now. I recently read that the name is said to have been given this term because the dish...
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Stew Peas and Rice is a beloved Jamaican dish. For me it’s simply comfort food. Funny … even though Jamaica is a hot, tropical country, we love our hearty stews and soups, all well-suited to colder climates. I think it has to do with the fact that we are traditionally hard-working people who need our meals to “hold us” for the day. Stew Peas and Rice is family favourite, and salted pig tails are a key ingredient....
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I was in my local West Indian grocery store recently and saw Jamaican-grown Escallion being sold for more than $3.00 a bunch! I thought that was crazy, especially when I can buy green onion at any grocery store for $0.99 a bunch. Whether you call them escallion (pronounced scallion), green onion, spring onion or Welsh onion, they’re all virtually the same thing! Jamaicans love their escallion and use it when cooking most savory dishes....
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It’s been a while since we posted a new recipe. That’s because life goes on. What I mean is that while I was away in Florida my sciatica acted up making it difficult for me to get around … a real pain in my back. I’ve been home for three weeks now and just starting to feel like myself again. However, a lot happened during that time. I got to read a lot of your comments here and on our Youtube channel, as well I saw...
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I love a good banana bread, but when I was a child, whenever there were overripe bananas around my mother would usually use them to make banana fritters. That’s because she didn’t have a good oven. My mother had a oven contraption that she’d put on top of her oil stove, but it was unreliable and difficult to control the temperature. When she really wanted to bake, especially around the holidays, she’d head overto...
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If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that, in June, Angela and I were featured on a local cooking show called Look I Cook. For some reason I was very nervous, but it turned out to be quite a lot of fun… and an all-day affair! I’m used to filming our videos in a few hours then sitting down to eat. What I discovered is that it takes a lot more time for a real cooking show to do what we do. Never-the-less, I...
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Jamaicans love their porridge and I’m no exception! Ever since I was a child, cornmeal porridge has been a breakfast favourite. I tried to introduce some other kinds of Jamaican porridge to my kids when they were young, like banana and peanut porridge, but this was the one that stuck. It’s really easy to make if you know the rules. 1. Add the cornmeal to cold milk and 2. Stir, stir, stir. If you follow these two simple rules...
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Hell a top, Hell a bottom, Hallelujah in the middle! This is a Jamaican riddle and most people know that the answer is a delicious sweet potato pudding. Similar to Cornmeal Pudding, it is best liked when the top, called a ‘sof pon top’, is softer than the rest of the pudding. Many of you, including Wendy in the Bahamas and Robin recently, have been requesting this recipe. To be honest, I have had to make several puddings to...
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A funny thing happened this week! I was planning to make Curry Powder the Ingredient of the Week and then yesterday, out of the blue, I received two questions about curry powder! Chris in Canada asked if the curry I use in my Curry Chicken recipe is Jamaican curry powder and, if so, how it different from Indian curry powder. Peter in London, England also asked about what curry powder I use, and if I have a homemade recipe. Thank you both for...
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