So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Thursday, June 25, 2009

You Can Cook Caribbean Food At Home

By Melissa Walker-Jones

The beauty of the Caribbean is reflected in it's food. Everyone who has ever been to the Caribbean knows and loves the cuisine of the Islands. The history that is built into the world of Caribbean food, offers a combination of flavours, textures and aromas that delight the senses and tickle the palette.

If you are a fan of Caribbean food, then perhaps you are someone who is looking for recipes for dishes first sampled on a trip to one of the islands that you can cook at home. Perhaps you've not yet had a visit to one of the Caribbean islands but have friends or family that have introduced you to this type of cooking and you want to try it out for yourself.

Whatever the reason, sampling Caribbean dishes changes your world. The enjoyment factor when you get a little taste of the caribbean in dishes using authentic flavors, makes life that little more enjoyable.

Why is Caribbean cooking fusion cooking? The original south American indian tribes that inhabited the islands of the Caribbean, the Arawaks, Taino and Caribs cooked using the fruits and vegetables found on the islands. As more people from around the world arrived, the Europeans, who brought enslaved Africans, techniques, flavors and ingredients began to change.

As the Africans eat what was left from their slave masters, they coupled their own cooking techniques with the new ingredients and made from them delicious slow cooked stews and energy sustaining meals. They added herbs and spices to flavor the meat, and added vegetables to make the meals stretch. Later the influx of Chinese and Asian workers from Asia, added to the culinary mix.

As a home cook, you may enjoy trying new styles of cooking or experimenting with new recipes. Caribbean food and cooking authentic Island recipes is not beyond your grasp. If you combine the freshest and best ingredients that you can, you will find success in your endeavors.

The most important aspect of this style of cooking is in the marinades. If you are cooking a meat dish them be sure to season and leave to marinade for at least 2 hours, or preferable overnight in the fridge. This is an important part of Caribbean cooking as it is how the meat is tenderized and the flavors are allowed to soak in, giving the dish greater depth and body.

Unless you are frying the meat, it is usual for Caribbean meat to be slow cooked. This allows the seasonings to further penetrate the meat and for a good gravy base to develop. Steaming, boiling, stir frying are all techniques used in Caribbean cooking when it comes to vegetables. You may try roasting veg as well. Jamaicans, Barbadians and Trinidadians all enjoy eating roasted Yams, Corn and Breadfruit.

I hope this article has given you a little taste of the Caribbean and has even, possibly got you in the mood to try out some Caribbean recipes for yourself. As said before, Caribbean food is really a fusion style of cooking. The inhabitants of the Islands took what was available to them and created dishes that are still with us today.

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