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Multicultural families

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Original poster

West Indian food

114 replies

Cha · 07/11/2004 14:04

Am bored to death with what I cook and although I have dabbled with West Indian food, it has always been with my friend beside me, telling me what to do. As she can't be there every meal time, I would love some help!
I don't eat or cook meat - major drawback, I know - but am happy to do fish and seafood. At the moment I have 6 plantains in my frige all begging to be cooked, and a forlorn tin of ackee. Any suggestions? Dp's Mum is from Aruba (then Monseratt and Antigua) - are there any good dishes from there that anyone knows?

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MarsLady · 07/11/2004 14:39

By the way, if you don't cut the chilli pepper you get the flavour NOT the heat. Adds a little something extra.

KateandtheGirls · 07/11/2004 14:41

Thanks! I'm going to give it a try!

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 14:42

Let me know how it works.

Original poster
Cha · 07/11/2004 15:01

Great websites Kate - just done a huge cut and paste job and printed it all out. Mars - nice to see you used tinned kidney beans, I always wondered if that was allowed. Seen it on one of the website recipes too, so no one should shoot you for it.

OP posts:
MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:02

Cha with the many children that I have I don't have time to please my mother and soak my peas overnight. Of course they do taste better, but who has the time. I want to know how the different recipes work out. That would be good, save me experimenting lol.

zephyrcat · 07/11/2004 20:06

Has anyone ever made a guinness punch? My ex's Mum used to make it and it was delicious!! It is made from guinness, chocolate nutrament/nourishment and irish moss. I have never been able to make it again because I cant find any cans of Irish Moss. Anyone know where to get it??

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:12

local "black" stores. I add vanilla and nutmeg and a cap of rum to mine.

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:16

whereabouts are you zephyrcat?

gothicmama · 07/11/2004 20:17

marslady do you know if you can buy bun online anywhere I can never get to the stall before they sell out or close

zephyrcat · 07/11/2004 20:18

Lol I was half expecting a barrage of 'what the hell is that??!!' I'm ashamed to say there aren't any 'black' stores around here - much to my disgust!! Will have to take a trip back home to Reading I think. I've been craving a guinness punch for ages!! I think hers may have had some extra ingredients in but she always made her stuff hidden away in the kitchen. I'm still badgering my ex for her chicken rice and peas recipe!!!

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:21

honey, what kind of chicken does she make? I've left a quick rice and peas recipe at the bottom of this thread, just scroll down. Not sure about buying anything online. Probably because I've never needed to, and to be honest England isn't world food friendly in that way.

zephyrcat · 07/11/2004 20:24

I honestly cant remember the type of chicken we had. I know she used to fry chicken in a mix of flour and Rajah all purpose seasoning - yum!! My ex taught me a way of doing the chicken where we boiled it in a gravy with all sorts of herbs and seasonings and tomatoes but again cant remember the exact recipe. I was reading your recipe earlier - thats what got me craving it all again!! Will definately try that one out

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:30

mix plain flour with season all (all season), making sure that it's about 1 part season all to 2 parts flour. No need to be too exact. Wash your chicken, rubwith garlic, coat in flour mix. Pop in oven or deep fry.

zephyrcat · 07/11/2004 20:35

How do you make your gravy? She used put a wicked gravy on the rice....... I'm so going to make all this now!!

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:37

I'm not a big gravy fan but what I do is add a little flour to the juices and also add a little hot pepper sauce (and onions)

SofiaAmes · 07/11/2004 20:44

Lots of "black" stores in my neighborhood....I'm happy to pick hard to find stuff up and post it to you if you want. In fact, since in my opinion curried goat is the best food every invented, the first house that I bought in england was in the middle of a jamaican area so that I would never run short. Dh thought I was nuts until he ate some. I weaned my children on curried goat.

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:45

loving you sofiaames

SofiaAmes · 07/11/2004 20:46

Oh and there is this totally awesome dessert that consists of bits of coconut, ginger and sugar cancy that I lived on when I was pregnant. Lady in the jamaican cafe used to laugh everytime my dh went in for more...he was the only white guy in there for miles.

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:49

coconut drops. my sister has the recipe. will try to remember to get it for you. can't stand coconut myself. My mum used to ask me if I was really her child lol

zephyrcat · 07/11/2004 20:50

I second that MarsLady!! If I could get a can of Irish Moss from you SofiaAmes that would be a Godsend!! I've been dreaming of a proper Guinness punch for the last 5 years!!!

zephyrcat · 07/11/2004 20:52

A friend of mine from the same part of Barbados as my ex showed me the delights of chewing raw sugar cane - yum!!!

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:54

ah, yours was a bajan man. that explains it. lol I'm a Jamaican girl

zephyrcat · 07/11/2004 20:55

lol yep - explains lots!!

MarsLady · 07/11/2004 20:56

cat me zephyr and let me know what you crave and I will see if I can't put a little Jamaica cheer into your christmas. . sorry ladies this is a one time only offer.

zephyrcat · 07/11/2004 20:58

you're a star MarsLady - it could have all been solved years ago if I had called his mum - but I was more scared of her than he was!!! Will CAT you now.