Jamaican Callaloo With Saltfish Recipe.

May 27, 2025July 11, 2024Leave a Comment

Callaloo is yet another classic Caribbean recipe with different meanings across the region. In this case the ingredient (Green Amaranth) is the star and what gives the dish its name in Jamaica. While in other parts of the Caribbean that same ingredient is known simply as ‘spinach’ or ‘Chorai Bhagi’. And ‘Callaloo’ is more of a comforting soup-like dish.

You’ll Need…

2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/3 lb prepared salted Cod
1 medium onion (diced)
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper (sliced)
5 cloves garlic (smashed)
5 sprigs thyme (leaves only)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 lbs Callaloo (see notes below)
1 medium tomato (diced)

Notes! If making this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. I used an entire scotch bonnet pepper, but you may use any pepper you like and in the amount you can tolerate. May I recommend you use the video below to follow along as much more is discussed there, including how to prepare the Callaloo and why it’s known as spinach or Chorai Bhagi outside of Jamaica. For additional flavor you may add 2 tablespoons of coconut cream and a couple chopped scallions to the dish.

Wash, trim and chop the Callaloo bush and set aside (include tender stems). With the salted cod (fish), I soaked it in boiling water and when it was cool to touch I then drained that water, rinsed it with cool water, then broke it up into small pieces. The goal is to remove most of the salt it was dry-cured with and to rehydrate it. May I recommend that you use ‘boned’ saltfish (yea, use your fav salted fish), however please go through the pieces to ensure that no small bones are still present.

Heat the oil (you may use any oil you prefer) on a medium/low flame and add the prepared salted cod to the pan. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the onion, garlic, Scotch bonnet pepper, thyme and black pepper (this is when you’d add scallions if you wanted) and turn the heat to low so we don’t burn the garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion softens.

Turn the heat back up to medium and start adding the prepared Callaloo to the pot. To help it start wilting faster, you may place a lid on the pan temporarily. This is when you’d add coconut cream if you decided on that extra flavor.

I like adding a tomato or two at this point as I find that the acidity of the tomato helps to balance the overall flavor of the dish.

Lower the heat to medium/low and cook until the callaloo has reduced in volume and starts taking on ‘browned’ edges. At this point you’ll taste and add salt if necessary. Since the salted Cod will have remnants of salt in it, I usually don’t add any further salt to the dish, but this is on you at this point.

Cook with the lid off or you’ll end up with a lot of liquid in the pan from the generated steam, with the lid on. In my case it cooked for about 20-25 minutes after I added the Callaloo. With no liquid at the bottom of the pan and the texture to my liking, stove came off and I tucked in with some Jamaican Festivals

Keep in mind that if you chopped the Scotch Bonnet pepper, that you must wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. And if you’re one of those people who gets an itch in your mouth/throat, you may want to add the juice of 1/2 of a lemon after you turn off the stove and stir it well.

Meat & Poultry

Jamaican Stewed Oxtail With Butter Beans.

March 29, 2021February 13, 202114 Comments

Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, oxtail wasn’t as popular as it is today. There are several restaurants and roadside vendors doing excellent things with oxtails, especially in the capital. My first encounter with Jamaican style stewed oxtails came via my friend’s grandmother in Canada. Granny with her busted knives (from cutting oxtails to cook) was a boss in the kitchen and was always willing to let me watch.

You’ll Need…

4 lbs oxtail (trimmed)
1 lemon (juice)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon All-Purpose Seasoning
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freeze dried garlic (or garlic powder)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Browning
1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon tomato concentrate paste
1 medium onion (diced)
5-7 sprigs thyme
4 large cloves garlic (smashed)
1 scotch bonnet pepper *
2 thick slices ginger
2 scallions (chopped)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
5 cups water
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
5-9 Pimento berries (allspice)
1 can Lima (butter) beans
2 tablespoon Parsley (chopped finely)

Important! I cut my Scotch Bonnet pepper but if you want flavor and not the raw Caribbean Sunshine (heat) feel free to float the pepper and NOT break it. You will get the lovely flavor from the oils of the skin. Discard without breaking after you’re done cooking.

Get your butcher to cut the oxtails for you as your kitchen knives will NOT be able to do so. You want them somewhat the same size pieces so they cook the same time. Wash the oxtail pieces (trim off as much of the fat you can and discard) with the juice of the lemon and cool water. Rinse and drain dry.

Lets season and I highly recommend that you give this at least 2 hours (overnight is the best) to marinate and soak in all the wonderful flavors we’re about to add. In a large bowl with the clean oxtail pieces, add the salt, black pepper, soy sauce, all-purpose seasoning, dried garlic, Caribbean browning and Worcestershire sauce (my thing). Mix well and allow to marinate.

Heat a heavy/deep pot on a medium heat and add the olive oil. We’ll brown the pieces of seasoned oxtails at this point. Basically 4-6 minutes, then remove and set aside. Do this in batches so you don’t crowd the pot.

With all the browning done and the pieces removed from the pot, turn the heat down to low (remove any excess oil, you need about a tablespoon left back), add the tomato paste (my thing) and cook for 2 -3 minutes, so the natural sweetness comes out

Here’s where you’ll add back the oxtail p[ieces to the pot, follwed by the scallion, thyme, onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper and Caribbean Green Seasoning, stir well.

Turn up the heat to high and add the water so you bring it to a boil. As it comes to a boil, add the brown sugar and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all that flavor off the bottom of the pot. Toss in the allspice berries at this point as well.

It will take a few minutes to come to a boil. Then lid on and heat on LOW. We’ll slowly cook this until it’s fall-off-bones. Have the lid on the pot but slightly ajar so it can vent.

My oxtails took 2 hours and 45 minutes to be as tender as I like it. Here’s where you’ll add the canned beans (rinse with cool water first) and into the pot. Cook for 15 minutes so the beans absorb the flavors.. taste for salt and adjust accordingly NOTE! Depending on the age of the animal your meat came from, it can take longer to get tender. NO I do NOT like using a pressure cooker – but you can I guess.

Once the gravy is the cosistency you like, oxtails are tender and the salt is perfect, shut off the stove and top with the parsley.

remove the sprigs from the thyme and the pimento (all spice) berries and discard.

Like I did, you’ll find ways to personalize this recipe to your own liking, so be creative. I usually cook a huge batch of this and freeze what is not consumed at dinner. Then when I feel like having a comforting Caribbean meal, I simply thaw and reheat on a very low heat and enjoy.

My adopted Jamaican Granny would be proud.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Jamaican Callaloo (spinach) With Diced Ham.

May 27, 2025April 8, 2018Leave a Comment

Have you ever used canned ham? With a wonderful harvest of Jamaican Callaloo (chorai bhagi | amaranth) from my garden, I decided to put canned ham to use… to add some additional flavor to one of my favorite dishes. I always plant, Spinach, Collard, Jamaican Callaloo, Bok Choi and/or Swiss Chard in my garden every year, such is my luv for ‘greens’. Traditionally I grew up eating Jamaican callaloo cooked with pieces of salted cod (saltfish) and simmered in coconut milk. And while that recipe is indeed a classic, this one is just as tasty.

You’ll Need…

6-8 cups Jamaican callaloo (prepared)
1 can chopped ham (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
1/2 medium onion (sliced)
3 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small spicy pepper (your choice)
1/3 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/2 cup diced tomato (I used grape tomatoes from my garden)
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice

2 cloves garlic (diced)

Wash and trim off the flowers and thick stems from the callaloo (discard), then separate the leaves from the stems (tender stems). Roll the leaves together and chop it about 1/4 of an inch ribbons. Trim off the skin off the tender stems and chop the now cleaned stems about 1/4 inch as well. Wash everything again and allow to drain.

Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame, the add the onion, garlic, thyme, black pepper and spicy pepper (I used a scotch bonnet). Turn the heat down to low and cook gently for 3-4 minutes.

Remove the ham from the can, drain well and give it a quick rinse under cool water. Then dice into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the pot. Turn the heat up to low/medium and cook for about 5 minutes. The goal is to render out some of the fat and to brown the edges of the ham.

Turn the heat to medium/high and start adding the trimmed/washed callaloo to the pot. Stir well. It will wilt down so don’t stress about it all not fitting in the pot.

Since the ham will already have some salt, you can add the salt now.. but taste later on to make sure it’s enough to your liking. Turn the heat down to med/low, cover the pot and cook for about 8 minutes. After that it’s time to add the diced tomato and lemon juice and cook with the lid off until all the liquid (it will spring naturally) is burnt off. Depending on how ‘cooked’ you like your callaloo, you may need to leave the lid on a bit longer with the lid on.

I gave it a further 6 minutes after I removed the lid off the pot. While not the traditional way of cooking Jamaican callaloo with saltfish, this ham version is quite tasty and well worth the test-drive. If pork is not your thing you can always use smoked turkey or salted cod as in the traditional recipe.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Meat & Poultry

Jamaican Curry Goat Recipe.

May 28, 2025December 5, 20169 Comments

While we use the same ingredients and for the most part cook similar dishes, you’ll find that as you travel across the West Indies the technique we employ on each island differs. That is exactly the case with one of the most famous dishes coming out of the Caribbean, Curry Goat. A curry goat from Trinidad and Tobago will most certainly be different than one from Grenada and just as unique as one done in a Guyanese or Haitian home. I’ve shared several methods of cooking curry goat so far, but it seems we’ve not had a go at a Jamaican version, until now.

You’ll Need…

2 1/2 lbs goat
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 small onions (or 1 large)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon veg oil
5 sprigs thyme
2 scallions (chopped)
1 bay leaf (optional)
8 allspice berries (aka pimento berries)
3 cups water
3 medium potatoes

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, kindly go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as it may contain flour as a filler. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

I’d recommend using goat meat with bones as you’ll get much more flavor (and cheaper) than with boneless goat. Have your butcher cut the pieces for you as you’ll need a saw to cut through the bones. Wash the meat with water and the juice of a lime or lemon (not mentioned in the ingredient list), drain and get ready to season.

With the goat meat (washed) in a large bowl, go in with the salt, onion, scotch bonnet (I used a habanero..any hot pepper will work) and the curry powder. Give it a good stir (feel free to add a bit of olive oil to the marinade if you wish) and set it in the fridge to marinate overnight or at least 2 hours.

Heat the oil in a wide/heavy pan (one with a lid) on medium heat and add the pieces of marinated goat. Stir well and try to sear the pieces, while infusing that lovely curry base. Don’t cover the pot at this point. After about 5 minutes, it’s time to add the all the other ingredients except the water. Give everything a good mix in the pot Add the water to the bowl you seasoned the goat in and mix it around to pick up any remaining marinade.

Pour in the water, raise the heat to high, then as it comes to a boil reduce to a gentle simmer and cover the pot. Allow this to cook slowly for 1 1/2 hrs. The goal is to get it tender.

If you find that you’re running out of liquid in the pot you can always add a cup or two of hot water. It’s now time to add the potato (1/4) and tuck in under the liquid. Give another 30 minutes or so to fully cook.

By now you should have tender goat, thick gravy and soft pieces of potato. Taste for salt and adjust to your liking. I try not to play around much with the pot after adding the potatoes as I like them maintaining their shape and texture. BUT.. should you want to thicken your gravy even more, you can crush a couple pieces with the back of your spoon. Depending on how old the goat was (when it was butchered) the 2 hours of cooking time will be enough to have the meat falling off the bones (but that’s not always the case). The potato not only adds a lovely texture and taste to this curry goat, but it’s a great way to stretch 2 1/2 lbs of meat. As you turn off the stove you can top with some chopped parsley or cilantro as I did. Keep in mind that as it cools the gravy will thicken up a bit.

Feel free to add garlic, a stick of cinnamon and/or a bay leaf while cooking for even more unique flavor. If you’re familiar with how curry goat is cooked on the islands, you’ll identify the slight differences of this Jamaican curry goat recipe. Feel free to use lamb/ mutton instead of the goat for similar results.

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Breakfast Gluten Free Seafood

Ultimate Caribbean Breakfast Recipe.

May 28, 2025October 15, 20151 Comment

Breakfast was usually a grab and go routine for me as a young fella on the islands during the week, as I went to school in the city and it meant leaving our sleepy village very early in the morning. I had to take a 2nd taxi (shared) when I got into San Fernando (2nd largest city in Trinidad) to make it in time for the first bell. So weekends was when mom would go all out with whatever we wanted for breakfast. Now this sort of breakfast was never included as I only developed a liking for many of the ingredients you’ll see me use, during my travels across the Caribbean as an adult. However the dish itself represents the sort of satisfying breakfast you’d find across the West Indies, especially on the weekends.

You’ll Need…

4 green cooking bananas (cooked)
1-2 cups prepared salted fish (Cod)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup diced bell pepper
4 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 large shallot (or 2 cloves garlic & 1 small onion)
1 can ackee (drain / rinsed)
2 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 small okra (cut in half – length)
6 cups Jamaican callaloo (trimmed/shredded)

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Video Tutorials:

How To Prepare Jamaican Callaloo For Cooking

How To Shop For, Cook And Peel Green Bananas.

How To Prepare Salted Fish

Please use the video tutorials above to prepare the necessary ingredients. If using canned ackee as I did, be gentle and rinse with cool water to get rid of the brine it’s packaged in and set aside. On a medium flame, heat the olive oil (or coconut) and add the diced shallot and thyme. Lower the heat to low and let it cook gently for 3 minutes.

With your heat still on low, add the prepared salted cod and the black pepper and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the cut/trimmed ockra and scotch bonnet pepper (remember to use as much as you can handle and don’t use any seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat). Stir well and cook for a couple minutes.

It’s now time to add the prepared Jamaican callaloo (chorai bhaji) and stir well. It will look like it will overflow, but it will shrink (wilt) down as it cooks. Add all the other ingredients, except the cooked green bananas and ackee and mix well.

After 5 Minutes, add the cooked green bananas (cut into 1 inch pieces) and mix well. Then GENTLY fold in the ackee. Please be gentle as it’s very tender and can fall apart very easily. Warm trough and combine the flavors and you’re basically done.

An amazing one pot Caribbean breakfast beast served (enjoyed) hot. Feel free to add other types of ground provisions to the mix (like yams, dasheen, cassava etc) and be sure to have some slices of fried plantains on the side with some coconut bake or johnny cakes.

Gluten Free Rice & One-Pot Dishes Vegetarian

Rice Cooker Jamaican Rice And Peas Recipe

May 28, 2025January 2, 201526 Comments

Most people who are new to Caribbean cuisine at one point or the other, always end up trying to make Jamaican style rice and peas (peas and rice?). Sadly if you’re not seasoned at making rice and peas, it can be a bit challenging. You always risk ending up with rice which is overcooked and soggy. With this in mind, I decided to share a fool-proof way of cooking Jamaican rice and peas, with the same flavors and texture you’d get from the conventional method of cooking this dish. However we’ll employ the use of a rice cooker!

You’ll Need…

3 cups (rice cooker sized cup) brown par-boiled rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 scallion
1 tablespoon thyme (fresh)
1 cup red beans (from a can)
1/4 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper (diced)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice (pimento berries)

* water according to your rice cooker directions for cooking brown rice
* treat the one cup of red beans as rice, so adjust your water according to the rice cooker instructions

Yes, it’s always confusing to people outside the Caribbean when we say rice and ‘peas” and technically we use red beans and not peas. Wash the rice.. either you put it in a deep bowl and pour cool water over it, massage it with your hands, then pour that cloudy water out. Repeat until the water is clear. I usually just put the rice in a strainer and allow water to flow through it, while I work my fingers through it. Basically the same.. till the water runs clear.

Place the washed rice into the rice cooker, then add all the other ingredients and give it a good stir. Then top with water according to your rice cooker’s instructions and set it on cook.

Half way through the cooking process, I like giving it a stir to make sure everything is mixed well and the heavy red beans don’t sink to the bottom of the rice cooker.

Please note that we have natural sugars from the rice and coconut milk so after the rice cooker is done cooking and goes into the ‘keep warm” cycle.. you may want to turn it off. If not it can start to ‘cake’ at the bottom of the rice cooker the longer it remains on the heat setting. Give it about 10 minutes after cooking, then take a fork and gently work the rice so you get what my Jamaican friends call “shelly” rice (grainy).

Basically this is the simplest way to make perfect Jamaican rice and peas, without the stress of ending up with soggy rice. Should you encounter any problems or need clarity on anything, do use the contact link (top of page) to get hold of me. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Note: remember when handling scotch bonnet and other hot peppers, to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after.

Gluten Free Seafood

Jamaican Callaloo With Shrimp.

May 26, 2025September 12, 20143 Comments

As I’ve discussed in my Cookbook, there’s much debate in the Caribbean when it comes to callaloo. In the southern Caribbean it’s a delicious soup-like dish made with young dasheen bush leaves, flavored with crabs (for the most part) and simmered in coconut milk. However in Jamaica, callaloo is the bush or plant (amaranth) which is prepared in several different ways, but most popular is Jamaican Callaloo With Saltfish.

In this version of cooking Jamaican callaloo ((amaranth, chorai bhagi), we’ll bypass the salted fish and go with some precooked shrimp. However you can certainly use fresh shrimp for even more flavor.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs Jamaican Callaloo
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil (or olive)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (your fav salt)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup small shrimp (pre cooked)
1/2 cup water
1 medium tomato diced
1 scallion
2 sprigs thyme

Wash, trim and chop the callaloo into ribbons. If using some of the stem, do try to use the tender ones and try to scrape of some of the outer skin. Thinly slice the garlic, chop the onion, scallion and tomato and finely dice the scotch bonnet pepper.

Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame, then go in with the onion, garlic, black pepper and scallion. Drop the heat to low and let that go for about 3-4 minutes.

It’s now time to add the shrimp (if using frozen-precooked shrimp, wash and squeeze to remove most of the water) , stir well and cook for another 3 minutes. Yes the shrimp is already precooked, so you can easily add them near the end, but I quite like adding them now to enhance the flavor of the dish. If using fresh shrimp, cook for about 3 minutes, then remove them from the pan and set aside. Add back the last 3-4 minutes of cooking.

Turn the heat up to medium high and go in with all the other ingredients (not the water or lemon juice yet) and stir well. It may seem at first that your pot is not large enough, but the callaloo will wilt down. After a couple minutes, add the water and cook until tender.

After about 10-12 minutes, taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Here is where you’ll personalize this dish by checking to see if you like the current texture of it. Some people like their Callaloo very tender, while other like a slight bit of texture to it. In my case it was close to where I like it, so I went in with the lemon juice and turned up the heat to burn off the remaining liquid in the pan.

The lemon juice will help balance the flavors of this dish and quite honestly elevate it. This dish (please review all the ingredients) can be considered gluten free and if you want to add a bit more flavor you can use coconut milk as a replacement for the water. Not the classic Jamaican callaloo with Saltfish or Chorai bhagi with saltfish as we would call it in Trinidad and Tobago, but I assure you… you’ll love this take on cooking Jamaican callaloo.

Gluten Free Seafood

Taro With Stewed Saltfish Caribbean Comfort Food.

May 26, 2025August 12, 20142 Comments

After seeing the price of dasheen at the market, I opted for the much cheaper taro as I had a craving for what we call ground provisions, in the Caribbean. Dasheen, yams, eddoes, sweet potato and cassava all fall under the ‘ground provisions’ umbrella – also known as ‘food’ in Jamaica. The taro is very similar to our beloved dasheen, the main difference being it’s white in color (when peeled) and a bit milder in taste.

You’ll Need…

2-3 lbs taro (dasheen)
1/4 teaspoon salt
water for boiling the taro
2 medium tomatoes
3 scallions
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 sprigs thyme
3-5 tablespoon olive oil
pinch black pepper
1 onion
1 cup shredded saltfish (salted cod)

To learn how to prepare the salted cod (any dry salted fish) watch this video (click): How To Prepare Saltfish.

Do wear gloves or coat your hands with some vegetable oil as the sap/starch from peeling the taro can cause some irritation to your hands/fingers. Using a sharp knife or potato peeler, remove the other skin off the taro (discard). Also remove any blemishes and cut off any previously cut areas (like the stem area) to expose the fresh interior. Cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces and place in a pot covered with water on a high flame. As it comes to a boil add the salt , turn down to a rolling boil and cook until tender. Taro cooks faster than dasheen, so in about 10-15 minutes it will be fully cooked. Pierce with a sharp knife and if there’s no resistance you know it’s fully cooked.

Drain and set aside as we get to the next step of the recipe..stewing the saltfish!

Prepare the salted fish by boiling in water, drain, rinse with cool water and shred (watch the video mentioned above). Then slice the onion, garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet pepper. Remember you can use more or less scotch bonnet pepper and do wear gloves when handling them (wash your hands with soap and water immediately after).

Heat the olive oil on a medium flame (large sauce pan) and go in with the shredded salted fish. Let that cook for about 3 minutes (low heat) before adding the onion, garlic and black pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes, then add the thyme.

After 2 minutes add the tomato, scallions and cooked taro. Stir well and cook for another 3-5 minutes to infuse the taro pieces with the stewed salted fish.

We didn’t add any salt to the stewing of the salted cod as the residual salt from the curing process will be enough to season this dish. If you want you can also add some bell peppers for extra flavor and vibrancy (with the colours). Besides being very delicious, this dish can be considered gluten free as well.

Do serve warm.. btw this is a one-pot dish!

Appetizers & Snacks Vegetarian

Jamaican Festivals – The Ultimate Fried Dumplings!

May 29, 2025May 30, 2013519 Comments

My first true encounter with ‘good’ Jamaican festivals was breakfast at our friend Dino’s home in Portmore Jamaica several years ago. Imagine waking up to a full spread of festivals, ackee and saltfish, boiled green bananas and to top it all off, a piping hot cup of rich and creamy Milo! Moms (Dino’s mom) had us set for the day! When the day came for us to continue our trek through Jamaica (Ocho Rios > Montego Bay then Negril) it was painful to know that we won’t be waking up to such a wonderful home-cooked breakfast anymore.

My inquisitive self had to investigate this wonderful Jamaican Festivals recipe in more detail, so with some arm-twisting I got mom to leave me with some hints. Here we go…

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

* About 3 cups of veg oil for frying.

In a large bowl sift in the flour and baking powder, then add the cornmeal, sugar and salt. Give that a quick whisk to mix the ingredients, before we start adding water.

It’s now time to start adding the liquids, so pour in the vanilla and start adding the water a little at a time as you whisk everything around. As it stars to take the shape of dough, you will need to get your hands in there and start kneading. If you find that the 1/2 cup of water was not enough, do drizzle in some more. The idea is to work it for 5-7 minutes, until you have a well formed dough ball that’s firm dough and slightly sticky. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow the dough to rest for about 1/2 hr.

After it’s rested, dust your work surface with four and divide the dough ball into 8 equal (as best you can) parts. Then using your hands form each piece into a cigar shape. Try to make them about 6-8 inches long and not overly thick. They will increase in size as they fry.

It’s now time to fry these until they are golden brown and get ready to enjoy some of the best fried dumplings you’ve ever had. Heat the vegetable oil on med, then gently add the shaped festivals dough into the pan. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes before you flip them over. In total you’ll probably need between 5-6 minutes for each to be fully cooked and take on that lovely golden color we’re looking for. Have paper towels ready to drain off the excess oil after they’re cooked.

These Jamaican festivals are just amazing and you’ll love the crunchy exterior and the fluffy interior will have a lovely texture followed by the flavored sweetness of the vanilla and sugar.

Do try to serve warm and if you want to get a bit creative you can certainly dust them with some icing sugar if you want to make them more like a snack for the kids.

WINNER WANTED!

As I promised on Facebook a few days back, we’ve got a lovely 7 piece Tomodachi knife set to give out to one lucky winner. There was a lot of excitement when I posted that note, so I do expect to see a lot of entries for this giveaway. All you have to do is watch the following video and in the comment section directly below, let me know if the tutorial was helpful (basically what you like about it).

Your name will be automatically entered to win this beautiful knife set which I’m sure you’ll enjoy using. One lucky winner will then be chosen (randomly) and we’ll mail out the prize to you as we normally do.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning this knife set.

– contest is open to everyone globally (even if you won something here before)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random

– contest is open from May 30 – to midnight June 30.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with their mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this wonderful collection of knives out to you. It’s simple, free and fun!

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Jerk Pork Recipe.

May 27, 2025June 13, 2011179 Comments

jamaican jerk pork (8)

Today we’ll induct yet another dish into the series “The Ultimate” (keyword search ‘ultimate’ in the search box – top right of this page for more recipes in the series). This time we’re doing one of those classic Jamaican dishes… Jerk Pork. The first time I made this dish was about 5 years ago when our friends were getting married and they were having the stag / doe and asked for us to bring along a dish. Since then, we’ve only heard good things from the many guests who were there that night. This weekend being Tehya’s birthday and knowing that my mom is a fan of jerk pork, I thought it would be perfect for the bbq we were having.

If you read the piece I did titled Jamaica One Plate At A Time, you’ll know that I went in hunt of the perfect jerk while we were in Jamaica and found (more like stumbled.. stretch our legs and use the bathroom) a spot called “Supreme Jerk Center” on our way to Negril from Montego Bay. The fella doing the jerk had some skills. Not only was the pork perfectly cooked over the open coals, but we could tell that he allowed the meat to marinate for quite some time. As the pork was infused with that authentic jerk flavor and the smoky taste from the pimento wood was divine. Though I don’t have the use of the open coals, I’m positive that my jerk pork could easily rival his.

For this recipe you’ll need to refer to the jerk marinade recipe I shared with you a few months ago or see below for quick instructions. If you don’t feel like making your own marinade, check out the selection of Jamaican Jerk Marinade and BBQ Sauces you can purchase.

You’ll Need…

Jerk Marinade

5 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger

* Basically all you have to do is give everything a rough chop and place in a food processor or blender as I did and pulse until you get a smooth consistency.

Then you’ll need…

1 boneless pork loin (about 7-8lbs)
2 cups of the jerk marinade

Let’s get started. Give the pork loin a good rinse under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Then place the pork in a large dish/pan and using a pairing knife, make some stabs into the meat (about 1 inch deep). This will help in the marinating process. This step will get a bit messy, so using gloves may come in handy. Remember we used scotch bonnet peppers in the marinade so you may find that your bare hands may catch on fire! Pour 1 cup of the jerk marinade over the pork loin, then using your hands, massage and work it well. You can certainly bush the marinade on, but I much prefer to work this with my hands. Now cover and leave to marinate for at least 5 hours in the fridge.

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Take the pork out of the fridge about 25 minutes before you start to grill, to allow it to come back to room temperature. I’m using a gas grill to cook this but if you have a wood or coal burning grill, do your thing. Basically you want to bring the temperature of the grill to about 300 degrees and brush the grate with some vegetable oil. All you do is take tongs, grab a piece of paper towel and dip it into a bowl with vegetable oil an brush the grill.

The goal is to slow cook this so you have 2 options. Grill on the top level grill or sort of warming rack (as I did) or grill with indirect heat. The flame would be on one corner of the grill surface and the meat on the other. This way you don’t get direct contact with the meat and flame/heat.

Basically all you’re doing for the next 2.5 to 3 hours is basting every 20 minutes and turning over when you do, so the meat cook evenly. When you removed the pork loin from marinating, do save the left over marinade and add a further cup, to use for basting during the cooking process.

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When I purchased my pork loin I looked for a piece with a thin layer of fat. This allows the meat to basically self-baste while cooking… so you don’t get an overly dry finished dish as the loin is usually very lean. Remember to try to maintain the 300 degrees, keep the lid on the grill closed and brush on marinade every 20 minutes or so. You will notice that it will start going dark and have a sort of burned look, but this natural. It’s just all the sugars doing it’s caramelizing thing. Good jerk is supposed to have that sort of colour… but remember – no direct heat or it will become burnt!

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Do allow this to rest a bit before slicing, so some of the natural juices are allowed relax the jerked pork loin. We had over 25 people here and I still had enough to pack a doggie bag for my parents when they left. But we did have many others dishes as well. Conservatively, this is enough for about 10-15 people as a main meat side..

IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a gluten free soy sauce to meet with your gluten free dietary needs when doing this jerk pork recipe.

— Winner Wanted!—

It’s that time again – we’re giving away the following book (see below) to one lucky person for the month of June. All you have to do is leave me a comment in the comments section below (please say something about this recipe) and your name will be automatically entered to win this amazing book on organic gardening and cooking with herbs, vegetables and fruits.

cookbook giveaway

Yea! Not your typical Caribbean book, but a wonderful way to learn about organic gardening and cooking. Focusing on plants that are easy to grow, Adam Caplin takes an illuminating new look at the delights and challenges of cultivating edibles, showing how they can be grown – on their own in beds and containers, in mixed borders, and decoratively with flowers – for their ornamental as well as their nutritional value. Celia Brooks Brown presents 35 mouthwatering vegetarian recipes – for soups and starters, main courses, salads and light dishes, salsas and chutneys, and sweet things. This book features glorious photography by Caroline Hughes and William Shaw.

There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about Caribbean food and if the recipes I share are helpful.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “New Kitchen Garden”…

– contest is open to everyone globally

– there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

– contest is open from June 13 – to midnight June 30.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this book out to you. It’s simple, free and a great way to experiment with some organic gardening and cooking. Good luck to everyone who enters.

—————————————————————————————->

Oye! before you go… Remember you can watch the cooking videos on the recipe channel and we’d love to interact with you on our Facebook fan page. There’s a few thousand of us already causing commesse on there… so do check it out.

Seafood

The Ultimate Ackee And Saltfish Recipe.

November 3, 2014April 14, 2011218 Comments

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As many of you know, there’s been several “Ultimate” dishes I’ve shared in the past and I’d like to add this Ackee and Saltfish dish to that list of amazing meals. We were fortunate to have visited Jamaica a few weeks ago and even more lucky to have our friend’s mom cook us a traditional breakfast while we were at their home in Portmore. I have to confess that it was my first experience with ackee and saltfish and how quickly did I fall in love with this, the national dish of Jamaica.

I don’t ever recall seeing any ackee trees or even hearing about eating it while growing up in Trinidad and Tobago (have to ask my dad the next time we chat), but I assure you that it would make a great addition to our rich landscape and I know it would quickly become a hit on many breakfast tables throughout the twin island republic.

In this recipe I’m using canned ackee, but I assure you that though it’s very delicious, it cannot compare to the fresh ackee that was prepared for us. (BTW, do you know that in Ontario, we pay in excess of $11 a can for ackee? That’s over $72 TT or $970 Jamaican dollars) Really have to go plant some trees and cash in on this.

You’ll Need…

1 can ackee (use fresh if you have – about 2 cups)
1/3 lb saltfish – boneless/skinless (salted cod or other)
1 medium onion sliced
1 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper
fresh thyme (couple sprigs)
1 medium tomato cubed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil (see note below)
2 scallions
1/4 medium sweet bell pepper
2 cloves garlic

Note: I like using olive oil, but you can use vegetable oil or butter as I’ve seen some people do. Since we’ll be using salted fish, there’s no need for any salt in this dish. Finally, if using canned ackee as I did, do handle with care or it will break-up easily and become “mush”.

Start by putting the dry salted fish to boil in a pot on high heat, then simmer for about 20 minutes (you can also soak in cold water overnight before boiling if you wish). I try my best to get the boneless/skinless saltfish as it makes for less work. After boiling drain, rinse under cool water and squeeze dry. Now break apart into the size pieces you like. I’ve seen people use a fork to sort of shred the saltfish, but I find that I like the texture of large flakes. Also, this allows me to actually taste the saltfish when eating.

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While the saltfish was boiling to remove the excess salt that is was cured in (also re-hydrates and tenderizes the fish), I prepared the ingredients that we’ll be using in this dish.

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In a large sauce pan, heat the oil on medium heat (or if want you can use butter or margarine), I love the flavour the cold press extra virgin olive oil gives to this dish. Then add the garlic, sliced onions and scotch bonnet pepper. Allow that to cook for a couple minutes (until the onion softens up a bit), then add the sweet pepper (bell pepper) scallion, black pepper, and thyme. Allow this to cook for a couple minutes, then add the pieces of saltfish and cook for another 3-5 minutes. To prevent the tomato becoming too mushy, I now add it to the sauce pan and let it warm through for about a minute or two. Remember to stir, so all the ingredients get a chance to marry and explode with spectacular flavor.

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Now is time to add the star of the show. Now here’s the thing about canned ackee.. it’s VERY fragile. So after I open the can, I pour everything into a strainer and run cold water over it. Just to remove that liquid it’s been packed in. After this drains, I add it to the saucepan with everything else, but I DON’T stir with a spoon. I use two forks and gently toss it with the other ingredients. The trick is not to break it apart, or you’ll end up with a huge pot of mush. After adding the ackee, it takes a minute or two for it to heat through and absorb all those wonderful layers of flavor we built.

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jamaican ackee and saltfish

It’s amazing how simple, yet tasty this dish is. Very similar to the tomato and saltfish we make in Trinbago, except you add the ackee which gives it a unique taste and texture. It looks very much like scrambled eggs, but I assure you that no scramble eggs will ever taste like this.

That lovely morning outside Kingston we had boiled green banana (green fig), yam, dumplings and some of the best bread I’ve ever had (hard dough) and we washed it all down with a piping hot cup of Milo sweetened with my favorite… condensed milk.

WIN! CONTEST! WIN!

IMG_8235_800x533

It’s that time again – we’re giving away the following cookbook (see above) to one lucky person for the month of April. All you have to do is leave me a comment in the comments section below (please say something about this recipe) and your name will be automatically entered to win this amazing cookbook, highlighting the art of mastering pasta dishes. Yup! Not Caribbean, but a wonderful way to learn some Italian cooking with easy step by step recipes. There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about Caribbean food and if the recipes I share are helpful.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Pasta Step By Step Cookbook”…

– contest is open to everyone globally

– there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

– contest is open from April 14 – to midnight April 30.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this cookbook out to you. It’s simple, free and a great way to experiment with some Italian cooking. Good luck to everyone who enters.

Happy cooking

Chris…

Site News

Jamaica One Plate At A Time.

May 28, 2025March 12, 201122 Comments

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Why is it when you return from vacation, you feel so drained that you could use another week or two just to get back into your groove? I’m not one to do the normal tourist thing, especially when I’m in the Caribbean, as I see every island as “home” And as I would do when I’m in Trinbago, I go exploring! Some places even the locals would think twice about venturing, but with my cocky self and curiosity to see how people really live, I do get a good glimpse at life of the everyday man.

Our visit to Jamaica was a last minute suggestion (“pack your back we’re going yard”) so I didn’t have time to do my usual planning as I would normally. But we lucked out as the friend we traveled with is originally from JA as well as the good friend we met while there. Basically we were with people who knew how to show us “local” life. If you ever get the chance to travel with someone who’s originally from your destination, I highly recommend it.

Our trip took us from Montego bay where we landed, to Ocho Rios for a couple days, then Kingston, back to Montego Bay where we were based the last couple days and a day trip to Negril. On the night we arrived we took the drive from MoBay to Ocho Rios where my friend spent the first 10 years or so of his life. That’s when the culinary experience started. In town (must have been after midnight) we immediately got some roasted nuts from the nuts man on patrol (see pic below). The nuts are a bit different than in Trinbago, as these ones were still in the shell/husk. (this pic was taken during the day in Mobay)

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We then headed to the market area where there was a buzz of activity, including a wide assortment of “drum” chicken on sale. Basically oil drums cut in half to form a BBQ, where chicken is grilled over coals. I heard the chicken being called “jerk”, but it was more a of a grilled chicken, as there wasn’t any real “jerk” seasoning to it. I also found that the meat was severely overcooked and dry to the bone. The “drum” chicken I had in both Ocho Rios and Kingston didn’t really impress.

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The last day of our stay in Ocho Rios we did hit the farmers market, but since it was not an official market day it was not as packed with vendors or shoppers. However the produce on sale were fresh and there was an ok assortment. The sales people were super friendly and always willing to share a smile and story. Here is where we picked up ingredients for dinner that night. I made a lovely spread for us as it with my friends birthday. Herb stuffed chicken roasted in the oven, fresh green salad and rice and peas. I’m not sure if it was the herbs grown in the wonderful Caribbean sun or the chicken that was probably raised on corn, but I was told that it was one of the best roasted chicken everyone had ever had. You could even smell it cooking three floors down at the pool area.

On our drive down from Ocho Rios to Kingston we stopped off at a roadside vendor for oranges, soup (a huge pot of goat head soup) and roasted yam. And a quick drive up a bumpy road, saw us visit the home of the famous Walker’s Wood Jerk Marinade (basically a house at the top of a hill with a beautiful views of the surrounding area). The oranges were very sweet and the people manning the stall were friendly and full of banter when we did chat a bit.

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Kingston on some levels reminded me of Port of Spain, with a true loud Caribbean buzz of activity and crazy driving. But to be honest I didn’t expect to see so much garbage on the streets, especially since Jamaica is such a mecca for tourism in the Caribbean. However once you entered New Kingston, you felt as if you were in a typical North American city. Clean, modern and even the people seemed to be more professionally dressed. My friend insisted we head over to Gloria’s in Port Royal (5 Queen Street; Port Royal, Kingston), for dinner. Gloria’s is one of those places where both locals and tourists head to for good seafood meals. A street setting, with tents on one side with tables and chairs and on the other side of the street is where the kitchen was situated. Overall a terrible experience for 3 of us in our party, but at least my friend got what he wanted and was very satisfied. He had the steam fish platter (see pic below)… we also ordered the spicy shrimp and curry shrimp platters. The curry fish was rather salty and combined with the terrible service, long wait (how does a seafood restaurant not have seafood?) and chicken being on the menu and not having any, it wasn’t what we hoped for.We did get a couple free side orders of bammy and festival, which were both delicious.

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We were fortunate to have stayed at our friend’s place, so this meant home cooked “Jamaican” breakfast in the mornings by his mom…(I did get the recipes, which I will be sharing soon). Ackee and saltfish, dumplings, green bananas and how could I forget the hot Milo and that wonderful bread. I can’t believe that I actually enjoyed whole wheat bread.

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Our last night in Kingston saw us head over to Portmore to a seaside sort of bar (like a rum shop in Trinbago) for what was supposed to be for a Guinness and cup of fish tea, but after the fish tea (which seemed to have heightened our hunger) we decided on dinner (yea this was about midnight). This was going to be my first experience having steamed fish with ochro, steamed vegetables and crackers. The pics below will show you a quick glimpse of the kitchen our meals were prepared in and the fact that you get to choose the fish you want, before it’s cooked. I opted for the red snapper as the parrot fish looked too pretty to eat. The joint had a good local vibe to it as you got the impression that the people who were there at the bar and tables just got off work and where here to have a good meal and watch the news which was on the tv up in the corner. I’m not sure how they could hear the broadcast as there was loud music being played on the outside of the bar.

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BTW, we got a good taste of island fast food (?) when we had lunch at one of the malls in Kingston. We opted for food from “Island Grill” and I fell in love with pumpkin rice (really wanted to try the callaloo rice but the order got mixed up). I’ll definitely be making this dish for the site very soon.

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It was then time to head back to Montego Bay where things were a bit more touristy. It’s a beautiful drive from Kingston, through Ocho Rios though valleys, hills and some of the most lush vegetation I’ve ever seen and finally MoBay. We were on the lookout for Scotchies as we entered MoBay, but ended up at the “Ultimate Jerk Center” which turned out to be the 2nd best jerk I had on the island. In the pics below you’ll see the jerk chicken salad, jerk chicken with rice and peas, curry chicken with rice and peas which I had. The Ultimate Jerk Center is a wonderful spot to stop for lunch and it seems that most of the tour buses stops here. Beautiful grounds, clean bathrooms and excellent service tops the list for this place. There’s a well kept cricket pitch at the rear, which took me back to my days playing colts cricket, in whites.

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This would be the first time since landing in Jamaica that I got jerk packed with flavour, a rich smokey explosion and a bit of heat from what was surely scotch bonnet peppers. If you like spicy food, do ask for a side of the hot/jerk sauce… a chunky sauce, bursting with the heat from the locally grown peppers and enhanced with the essence of pimento berries. You must stop here for the food.

The culinary adventure then took us from Montego Bay to Negril. After an hour in the car we decided to stop at the next bar to stretch our legs, as five people in a compact car can only lead to a bit of discomfort. This landed us (by pure luck) at a road side jerk restaurant called “Supreme Jerk Center”… the BEST jerk during our trip. We had small portions of the jerk chicken and pork and my mouth is still watering as I type. Perfectly grilled over coals, juicy (not overcooked like elsewhere) and just bursting with flavor. I can only assume that the meats were marinated overnight and basted while grilling. After the first batch, we ordered another.. it was hard to drive away from this spot without filling up and ruining our plans for lunch in Negril.

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The resorts as you enter Negril are quite impressive (same for Montego Bay), especially for me who hails from Trinidad and Tobago where we don’t really cater to tourists as our cousins in the rest of the Caribbean do. That said, Negril is a tourist town, with Rick’s Cafe being one of the spots every tourist hits. Rick’s is well put together (I can check that off my list)… but really not my thing. However I do plan on going back to jump off the cliff at a later date. That night in Negril we headed over to “Sweet Spice” restaurant, where once again we dined with quite a few locals. If this spot was a bit closer to the main town area in Negril it would be very hard to get a table. The service was typically Jamaican (friendly chat when you tried to complain about something) and the food was just superb. My camera was hindered by the low light, so I do apologize for the bad quality pics of the curry goat dinner and the fry chicken steak platter. Definitely a spot you must try if you go to Negril

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The final morning we decide to head out for breakfast as everyone else in our party slept in. We had a full day left in Montego Bay and we wanted to make the most of it .. we got word that we would be returning to fresh snow when we got home. Absolutely the best dining experience when it comes to service can be expected at the “Pelican” restaurant in Mobay. With a great view of the ocean from our table, I had the Jamaican special.. fried plantian slices, green banana, yam, fried dumplings and some of the most tasty callaloo (chorai bahaji) and saltfish I’ve ever had. This was the first time in this trip I got a chance to enjoy a good cup of coffee.. oh how I missed my coffee. There was even some calypso and soca being played in the back ground. And to top it off our waiter even gave me some slices of fresh scotch bonnet peppers.

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I was stuffed good and proper and the ethnic fatigue was about to set in, so we headed head out for a stroll up the street or risk me falling asleep at our table. Later on after trying frantically to get a flight to POS (was missing home bad at this point) we did head over to Margaritaville for lunch. I wans’t really hungry, but when I found out that they too had coffee on their menu I just had to have some. I did get a peculiar look from the waiter, seeing that it was a hot 30C sunny day and I was ordering coffee, while most people were drinking cold beverages and fancy cocktails. Here’ you’ll see the fajita combo we got as well as the banana strawberry smoothie at the end. I did snoop at the table beside us and they had the fish and chips platter.. looked amazing! Wish I could sneak a pic for you guys.

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I left Canada thinking if it’s one thing I must do while in Jamaica was to dine at Scotchies, but that turned out to be my biggest disappointment. On our way to the airport we decided we would have dinner at Scotchies, so my excitement level was at code level red when we stopped off here. Once again we were greeted by dry, overcooked and meats with no real flavour. The only bright spot for me was the roasted breadfruit with butter, something I’ve always wanted to try. Next time I can source a breadfruit, guess what I’ll be doing? Scotchies is all hype and no substance, I could never recommendnd that spot to anyone. The bar area setting was nice, but everything else was a let down.. even the stray dog that came begging me for ah sample!

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Final Thoughts.

Overall I wish I had enough time to explore more of the island and partake in more of the local cuisine, but that’s for another trip I guess. Food prices are somewhat equivalent to prices you would pay in North America (or even cheaper at times). But when you get your first bill and it reads $5,000 for dinner for 4, it’s shocking. BTW, with one Canadian dollar we got 84 Jamaican dollars, so that worked out to about $60 Canadian for that dinner. The curry dishes were uniquely Jamaican and I came to realize that every island cooks curry a bit different.. still love meh Trini curry though. Food options are plentiful and I recommendnd you keep away from the fajitas and other North American dishes when you dine out, to get a true feel for Jamaica. Be sure to try the local fruits that in season as well.

Jamaica for me was more about the people, food and lush vegetation. I’ve been up and down the Caribbean, so beaches and other touristy things don’t really stand out. I had the opportunity to not only visit Kingston, but Tivoli Gardens as well and it was quite the experience. We did a “Weddy Weddy Wednesday” with Stone Love, with Elephant Man and I think it was Bounty Killa in attendance, after which we headed over to “Lime” after party while in Kingston. Had the opportunity to hang out with Mad Cobra at a recoding studio, where we got a taste of his latest track being produced and drank a Guinness with Frankie Paul as well. Also hung out with some up and coming artists as we recorded some dub plates (friend we traveled with is big in the music industry), but I don’t recall their names off hand.

While in Montego Bay we did an after party at Pier One.. absolutely the best time we had as far as nightlife goes. We controlled the dance when the DJ dropped the soca (latest as well) and the pics we took could be incriminating. The Guinness flowed, the music boomed and we had an excellent time (hopefully the stains on my linen shirt comes off).

Drove by the “Office” (home of the Reggae Boys) and even played a bit of ball with Mad Cobra and his peeps at a late night session. I had the opportunity to visit my friends childhood home and village, where we even made time to visit his grandmothers grave. A person who took me in her home when I first moved to Canada, as one of her grand children. Wrestled a goat (don’t ask), picked coconut fresh coconut off the tree and cut them open with my skillful use of a cutlass (machete). Basically, this was like going home for me. BTW, is it me or are the women in Jamaica a lot more friendly and outgoing than the men?

For more pics of my Jamaican trip including videos, check out : Jamaica 2011 (on the left side of the page you can click on either pictures or videos).

jamaican food

Jamaican Callaloo With Saltfish Recipe.

Jamaican Stewed Oxtail With Butter Beans.

Jamaican Callaloo (spinach) With Diced Ham.

Jamaican Curry Goat Recipe.

Ultimate Caribbean Breakfast Recipe.

Rice Cooker Jamaican Rice And Peas Recipe

Recipe Card

Jamaican Rice and Peas

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Note

Jamaican Callaloo With Shrimp.

Recipe Card

Jamaican Callaloo With Shrimp

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Taro With Stewed Saltfish Caribbean Comfort Food.

Recipe Card

Stewed Saltfish with Taro (Dasheen)

Description

Ingredients

Optional

Instructions

Jamaican Festivals – The Ultimate Fried Dumplings!

WINNER WANTED!

The Ultimate Jerk Pork Recipe.

You’ll Need…

Then you’ll need…

— Winner Wanted!—

The Ultimate Ackee And Saltfish Recipe.

WIN! CONTEST! WIN!

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Pasta Step By Step Cookbook”…

Jamaica One Plate At A Time.

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