Our Posts about Caribbean

Steve

Taste of the Caribbean: Browning Makes Everything Better

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Few are the secret ingredients more essential to creating that uniquely West Indian flavor we all know and love than a simple sauce called Browning. Even if you’ve enjoyed island food your whole life, it’s entirely possible you’ve never heard of this stuff, so understated and surreptitious are its magical methods.
The proverbial straw that stirs the drink of so many island favorites – oxtail stew, peas and rice, stew chicken, stew beef, even black cake – Browning is an absolute essential in any West Indian kitchen… and yet, you won’t find a bottle of it like this in many of ‘em.

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Patrick

Friday Happy Hour: The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Single Malt Scotch

Balvenie Caribbean Cask by Patrick Bennett

Those who frequent our site may find this hard to believe, but sometimes, just sometimes, we drink spirits other than rum! I know, I know, we’ve written about the joys of rum over a hundred times in the past two years, and now we’ve even declared this coming February The Month of Rum, but man cannot live on rum alone. (Believe me, we’ve tried.) So, before throwing ourselves enthusiastically into a whole month overflowing with the golden goodness of rum, I’d like to take a moment to enjoy my second favorite spirit: scotch.

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Steve

Taste of the Caribbean: Don’t Be Afraid to Savor Sea Grapes

Sea Grapes at Sandy Pt., St. Croix/SBPR

If there’s any one West Indian fruit that could use an image makeover or some good PR it’s the much maligned sea grape. It’s not ugly or smelly, or anything like that. The tree upon which it grows isn’t a nuisance either. In fact, when tamed, the tree makes a rather attractive hedge (see photo below).
No, this fruit’s main image problem revolves around a lie long held in some parts of the Caribbean: sea grapes are poisonous.

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Steve

Maybe, Possibly the BEST Christmas Gift I’ve Ever Received

Bklyn Bennett's Black Cake/SBPR

December 26th has long been celebrated as Boxing Day throughout much of the Caribbean; an added extra day off after Christmas to allow for more re-connecting with family and friends, revelry and rum. Here in the States, though, the day after Christmas is mostly about one thing – RETURNS!
Americans are hauling an estimated $46 billion worth of gifts back to stores today, exchanging misfit toys and other assorted misguided presents for treasures they’ll truly treasure. Thanks to my brother/UC partner, Patrick, and his lovely wife, I won’t be one of them!

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Steve

Soundtrack to My Crucian-Style Noche Buena Pig Roast

Lechon

While Patrick and his family are enjoying a warm and happy Holiday Season in Barbados, far from their frigid NY home, my family and friends have been busy continuing our long-held tradition of bringing the flavor, sights and sounds of a Caribbean Christmas to our home in South Florida. As I noted last year, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel covered last week on its FRONT PAGE, our Noche Buena Pig Roast is the centerpiece of our festivities.
More than 60 people crowded into my little backyard this past Saturday to enjoy some seriously good West Indian food, drink and fun.

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Steve

3 Ways to Add Some Caribbean Flavor to Your Hanukkah

Curacao

I’m guessing that most followers of the Jewish faith residing outside the Caribbean probably wouldn’t think to add distinctly West Indian elements to their Hanukkah celebrations over the next eight nights. After all, as we’ve pointed out before, the region is predominately Christian, so there can’t be much of a Hebrew heritage to draw upon for inspiration, right?
Wrong.
Jews have, in fact, been living in the Caribbean since the region’s earliest colonial days, contributing greatly to shaping the region as we know it today.
So yeah, it can make sense to add a little Caribbean flavor to your Hanukkah. Here are three easy ways to do just that!

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Steve

Taste of the Caribbean: Spread Warmth and Good Cheer with Ginger Beer

Homemade Caribbean Juices/SBPR

One of the surest signs of the Holiday Season during my childhood years in St. Croix was the appearance in our refrigerator of a wide range of fantastic homemade juices. Whether produced by my mom, or obtained through a family friend, these wonderful beverages were always as prized as anything Santa could squeeze down the chimney. Last year, we gave you the low-down on my favorite of these juices – Sorrel. Today, let’s talk about my other favorite – Ginger Beer.

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