Flavorful Feast of Creativity
Delicious Jamaica: Vegetarian Cuisine by Yvonne McCalla Sobers is a flavorful feast of creativity. The recipes are not only rooted in Jamaican culture, but these recipes also speak to many ethnic and cultural groups that have influenced the development and preparation of Jamaican food. There are recipes with Tainos, African, Spanish, British, Indian, Chinese and Jewish vibrations.
A less authentic cookbook would send readers to the store to buy jerk seasoning, but Delicious Jamaica teaches users how to make jerk seasoning (dry and moist), instead of merely relying on bottle and jars.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Delicious Jamaica contextualizes Jamaican food and culture. I learned:
* Jamaican rhythm does not generally include courses of meals such as appetizers, desserts, etc.
* Jerking was perfected by Maroons
* The word Jamaica derives from the Taino word, Xaymaca
* Ben Johnson Day refers to Fridays, when not much food is in the house and a market visit is necessary
The succinct historical notes evidence the author, Sobers, is a blood and love Jamaican. She continues to make her home on the island on which she was born and therefore knows the recipes that must be included in any authentic Jamaican cookbook.
Delicious Jamaica shares "essential" Jamaican recipes such as the Stamp and Go, Run Down, Fried Plantains, Callalu, and Ackee & Fish (with "tofish"/tofu instead of fish). As well, there are recipes unfamiliar to me such as Country Style Chocolate, Callalu Lasagna and Lentil Shepherd's Pie. There is a lengthy section on beverages, which includes my favorite, Sorrell, and a "Granny's Kitchen" section.
The recipes in Delicious Jamaica use simple words, easy references and a basic, step-by-step approach to preparing Jamaican meals. Further, the vast majority of the recipes call for easily accessible ingredients. The glossary and index contribute to the ease of using Delicious Jamaica.
Most essentially, from the cover to the fonts, to the recipe titles, Delicious Jamaica has the look, feel and rhythm of Jamaica.
Cooking enthusiast, Yvonne McCalla Sobers has crafted a genuinely Jamaican cookbook that preserves traditional recipes that might otherwise be lost, as society becomes less oral and more reliant on technology. Delicious Jamaica is for anyone who wants to spice up the kitchen, thrill their families or for people who just want to create or share a love of Jamaican food, wherever in the world they might be.
Shines a Whole New Light on Vegetarian Cuisine
Last week I went through my cookbooks, to see if I could weed some out, because I have too many to mention. It's hard getting rid of a cookbook, especially one with a few recipes in it that you've come to love. But I've scanned the recipes I need to keep forever into my MacBook. However, there were an even dozen I couldn't part with. These are books I turn to time and time again, even though I consider myself somewhat of a gourmet chef.
DELICIOUS JAMAICA is one of the books I kept and to my way of thinking it's just about the best vegetarian cookbook out there. If you like exotic cooking and you've given up meat or just plain don't eat it, then this is the book for you. Veggies don't have to be bland, just try the "Callalu Run Down" on page 30 and you'll see what I mean. Then there's the "Yam Run Down Casserole" which is simply too tasty to be true. If you're not a vegetarian, you can make a lot of the recipes in this book as a side dish. The "Spice Rice" for example works very well with just about anything. There is a whole lot more in this nifty cookbook that belongs with any serious collection of Caribbean cookbooks.
Review submitted by Capatin Katie Osborne
Great cookbook
When I became vegetarian I worried about missing out on some of my favorite flavors like jamaican jerk. This book has a number of terrific recipes for doing jerk potatoes, jerk vegetables and even jerk tofu (I haven't tried that yet but certainly will). It has all the classics in here - pepperpot soup, plantains, etc.I've only scratched the surface in terms of making my way through the recipes but so far so good.
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