Barbados Bits

Here are some interesting tidbits I found while researching Barbados.

You can watch Barbados Olympians compete in swimming and track and field events at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. 

Who are some well-known Americans of Barbadian descent? LL Cool J, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Eric Holder. 

Photo: justice.gov

Despite its British history, Barbados was originally settled and named by the Portuguese, who left to continue exploring Brazil 84 years before the British arrived. 

Barbados is the only country outside the U.S. that our first president, George Washington, ever visited. He traveled there with his brother, who was convalescing, in 1751. 

Spicy Barbadian Chicken

I have to say, I was really excited to prepare this next dish... Again, most of the ingredients are staples in my kitchen, but it’s doubtful I’d ever have thought to combine ginger, habaneros, allspice, lime and molasses in the same dish. And a chicken dish, at that!

My preparation is based upon a grilled Barbadian chicken skewers recipe I found. Dragging our grill out of the shed was just too much of a hassle this week, even though I love to grill in winter, so I converted it to a baked dish.

I’d planned to serve this with a sweet potato recipe by Cat Cora, but that’d be an awfully heavy meal. We opted for a tossed salad instead. Those potatoes sound amazing though, despite the mixed reviews, so I’ll definitely save them for another time.

The entire time I prepared and cooked this dish, we marveled at how yummy it smelled. So fresh, thanks to the lime. And wheee, thanks to the peppers. Waiting for the brown rice to finish cooking was agony!

Finally, it was time for that first bite! AND?!?! Meh.

There is way too much lime in this recipe, especially the zest - it actually came out kind of bitter! Next time, I'd use maybe 2-3 limes at most and maybe no zest. Certainly less zest, if I keep it in. Mount Gay rum is excellent. I wouldn't even consider buying Bacardi or Captain Morgan now. But, I was shocked it didn't help to sweeten up the dish. And perhaps most surprising? The dish was barely spicy. 

All in all, though, the flavors really work together. I'd absolutely try this recipe again, but it definitely needs tweaking... Here's how I made it. Maybe you folks can suggest how to improve it? Your suggestions and feedback are most welcome. Thanks, gang!

4 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

2 habanero peppers, seeded

5-6 scallions, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp dried thyme (or use fresh if you have it)

1½ tsp ground allspice

1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

¾ cup Mount Gay rum

½ cup molasses

4 limes, both zest and juice

Salt and pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Using a food processor, blend the first 7 ingredients until smooth. Pour sauce into a large glass or plastic bowl, and whisk in the rum, molasses, and lime zest and juice. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and then submerge it in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate, ideally for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to cook your meal, preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the meat from the marinade, place it in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the marinade in a small saucepan and reduce slightly to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Barbados: Did You Know?

I’ve been doing my homework, and I really wish I had some travel miles to cash in. With a snow and ice storm looming here, Barbados’ seemingly perfect climate and white sand beaches are beckoning. An average daily temp of 76°, 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, refreshing northeast trade winds… Sounds like paradise to me!

But, visiting the island doesn’t mean trading in modern conveniences. Barbados boasts island-wide telecommunications and infrastructure, so it’ll be easy to tease your friends on the wintry mainland with tropical emails and "wish you were here" photos. Definitely plan some shopping during your trip, too. The favorable exchange rate – roughly two Barbadian dollars for each American dollar – means bargains abound.

At just 166 square miles, the relatively tiny island is situated east of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Atlantic Ocean. Barbados, with its long-standing Christian history, is divided into 11 parishes all named for saints with the exception of the southern-most parish, Christ Church.

Photo: flagspot.net

Barbados was a British colony till its independence in 1966. The country’s official language is British English, which is used in all formal and written communication, but the Bajan dialect is frequently spoken in casual settings. (Better brush up on your reading, writing and arithmetic before you visit there, too. Barbados takes great pride in its free educational system and 97% literacy rate.) The Barbadian flag, designed by Grantley Prescod, features blue border panels representing the sky on the left and the sea on the right, and a center gold panel represents sand. The broken Neptune's trident in the middle symbolizes Barbados' break from its British colonial status.

America has some culturally significant ties to Barbadian history. South Carolina reportedly was first settled by Barbadians. Also, an American named Irving Burgie wrote the lyrics to the Barbados national anthem as a tribute to his mother's heritage.

African and West Indian influences are also evident in the island’s cultural heritage, traditions, arts and – especially pertinent to my endeavors – its cuisine. Not surprisingly, seafood is a dietary mainstay, especially flying fish, which is abundant in local supply. Pair flying fish with a traditional dish made with cornmeal and okra and you’ve made cou cou, the national dish of Barbados. (Certainly, cou cou is a recipe I should prepare as part of my Bajan cookery but, respecting my wife’s deep aversion to okra, I scratched it off my list.) And, of course, tropical fruits like breadfruit, papaya, pawpaw, mango and cassava feature prominently, as well.

Perhaps, though, Barbados is most famous among Westerners for being the purported birthplace of rum. Widely considered the world’s oldest distilled spirit, it was first made 370 years ago from the island’s copious sugar cane crop. According to legend, returning English sailors flaunted their Barbados rum as evidence they’d successfully crossed the Atlantic. Mount Gay Rum, the oldest existing brand, was first distilled in 1703.

So, prepare a traditional rum punch and toast this wonderful island nation. You’ll need to blend the right amounts of sour, sweet, strong and weak to brew the best rum punch. Here’s a good place to start: Add a dash of bitters to 1 part lime juice, 2 parts simple syrup, 3 parts Barbados rum, and 4 parts water or shaved ice.

Cheers!

Sources:

http://www.barbados.org

http://www.tripadvisor.com

http://www.visitbarbados.org

http://www.totallybarbados.com

http://www.worldflags101.com

Bajan Beef Stew

Drum roll please... Here it is! My first Ticket to Bite meal!

The first dish I cooked is a recipe I found at totallybarbados.com for Beef Stew. I adapted it slightly, using low-sodium beef stock instead of a water/browning/bouillon combo. But I was thrilled to find that I could enjoy an exotic meal with ingredients I already had in my pantry! For this dish, I only needed to buy the green (unripe) bananas.

My first Ticket to Bite meal, and it was a yummy success!

The results? Absolutely delicious! It's a wonderful blend of savory and sweet. Now, you may be skeptical: Beef and bananas?! Trust me, they compliment each other really well. I served it over coconut rice (rice made according to the instructions but using coconut water instead of plain water). I also garnished it with chopped cashews, for a little crunch, along with some golden raisins.

Here's the recipe as I made it - hope you enjoy it, too!

Bajan Beef Stew

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1½ lbs stew beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 Tbsp garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Caribbean/Jerk seasoning

6 cups low-sodium beef stock

1 tsp pepper sauce (I had sriracha, so I used that)

1 stick celery, diced

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried marjoram

1 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 bay leaf

½ lb carrots, diced

1 large/2 small beets, diced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 lb (about 4 small) green bananas, peeled and sliced

Wash and pat dry the stew beef then dice it smaller than it’s typically prepared, into about ½” pieces. Combine in a bowl with the onion, garlic, pepper sauce, seasoning, celery, marjoram, and thyme. If you can, let this mixture sit for 30 minutes or so to marinate.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and brown the beef in batches, if necessary. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer till tender, about 40 to 60 minutes.

Blend the butter and flour and add to the stew. Bring it back to a boil to thicken, stirring till well blended. Add the salt, pepper, bay leaf, carrots, beets and green bananas. Reduce heat again and simmer till the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. 

Cook's Notes: You may need to add more roux (or use cornstarch instead) to achieve your desired thickness. Use fresh herbs if you have or prefer them, but the dried worked just fine. It's very mildly spicy so, if you want more kick, add extra pepper sauce. Also, if you're bananas are slightly ripe, you may want to add them after the carrots have cooked for a few minutes to prevent them becoming mushy. Lastly, my beets were already cooked, so I added them about 5 minutes before serving, just to heat them through. 

Serves 4-6

Week #1: Barbados

What's missing? A tasty snack and an umbrella drink!

This week, we're off to sunny Barbados! I think that's a perfect destination, considering the cold, damp and dreary weather we're having here in the northeast, don't you?

I'm planning to make beef, chicken and fish dishes, since I found recipes for each and they all sound AMAZING! Stay tuned!

The world is our oyster...

So, I've decided to embark on a culinary adventure and I'd like you all to come with me!

Each week, with the help of my nifty SpinGlobe iPhone app, I'll randomly select a country. Then, I'll prepare a couple recipes from that location. With any luck, I'll be trying out new ingredients and techniques along the way. Hopefully, my kitchen staycation will yield healthy, affordable, delicious results!

I'll also share any interesting tidbits I learn about my destination, and I'd love your feedback, too. Have you been to these places? Can you recommend restaurants to visit? Are there local delicacies that simply must be tried? If so, I hope you'll let us know.

Well, fellow gastronomers, are you ready to take your tastebuds for a ride? Please join me on this trip. I think we'll have a great time!