A Taste of the Caribbean

by Mervyn Hemlee

Food is an integral part of the culture in the Caribbean and at some point in time, one should experience this richness by paying a visit to the Tropics. However, not everyone has the opportunity to get there so I will take you there through a selection of palatable dishes. I grew up in the Caribbean and was always passionate about good food because as a youngster, I most times wanted a second helping. My mother is definitely the best cook whom I have eaten from. That's what I always said because the food tasted better the second time around. After migrating to the United States, I had to acquire a new taste. Luckily for me, I was able to find a job in the College campus cafeteria where I worked for four and a half years. While the food on campus tasted well, I was always yearning to eat those dishes that I grew up with. Living off campus gave me an opportunity to cook for myself and to experiment with recipes. If I could not find the authentic ingredients then I would improvise the recipe to finish the dish. One is never too old to get advice from mom on how to cook certain foods so when I got stuck with a certain dish, I would call her and ask her advice. I had many friends on campus from all over the world and what better way to test one's cooking by inviting a couple of friends to dinner. No one asked what the recipe was, they just devoured it so that was my sign that the taste was there.I invite you to dinner and a trip to the Tropics by preparing some of these palatable dishes and acquiring a taste of the Caribbean.Thank you,Mervyn HemLee

56 pages, Paperback

First published January 22, 2010