How much Conch is too much? I can’t imagine; I say, “the bigger the better.” And, that’s what I got at the Coconut Grove Goombay Festival. How many Conchs does it take to make a big Conch? Well, I bought some Conch at my local fish market so I will let you know. In the meantime, you tell me. What do “you” think is a good Conch – big, small, spicy or mild?

Feel  free to share your thoughts on Twitter and Facebook.

(By the way, the photo is “part” of my Conch Fritter from the festival..it was absolutely DELICIOUS!)

It’s summer – so come on board; a cruise is the perfect vacation. Whatever you can imagine is available on a cruise. The great news is there are so many deals available right now.  Simply choose a Caribbean country, choose the cuisine, and choose the activities and amenities. Of course, the most difficult part of it all is deciding which luxurious cruise ship to choose from!

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    Many of don’t have the good fortune of a tropical climate in which to unwind tilling a fresh rotation of crops all year round. So how to be a year round gardener if the ground is just finally thawing? And how to do it with a bit of tropical flair without being a slave to heat lamps or mortgage payments on a greenhouse?

1. Before you say you can’t grow bananas, find out if you really can’t grow bananas. The basjoo banana plant (notice I did not say “tree”) is hardy to 20 degrees when properly mulched. Yes, I said 20 degrees.

Consider the following sources:

Banana Tree

More Banana Trees

Banana Plants

Bananas from Brighter blooms

1. It can still be worth it to grow tropical fruit in a growing season too short for fruit. Bananas, for example, are worthy of consideration for their elegant asymmetric leaf structure and lush textures. Also, from a culinary perspective, the banana leaf is a superb grilling instrument. Consider using whenever you would think of using aluminum foil.
2. Ginger is another tropical worth cultivating even in a short growing season. As it grows, it develops tender pink shoots that don’t need to be peeled and have a more  mild flavor. If you have ever tried green garlic, we are on the same page.
3. Consider bringing plants in during cold weather. Some tropical plants do not require blistering sun to prosper. One of them is font color=”#d5480a”>ginger:
4. Grow more thyme, mint, and sage. All of these are low maintenance, hardy plants very much used in Caribbean cuisine, in great part because they work so well with tropical flavors in both sweet and savory settings.

By the way, this is from MY Caribbean garden – lots of sage & mint!

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THIS PHOTO IS FROM AMAZON.COM

This three arm bamboo pump and spout fountain is simple and reasonably priced. The water flow is adjustable and is soothing. Make sure to buy the fountain that is properly sized for your pot since the width is not adjustable (as may appear to be the case). The only challenge, as would be the case for any fountain, is to hide the electric cord, which is black. Therefore, aesthetically, this fountain probably works best with a darker pot. I may paint the cord to match the pot to make it inconspicuous.

 

THIS IS FROM MY CARIBBEAN GARDEN – I will share more photos after the finished product. 

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I’m a huge fan of Pollo Tropical pollotropical.com. It’s a quick, easy and delicious trip to the Caribbean. One of my favorite dishes is their Grilled Tropical Wings. It comes with two sauces -Pineapple Rum Sauce or Spicy Amazon. You can choose from either or do as I do – have both!
For more Caribbean food tips, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. 

I love all boats: large, small, old or new.  Of course you won’t go deep sea fishing in the boat pictured.  However, it is a rather interesting Cargo Ship – a dash of antiquity, a pinch of distinction and a splash of Caribbean flavor could  make for some cool cruising, albeit not the most luxurious ride. 

I do wonder what the cargo is though.

In other Caribbean news, the Caribbean Cruisine chef has an order to find out the recipe to the coffee-rubbed New York strip steak at Greg’s steakhouse in Bermuda.  Apparently, it is New York Mayor Bloomberg’s favorite meal there. Coffee-rubbed steak. Sounds yummy.   And it sounds like it could be my new favorite dish. What do you think?

 Lamb is traditionally the dish for Easter – but we decided to make it Caribbean Cruisine style.  It was a slow roast and a perfect time for a long cruise around the bay. For lamb inspiration, we went to one of our favorite books, ”Island Barbecue” by Dunstan Harris.

Jerked Lamb 

6-7 pound leg of lamb, boned and butterflied

3 cloves garlic, slivered

1 large bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

½ cup jerk marinade recipe

Make deep slashes in the flattened out lamb and insert garlic cloves. Place lamb in a large nonreactive blow. Crumble bay leaf and add it and the thyme to ther jerk marinade. Pour the marinade over the lamb, cover, and marinate overnight, turning 3 or 4 times.

Remove lamb from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to grilling. Drain and reserve the marinade.

*Grill lamb about 6 inches over medium hot coals in a covered grill for 1 ¼ hours with vents left open. Turn every 10 minutes and baste frequently with reserved marinade.

Transfer lamb to a chopping board and let stand for 10 minutes to reabsorb the juices. In the true jerk fashion, using a sharpened cleaver, hack the lamb into bite-size pieces and serve with Jamiacan hard dough bread and lots of Red stripe beer.

Jerk Marinade

1 teaspoon ground Jamaican pimento (allspice)

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup finely chopped scallions (green and white parts)

*4 scotch bonnet peppers or 6 jalapenos, stems removed and cut in halves, retaining seeds

½ cup distilled white vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon salt

2 cloves  of garlic powder

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process or blend on theliquefy setting for 2 minutes. Pour into a jar and refrigerate until ready for use Jerk marinade will remain good indefinitely as long as it is covered and kept refrigerated.

For Side dishes, we threw in some red & white potatoes and a green salad. 

 Garlic, Bay leaves & Thyme

 Red & White Potatoes with Carrots                                           Lamb Marinating 

Piercing the Lamb

Inserting the garlic cloves

                                                         Rolling the Lamb

Almost there

Topping with Thyme and Bay leaves

DELICOUS!

*I added 8 scotch bonnet peppers! Also, we roasted the lamb instead of grilling. Either way is fine. 

What’s your favorite Caribbean Lamb recipe?

 

 

I cruised by Fisher Island the other day and thought, “I wonder what it would be like to live there.” Imagine… an entire Island all to yourself. Well – there are 200 or so other families. But it’s so exclusive, so private, so quiet you would feel as if it’s all yours.

Fisher Island is a part of Miami Beach. But don’t think for a second Fisher Island is anything like Miami Beach.  South Beach is a hot spot for Miami Visitors. But if you happen to be in the Fisher Island vicinity, don’t even think of just dropping by. Only confirmed guests are allowed to stop on the Island. Furthermore, the only way in or out of the Island is by ferry or boat. There is even a ferry for cars. 

Or you can just do what I did – cruise by on a boat and hope to get a glimpse of Julia Roberts or Oprah Winfrey – just a few of the celebrities that own a home on Fisher Island.  

Of course you can experience private Island living – in the Caribbean. Check out one or even all of the Top Caribbean Islands for 2010.

Meanwhile, summer is right around the corner so that means great weather  for cruising. Cruising + good food = Cruisine…Our favorite past time.

I’ve been going through some of my favorite cookbooks to decide what recipes to prepare. If you have any favorite Caribbean dishes, please pass them along.  Caribbean food is so much better when shared among friends.