Sweet treat for Jamaican foodies
Published:Thursday | August 1, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Krysta Anderson, Gleaner Writer
From the Tainos to the Maroons, Pamella Powell has recorded the history of Jamaican food in her new book, Sweet Runnings. Compiling what may be one of the most groundbreaking Jamaican recipe books ever written, Food spoke with Powell in a recent interview about her exciting culinary journey to historical and delectable greatness.
"Sweet Runnings is a comprehensive book that captures Jamaica's cuisine in its totality, while seeking to educate on the Jamaican heritage," said Powell. She confessed that she has always been a lover of authentically Jamaican food, admiring the traditional style of preparing signature meals. From a child growing up in the parish of St Elizabeth. Powell was raised on her parents' farm where she got actively involved in learning the traditional techniques of cooking like the art of bammy making, smoking meats over an open fire, and making fufu in a mortar.
Now a culinary educator, judge and food connoisseur, Powell has been the head of the Culinary Arts Department at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission. Her 30 year experience in culinary arts inspired her to write her very own recipe book. She explains, "Many people do not know the history of their foods, so I went back to the Tainos, and realised that a lot of what we do with wood and open fire, for example, started with them. History later progressed with the culinary influence of those who washed up on the green shores, as well as the strong cultural influences the island has adopted."
Published in December of last year, the book was mainly sectioned for educational purposes as she found in her years as an educator that there were very few books which spoke to the rich history of Jamaican heritage as it related to food. Taking the country's motto, 'Out of many one people', seriously, she sectioned her recipe book Ethnic Recipes Out of Many, with the subsection Our Culinary Treasure taking readers on a historical and culinary journey from the Tainos, Spanish, British, African, Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern to the Rastafarian movement, including references and recipes which still exist in Jamaica.
The Taste the Niceness section includes: recipes for Jamaican entrées, including jerk chicken, jerk pork, stew peas, oxtail and beans, brown stew chicken, escoveitched fish and more, as well as recipes for desserts such as bread pudding, cornmeal pudding, coconut drops, sweet potato pudding and rum cake. The Swirl and Sip section incorporates recipes of favourite Jamaican beverages such as rum punch, ginger beer, lemonade and sorrel, as well as home-made wine and recipes for delicious sauces and information on jams, jellies, and confectioneries.
Powell made special mention of the traditions of Christmas and nine-night celebrations. Present also is a section called Let's Celebrate, which speaks to traditional weddings. A pictorial glossary of ingredients is also used throughout the cookbook, as well as a measurements and preparation guide in both Imperial (English) and metric units.
Sweet Runnings is a book which appeals to the ordinary person, the foodies, as well as the history enthusiasts. For many who aren't able to grab a copy of this must-have book just yet, we have a few recipes that are sure to please.
Pepper Pot Soup
Ingredients
8ozs corned pork
8ozs fresh beef
2qrts litre cold water
8ozs Indian kale
8ozs callaloo
6ozs okra
8ozs coco
8ozs white soft yam
2 stalks scallion
1 sprig thyme
6 pimento grains
1 whole hot pepper
1 cup coconut milk
4ozs shrimp
Ingredients for Dumplings
8ozs flour
2ozs cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold water
Method
(1) Soak corned pork overnight in cold water to reduce saltiness.
(2) Remove and drain.
(3) Cut pork and beef in small pieces. Allow to cook in 2 quarts (2.2) litres of water.
(4) Wash callaloo and kale in a lot of water and strip membrane from stalks.
(5) Chop stalks and leaves finely.
Slice okra crosswise. When meat is almost tender, add vegetables.
(6) Peel yam and coco. Cut in small pieces then add.
(7) Mix together ingredients for dumplings. Knead and shape then add to soup.
Add all seasonings, coconut milk and shrimp.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve hot with thin bammy. Serves 10.
Stew Peas
Ingredients
2 cups red peas/kidney beans
8ozs pig's tail
8ozs lean beef
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1 hot pepper with stem intact (preferably Scotch bonnet)
2 stalks scallion crushed
1 sprig thyme
4 cloves
1 cup flour
Cornstarch (optional)
Method
(1) Wash peas, cut pig's tail in small pieces then soak separately overnight.
(2) Cut beef in similar size as pig's tail and rest in refrigerator.
(3) Place the above ingredients in 4 cups of water in a saucepan or pressure cooker. Cook until peas are medium soft and meat is tender.
(4) Add coconut milk and simmer for 20 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
(5) In a bowl, sift flour and add water to make a dough. Make very small long dumplings called 'spinners' and add to peas.
(6) Add crushed scallion, thyme, cloves and whole pepper with stem.
Pepper should not burst during cooking. Remove when flavour is achieved.
(7) If the stew is not thick enough, add 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed in 2 tablespoons of water. Remove stem of thyme and particles of scallion and serve with boiled white rice.
Serves 6.
Dukunnu/Blue Draws/Tie a Leaf
Ingredients
1lb sweet potato grated or cornmeal
4ozs flour
4ozs sugar
1 cup coconut milk
1tsp nutmeg
1tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1tbs vanilla
120g raisins
2tbs margarine
1/2tsp ginger powder
4 cinnamon leaves
6 banana leaves and barks
Method
(1) Wash banana leaves in cold water and drain.
(2) Place over an open flame and quail.
(3) Place 1 quart/ 1 litre water in a saucepan.
(3) Add salt and cinnamon leaves and bring to a boil.
(4) Place dry ingredients in a bowl then add raisins, coconut milk, vanilla, salt, melted margarine, grated sweet potato or cornmeal and mix well.
(5)Place mixture by the spoonful on banana leaves.
(6) Wrap over mixture and tie with banana bark.
Place in boiling water and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove and serve hot. Yields 6.
Peppermint Candy
Ingredients
5lbs /11kg granulated sugar
1lb /2.2kg brown sugar
1tsp lime juice
21/2qrts/2.6 litres water
1tbsp liquid peppermint
1/2tsp butter
Red food colour
Method
(1) Put water in a heavy pot to boil.
(2) Add sugar, lime juice and butter to water.
(3) Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
(4) Strain and place into another heavy-bottom saucepan.
(5) Continue boiling until mixture starts to crystallise.
(6) Pour on to a wet smooth stone surface.
(7) Roll the edge in and allow to cool a while.
(8) Put mixture on a nail that is attached to a board on a tree trunk.
(9) Pull until the mixture becomes white.
(10) Pour on the peppermint and remove mixture from nail.
(11) Place on a greased smooth surface.
(12) Add desired colour and twist. Repeat then cut.
(13) Form pieces into desired shape.
Yields 36.