Caribbean Food Week 2014 feature

CARIBBEAN FOOD WEEK FEATURE A Weekly Gleaner Special Vege Mince Get in the carnival spirit with Caribbean Food Week Beef INGREDIENTS

T

ASTEBUDS ARE starting to tingle in anticipation as food-lovers count down to the most mouthwatering week of the UK summer: Caribbean Food Week, which will take place from August 18 - 25.

Organised by Grace Foods, the UK’s number one supplier of Caribbean food and drink, Caribbean Food Week leads up to the world-famous Notting Hill Carnival in west London and offers the perfect opportunity for people all over the UK to try their hand at Caribbean cuisine.

Since launching in 2012, Caribbean Food Week has continued to grow as more and more people get adventurous with their cooking. With demand for exciting tastes at a high, record numbers of people are set to abandon the beans on toast this month and bring some tropical

INGREDIENTS: 1 tin 540g Dunn’s River Jamaican Ackee, drained 2 tins 125g Grace Salt Fish, drained and flaked 2 onions, chopped 2 spring onions, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, finely chopped (feel free to up or lower the chilli to taste!)

2 tomatoes, chopped

Empty Grace Earth Chef Flavoured Veggie Mince Beef into a bowl; pour on 2 cups boiling water and leave to rehydrate for 5 minutes.

For 4 people ( )

File Ryan Mack

flavours into their lives.

EASY “Many people don’t realise how easy it can be to create Caribbean dishes with incredible flavours,” says Ryan Mack, managing director of Grace Foods UK. “Caribbean Food Week is the perfect time to get into the Caribbean spirit and give it a try - whether you invite

Ackee & Saltfish HERE’S A tasty recipe which you can try yourself for Caribbean Food Week, Ackee and Saltfish The national dish of Jamaica, Ackee and Saltfish is traditionally served as part of a hearty breakfast with dumplings, boiled banana and callaloo - a spinach-like vegetable enjoyed across the Caribbean.

The ackee fruit resembles scrambled egg and has a delicate taste which makes it a great carrier for some of the more robust flavours in this dish including spring onions, peppers and thyme

4 ounce(s) carrot, julienne 4 ounce(s) tomato, julienne 2 cup(s) boiling water VEGGIE MINCE BEEF DIRECTIONS

1 teaspoon(s) salt (optional) 8 ounce(s) broccoli, broken into florets 4 ounce(s) onion, julienne 1 tablespoon(s) Grace Vegetable Oil 4 ounce(s) green sweet pepper, julienne 2 stalk(s) escallion, slices diagonally 3 clove(s) garlic, grated 2 ounce(s) yellow sweet pepper, julienne 1 packet(s) Grace Earth Chef Flavoured Veggie Mince Beef 1/2 cup(s) Grace Tomato Ketchup

Sprinkle on the contents of the seasoning sachet (comes in the veggie mince beef packet); mix well and leave to marinate for 5 minutes.

Stir in green and yellow sweet peppers, tomato, onion and escallion and saute for two minutes.

Gently mix in the marinated Grace Veggie Mince Beef and Grace Tomato Ketchup and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.

Adjust flavour if necessary, reduce flame and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from flame and serve hot.

To Serve: Serve with brown rice and a salad.

Difficulty: Easy

Heat Grace Vegetable Oil in a large skillet; add minced garlic, julienne of carrots and broccoli florets, stir fry for 3 minutes.

friends round for a Caribbean-themed dinner party, or just serve up a classic recipe like jerk chicken or rice and peas for the family at home.”

VARIETY A wide variety of Caribbean recipes and serving suggestions will be shared on Caribbean Food Week’s Facebook page, where people can also upload photos of their own dishes.

1 red pepper, chopped 1 tsp, Dunn’s River Thyme 2 tbsp vegetable oil Salt and pepper to taste Method: Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the garlic, onions, spring onions, peppers and scotch bonnet pepper on a high heat for around 3-5 minutes until sweated.

Drain your Grace Salt Fish tins and flake with a fork directly into the pan, add your Dunn’s River Thyme and fry for a further 3 to 5 minutes.

Add your remaining tomatoes and your Dunn’s River Ackee and fry for a further 1-2 minutes until all your ingredients and flavours are wellcombined. When stirring the ackee, be careful to stir these very lightly as to not break up the ackee which are quite fragile.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with dumplings - Enjoy!

Ackee and saltfish with dumplings.

THE WEEKLY GLEANER

AUGUST 14 - 20, 2014 • 11

caribbeanfoodfeature

Jamaican food: From Taino to Rasta J

AMAICAN FOODS have made a leap over time to morph into a potpourri of flavours. The diversity of Jamaican cuisine has, indeed, been shaped by circumstance, coincidence and hardship.

Food Reference World Cuisine is equally effusive, describing Jamaican cuisine as “rich and spicy as the pepper-pot soup that originated with the Taino Indians”. It continues: “Jamaican cooking draws from a brilliant interpretation of East Indian, Chinese, Spanish and British influences, all working harmoniously in a style that is uniquely Jamaican ... .”

Prior to the exploration of Jamaica by Christopher Columbus, the island was inhabited by natives of a West Indian tribe known as the Tainos. The word ‘Taino’ originated with Columbus and meant ‘good’ or ‘noble.

The Taino culture was highly developed in the Caribbean, so much so that, by the time Columbus arrived, there was tremendous creativity and energy.

EARLIEST TRADITIONS The Taino legacy is barbecue, an ancient tradition left to grace our cuisine today. The Taino diet relied heavily on vegetables, fruits, cassava, beans, barbecued meats and fish. Large animals were absent from their diet but smaller animals such as earthworms, lizards, beetles, birds and other mammals were caught.

Besides grilling, roasting and baking, the Tainos expanded cooking options to include a technique akin to jerking, which has become popular around the world. It is thought that jerk originated with the

Maroons, descendants of the slaves who ran away from their Spanish slave masters to the mountains of Jamaica.

Meats are preserved by massaging it with a blend of natural seasonings such as peppers, scallion, thyme, pimento seeds and nutmeg - known now as jerk seasoning - and marinated for hours. Fish and meat were slowly roasted on a spit lined with pimento wood. Low heat and slow cooking retains the natural juices of the meat, which become infused with the flavour of the wood.

It has been said that the Maroons historically cooked underground to camouflage the smoke. Soups and stews were popular and it was out this group that the pepperpot soup emerged and is still popular today.

When Columbus claimed Jamaica for Spain, the Spanish brought pigs, goats and cattle, and so the island became a supplier of smoked and salted meat to Spanish ships en route to the Americas. Lard from the fat of animals was produced and exported. The Spanish introduced a number of fruit trees and plants such as the banana, plantain, sugar cane, Seville and Valencia oranges, coconut, tamarind, guinep and naseberry.

The Spanish were fans of fried food and, as such, meals like escoveitched fish were developed. Other dishes introduced by the Spanish included oxtail and beans, stew peas and cow foot and beans.

The fight for the control of the island between the Spanish and English resulted in the lengthy colonisation of the island by the English. There was an influx of African slaves who brought a piece of their own culture through the preparation of food. The Africans have left us with dokunu, or tie leaf.

The signature dish of Boone Hall Oasis, curry goat with white rice and tossed salad.

Later, Indian indentured labourers came to Jamaica to work on sugar plantations. They brought small amounts of their spices which added to the cultural mix in the pot.

Curried goat, popular in today’s cuisine, came here with the East Indians.

Chinese cooking was introduced to the island by indentured workers and Chinese merchants.

Ital cooking has been associated with Rastafarianism, a movement which revered former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I as a messiah who would return to save his people.

Ital, which has even made its way into the Oxford lexicon, is a way of preparing foods without the use of salt, meat, preservatives and colouring. Essentially, ital cooking uses ground provisions, peas, beans and nuts which are grown without fertilisers and other chemicals which speed the maturity of crops. On the occasion that animal protein is used, it may be fish or dried fish, not shellfish. Ital cooking is also considered vegetarian, focusing on the nutritive as well as the medicinal value of food.

The ital chef must be so versed that any vegetarian meal he/she prepares should be tasty, utilising a blend of herbs and spices.

An important ingredient to tasty ital cooking is coconut milk in which food is steeped. In addition to coconut milk, flavours come together from Scotch bonnet pepper, onions, scallion, thyme and pimento berries. The popular ital stew includes corn, beans, okra, carrots, garlic and coconut milk. Since no meat is used, the flavour is derived from the herbs and spices.

Run-down • • • • •

2 coconuts, grated 3 stalks scallion, chopped 6 cups water 2lb pickled mackerel 3 tomatoes, chopped

• 1 hot pepper, chopped and deseeded • 2 onions, chopped • 3 sprigs thyme • 1 clove garlic, chopped METHOD 1. Soak the mackerel for at least three hours to remove excess salt. Remove bones.

Set aside.

2. Add the water to the grated coconut and press the liquid through a sieve or grate in a blender. Set aside.

3. Boil the coconut milk rapidly in a heavybottom pot until reduced to curdled custard and oil.

4. Add the mackerel, cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

5. Stir in onion, garlic, scallion, tomatoes, hot pepper and thyme. Simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat.

6. Serve with boiled green bananas and cornmeal dumplings.

Serves 4.

Pickled red herring and bammy • • • • •

2lb smoked red herring 2 hot peppers, chopped 1 onion, chopped A few pimento berries 1/2 cup vinegar

METHOD 1. Remove skin from herring, discarding head and all the bones.

2. Shred the fish into small pieces.

3. Place in a bowl and add the chopped onion, vinegar, hot peppers and pimento.

Mix well and bottle.

4. Serve on bammy rounds.

Run Down

12 • AUGUST 14 - 20, 2014

THE WEEKLY GLEANER

caribbeanfoodfeature Quick Hot & Spicy Mackerel with Spaghetti Ingredients 1 can Grace Hot and Spicy Mackerel in Tomato Sauce 1 tablespoon Grace margarine 2 teaspoons Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 cups Grace Tomato Ketchup 2 stalks scallion, chopped 1/4 cups chicken stock 1 packet Grace spaghetti 2 medium tomatoes, diced Directions 1: Add Grace Tomato Ketchup, stock and Grace mackerel in tomato sauce and stir well.

Remove from flame.

2: Arrange boiled spaghetti on a plate, spoon on the mackerel mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Recipe note: Chicken stock may be made by dissolving one packet of Grace Chicken Noodle Soup Mix in two cups boiling water. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, stir, strain, and use as directed.

Preparation time: 15 mins Cooking time: 25 mins

THE WEEKLY GLEANER

Thai Fried Rice Ingredients: 2 eggs 3 tbs olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 Scotch bonnet – take out seeds and membrane 1 1/4 cup steamed jasmine rice 3 tbs Thai red curry paste 3 tbs soy sauce 6 tbs oyster sauce Pinch of salt and pepper Finely sliced scallion Directions: 1. Heat oil, add egg

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

and wait for 30 seconds until it is just about to set. Using a spatula, scramble the egg.

Add the garlic and peppers and mix thoroughly.

Add the rice.

Combine the curry paste, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Add it to the rice.

Adjust the taste with salt. Remember that these Asian sauces do have quite a bit of sodium in them.

Just before serving, add the scallions.

Contributed A Thai feast of basil chicken(left) and Thai fried rice.

Track Carib Food Week on social media WITH JUST one week to go, it’s the perfect time for food-lovers to stock up on ingredients and visit www.facebook.com/caribbeanfoodweek for ideas of tasty dishes to cook during the week.

Organised by Grace Foods UK, the UK’s number 1 supplier of Caribbean food and drink*, Caribbean Food Week leads up to the world-famous Notting Hill Carnival.

Featuring supermarket sampling, in-store promotional offers, prize competitions and social media activity, the week presents the perfect opportunity to try something Caribbean, whether it’s cooking a jerk chicken feast or simply enjoying a Caribbean cocktail!

By visiting Caribbean Food Week’s Facebook page, food-lovers can access tasty Caribbean recipes and serving suggestions

and upload photos of their own dishes.

Lovers of Caribbean cuisine can also get involved in the conversation on Twitter by following @caribbeanfoodwk and using the hashtag, #CFW2014 to share their recipes and tips.

There’ll also be competitions running across Facebook and Twitter in the lead up to and during the week itself, so fans are being encouraged to keep an eye out for chances to win!

WIDE RANGE From today onwards, special offers on a wide range of Caribbean food and drink products will be available in the major supermarkets, making it even easier to stock up on tropical flavours ahead of the week.

The following promotions are now on in the following supermarkets:

ASDA Grace Coconut Water 310ml can (with pulp or smooth): 2 cans for £1 (RRP 99p, offer available until August ) Tesco and Sainsbury’s Encona West Indian Original Hot Pepper Sauce, Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce, Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce 220ml – £1 per bottle (RRP £1.55, offer available until September 16) Dunn’s River Coconut Milk 400ml – 2 cans for £1.50 (RRP 89p, offer available until September 23) Grace Aloe Vera Drink Original, Strawberry or Mango 500ml AND Nurishment Original Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate, Banana 400g - any 3 items mixand-match for only £2.50! (RRPs £1.05 and £1.29 respectively, offer available until September 16).

AUGUST 14 - 20, 2014 • 13

caribbeanfoodfeature Ades Cash and Carry opens new outlet for tropical foods

14 • AUGUST 14 - 20, 2014

Kernel Corn, drained

INGREDIENTS

1 medium tomato, chopped

4 tablespoons Grace Prima Margarine 2 stalk(s) scallion, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped

A

DES CASH and Carry Ltd, the largest tropical food outlet in south east London, held its grand opening of its second and biggest retail store in Nathan Way, Thamesmead London SE28 last month.

The symbolic cutting of the ribbon was done by Councillor Denise Hyland, the Leader of of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Kit Malthouse Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Enterprise and the founder and CEO Michael Adedipo.

This is the second outlet for Ades Cash and Carry which has been trading for some 10 years in the borough starting from its first outlet in East Moor Street in Charlton. The new outlet is situated on 65 square foot of land space including car park and store and caters to the wholesale, retail and consumer market.

Speaking at the opening of the new store, CEO Michael Adedipo said: “This is truly and eventful day in the history of the Company Ades Cash and Carry. I had completed my Computer Science Degree at the University of Greenwich in 1994, worked in the information technology for many years, However, in 2001 I departed from my profession and with the transferable skills started working in the food industry “On or around 2004 I spoke at length with my wife and with determination and vigour we reached a decision to open a business in the food industry, at the same

GRACE SARDINE SEASONED RICE

2 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon Grace Green Scotch Bonnet Hot Pepper Sauce

Councillor Denise Hyland (centre) cuts the ribbon to open the new Ades Cash and Carry retail outlet in Thamesmead.

Joining in from left are: Kofi Addo, Head of Trade and Investment Ghana High Commission, Kit Malthouse, Deputy Mayor of London, Michael Adedipe, CEO Ades Cash and Carry, Mrs Gbemisola Adedipe, director, S.A Adelemi, head of Indusry and Investment Nigeria High Commission and Laurence Jones head of Jampro UK, Jamaica High Commission

time recognising some of the difficulties we may face and the risk.

BEGINNINGS “Interestingly, our first shop was a garage at the back of our house and through sturdy progress with the difficulties for example raising capital, adequate stock for increasing customers we were able to move the business to Charlton in 2005 with retail outlet, specialising in foods and drinks to the African/Caribbean community in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and others “Two years later the first Cash and Carry was opened at East moor Street, in Charlton where we currently employs 50 staff mostly Greenwich residents.

“In December 2013 the Company

received recognition, by the London Stock Exchange, as one of the ‘1000 Companies to inspire Britain’.

The findings were made following an independent research conducted by LSE. The recognition was in the area of our commitment to excellency in the food and beverage industry.

“I sincerely thank my staff, suppliers, clients, and others for their support over the years. With the new phase which is a bigger complex the number of employees is going to increase.”

In her brief address, Councillor Hyland said she was pleased that Ades Cash and Carry was not only providing a service for the borough’s diverse community, but it was also providing vital employment and helping the local economy grow.

1/4 teaspoon Grace Caribbean Traditions Black Pepper 1 packet Grace Fish Tea Soup Mix 4 cup (s) Grace rice 3 can(s) Grace sardines, drained and flaked 1 can(s) Grace Whole

1 medium sweet pepper, cut into julienne

DIRECTIONS Step 1: Heat Grace Prima Margarine in a medium heavy bottom saucepan and sautée escallion, onion and garlic.

Step 2: Pour in water, add salt, Grace Green Scotch Bonnet Hot Pepper Sauce and Grace caribbean traditions black pepper.

Step 3: Add Grace Fish Tea Soup Mix and bring to a boil.

Step 4: Stir in Grace rice, stir and reduce flame.

Step 5: Cook rice for about 30 minutes or until tender.

Step 6: Fold in flaked Grace sardines, Grace Whole Kernel Corn, sweet pepper and tomato.

Step 7: Cook for another 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Preparation time: 10 mins

Contributed Grace Sardine Seasoned Rice

THE WEEKLY GLEANER