Kingston Kitchen Magazine by Leisha Wong

CONTENTS

IN SEASON Peas Please

CHEW ON THIS ‘Tis the Season to be Jiggly

KITCHEN CREW 101 Holiday Spirit

RECIPE BOX What’s for Dinner?

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL The Language of Food

BLOOMIN’ CHEF Fusion Foodie

Hope Gardens

THE FOODIST Naughty & Nice

Blissful Tummies

32 HEALTH

CHEERS

Publisher: Kingston Kitchen Ltd. 10 Deanery Road, Kingston 16, Jamaica Email: kingstonkitchenja@gmail.com Tel: 876-869-7093 www.kingstonkitchenja.com Contributing Writers: Helen DaCosta, Celeste Gordon, Jessica Hylton, Melanie Miller, Ann-Loy Morgan, Jacqui Sinclair, Leisha Wong Photographers: Jessica Hylton, Dwayne Watkins Design: Sharky Printed in Jamaica by The Herald Printery Advertising Sales for Kingston Kitchen 2011-2012 by M&M Media Ltd. 69 - 75 Constant Spring Road, Unit 6, Kingston 10, Jamaica. Email: messadomedia@gmail.com Tel: 876-977-6745 / Fax: 876-622-3916 Reproduction in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher, is prohibited.

WELCOME

FEEDING THE JOY.

One one cocoa, full basket

Photo: Dwayne Watkins

Welcome on board the KINGSTON KITCHEN movement. “What is it all about?” we hear you ask. Well, here it is. You can tell a lot about a people through its food. Take Jamaican food. It warms the soul, with fiery spices and rich, complex flavours, and speaks to the natural bounty of Jamaica from its lush hills and valleys to the sea. Let’s break it down; food in Jamaica is as unique as the “out of many” people who call themselves Jamaican. KINGSTON KITCHEN is about honouring those people who celebrate Jamaican food everyday when they cook in their kitchens—be it big or small. It’s for the caterers, chefs, restaurateurs, home cooks, commercial food producers and farmers, those people who embody the essence of Jamaican food. This magazine is a further tribute to our beloved food. It celebrates our bounty through “In Season”, this issue dedicated to the holiday staple, gungo peas; as well as our local chefs doing magical things in the kitchen. Our inaugural issue shines the spotlight on Collin Hylton, chef, restaurateur, and award-winning caterer. In a world where social media is king, we turn to our ever-growing cadre of food bloggers, for their observations on food today. And for all budding hostesses, we turn to our own “Kitchenette Team”, who show you how to plan the perfect dinner party. We hope you enjoy, and want to thank you for your support!

EAT GOOD!

Leisha, Jacqui and Melanie

IN SEASON

PEAS PLEASE

Gungo Peas are a holiday staple. We turn to Chef Celeste Gordon for a traditionalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and not so traditionalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;recipe.

We may call it the gungo pea, but around the world, it is also known as Congo pea, tropical green pea, and most commonly as pigeon pea. It originated some 3500 years back, and is believed to have come from the eastern part of India. They are considered a main food staple across the world, from India (where it is used in the very popular toor dal dish), in the Dominican Republic where they use the green peas with rice, in a dish called moro de guandules, and Trinidad and Tobago where they have their own version rice dish, called pelau, which includes either beef or chicken, some vegetables, and pieces of pigs tail.

While in Jamaica gungo peas usually herald the arrival of Christmas, in seasonal dishes like gungo peas and rice, and gungo pea soup, the Jamaican gungo pea is also known for its medicinal purposes. In India and Java, the young Jamaican gungo pea leaves are applied to sores. In fact, scorched gungo pea seeds, added to coffee, are said to alleviate headaches and vertigo, while the salted Jamaican gungo pea leaf juice is taken for jaundice. But back to the holiday season. We turn to Chef Celeste Gordon who shares her rich and soul-warming traditional Gungo Pea Soup, perfect for those nights cooled by the Christmas breeze. She also shares her recipe for Gungo Pea and Ham Croquettes, an unexpected and sophisticated take on gungo peas.

IN SEASON

Gungo Peas Soup Serves: 10 Ingredients 1 qt Green Gungo Peas 1 lb Stew Beef (cubed) 8 oz pig’s tail (scalded) 8 cups of water 4 cloves of garlic 4 stalks escallion

1 Scotch bonnet pepper 1 tbps thyme 4- 6 seeds pimento 1 can coconut milk 1 cup flour Salt and pepper to taste

Gungo Pea and Ham Croquettes Serves: 10

Ingredients 2 lbs Irish potatoes ½ tbsp thyme (peeled and cubed) Salt and pepper to taste 1 pint gungo peas 1 cup of flour ½ lb ham (diced) 3 eggs 3 cloves of garlic (minced) 1 ½ lbs bread crumbs 2 stalks of escallion (chopped) 4 cups vegetable oil ½ tsp Scotch bonnet pepper 1 jar chutney Method • In a soup pot, put peas and beef and cover with water. (minced) • Let it come to a boil then turn down the flame to Method a simmer and cover the pot. It should take about • In a pot, boil potatoes in salted water till fork tender 45 minutes for the peas and beef to start to become • Drain the water and mash the potatoes and set aside. tender. • At this point add all your seasonings and the scalded • In another pot, simmer peas, one clove garlic and one sprig of thyme, until the peas become tender. pig’s tail and continue to simmer. Add the Coconut • Drain peas and coarsely mash them. In a mixing Milk and adjust seasoning. bowl, add potatoes, peas, ham, the seasonings and salt • In meantime combine flour with half a teaspoon and pepper and mix together. salt and 1/3 cup water to make dumpling (“spinners”) • Whisk one egg, and add it to the potato mixture. Add dough. Take little pieces of dough and roll into 1-inch half a cup of breadcrumbs to this mixture. long shapes and add to the pot. • Stir it all up and cook for an additional 10 minutes to • Take a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball then flatten in to a disc. Repeat this process till all cook thru spinners. • Once again, taste soup and readjust seasoning. Serve the dough is used up. • Set up a breading station. Flour in one bowl, whisked hot. eggs in another and breadcrumbs in the last. Now take the discs and dredge them in flour, dip them in the egg *This soup can be made vegetarian by omitting the wash and then lastly in the breadcrumbs so that they beef and pig’s tail and following the rest of the recipe. become fully coated. • Heat up the oil in a sauté pan on the stove and fry each croquette till golden brown. Drain the excess oil by putting the croquettes on paper towel. • Serve with the your favourite chutney.

CHEW ON THIS

‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE JIGGLY

It's the most fattening time of the year... Or something like that. The straight-talking Ann-Loy Morgan, otherwise known as “Rosa” explains. Photo: Dwayne Watkins

That’s right, the Christmas season is here once again. Some people, like myself, have been preparing for Christmas all year. Sodas were skipped, extra cheese was refused, the option to “Go Large” was sternly denied, all to inhale festive foods one day in December. It’s great, really.

When I was growing up my grandmother instilled the importance of Christmas Day into my cousins and I. Jesus Christ was born on this day and we were going to celebrate with copious amounts of food. This is the same Jesus Christ who will die for our sins and resurrect around Easter time and we would again celebrate with large meals. In my early years I didn’t quite understand, but that Jesus guy was alright with me and my gut. 10

CHEW ON THIS Fast forward years later and I’m still stuffing myself. Large meals are still the go to deal for anything in my family. Birth? Baby shower? Death? Nine Night all night meal. Wedding? But nothing can compare to the Christmas Day feast. I often make the joke that if it was alive and walking around at some point in the year, it would be dead and delicious on my grandmother’s dining room table for Christmas dinner. I’m only half kidding. It would be on the table for Christmas breakfast too. Christmas in Jamaica has its staples, dishes that have to be present. For Christmas Day breakfast it’s ackee and saltfish. Also possibly present: fried ham, fried plantains, boiled green bananas, fried dumplings, roasted breadfruit, hot chocolate and slivers of fresh fruit for those watching their figures. Christmas Day dinner in my house was always built around a ham decorated with cloves, pineapples and cherries. But for those who don’t partake in the eating of pig’s flesh, my grandmother had you covered with offerings of roast beef, baked chicken, curry goat, oxtail and broad beans, liver, steamed fish, sweet and sour tofu, callaloo and whatever else she could find in the

market. You would need sorrel to wash this all down, of course. The sorrel would be drawn in a tub, a tub like they bathe infants in, and sweetened with sugar and Red Label wine. Then no meal would be complete without dessert, which is always fruit cake. Weighed down by dried fruits that have been soaking in rum since the previous Christmas, the fruitcake would be dense, sweet and frighteningly rich. For the kids and designated drivers, there would be alcohol free dessert offerings of ice cream, coconut cake and one year there was almond biscotti for some reason. As intimidating as it might seem, I love Christmas. Now that I am old enough to join in the marathon-like exercise of cooking during the holiday season, I can see the love and thought that goes into preparing the yearly feast. Whether you have a little or a lot on your table, it’s the thought that counts this season. So eat up! Follow Ann-Loy through her blog at www.hungrybelly.posterous.com

KITCHEN CREW 101

Photos: Dwayne Watkins of Dwayne Watkins Photography

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

The Kichenette Crew shows you how to create a stunning holiday table, both for the tastebuds and the eyes. 12

KITCHEN CREW 101 Forget the presents this year. Celebrate instead, by breaking bread and gathering around the table with your family. And a beautiful table at that. With Jacqui “Juicy Chef” Sinclair manning the stove, and Melanie Miller, of Event Essentials, taking charge of the table, you know a wonderful feast is sure to ensue.

JuicyChef’s Christmas 12 Herb and Spice Best Dressed Roaster with Pumpkin, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing. ~ MENU ~ • JuicyChef’s Smoked Salmon Pate with Scotch Bonnet and Chives • JuicyChef’s Christmas 12 Herb and Spice Best Dressed Roaster with Pumpkin, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing • JuicyChef’s Best Dressed Chicken Ham with a Sorrel, Honey and Pimento Crust • Kerri’s Marshmallow Topped Candied Sweet Potatoes JuicyChef’s Smoked Salmon Pate with Scotch Bonnet and Chives

This elegant starter goes well with French bread, toast or fancy crackers and pairs well with Champagne, Cava or Prosecco. Ingredients 100g Rainforest Premium Smoked Salmon, roughly chopped. 200g cream cheese ½ Scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped. 1 lemon, juiced Handful of chives, finely chopped Freshly cracked black pepper

Method • In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until you get a nice chunky texture, or if you prefer process until smooth. I like to see a few chunks of fish in mine. • Garnish with more chives, parsley or lemon zest.

KITCHEN CREW 101

Kerri’s Marshmallow Topped Candied Sweet Potatoes and Nicole’s Sweet Temptations Christmas Cake. A nice juicy roaster makes a lovely centrepiece for your festive table. It’s cheaper than turkey and feeds many. Typically, I like to roast my bird without the stuffing, so it cooks more evenly and quicker. The combination of herbs and spices marry well to tantalise your tastebuds and compliments the hearty stuffing. Ingredients 1 Best Dressed Chicken Roaster ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp coriander ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp crushed pimento grains ½ tsp chilli powder ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp dried parsley ½ tsp dried rosemary ½ tsp ground sage ½ tsp dried basil 3 tbsps olive oil 1 tsp lime peel Juice of 1 lime Salt and pepper to taste

Method • Rub seasoning paste all over chicken and inside the cavity. • Marinate for at least an hour or ideally overnight. • Preheat oven to 350F. • Place Best Dressed Roaster, breast side down and roast for one hour. • Turn over Best Dressed Roaster and continue baking for another 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your bird, until juices run clear and the skin is golden brown. Log onto www.kingstonkitchenja.com for the stuffing recipe, as well as other recipes from this holiday feast. Thanks to Nicole Shirley of Nicole’s Sweet Temptations for providing the Christmas cake and creamy brandy butter. It was the perfect balance of fruit, moistness and richness. You can pick up one of her cakes at the KINGSTON KITCHEN tent.

Bon Appétit! 14

KITCHEN CREW 101

TABLE MANNERS

by Melanie Miller

Tabletops get fancy for the holidays.

Photos: Dwayne Watkins

There’s something magical about the holidays. Yes, it’s the twinkling Christmas trees, the salted caramel mocha lattes at Starbucks (for those who gone foreign to shop!), and the foot tapping carols on the radio. But it’s also a time when everything just looks preetier.

of your family; individual place name settings; décor pieces that tie into your theme or even tall glass cylinders filled with leftover Christmas balls from your tree. Find things around your house that mean something to you.

This Christmas, we are having a dinner party for six people. Small dinner parties are always fun, you can get extra creative with your menu. But, food aside, you can have fun with your table. Remember decorations are not just for the tree. Why not turn your dinner table into a showpiece and have your guests not only enjoy their meal, but their surroundings too.

To make your table even fancier, use candles, candles, candles! Candles make everything look prettier. You can use large pillar candles, floating candles or tiny votives, but ensure you have enough to make the accents on your table glow.

Firstly, decide on a theme. Since it’s the holidays, there are hundreds of ways to dress up your table. You could tie the theme into the décor on your Christmas tree, or find a colour you love. For KINGSTON KITCHEN I went for a purple theme with silver accents…seasonal but sophisticated. An accent colour is very important. It is usually a colour that compliments the primary colour palette. Metallics are always a good way to go, as they tend to go with everything. Who doesn’t love to accessorize? Go all out here. There are no rules as to what can be on your table. You can include just about anything! Think coloured vases (varying heights if possible); plants (mini poinsettias) or cut flowers (orchids are perfect); framed pictures

Once the table is set, place settings down, napkins neatly folded, candles lit, and your guests have arrived—and are wowed by your creation—the only thing that should be as equally satisfying is the enchanting Christmas meal they're about to devour. As Virginia Woolf famously said, “One cannot think well, love well or sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

Merry Christmas! *Thank you to Novelty Party Rentals for their assistance in the shoot.

RECIPE BOX

What’s for Dinner?

This issue we turn to The Best Dressed Chicken, for some inspiration in the kitchen. A delicious, wholesome meal is easier, and more affordable, than you think.

Best Dressed Coconut Milk Curry Chicken Thigh with Sautéed Vegetables created By Chef Brian Lumley. Ingredients 1 tray pack Best Dressed boneless chicken thigh 1 cup curry marinade 3 tbsp oil 4 heads garlic 1 tbsp curry powder 2 cups chicken stock 2 stalks escallion 1 flower thyme 1 cup coconut milk 1 medium carrot, julienne 2 small red and green peppers, diced 2 small onion, diced Method • Clean the thighs of any extra fat, cut into strips, and toss in the marinade and leave for two hours or overnight. • Prepare the curry sauce by first heating 1 tbsp of oil into a saucepan. “Burn” the curry powder in the oil along with the cloves of garlic. Carefully stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. • Cook, simmering for 20 minutes, add the escallion as well as thyme, and skim the surface of any impurities that may rise. 17

• Stir in the coconut milk and leave the curry sauce to cool until ready for use. • Place the chicken thighs on a baking rack and cook for 15 minutes in the oven at 375F. • In a sauté pan, add ½ tbsp oil, garlic, onion, peppers and carrot, and cook for about two minutes. • Add the chicken thighs and all its juices, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the curry sauce and stir in the coconut milk, simmer for about 10 minutes more until done. Serve with your favorite side, Serve hot! Tip: Chicken stock is made by simmering the bones of the chicken (neck, back etc.) with onions, carrots and celery for one hour, before straining. It can be prepared in advance and kept frozen in ziplock bags for up to three months. To make the curry marinade: Add escallion, pimento, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, ginger, curry powder mixes, curry paste and salt to belnder. Blend all ingredients together and leave to marinate for up to a week.

RECIPE BOX

Mango Glazed Pig’s Tail created By Chef Jacqui Tyson Ingredients 1 lb Content quality Pig’s Tail 2 Cups (470ml) hot water ¾ Cup (180ml) mango puree The juice of 1 lemon ¼ tsp chopped Scotch bonnet pepper ½ cup (120ml) chopped onion 3 cloves crushed garlic ½ tsp (2.5ml) crushed ginger ½ cup raisins ¼ cup (60ml) water

Method • Wash Pig’s Tail, chop joints but do not separate. • Place tails in a pot with two cups of boiling water. • Cover pot and steam cook at 350°F (180°C) for 1hr or until tender on a medium flame. • Drain. • In a blender, combine all ingredients for sauce and blend until smooth. • On a medium open flame, place sauce and pig’s tail in pot and roast at 325°F (160°C) for 15 minutes. • For final flavour booster (optional), baste with sauce and finish on open char grill or toaster oven for five minutes to seal the flavour. • Serve with white rice and remaining sauce, or slice into miniature pieces and serve as a hors d’ouevres.

Interview by Leisha Wong

BLOOMIN’ CHEF tongue and leave a tingling feel in your mouth. Quite an amazing experience! Blue Fin Tuna (if it wasn’t on the endangered list). I once had this straight from the boat sashimi style with siracha, and it was the most flavourful tuna ever. Monkfish, cold water oysters…I could go on for days. Q: Who would be your fantasy diner guest? Celebrity? Dead? Alive? And why?

A: For this one I have two answers. First would be Auguste Escoffier, the father of French cuisine, who had a plethora of cooking knowledge. That dinner would be an experience. Secondly, Salma Hayek. Need I explain? Lets just say that my cooking ‘A’ game would be on display! Q: What is so special about Jamaican cooking?

FUSION FOODIE

Hot young chef, Christian Sweeney is first up in the “Bloomin Chef” demonstration series at KINGSTON KITCHEN. Here’s a little more about him. Q: What was your first cooking job?

A: My first job, was as an intern at Sandals Montego Bay, and was 100 percent baptism by fire! I loved every minute of it.

A: Jamaican cuisine is food borne out of necessity and has evolved into something far more interesting and flavourful than the simple everyday Jamaican meals. While nothing satisfies like cow foot or mackerel run down, we also have ingredients such as ackee that seen as ‘cutting edge’. It is a combination of unique ingredients that come together so harmoniously. Q: What’s your advice to other “Bloomin’ Chefs”?

A: I have three pieces of advice. Determination, passion and confidence will take you a long way. There are many voices of discouragement and many obstacles on the way to success, but if you stick with your vision confidently and passionately, you will achieve it in one form or another. Stay hungry Be open minded, this world of food is more vast than we can even imagine. Just because something goes against our personal preference or taste doesn’t meant that we shouldn’t try it. Keep an open mind, experimentation is key.

Q: How would you describe your cooking?

A: I would say that my cooking is a combination of all the techniques and flavors that I have been exposed to, and experimenting with new ones. In one word I would say ‘fuzion’, which is also the name of my company. Q: What ingredient would you love to cook with that is not so readily available in Jamaica? In essence, what’s your fantasy ingredient?

A: Szechuan pepper corns, not just for their flavour qualities (which are amazing), but they also numb the

Seek knowledge through whatever means are available to you. The internet is an amazing resource, and I am constantly keeping abreast with new trends within the industry and new innovations. The day you stop learning in this industry you’re dead. You can experience Christian’s cooking at the restaurant Mantra, in the Barbican Business Centre, through his company Fuzion Food Service, and at KINGSTON KITCHEN. 20

“Imported & Distributed By Grace Kennedy Foods & Services”

by Leisha Wong

THE LANGUAGE OF FOOD

HOME COOKING

Trends in food show that chefs are returning home to comforting, simple flavours, and the welcoming ways of the kitchen dining table. So what better place to get to know a chef than in his home. Our first subject, Chef Colin Hylton.

He has a major aversion to aluminum foil. He doesn’t need any more friends. And he can taste food in his head. He is Chef Colin Hylton.

friend, Patrick Waldemar. “As all good guests do, I carried a dish,” he says. Although he admits that he got “crazy with it”, and created three desserts, including handmade chocolate leaves. Norma Shirley was also “It’s simple, food impacts the way I live,” Hylton says, at the dinner. When she saw the desserts, she was so lounging back in his luxurious black couch. “But impressed that she sought out the chef. She asked if let’s not make it too intellectual, it’s only food!” he he would supply her restaurant with desserts. Now, exclaims. With his signature flat cap, and easy jazzy when the “Grande Dame of Jamaican food” asks you style, Hylton is comfortable and candid at his Stony to cook for her, you do. But Hylton’s response was, “No Hill home. His home is bold, just like the owner. And he thank you. I’m moving to Canada in a couple of days.” lives his life the same way. “I don’t like timid food. I’ve Norma did not take “no” for an answer, and he found not lived my life timidly. I’ve jumped in,” he says. himself at Norma’s culinary school, Nouvelle Jamaïque, A life well lived with such passion, explains how a charming house in Half Way Tree. As he says, “the Hylton segued into food. With a background as an rest is history.” accountant, Hylton was preparing to move to Canada, when he attended a dinner party hosted by close

HOME COOKING Hylton misses those days; when cakes where carefully placed in boxes, with tissue paper, and wrapped with ribbon. That was a time when service was sweet, personal, and intimate. Desserts were his signature, and he specialized in sweet sensory treats. Now, while service and interaction with his guests are still key, it is his spicy savoury flavours that set him apart in the arena of talented chefs in Jamaica. Back at his home, cookbooks from the classical Joy of Cooking to Blue Ginger (a cook book from the well-renowned Singaporean institution that specializes in food from the peranakan culture) line his shelves, and define the perfect synergy that explains Hylton as a person, and a chef. A complex and fragrant fusion.

for food to his mother. “She is an excellent cook, and especially loved to bake when I was younger.” Taste combinations of sweet fruitcake developed his taste buds, and when he decided to follow his passion for food, he found he was able to deconstruct things that he had tasted. “I developed the ability to taste food in my head. Once you have the language and the flavor palette, it becomes second nature.” Hylton took his passion and funneled it into opening Guilt Trip, “so long ago that I can’t even remember now,” he says laughing. “I’ve done girls’ Sweet 16th birthday parties and then done their weddings,” he says. “I love that about Jamaica, I love the connectivity.” He also loves that it’s no longer considered a bad job to be a chef. “Nowadays, chefs are almost like rock stars, treated like rock stars, and can even earn ‘rock star’ money if they leverage themselves properly,” Hylton says. He turns to up-and-coming chef, Brian Lumley, as an example. “Brian has realized it’s not just about being in the kitchen. It’s about taking what you have, and creating an energy around you,” he says. “I hate the word, but Brian understands how to really work the ‘brand’, that’s what it’s all about.”

“I love French food to some degree, but it’s not bold, its not assertive,” Hylton says, “It is technique and ingredient driven, but it doesn’t ‘wow’ my mouth. For that I look to Asia.” On his exploration of flavours, he travelled around Asia, and unlocked the fragrant, complex spices of the region. “The climate is perfect for spices like cardamom, fenugreek, garam masala, and lemon grass,” he explains, “Wonderful, in-yourface flavours, yet complicated in terms of spice mixtures.” As a result, he turns to Jean Georges Vongerichten, a pioneer in the Asian fusion movement, While the menu at his beloved Guilt Trip represents and it is these flavours that have defined Hylton’s a more Caribbean fare, his catering gigs often allow cooking in recent years. him to think outside the box with local as well as Asian flavours. And while the catering was born out of He also turns to lowly street food for inspiration, a a necessity to respond to the changing clientele and “cuisine” that he explains illustrates the boldness of marketplace, he was awarded Caterer of the Year, at necessity. “When you have a stone, you have to coax as The Jamaica Observer Food Awards, 2011. “Honestly much flavour as you can out of it,” he says. In essence, didn’t think I was deserving of it,” Hylton says. “I poverty breeds creativity, and while he tastes it in the graciously accepted it, but I was up against some diverse and spicy street food of Malaysia, it is also talented caterers who do many more catering jobs a found here in Jamaica. “A man asks himself, ‘How can week than I do, and didn’t think I was deserving of it I take chicken back and make it taste like foie gras?’ yet.” However, while he was excited about the win, he ” Hylton explains that this is where the rich spices stresses the importance of not needing such accolades. come in, instead of fresh ingredients. “It’s easy to cook “It’s important to balance commerce and creativity,” with good ingredients, you don’t have to do much to he says. “You’ll be a legend in your own mind if you release the natural flavours, but once you have a piece can’t get the balance. Just be humble. You get up in of meat like oxtail oxtail, it takes magic to turn it into the morning, you have health, you have life, you have something beautiful.” breath, you’re doing what you love, and people are jazzing to it. That is something to be thankful for.” Magic is also his ability to pair smoked salmon and peanut butter. But such taste blends are born in To find out about Colin’s go-to entertaining menu, Hylton’s mind. Self-taught, and never having spent a can’t-do-without kitchen tools, and what he eats after a day in cooking school, he attributes his talent and love hard day, visit our blog wwww.kingstonkitchenja.com. 23

NAUGHTY & NICE THE FOODIST

Looking for a more exciting cookie to leave for Santa this year, along with his milk? We turn to one of our favourite blogging bakers, Jessica Hylton, otherwise known as Jessiker Bakes.

Gingersnap Cookies Ingredients: 1 cup sugar ¾ cup salted butter (1 ½ sticks), room temperature 1 large egg ¼ cup molasses 2 cups flour 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon allspice Sugar for rolling Note: the measurements I always use are 1 Cup = 250ml and 1 Tbl = 15ml

Instructions • Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl with a fork. Mix in the egg and molasses. • In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice and ginger. Mix into the egg/molasses mixture in 4 parts. • Roll dough into 1-inch size balls or use a 1 ¼ -inch ice cream scoop. Roll in sugar to coat thoroughly. Place on a cookie sheet with baking mat or parchment paper (you will need more than one if making the entire recipe). • Bake 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool partially before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

THE FOODIST

Rum Balls 3 Ways

Photos: Jessica Hylton

Ingredients: 250g of plain sweet biscuits processed into crumbs (such as graham crackers) 4 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder (approx 30g), sifted 1 cup (approx 85g) desiccated coconut 1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk 2 ½ tablespoons of dark rum to taste (replace with milk for kid-friendly version) Extra sweetened cocoa (sifted), shredded coconut, and rainbow sprinkles to roll the balls in Instructions • Place biscuit crumbs, cocoa powder and desiccated coconut in a bowl and give it a quick stir to combine. • Add condensed milk and rum and stir with wooden spoon until it comes together in a dough. Chill in the freezer for about 5 minutes if it has softened. • Roll into small balls with your hands and roll in cocoa powder or decoration of your choice. • Place on a baking paper lined baking tray or plate and chill if serving on the day. If it starts to get sticky and melty as you're rolling, store it in the fridge to firm it up.

If you are preparing these in advance, place the baking tray of formed rum balls in the freezer. When frozen, store them in an airtight container in the freezer. They will last a few weeks so you can prepare them ahead of Christmas Day.

Serve and enjoy!

You can follow Jessica through her blog at www.jessikerbakes.com/blog or www.jessikerbakes.blogspot.com, or her website www.jessikerbakes.com P.s. you can meet Jessica and taste her sweet hand…she can be found in The Emporium! 26

Tummy Time Finding out you’re pregnant can be a joyous and exciting moment in your life, but trying to figure out how you should eat while you’re creating a little life can be quite stressful. Many women become consumed with the do’s and don’ts of eating while they’re expecting. Am I getting enough Folic Acid? Can I still drink Coffee? Should I really be eating for two? While I was pregnant, I armed my self with as much information as I could get my hands on. Empowering yourself while you’re pregnant is the first step to a healthy and happy pregnancy. Eating during pregnancy doesn’t have to be stressful. Stick to the basics. Living in Jamaica, we’re surrounded by a plethora of fresh fruit and vegetables, ground provisions and hormone-free meats. Enjoy them all! Try to avoid processed foods and stick to foods rich in vitamins and minerals that are essential to the development of your little one. Opt for whole wheat and multi-grain breads and pastas, brown rice over the harshly processed and bleached alternatives. Start your little ones off with a healthy appreciation for good wholesome food with smart food choices. Ideally a pregnancy diet should revolve around these five key elements: • Protein (meats, fish, eggs, diary, legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds) • Iron (red meat, green banana, dark green leafy vegetables like callaloo, beans, lentils, and even dried fruit) • Calcium (dairy, chick peas, almonds) • Folic Acid or Folate (fresh squeezed orange juice, beets, dark green leafy vegetables or a supplement) • Omega -3 Fatty Acids (oily fish such as salmon, sardines, crab and shrimp

BLISSFUL TUMMIES BY BLISSFULMUMMY.COM Sorry to break it to you, but being pregnant doesn’t mean eating for two. Maybe one and a half. The Blissful Mummy lays it out for you… Many mummies are hooked on the idea that they should be eating for two, which isn’t quite accurate (You actually only need approximately an additional 300 calories a day). Listen to your body. If you’re craving something special – go for it, but do it in moderation. I found myself craving foods I don’t normally eat – smoked turkey sandwiches on a fresh baked croissant, with lettuce, cheese and tomato! Some of my favorites dishes were scrambled egg quesadillas and Chinese chicken lettuce wraps, and as a snack I loved sliced apples with peanut butter. Scrambled Egg Quesadilla Ingredients: Whole wheat wrap 2 Eggs scrambled 1 cup Cheddar cheese Sweet peppers Diced tomatoes Salsa Salt & pepper to taste Slice of pear (avocado) Directions • Heat whole-wheat wrap in a skillet on medium flame. • Lay out scrambled eggs with cheese, sweet peppers, and tomatoes and salsa on one half of the wrap and fold. • Press down firmly and brown other side. • Remove from flame and cut into three equal parts. • Place sliced avocado on top and serve hot. Enjoy with a cool glass of coconut water. Head to www.kingstonkitchenja.com for more recipes from Blissful Mummy.

Blissful Mummy.com

Advice. Product Reviews. Blog. Welcome Home Service

Elena Lynch elena@blissfulmummy.com (876) 469-3123 www.blissfulmummy.com

HOPE GRDNS

HISTORIC HOPE

by Helen DaCosta

A little history about the beautiful Hope Gardens

By the early twentieth century it was, in the words of one of the island’s Governors “a pleasure garden for the poor masses of Kingston.” Hope Gardens was renamed The Royal Botanical Gardens, Hope” to mark the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the island in 1953. The Hope Zoo was opened in 1961 providing an additional attraction for visitors to the Hope Estate; however, the gardens fell into disrepair over the years, Hope Gardens was formerly part of Major Richard up until 2005. Despite the challenges, Hope Gardens Hope's Estate. One of the English officers who helped has remained a key attraction in Kingston and St to capture Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655, Hope, Andrew and visitors still flock there to see its verdant was granted a huge parcel of land as a reward. At one lawns and colourful blooms or simply to enjoy the cool time Hope Estate extended from the sea to the hills in tranquility its grounds offer. The Garden includes Newcastle. In the 17th and 18th centuries Hope was a Palm Avenue where sago palms are among the oldest sugar estate and one of the first to use water from the living trees, a cacti garden, a bougainvillea walkway, a Hope River to turn estate mills. The Hope Aqueduct forest and lily pond. Other attractions include a zoo, a (which can still be seen at Hope Gardens, Mona lake, a fountain, and even a poet's corner. Heights and Mona Road) was built for that purpose. In 2005 the Nature Preservation Foundation (NPF), a In 1881 two hundred (200) acres of Hope Estate non-profit charitable organization, began the process was purchased by the Government to establish an of restoring the Gardens and Zoo. The Gardens and Zoo experimental garden. It is one of Jamaica's few public are now being operated by the NPF, which has leased parks. Fifty acres of the land was devoted to the development and distribution of new varieties of sugar the 230-acre-property from the Government of Jamaica for 49 years. A picnic forest, butterfly garden and bird cane, and 10 acres for planting teak, Liberian Coffee, sanctuary have also been established. By the end of Trinidad Cocoa and pineapples. 2012 the Gardens will reveal a new maze and a Chinese Garden. Less than 20 years later, the garden was already well developed and a significant attraction among The Hope Zoo was recently taken over by the Hope Jamaica’s public gardens. Starting as a small nursery Zoo Foundation (HZF). The HZF is making major and an experimental ground for sugar cane, it had improvements to the property and has added a number now developed into a large garden with six acres of of birds and will be adding new and exotic animals. lawns, three and a half acres of ornamental borders, also ferneries and orchid houses; collections of roses, crotons and palms; plantations covering seven and one half acres sugar, Arabian and Liberian coffee, oranges, ginger, tobacco, ramie, and five or six acres of teak. The nurseries contain about 70,000 plants such as cocoa, nutmeg, clove, orange, vanilla, cinnamon, Liberian coffee, rubber plants etc. It is the distributing centre, and on an average 40,000 plants are sent out all over the island each year. 29

HEALTH

Our “Juicy Chef” sends out her own wish for the New Year... Dear Kingston Kitchen Family, Today I am appealing to you to start a fresh healthy challenge as one of your New Year resolutions. Join the global Meatless Monday movement and go meat free at least one day per week. The Mondays Campaign is a nonprofit international public health initiative that is taking the culinary world by storm. Many famous figures like lifestyle guru Oprah, musician Sir Paul McCartney, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, celebrity chef Mario Battali and ex Vice President Al Gore are avid followers of this lifestyle, and Jamaica has been chosen as the launch pad for the Caribbean region. Eliminating meat from your diet at least one day weekly reduces your lifestyle disease risk by 15percent. On our beloved island we are battling rising levels of diabetes, hypertension, obesity and other preventable illnesses. If we can make a few adjustments within our dietary habits by including more plant based nutrition, it can make a huge difference to our overall health. I am not saying stop eating meat, just cut down. In fact, not only are you protecting your personal health, but doing your part to save our planet’s environment that is under tremendous stress. Skipping animal protein occasionally also protects the planet by reducing carbon emissions into the ozone layer such as methane, which is produced by cattle rearing. Home cooks, I urge you to make vegetarian versions of your favourite meals, once in a while, such as vegetarian stew peas or curried vegetables instead of goat. We are also calling out to food companies and restaurants to offer Monday specials on vegetable-based products, and even reaching out to schools to include meatless options in their canteens. You may even try planting vegetable gardens to teach children about vegetables and caring for the earth. Just one day can save your life. Just try it…one day at a time. Foodie Love, Jacqui “JuicyChef” Sinclair Jamaica Spokesperson, Meatless Monday Blog www.meatlessmondayjamaica.wordpress.com Facebook Meatless Monday Jamaica Twitter @meatlessmondayja Note: The Meatless Monday Jamaica team is currently compiling a directory to list all restaurants, food companies and schools who wish to participate in this movement. We plan to make this available to the public for free and are seeking corpo

PURE COCKTAIL

CHEERS!

Putting a little sparkle in your holiday.

Merry Berry Buzz

Courtesy of Pure Country premium juices and Select Brands. Ingredients 1 part Pure Country Cranberry juice 3 parts Verdi Spumante Mix in a tall Champagne glass. Enjoy with friends.