A Tale of Whale

  

I have the dubious distinction of being the great-granddaughter of a whaler. Dubious because it is now politically incorrect to even talk about killing whales. Yet at one time there were about ten commercial whaling stations operating in the Caribbean, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in Barbados, Trinidad and Grenada. Today under international agreement, Bequian whalers can harpoon no more than two whales per year. The whale is caught by traditional methods of hand thrown harpoons in small, open, sailing boats. The catch is not sold and is exclusively used for local consumption. It is given away to family and friends.

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How does something like this end up on my breakfast table? Simple. The men in my family are seafarers. I would hesitate to call them romantic but for some reason they romaticize a meal of whale meat.

These are taciturn men. Men who can spend all day looking out across the bay with a pair of binoculars without saying a word or it would seem even moving an inch. They are men of slow grunts and uhhms for conversation. The ship captains among them have permanent squints from staring for hours on end at vast empty horizons. Apart from an almost a voyeuristic love of listening to VHF channel 16 and its call and distress conversations - silence and monotony are their thing. That is unless there is whale meat on the table. Then they come to life. They become animated. They trade stories about their adventures at sea. To hear them, you'd swear that they battled the beast themselves. And while they don't actually beat their chests and say 'Arrrgh', as cousin A put it, "The way they carry on it's like, hoist the flag fellas we gah(got) whale!" You'd swear they sat in that boat themselves like the late, Athneal Ollivierre risking life and limb to bring it to the table.

What Luck Polluck Salad and a Lesson in Dialect

Have you had your salad today? Salads are my Achilles heel. I confess that many times after I have rushed about a hot kitchen, fussing with 'le plat principal' I am lazy about salad. Too often I am content to cut up tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers on my plate and call it a day. Is it any wonder then, that I get to the point where I actually crave a salad?

I usually don't bother with recipes for salads preferring instead to use what is seasonal and to go with a formula of fruits, vegetables, beans or peas, sometimes nuts. If the salad is going to be eaten as a meal on it's own then I'll toss in cheese, eggs or meat.

These days it's all about avocado. An American friend once told me that she hated avocado. I could not understand why until I had the displeasure of eating one in the States. At first I did not even recognize it and I had to ask several times to be sure it was an avocado. The thing was so black and quail-up, quail-up, like an over-large prune. The repetition there is not a typo but dialect to express the idea that it was very shriveled and small. The skin was bumpy-bumpy. The pear itself was flavourless and watery-watery. No, I don't stammer or have Tourette's. Repeating a word denotes the sense of 'very' in local dialect and best conveys just how very awful this aberration of an avocado looked and tasted!

In the Caribbean we are truly blessed with tasty avocados. My favourite is a West Indian variety called Pollock. The leathery skin peels off easily. It has a firm texture with none of the annoying little fibers of the maroon-skinned variety. The deep, yellow colour doesn't discolour as quickly. It has a firm, yet smooth and creamy texture with an almost buttery taste.

Luckily I have 2 friends with Pollock trees, so there are always at least 3 sitting on my kitchen counter on any given day during the avocado season. You'd think with such an abundance that I'd be tired of avocados by now. No such luck. In this house a Pollock is coveted almost as much as a Julie mango and slices are rationed and measured; arguments abound about who has been sneaking pieces.

As you can see from the picture, I had some ingredients (olives, croutons and some blue cheese) left over from another salad. I did not want them to go to waste so I threw them in, turning this into those 'evil' high fat restaurant salads. You know the ones that you sanctimoniously order at the restaurant with friends because you are dieting. You feel so proud of yourself for your healthy choice. Ha! Luscious lobster in garlic butter sauce you are no match for my willpower! Look away Venezuelan fried pork thingy that looks so interesting! Does it taste like garlic pork you wonder? Never mind I am having the salad. Of course these salads fool you into thinking they are healthy but by the time you add up the fats, you might as well have ordered the steak.

Here is the basic recipe with my kitchen-dump extras left off.

* 1 lb boneless chicken strips (you can use chicken breasts but I prefer the more succulent meat of the legs and thighs.)
* 2 teaspoons hot and spicy Jamaican jerk spice (2 tsp is the amount recommended but I put 2 to 3 tbsp. It's to your taste.)
* 1/4 cup cooking butter
* 6 cups torn lettuce
* 8 cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)
* 1/2 medium avocado, pitted peeled and coarsely chopped


Lime Vinaigrettte
* 1/4 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or regular vinegar if that's all you have on hand)
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh culantro (or substitute 2 tablespoons cilantro)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 dash fresh coarse ground black pepper

Method

The chicken can be done the day before. Rub legs and thighs with butter and jerk seasonings. Marinate for 1/2 hr or overnight. Grill or roast in 375°F oven for 45 mins to an hour or until chicken is no longer pink when pierced with a fork. Baste chicken with butter throughout cooking process.

In a screw top jar, combine 1/4 cup oil, lime juice, culantro (or sub cilantro, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and dash black pepper. Cover and shake well to make the dressing.

Put lettuce on 4 salad plates. Top with chicken, tomatoes, and avocado. Drizzle with dressing.

Nota Bene - Balls!

Back in July, I spent some time in Tobago. This post was inspired by my memories of that trip and the taste of a popular Tobagonian treat called, Bene balls.

Bene or Benne is an African word for Sesame seed. I secretly call these Tobago Jawbreakers and they are my guilty pleasure. Considerable effort is required to bite into one; the old and infirm need not apply. Oh, but they are so good. Family and friends upon hearing of your intent to visit the island of Tobago will beleaguer you with requests to bring them some Bene Balls.

My stash from that July trip did not last very long and I decided I should try to make my own. It's super easy to do and I can't imagine why I never thought to make them before.

Trinibagonians abroad who can't get home and need a nostalgia fix. This is the real deal.

I was surprised that not one of my many Caribbean cookbooks had a recipe for this. Maybe it’s a Tobago national secret; a closely guarded formula like Angostura bitters? Never fear I finally wrangled an authentic recipe from a Tobagonian friend.


NB (Nota Bene): I have strayed away from the traditional ball shape and added honey so as to make it softer and more pleasantly crunchy. Your dentist will thank me I’m sure.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sesame seeds

4 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons honey

1. Line a 8 x 8 inch brownie pan with a sheet of waxed paper. Coat the waxed paper with cooking spray. Coat a silicone spatula with cooking oil spray. In a medium skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they're fragrant and golden, 7 minutes to 10 mins

2. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and honey. Cook over low heat, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is thick. No need to sir. Cook until the sugar reaches the soft ball stage. I keep a small bowl of water on the cook top to test the sugar. Use a teaspoon and drop a small amount of sugar in the water. Feel the sugar with your finger you should be able to roll it into a soft ball. At this point add the sesame seeds to the sugar and stir well with a wooden spoon.

3.Use the greased silicone spatula. Scrape the mixture into the brownie pan and onto the paper. Press down and smooth the mixture until it Is evenly spread across the bottom of the pan.

4. Cut the candy into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Let the candy cool completely. Break apart the pieces and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about twelve squares.

TIP: Another way to prepare these squares would be to coat two large sheets of waxed paper with cooking spray. Place one sheet of the waxed paper on a work surface, greased-side up. Scrape the mixture onto the paper and top it with the remaining sheet of waxed paper, greased-side down. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture into a square about 1/4 inch thick.

Kitchen Closed

Just popping in quickly to let you all know that I am on a short holiday and will be back soon.

Give Your Dog a Makeover

Do your hot dogs need a makeover? Mine did. Honestly I had fallen into a rut. Bun, dog, ketchup, mustard - maybe some slaw at the side - NOT (God forbid) for fear of histrionics and major toddler meltdowns, slaw on the top. Never slaw on the top people!

How many of you are like me in thinking that this is kiddie fare, not suitable for adult tastes? Well think again.....here they are... hot dogs for grown ups! Inspired by my July issue of bon apétit's, Around the world in 80 Hot Dogs'

Topping: caramelized onions, mushrooms, blue cheese


Picture my 4 year old son's face when I said I was making Hot Dogs for lunch. He did a little happy dance/jig. He ran around in a circle singing/screaming HOT DOGS, H - 0 - T Dogzzzzz! We're having HOOOOOOO T DOOOOGS!

Now, imagine the scene when I put these in front of him? Silence. He stared at them for such a long time without saying a word. But his face, oh how his face said it all! Finally, in continued silence he ate. Chew, chew, chew, pause to throw an aggrieved look my way, chew, chew, chew, exaggerated swallow. When he was done he only had one comment " Mom, next time PLEASE don't make 'special' hot dogs for me. Special, said with an inflection that one reserves for the disabled or mentally incapacitated. LOL

Topping: mango chow,Grace mild jerk marinade,Trinidad Seasoning peppers

My friend Thorsten has got me thinking that I should add cucumbers to The Jamaican. Check out his gorgeous photography and his German take on the hot dog here.

Seriously though it's summer time. I don't know about you but I don't like to be in the kitchen much when I am on holiday. You don't need to fire up a grill for these. Boil or fry the hot dogs, toast the buns slightly and you are all set. The more complicated toppings can be prepared in advance.

These were so easy and so good. I want to do more. Do you have any ideas for me to try? Name your hot dog and send your 'special' topping suggestions my way.