Tablemanners: Book Review

Image reproduced from Tablemanners Cookbook © www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com

Antigua & Barbuda beat out front runners Italy, France & Germany to cop first place and the title of Best Design in the recently concluded prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in their nominated category! Writing that sentence and reading it aloud is such sweet pleasure!

Tablemanners: A Culinary Review of Hospitality in Antigua & Barbuda, by the husband and wife team of Gulliver Johnson & Janie Conley-Johnson, is a stunning book. Weighing a little over 7 1/2 pounds with an open breath of 34 inches, it is easy to see why this book won best design. The cover reeks of sophistication with the grey title delicately but emphatically placed halfway down the predominantly white cover. A pair of shiny-silver fork and knife placed to one side with words: Antigua Barbuda, separately, engraved on each handle, begs for you to turn the cover. A bold band of orange colour guides you where to turn.

On the inside of the book, the font and size of the text used makes for easy reading. The colour scheme of white, orange and grey is used deftly to border the pages, highlight the titles and emphasize the copy. The large areas of white background on each page give each photograph the room necessary to breathe. The whiteness also allows the bold, vibrant colours for which Caribbean cuisine is known, to really come through.

The outstanding design of the book is equally matched by the contents - the number of recipes, the features and overall scope of the food landscape in Antigua and Barbuda. The Conley & Johnson team along with their collaborators have put together a body of work that each country in the region should produce for itself. Granted that in several cases, one such book would not suffice, but rather a series of volumes. Tablemanners successfully offers itself as a guide, as a cookbook, and more importantly, it shows how the old meet the new (the food, the ingredients, the people). The authors point out that it is not a traditional cookbook and truth be told that not all cookbooks need to be traditional. Tablemanners elevates and celebrates what's local and seasonal. It embraces the influences of other worldly cuisines and it take us where no other Caribbean cookbook has before (at least none that I've read), into the world of pairing our food with wine! The straightforward and down-to-earth advice from the experts at Quin Farara & Co. Ltd., along with the wine suggestion for each recipe (appetizer, main course and dessert) takes the guesswork out of the hands of wine neophytes like myself.

Tablemanners contains 24 full-length articles that encompass profiles of chefs, like the one of Chef Verman Banhan, a Jamaica of African, Chinese and Indian heritage, a mix of heritages that is representative of many in this region. Chef Banhan or "Dezi" as he is known says, "I admire the culture of my grandmother and mother, but I don't hang on to their birthright which isn't mine; I'm Jamaican! I have a lot of Jamaican culture in me and I am every part a product of our country's motto (Jamaica) - out of many, one people." How telling is that comment and of the food we make and eat in the Caribbean.

While Chef Banhan's profile represents the new, there are profiles of those who have stood as the pillars of Caribbean cuisine, like Dame Gwendolyn Tonge (Auntie Gwen). For over 50 years, Auntie Gwen, as she is fondly known has been teaching people how to cook through her local cooking show on the national television station - Antigua Broadcasting Service (ABS). Bridging the gap, and with a nod to the future are the works of graduates and current students of the Antigua & Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute, all featured in Tablemanners.

Articles on the Spiny lobster, Susie's Hot Sauce and the twin-islands' famous Black Fruit Cake all find a place of honour in Tablemanners.

The book has 2 recipe sections with a total of 150 recipes. The first section features recipes from their annual Mango Pineapple Festival - a competition and festival organized annually since 2005 to showcase the bounty, beauty and diversity of the variety of mangoes grown in Antigua & Barbuda. They have varieties such as Edward, Irwin, Julie & Tommy Atkins. This festival is a true celebration of what's local and seasonal. It shows the many ways in which one can use mangoes - sauces, salads, salsas, vinaigrettes, cold soups, butters, desserts and of course drinks and cocktails.

The Tablemanners recipes are divided into 5 categories: appetizers and canapés, fish and seafood, poultry and meat, desserts and cocktails. The West Indian Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Herring and Tomatoes, Cassava-crusted Shrimp and the Soy Ginger Pork Sirloin with Tomato-raisin Chutney are among my favorites.

Honey Pork Tenderloin marinated with rum served with pickled mango and herb oil

Image reproduced from Tablemanners Cookbook © www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com

The beverages in both recipe sections are sure to delight and please - the alcoholic and non-alcoholic ones. I particularly like Hurricane Julie - a blend of Julie mango puree, ginger, lime juice and syrup poured into a chilled glass drizzled with steaks of white and dark chocolate.

Hurricane Julie (non-alcoholic cocktail)

Image reproduced from Tablemanners Cookbook © www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com

The other main section of Tablemanners, simply titled: Information, features the profiles and a directory of the islands' restaurants and bars complete with contact information and web addresses. Profiles and directories of purveyors and specialist providers as well as agro processors are all in Tablemanners. The book truly lives up to its stated purpose of being a review and culinary guide of the food landscape of Antigua & Barbuda over the past several years.

Tablemanners is a coffee-table cookbook and guide that you and guests will enjoy over and over again. Mangoes are now in season so it's a perfect time to pick up a copy of this book and get cooking and drinking! It's a job well done! Congratulations Gulliver Johnson & Janie Conley-Johnson!

Julie Mango Cheesecake w/Cinnamon Roasted Pineapple & Mango Chutney

Image reproduced from Tablemanners Cookbook © www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com

Coconut-Steamed Red Snapper w/Mango Pineapple & local Provisions in Coconut Milk

Image reproduced from Tablemanners Cookbook © www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com

Title: Tablemanners: A Culinary Review of Hospitality in Antigua & Barbuda
Authors: Gulliver Johnson & Janie Conley-Johnson
Publishers: Leeward Consultants & Associates Ltd.
ISBN: 978-976-8212-69-6
Cost: US$120 (includes postage and packaging)
Order online: www.fooddrinkcaribbean.bigcartel.com or www.facebook.com/FoodandDrink.Antigua
In Antigua & Barbuda: Best of Books, Royal Palm Court and EM Grimes Greame.

Authors, Design Artists, Photographers: Gulliver Johnson & Janie Conley-Johnson

© 2012 TIBORFOTO.COM

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Pumpkin & Pea Soup with Salted Pigtails

I'm back. I had a great time in Florida and got the chance to meet and chat with some wonderful folks. It is so easy at times to think that you are working in a vacuum, especially when a lot of it is online. Sure, people leave comments and you chat via the social network sites and email, but there is simply no substitution for the live human interaction when you can look at facial expressions, share a laugh and engage in a conversation in a way that is not limited by number of words to type, and, you can delve deeper into an issue in just a couple of minutes. Of course there is that amazing feeling when you just "click" with someone like you've been friends all your life. Those are some of the encounters I had last weekend. Thanks! An added bonus is that all the books that were taken to the two events were sold out. Thanks to The Bishops' High School Alumni Association, (Florida) Chapter and to The South Regional Broward College Library!

As soon as I download the photographs, I'll share them with you.

On to this season's best - again. Yep, pumpkin is still very much in season in many parts of the world. For those of you up North - Calabaza Squash. Butternut squash is a good substitute for this recipe though you may not get the richness of the colour and the natural sweetness.

Rather than using regular salt, I used salted pigtails to season this soup. It adds a lovely flavour with its cured porky-ness :) Of course if you cannot put your hands on salted pigtails then try some thick-cut pieces of bacon or pancetta.

Often when people make pumpkin soup they tend to put in heavy cream to give it body and creaminess but I urge you to try putting split peas, red lentils or split yellow moong dal instead. The combination of the pumpkin, peas and cured pork will have you going back for more. If you are serving this to company, make a large amount. Having some crusty bread on hand is not a bad idea either. Click here for the recipe.

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See You In Florida!

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Off to Guyana

I'm heading to Guyana in a couple of days for two events - first, on Friday (October 21) I am leading a group of friends and followers of my column, Tastes Like Home, on an eating expedition at one of the country's largest markets - Stabroek Market. Over the years, the vendors there have seen a decline in sales, so I am using whatever little influence I have to help drum up some business for them. And then on Saturday (Oct 22), I'm doing another book signing. Details below. I'll try and bring back photographs to share with you.

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Heading to Atlanta

Hey Friends,

I hope that everyone is well. First of all, thanks for the support at the New York Literary Hang. I enjoyed spending time with Sue and Amanda, chatting with Melanie and I hope to meet up Christo before I leave NY!

Thanks to those of you who left comments on the blog or sent direct messages. I enjoyed reading them all. Will post some pics in a few weeks time.

I am heading to Atlanta for a Caribbean Cook Off where I'll be one of the judges. If you live in or around the area, do come out or tell your friends and family.

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Come Let's Meet - in New York!

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Sharing Some Photographs

I'll tell you more about this woman in the photograph next week. She's been following my blog for a while, and then de-lurked in a big way - by coming to meet me in Trinidad at the book signing! She's started her own blog. More to come next week.

One thing I try my best to do always is to never take the readers of this blog for granted. I promised you a couple of weeks ago that I will post some photographs from my travels promoting the book. Though it is now 1.32 in the morning Eastern Standard time, I am here to ensure that I keep my word. I know, the weekend is technically over, but still.

This week I'm sharing with you links to various sets of images that have been taken over the past several weeks as I went around promoting the book. All the images taken in Trinidad were done by my gal pal G, of the blog Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Punch be sure to check out her blog.

Now, G is an artist and likes things a certain way so any post production stuff you see in the images from the Trinidad sets that you do not like, please don't blame her, it's me. I manipulated the images once they were sent to me. G is very serious about her craft (not that I am not), and I want her to know that I respect that.

This guy I call brother though we are not related by blood. He is kind, generous to a fault and a straight shooter. I like that.

See the set from the Trinidad book launch here.

This woman was among the first set of people I encountered when I first moved to Barbados over a decade ago. She's another kind and generous soul. I am truly blessed to have some fantastic people around me.

Click here for the photographs from the University of the West Indies - Cave Hill book signing.

Here is the manager of the store that hosted the book signing in Trinidad. Excellent staff. Thanks NRK West Mall!

See more images from the book signing in Trinidad.

Zing, the in-flight magazine of the regional carrier, LIAT has done a 6-page feature on Tastes Like Home. See shots from the magazine here. I am so stoked by this. This kind of exposure means that people travelling the Caribbean on LIAT airlines from April until June will see the feature. How cool is that?!

Caribbean Belle, a women's magazine I contribute to also did a 6-page feature on my book! See images from the magazine here.

And finally, some overdue photographs from the book signing in Barbados at the Sheraton Mall.

That's all for now. Next week I'll be back next week with a recipe.

Have a productive week everyone!

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Cassava (Yuca) Fries & Book Signing Pics

It seems as if I am in the mood for fries these days. The one saving grace is that I have been making fries with ground provisions. Last week it was Sweet Potatoes and this week it is Cassava (Yuca). I'd had cassava chips before - the cassava sliced thinly and fried like crisps. This is the first time I've had them like this - thick fries (though I've heard of it so often).

I love cassava, and so having it this way was exciting. It gives a whole new meaning to the term "boil and fry". In Guyana when we talk of a "boil and fry" we are referring to ground provisions that are boiled and then sauteed with aromatics such as onions, garlic, fresh herbs and tomatoes.

Making these cassava (yuca) fries is easy.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs cassava

Oil for deep frying

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel cassava, cut into 4 inch pieces, lengthways. Put cassava into a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste; boil until cassava is fork tender. Drain well.
2. When cassava is cooled completely, cut into half lengthways; remove the stem from the middle. Cut the halved cassava into thick cut strips.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan until smoking hot. Working in batches, fry cassava until gently browned, sprinkle with black pepper immediately when finished cooking. Serve warm. You can opt to add a sprinkling of salt.

This week I will be heading to Trinidad to promote my book. There will be a book launch on April 1 at Normandie Hotel and then on Saturday, April 2, a book signing at Nigel R. Khan Bookstore - West Mall Branch.

Speaking of book signings, here are some photographs of the book signing that took place last Saturday on behalf of Cloister Bookstore here in Barbados. There was another book signing on Wednesday at the University of the West Indies - Cave Hill campus. I'll post those pics when I return from Trinidad.

As a result of my travels, I will not post next week but I'll be back to posting the following weekend. Until then, do be good to yourself and have a great weekend and a productive week.

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The OTHER Potato Fries

I LOVE French Fries but when I want to be really good, I opt for Sweet Potato Fries. They are very quick and easy to make. I particularly like how the salt counter-balances the natural sweetness of the sweet potato. And you know what? You can eat the sweet potato fries with the same condiments you use for French Fries. And really, the sweet potatoes fries go well with fish, chicken, burgers and many other things that fries accompany.

For these fries, opt to use the white-fleshed sweet potatoes or the yellow-fleshed ones. The popular orange-fleshed sweet potato will yield a different result in terms of texture, more creamy than starchy. In fries, I am looking for starchy, not creamy.

Sweet Potato Fries

INGREDIENTS

1 lb white or yellow-flesh sweet potatoes, washed, scrubbed and patted dry

Vegetable or Canola Oil

All purpose seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Remove the top and bottom tips of the sweet potatoes (about 1/2 inch both ends).
3. Cut the sweet potatoes lengthways into 1/4 inch thick slices.
4. Lie the cut slices flat and cut lengthways into 1/4 inch thick slices
5. Add sliced potatoes to a baking sheet, drizzle with oil to coat; sprinkle all purpose seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix and coat.
6. Spread seasoned potatoes into a flat single layer.
7. Add pan to oven and bake for 18 minutes. Use a flat spatula to flip the fries and bake for another 18 minutes. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

I'm doing another book signing this week, this time at the University of the West Indies - Cave Hill Campus (Barbados) on Wednesday, March 23 from 5 - 7 p.m. I'll be sure to post some photographs next week, in addition to some from yesterday's Cloister book signing that took place at Sheraton Mall.

Hey, it's Lent and we're always looking for seafood dishes. Try this butterfish in butter sauce recipe that's on the table in about half an hour. Any white fish of your choice will work.

Have a good week everyone.

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Book Release - Tastes Like Home!

It's finally here. My book. There is so much I want to say, there's so much I could say, but right now I just want to thank all of you. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your encouragement, and for some of you, thank you for your patience.

Without you, there would be no book. It was written for you. This is your invitation to join me in revelling in the tastes of the Caribbean!

Read about the book here and how you can purchase it. Please, share this post with your family, friends and all those interested in Caribbean food.

Do join the book's Facebook page.

I'll update you with details of book signings etc. in the near future.

Have a great weekend everybody!

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