Caribbean Matters: Spice up your holiday meals (or any meal) with the flavors of the islands

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For those who aren’t one of the over 13 million people of Caribbean American ancestry here in the United States, or friends of same, or who don’t live near restaurants offering the wide variety that is Caribbean cuisine, the fairly standard Thanksgiving feast of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce is unlikely to be graced with any island flair or flavors.

Today, I’ll be busy all morning cooking; in the afternoon and evening, we’ll be eating with our fully vaxxed friends and family. They hail from a variety of ethnic and national backgrounds, so we’ve had some interesting conversations about what they would like to bring with them, as well as what they grew up eating during the holiday season.

With those folks in mind, please join me today for a celebration of various Caribbean cuisines, which provide tasty eats all year long!

Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.

This short history of Caribbean foods is a good place to start. It may surprise you to learn that many of the foods at the center of Caribbean cuisines did not originally come from the islands, but were introduced as a result of the slave trade and later migration.

As YouTuber Islander notes, “Many different cultures came through the Caribbean over centuries, each leaving their mark on the daily lives of Caribbean people from what they eat, to how they prepare it.”

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Chef Anthony Mair specializes in American-Caribbean soul food with a Canadian flair.

Anthony’s mother was a trailblazing chef in her own right. From her teachings, he developed his own culinary style that embraces natural local ingredients and organic flavours of the Caribbean. That style inspired Anthony to produce his own product line of soups, seasonings, and sauces.

Anthony owned and operated restaurants in Toronto; his first being Mardi Gras Bistro, which specialized in an American southern-style menu. He later moved to Kiev, Ukraine and opened his second restaurant. After successfully launching the Mardi Gras Bistro franchise in Kiev, Anthony returned to Toronto to partner with long-time friend Carl Cassell in the re-imagining and running of Harlem and Harlem Underground restaurants.

Enjoy this discussion with Chef Mair, where he speaks to the need to change the conversation around Caribbean food.

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Another Caribbean Canadian chef, Chris de La Rosa, created an online cookbook to keep his daughters connected to the foods they love.

They were about to leave home to further their education, and I wanted them to take the Caribbean kitchen with them. Though I call Canada home, my tiny kitchen is very reflective of the Caribbean… alive with spices, fresh herbs, and delicious sauces. Caribbean recipes are not as well documented as other cultures’ are, and it’s one of the reasons why you’ll hardly ever find a Caribbean recipe book at major book chains. I didn’t want my daughters disconnecting from their Caribbean heritage, and — more importantly — I didn’t want them eating in an unhealthy way.

Check out this yummy recipe for de la Rosa’s roasted butternut squash. It’s vegan AND gluten-free!

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Chef Sarah Kirnon’s cooking is waiting for those living in or traveling to Northern California.

Sarah Kirnon has a richly layered relationship with the Caribbean. She was born in Leicestershire, England, to a father from Antigua and a mother from Barbados. Wanting to shield their children from the racism still ripe in late-1960s England, they sent her to live with her maternal grandmother and great-grandmother in Barbados at age four. She moved back to England when she was 13, and then returned to the Caribbean as an adult before eventually moving to Oakland, Calif., and opening her restaurant, Miss Ollie’s.

“I tend to refer to myself as West Indian; I don’t say I’m British,” Kirnon says. “I was a very involved child: inquisitive and always eating. I think your senses and stimulation are open then, and that’s why I returned to cooking West Indian food.” Named for her grandmother, Miss Ollie’s folds together the sensibilities of a contemporary chef with the cuisine of her home. For Kirnon, Caribbean cuisine means comfort at the core, and that’s what she cooks to share.

My mouth watered watching Kirnon prepare saltfish and ackee.

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In addition to Miss Ollie’s, Kirnon also is the driving force behind Sanctuary, a nonprofit devoted to creators from the Black diaspora.

Miss Ollie’s still out here doing the thing! pic.twitter.com/6pwfzhEsrR

— Luke Tsai (@theluketsai) November 5, 2021

Kirnon also works with World Central Kitchen. She discusses some food history in this short video.

"The food is about where we come from.” Chef Sarah Kirnon opened Miss Ollie's, a Caribbean restaurant in Oakland, in 2012. Named after Sarah’s maternal grandmother who raised her in Barbados, Miss Ollie’s has been working with WCK since May to cook meals for families in need. pic.twitter.com/65RrYMSWqM

— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) September 22, 2020

While I’m making ham for Thanksgiving, my good friend Wenda will be bringing a Puerto Rican pernil to Christmas dinner.

A giant plate of pork shoulder (pernil) with rice with pigeon peas. Yum! pic.twitter.com/0Vf47uRKR9

— THEE Kim Wexler's Ponytail (@MadisonKittay) November 15, 2021

Want to make some pernil? The New York Times Cooking describes it as “pork shoulder that’s marinated (ideally overnight) in garlic, citrus and herbs, then slow-roasted on high heat to achieve a crisp chicharrón, or skin.” Meet Von Diaz, author of Coconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South.

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For those of you who are vegetarian, I haven’t forgotten you! Check out the McNuff brothers. As the UK’s Channel 4 writes:

They didn't have formal training. But Shaun and Craig McAnuff did have their gran's recipes - brought with her when she arrived in the UK as part of the Windrush generation. Four years ago, the brothers self-published a Caribbean cookery book, inspired by the old family favourites. It became a bestseller, landing them a publishing deal.

Check out the brothers’ excitement for their ancestral cuisine.

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I can’t wait to read their new vegan cookbook, coming out in January.

Today we are delighted to reveal the cover of a new, delicious, Caribbean-influenced cookbook from the bestselling duo behind @OriginalFlava_ NATURAL FLAVA: Quick & Easy Plant-Based Caribbean Recipes is coming in Jan 2022. Mark your calendars! ??? https://t.co/qG1tDOIFWi pic.twitter.com/6vDn2GIE5g

— Bloomsbury Cooks (@BloomsburyCooks) September 3, 2021

Truly, there is something for everyone’s taste in Caribbean cuisine. If you’ve never tried it, I hope this encourages you to take a taste adventure.

Join me in the comments for even more recipes, and for our weekly Caribbean news roundup.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Read the first installment of Caribbean Matters here, and last week’s entry on the Nuyorican Movement here.