Eat Caribbean [Paperback]

Virginia Burke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

Robust and spicy, full of pungent flavors, Caribbean cuisine is gaining recognition as a vibrantly distinct style of cooking. Now, Virginia Burke sets off on a voyage around the islands of the Caribbean, gathering all the finest dishes they have to offer. In this new collection, which is expertly drawn together through the ingredients common to the islands, traditional dishes like Jerk Chicken vie with modern classics like Grilled Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Plantain and Ginger Flans. An entire array of recipes is offered, from Creamed Cassava with Roasted Garlic to Little Rum and Chocolate Puddings, and there is a special chapter on Jerk, along with more traditional chapters that range from appetizers to desserts. Colorfully illustrated throughout, this is an exuberant celebration of Caribbean cuisine.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Caribbean cookery has been ill-served by the region's restaurants, many of which provide bland dishes and half-hearted attempts at "Continental" classics. As a result, most visitors to the islands never taste real Caribbean food, which is often delicate, complex and refreshingly spicy. This jovial cookbook sets out to repair the Caribbean's culinary reputation. Beautifully photographed and relentlessly cheery, the volume includes recipes for favorites like Grilled Jerk Chicken, Salt Fish Fritters and Quick-Time Pepperpot Soup. Cuban Oxtail with Riojà is audaciously rich and hearty, and Pumpkin Lobster Bisque is positively decadent. A few technicalities, however, dampen the book's otherwise considerable appeal. First, the book was originally published in Britain, but its Britishisms were never translated, so the recipes often call for "courgettes" instead of zucchini, "aubergines" instead of "eggplant" and a mysterious squash called "christophene," that goes by "mirliton" in certain parts of the U.S. Second, the recipes often include hard-to-find ingredients and don't provide alternatives, which can prove frustrating to a cook who can't locate, for example, a scotch bonnet pepper. Regardless of these problems, anyone interested in sampling true Caribbean cookery will find this book a tasty resource.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Offers a good selection of recipes for jerked foods."  —TheWineBuzz

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK; Export ed edition (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743259491
• ISBN-13: 978-0743259491
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Caribbean & West Indian

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reminds me of home!!, May 16, 2006

By 

Shancha "ReadAHolic" (Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eat Caribbean (Paperback)

I actually stubbled across this book at the Sangster Airport in Montego Bay Jamaica. After reading about Virginia Burke at the back of the book I realized that she also grew up in the same district as I did in Walkerswood JA. Now that I have a personal connection to this book I was more than eager to begin to try some of the recipes.

The recipes are easy to follow and came out great. This is saying a lot for me since I just started cooking on a regular basis a year ago. What will instantly catch your eye about this book are the vibrant colors and the accruacy of the photos used.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is either a novice or pro in the kitchen, or for anyone interested in trying their hand at cooking Carribean cuisine.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Culinary Trip Through the Islands, September 23, 2005

By 

Goldilocks - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eat Caribbean (Paperback)

The colorful cover caught my eye, but it's the creative and easy-to-prepare recipes inside that keep me coming back to this book regularly. This cookbook goes way beyond jerk, or adding a little pineapple or coconut to a dish. Author Virginia Burke is true to the cultural origins of dishes and the recipes are presented in an easy-to-understand and unpretentious manner. To my surprise, finding the ingredients in the U.S. has been quite managable. I have seen this author on TV once, and think she deserves a cooking show of her own. How fun it would be to take a weekly culinary trip through the islands with Virginia Burke.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars incredible caribe, June 18, 2005

By 

Shawn R. Svoboda (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eat Caribbean (Paperback)

I actually picked up this book in St. Maarten at the hotel gift shop and immediately began cooking from it! 98% of the ingredients are available in your regular grocery store, a few specialty type items you can get at a gourmet store in your town or on the net. There are also sections within the book that speak to the Caribbean traditions and traditions of the meals and ingredients. Also - each recipe tells you from what Caribbean island it hails from. The recipes are easy to make and totally caribbean and incredibly awesome! So much so that I'm here on Amazon ordering one for my Dad for Fathers Day. If you like to cook - you'll love this book. If you don't like to cook, you'll love it even more because it is a great intro into cooking with dishes you won't be able to mess up! Enjoy!!