Jerk from Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style [Paperback]

Helen Willinsky (Author), Ed Anderson (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

When Helen Willinsky first published her classic Jamaican barbecue cookbook, "jerk" was a fightin' word to most people outside the Caribbean Islands. Not anymore. In love with fire and spice, barbecue fans and food lovers of all stripes have discovered the addictive flavors of Jamaican jerk seasoning and Caribbean cooking in general. Newly revised and bursting with island color, Helen's book provides a friendly introduction to this increasingly popular way to season and prepare meat, chicken, and fish. Rounded off with simple and authentic recipes for sides, drinks, and desserts, JERK FROM JAMAICA is a complete backyard guide to grilling and eating island-style.

 An updated, expanded, and repackaged version of the only authentic Jamaican jerk barbecue book, featuring chicken, pork, beef, lamb, goat, seafood, and more. Includes more than 100 recipes, with a dozen new ones from the author and other Jamaican food mavens like Enid Donaldson and the Busha Browne Company, plus a new foreword from Jamaican cookbook author Virginia Burke. Contains 50 full-color photos, both styled food and on-location shots from the markets and jerk pits of Jamaica. Previous edition sold more than 75,000 copies.Reviews“Get this first-rate cookbook in your hands and see if you can stop.”—Houston Chronicle“Helen Willinsky makes a passionate case for the tropical taste with Jerk from Jamaica.”—Boston Herald

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Willinsky, a Jamaican native, first published this volume in 1990, and in this lively and completely revised edition, she begins by explaining exactly what jerk is ("an authentic Jamaican method of cooking pork, chicken, seafood, beef, fruits, and vegetables over a fire pit or on a barbeque grill") and how it's seasoned (in general, a combination of scallions, onions, thyme, pimento, cinnamon, nutmeg, chilies and salt). She first explains how it's done in Jamaica (where jerk huts can be found everywhere), then demonstrates how these recipes can be adapted to a kitchen or backyard grill. Recipes for jerk rubs, dry seasonings and marinades are included in the first chapter, as well as a list of traditional Jamaican ingredients, like breadfruit, a large starchy vegetable. Chapters devoted to jerk pork, chicken, seafood, beef, lamb and goat recipes follow. Some are simple and traditional (Authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Curry Goat), while others are variations using jerk seasoning like meat loaf, lamb kebobs, and stir-fried beef). Side dish recipes include Fried Plantains and Steamed Callaloo, a leafy green popular in Jamaica. Bright, colorful photos accompany these accessible recipes. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Those who have never sampled Jamaican cuisine have no idea of the great variety of flavors and textures offered by this Caribbean island's cuisine. An amalgam of native, British, Indian, and a bit of Chinese influence, Jamaican cooking satisfies on a deep level. Although some Jamaican dishes, such as curry goat, take some experience for North American palates to appreciate, jerk pork and chicken immediately appeal as especially fragrant, if spicy, versions of familiar barbecue. Willinsky deftly offers instructions on how to re-create Jamaican jerk on any backyard American grill by using a paste of herbs, allspice, and hot pepper. Creating this homemade rub allows the cook to adjust the spiciness to an appropriate heat. Willinsky offers recipes for a full range of Jamaican specialties including rice and peas, fried plantains, and ginger beer. She also explains how to make Jamaican meat patties, certain to be a hit at any potluck. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press; Revised edition (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580088422
• ISBN-13: 978-1580088428
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #359,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Caribbean & West Indian

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Jamaican Jerk Cooking, April 9, 2007

By 

H. Grove "Errant Dreams Reviews" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jerk from Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style (Paperback)

I received "Jerk from Jamaica" in the mail on Saturday, and my husband and I couldn't resist planning a feast for the next day. Already I'm singing the praises of this book, and I just can't get enough of the leftovers.

Helen Willinsky grew up in Jamaica, studied cooking in Europe, and ran a resort in Jamaica; she includes family recipes, traditional recipes, and recipes that blend older Jamaican elements with newer ingredients and traditions. She strikes a beautiful balance, one so many authors fail to achieve, between introducing us to traditional methods and ingredients and yet making it possible for us to enjoy Jamaican flavors in our own kitchens even if we don't have access to a barbecue grill or all of the traditional Jamaican flavorings.

You'll need access to some sort of barbecue grill or the equivalent in order to get the most out of this cookbook, it's true, but it's certainly worth buying even if you don't have that. Oven directions are included for many recipes, and there are even adaptations to the slow cooker and other such modern conveniences. A few sources for ingredients are provided, as well as substitutions using more commonly-found items.

The quality of the recipes is right up there with the Sugar Mill cookbook, but this book focuses primarily on a simpler, narrower type of cooking. It's easy to whip up these recipes with little advance notice, but they'll satisfy your tastebuds for days on end. If you're looking for something new to do with your grill, this will certainly qualify!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Jerk Mon, May 13, 2007

By 

Old Man from the Valley (Harrisonburg, VA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Jerk from Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style (Paperback)

When we went to Jamaica in '05 for the first time, we broke out of the all-inclusive, rented a driver and took a day trip long the north coast. We had our first meat patties and stopped at the driver's favorite jerk stand and had our first real jerk chicken washed down with Red Stripe.

When we cook out of this book, every recipe takes us back. We brought Helen's first book back with us from Jamaica and we never cooked anything from it that we didn't enjoy. What I get from this book is the sense of Jerk. I grow my own Scotch Bonnets and now prefer them over the many Habanero varieties I've grown. I look for the biggest Jamaican pimento berries I can find (usually at a Mexican grocery).

If you've ever had jerk and wondered if you can do it too--buy this book. You can! Follow her recipes and it will be jerk, Mon.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent jerk recipe, April 1, 2009

By 

Andrea Jack Marq (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jerk from Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style (Paperback)

I am a Jamaican that has lived in the United States going on 9 years.I love to cook and I love jerk chicken and have tried many different variations of this recipe from online resources, marinades and other cookbooks. The results have always been disappointing, to say the least. I bought this book based on the reviews and tried one of the first recipes, the jerk marinade. I marinated it in chicken over night and cooked it on my gas grill with pimento wood chips as instructed - oh my goodness it was delicious! Tasted just like the jerk chicken I grew up with and love. Finally an authentic jerk recipe that I can make for my friends and family members!