Lonely Planet World Food Caribbean [Paperback]

Bruce Geddes (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lonely Planet World Food Caribbean | Publication Date: May 2001

Opens a world of culinary delights and festivities in a compelling narrative; photography, recipes and local insight reveal a tropical paradise of sensory experience; cocktails, Creole and heady flavours for the traveller, chef and dreamer to enjoy; uncovers local cuisine, home cooking and traditions.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Lonely Planet’s "World Food Caribbean" brings the staples of the Caribbean table to life with delectable pages full of fresh seafood and shellfish, peas and rice, sweet potatoes, flavorful herbs and spices, and sweet, flaky bread and pastries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 1St Edition edition (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1864503483
• ISBN-13: 978-1864503487
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,055,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cultural Stew = A Caribbean Marketbasket, November 4, 2002

By 

Margaret Martindale "Marty Martindale" (LARGO, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet World Food Caribbean (Paperback)

11/4/2002

World Food Caribbean,

"For people who live to eat, drink & travel"

by Bruce Geodes

This compact guide features a colorful history of the region, even etiquette, and each food group is addressed under:

Staples & Specialties and includes Drinks,

Home Cooking & Traditions,

Food festivals

Caribbean region cultures

Shopping and Markets

Where to Eat and Drink

Caribbean Banquets

Caribbean Culinary Dictionary.

Although the Caribbean region, the West Indies, is one group of islands, their remoteness has caused each island to reflect the ways of whoever conquered them in the past. The major conquerors were the English, the Spanish, the Dutch and the French. Each island's blend also represented the ethnic background of imported laborers to work their back-breaking sugar fields. These workers came from India, Asia and Africa and each brought their eating habits and usually some seeds for the future. Additionally, the Amerindians, or original inhabitants, had simple fare which mixed in with the ways of conquering cultures and in-coming laborers. This three-way juncture created foods and ways available no other way. The book contains some recipes.

Fruits, often beautiful and exotic, grow abundantly on the islands, and the book goes into some detail about many of them. A rum factory is usually found on many islands, for it is an important byproduct of sugar, so is the manufacture of a local beer. The many fruits lend to signature Rum Punches. Fruit shows up frequently in main dish recipes, as well.

In a land of islands, it stands to reason fish and seafood figure highly in the Caribbean region diet. Herbs and spices grow abundantly too which causes the people to depend upon them for medicinal reasons and bush teas in addition to seasoning food. West Indies grown nutmeg, mace, ginger and garlic add to the flair of local cuisines. Chile peppers, coconut and island-grown spices dress up local foods, while basic beans, rice and tubers balance a rich diet.

Look up festivals and carnivals which are big in the islands, some named "Crop Over," celebrating the completion of the sugar harvest. Others are cook-offs and those associated with the Lenten season. A quick catch-up is the book's green inserts entitled, "Don't Miss," which line out sights as well as foods to try. Some random samplings:

Dutch:

Curacao, Aruba, Bonnaire and Sint Maarten - Dutch cheeses, iguana soup, Indonesian and Papiamento cuisines.

French:

Guadeloupe, Martinique and Haiti, French-influenced with wines from France, spicy Creole fish dishes, fresh baked goods. Hatian music is especially lilting.

English:

Jamaica, ackee & salt fish, jerk pork with recipe

Barbados, its coo-coo and flying fish

Trinidad, roti, hot curries, callalloo soup, cou-cou (cuscous),

Nassau, conch

Spanish:

Cuba, pizza, jamon (ham) chorizo sausage and onion

Puerto Rico, sofrito

The Food Directory is broken down into upscale, pubs and mid-range, fast food/cheap eateries, street food and bars. Catchy island music is to be savored on each island from Jamaica's Bob Marley to Trinidad's Mighty Sparrow.

The book's Fit and Healthy chapter discusses your health and what to look out for particularly if allergies, diabetic issues and diarrhea intervene.

Just reading World Food Caribbean's "Eat your Words," quick 30-page Culinary Dictionary will put the visitor way ahead of the Caribbean food game. This handy, small, informational book with outstanding photography is a must for your next West Indian trip.

Enjoy!

© Marty Martindale, 2002, Largo FL