Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking [Paperback]

Jessica B. Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1991

Savor the food, flavor, rhythm, and romance of the Caribbean.

A truly authentic guide to down-home traditional Caribbean cooking, the kind you'd find at roadside stands, Sky Juice and Flying Fish captures the feel of the Islands, bringing the blue-green sea, the tropical breeze, and the exotic scents of the Caribbean into the American kitchen.

A culinary history of each of the Islands provides the perfect introduction to the 150 mouth-watering recipes for appetizers and soups, entrees, side dishes, and desserts, all featuring the distinctly exotic seasonings -- ginger, garlic, chili, coconut, curries, and rum -- of the Caribbean.

Begin your meal with plantain chips and a rum-spiked 'ti-punch. Go on to Bajan Fried Chicken from Barbados, complemented by a banana-ginger chutney and served with Jamaican Rice and Peas. Finish up with a sumptuous coconut pudding.

A glossary lists ingredients from achiote (small reddish berries) to z'yeux noirs (black-eyed peas), which can be found in grocery stores, Caribbean markets, or through the mail-order source list provided in the appendix.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Harris ( Hot Stuff: A Cookbook in Praise of the Piquant ) offers an enthusiastic and enticing introduction to the lively array of cuisines found in the Caribbean islands. Combining research with observations from her own experiences, she explores the "culinary quirks" of different islands (turtle steak can be sampled in the Cayman Islands, and while peas and rice are "laughingly referred to as the Jamaican coat of arms," curried goat is a local specialty) and supplies a useful glossary of ingredients and utensils. Dishes range from appetizers to desserts, and one can taste bacalaitos (codfish fritters) from Puerto Rico, fricasseed chicken from Saint Kitts or breadfruit stuffed with onion and tomato from Jamaica. Most of the recipes are simple enough to encourage readers to try unfamiliar dishes, although several contain at least one unusual, specialty-store ingredient, such as the Scotch bonnet-type chile in soupe aux pois rouges (kidney bean soup). Harris suggests substitutions for some uncommon items, such as Cascadura (a mudfish found near Trinidad); cooks who can't locate the fish can substitute shrimp to make a flavorful curry.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Harris is the author of Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons ( LJ 5/15/89), a collection of African-inspired New World dishes, and Hot Stuff: A Cookbook in Praise of the Piquant ( LJ 8/85); now she turns to the traditional dishes of the Caribbean islands. Her lively text is well written and informative, and she provides historical background and an excellent glossary as well as an assortment of recipes both simple and sophisticated. Once again, she includes many unusual dishes not found in other books on the topic, such as Dunstan Harris's Island Cooking ( LJ 12/1/88) and John DeMers's Caribbean Cooking ( LJ 3/ 15/89). Highly recommended.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (February 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671681656
• ISBN-13: 978-0671681654
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #728,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME but wish it had pictures!, January 29, 2002

By 

"jostineli" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking (Paperback)

You have NEVER cooked like this. The first night I made REAL AUTHENTIC SHRIMP CREOLE & SWEET CORNBREAD made with coconut milk. This book is fun, easy to read and the recipes are most delicious. a MUST for those looking to get away from the boring. But also - not too exotic for those family members afraid to try new dishes (my kids) !

I recommend this book to new cooks as well as the experienced.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recipes that Redefine the Word Delicious, July 16, 2010

By 

Captain Katie (Long Beach, CA and the Sunny Caribbean) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking (Paperback)

One day last week I went through my cookbooks, to see if I could weed some out, because I have too many to mention. It's hard getting rid of a cookbook, especially one with a few recipes in it that you've come to love. But I've scanned the recipes I need to keep forever into my MacBook. However, there were an even dozen I couldn't part with. These are books I turn to time and time again, even though I consider myself somewhat of a gourmet chef.

SKY JUICE AND FLYING FISH is one of the books I kept. In addition to traditional Caribbean recipes, this book also has one of the best Jerk Seasoning recipes I've ever tasted. The" Bananes Jaunes au Gratin des Deux Fromages" which translates to "Yellow Bananas aux Gratin with Two Cheeses", for those of you who don't read French, is simply a mouthwatering dish that is to die for. I must confess to never having seen this dish served, it's French, so you can probably get it in a restaurant in Martinique or Guadeloupe, but with the recipe in this book, you can make it yourself. You won't be disappointed.

The "Sopa de Frijol Negro" ("Black Bean Soup") from Cuba is very, very good and easy to make if you've got a left over ham hock. And it's good to have something to do with that ham bone besides split pea soup. Also, have you ever had Cream of Banana soup? It's in this book and you'll love it. In fact you'll love most of the recipes in SKY JUICE AND FLYING FISH. I know I do.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yum-yum!, April 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking (Paperback)

I love this book -- the recipes are simple, yet flavorful. Homemade peanut butter w/ chili pepper? New and different -- definitely adds a kick to same ol', same ol'.

I liked the anecdotal info, too, and the (very) brief history of Caribbean cuisine.