Ducana and Saltfish are an Easter tradition in the islands usually eaten on Good Friday in lieu of meat. More so Antigua than any other, but due to migration and proximity, other islands have adopted the recipe. Ducana/canky is made of sweet potato and grated coconut. Source: Jack Schouten, 2010 Definition: (Spelled “kanki”). “coconut, cornmeal, sweet potato, seasoned paste; rolled, tied and boiled in a banana leaf.”
Ducana
Ingredients:
2 cups grated coconut*
2 cups grated sweet potatoes
2 cups of sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tbsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of raisins
1 ½ cups of flour
Ducana Directions:
Grate coconut and sweet potatoes in a blender. You will need some liquid to help the grating process, either use the coconut water, milk or just water, but no more than 1 1/2 cup of liquid.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl in the order they appear in the ingredients.
Cut 10×12 pieces of foil paper to wrap the ducana. (If you are in the islands you use banana leaf if it easily accessible…u can usually go and cut them from your yard foil is really the substitute for the banana leaf)
Use a ladle or large spoon to scoop the batter into the center of the foil then fold the foil 2/3 of the way, covering the mixture.
Fold the batter and foil once more (or twice depending on the size of batter you scooped out) making sure to keep the ends pinned so the batter doesn’t ooze out either side. The foil and batter should look like a flattened cylinder.
Fold in/ roll up each end of the foil to seal in the batter.
US Virgin Islands Governor John de Jongh has submitted to the Legislature modifications to the agreement between the government of the Virgin Islands and Cruzan, VIRIL, Ltd, the St Croix producer of Cruzan Rum and other bulk rum products.
The changes aim to assure a greater ability for Cruzan to compete in critical markets for bulk rum.
The government signed its agreement with Cruzan three years ago, and it said that in the interim many of these markets have become substantially more competitive.
De Jongh and Beam, Cruzan’s parent company, have agreed to proposed revisions in their existing agreement which would stabilize the govenrment’s support for bulk rum at levels below current levels.
In exchange, Cruzan has agreed to specific goals for steady increases in aggregate production and for continued investments in products that will bear “Virgin Islands rum” labels.
Cruzan reportedly fears that without the changes it could lose its historically strong competitive position in the bulk rum market.
Until Diageo’s construction of the Captain Morgan distillery, which began production this year, it had been the primary source of rum excise tax revenues generated for the government’s General Fund and capital investment across the USVI.
“These mutually beneficial adjustments will give the Cruzan distillery the tools we need to compete in the important bulk rum market while we continue to invest in and grow the Cruzan Rum brand,” said Gary Nelthropp, president of Cruzan Rum.
Governor de Jongh called the proposed amendments “both timely for our need for revenue stability and corporate community involvement and necessary to sustain and strengthen a company that has been our partner for many years.”
US Virgin Islands Governor Proposes Modifications to Cruzan Rum Agreement courtesy of Caribjournal.com
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Hottest Pepper In The World
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There are super-hot chile varieties. And then there’s the sweat-inducing, tear-generating, mouth-on-fire Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.
With a name like that, it’s not surprising that months of research by the experts at New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute have identified the variety as the new hottest pepper on the planet.
The golf ball-sized pepper scored the highest among a handful of chile breeds reputed to be among the hottest in the world. Its mean heat topped more than 1.2 million units on the Scoville heat scale, while fruits from some individual plants reached 2 million heat units.
“You take a bite. It doesn’t seem so bad, and then it builds and it builds and it builds. So it is quite nasty,” Paul Bosland, a renowned pepper expert and director of the chile institute, said of the pepper’s heat.
The team planted about 125 plants of each variety – the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, the Trinidad Scorpion, the 7-pot, the Chocolate 7-pot and the Bhut Jolokia, which was a previous record-holder identified by the institute and certified by Guinness World Records in 2007.
Randomly selected mature fruits from several plants within each variety were harvested, dried and ground to powder. The compounds that produce heat sensation – the capsaicinoids – were then extracted and examined.
During harvesting, senior research specialist Danise Coon said she and the two students who were picking the peppers went through about four pairs of latex gloves.
“The capsaicin kept penetrating the latex and soaking into the skin on our hands. That has never happened to me before,” she said.
Chile peppers of the same variety can vary in heat depending on environmental conditions. More stress on a plant – hotter temperatures or less water, for example – will result in hotter fruit.
The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion’s new notoriety is already making waves in the industry and among those who love their hot, spicy foods.
“As with all the previous record holders, there will be a run on seeds and plants,” said Jim Duffy, a grower in San Diego who supplied the university with seeds for four of the super-hot varieties. “Like Cabbage Patch dolls right before Christmas or Beanie Babies, it’s like the hot item.”
Not even Duffy or the researchers would dare to pop a whole Trinidad Moruga Scorpion in their mouths, but there are plenty of videos on social networking sites where heat-loving daredevils have tried.
The blood flow increases and the endorphins start flowing. Their faces turn red, the sweat starts rolling, their eyes and noses water and there’s a fiery sensation that spreads across their tongues and down their throats.
“People actually get a crack-like rush,” Duffy said. “I know the people who will eat the hottest stuff to get this rush, but they’ve got to go through the pain.”
“You can make a barbeque sauce or a hot sauce at a mild to medium level using small amounts of these peppers and it will be so darn addictive that you won’t want to put your spoon down,” he said. “You’ll want to eat and eat and eat.”
St Lucia Looks to Costa Rica for Help in Fight to Save Banana Industry
St Lucia is continuing to look for solutions in its fight against the Black Sigatoka disease, which has been ravaging the country’s agricultural sector and its banana industry in particular.
Agriculture Minister Moses Jean Baptiste is now in Costa Rica on an official visit, looking to discuss the issue with authorities in that country, which has had success in combating Black Sigatoka, according to Jadia Jean Pierre Emmanuel, press secretary to St Lucian Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony.
Baptiste has previously called the disease a “national crisis.”
“We all know that in St Lucia, our agriculture sector, particularly our bananas, are being severely affected by the Black Sigatoka,” she said. “Minister Baptiste has outlined some of the plans the government of St Lucia hopes to implement in the coming weeks to deal with this problem, but as part of moving forward, there will need to be consultation with our various partners in the region.”
Baptiste is in Costa Rica at the invitation of the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.
“This is one issue the Minister will be discussing while in Costa Rica and upon return to the island he will be giving a report to the public,” she said.
During the visit, the Minister will also pay a courtesy call on Costa Rica’s Agriculture Minister and visit a number of farms in the country.
St Lucia Looks to Costa Rica for Help in Fight to Save Banana Industry courtesy of Caribjournal.com
Lab tests on papaya extract shows that it can kill tumor cells from cervix, breast, liver, lung and pancreatic cancer. The tests, using extracts made from dried papaya leaves, showed that the anticancer effects were stronger when cells received larger doses of the tea.
The research, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, also demonstrated that papaya leaf extract helps regulate the immune system, potentially helping the body fight off cancers. And researcher Bharat B. Aggarwal, Ph.D., at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, says the study results are so convincing he now eats a serving of papaya every day.
Shark Burgers At Trini-Flavored Island Burger In East Flatbush Brooklyn
For $9.50, their shark burger will make you feel like you’re on vacation in Trinidad.
That’s what the two sisters who own Island Burger had in mind when they opened the East Flatbush fast-food restaurant at 915 Utica Ave. 18 months ago.
Picture Maracas Beach, where shark sandwiches are sold in huts right on the sand. Or Port of Spain, where sidewalk vendors serve hamburgers with a slice of pineapple, garlic sauce and cole slaw heaped on top.
“Shark is beach food,” said Linette Beckles, 34, who with her big sister Tracy Agarrat, 40 owns the takeout joint and six-seat eatery that dishes up a boneless filet of the fearsome fish.
The restaurant’s three chefs turn the terror of the deep into a tasty morsel by seasoning it for 12 hours before frying it and topping it with chadon beni — a sauce made of a pungent herb, culantro — tamarind sauce, cole slaw, lettuce and tomato.
After Beckles and her boyfriend were wowed by burgers they bought at a street stand during a visit to Port of Spain, she returned home to Mill Basin and told her sister to forget about the clothing store they’d talked about opening.
“Let’s sell burgers and fast food made the Trini way,” she said to y Agarrat of Crown Heights.
There are scads of West Indian restaurants in Central Brooklyn competing for customers with roti and peas and rice.
But the sibs couldn’t find anyone doing Trini burgers, and thought they could make a go of it.
To save money, they rented a storefront with a stove and other restaurant equipment the previous tenant left behind.
They’d worked in Manhattan food businesses — including a decade Agarrat spent as a restaurant manager for food-industry bigwig Stephen Hanson’s BR Guest.
Man Of The Soil documentary by Pierre Deschamps is the portrait of a man called Jerry Maka West, a simple man, a Nom Tèw, creole for “a man of the soil” shot in Dominica, “the nature isle”. The documentary illustrates Jerry working his garden in the island’s lush interior juxtaposed with the hustle and bustle of city life. In his garden, his Zion, Jerry grows and prepares his food just as his grandparents did.
The modern world’s complexities passes him by as he weaves in and out, circumventing it, never really being caught up in it. Instead he prefers to live close to nature, working hard and putting back just as much in as he taking out.
Harmony with a living earth, Dominica, the nature island, Jerry Maka West lives the kind of life most of his contemporaries have forsaken, yet many would no doubt envy in a world that has become a confusion of questionable priorities and trivia.
Man Of The Soil documentary has been accepted at eighteen international film festivals including the prestigious International Berlin Film Festival and was awarded for Best Editing and A Special Motion for Best Cinematography. The documentary also won an award for Best Film in the Short Films category at the International Forests Film Festival. The film also won Special Motion for Cinematography/Bridgetown Int. Film Festival 2009 and Coup de Coeur/Terra Festival 2011.
Man Of The Soil has been presented at a number of Caribbean film festivals which include: Barbados Bridgetown International Film Festival, BIFF Bahamas International Film Festival, Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival, International Berlin Film Festival.
Mission ImPAWSible: The Break In – Red Stripe Beer Ad
Mission ImPAWSible: The Break In – Red Stripe Beer Ad
This is the first in the epic series of Red Stripe’s new brand advertising campaign. A bear breaks into Red Stripe’s warehouse and steals crates of beer before cleverly evading the Police SWAT Team. The piece was shot on the RED, directed by New Caribbean Cinema’s Storm Saulter, produced by Michelle Serieux, with the support of NCC crew Nile, Joel, Garth, with production design by Siim.
The Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain recent coverage of his recent trip to Cuba which is part of the Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain No Reservation series.
Part 1
Part 2
Part3
Anthony Bourdain is a celebrity chef, world traveler, bestselling author, and host of The Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.
“My whole life, cooking has been about control. Traveling and eating are about letting things happen.”
- Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain – No Reservations – Cuba
Videos courtesy of Kumquatsta. Visit kumquatsta’s youtube channel by clicking here
Anthony Bourdain No Reservations On The Travel Channel click here
Contaminated papaya appears to be the cause of an outbreak of Salmonella in 23 states the Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers. The FDA says papayas imported from Mexico and distributed by Agromod Produce Inc. of McAllen, Texas, is likely the source of 97 cases of Salmonella agona. To date 10 people have been hospitalized but there have been no reported deaths. As a result, Agromod Produce has voluntarily recalled all papaya sold before July 23.
The cases were reported between January 1 and July 18 in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio. Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. While ages ranged from 1 year to 91 years old, the average age of those stricken is 20. More than half of the cases are women. Texas had the most cases with 25 people falling ill.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Salmonella agona is one of about 2,000 strains of salmonella. Symptoms usually show up 12 to 72 hours after infection and can last up to seven days. Approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported each year in the U.S.
The FDA is telling consumers to check for the Agromod brand stickers on fresh papayas before buying the fruit. Consumers and retailers who already have Agromod brand papayas should throw them out in a sealed container so that even animals can’t eat them. Investigators say anyone who believes they got sick from eating papaya should see their doctor.
The papayas could have been distributed nationwide in the U.S. and Canada. The FDA and CDC are working together with public health officials at the state level to identify additional cases. In a press release the agency said “the FDA is taking regulatory action to prevent potentially contaminated papaya from entering the United States, including increasing its sampling of imported papaya.”
Good For You Summer Fruits – Feed Your Skin Papaya – Papaya Health Benefits
Papaya Health Benefits
The papaya fruit, with origins in Mexico, has numerous “good for you” qualities. Not only is its buttery texture great tasting and refreshing but it can also help nudge your immune system into working for you. Some of the main benefits of the papaya fruit are said to stimulate the immune system as well as help with digestive problems. Need more vitamins A, C & E? This is one fruit you might want to take notes on.
Papaya Skin Benefits
Papaya has powerful effects on sun burns as well as bug bites and common rashes. I know one benefit no woman would dare turn down – great skin. Flawless skin has long been associated with lavish care and expensive facial masks. We know that is far from the truth. Skin requires simplicity. Making an easy facial mask out of papaya might provide you with some surprising results.
Papaya & Honey Facial Mask
Peel the fruit and remove the seeds
Dice into cubes – 1/4 or 1/2 (depending on personal preference)
Add honey – 1/4 or less ( I suggest less or it might become too sticky)
Use a blender to mix into a spread
Add a touch of cinnamon (helps to exfoliate and fights acne)
You are ready to use your mask; leave on for 10-15 minutes and rinse as usual.
Side note: Masks made with food tend to be messy, keep a towel handy.
Good For You Summer Fruits – Feed Your Skin Papaya – Papaya Health Benefits
Farmers In Dominica Urged To Diversify Into Pineapple Production
ROSEAU, Dominica (GIS) — The Nature Island Pineapple Producers Ltd (NIPPA), in collaboration with the Division of Agriculture, hosted a training exercise last week in sustainable pineapple production in Dominica for domestic and export markets.
Dr Vivian Moise, the vice president of NIPPA, explained that the workshop was specifically organised for new pineapple growers in Dominica.
“This programme is funded by the FAO and we have been working with them over the past two years to develop the pineapple value chain in Dominica. One of the critical elements of the value chain was to expand the production base of pineapples. The people you are seeing with us today are people who have voiced on interest in becoming pineapple farmers and they are undergoing the necessary training,” he said.
Moise wants to see more farmers get involved in pineapple production.
“It is a profitable business to be involved: the commercial production of pineapples. It is probably one of the easier crops to grow. It has proved to be a worthwhile venture for those people who are involved in it. There is scope for many more farmers to be involved and those people who are hearing from me by this medium, I would encourage them to come and speak to us and we will give them the necessary information. We are looking for more people to grow pineapples in Dominica,” he explained.
Haitian Mangoes Provide Sweet Relief To Growers In Need – Haiti – Francis Mangoes
Haiti’s king of fruit– the Francis mango – is taking the throne at Whole Foods Market. For a limited time, shoppers will find this exclusive, organic and Fair Trade™ Certified fruit under the grocer’s Whole Trade program. The Whole Trade Guarantee -– which drives meaningful dollars into the struggling Haitian economy — ensures that these rare, delicious mangoes are ethically grown and sourced.
Whole Foods Market is the sole buyer of certified organic and Fair Trade Certified mangoes from small Haitian growers, sometimes buying from a family with just one tree. Shoppers can find these mangoes in stores nationwide under the grocer’s Whole Trade program during the varietal’s short six-to-eight week season.
University of the West Indies Team Triumphs at HBCU Business Plan Competition
ATLANTA – The best and the brightest of future business leaders congregated in Atlanta this weekend for the Opportunity Funding Corporation’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition, or OFC Venture Challenge. More than 300 students on 21 teams either from historically or predominantly Black colleges competed, presenting proposals that ranged from construction and land surveying improvements to the mass production of Jamaican ginger.
The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica was awarded first place, with Savannah State University taking second, and the University of the District of Columbia placing third. Although only one team could walk away with the top prize, discussions among students showed that each of them walked away with a sense of accomplishment.
The University of the West Indies team members presented a strategic plan for the development of the Jamaican Ginger Factory, which would surpass global market competitors through the use of greenhouse gas in ginger production. Judges were impressed with the operational structure and general marketing strategies. Taja Simpson, a member of the West Indies team and a first-time participant in the competition, stated she was “happy to be a part of such a great event and have the chance to meet students from across the nation.”
Domino’s new Reggae Reggae pizza is made with Levi Roots Reggae Reggae sauce. The pizza will be available in all locations in the UK and Ireland from Monday April 11th. However, you can try it now! Just order it from Domino’s Pizza UK FaceBook fan page. The pizza will be available until Sunday, £9.99 (roughly $16.00) for a large pie.
That’s what the descendants of the legendary reggae singer are telling fans as they launch a new coffee brand along with a host of other licensed products, including clothing, sporting goods and electronics.
Marley’s children have banded together to form Marley & Co., a burgeoning licensing empire that’s putting an emphasis on products that are environmentally conscious.
For example, a pair of in-ear headphones slated to launch next week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas will be made not from plastic, but from reusable materials including hemp, soybeans and aluminum.
Likewise, Marley & Co. has ordered licensees for new apparel lines to avoid the use of synthetic materials. A new “relaxation drink” called “Marley Mellow Moods” uses all-natural ingredients.
That’s just the way dad would have wanted it, says his eldest son, Rohan.
“We didn’t come to be brand slappers,” said Rohan, who disdains the idea of “slapping the Marley name” on just any product from any licensee. “We have to build it from the start and be part of the creation — it has to reflect who we are as a family.”
Part 1
In addition to “creating a sustainable farm system” in Jamaica to grow environmentally friendly coffee, that also means promoting charities such as UNICEF and efforts to bring safe drinking water to Africa, Rohan said.
“My father would absolutely love that, encouraging people to give back,” Rohan said. “It’s all to do with creating more ways for people to grow as well — not everyone in the Marley family does music.”
Since they launched their new company a year ago, the Marleys have been gaining ground against unauthorized sellers of pirated merchandise, who are estimated to sell as much as $600 million in knockoff Bob Marley goods each year.
“Now you can buy the same shirt at Target or Wal-Mart at $14.99 — the same price — only it now says ‘Bob Marley’ on it and it’s legitimate,” said private-equity investor Jamie Salter, who has taken on the role of CEO at Marley & Co. after taking a minority stake in the venture last year. “The retailers are just naturally switching to our product.”
Coquito is an eggnog-like alcoholic beverage traditionally served in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and other islands with a strong Spanish influence. . It is made with egg yolks, rum, coconut milk, coconut cream, sweet condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The drink is commonly associated with the Christmas holidays, where it is traditionally served along with other holiday food.
Variations of the drink include ginger, ground nuts, vanilla and evaporated milk; these ingredients are not required but are used to make the taste sweeter. Coquito is served in shot glasses or small cups and it is usually sprinkled with grated nutmeg or cinnamon.
A Cuban version (with no garnishes) uses one can of Coco López, one can of evaporated milk, one cup of white rum, and two scoops of coconut ice cream.
Many people opt for not including the eggs.
Ingredients
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14 ounce) can cream of coconut
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup white rum
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In the top of a double boiler, combine egg yolks and evaporated milk. Stirring constantly, cook over lightly simmering water until mixture reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Transfer mixture to a blender, and add cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, rum, water, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla. Blend for about 30 seconds. Pour into glass bottles, and chill overnight.
While in Grenada, we went to dinner at Water’s Edge at Bel Air Plantation in St. Davids.
Nestled on a hillside overlooking a secluded bay and the Caribbean Sea, Bel Air Plantation, is a gracious island hideaway featuring an intimate collection of only eleven Villas and Cottages. Water’s Edge, the restaurant at Bel Air features award winning island cuisine infused with local herbs and spices complimented with an extensive wine selection. The restaurant allows for dining on an open air verandah or an upstairs lounge overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
Service from our server, who wore a few hats that evening, was also our bartender. Her service was exceptional. She made a fruit punch, that was simply amazing.
Our delicious dishes in the order of appearance were for starters the Callaloo Tartlet, which is a puff pastry filled with callaloo in vermouth sauce and topped parmesan cheese. In addition, the Chicken Satay, which is a marinated chicken, gently grilled and served with a spicy peanut sauce.
For the main course we had the Grenada Rum & Ginger Chicken: grilled boneless breast of chicken flamed in rum and served in a ginger cream sauce with roast potatoes/ Basmati Rice and seasonal vegetables. The last picture is of the Grilled Snapper and Basmati Rice.
For dessert, we had a pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate pie with ice cream which we devoured before we thought about taking any pictures.
All in all we highly recommend dining at Water’s Edge at Bel Air Plantation in “Spice Isle” Grenada. The food and service was exceptional, and we are sure to return on our next visit to Grenada.
For more info:
Bel Air Plantation Resort
St.David’s Point
Grenada, W.I.
Telephone: +1 (473) 444-6305
Fax: +1 (473) 444-6316
Toll Free: +1 (866) 504-3359 (US and UK only)
