Obviously, we love to travel and one of the interesting cultural experiences is trying the local foods. I am not very adventurous, but I am trying to be more adventurous with foods so I can get the entire experience. I had the idea that it would be cool to make dishes from the various places we have visited. Maybe I can recreate some of the fun of our travel for every day life.
We have been to many Caribbean Islands and there are many local dishes that have a unique taste. There is some commonality around the Caribbean region, but most islands or other Caribbean destinations have their own variation. Outside of the United States, we have traveled most in the Caribbean, so that is where I decided to start. I actually was thinking of Puerto Rican cuisine when I started.
Jerked Chicken is pretty common in the Caribbean and I found a recipe on www.food.com under “Puerto Rican Dinner Party Recipes.” I also wanted a side dish or two. I was able to do the jerked chicken, baked plantain slices, and beans and rice. I would describe plantains as a cross between a banana and a potato. It looks just like a large banana, but it does not really have a fruit taste. They are served in many ways like potatoes with a salty season flavor, but they are also served sweet in other dishes. I found there are many spices that are needed to give the Caribbean flavor, but I was able to find most everything I needed in the world foods section of the grocery store.
These pictures are my first attempt of bringing the traveling memories to every day home life. The first is the plantains. These were just baked and salted with Caribbean season salt. The second is the traditional rice and beans dish. The third picture is the jerked chicken. There is a marinade that is created and the chicken has to sit for about six hours, then it is grilled. The last picture is the plate as an entire meal.
