Sunday Dinner (Rice & Peas)

I think just like about everywhere in the United States and all over the world, Sunday dinner is probably the one time of week where everyone in the family actually comes together and sit down for dinner.  I think that's the one day of the week where everyone can relax and think about anything except family and maybe that game that's on or coming on.  For most of us who attend church it also the one day of the week that we use to keep the family way of life going.  The whole week we are running from one place to the other and making that money we need to keep the family's way of life going.  Some of us even sneak a few hours in on Saturdays.  Well that's how it use to be.  Nowadays there is no such thing as the 9-5 job.  Jobs these days are whenever you are needed and whenever they want you to work, that includes night and/or day.  Still we try to keep some form of normality to the family structure, and that's usually Sunday dinner.

In Jamaica, Sunday dinner is very special for us.  That's the one day of the week that we save the best for.  It doesn't matter what we have to eat during the week, Sunday is going to have something special about it, and that's usually Rice and Peas.  Even if we have the same meat during the week that we have on Sunday, that rice and peas is what makes it special.  I'm sure most of us have had some form of rice and peas, but most people that I know who have had the Jamaican type of rice and peas , have said there's something special about it. 

Well, I was always told that if you have something special, the way to make it more special is to share it.  The request for this recipe was a request from a very nice lady who read my blog and shared with me just how much she enjoy visiting my lovely homeland of Jamaica.  She has a blog herself and in her last post she state she's undecided as to where to go for her next vacation.  She's thinking of going back to Jamaica.  I hope she does.  Check her blog out, it call Counting the Days.  She from the lovely state of Hawaii.  Well Deborah, here's your rice and peas recipe.  And for everyone else who would like to try it ,  Enjoy!!!

Rice & Peas

 Ingredients:

• 1 Small packet dried Kidney Beans or one 15-once can Red Kidney Beans
• 2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped                                                                
• 4 Garlic Cloves, smashed                                                      
• 2 1/2 cups Long-Grain Rice                                                      
• 1 tsp. Salt 
•  Water (varies)
• 2 cups Coconut Milk
• 2 to 4 stalk or 2 to 3 tsp. Dried Thyme
• 1 whole unbroken  Scotch Bonnet Pepper
• 1 stalk Scallion (Green Onion), smashed or chopped

 Before cooking:
 If you should use packet of dried kidney beans, soak your bean in luke warm water the day before cooking until ready to cook.  This will tenderized the beans for cooking.

 Steps:

1.  Heat oil in medium pot over medium to high heat, add chopped onion and saute 3 to 4 minutes.

2.  Add about 2 to 4 cups of water and beans to onion, boil until beans are tender about 1 hour.  Stir often.
  
(cooking time for beans will vary.  To check if beans are cooked,  use a spoon to pick up  a few beans and squeeze between fingers, if beans smash easily, then they are ready to add other  ingredients.)

3.  Once beans are cooked, add coconut milk, salt, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme and garlic to beans.  Cook for another 45 min to allow beans to absorb the flavor of coconut milk and other seasonings.  Stir often, and add water if needed, not too much at one time ( 1/2 cup).

4.  Now add rice and scallion (green onion) to contents of beans and seasonings.  Fold over several time to ensure all ingredients are well blended together.

 Once rice is added the liquid should be about 1/4 inch over the top of your rice.  This amount of liquid should allow your rice to simmer to a nice fluffy cooked rice.

5.  Allow to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Depending on the type of rice used, your dish should be done.  If not, give or take a few minutes for your rice to cook.   Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve with your meat dish or by itself.

Who is Richer?

It's been said that the United States is one of the richest nation in the world.  That would depends on who you ask.   That being said, there's a lot of people who I've spoken with from other islands or even other countries, and we all  seems to share the same story of family, love ones and/or friends back home.  For some reason, the idea is that, from the moment your feet hit American soil, you're  instantly wealthy.  It's like you stepped off the plane or the boat and step wright in it, wealth that is.

 Being from one of the smallest islands in the West Indies, I know first hand just how poor my tiny island is, and how hard the way of life is.  The economy right now is ridiculous there.  The value of of the Jamaican dollar is nonexistent.  One U.S. dollar value to date about $85 Jamaican dollars, and the British pound values about $87.  The economy truly is one of the worst there is today.  However, I do feel there are some ways of life on the island that can not be beat.

Living here in the U.S. affords us opportunities that can not be found no where else.  There are rights that we enjoy in this county that cannot be enjoyed any where else in the world.  Still, some how we manage to have children starving right in our very own back yard and families sleeping on the street in the cold.  One of the things I love about my small island is this;  it does not take a lot to survive.   Life can be hard no doubt, but if you own any type of land, you can always find something to eat.  Even if you don't own any land at all but you know someone who does, you will not go hungry.   If the land is available, then the opportunity is there for you or your neighbor to plant and grow some type of produce you and your family can eat and share with your neighbors.  One of the things I cherish  most about my little island, is how tight-knit the people are, especially in the country or as you might call it, the rural area.  You can always count on someone to share something from what they have, have grown, or if they happen to kill an animal, they'll share it with you.   You can expect someone at anytime to bring or send you something that they would like to share.  So once again I feel the island motto says it all, "OUT OF MANY, ONE PEOPLE".

Now if you were to ask  me "WHO IS RICHER?"  I would have to say it depends.  The average Jamaican who has never left the island  would say us living in the U.S. are, and the average American would say the same.  As for me, I say we all are, as long as we looked out our windows and seen a neighbor in need, and help. 

NUFF RESPECT

Conversation

Over the years of me being in this country, one of the things most people have asked me about my island is how to speak the language.  The Jamaican language is of a English dialect, but, consist of British English, Scottish English, and Hiberno-English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

A lot of people may ask how did all these different languages come to be on this small island.  Well, as I've stated in one of my earlier posting, Jamaica was once under British rule.  The island was also used as a port for ships carrying slaves as well as cargo.  Now as with any ports, things are exchange, bought, and often left behind, including people.  In those times of slavery, slaves often escaped and became a large population of the island, along with its main inhabitants of the island who were the Arawak Indians.  Today, the Indians nation of the island are referred to as Coolie.

I state all this to give you an idea of how Jamaica got its very interesting dialect (Patois).  The motto that is stated on the islands crest says its all, "Out of Many, One People" and because of this, we had to develop a way to communicate between the different cultures of the island, so all the languages were combine in broken form, giving you the short and broken phrases of some of the English words, mixed with some of the other languages.

Now that you got a short history of how our dialect was formed, I'm gonna give you a few phrases along with its translation, so the next time you have a conversation with your Jamaican friend, you'll have an idea of what's being said if you don't already know.

Jamaican Translation

          Patois:                                                          English:                                                                                                                             

•   How yu do ?                                            How are you doing?  
•   Wah gwan?                                             What's going on? 
•   Whe yu cum from?                                 Where are you from? 
•   Whe yu name?                                        What's your name?
•   Mi name...                                               My name is...
•   Whe yu liv?                                             Where do you live?
•   Ah whe yu ah go?                                   Where are you going?
•   Ah wha yu want?                                    What do you want?
•   Mi no kno nuting                                     I don't know anything
•   Mi no kno                                                I don't know
•   Ah wha yu ah talk bout?                         What are you talking about?
•   Whe yu de?                                            Where are you?
•   Mi can't help yu                                       I can't help you
•   Mi no care                                               I don't care
•   Ah no mi                                                 It wasn't 
•   Mek mi tell yu sumting                           Let me tell you something
•   Mi no feel good                                       I don't feel good
•   Yu no kno mi                                          You don't know me
•   Ah long time mi no se yu                        It's a long time I haven't seen you
•   Se yu lata                                                See you later  

Jamaican Rum Cake

Excuse my absence for the past few days, but I'm back and mi hav somting good fi yu.  This is something a few people have been asking me about and I had to check with a few family members to make sure I have everything correct.  With the holidays fast approaching, a lot of people are asking for this recipe.  Hope you enjoy it!

Jamaican Rum Cake:

Things you will need: (Fruits are optional):

• 1/2 - 1 lbs Raisins
• 1/2 - 1 lbs Currants
• 1 tsp grated or ground Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Mixed Spice (The kind for baking)
• 2/3 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 3 cups Flour (Baking or All Purpose) 
• 1 Small Lemon well grated (Rinds)
• 8 oz. Butter
• 2 cups Sugar
• 3 Tbsp Browning
• 1 dozen Eggs
• 2 tsp Rose Water
• 1 bottle Red Label Wine or Red Cooking Wine (Port Wine)
• 1/2 cup Cherry or Blackberry Brandy/Any type of Brandy
• 1 bottle Jamaica Over-proof White Rum or some type of White Rum 

1. To start, about 2-3 days before you're ready to bake your cake, soak your raisins and currants in some of the rum and wine in a large covered glass bowl or jar.  Make sure the fruits are completely covered by the rum and wine.

    To start baking: 

1.  First, mix together your flour and cinnamon, baking spice, salt, baking powder and lemon rinds. 
2.  Mix butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl (best to use a wooden spoon) then, add about 4 cups of  your soaked fruits to the mixture.
3.  Beat your dozen eggs in a separate bowl for about 1-2 min. until frothy and add in vanilla.
4.  Add your egg mixture to your butter mixture.  Turn (fold) in well, not mix (too much mixing will thin your batter).  Add your fruit mixture, fold in well.
5.  Now, add your flour mixture gradually. Fold the entire mixture over well to ensure all the contents are evenly blended.
6.  Use your wooden spoon to do a density test.  Place your spoon in the middle of your batter; if it stands up, you're good, if not, add more flour to your mixture, until spoon stands up.

     I don't know what size pans you will be using, it depends on what size cake you're making or how many.

     7.   Grease your pan(s) or line with grease paper (or grease and thinly flour dust your pans).  Pour your  mixture into your pans and bake for about 1 hr. at 300 F.

     8.   Check your cake from time to time because depending on your oven type, baking time will vary.

     

 Some people keep a small pan of water on the bottom of the oven to add moisture in the oven so the  cake won't be dry out.

     9.   Using a toothpick to check your cake.  Stick in toothpick in the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, cake is done.

     

     This is the good part.

     10.  Allow cake(s) to cool almost completely, then brush cake(s) top to bottom with some of the Red   Label wine and a little rum.  You can also pour some of the wine on top of the cake(s) so it is absorbed from the top and some around the base of the cake.

 Be careful - remember, this is a cake, not a drink, and depending on who will be eating this, you may want to consider how much liquor to use on the cake.  The wine will also help preserve the cake for a few weeks if well wrapped in aluminum foil and kept refrigerated.

Hope this adds some island flavor to your upcoming holidays.

HAPPY BAKING

No nawm too much

(Don't eat too much)

Enjoy!