Photo: Contactmusic.com
The actress/singer most famous for appearing as Ashley Banks in the Television series, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, was born to a father of East Indian ancestry from Trinidad and Tobago named Sheriff Ali. Her mother, Sonia is of Afro-Panamanian heritage. In an interview with MCCN the actress talks about her “Trini” and Panamian roots. She also talks about the foods of the culture. READ MORE
If there is one thing that I learned about the Nicaraguan culinary scene, plantains are a rich part of the culture. In my case I was served thinly sliced plantain chips often but with a little digging I found a Nicaragua standby recipe which called for a sweeter, thicker slice and softer texture in preparation. CLICK FOR RECIPE
Photo and Recipe from Nicatour.net
Photo by Multiculturalcookingnetwork.com
Plantain Chips are popular especially in Caribbean, Latin and African Cultures. On a recent trip to Nicaragua MCCN Editor caught some video of local women preparing plantain chips, a staple side dish. It’s a great snack to put on a summer table spread.
This is a repost of the “Know Your Spices” article from popular Simply Trini Cooking website-Spices are an important trading commodity for many countries, such as India, Philippines, China, Grenada, Mexico, Uganda etc. Spices can be traced to the ancient world. In the bible spices were given as gifts. When the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon and tested his wisdom she rewarded him with a royal gift of spices of Arabia. The wise men from the East traveled with a gift of spices for the baby Jesus. And, Joseph was sold by his brother to a spice merchant. READ MORE
Facebook fan Lori Phifer shared with us that Buss Up Shots is a must have Caribbean recipe so we did a little digging and found this one. Enjoy!
Photo by Multi Cultural Cooking Network
The Flags were abundant and pride overflowing at the West Indian Parade. Bright color outfits, loud music and thousands of people help to make Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway the place to be on Labour Day. Festival goers can expect various Caribbean foods to be sold but this year there was a new twist on Caribbean food. A pair of vendors sold Jew-maican kosher jerk chicken READ MORE.
Watch Video from 2010 parade
On two separate occassions on the red carpet celebrities with Caribbean roots or relatives fondly expressed a love for Ackee and saltfish. The beloved food is Jamaica’s national dish.
Since the 1700s people from the island of Newfoundland brought dried and salted cod (salt cod) for the Jamaicans in order to trade for Rum. Salt cod is now one of the main ingredients for ackee and saltfish.
To prepare the dish, salt cod is sautéed with boiled ackee, onions, Scotch Bonnet peppers, tomatoes, and spices, such as black pepper and pimiento. It can be garnished with crisp bacon and fresh tomatoes, and is usually served at breakfast alongside roast breadfruit, hard dough bread, or boiled green bananas.-(Wikipedia) This recipe is a bit Americanized. If you want to share your recipe contact us.
Young and the Restless Actress Tonya Lee Williams(Olivia Winters) showed her support for the Pan African Festival on Wednesday February 10, 2010 World Premiere of Blood Done Sign My Name at the Pan African Film Festival. She shared with MCCN that she has been attending the event for years.
Floribbean cuisine is found in varying forms in Florida restaurants and in the homes of many Floridians throughout the state. The essence of what makes a particular dish “Floribbean” is similar to many other aspects of Floridian culture: that it is heavily influenced by visitors and immigrants from all over the world, but especially from the Caribbean (with notable influence from The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti), Australia, and the American Deep South. In the case of the Southern Florida region in particular, a subdivision called Latino-Floribbean or Hispano-Floribbean cuisine also takes Latino cuisine traits from such countries as Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic, adding further influences into the mix. To distinguish the Latino Caribbean style from the non-Latino Caribbean style, some employ the terms Afro-Floribbean cuisine and Indo-Floribbean cuisine, as the majority of the Caribbean islands are of either African or Indian heritage, which in turn were colonized by British, French, and Dutch settlers.-(Wikepedia) Visit MCCN’s Caribbean section: http://multiculturalcookingnetwork.com/regions/caribbean.html
Goat is thought to have been the earliest animal domesticated besides sheep and dogs. Cave art 10,000 to 20,000 years ago indicates that goats were common and important then. At the present time, goats provide the principle source of animal protein in many North African and Middle Eastern nations. Goat is also important in the Caribbean, in Southeast Asia, and developing tropical countries. Three-fourths of all the goats in the world are located in the developing regions of the world.
Kids (goats under a year of age) are often slaughtered when 3 to 5 months of age and weighing from 25 to 50 pounds. Kids do not store much body fat until they are about a year of age. Many goats are older and heavier when marketed, but most, except aged cull goats, are slaughtered when less than a year of age. The meat of older goats is darker and less tender, but more juicy and flavorful than kid. The meat from males is lighter in color and lower in fat. The meat from females is more desirable for steaks and chops, and is more tender.
Milk, Butter & Cheese
Some goats are bred for milk, which can be drunk raw, although some people recommend pasteurization to reduce bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. If the strong-smelling buck is not separated from the does, his scent will affect the milk. Goat’s milk is commonly processed into cheese, goat butter, ice cream, cajeta and other products.
Goat’s milk can replace sheep’s milk or cow’s milk in diets of those who are allergic. However, like cow’s milk, goat’s milk has lactose (sugar), and may cause gastrointestinal problems for individuals with lactose intolerance.
Visit the Food History Section at http://multiculturalcookingnetwork.com
*Milk Butter and Cheese info from Wikepedia
