I can almost feel the warm sand in this picture — though one criminal phenomenon is making the sand in the Caribbean "hot" as in stolen. On islands like Puerto Rico, Grenada, and St. Kitts among many others, thieves are actually
stealing sand off the beaches for money.
Think your family meddles in your love life? What if President Bush was the one telling you who to marry? (Ow, my ears!
During Summer, kabobs are ideal for quick, simple dinners. While you can load the skewers with any proteins or vegetables, this recipe takes inspiration from the Caribbean. Chicken chunks are seasoned with
jerk before being layered with bell peppers, red onions, and pineapples.
Why not start the weekend with a spicy, fragrant chicken? This chicken is rubbed with a mixture of spices typical to
Jerk seasoning: paprika, allspice, cayenne, and garlic powder. Although the recipe roasts the chicken in the oven, it would be equally delicious cooked on a grill.
Recently I visited Costa Rica. One of my first stops was a local farmers market set up in a small plaza in the town of Quepos. It was a bustling place with a variety of stands: fruit, flowers, vegetables and makeshift restaurants serving local fare.
When you're stuck in a middle-of-the-work-week rut, a great way to spice things up is through food. While this exotic meal may sound difficult to make — the ingredients are a bit unusual — the cooking techniques are simple and ordinary. Plantains are sautéed with onions, bell pepper, and garlic before being tossed with chunks of pork tenderloin.
Instead of serving chicken salad piled on top of a bed of lettuce, or slapped between two slices of bread, consider serving it in halved fruit. It makes for an exotic and interesting twist. This recipe seasons the chicken with green onions, pineapple, ginger, and water chestnuts.
Somehow, I always forget that I'm a huge fan of chicken wings. They're simple to fix up, and are small enough that you don't feel like you're eating a lot — even after you've chowed down an entire platter. They also make perfect party food, and go great with the fall sporting season.
I sometimes entertain the idea of going on a "gadgetless vacay" — no
BlackBerry, no
iPod, no
iPhone and no
laptop. As much as I would love some peace and quiet from my ringing, vibrating and blinking gadgets, I can honestly say that I like being somewhat connected. So when I heard the news that
The Grenadines' Palm Island resort had
banned the use of mobile phones on one of its beaches, I was totally shocked.
Jerk Seasoning
A type of dry seasoning that is native to the Caribbean. It's primarily used in preparing meat — most commonly pork and chicken — for grilling. Although the ingredients can vary, it generally consists of chilies, thyme, spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves), garlic, and onions.
