January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

January - Good Ole Vincy Boilene

1lb

Fish (Cleaned and seasoned)

1

Dry Coconut or 1 small can1 Coconut milk

1

Small cooking (green/young) Breadfruit

6

Green Bananas

1lb

Easy Bake All Purpose Flour

4oz

Corn Meal or Grated Coconut

12 cups

Water

Method:

Grate coconut, putting aside 4oz for dumplings and the remainder, squeeze to extract milk. Use flour along with coconut to prepare dumplings. Wash and peal all vegetables. Bring water to boil, cut breadfruit into 4 pieces and cut out the inside (gut)Further cut each quadrant into three slices. Let breadfruit boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Chop ground provision and add to the pot, then add dumplings and bananas at 5 minute intervals.

Season to taste (then stir in coconut milk) and boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the fish at the tip of the food; Cook 10 minutes more allowing the fish flavor to seep through the rest of the pot.

February - Peas Soup

1lb

Beef (any other meat optional)

1lb

Dry coconut or coconut milk (optional)

2

Green plantains

1

Small dasheen

1

Small yam

4

Small eddoes

1lb

CariGold All purpose flour

1lb

12 cups

Water

1 tbsp

Vegetable oil

Method:

Sauté meat and peas in oil with garlic and onions and add water, (if using dried pigeon peas – soak overnight), cover and cook over medium heat for about 1 hour, until meat and peas are half tender. Add coconut milk, and other peeled root vegetables and dumplings (with or without coconut), along with seasonings. Stir soup and allow to simmer for 1 hour. Serve hot.

Make 4 to 6 servings.

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March - Vincy Cook-up

1lb

Beef (ham bone, salted pig’s tail, salt beef)

1 tbsp

Vegetable oil

2

Green plantains

1

Small dasheen

1

Small yam

4

Small eddoes

ECGC Flour

4 oz

Macaroni (bends / elbows)

Seasoning (onions, garlic, celery, thyme, hot /black pepper & salt)

Method:

Soak salt beef or pig’s tail over night, rinse in cold water. In heavy sauce pan, combine vegetable oil, meat, garlic, onions, thyme and celery, sauté for 5 minutes. Add water and boil 1 hour or until tender. Add coconut milk, vegetables, dumplings and seasonings to taste. Stir the soup for another ½ an hour. Finally add macaroni and allow to simmer another 10 -15 minutes.

April - Hot Cross Buns

1lb

(4 cups) sifted Cream of the Islands flour

1/4 lb

(1/2 cup) sugar

1/2 oz

Yeast

1 cup

Warm water

1/2 cup

Shortening

1lb

Currents or sultanas (heaped cup)

1/4 tsp

Salt

1/2 tsp

Mixed ground spice

1

Egg (optional)

1/4 cup

Milk

Method:

In a large mixing bowl combine yeast, a little of the sugar and the milk. Add 2 cups flour, cover and leave until the sponge has set about ½ an hour. Clean the currants, melt and cool the shortening, and add all ingredients to the yeast. Knead well, cover, and leave to rise until double in size. Shape into round buns, place 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover and proof for 20-30 minutes. Mark a cross on the top, brush with melted sugar, and bake in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 12 buns.

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Fried Bakes

1/2 lb

CariGold all purpose flour

1 oz

(2 tbsp) Shortening

1 tsp

Salt

2 tsp

Sugar

2 tsp

Baking Powder or 1 tsp Bicarbonate soda

1/3 cup

Water

Method:

In a large mixing bowl sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Add the shortening, using finger tips or a fork, mix thoroughly until resembles bread-crumbs. Dissolve the sugar in 1/3 cup of water and use this mix the flour to a soft dough. Knead lightly and cut into pieces the size of a small egg and roll into balls. Flatten balls to ¼ inch thick and fry in hot oil until golden brown.

1 lb

Fillets or cutlets of Fish (seasoning to taste)

Egg

Farine or Flour

Method:

Clean the fish and season it. Put bread-crumbs, farine or flour on a piece of paper. Remove seasonings from fish dip each piece in egg or batter, then drain well, using two folks: toss in the bread-crumbs, place on a board, and press the bread-crumbs in place with the blade of a knife. (If flour is used, no egg or batter is needed) Fry at once in smoking hot oil. If left to stand after coating, the flour or bread-crumbs become saturated and do not fry well.

Turn fish if necessary and be very careful not to put too much oil at once otherwise this cools the oil and will cause the fish to break. Drain well on paper towel.

June - Madungo Bakes

1 lb

Madungo (Cassava starch)

1/2

Coconut (grated)

1/4

Nutmeg (grated)

1/4 cup

Easy Bake flour (optional)

Pinch of Salt

Cinnamon to taste

Brown Sugar to taste

Water

Method:

Put some water in a pot to boil. Use water from pipe to make Madungo into a ball. Place the madungo ball into the boiling water until the outside forms into a “Glue-like” looking skin. This process takes about 2-3 minutes.

Remove the ball from the pot; place it in a container large enough to knead, then using a spoon peel the outside (glue-like skin) from the madungo ball. Then mash ball while it is hot.

Warm banana leaf over fire, wrap portions in the banana leaf  and bake in an iron pot, skillet or copper. Remove the banana leaf when about ¾ baked to give crunch and color to outside.

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July - Banana Fritters

3

Ripe Bananas

1/3 cup

Milk

1/4

Nutmeg (grated)

6 tbsp

Purity All Purpose Flour

2 tbsp

Sugar

1 1/2 tbsp

Baking Powder

Oil

Method:

In a mixing bowl crush the bananas until creamed. Combine together flour, baking powder with the sugar and nutmeg. Add milk to creamed bananas and mix. Dip a large spoon into the oil and spoon batter into frying pan.

Deep fry in a frying pan until brown and crisp on the edges. Drain on paper towel and serve.

August - Stewed Black Fish with Rice & Peas / Ground Provision

Rice & Peas

1 cup

Dried pigeon peas

1

Clove Glaric

1/3 tsp

Salt

1 cup

Three Jewels/ Carib Pearl rice

1/4

Hot pepper (finely chopped)

3

Green onions

1

Bunch Thyme

4 cups

Water

Method:

Wash and soak peas overnight in cold water. In a pot, place peas, garlic, thyme, pepper, salt, green onion and water; cook until tender. Check liquid and if necessary add enough water to make two cups. Wash rice, drain well and add to pot. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes uncovered. Then lower heat. Cover pot and cook until rice is soft and fluffy.

Stewed Black Fish

2lbs

Dry Black fish

1/2 cup

Cooking oil

1 cup

Onions chopped

1

Clove Garlic

1 1/2 cups

Tomatoes chipped

1

Green Lime

1/2 cup

Sweet Peppers chopped

5 cups

Water

1/2 cup

Celery

Method:

Bring water to boil and put black fish in boiling water with lime (cut in quarters). Cook black fish until tender and then drain. Cut in strips about 2 inches in length. Heat oil in sauce pan or skillet and sauté garlic, onions and celery until tender. Add black fish to skillet and cook for five minutes more, add salt and pepper to taste if desired. Remove from heat. Serve with steamed ground provision and coconut/corn dumplings, rice and peas or corn coucou.

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September - Slice

3

Coconut (grated)

3 lbs

Easy Bake flour

1 1/2 lbs

Sugar

1 1/4 cups

Water

2 1/2 tbsp

Yeast

3

Nutmeg, ginger and essence to taste

1

Red food coloring (to your liking)

Method:

Make bread dough in usual manner, roll out and spread with coconut filing. Then roll back and put to bake until golden brown. Remove from pan and glaze, and then cut into slices.

Filling: Grate coconuts and bring to boil adding sugar, nutmeg, ginger and essence stirring constantly. When the water dries out the filling is ready for use.

October - Breadfruit and Jack Fish

1

1 lb

Method:

Roast breadfruit using a coal pot or fire wood.

Clean the fish and season it. Beat the egg or prepare the batter in a shallow plate and put bread-crumbs or farine on a piece of paper. Remove seasonings from fish, dip each piece in egg or batter, then drain well, using two forks: toss in the bread-crumbs, place on a board, and press the bread- crumbs in place with the blade of a knife. (If flour is used, no egg or batter is needed) Fry at once in smoking hot oil. If left to stand after coating, the flour or bread-crumbs become saturated and do not fry well.

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November - Vincy Drinks

Mauby

Boil mauby, orange peel, cinnamon, clove and mace/aniseed in 1 cup water for 5 minutes. Cool and add cold water and sugar. Add plenty of sugar, as the sweetness goes off during fermentation. Strain into bottles, filling to the shoulder only so that entire neck of bottle is left for froth. Screw down and leave for about 3 days.

Serve with ice.

Grate and thoroughly mash ginger root, add boiling water and all ingredients except the yeast. Allow mixture to cool, then add yeast which had been dissolved in a little lukewarm water. Cover tightly for 6 hours, filter through a tea strainer, then through cloth. Bottle and cap tightly, store fro at least 3-4 days or up to two weeks. A small quantity of rum keeps it longer.

Serve with ice.

Wash sorrel, put in a jar with ginger, orange peel and cloves. Pour on boiling water and allow to stand for 24 hours or overnight. Strain and sweeten. Pour into bottles, add rice in order to help fermentation and allow to remain for at least another day.

Serve with ice.

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December - Vincy Christmas Black Cake

Method:

Grind fruits together and mix thoroughly with the black wine and strong rum/brandy. Let the fruits sit covered at room temperature for 2 weeks. Sift flour and baking powder together. Cream margarine, sugar, vanilla and spices until fluffy, add eggs; beat vigorously. Gradually fold in flour then all other dry ingredients and fruit mixture and browning. Mix thoroughly then add pineapple chunks if needed. Grease tins, and line with wax paper or brown paper, grease well then lightly flour.

Bake in moderate oven at 275°F for 2 ½ hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and pour 1 cup black wine and rum/brandy mixture on cake; soak for three days with remainder of rum mixture.