In case you haven’t already noticed, my life and writing often revolves around themes. When I have a particular feeling, notion or idea on the brain, I have a tendency to get wrapped up in my own little fantasy. Some would label this compulsive behavior, but I much prefer to think of myself as a ‘highly passionate’ person…With the onset of Spring and thoughts of sunshine and steamy destinations, I’ve naturally started to have a hankering for tropical food…something spicy, sexy and ohhhhhh so flavourful! It’s time to shake off hearty casseroles and slow-cooker staples in favour of my sorely-neglected BBQ.
This coming weekend, I’ll be cooking a family dinner for my mother’s 61st birthday. As you can probably guess, my sudden ‘tropical fever’ will undoubtedly have an impact on the menu. I’m throwing caution to the wind and trying to do everything from scratch: fresh, spicy and completely experimental. While I’ve enjoyed eating both Latin and Caribbean cuisine in restaurants, both are relatively uncharted territory in my kitchen. On the plus side, my family isn’t exactly made up of “island cuisine’ aficionados, so I can probably get away few minor wrinkles. Lord only knows where I get this predilection to feed spice to very white people?!? Sometimes I think I should have been born closer to the equator…
So far, here is Sunday’s culinary vision:
Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Bell Peppers and Pineapple
Southern Rice Pilaf with Pecans
Steamed Green Beans
Dessert: Lemon-Lime Layer Citrus Cake
Wine: Albariño (Spain)
No starters necessary as this should already be enough food to feed an army. Thankfully, I’ve also figured out ways to make everything waistline and bikini friendly – huzzah!
Wish me luck folks! Hopefully I will not have to pass Pepto around the table as a digestif.
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