While every one luxuriates in the joys of paradise there is no comparable sense of pride in the food of the region. In what follows, I intend to give not only wonderful examples of the foods which are consumed daily through out the region, but also to fill the reader / user, with a sense of the joy of living in the Caribbean.
The unique nature of existence in the Caribbean, I believe demand that I attempt to impart to you, the reader some of the sheer pleasure of life, and the joy of cooking in the region. Food here is always accompanied with words; individuals are known to have waxed lyrically about a meal for years after the physical pleasure of said meal has ceased. I was brought up on stories about the exploits of many, after they had indulged in various fruits in the region.
Memories are still live, of nights spent eating fish roasted over a few hurriedly gathered stones. While waiting for the fish, we would tell each other stories of our latest exploits, but invariably we would relayed folk tales which had been handed down, while be kept cooled with the gentlest of breezes rolling in from the coast. The poems, which accompany many of the dishes, are intended to further enhance such feelings. They are employed to help in further establishing a sense of the pace of life in the Caribbean.
I hope that by the time you have tested a number of these recipes you will agree that the Caribbean is region in which the one and true culinary heaven is waiting to be discovered. So come with me while I take you across the archipelago. Lets eat the National Dish of Jamaica, The Cakes of Barbados and some Ice Creams from Grenada while we embrace the philosophy of the region.