From Gangs to Gardens

Welcome to EcoHipHop! Love this film by JLove Calderon which chronicles the journey of letef Vita (otherwise known as DJ Cavem) from gangster to urban organic gardener, eco chef and environmental educator.   Using the power of music and education to bring the idea of reconnecting with nature, the importance of food security and healthy living to us all. As the

Keeping Cool With Jamaican Sorrel

As summer dances along and temperatures soar one of my favourite long cool drinks is Sorrel. Yes, purely speaking it is traditionally drunk at Christmas in the Caribbean as a festive drink, but with delicious spices and a tanginess that is refreshing this is just so good I love drinking it throughout the summer too. A fabulous idea to have in the

Ma Zil’s Easter Bun – Traditional Jamaican Spiced Easter Bun

Easter is a big occasion in Jamaica. Like many places across the world something special is baked for this special holiday period. At home I look forward to my mom’s Easter bun which became a little bit of a phenomenon on the street where I grew up. A good friend of mine looked forward to this Easter period and would

Toto Fabulous Toto – Jamaican Coconut Cake

I love reading great blogs.  One of my favourite food blogs for some time now is That Girl Cooks Healthy by  passionate cook Charlene.  Like me Charlene is also of Caribbean heritage and I absolutely love her approach to Caribbean food making delicious, healthy, dairy and gluten-free dishes.   So I was over-joyed that she said ‘yes’ when I asked

Pepperpot Pepperpot: Banana Curry

A quick easy fragrant curry that you can add just about any greens from the garden you like to. I had some chard in the cold frame and some plantain left from the Rhubarb soup so I made this the focus of this curry but you can use green banana instead of plantain and then add seasonal greens in the

Rhubarb, Plantain & Split-Pea Soup

Whilst we usually experience rhubarb as a dessert in delicious sweet dishes with lashings of fresh custard (yum!) it is of course in truth a vegetable and I have wanted to try using rhubarb in a savoury dish for some time. Forced rhubarb (rhubarb grown in the dark under an upturned bucket or special forcing pot) is ready for harvesting

My Caribbean Kitchen Garden

The kitchen worktop is covered in carefully arranged seed packets as I plot out what to grow and where to grow it.  As I look out at the garden I have decided that the patio will be the place where I will be growing most of my seasonings. A sun-baked strip at the back of the garden will be for

Naturally Sweetened Delicious Cornmeal Porridge

Morning!  Delicious Jamaican Cornmeal porridge is on the menu this Sunday. Jamaican’s love their porridge and I’m happy to say I’m no exception!  Cornmeal porridge is the Jamaican choice for a warming nutritious breakfast.  It is rich and warming, and so tasty with lovely spices.  A great alternative to oat based porridge as it’s gluten free.  If you’re tired of

Eat. Pray. Love. I-TAL.

Growing up as the daughter of Jamaicans I know that in the Caribbean we love our food to be cooked “properly”.  However, there is a long tradition and strong culture of eating fresh and raw foods.  Within certain communities eating a predominantly plant based diet rich in raw and living foods is unquestioned as the essential source of well-being both

Carrot Punch

Carrot juice reminds me of Sunday mornings when mum would call me to the kitchen to come and help with the dinner. My favourite parts of making dinner was making the drink for the table. I would often make carrot juice but being Jamaican carrot juice is never just carrot juice. Cinnamon and nutmeg was always on hand to give

One Cup Of Coffee

I dream of living in the Blue Mountains in Jamaica. I’ve visited and stayed there in bliss. I love it’s remoteness, the people, it’s spectacularly greenery and lush rivers. The Blue Mountains are famous for the world renowned coffee it produces. Few other places have the climate and terrain to produce such an amazing crop. A cup of Blue Mountain