Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

[Q3210]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

The ritual of preparing coconut milk. The grating on that typical Jamaican grater seen in every Jamaican home.
The husking of the kernel. Collecting the water in a cup.
Green Biscuit, did you witness the actual task?
The squeezing by hand of the cocnut kernel`s trash so as to extract the `milk`.
btw. What is the universal name for what we Jamaicans call `coconut milk`?
I haven`t a clue.

[Q3210]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

The patwa can be a little too fast and heavy on delivery, Jamaica_Dreaming.

[Laurel]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

I am SOOO looking forward to having a market experience my next reach! Of course I get way too lost in the flurry of the chat - he is patient with me tho and will repeat everything so I can keep up.

Qie - not a big fan of the boiled bananas - but you can set me up with a big old platter of fried dumplings any time -

Greenie ... sorry - I must shut up - but all this talk about Jamaican Breakfast and dumplins gets me going!!

Write On!!

[Q3210]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

I`d love to hear of Greenie`s Immersion in Jamaican breakfasts and coconut milk extraction.

Notice how mealy and mountainous a Jamaican breakfast can be, compared to the rather bready/ toasty/ bagely American egg and bacon fare.

[Redj]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

Thanks GB, are you the lady with the short red hair?

Loving the pics. You were very brave to go to the butcher shop. I can't stand it. I can handle fish shop though.

Love the pics ! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[loops]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

please to hurry up GB...my patience is wearing thin....

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Q3210]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

Redj, she was brave enough to go it alone with such young kids in remote Jamaica let in a butcher`s shop, but thats why she has good friends.

[loops]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

as i said GB....hurry back with the rest of the story....

I'm counting to ten now....

[Seveen]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

GB -

I am counting down the days until I can get my son back to Jamaica. I am so sick of PlayStation and Sponge Bob I could choke. I can't wait for him to get back to discovery and being satisfied with real stuff. Also no need for his medication there.

Jamaica is a great place to take kids 'cause they understand it takes a village to raise a child. I have met many wonderful people that have extended themselves graciously because my son is with me.

For me - watching his joy there - and for me - the comfort that he is there with me - has made for some of the best memories for the both of us.

Peace out.

[Laurel]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

Sevie - isn't that the TRUTH!!

One of the many qualities that made me fall hard and fast for my B was watching him extend 'himself' to all the children that surround him in his 'village' .... especially watching him father his precious little girl!!

I look forward to meeting your son!

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

Q, and everyone....I sure did have plenty of Jamaican food. In no particular order, the callaloo was picked fresh, from the yaad, and the two sisters' next door. C went out, and yelled, and each of the siblings took a yard. He ended up with a mammoth bunch, enough to fill a very large bucket. He proceeded to clean it with the patience of Job, washing and inspecting each piece, discarding anything remotely discolored or wilted, then a second rinse, and a thorough drying. It was chopped fine, sauteed with onion and seasoning, and served with some nice thick toast. A couple of you may remember that I did not like callaloo before. I did this time, prepared this way. Cole ate it on the toast, and thought it was pretty good.

Other things we had included fried flour dumplings, brown stew, side dishes of yams, irish potatoes (I was right at home here), escallion sauteed into most everything, a cabbage and carrot salad, snapper, lobster(twice - grilled and a garlic saute), curried fish....but my absolute favorite was the roasted breadfruit.

This we bought from a guy who came by the yaad, and C carefully punctured it and set it in the sun to drain. The next day, he built a fire (he must really love us - it was sooo flippin' hot) and raosted it slowly. YYYUUUUUUMMMMY!

He called Cole "meat lover" because she doesn't like seafood. He and the kids and I could have had fish everynight, but we had lots of beef, chicken and pork, sometimes with fish, so she would be satisfied. Amazing. To her credit, she tried just about everything, and even liked the curried fish.

We also had fresh fruit (most bought at the market for a relatively high price) and mangoes. My son absolutely adored eating the mangoes from the bush outside....the kids would just give him one, and away he would munch into juicy, sticky oblivion. I have no idea why I can't find a photo of that....hhhmmm. That was one of my favorite things. One or two of the fruits got blended into a drink with rum.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

Although I helped with the cooking, C didn't care if I didn't. So much of the time, I was getting the kids cleaned up from a hard day of play and heat, that the best I could do was to help him finish, set the table and plate. One night though, I told him to grab a Guiness and smoke and have a seat on the stoop out back. I think I added - get out of my kitchen! - which was such a joke. I proceeded to make a sauteed chicken with fresh mango salsa, with brown rice. When I had everything on, but not quite ready, Jonah had an accident, and feel out the door.

P reached us seconds later. He had fallen out, scraped his side going over the edge of the step, then fell into the dirt and bumped his head on the coral rock. The dirt was ground into every inch of him from the chest up. In restrospect, it is kinda funny, but not at the time. He had dirt coming out of his nose for three days. This photo is from a few days later, after the scabs came off.


Paula helped my clean him up, after turning off my burners for me. She had, however, inspected my meal, I would say. When someone else came in later, and realized that I had made dinner, they were suprised that I could cook. I chuckled when P said that "Donna is a good cook".....not sure if she tried it already, or just approved of the ingredients. I made sure she had a bowl of it for herself later. I passed, except the rice was kind of old - must have been on the shelf for awhile.

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

On the coconuts, Q. I had mentioned the first day to Cudge that I wanted some jelly. The first afternoon we were at the beach, he went off for a couple of minutes, and came back with some, and a machete. He skinned it right there, and poked the holes, and gave them to us to drink...right out of the shell....when we had sucked every last drop we could, he opened them, and scooped out the jelly and fed us pieces. It was heavenly. It is one of those experiences that captures the essence of Jamaica - real, earthy, sensual. Unless you have experienced it, or were there, you could never explain to anyone. Nuff said.

[Laurel]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

What a SWEET SWEET little Biscuit!!!! Could those SAUCERS for eyes get any bigger!!!

Poor fella for taking such a tumble!!

[Laurel]

Re: Cultural Immersion in Little Bay

captures the essence of Jamaica - real, earthy, sensual. Unless you have experienced it, or were there, you could never explain to anyone. Nuff said.

THAT'S IT!!! NUFF SAID!