I love fish and every now and then, I’ll make fish and chips. But on my third trip to London, I realized I’d never had fish and chips there. I decided to remedy that. After browsing books and talking with authors and sellers at the London Book Fair at Earls Court, I decided to head upstairs for lunch. I was pleased to see fish and chips on the menu and...

When I was growing up in Jamaica, certain foods were associated with certain religious holidays, days of the week, etc. For example, rice and peas were reserved for Sundays and special occasions, like weddings, parties, etc., rum cake at Christmas, and Easter bun for, you guessed it, Easter. Now, the Easter bun can be found in most grocery stores at any time during the year, rice and peas has become an...

Lately, nothing I cook satisfies my taste buds. But since I have to eat something and I’m not wealthy enough to eat out every night, I have to find something to eat. I’ve switched to desserts. Well, one in particular – Ambrosia. Ambrosia is a simple dessert that I can make almost with my eyes closed. What I love about it is the rich combination of sweet (I have a...

Whenever my friend, Anneli, comes to town, we always meet for lunch at a different restaurant. This time, I told her to come uptown to Harlem so we could try Red Rooster, one of the newest additions to my neighborhood. One of award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson‘s restaurants, Red Rooster, features American cuisine with a nod to the rest of the world. I knew dinner would have been impossible without a reservation...

This dish has won me friends and lovers each time I serve it. Every Jamaican I know either has an ackee tree out back or ackees in the freezer. And the ones “a foreign” have a can or two in the pantry and/or frozen ones they or someone brought back from Jamaica for them. Ackee is a very popular and versatile dish. Serve on toasted bread for a tasty bruschetta...

I love food and I love to eat. But I’m very particular about what I like. I nearly ditched my last year of university so that I could stay in Barcelona. For the food. In terms of spices and richness, the food in Spain comes pretty close to what I grew up eating and what my body responds to. When I’m in Jamaica, one meal I enjoy thoroughly is escoveitched...

The first thing I do when I arrive in Montego Bay is find a spot for jerk pork. I’d start tasting it, and yes, it’s always pork, before the plane even lands. For years, Scotchies, a little joint about 1-2 Jamaican miles from the airport on the north coast road between Montego Bay and Falmouth did the trick. But the last time I went to Scotchies (MoBay), my mouth watering...

Way down on the southwestern coast of Jamaica, just over the Manchester border from St. Elizabeth is a seaside restaurant called Little Ochie (not to be confused with Ocho Rios on the island’s north coast). Started in 1989 by Evrol “Blackie” Christian, this little spot has become a favorite destination for Jamaicans (some of whom travel 2-3 hours to get there) and visitors alike who are looking for freshly caught fish...

I love a good cocktail, especially one with a rum base. So when I knew I was going to Havana, I was as excited about going as I was about all the rummy cocktails I knew I’d get to drink. Cuba is, after all, rum country. It’s also home of the mojito, the daiquiri and the Cuba Libre – all made with rum and lime juice, my other favorite ingredient....

About an hour after we left Durban‘s King Shaka Airport, we were at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Though only a short distance away, it felt like a different world. As we exited, we noticed Stefan looking anxiously towards the arrivals gate then at his cell phone, as if trying to decide whether to make a call. We shouted his name and he turned and smiled widely. It was...