You Need These Must-Have High-End Holiday Gifts from The Caribbean

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December 13, 2019

Go beyond basics socks for your stocking stuffers this present-giving season with some high-end holiday gifts. To add a little more magic to your shopping list, we’ve gathers our favorite gift ideas from Caribbean creators. So celebrate Caribbean craftsmanship with these stunning designer gift ideas.

Forteza Caribbean Chocolates

These artisanal bars bring a farm-to- bar fine chocolate experience, infused with tropical flavors like passion fruit, coconut and piña colada. The brand exclusively sources its specialty cocoa beans from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Down In Jamaica: 40 Years Of VP Records

This beautiful limited edition box set celebrates 40 years of this iconic Jamaican music label with a bevy of stars, from reggae crooners like Dennis Brown and Gregory Issacs, to dancehall legends like Yellowman and Buju Banton.

Fanm Djanm Xoxo Headwrap

Get into the spirit of the season with this handmade headwrap by Haitian-born designer Paola Mathé. The classic red-and-green plaid pattern will add a dose of Christmas to any outfit.

Rust Sheer Palazzo Pants and Liz Tail Blouse

We love this festive combo by Grenadian-American designer Felisha Noel. From her resort 2019 collection, This outfit pairs light rust sheer palazzo pants with the silky Liz tail blouse.

Caribbean Candles

These handmade candles feature lush notes of ginger, bergamot and vetiver. The family-owned brand donates 10 percent of their profits to D.C. homeless shelters.

The Real McCoy

This line includes a bright and citrusy 3-year aged rum, a vanilla-tinged 5-year aged blend, and their grand dame—a mature 12-year aged rum with a velvet smooth finish (Available at fine spirits stores in South Florida)

Planting stories: the Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré

Inspired your little ones with this beautifully-illustrated children’s book by Anika Aldamuy Denise, which tells the life of New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who also championed bilingual literature.

Max Cocktail Ring and Trinity Cuff Bracelet

Dominican jewelry designer, Monica Varela’s eponymous brand features innovative techniques and an eclectic mix of materials. Pair this iconic ring with the matching bracelet, both of which blend gold with colorful microscopic fibers.

More Caribbean Holiday Gift Ideas:

Indulge in Jamaican home cooking for the Holidays with Chef Sian Rose

By

Jonny Rawson

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December 12, 2019

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Ask any Jamaican chef about memories of their family’s holiday meals, and you’re bound to get a good story about some good old Jamaican home cooking. For home cooks seeking inspiration for our own holiday tables, we turned to Jamaican Chef Sian Rose to find out the favorite childhood holiday dishes, and the memories behind them.

Chef Sian moved from her native Jamaica to South Florida when she was ten years old. Back and forth to the island dozens of times since then, her love of cooking originated in the place where she was born. In 2008 she founded Sian’s Cooking, the catering company specializing in Caribbean cuisine she now operates out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In addition to capitalizing on her cooking skills, Chef Sian keeps a blog where she catalogues her “ongoing food ventures.”

Mannish water (or goat soup) is the first thing Sian thinks of when asked about Jamaican holiday cuisine. This soup is “not for the faint of heart,” she says, as the main ingredients “are goat’s head, tripe” and other unmentionable body parts. Growing up on the island, Sian remembers being acutely aware the holidays were near when the family brought home a male goat. Years later, she still makes sure her uncle freezes some of his holiday soup for her, sometimes keeping it for months before she visits the island.

Jamaican Mannish Water

4 pounds goat’s head and tripe (cut into small pieces)
4 gallons water
3 tablespoon salt
12 green bananas, chopped
1 pound coco malanga, chopped
1 pound yam, chopped
1 pound carrots diced
1 pound “cho cho” (also known as chayote), diced
1 pound potatoes, chopped
1 pound flour for dumplings
1 bunch scallions, about 6 stalks, chopped
1 medium habanero pepper, whole
4 sprigs thyme
1 cup overproof white rum
3 packages of pumpkin or mannish water soup mix

Clean meat thoroughly with diluted vinegar water. In a 14 quart or larger pot, add meat
to salted, boiling water and let it scald for about 10 minutes. Discard the water. Add 2
gallons of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the pot and return to the fire. Cover and let
meat simmer over medium heat for one hour. While meat cooks, prepare the remaining
ingredients. Cut tips from bananas, leave skin on, and cut into small rounds. Peel and
cut the remaining vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces.

After meat has cooked, add vegetables and other ground provisions to the pot. Prepare the dumplings. Add more water, up to 2 gallons. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes. Add dumplings to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Taste for flavor. Add more salt and black pepper if desired.

More Jamaican Home Cooking:

Upgrade your Holiday Rum Punch Recipe from Mixologist “Casanova”

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Jonny Rawson

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December 12, 2019

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If you’re looking for an inventive holiday twist on your rum punch recipe, look no further that Barbadian mixologist Philip “Casanova” Antoine.

Known throughout the Caribbean nightlife scene, his unique mixology style has earned him multiple awards, including 2015’s Barbados Bartender of the Year. Always inventive, Casanova creates exotic cocktails that are enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. And when he’s not mixing drinks behind the bar, he also keeps busy by teaching the art of mixology to eager up-and-comers.

Although several seasonal beverages come to mind for Casanova, homemade sorrel juice ultimately invokes the holidays the most. “One fond memory I have was picking the pods with my grandma and putting the petals to dry,” he says, “I remember anxiously looking forward to making sorrel juice.”

Casanova also currently has a sorrel-based rum punch in his line of bottled cocktails from his brand, Liquid Artistry, that’s dangerously delicious.

Sorrel Punch

• 2 ounces dark rum
• 1.5 ounce sorrel syrup
• 3 ounce grapefruit juice
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Pour ingredients into a shaker tin/mixing vessel and shake vigorously to chill and infuse flavors. Pour over fresh ice and serve

More Rum Punch Recipe Ideas:

Master Dominican Pasteles en Hoja Recipe With Chef Danny Peñalo

By

Jonny Rawson

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December 10, 2019

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Executive chef at the prestigious restaurant Yarumba, in Miami Gardens, Chef Danny Peñalo Dominguez has made quite a name for himself in South Florida. Originally from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Chef Danny creates cuisine that puts a modern spin on traditional Dominican recipes. As a highly trained chef, he is committed to passing on culinary knowledge to aspiring chefs and acting as an “ambassador of gastronomy” at various events in South Florida and the Caribbean.

“Christmas Eve is the most important of the holidays and the best meal of the year,” he recalls of his family’s celebrations. The festivities typically begin on December 23, with the family gathering and getting into holiday mode with an enormous meal prep. Though a robust meal with many components, Christmas Eve dinner wouldn’t be complete without his family’s pasteles en hoja recipe, a Dominican-style tamale made of plantains and beef.

Pasteles en Hoja Recipe

For the filing

1 pound of lean ground beef
1 green pepper, small diced
1 red onion, finely diced
2 roma tomatoes diced
Oregano to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

For the paste

1 green plantain
1/2 pound of taro
1 pound of Calabaza pumpkin (also known as West Indian pumpkin)
1/2 pound of white yam
1 teaspoon of chicken powder seasoning
1 quarter cup of evaporated milk
1 tablespoon of salt

For wrapping

3 banana tree leaves and/or parchment paper
Wrapping string

For the filling, cook the beef with filling ingredients, making sure the final product is dry enough. Remove mixture from the heat and reserve. To make the paste, peel and grate the plantain, taro, pumpkin and yam. In a deep bowl, mix the plantain, taro, pumpkin, yam, milk, seasoning powder and salt.

To assemble, cut the plantain leaves into six -inch by five-inch squares. Put 3 tablespoons of the paste mixture on the center of one of these squares. Put 2 tablespoon of meat filling in the center, and cover with 3 more tablespoons of the paste mixture to cover the filling. Fold the leaf square in the shape of an envelope. Wrap again in parchment paper and tie tightly. Boil in salted water for at least 1 hour. Unwrap before serving.

More Holiday Recipes:

Caribbean Holiday Cocktail Recipe from Trini Mixologist Raymond Edwards

By

Jonny Rawson

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December 10, 2019

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“Most people associate the name Angostura with the popular bitters, but that is by no means the company’s only product,” explains the brand’s award-winning mixologist Raymond Edwards. Born and raised in the seaside village of Toco in Trinidad, Raymond’s jump from internationally competing bartender to chief brand educator for Angostura felt natural. When he’s not traveling, studying, or inventing new cocktails, he also mentors young bartenders.

When he thinks of the holiday season, two things come to mind: parang music and ponche de crème, both essential components of the “explosion of culture that is Trinidad and Tobago.” During the season, Raymond and friends used to start “paranging at 5 a.m.,” and the “ponches” would start flowing not too long after. Made traditionally with 75 percent proof rum, ponche de crème is a sweet, booze-for-ward, creamy beverage—and a great way to get into the holiday spirit.

Ponche De Crème

• 2 eggs, beaten (optional)
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 3 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup canned evaporated milk
• 1 cup Angostura 7-Year Rum
• 1/2 cup Forres Park Puncheon Rum
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 dashes of Angostura bitters

In a large bowl, beat eggs and lime zest using an electric mixer or swizzle stick until light and fluffy. Gradually pour in the condensed milk while continuing to mix, and then pour in the evaporated milk. Stir in the rum and bitters, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Transfer to a bottle and chill for at least one hour before serving. Serve over crushed ice. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

More On Caribbean Holiday Cocktail:

Celebrate The Holidays Virgin Islands Style with These Chef Recipes

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Jonny Rawson

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December 9, 2019

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Chef Winston Williams’s enthusiasm for all things culinary is contagious. Originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands, he brings his “Floribbean” style to high-end events across South Florida, from food festivals to glamorous weddings and parties.

Owner of the popular full-service catering company, Catering CC, he keeps a jam-packed work schedule, but still manages to entertain and inform over-six thousand subscribers on his YouTube channel.

For Chef Winston, the holiday season is all about the sweetness of family gatherings, of which tasty food and beverages were always a part. As a kid, he especially looked forward to lattice-topped fruit tarts—pineapple, guava, and coconut, to name a few—and homemade mauby drink every year. “Grandma and Mom would bake tarts,” he remembers, “and you could smell them throughout the house,” while the mauby fermented in the corner.

VIRGIN ISLANDS COCONUT TART
Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
8 ounces cold unsalted butter
1 whole egg

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a knife and fork or pastry cutter. Add egg. Stir together until ingredients form a soft dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten and let rest in the refrigerator for one hour. Unwrap from the plastic. Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Place half the dough into the tart pan. Save the rest of the dough for decorating the top of the tart. Bake crust for 5 minutes in oven. Set aside.

Coconut Filling 

2 cups grated coconut
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Combine coconut, sugar and water in a saucepan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes, until mixture turns from milky white to clear. Add essence. Spoon filling into crust. Cut remaining crust in 3/4 inch strips and crisscross them on top of filling, lattice-style. Bake at 375 F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is a toasty brown.

MAUBY

1 ounce sweet marjoram
1 ounce rosemary
4 (3-inch) mauby bark
1 orange (fresh orange peel)
3 pounds sugar
1 ounce anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon cake yeast
1gallon water

Boil bark and herbs in one quart of water to make bitters. Fill another container with
the gallon of water and sweeten with sugar. Add the bitters, then toss mixture with a
ladle. When the mixture begins to foam, add the yeast. Strain through a cheesecloth and bottle. Let stand overnight.

More Caribbean Holiday Recipes:

Haitian Chef Vicky Colas Shares Her Ultimate Holiday Recipes

By

Jonny Rawson

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December 9, 2019

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Are you looking to start a small culinary-related business, but don’t want the overhead that comes with maintaining an industrial kitchen? Haitian chef Vicky Colas, owner of Pro Kitchen Hub, has just the solution for you. Born in raised in Haiti, award-winning Chef Vicky’s commissary-style rental kitchen provides the perfect space for caterers, bakers, and food truckers galore. However, the community-minded Chef Vicky still manages to find the time in her demanding schedule to give back, partnering with many local nonprofits throughout South Florida for her nutritional education endeavors.

Growing up in Haiti, Chef Vicky’s holiday experience was centered around her family’s compound. Her grandfather owned and operated a rum distillery, and a couple months before Christmas, he would bring home a wild turkey. “When we saw the turkey, we knew the holidays were coming,” she remembers. Served with classic Haitian djon djon (or black mushroom) rice, her recipe for turkey roulade may be a bit fancier than the family’s original dish, but the essential components of Haitian cuisine remain.

Wild Style Modern Caribbean Turkey Roulade

1 turkey breast
8 ounces celery, batonnet cut
8 ounces carrots, batonnet cut
8 ounces leeks, julienne cute
8 ounces onions, julienne cut
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
1⁄2 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat your oven to 375 F. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil, celery, carrots, leeks, and garlic. Stir for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Butterfly the turkey breast with a boning knife. Lay out the breast on top of a cutting board and cover with a plastic wrap. Use a meat tenderizer to gently flatten the breast. Remove wrap and season the turkey breast surface with salt, pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Place the sautéed vegetables on top of the seasoned turkey and roll the turkey breast as tightly as possible, keeping the vegetables from spilling from the sides. Wrap the turkey in a sheet of aluminum foil, and secure the ends to prevent juices from leaking out. Place the wrapped turkey on a cooking sheet in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 165 F. Use the turkey skin to make a turkey chip by placing on sheet pan in aluminum sheets. Add sheet pan on top to press, and season to taste. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. Use as garnish.

Djon Djon Rice ( Black Mushroom Rice)

1 cup parboiled rice
2 cups water
1 cup djon djon mushrooms (for broth)
2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
2 tablespoons onions, small dice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1⁄2 cup vegetable broth
1⁄2 cup green peas

In large saucepan, add water and djon djon mushroom. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then
turn it down to a simmer for 6 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and preserve the water.
Wash and rinse rice under cold water and set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, then sauté onion and garlic for three minutes, until soft. Add 1 1⁄2 cup of the reserved mushroom water to the pan. Season with salt, pepper, ground cloves and thyme, and bring to a boil. Add rice. Let it cook for about 8 minutes or until 2⁄3 of the water has evaporated. Gently stir the rice and cover it. Bring the heat down to low. Leave it covered for 10-15 minutes before checking. Cook until fluffy. If the rice is dry, add more mushroom water.

Caribbean Power Couple: Nathalie & Brian James – Going the Distance

By

Monique McIntosh

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December 8, 2019

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Nathalie and Brian James - Caribbean Power Couple | Photography: David I. Muir

There are many things you can stumble upon while crossing the quads at the University of Miami. For Brian Theophilus James and Nathalie Cadet-James, in each other this Caribbean power couple discovered love and lifetime travel partners as fellow law students. “I still remember the first time I saw her walking across the law school courtyard, definitely very striking,” Brian recalls fondly. Nearly 20 years later, their journey has proven epic with many memorable landmarks, including the birth of their two beloved daughters, Johanna and Lucca.

Exposing their girls to diverse cultural experiences has also become a personal joy for the couple, who are avid travelers. Family trips have included taking a camper van to the mountains of Colorado, traveling across Europe exploring museums, and going back to Brian’s native island of St. Thomas to visit his old haunts. These trips in particular provide an opportunity for their children to learn and appreciate their Caribbean heritage, says Nathalie, who is Haitian-American. “It’s really important that our children carry that sense of connection. Our children are the best reflection of our sense of pride in our roots.”

No matter where the next journey takes them—hopefully in a future with an early retirement spent globetrotting, jokes Brian—the couple has learned to take new challenges in stride. “In marriage we all evolve, and I think that has made it an exciting journey for us,” says Nathalie. “It’s all about being committed, and staying the course.”

Easy Ways To Upgrade Your Holiday Decor Spread This Season

By

Tanya Marie

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December 5, 2019

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Whether dressing your home or yourself, sometimes less is more. During the budget busting holidays however, more is generally the way to go when it comes to holiday decor!

As a fashion and interior designer, I know that with a little creativity it’s possible to achieve high end looks on a thrifty budget. I call it living like a “Thrifty Trillionaire.” Use some of these tips to dial up your own level of fabulous.

Mixed Metals Decor

Easy Ways To Upgrade Your Holiday Decor Spread This Season — Photography David I. Muir

Mixed metals—silver and gold finishes together—create contrast and richness. Or mix bling with burlap for example, for a cultured, well-traveled aesthetic.

High and Low Holiday

There’s no price tag when it come the holiday cheer. So don’t be afraid to mix high and low! Pair a $200 novelty reindeer with a $10 mottled, large silver vase from the thrift store, filled with architecturally interesting leaves and flowers from your garden.

Think Outside the Box

Break large branches off of trees and spray them with metallic paints. Use beautiful curtains or spreads from your linen closet for table cloths. If in your travels you bought a fabulous pashmina, why not include it casually thrown across an eclectic tablescape? Shop dollar stores for holiday glassware, metallic plates and linen napkins. You’ll be surprised by what you find.

More Holiday Decor:

New Miami restaurant Dukunoo offers Jamaican food with modern twist

By

David I. Muir

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December 5, 2019

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restaurant Dunkunoo — Photography: David I. Muir

In the culinary landscape of Miami’s trendy Wynwood neighborhood, new restaurant Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen is a welcome addition for Caribbean foodies. The new eatery celebrates classic Jamaican dishes with an elevated, modern twist. Co-owner Leonie McKoy became inspired by the iconic flavors of her childhood when imagining the new restaurant. “We wanted to stick to simple recipes from way back, but bring it up a level in looks and presentation,” she explains. The chic new space trumpets its island pride, with reggae music playing in the background. The dining room has a simple, rustic ambiance, with a lively bar and a partially open kitchen.

For lunch, my server Rico “Suave” suggested some of the restaurant’s signature options. He started me off with their savory saltfish fritters, or “flittaz” as they’re fondly called, served on a bed of grilled corn and topped with curled scallion. Shaped into neat spheres, these tender morsels offered a crunchy exterior and pillowy soft interior flecked with aromatic seasonings and hints of fish. Both their aioli sauce and peppery hot sauce paired perfectly with the appetizers.

My cocktail “Lively Up Yourself” was a mixture of Appleton Estate Reserve rum, pineapple, guava and lime, topped with mint. I loved the creative touch of using frozen fruit instead of ice, which kept my drink cool without diluting it. This cocktail reminded me of a classic Jamaican rum punch, but with a little more swagger.

Reimagining Oxtail:

restaurant Dukunoo — Oxtail Stew with Rice and Beans. Photo: David I. Muir

For my entrée, I dived into their oxtail, presented with a pile of steaming rice and peas. The ultimate comfort food, the oxtail stew was filled with spinners (dumplings), butter beans and rich gravy, and of course the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender. The dish proved tame enough for novices trying Jamaican cuisine for the first time, but as an island man, I made good use of the pepper sauce. The rice and peas side was also flavorful and aromatic, with thyme, coconut milk and scallions.

Sweet Surprise

The meal ended with smooth, rich chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. The pairing proved extra luxurious, especially topped with chocolate syrup and coconut shavings. Served quite innocently on the side of the dessert plate were three slices of caramelized lime. Out of curiosity, I tried one and was blown away by these energizing little bites, the highlight of ahearty lunch.

Dukunoo’s staff was friendly and attentive, and the owner was a delight. For a quick trip to Jamaica (without the plane ride) visit at 310 NW 24th Street in Wynwood, Miami.