St. Vincent’s Nine Morning Christmas tradition

There’s a little Caribbean island – one which you may not have heard about before – and every dusk for the nine mornings before Christmas as the sun starts to rise, all who live there flock into the streets to hear the sound of drums and steel bands filling the air.

Samuel and HermieAndrews, 75 and 70,  talk about their memories of a St. Vincentian Christmas, and the Nine Morning Walk.

Lalah-Simone Springer

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Christmas cake the Jamaican way

I’m sitting in my aunt’s kitchen as we speak getting intoxicated on the scent of Brandy wafting through the air- the smell is the familiar- it’s undoubtedly the scent of a West Indian Christmas!

Jamaicans as you may know love some good ‘ole rum and when it comes to making festive cakes, not a lick is spared. Not only is the cake mix littered with spirits before it’s even in the oven, but it’s then doused with liquor  for several days after it has been baked. Mmmm pretty good stuff, no?

If this sounds like your idea of culinary heaven, then you’ll be extremely pleased to know that I like Santa have come bearing gifts. I’ve kindly brought you all a recipe to give you that Irie feeling that only a good Caribbean cake can deliver, so make sure you’re ready to bring on the boozy brandy and currants, and kick back to enjoy the xmas countdown.

-Peace and love  – Jade S-

Recipe courtesy of JamaicaMix.com

Ingredients

1 lb Butter or margarine, softened
1 lb Dark brown sugar
1 doz eggs
1 lb Flour
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Baking powder
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Burnt sugar (found in Caribbean markets)
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
1/3 cup Rum
2 fruit mixture
1 lb Prunes
1 lb Raisins
1 lb Currants
1 lb Cherries

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until pale yellow. Add 2 eggs at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and burnt sugar.
• In a medium bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add slowly to the large bowl, mixing well. The batter will be very heavy. Add about 2 cups of the fruit mixture (more or less according to taste). Mix well. Pour into well greased and floured cake tins. Bake at 350 degrees for about an 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Once the cake is cooled (do not remove it from the tin), pour approximately 1/4 cup of rum over it. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Check the cake every 2 to 3 days. If it becomes “dry” add some more rum. Continue in this manner for 1 month. (You might not have to add any rum to it after 2 weeks, but keep checking it.)

Fruit Mixture: Chop fruit in blender or food processor. Put into a jar which can be tightly sealed. Cover the contents with rum and seal the jar.

Keep in a cool, dark place. This should be done at least 1 month in advance of the cake. If you don’t use all of the fruit mixture, don’t worry…it will keep for years! It’s also a great topping for vanilla ice cream

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Caribbean Christmas Dinner at Cotton’s

Bringing an avant-garde twist to Caribbean Christmas favourites this year is Cotton’s restaurant, London’s home away from home for food from the islands.

As per usual, Cotton’s will be giving the recipes a bit of updating – which doesn’t normally happen on the tradition-led islands.

Attend for such mouth-watering delights as whole roasted Salmon with a pepperonata sauce, served with boiled green banana, and a mango ginger dressing.

Just as fresh, just as tasty – but definitely not as you’d see it on the islands!

Cotton’s Caribbean Restaurant can be found in Camden, and Islington, with differing menus at each restaurant, but the same attention to detail.

The Christmas set menus start at £25 for three courses, with the Camden branch featuring an amazing 270 different kinds of Caribbean rum.

Open from noon to late, if you’d like an evening table book now to avoid disappointment.

And, Merry Christmas!

Lalah-Simone Springer

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Caribbean Christmas’ Ginger Beer

An abundance of fresh ingredients as well as a warm, sunny climate make the Caribbean Christmas something to behold. There’s no need to huddle around a (mainly electric these days) fire with a cup of tea!

Make a change this Christmas, and when taking away the roast potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings that the English find so dear, spice up the snowy air with some “hard foods”: yam, dasheen, plantain and breadfruit, just to name a few of the home-grown delicacies.

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