Colourful recipies from Old Jamaica

An unsophisticated guide to Jamaican Food and Cooking.

Ralph served in the Royal Airforce during WWII and married an English lady.  One of the early mixed marriages.  They settled in her home town of Boston, Lincolnshire and aside from some difficult times when the children were at school and growing up he reflects that Boston people welcomed him overall and he has a sincere regard for the town of Boston.

The food and recipes in this book, are those that were readily prepared and served by my grandmother 90 years ago and are still served in most houses in Jamaica today. They are not Chinese, Indian or African but very much Jamaican. You will notice that there are no exact measurements in the recipes, there are guides. Recipes include Jerk Chicken, Pumpkin Soup, Easter bun and Cheese, Cornpone, Sweet Cassave, Tamarind drink, Callaloo and salted Codfish, Fried Red Snapper. Most of the ingredients are available in your local supermarkets across the UK where West Indian, Asians or Africans live.

The two meals Ralph encourages everybody to have a go at, are, curried goat and boiled white rice, and escoveitched fish. Have fun.

NB There is an exception to the imprecise rule of Jamaican cooking and that is my late Aunt Daisy’s rum punch – that formula is divine.