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Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Recipe Sharing: Global Flavors: Bahamian Food

My ethnic background is Bahamaian-American. My mother was American, and my father was from The Bahamas. I sort of have a tradition of sharing a little something about my Bahamian roots in every community that I join. What I would like to share with this group is Bahamian food. Matador Network published an excellent article titled “Traditional Bahamian food and dishes from the Bahamas”. The 8 foods are listed below.


🏝️1. Johnny cake

Johnny cake is considered the unofficial bread of the Bahamas, with roots tracing back to Indigenous and early colonial cooking. Despite the name, it’s not a cake at all but a dense, slightly sweet bread baked in a skillet. Many Bahamians enjoy it with butter, cheese, or alongside savory dishes like stews and souse.

🏝️2. Conch salad

Conch salad is a national treasure made with raw conch “cooked” in citrus, similar to ceviche. It became popular as fishermen prepared it fresh right on their boats. Locals often debate who makes the best version — spicy, tropical, or classic.

🏝️3. Chicken souse

Chicken souse is a light, tangy broth seasoned with lime, allspice, and peppers, traditionally served as a weekend comfort food. Historically, souse was made with whatever meat was available, making it a thrifty but flavorful dish. It’s also a beloved Bahamian “hangover cure.”

🏝️4. Guava duff

Guava duff is a steamed Bahamian dessert featuring rolled dough filled with guava and drenched in a warm rum butter sauce. Its origins reflect British steamed puddings adapted with Caribbean fruit. Many families guard their duff recipes like treasure.

🏝️5. Rum cake

Rum cake became popular in the Bahamas thanks to the islands’ long history of rum production dating back to the 1700s. The cake is soaked in rum syrup, making it incredibly moist and long-lasting — perfect for gifting. Some bakeries even ship them worldwide as a taste of the islands.  

NOTE:  There is Non‑alcoholic rum is a zero‑proof spirit designed to mimic the flavor of rum — the molasses, caramel, spice, and oak — without the alcohol content.  You can make rum cake without rum.

🏝️6. Pigeon peas and rice

Pigeon peas and rice are a staple Sunday dish, flavored with tomatoes, thyme, salted pork, and coconut milk. The dish reflects West African culinary influences brought to the Caribbean. It’s so iconic that many Bahamians judge a cook’s skill by their peas and rice.

NOTE:  This recipe varies by cook.  Some omit the salt pork.  Some use chicken broth instead of coconut milk.  Some use bay leaf instead of thyme.  Some use tomato sauce or paste instead of tomatoes.

🏝️7. Goombay Smash

The Goombay Smash was created in the 1960s by Miss Emily at her bar in Green Turtle Cay. This fruity rum cocktail is named after “Goombay,” a Bahamian music style featuring goatskin drums. Visitors still travel to the original bar to taste the authentic version.

NOTE: A non-alcoholic Goombay Smash (often called a Virgin Goombay) is a fruity, tropical mocktail that captures the essence of the Bahamas. It typically blends pineapple, orange, and apricot flavors with a hint of coconut. [1, 2, 3]
The Recipe
This single-serving recipe perfectly balances sweet and citrusy flavors to mimic the iconic island classic:
  • Pineapple Juice: 3 oz
  • Orange Juice: 1.5 oz
  • Cream of Coconut: 0.5 oz (use canned, unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk)
  • Apricot Nectar or Jam: 0.5 oz (acts as a stand-in for the traditional apricot brandy)
  • Fresh Lime Juice: 0.25 oz
  • Angostura or Orange Bitters: 2 dashes
  • Garnish: Pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry [1]
Instructions:
  1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mason jar with ice.
  2. Pour in the pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream, apricot nectar, lime juice, and bitters.
  3. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds until the mixture is chilled and frothy.
  4. Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
  5. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a cherry! [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Pro-Tips & Shortcuts
  • To nail the coconut flavor without real cream: You can use 0.5 oz of a non-alcoholic coconut syrup (like Monin).
  • Want it frozen? Throw all the ingredients into a blender with a cup of ice and pulse until you have a slushie consistency.
  • Want a shortcut mix? Brands like Margarita Man sell ready-made Goombay Smash concentrate that you can simply mix with water and blend for a virgin slushie. [1, 2]
SOURCE
🌴🍹🍉⛱️🥥

🏝️8. Conch fritters

Conch fritters are deep-fried balls of chopped conch mixed with peppers, onions, and spices — a favorite festival food. They became popular as a way to use tougher conch meat by tenderizing it in batter. Every cook has their own secret seasoning blend.

Out of these 8 foods, the 3 foods that I remember our family eating regularly when I was growing up were conch salad, conch fritters, and pigeon peas and rice. These dishes are very easy to make. However, depending on where you live, the ingredients may not be available. You may live in a place where you can just go to the local fish market to buy conch. 

If not, just Google “where can you get fresh conch”, and you will find online stores. The same thing for pigeon peas. You might be able to get them at your local grocery store. If not, you can buy canned or dried pigeon peas. The other 5 Bahamian dishes on the list are just as tasty. But the three I mentioned have special memories. Here are links to the recipes. Hope you get a chance to try them.

Conch Salad

Conch Fritters

Pigeon Peas and Rice

NOTE: Some people vary the conch salad recipe by adding diced mango or pineapple. * * *  

Food and Drink : Recipe Sharing for Chai Tea Lovers

Growing up in America, there was only one main tea (that I knew of). Lipton. To my late sister's credit, she made great tea! Her hot tea or her iced tea were both dee-licious! However … it was just Lipton tea. The Lipton brand name and company have been around so long that it's practically revered as part of American tradition. I'm not being disrespectful. Don't get me wrong. But I went through my entire childhood and even went several years into my adulthood before I even realized there was something other than Lipton orange pekoe tea! Not just “other than” but even “better than”. Yes! I know! I'm speaking in treasonous language for sure! LOL.

Anyway … whereas I can only remember Lipton orange pekoe tea on the store shelves as a child (I can even remember the commercials), these days the grocery store shelves and the company's official website, display a variety of teas. Oh yeah! They have green tea, matcha tea, berry hibiscus, etc.

When did this happen and why? I don't know the WHEN, but I do know the WHY. When I was a kid, Lipton had hardly any competition. They dominated the market for American tea drinkers. But times have changed, and the American taste buds have changed, and now we drink a wide range of teas. Our grocery store shelves are loaded with every kind of tea imaginable. If you can't find what you're looking for in the local grocery store, then surely you can find a tea online and/or a video on how to brew your “special cup of tea”...

Which brings me to the main point of this discussion.

CHAI TEA.

I only learned about this wonderful drink a few years ago.
Come to find out that it's only been around for an eternity.




What happened was that my late husband stopped drinking coffee and opted to begin drinking tea instead. That led him on a quest to find a particular tea that he liked and that he believed would contribute positively to his health. One thing led to another, and he eventually discovered chai tea.

However, being my typical husband, that meant that I couldn't just go to the grocery store and pick up a box labeled “Chai Tea” and bring it home. Oh no! Certain chai tea has this ingredient or that ingredient, and he wants this or that … yadda yadda yadda. He came up with his own chai tea recipe.

I'm like: “You made up own recipe? Isn't that like … UN-Indian or something?”

It seems it's not. It seems that whoever drinks what they call “chai tea”, Indians or non-Indians, many have their own special recipe for this drink!

I found a few YouTube videos for making chai tea. The first video led to the next video, and that video led to a bunch of other terrific videos!

I searched some of the discussions here at Forum Coin and found a couple of interesting comments.

* Per @mandeep4687:
“ … "Masala Chai" in India which can be made by adding Indian spices such as elaichi, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, milk, sugar and herbs to your everyday black tea.

Last Drink You Drank (Daily Thread)


* Per @ksridharprasad
Air India national carrier of India wish to introduce Indian traditional food on board to their passengers soon, Now they are offering ... Lunch and Dinner with masala chai(Tea). ...

Traditional Food in Air India flights

* * *

Are you a tea drinker?

Do you have your own chai tea recipe?

If not chai tea, do you have your own special tea recipe?

Do you prefer your tea sweetened or unsweetened?

My Chinese friend used to brew a cup of tea made with popped rice; no sugar. I'm like, "You can do that?"

One of my daughters just loves hibiscus tea. She always keeps some in her pantry.

A few of my other daughters love to experiment with all kinds of herbal teas.

All of my daughters prefer sweetened tea.

No doubt about it. The wonderful world of teas is fascinating!
Image



Iraani Chai | Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana



Masala Chai (Indian Masala Tea)



Chai Masala Powder - Secret Ingredient of Flavoured and Aromatic Indian Tea | Winter Special



* This content first appeared at ForumCoin.com, Jan 24, 2018. * 

Tea is Always a Good Idea

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Exotic Fruit: Do You Heart Persimmons?

Fuyu Persimmon Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu'
~ Other Common Name(s): Fuyu Kaki


Fuyu persimmon is a fruit that ripens in the fall season and should be included in the American cornucopia or “horn of plenty”. It is sweet and has a beautiful color! It makes for a beautiful ornamental plant. It attracts birds, so you might want to put a cage around it.

There are two other varieties of the persimmon that I know of: Cinnamon Persimmons (also called Percinnamons); and Hachiya Persimmons. This fruits is native to China and Japan.  But there is also an American persimmon.

persimmons
  • According to folklore, if you crack open a persimmon seed from a ripe fruit and the shape inside (called a cotyledon) looks like a fork, winter will be mild; if you see a spoon, there will be a lot of snow, and if there is a knife, winter will be bitingly cold and “cut like a knife.” (Source: Farmer's Almanac)


You can make cookies, pies, breads, and jam with it. Slice or dice tme like apples and you can put them in salads, if you like fruit in your salad. Instead of apples with your roasted pork, substitute persimmons. You can dehydrate them and eat them like chips!
  • FUN FOOD FACT: You can freeze persimmons whole. Then when ready to eat, take them out of the freezer, let stand for 20 minutes to soften up, cut off the the top, take a spoon and DIVE IN!
Here are some wonderful recipes collected by Yummy Mummy Kitchen and Martha Stewart.

20 Persimmon Recipes  

12 Persimmon Recipes Everyone Should Make This Fall
 






Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Food Blog Spotlight : How to Cook Italian : Easy Recipes from CiaoFlorentina

Many people love Italian food. Although my late husband said he didn't. Even though he watched and sometimes recorded the cooking shows of Lidia Bastianich. When we subscribed to cable TV, he rarely missed an episode of Giada De Laurentiis. (O.o)




https://eesfoodiejournal.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-fall-neapolitan-style-dinner.html
I heart most things Italian, with food being at the top of my list. There are so many Italian food bloggers out there. In fact, my third post for this blog shone the spotlight on one of my favorite blogs: JovinaCooks Italian.

Here is another one of my favorite food blogs: Easy Italian Recipes – CiaoFlorentina.  Cooking advice is provided, and many recipes are gluten-free, paleo, and vegetarian. A few selected posts appear below to ignite your curiosity to know more and whet your appetite for some tasty Italian cuisine.

Chocolate Covered Oranges with Red Pepper Flakes * Christmas Recipes

The ultimate Chocolate Covered Oranges: tangerine and orange slices dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with red pepper flakes for a nice kick. It is that time of year ago when our orange trees are so loaded the branches started breaking. Which means there are oranges and tangerines all over our kitchen.

* * *

Replace potato chips with a healthier alternative. How to Make Brussel Sprout Chips (Crispy) *

Crispy and light baked Brussel sprout chips with just a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Easy to make and loved by all! Who is as excited as me about fall and baking trays upon trays of these Brussel sprout chips?

* * *



Vegetarian Calzone Recipe *

Italian vegetarian calzone, pizza pockets stuffed with veggies and cheese, and grilled in a cast iron skillet, a vegetarian's dream! First of all, you absolutely gotta make this vegetarian calzone, you guys! I had them for breakfast ,and I'm not even ashamed to admit it.

* * *

Monday, May 11, 2026

Round Up! Random Foodie Finds: Recipes and Healthy Eating Tips

When this foodie blog was started back in 2016, I made it clear that "its purpose is to share food finds for food lovers, recipes, cooking tips, and all things foodie!" 

Staying true to the purpose, it's been almost 10 years, and as they say: Time flies when you're having fun! This blog post includes recipes to encourage you to eat your fruits and veggies and a link to an informative article published by the American Cancer Society for reducing the risk of cancer.


American Cancer Society: Avoid Meat to Reduce Cancer Risk | livekindly.co : The American Cancer Society (ACS) unveiled its new guidelines for reducing the risk of cancer. The organization advises people to eat less red and processed meat and more whole, plant-based foods. …

Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa & Black Beans (vegan & gluten-free) | momswhosave.com :  A delicious recipe for Mexican stuffed peppers with quinoa and black beans. This recipe is vegan (& gluten-free), but some melted some cheese on top, or a dollop of sour cream would be tasty …

11 Best Indian Mango Recipes To Try At Home food.ndtv.com : 
The best of our Indian mango recipes for you to try at home. Let's just agree that the primary reason for most of us to wait for the peak summer season is only the… 



Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon

I can smell nutmeg, apples, and cinnamon.

I can sprinkle a little powdered pumpkin spice or a dash of plain old cinnamon in my morning cup of coffee.

For an evening meal, I can enjoy a hearty bowl of butternut squash soup or cook up a stew chock-full of root vegetables and meat, made with that special secret ingredient:  cinnamon.


In the United States, people associate cinnamon with the autumn season and/or the Christmas holidays.  But for me, any time is a good time to enjoy cinnamon.
😍  

Shining the spotlight on one of my favorite warming, feel-good spices.  Cinnamon!

DID YOU KNOW?

Cinnamon used to be more valuable than gold.

"The woody, warming spice we sprinkle with abandon on top of baked goods and specialty coffees is native to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and India. But very few people knew where cinnamon came from when merchants first began selling spices throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa as far back as 3,000 years ago — and spice traders capitalized on that lack of knowledge to charge high prices. The stories they told sound wild now, but they once made cinnamon more precious than gold. ..."



http://amzn.to/2gi4rq4
DID YOU KNOW?

- There is a mythological creature called the Cinnamon Bird?
- In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used in the embalming process?

There's probably lots of other things you didn't know about cinnamon as well.

If you're curious, read more:  20 Facts about Cinnamon.

Links to a sampling of recipes using cinnamon that reflect world cuisine and global tastes:

Soft, chewy sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, snickerdoodles are a cozy American classic with a signature tang from cream of tartar. Their warm spice and crackly tops make them a nostalgic favorite across generations.

Silky pumpkin soup often features cinnamon to enhance its natural sweetness, creating a comforting bowl enjoyed from North America to the Middle East. The spice adds depth and warmth, especially in autumn-inspired versions.

A hallmark of American baking, apple pie relies on cinnamon to bring out the fruit’s brightness and aroma. The spice blends with apples to create a filling that’s both sweet and warmly spiced.

Cinnamon is the star of many coffee cakes, swirled through the batter or layered as a crumbly streusel. This beloved treat appears in variations around the world, often served with tea or coffee.

In Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, baklava layers crisp phyllo with nuts scented with cinnamon, then soaks everything in fragrant syrup. The spice adds warmth that balances the dessert’s sweetness.

A celebrated South Asian rice dish, biriyani uses cinnamon sticks as part of its aromatic spice blend, infusing the rice and meat with deep, layered flavor. The result is a fragrant, festive centerpiece.

In Mexican mole sauces, cinnamon contributes subtle warmth that complements chiles, chocolate, and nuts. Its presence helps create Mole’s famously complex, bittersweet depth.

Cinnamon often appears in Chinese and Southeast Asian roast duck marinades or spice rubs, adding gentle sweetness that enhances the rich, fatty meat. The spice helps create a beautifully aromatic, lacquered finish.



Kunafeh, the Middle East's Favorite Cheese Delight!

Chinese Cinnamon Beef Noodle Soup Recipe - Chinese.Food.com

Chinese Cinnamon Beef Noodle Soup Recipe - Chinese.Food.com

This was published in a Fine Cooking magazine a couple of years ago. I was so excited to have found a relatively easy yet very flavorful noodle soup for my family. My husband (the ultimate food critic) loves this and doesnt mind eating it for days.


Tomato Bredie - Traditional South African Stew (Video) | PantsDownApronsOn (One stick of cinnamon required.)


Featured Products from SpiceCubed.


Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Do You Have a Favorite Summer Fruit and Do You Like Popsicles?

Don't you love it when you're listening to the weather forecast and they announce when the first day of a season will begin? I do. 

Even though spring is my favorite season, I get excited when they announce that summer will begin. Summertime means summer fruit!

Summer fruit just brings out everyone’s inner foodie, doesn’t it? One person is Team juicy‑watermelon‑drip‑down‑your‑arm, another is Team perfectly‑ripe‑peach, and someone else is fiercely loyal to their icy popsicle stash. Whether you’re Team creamy popsicles or Team icy popsicles, Team fruit‑chunks‑inside or Team silky‑smooth blends, there’s something fun about picking a side and celebrating the flavors that make summer feel like summer. 

I love summer fruit. My favorite is nectarines. I also love popsicles and found some recipes for you to enjoy your summer fruit as a popsicle.

Cold and sweet. It’s the perfect treat for a hot summer’s day or night! Don’t you think so? **



I rounded up some fun summer‑fruit inspiration from around the web — recipes, tips, and a few sweet treats that made me smile.  These video creators and tweeters have some of the most refreshing ideas for making the most of summer fruit.


glitter-graphics.com

glitter-graphics.com

glitter-graphics.com


Monday, March 30, 2026

Cheesecake: A Slice of Heaven, Joy, and Pure Delight

Cheesecake heaven ... delight ... joy ... dressed up or plain.  No matter. It's the best dessert on the planet!!  Happy for any excuse to enjoy a piece of cheesecake! 😊

Gourmet Cheesecake is the ultimate dessert gift for the ultimate dessert lover. There are many wonderful sites where you can purchase these fabulous gourmet food gifts online.
From classic New York Style cheesecake to Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake. Tough decision, huh? I know!  It's hard to decide if you want to be generous and buy it as a gift OR get it for yourself and eat it all? 😊

Hark!  Is that the voice of a diva?

What's that?  You're a domestic diva, and you prefer to make your own cheesecake instead of buying a gourmet gift online?  OK!  The listing of recipes below is for the Martha Stewart look-alikes. 




July 30th is the official date set aside for National Cheesecake Day.  But for me, it's an occasion to extend throughout the entire year. 

EES shares recipes, cooking tips and all things foodie!

Everyday Exotic Spices


Thinking of the winter holidays?
- Easy Eggnog Cheesecake Recipe
- White Christmas Cheesecake

glitter-graphics.com



EES Foodie Journal ~ Food Ways ~ Let's Explore Together!