There’s a whole world of food in The Americas, the landmass that stretches from Alaska and Northern Canada, through the USA, Central and South America to the icy Tierra del Fuego archipelago – with an embracing arm including the diverse Caribbean islands. Here are a few of my favourite Canadian recipes, North American recipes, Latin American recipes, Central and South American recipes and Caribbean recipes.
Apple & Pecan Salad Two of the American South’s favourite ingredients, crisp sweet apples and crunchy pecans, come together in this simple salad that’s a bit like a Southern version of Waldorf salad. I like the way it looks layered, with the apple mixture piled onto a bed of mixed greens, but you can just […]
Some of the oldest American cocktails come out of the South, which makes them some of the oldest cocktails in the world given this style of beverage was at least popularised in the USA. Here are my favourite classic Southern cocktails, using some of my favourite Australian spirits (and a Kentucky bourbon). Each recipe serves […]
Hush Puppies I’ve been intrigued by hush puppies ever since a friend who grew up in the South told me about them. He said that when the good old boys were sitting around the campfire at night after a day’s hunting, they’d drop bits of corn bread dough into hot oil to fry and throw […]
SouthernHam Salad The South is famous for smoked ham. It’s fried for breakfast, sliced for sandwiches and popular in this party favourite. It’s called a salad, but is really more of a dip or spread, perfect for serving alongside its retro cousins, pimento cheese spread and devilled eggs, for an impressive start to a big […]
Benne Wafers (Sesame Cookies) Benne (pronounced benny) is the heirloom ancestor to modern day sesame seeds. Morgan tells me that even raw they have the rich, nutty flavour of toasted sesame seeds. Slaves brought benne seeds with them from Africa, and initially they were only grown in their subsistence plots. Over time the African cooks […]
Beignets(New Orleans Doughnuts) Beignets (pronounced bay-nyay) are close cousins to French boules de Berlin and were brought to New Orleans by the Acadians, French settlers exiled from Canada who relocated to Louisiana in the late 1700s. Beignets are traditionally served for breakfast with bitter chicory coffee but are delicious at any time of day. There’s […]
Aussie Solomon Gundy Solomon Gundy is a classic Jamaican spread (also called solomon-a-gundy) made from heavily salted herring so strongly smoked that the flesh turns a reddish brown (thus called ‘red herrings’). I’ve opted for locally smoked salmon to create this Aussie version served with raw vegetables for dipping. Keep any leftovers in the fridge […]
Also called simply ‘drops’, these chewy toffees are a favourite sweet treat of Jamaicans everywhere. I love the punch the ginger adds to cut through the sweetness. Don’t be tempted to take the mixture off the stove too soon or it won’t set; once it starts to get sticky keep a close eye on it, […]
This simple dessert is similar to a French crème caramel or Spanish flan, except it’s a bit denser. The Caribbean version uses condensed and evaporated milk as fresh milk was not always readily available in the past. It’s sometimes also made with coconut milk, and then it’s called flan de coco. Serves 8 Ingredients 5 […]
Hearty corn soup is popular in many parts of the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados … this is my take on the Bajan (Barbadian) version inspired by one Paul Carmichael told me about; I enjoy the three different textures of corn. Bajan corn soup often contains pumpkin or sweet potato, which I find a […]
