I'm working on a cookbook which I hope creates an everlasting account of everyday cooking in and around The Bahamas. However, until then, here are a few of my everyday tips and recipes.
Spicy Garlic Butter
1 tsp chopped jalapeno.
1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
A pinch of cayenne pepper.
1/2 cup fresh chopped garlic (Do not use the pre-chopped jar kind)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
Zest of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lemon
1 lb of salted butter (Don't be cheap buy a decent brand)
Soften butter slightly and add all ingredients. Refrigerate after.
Chef tip: Add cold butter to a few splashes of warm water to make a butter sauce for seafood. Keep the heat under the pan low and swirl the butter and water together. Spoon over seafood.
Garlic shrimp in spicy butter
Make your olive oil even better. Simply add some olives and aromatics to the oil and infuse it even further.
If you're like me, I love to finish foods with EVOO, but sometimes good olive oil is too expensive and the taste can be .........😔.
Don't be shy. Add whatever you like and watch as your salads and other dishes come to life!
Chef tip: Refrigerate it after. The additional ingredients will cause it to deteriorate.
Ask any Bahamian what their 2 favorite drinks are and most will agree;
SWITCHA & COCONUT WATER. WELL, WHAT IF YOU COMBINED THE 2!
COCONUT WATER SWITCHA. Simply substitute the water when making your limeade and BOOM! It is possibly one of my favorite things I've ever made. Try it.
4 cups fresh coconut water
1/2 cup simple syrup ( 1/2 & 1/2 water and sugar(
Juice from 2 limes
Serve over ice with coconut pulp, aka jelly and lime slices.
THE ULTIMATE GRILL CHEESE.
OKAY.......I'm not going to give you a recipe for grilled cheese 'cause even my nephew can make a badass grill cheese, but here are some tips to make your everyday sandwich even better
Use mayonnaise to "butter" your bread and not actually butter. Butter burns and makes the bread toast exceptionally dark. Mayonnaise doesn't nearly as quickly. Try it. It works.
Add a few slices of cheese ontop of the sandwich and then broil to melt. If it's going to be cheesey let it be cheesey!
Try a spread instead of cheese slices. This way it melts evenly and a combination of cheeses can be used. I prefer equal parts, blue, mozzarella, cheddar and swiss.