Chile's position in green on the Globe

On Saturday morning there was an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in central Chile. Stop right there! Remove all pictures of Haiti from your mind. Imagine instead if this had happened in the United States or Japan for we are not referring to an undeveloped and poor nation but rather to the wealthiest, most developed country on the entire South American continent. This is a country where the life expectancy is 77 (Jamaica: 76, US: 77, UK: 78, Canada: 80) and literacy stands at 96%. Chile has half as many AIDS cases per thousand of population as does the United States. They have attained what many countries aspire to: zero population growth. On a scale of one to ten with Haiti being one and the US and Canada being ten, Chile would be nine.

Moon Valley in the Atacama Desert

The geography of the country is unique as Chile is barely 200 miles wide but almost 3000 miles long. The reason is simple, the towering Andes create a natural border so Chile occupies the ribbon of land between that enormous mountain range and the Pacific Ocean. The country runs through 38 degrees of latitude from the Atacama Desert in the north to the Grey Glacier in the south, with every imaginable climate in between. The northern desert is the source of Chile’s traditional wealth as it is there that the world’s largest copper mine is located. The country has also in recent decades become the world’s fifth largest exporter of wine. Chile’s magnificent wine is grown in the Mediterranean climate of it’s central region.

Grey Glacier, close to the Antarctic Circle

The ethnic make up of the country is remarkably homogenous. 65% is mestizo, the Chilean version of “Jamaica white” being a mixture of mostly Spanish European ancestry with some Amerindian. 25% is European, mostly Spanish, German, Italian, Irish, French, Swiss and Croat. Another 5% is mostly Middle Eastern. Roughly 4.5% of the population consider themselves native, though few can claim to be pure bred Amerindians. Afro-Chileans make up less than 1% of the population and again are mostly of mixed blood. I have mentioned the ethic mixture because it fascinates me. Chile seems to have almost risen above the prejudices between the European settlers and native people that is so obvious on the other side of the Andes and, indeed, so much of the world. They appear to be on the way to becoming a true racial melting pot. The official language is Spanish with German spoken in some areas. English is mandatory in school. The four native languages have unfortunately almost died out.

On Saturday morning the BBC spoke to a scientist from The Royal Geological Society who explained differences between Haiti’s earthquake and Chili’s. Hopefully I can accurately pass the information on. Haiti’s quake was caused by a crack in the Teutonic plate and was 6 miles below the surface. This caused almost the full 7.0 force to be felt on the surface though over a fairly small area. Chile’s quake was caused by one plate slipping under another and was about 37 miles underground. The gentleman from the RGS said that the distance underground would have made the epicenter less relevant with an equal force at ground level possible 50 by 200 miles in size. The full force of 8.8 (700 times greater than the Haiti quake) would not have reached the surface. The Teutonic slip, as in the Chile quake, is also more likely to generate a tsunami, hence the warnings across the entire Pacific basin. This type usually has more frequent and stronger aftershocks than when the plate cracks. I hope my explanation is accurate enough to satisfy the experts, particularly my brother-in-law, a highly qualified practicing geologist.

Of course, at the end of the day, it is patently obvious to everyone that the main difference lies mostly in the vast economic chasm between Haiti and Chile. In proper codes and practices in one and the total lack of either in the other. In the difference between total despair and the ability to deal competently with a situation. In the difference between thousands of homeless people living in the streets six weeks later and streets which are mostly empty after two days as almost everyone has a place to go (some families even have tents as part of their emergency kits).  In the difference between a strong President and Government who are front and centre within the hour and ones who cowers in shock for days. However, we have already seen wide scale looting in Chile but isn’t this also a difference, for people more used to creature comforts will loose patience quicker than those who often survive in substandard conditions as a matter of course. The Chilean government is starting to deal with the associated problems and is already putting in place a timetable for recovery. Unfortunately, they have been through all this before and likely will again in the future.

All this being said; we must send our heartfelt condolences to the people of Chile. They do not need the huge outpouring of assistance that Haiti did, but President Bachelet has appealed for help in the form of mobile hospitals and search and rescue teams. And of course, they certainly need our prayers and good wishes.

(Photos from Wikimedia Creative Commons)

Read more about Jamaica at Jamaica-Allspice.com

In my opinion we hold on too much to “traditional exports.” We fight for a place on the world market for our bananas when the market seems to want bananas from Costa Rica. We then accept a lower price. Our bauxite industry has all but died a long and painful death. Recycling aluminium is a lot cheaper than mining and producing it from scratch. Good riddance I say to the deep red gouges in our green landscape. Sugar is no longer King. The King is dead, bury him! Jamaica is a small country; if there is a demand for something we produce we would never be able to produce enough of it to satisfy the market, the old “supply and demand” of basic business. Case in point: coffee.  Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is in great demand worldwide. Unlike bananas, we set the price for our coffee and the market pays it. In the middle of a recession, income from coffee has increased by 30%. The same is true of cocoa. There is a limited area where these crops grow so we can’t put thousands of acres more into coffee and cocoa. We therefore need other products. We have hundreds of thousands of acres of sugar cane. Every year we accept lower prices on this crop which used to be the backbone of our economy. We will need some cane fields for domestic consumption and the production of another star export, rum. Some of our existing fields can be turned to the production of ethanol. This takes retooling and a fairly heavy financial outlay but isn’t that better in the long run than accepting half price for sugar?

Take a drive outside the cities. Wherever you go you are almost guaranteed to pass stands of bamboo on the roadside. In the countryside we use bamboo for fences, for scaffolding, even for homes. On small farms bamboo “pipes” are used for irrigation, small rivers are crossed on bamboo bridges and large ones navigated on bamboo rafts.  Children fish with bamboo poles and, unfortunately, some are disciplined with bamboo switches. In China and Japan, bamboo scaffolding is commonly used in construction.

There are many old wives’ tales about harvesting bamboo. But often those old wives were smart. The sugar content of bamboo rises and falls. The more sugar there is in the bamboo is the more attractive it is to insects. Sugar content is at its highest during the hottest time of the day. Harvesting bamboo at dawn during the full moon is actually the best time as the sugar content is lowest at that time! Bamboo also starts to rot from fungus after five to seven years. Bamboo is therefore best harvested between three to five and five to seven years, depending on the variety.

Bamboo grows at an incredible rate; it is the fastest growing plant on earth and can grow 24 inches (60 cm) per day. Bamboo plants reach maturity in three years. Because of this it is cheap and it is sustainable. Lumber and textiles made from bamboo are no longer niche products but are in incredibly high demand worldwide. In the U. S. one can buy bamboo flooring at any hardware store and bamboo sheets at your nearest department store. The bamboo products industry is anticipated to reach sales of twelve billion U S. dollars within two years. Why can’t Jamaica get a piece of that pie? Certainly with such an unbelievably high demand, the market would absorb as much bamboo lumber as we could produce. I can see it in my mind quite clearly: Acres and acres of former cane fields, already laid out, with irrigation in place, turned to bamboo and the huge sugar mills gutted and refitted to cure and laminate the lumber. Sugar cane and bamboo are both grasses, for all I know they could be planted and reaped using the same equipment. Maybe it’s time King Sugar was deposed in favour of the Big Bamboo!

Bamboo Avenue, St. Elizabeth

Read more about Jamaica at Jamaica-Allspice.com

The Theatre Royal after the Great Earthquake of 1907

A hundred years ago Kingston was rising from the ruins of the Great Earthquake of 1907. Col. Wray was now a middle-aged businessman himself but wealthier than his uncle could ever have imagined. He was also mindful of where his wealth started and made an offer to the city of Kingston to rebuild the Theatre Royal at his expense. This was a great relief to the Council as one can imagine the public purse would have been thinly stretched with rebuilding numerous public buildings. A competition was held for the design of the new structure and this was won by Mr Rudolph Henriques of Henriques and Sons. Ground was broken and, by the end of 1912, the new Ward Theatre, completed at a cost of 12,000 pounds, was handed over to the Mayor (coincidentally my Great Grandfather) and Council of the City of Kingston. It’s very first production, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance took to the stage from December 19^th to 21^st with tickets costing between 2 and 4 shillings.

This splendid Neo-Classical building was constructed of concrete and steel, the newest method of building after the Great Earthquake. It boasts a stage of more than 2000 square feet and seating for over 800 patrons and was designed to rival the great theatres of Europe but ventilated to suit our tropical climate. The Ward also boasts perfect acoustics and every word spoken and sung on stage carries throughout the theatre without the need for microphones.

A recent photo of the Ward Theatre

My family attended events at the Ward for four generations for, as children, my sister and I were taken to Pantomime every year as well as occasional ballets. I recall watching the very First National Pantomime at the Ward. The theatre attracted international performances from all over the world: Italian opera, Russian ballet and the latest Broadway play. Many events in Jamaica’s history also unfolded there. It was at the Ward that the People’s National Party was launched in 1938 and the Jamaica Labour Party in 1943.

The Ward started its decline in the 1970s, theatre goers went downtown less often and, in a more modern time, there was the major problem of parking. Since 1982 the Ward, once the centre of the arts, has been almost permanently closed. In 1986 the Ward Theatre Foundation was formed and they have been valiantly fighting to raise funds to maintain and refurbish the structure. The Foundation and the Centennial Committee are now trying desperately to raise US$20,000,000 to bring this magnificent old lady back to her former glory in time for her Centennial less than three years away. It would be a wonderful thing indeed if our children could experience a performance on its stage and feel the grandeur that is part of a traditional theatre for the Ward is the only one of its kind in Jamaica and, indeed, the entire English speaking Caribbean.

Read more about Jamaica at Jamaica-Allspice.com

The 2010 Winter Olympics start today so what can we expect? The current bobsled team unfortunately did not qualify so there will be no Jamaicans this time. Wrong! Enter Errol Kerr.

AP photo

Errol was born in 1986 to a father from Westmoreland, Jamaica and a mother from California, USA. He fell in love with skiing at the age of eleven and by seventeen took part in the 2003-2004 Junior Olympics where he placed second in two events. Over the last seven years he has done quite well skiing for the US Team.

Then came the chance that every athlete dreams of: the Olympic Trials. Errol made his decision, if he was going to the Olympics; he was doing it for his late father and Jamaica! He went to the trials and qualified but things were touch and go for a while. Big sponsors are tripping over each other to throw money at our track superstars but our potential ski champ was having trouble finding sponsors. It costs the average professional skier roughly US$100,000 (J$8,900,000) per year for training and to take part in the requisite events. Errol has had sponsorship for only about half but, despite this, his ranking has slowly climbed from fifty-third to fifth. Then, at almost the last minute, the Jamaican Government stepped in and what seems to be the obvious local sponsor came on board: Cool Runnings Spring Water!

So friends, tune in tonight for the Opening Ceremony and watch the new kid on the block carry our flag, then again on the 21st to watch him compete. Good luck, Errol, the whole country is rooting for you!

Read more about Jamaica at Jamaica-Allspice.com

Into the picture comes a group of wonderful ladies who have been trying to care for the unwanted and unloved animals roaming the streets of Ocho Rios and other nearby towns. This cool and quiet rural setting would be an ideal place to relocate their shelter, The Animal House. Property is leased from the mining company and eventually over a hundred once bruised and battered dogs and cats move in. Life is good for these once neglected animals.

Then comes the news: the mining giant is phasing out and will no longer supply the shelter with power and water but, not to worry, the public utility companies will take over. Suddenly both services are cut off. One hundred and fifty innocent creatures and those who care for them are suddenly without water and power! After five months power is restored but not so water.

Upon investigation it is discovered that a large meat company, which also leases property nearby, had taken over the shared pipes and unceremoniously cut off the Animal House. The National Water Commission no longer intends to take over the lines. The ladies meet with the meat packers, the NWC and various government representatives, they are told to collect rainwater or pay the NWC US$15,000 to run pipes to the shelter. The ladies have no choice; they must buy water by the truckload to care for their wards. This is not cheap but must be done as often as they can afford it.

The Animal House is privately funded and is a no kill shelter.

I'm thirsty!

Please help these defenceless animals by signing their petition addressed to Jamaica’s Prime Minister.

Read more about Jamaica at Jamaica-Allspice.com

What we really want to know is how have we been helping our neighbours? An old Jamaican proverb states “we likkle but we tallawah!” and this has proven true. I’ve gathered together various news articles relating to Jamaica on the ground in Haiti.

JDF photo

The day after the earthquake our PM,  Leader of the Opposition and the Director General of ODPEM, along with a JDF contingent arrived in Haiti. The JDF contingent remained in Haiti and has been joined by additional JDF personnel as well as soldiers from other Caribbean countries at our base at the Port-au-Prince International Airport. By the first weekend Food for the Poor had landed ten containers of supplies at Cap-Haïtien to the north. On Friday and Saturday our Government was able to airlift out many Jamaicans who had been resident in Haiti using planes which had carried in supplies, soldiers and medical personnel. If you are aware of any Jamaican in Haiti who has not yet been accounted for call ODPEM at 886-1849.

We heard on Friday that the American Armed Forces in charge of the airport were turning back other planes giving preference to their own armed services. This included, among others, a plane carrying the CARICOM Secretary General and several Caribbean Prime Ministers. What many of us did not hear is that this plane also carried Digicel staff and equipment on the way to try and get communications back up. Communications are extremely important in any disaster. Despite the delay they were able to have their network 70% operational by the following Monday. Digicel customers can donate J$25 by texting HELP to 162. LIME customers can text the word HAITI to 444-HELP (444-4357) to donate J$50. From the 20th JPSCo linesmen, on 15 day rotation, have been helping to restore power to some areas.

These articles appeared in the Sunday Observer and the Sunday Gleaner five days after the earthquake giving an account up to that point. That same day the Director General of ODPEM spoke, already thinking of a long term plan and the US Secretary of State stopped off on her way home from Haiti to meet with the PM.

The JDF soldiers have a base established at the airport, Camp Restore Comfort to collect, hold and disburse our donations. They also travel with our medical teams and provide security for the Food for the Poor missions.

Our doctors and other medical personnel have been working in ten day rotation at three facilities in or near Port-au-Prince. People in the medical and health fields who wish to volunteer in Haiti can call the Ministry of Health at 1-888-ONE LOVE (1-888-663-5683), Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Here are a few newspaper reports covering our medical personnel there:
The Gleaner – Too Big a Task
The Gleaner -  Thank God for Him
The Observer – J’can Medics Save Lives
The Observer – Amputations Save Haitian Lives
The Observer – Heartbreak and Hope

We even found something to smile about in the middle of tragedy as we followed an appeal by a grandmother to bring home her granddaughter born in Haiti of Jamaican parents. On Sunday last, January 27th, we were happy to hear that the teenager had landed safely in Jamaica. We can also read the detailed account from a Gleaner journalist who had been there  in Part One and Part Two of his article.

Haiti is still recovering and will take, according to the experts, a full ten years to be rebuilt. At this point their most pressing needs are still water, food and medical supplies but down the road they are going to need houses, built properly this time like Jamaican houses. They will need a proper infrastructure which unfortunately they have never had. While we cry for water in the middle of Jamaica’s worst drought in twenty years we need to realise that only 45% of Haiti has ever had any kind of water supply and even that is incredibly polluted. They will need schools and hospitals and they will need orphanages, our hearts bleed to think of how many orphanages they will need.

Food for the Poor was started almost thirty years ago by concerned Christian Jamaicans living in Florida who wanted to help their less fortunate brothers and sisters at home. A few years later they expanded their relief work to the region’s most needy country, Haiti. The organisation now serves 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America and has grown to become the largest international relief organisation in the United States. It also has one of the lowest overhead costs (less than 3%) of any Charity in the world. Since the earthquake Food for the Poor has sent 300 containers of supplies. But they have been in Haiti for twenty five years. Before the catastrophe they had completed over 400 projects in Haiti and had another 220 under way.  They currently operate five orphanages through their Angels of Hope programme. They will need to build more. They have built over 8,000 single family homes in Haiti, they will need to build more. More than 95% of these homes, built with expertise from Jamaica and Florida, withstood the quake.

Nothing is too small so please help the people of Haiti by donating to Food for the Poor or other recognised charity.

The Digicel sponsored “Rise Again” featuring Shaggy, Sean Paul and others is now available for download on iTunes for US$0.99, all of which goes to the Digicel Relief Fund.

The people of Haiti will need the help of their Caribbean neighbours for a very long time,  let’s not forget them again as they have been forgotten for centuries.

Read more about Jamaica at Jamaica-Allspice.com

Once at Art School, Ian found that he was “drawn” to animation rather than motion graphics so he changed direction. Upon graduation he went to work as one of the thousands of keen young artists at the Disney Studio. One of his first jobs was as one of the many assistant artists painting the backgrounds for Mickey’s The Prince and the Pauper in 1990. He continued doing background work and visual effects then character design for a number of Disney’s animated movies: Aladdin, Pocahontas, Tarzan and Disney Television’s Hercules. In 2002 he was given the assignment as Associate Art Director for Treasure Planet, a reworking of Treasure Island set in outer space. The movie was nominated for several awards, including an Oscar.

He was then given the job as Art Director for Chicken Little to be released in 2005. An animated movie has hundreds of artists working on it. Some will do backgrounds, some draw characters, some work on specific sequences. An Art Director’s job is to make sure that dozens of characters, hundreds of scenes and thousands of frames all fit together seamlessly so that when we go to the movies we will see a finished product which looks like it was done by one person from start to finish; a monumental job indeed! Chicken Little was number one at the box office grossing US$40,000,000 its first week-end. In total it has earned over US$314,000,000! Disney was back on top of animated films. And a Jamaican was partially responsible for that!

Disney then went into production of The Princess and the Frog, featuring the first Black Disney Princess, Tiana. As with Chicken Little, voices would be done by famous people. No less a person than Oprah voiced Tiana’s mother. So who would be Art Director for this project? Why not the same person who worked on the previous box office smash? The film was released in December 2009 and grossed US$25,000,000 its first week-end. Only out two months it has already earned US$166,000,000.

Gleaner photo

So thanks to the quiet Ian Gooding, born in St Andrew and schooled at Campion College, Jamaica has shown the world that we’re not only singers and runners, but we certainly know how to draw! His family must be very proud indeed that they encouraged the young Ian to follow his dream because, just like in the Movies, dreams can come true.

Read more about Jamaica at Jamaica-Allspice.com

Remember to help our neighbours by donating to Food for the Poor

The Haitian Revolution of 1791-1804, the one we read about in history books, was only the start of that country’s unstable political climate as there has hardly been twenty years free of unrest in their entire two hundred year history. How can an economy grow against such a backdrop? Below is a very shortened version, in plain list form, of Haiti’s political history.

1791-1804 Inspired by the French Revolution, the slaves and free people of colour demand more rights from France. Bloody war ensues and Haiti eventually declares Independence on 1st January 1804. Dessalines is proclaimed Emperor for life and remaining whites must choose exile or death.

1806 Dessalines is assassinated. The Country is divided in two: A Kingdom in the North, ruled by Henri I, and a Republic in the South, governed by Pétion.

1821 Boyer succeeds Pétion, reunifies the country and, after Santo Domingo declares independence from Spain, invades that country and frees their slaves. In 1824 thousands of free blacks from the USA immigrate but, because of the poverty, most return to the USA.

1825 King Charles X of France sends a fleet to recapture Haiti. Boyer agrees to a Treaty whereby France will recognise Haiti’s independence in exchange for “restitution” of F150,000,000 (reduced to F90,000,000 in 1838).

1843 Boyer is ousted. Several more coups follow and by 1892 foreigners start to get involved again.

1892 The German government “suppresses” the current president, Firmin.

1912 Haitian Syrians form a plot and the Presidential Palace is destroyed.

1914 At the start of World War I, British, United States and German Troops each enter Haiti to “protect” their citizens from each other. The USA enacts the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, giving themselves the right to intervene to stabilise the economy of Caribbean and Central American Countries.

1915-1937 The United States occupies Haiti. During this time there are several elected presidents. During their occupation, the US enforces a border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and captures all disputed land in the border zone.

1937 Trujillo, the dictator of Dominican Republic, reinforces his borders by massacring all Haitians living on the Dominican Republic side of the border. He further establishes a form of Apartheid called Antihaitianismo against his neighbours.

1949 Lescot, elected president in 1941, tries to change the constitution to allow himself to be re-elected. A coup follows in 1950 and Magloire comes to power.

1956 Magloire is forced to resign by a general strike and there is civil unrest.

1957 Dr François Duvalier, the popular main opposer of Magliore, is elected president. Despite encouraging a black renaissance of professionals and literati, Papa Doc is best known for his creation of the “volunteer militia” the infamous Tonton Macoutes, who roamed the country killing everyone who disagreed with government policy. He proclaims himself President for Life. There is a huge “brain drain” from the country.

1971 Papa Doc is succeeded by his son, Jean-Claude, Bebé Doc.

1986 Bebé Doc is ousted and flees the country. General Namphy heads the National Governing Council.

1987 A new Constitution is overwhelmingly approved by popular support but elections are aborted when the army and Tonton Macoutes slaughter hundreds of citizens.

1990 Aristede is elected president. A year later he gets a no confidence vote from deputies and senate. He encourages his supporters to kill his critics. He is overthrown. Nerette is named Provisional President but chaos rules for the next three years.

1994 The US negotiates the departure of military leaders and reinstates Aristede to complete his term. He disbands the army and establishes a civilian police force.

1996 Rene Preval, former Prime Minister under Aristede, is elected President.

And that, in abridged form, is the history of Haiti up until 12th January 2010. In two hundred and six years of independence Haiti has suffered twenty-three coups and four invasions. Most of Haiti’s rulers have been despotic with the habit of robbing the public purse. Each generation of successful Haitians, mindful of history, have taken what money they have earned out of the country and generation after generation, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, have fled in fear of their lives. Do we wonder why Haiti is as poor and as hopeless as it now is?

Wikipedia Notes and References

Please Help Haiti by donating to Food for the Poor

We would expect that two countries close both in geography and culture would have similar foods. It is therefore no surprise that neighbouring Jamaica and Haiti have similar cuisine. There are many indigenous fruit, vegetables and native animals in common. Canoes of the early Tainos plied back and forth between the two Islands. The history of European colonists and East African slaves is a common one. War in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries between the English, headquartered at Port Royal and the French, later based in Port-au-Prince, also affected food as soldiers and their retinues carried recipes from one country to the other.

But, as we all know, similar does not necessarily mean the same. There are still French influences in Haitian food to this day, particularly their puddings and breads, and their food does not have the strong Eastern flavours which we got from East Indian and Chinese indentured labourers.

Similar

Diri et Pois Colles

1 cup red kidney beans
¼-½ cup salt pork, diced
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green Scotch Bonnet pepper, chopped
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups rice

Cook the beans in lightly salted water until tender, drain and set aside both the beans and the cooking liquid.

Fry the salt pork until crisp (use oil if necessary). Add the onion, garlic and green pepper and sauté lightly. Stir in the drained beans and sauté for a minute or two more.

Add  four cups of the water in which the beans were cooked. Bring to a boil, add cumin and salt and pepper if necessary. Add the rice and cook until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes.

Griot (Grillots)

½ cup scallions, chopped
½ Scotch Bonnet pepper, chopped
1 tsp thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup Seville (sour) orange juice
3 lb pork shoulder, cubed

Mix first five ingredients together. Pour over pork in a glass or ceramic container, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Drain pork and place in heavy pot. Add enough water to barely cover and cook for about 45 minutes.

Drain, then fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve with Ti-Malis Sauce

Ti-Malis Sauce

1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup lime juice
3 Tbsp butter
2 Scotch Bonnet peppers, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped

Marinate the onions in lime juice for about 30 minutes. Drain the onions, reserving lime juice.

In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, add the onions and sauté lightly. Stir in the peppers, garlic and tomatoes. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes

Turn off the heat and add the reserved lime juice. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Different

Diri Jon-Jon (Riz Djon Djon)

2 cups rice
1 cup dried black mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 sprig thyme
4 Tbsp butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and soak each in a cup of hot water for approximately ½ hour.

Sauté rice and garlic in butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add mushroom caps and water in which they were soaked. Discard mushroom stems and add water in which they were soaked.
Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Accra

1lb malanga (coco yam)
1 cup fresh black eyed peas (not dried)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 stalk scallion, chopped
½ onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ green pepper, chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, chopped
1 egg beaten
1 tbsp flour, approx.
½ tsp baking powder
Oil for deep frying

Grate the malanga. Process black eyed peas, ½ cup water and seasoning in blender until about the same consistency as the grated malanga.

In a bowl, mix the malanga with the black eye pea mixture. Add the beaten egg then the flour and baking powder to make a very thick batter.

Heat the oil until very hot. Drop the mixture by tablespoons into the hot oil. Turn when dark golden brown.

Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Bon Appétit!

Please help our neighbours in distress by donating to Food for the Poor or your favourite Charity

Hope for Haiti Now

Call Toll Free International: 773-360-0205
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