I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
Oistins, in the southern parish of Christ Church, is a major fishing community in Barbados with a modern fishing market. On Friday night particularly, the big thing to do is go to thefish fry at Oistins Bay Gardens. The food is the main draw – excellent fish, (tuna, swordfish, marlin, mahi-mahi, flying fish), lobster, chicken etc. served in an extremely informal setting. One of the most atmospheric, cultural and rewarding eating experiences on the island, Oistins Fish Fry attracts thousands of local people and visitors. A cluster of beachside shacks fill up with hungry customers to feast on fresh fish – grilled, baked or fried – served with a choice of macaroni pie, rice or coleslaw. You can get your fish grilled or fried depending on which vendor you choose from. It’s all cooked on the spot in front of you.
Of course we went to Oistin’s. And we went on a Friday night too. The place was hoppin’. Pat’s was the place we chose, which we found out later, is THE spot to go to. But you have to go early if you want a spot to sit down and enjoy your meal.
While Larry was in line to order our food, I went to one of the other vendors for some rum punch. These gentlemen all highly recommended the rum punch from this vendor too.
All the seating at Oistin’s is open seating under tents.
We dined like the locals, and enjoyed some grilled marlin and some fried flying fish, one of Barbados’ National dishes. Both were very good. It was caught fresh and fried right there in front of us on open grills.
Some of the sights and other locals around Oistin’s.
They all wanted some fresh fish too.
This guy is just lucky he wasn’t on the menu.
We went to Oistin’s one more time, but it was not nearly as alive as it was on the first night, a Friday night. Friday nights are definitely the nights to go.
Barbados is an island nation with a very rich and diverse history. It was originally inhabited by both the Arawak and Carib Indians. In the 1500’s, the Europeans started coming over. There were the Spanish, the Dutch, Dutch Jews, English, Muslims, and of course Africans who were mostly brought over as slaves. Each one of these cultures has left indelible influences on the Barbadan culture of today. Today’s Barbadans are almost exclusively African. They embrace their culture and history and have grown strong because of it. They are proud people. Barbados is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries, or at least so they say. I personally think Grand Cayman is, but maybe that’s just me.
Normally we jump right into the water for diving, but this time, we waited a day since we had such a long travel day. Instead of diving the first day, we took a walking tour through Bridgetown. Our tour guide Karen was a wealth of information and was very interesting. We spent about 3 hours with her, learning all about the Barbados history. The tour was fascinating. We learned so much.
Our tour guide Karen. She was great. Bridgetown is one of 11 parishes on the island, located on the southwestern portion of the island.
Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados. The town, which was founded in 1628 and was originally called Indian Bridge. Bridgetown is where the Parliament Buildings are located, which are open to the public as well, but you have to be dressed appropriately to attend Parliament sessions. That would have been very interesting to attend, but we didn’t have the time or the appropriate clothes to do so. Next time.
Bridgetown is also where a lot of revolutionary protests took place. Today, Bridgetown is a place of remembrance for a lot of the Barbadan historical events and people.
This is Independence Square.
Barbados 1st Governor, Errol Walton Barrow. They call their honored citizens The Right Excellent.
It overlooks the marina. The marina separates the river from the ocean.
The famous bridge, also the namesake of the town. It used to be a drawbridge. Today it is just a walking bridge.
The bridge bears the Barbados Pledge of Allegiance.
This is one of the original docking wheels for the ships, dating back to the 1600’s.
This building was one of the original merchant buildings from the 1600’s that would load sugar cane, molasses and rum directly onto the ships.
These were the loading mechanisms that directly loaded everything onto the ships. In the 1600’s, the water’s edge came right to the buildings. Today, they have extended the streets over the water.
A sad and dark part of Barbados history was the slave trade. Barbados was one of the largest slave trade regions of the time.
But instead of dwelling on their past, they overcame it and moved forward. This sculpture garden honors the famous leaders and people of Barbados, including the singer, the Right Excellent Rhianna.
This is a WWI memorial to the brave men and women who fought for freedom.
This is one of the oldest markets, that still thrives today. There have been very little changes made since it originated in the 1600’s. This is still the most popular way of buying fruits and vegetables today too. Fruit and vegetable stands are everywhere.
The Original Merchant Building, still very much alive and thriving today.
I love the old architecture and all the attention to detail.
This is the 2nd oldest church in the Americas. It is an Anglican or Episcopalian church, as it is known in the U.S., again built in the 1600’s.
The ceiling was designed this way to make people think they were looking into the skies or the Heavens.
This was the 1st synagogue on the island, built by the Dutch Jews. Today it is used as a mosque.
This used to be the assembly spot for the African members of Parliament, located in front of the old synagogue.
And Freedom Square. It is still used as a gathering spot today for rallies, protests and freedom loving functions of all kinds.
Bridgetown is the hub for all things political. The rest of the island is full of history too, but different kinds of history. It was a fascinating and very informative tour. We learned so much about Barbados by taking this tour. I highly recommend it.
Today is September 11. Twenty-three years ago today, America was attacked by terrorists. I will ever forget. I hope America and the whole world will never forget either.
Many people think Barbados is a Caribbean Island. But it is actually considered to be an island in the Atlantic, since most of the island is above the Caribbean Ocean and is situated in the Atlantic Ocean.
Getting to Barbados from Denver was no easy task. There are NO direct flights. We took a red-eye from DIA to Panama City, Panama first. That was about a 6-hour flight. Then we had a 4-hour layover in Panama City before leaving for Barbados, with another 4-hour flight ahead. We did get an upgrade though, and got to fly business class. This was a first for us. We even got served a delicious breakfast.
Panama City from the air.
We flew over the northern coast of Venezuela. With the current circumstances in Venezuela, this is most likely the only way we will ever see Venezuela too.
Flying into the Barbados airport.
The population of Barbados is almost exclusively African, with a lot of African cultures and influences. They are very proud people and celebrate life at every opportunity, especially through art, music and bright colors. This jubilant scene greeted us as we were going through customs.
We stayed in a smaller hotel the first night, since our timeshare was not ready for us, then moved into our timeshare the next day, where we stayed for the remainder of our stay.
Even though we were exhausted on that first night, we still had a little energy left for some island explorations and dinner before calling it an early night.
Our real island adventures would start the next day. 🙂
I know you all are curious about our Barbados trip, and I have lots to share about that too. But I wanted to share how I finished off my fresh garden tomatoes first. 🙂
Silly me. Before we left, I forgot to store my tomatoes and accidentally left them out on the counter all week. They were still good, they just got a bit soft. No worries though. When they get soft, they are perfect to add into soups, sauces or stews, or in this case, a tagine.
Tagines are both a North African or Middle Eastern cooking vessel as well as a type of stew. There are endless possibilities. Be creative and use your imagination.
Chicken Tagine with Artichokes and Tomatoes
I marinated my chicken in a lemon garlic sauce for about 1-2 hours before cutting and cooking it.
4 chicken breasts
1 TBSP garlic
1-2 tsp turmeric
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP olive oil, or garlic olive oil
red pepper flakes to taste, optional
While the chicken was marinating, I made the harissa paste.
Harissa Paste
1 TBSP chipotle chilies in sauce
1 TBSP garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sumac, optional
coarse salt to taste
1-2 TBSP olive oil
Mix everything together well until it forms into a paste and set aside.
Combine the onions, sugar and lemonpeel and saute in a hot skillet with the olive oil, for about 3 minutes, or just until they start to caramelize. Cut the chicken into cubes and add to the onion mixture, and continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, herbs and the harissa paste and combine thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Incorporate the chick peas, artichoke hearts and olives and cook for an additional 5 or so minutes.
Serve over couscous and top with a dash more harissa paste on top, then add some warmed flatbreads or pitas on the side. Delicious! I served it all with a cool, crisp white blend too.
I have now used all of my fresh, delicious tomatoes. Don’t throw them away when they get a little soft. Just repurpose them. We all get a little soft in the middle sometimes, trust me, I am living proof. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
Janet and Bob’s tomato garden was once again very prolific this year, and they gave me a ton of tomatoes.
Unfortunately, we were leaving in just a couple of days. I gave some of the tomatoes away to both Mike and Lauren and to our neighbors, Hanaa and Aziz, and tried to use as many as I could before we left.
One of the ways I used some of those delicious tomatoes was by making a tomato tart.
I love tomato tarts and make them quite often. They go with everything.
I started by making the dough, with lots of lemon pepper. Lemon and tomatoes go together perfectly.
Basic Dough
1 1/2 cups flour
6 TBSP cold butter, cubed
dash of salt
1 egg
5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream
Pulse the flour, butter and salt together in the food processor until it resembles coarse sand. I also added about 1 TBPS of lemon pepper for this tart at this point too. Add the egg and the cream and mix until it forms into a dough ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.
When the dough is ready to work with, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to fit whatever pan you are using. Press it into the pan firmly.
Preheat the oven to 375* F or 191 *C.
Line the bottom of the tart with shredded mozzarella or jack cheese, or a combination of any light shredded cheese you like. Use a variety of tomatoes and slice them into thin slices. Then arrange them on top of the cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the dough is lightly golden in color. Allow the tart to cool slightly before drizzling with pesto, optional, and removing from the pan and slicing.
!Mangia. Buon Appetito! I promise, you are going to love this. It goes with everything, or you can just eat it on its own. It is perfect no matter how you decide to enjoy it. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
Hello Everyone. I’m back. We arrived home yesterday morning. We had a good time and the diving was great. I will be back into my normal routine again soon. First, I am still doing laundry, and house cleaning and going through all my pictures. I am about half way done. We came home and hit the ground running. We are already hosting as big party for our friend Bryan on Sunday, so I am getting prepped for that too. 🙂
Our Barbados dive team. We dived with everyone all week. We all left on Saturday too. Thank you Roger and Shanikah (on the ends) for all the great diving. 🙂
We are off once again. This time we are Barbados bound, for of course, more diving. we are leaving tonight and will be gone, and off the grid for about 10 days. So, be good, or at least have fun, while I’m away. I’ll see you soon. 🙂
This is us diving in Cabo, our last dive adventure, in January.
The lakes are pretty quiet these days. There were no birds, or ducks or geese, which is very unusual. But I did see some dragonflies. There was even a caterpillar that someone found. He let me take pictures of his find too.
This is on its way to becoming a beautiful butterfly.
Often times the little things are better than the big things. You have to look harder to see them, which makes you appreciate them even more. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
Sago, known as sabudana in India, is a starch that derives from the pith of sago palm trees, has been used by people for thousands of years. The root is cleaned and crushed to release milk, which is then rested, drained, and shaped into small globules. The globules are then roasted, dried, or polished to achieve their milky white color. Sago holds cultural significance in many communities where it is cultivated, serving as a symbol of abundance and hospitality. In some cultures, sago plays a role in traditional ceremonies and celebrations, further highlighting its importance beyond the realm of cuisine. It is very similar to tapioca. Tapioca is a starch that comes from the South American cassava plant.
Sago soup is a Cantonese dessert made of tapioca pearls (sago) and coconut milk and can include toppings such as mango or taro. I had peaches, so I made it with peaches instead. Besides, I like peaches better than I like mangoes. 🙂
Noah and I were going to make this as well, but since our cooking classes ended, and I already had everything, I made it instead.
Peach Sago
6 cups water
1/3 cup tapioca pearls
1 can coconut milk
3 TBSP honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
3 peaches, peeled and diced
whipped cream
1/4 cup toasted coconut
Bring the water to a rapid boil, then add the tapioca or sago pearls. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to separate the pearls.
Combine the coconut milk, honey, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix in the tapioca.
Peel and dice the peaches and fold in about 2/3 with the tapioca mixture.
Divide the mixture into 6-8 small glasses or ramekins equally.
Top with whipped cream, the remainder of the peaches, and some toasted coconut. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
This cool refreshing dessert is a perfect treat for a hot summer’s day. It’s just sweet enough, to tickle your taste buds without being too sweet.
Noah missed out. I think he would have loved this sweet treat. I know you will too. If you don’t like peaches, try it with something else. Be creative. Play with your food. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 