PassageMaker.com - Lori Ross's Blog Entries

BRINGING THE FARM ABOARD!

2007-05-19T08:39:58.407

In the mid-Atlantic, where I live, Spring heralds the opening of farmers markets and farm stands in nearly every community and it is what I most anticipate every year! However, I was delighted to find farm stands and farmers markets year-round in nearly every port in which we docked along the ICW.

In 2005, when we wintered in Fort Myers, we shopped at the twice a week farmers market religiously. We bought delicious fresh produce, seafood, cheeses, preserves, baked goods and gourmet foods. The Ft. Myers market featured plants, fresh and dried flowers, nuts, crafts and barbecue. What a treat to simply walk from the marina to the waterfront park to shop! We found beautiful farm stands in the weekly (and daily) flea markets of the Florida Keys, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale, and at stops along the ICW such as Fort Pierce, Charleston, Norfolk and St. Michaels -- most walking distance from the marina. Some featured live entertainment, activities for children, cooking demonstrations and other events to encourage consumer shopping! It was also a great way to meet local farmers, get some terrific recipes and purchase fresh, flavorful produce. When ashore, I rarely miss the local farmers markets near my home in the Annapolis area, but recently I discovered another form of direct marketing by small farms, the CSA (for Community Supported Agriculture).

While at a farmers' market, a group of farmers sell their products once or twice a week at a designated public place like a park or parking lot, the CSA offers farm ???shares??? or ???produce subscriptions???, where buyers receive a weekly basket of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, meat, and a range of farm products. Some CSAs deliver to shareholders, while others simply drop off bushel baskets at pre-determined locations for member to pick up. My CSA provides organic fruit, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers year round and they supplement the share in the winter by purchasing organic citrus and other produce from small farms in the South. Most weeks, the boxes are abundant while other weeks, they are less so but, on average, the cost of this high quality produce is lower than retail for shareholders.

The number of CSAs in the United States has grown from 50 in 1990 to more than 1000 today. CSAs work because shareholders support the farm throughout the season, and assume the costs, risks and bounty of growing food. For the farmer, the benefits of a CSA is that it creates an economically stable farm operation by pre-paying farm costs, guaranteeing a market for a diverse selection of crops, providing minimal loss and waste of farm produce with little or reduced need for long-term storage. Shareholders are assured the highest quality produce, often below retail prices and they have the pleasure of supporting small farms often growing heirloom or organic produce.

Of the 1.6 million small farms in the US, an increasing number are now selling their products directly to the public via Farmers' Markets, Food Coops, U-picks and farm stands. This is a great way to support local farmers and to buy produce that is often not available in retail groceries.

If you are interested in finding a farmers market, stand, coop, U-Pick or CSA near your land-home, go to the following websites and click on your state and city. And, when you plan your future cruises, use these websites to find farmers markets and farm stands in the ports you visit....you'll find good food, good people and it will enrich your cruising experience.

Resources:

www.ams.usda.gov/farmers markets/map.htm - Lists farmers markets by city - click on map of your state and a list of markets in each city will pop up.

http://www.localharvest.org/ - Lists farmers' markets, family farms, and CSAs near your home or in areas you plan to cruise. This site even has a store where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies that local farms offer by mail order.

http://www.openair.org/ - This Open Air-Market Directory is the world wide guide to farmers' markets, street markets, flea markets and street vendors.

Cruise Reading: Foodie Lit

2007-06-11T11:16:36.157

My favorite reading genre on a cruise these days is ???foodie lit??? (foodie literature)- books that are not cookbooks, but non-fiction adventures and tales that revolve around food, cooking and eating that often contain very good recipes. Some are written by people who travel or relocate to eat well; restaurant chefs or owners; famous food editors and critics. The best are evocative of memorable meals and places and inspire me to try new dishes, recipes, restaurants and destinations and many are very funny. I???d like to share with you my favorites of all time and the reasons I like them so much. Maybe it will inspire you to pick up a book or two for your summer reading.

1. M.F.K Fisher, The Art of Eating, 1990 is a compilation of five of the best gastronomical works of writer Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, a California girl, who lived in France off and on since 1937 and wrote for Gourmet Magazine. The Art of Eating will give you a taste of her work over 17 years ??? from historical observations about cooking and eating to cooking and surviving wartime food shortages to autobiographical essays about great meals eaten and food heroes. This is a long, lazy, well-written read (with tons of recipes) that can be put down and picked up at will.

2. Mimi Sheraton, Eating My Words, 2004 is a delightful look at the development and life of a food and travel writer. Eight-year food critic for the New York Times and later Vanity Fair and Conde Nast Traveler and cookbook author in her own right, Ms. Sheraton???s book is a savory blend of self-deprecating humor and sharp wit. You want to sit down and join her for a meal yourself! While there are no recipes, there are lots of inside looks at restaurants and menus!

3. Ruth Reichl, Garlic and Sapphires, 2005, written by another former New York Times (and Los Angeles Times) food critic, now editor of Gourmet Magazine, is a hilarious look at secret life as a food critic in disguise. She reveals her various disguises -- mid-Western Molly; sexy Chloe and earthy Brenda ??? and the effect they had on her treatment as a diner at some of the premier restaurants in New York City (and what she wrote about them). While her other very humorous memoirs, Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples, are more autobiographical, Garlic and Sapphires gives peek behind the gates of ???temples of gastronomy??? from a controversial critic???s point of view. Lots of fun and lots of good recipes.

4. Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking, 1988 and More Home Cooking, 1993, are two of the most charming memoirs of a real home cook who happens to be a food writer. Ms. Colwin understands the need for good food with little work after a long day (working or playing!) and offers some delicious stories and recipes that may make you get up and cook something. She favors easy recipes that use few of the usual tools and devices on which we tend to rely (no grill ??? she lived in a NYC apartment; no toaster or oven ??? she had a tiny galley kitchen). Her stories are funny, self-deprecating and ring true and her recipes are terrific!

5. Elizabeth David, An Omelette and A Glass of Wine, 1997 is a collection of essays, written over 32 years, for top U.S. and British food and lifestyle magazines. The essays explore food, cooking, and etiquette, drinking and eating during the 50s, 60s and 70s in England, France, Italy, Greece, Egypt and India. The book, while not autobiographical, provides insight into her efforts to forge a new way thinking about food and cooking (in an era of convenience food) and return to authenticity of ingredients and technique in home and restaurant cooking. Her recipes are truly delicious, simple dishes and they are presented in an historical perspective.

6. Frances Mayes, Under The Tuscan Sun, 1997andBella Tuscany, 1999 are a series about a fantasy fulfilled ??? living in a Tuscan village. Made popular by the movie ???Under The Tuscan Sun??? (whose plot wasn???t true to the book), Frances Mayes??? experience embodies the romantic dream of a slower, more satisfying lifestyle. She writes of purchasing and fixing up her home, learning to live in Italy, shopping, cooking, eating, loving and making friends. Her meals and recipes are mouthwatering and they warm you on a cold day.

7. Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence, 1993 ??? the first in a series of delightful memoirs about buying a house and living in Provence, France. Entertaining and inspiring descriptions of meals, menus and foods. No recipes but a fun series to read.

8. Samuel Chamberlain, Clementine in the Kitchen, 1943 ??? lovely memoir about an American family???s French cook, Clementine, in pre- WWII France and 1940s Marblehead, MA. It is a hilarious look at American supermarkets, food and culture through the eyes of a Burgundian cook. Great recipes.

9. Susan Herrmann Loomis, On Rue Tatin, 2001 ??? memoir by a cookbook author who moved to France from the U.S. with her family and started a cooking school. Wonderful recipes and stories about her (and her family???s) adjustment and embracing of small town life in Normandy.

10. Wanda L. Frolov, Katish, Our Russian Cook, 1947 ??? stories of a 1920s Los Angeles family and their recently immigrated Russian cook, that originally appeared in Gourmet magazine, and then were published in book form. Great Russian recipes and sweet heartwarming stories.

My Grilling Checklist

2007-07-02T10:08:12.577

My Grilling Checklist

Based on my years of grilling success (and failure) with my dad and as an adult, I have compiled a checklist that guarantees successful grilling:

Preheat gas grills 15-20 minutes or charcoal until a thin layer of gray ash coats surface
Clean grill twice ??? once after preheat and once after cooking while the grill is hot
Use meal brush or crumpled aluminum foil
Oil grill grate, when hot, just before you use it by dipping a wad of paper towel in oil and wiping grill rack (use tongs to hold wad of paper towel so you won???t get burned)
Pat food dry before grilling
Marinate food in the refrigerator for safety
Season foods before grilling to help form a savory crust
Oil from marinades and fat on meat may flare while grilling, so keep a spray mister filled with water nearby to put out flames and a damp towel to wipe up spills
Sweet sauces should be brushed on only during the last 5 minutes of cooking
Turn food over only once unless recipe specifically states you should do it more often (that way you get nice grill marks)
Use tongs or spatula, not fork to flip items on grill (forks pierce food and release moisture and juices
Let food rest after cooking for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute properly
In general, when grilling fish, thin fillets usually take 4 minutes per side; thick fillets take 6-8 minutes per side and whole fish cooks in 7 minutes per side.
I don???t use a meat thermometer, so when I grill chicken, steak, pork, lamb or veal I generally plan on 2-3 minutes per side for thin cuts (high direct heat) under 1 inch; 5-6 minutes per side (Medium high direct heat) for 1???-1 ?? ??? and 15-20 minutes per pound for roasts (Medium high direct heat)
Alternatively, you can use the touch method based on my own experience ??? press finger on meat/chicken for a moment, if your fingertip leaves an indentation that disappears slowly, it is cooked rare; if it is soft to the touch but no indentation, that???s medium rare; if it is slightly firm to the touch, that???s medium; if it is firm, that???s well done!

First Class Galley Cookbook

2007-08-13T10:59:25.877

I rarely encounter beautiful cookbooks written specifically for the galley, but I recently received a copy of Exploring Galley Cuisine by Barbara Marlow, yachtswoman and wife of David Marlow, of Marlow Yachts fame. This gorgeous 70- page hardcover cookbook published by Marlow Marine Cruising Club presents a series of seasonal menus based on her years of cruising and cooking experience.

Based in Snead Island, FL, the focus of the menus is fresh seafood, local fruits and vegetables. Barbara themes her lovely three to five course meals to changing seasons, special occasions and exotic ports throughout the world. The Asian Dinner includes an appetizer of Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Spicy Salmon Steaks, Chinese Coleslaw and Fresh Fruit for dessert while the New Year???s Table features homemade Sangria, Paella, Marinated Onion Salad and Ice Cream.

Barbara also offers a selection of soups, as starters or whole meals and offers terrific ideas to flavor plain ice cream ??? Toasted Coconut/Almond Ice Cream is simply vanilla ice cream mixed ?? cup each of toasted coconut and sliced almonds then drizzled with Amaretto liqueur; Mocha Ice Cream with Rum Fudge Sauce blends mocha ice cream with crushed peanut brittle and store-bought fudge sauce with dark rum and Ginger Ice Cream combines a pint of vanilla ice cream with crystallized and powdered ginger. Absolutely simple and brilliant???and inspirational (how about vanilla ice cream with chopped chocolate bars, walnuts and caramel/rum sauce?)! Barbara even offers ideas to make some seemingly complex recipes easier ??? the Wild Blueberry Pie has a ???pat-in-pan??? piecrust (no rolling) that is pre-baked and the filling is cooked stovetop.

It is clearly a well-thought out, well-written cookbook that offers Barbara???s philosophy of cooking and dining ??? eat fresh, seasonal and organic foods and adapt the recipes to the ingredients you have in your area. Exploring Galley Cuisine is available for purchase for $45.00 plus shipping and handling. It may be ordered exclusively thru Marlow Marine Sales, Inc., at 800-362-2657 or email sales@marlowmarine.com

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRAB SOUP WARS

2007-09-20T17:13:57.733

In the Chesapeake Bay, the blue crab rules and crab soup is a hotly debated topic among boaters and foodies alike. PassageMaker was invited, for a second year, to participate in judging more than 20 soups showcased in the Capital Gazette Newspapers??? 18th annual Crab Soup Cook-off held at the annual Maryland Seafood Festival in Annapolis.

Two types of crab soup are traditional to the Chesapeake Bay ??? cream of crab, a luxuriously rich, smooth concoction often drizzled with sherry and vegetable crab (or Maryland Crab on some menus), a tomato based broth that includes fresh corn, peas, beans and big lumps of crab. A highlight of the Maryland Seafood Festival , The Crab Soup Cook-off featured both cream of crab and vegetable crab soups from 23 of the best restaurants in Maryland???s Chesapeake Bay.

Six judges, split into two groups of three, conduct ed blind tastings of 11 vegetable crab and 21 cream of crab soups (not knowing which restaurants made what soups) and voted. The public, attending the event for a small fee, also vote on their favorite soups. The event drew in hundreds of people, ready to taste and vote for their favorite cream of crab and vegetable crab soups. Proceeds from the event benefit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, MD.

The judges included Fran Jaques, The Capital's food writer; the infamous Feasty Boys, Jim and Jon, often featured on The Today Show and ESPN???s Cold Pizza; cookbook author Ken Kaedrich who has written more than xx cookbooks; the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Jennifer Donnelly, and me, PassageMaker Magazine???s Contributing Editor. Fran, Jim and I tasted vegetable crab soups and Jon, Ken and Jen tasted the creamy crab soups. Judging was based on flavor, use of crab and texture.

The creamy soups ran the gamut from thin and watery to thick enough to stand a spoon straight up. Some tasted bland and poorly seasoned, while others highlighted the sweetness and richness of the crab. In the end, the judges determined that a creamy base, with lumps of crab and a touch of sherry was the perfect cream of crab and awarded first place to Buddy???s Crabs and Ribs overlooking Ego Alley in Annapolis.

Vegetable crab soups are usually made with the leftover crab shells from a crab feast. Cooked with a little Old Bay seasoning, the crabs are a bit spicy and this translates into a crab stock with a little bite but mostly crab flavor. The vegetables add texture and balance and complement the crab flavor ??? carrots and corn lend some sweetness; tomatoes add acid; beans add weight and bite ??? and finally, the pieces of crab throughout the lovely broth add richness. The soups we tasted feel into two categories ??? savory broths with hints of beef or meat flavor along with the tomato and sweeter broths with lots of corn and carrots to sweeten it. While I favor the savory broths, my fellow judges seemed to prefer the sweeter broths (which were delicious too!) and we awarded first place to Mike???s Crab House on the South River and second place to the Bayard Inn in Chesapeake City (my first choice!). The People???s Choice awards went to two different restaurants ??? 700 South Gourmet Deli, Linthicum for Vegetable Crab Soups and Doubletree Hotel???s Ports of Call restaurant, Annapolis for its Cream of Crab soup.

While I can???t offer you a recipe from one of the winners, here???s a link to a vegetable crab recipe I have used for a long time from the makers of Old Bay spice and a link to the Capital-Gazette Newspaper???s website that features many good cream and vegetable crab soup recipes you can try!

http://www.mccormick.com/recipeprintfullpage.cfm?id=392

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:e7TA7zGSBeIJ:www.hometownannapolis.com/food5_crabsoup.html+%22Maryland+cream+of+crab+soup%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&ie=UTF-8

Full results for the Capital Gazette Newspapers??? 18th annual Crab Soup Cook-off:

Judge???s choice,

Vegetable Crab Soup

First place: Mike???s Crab House, Riva

Second place: The Bayard House Restaurant, Chesapeake City

Third place: M&M Catering, Odenton

Cream of Crab Soup

First place: Buddy???s Crabs & Ribs, Annapolis

Second place: Carrol???s Creek Waterfront Restaurant, Annapolis

Third place: Doubletree Hotel???s Ports of Call restaurant, Annapolis

People???s choice

Vegetable Crab Soup:

First place: 700 South Gourmet Deli, Linthicum

Second place: Rockfish Raw Bar & Grill, Annapolis

Third place: The Fix New York Deli, Edgewater

Cream of Crab Soup

First place: Doubletree Hotel???s Ports of Call restaurant, Annapolis

Second place: Old Stein Inn, Edgewater

Third place: Carrol???s Creek Waterfront Restaurant, Annapolis.

NAUTICAL HOLIDAY GIFTS

2007-10-31T13:18:34.627

Looking for cool gifts for the holidays? Some exciting gifts available through websites and catalogs offer innovative gifts for boating friends and family this year. Let your fingers do the shopping this year and check out these fun gift ideas:

Dining by the Sea - http://www.diningbythesea.com/

A new online source for elegant seaside dining accessories, a company in Carefree, AZ (of all places) offers terrific holiday gifts for people with a passion for elegant entertaining. Choose from wine coolers and totes, exquisite French tablecloths, hand-etched mouth-blown crystal barware, whimsical flatware, portable picnic tables, a variety of picnic baskets - some with rollers like carry-on luggage ??? and stunning acrylic bar and dinnerware for entertaining by seaside, lakeside, poolside, or on the yacht. Whether it's a picnic for two by gently rolling surf, a formal dinner on a seaside terrace or a gathering on the
fantail of a yacht, Dining by the Sea offers delightful gifts.

Nautical Luxuries ??? http://www.nauticalluxuries.com/

Featuring clothes, jewelry, lamps, pillows, sculpture and art in a wide range of coastal styles, Nautical Luxuries is a great site for unique and moderately priced gifts that suggest boating and the sea. Sea glass jewelry, boat themed table and bed linens, code flag pillows, decanters and glasses, striped bags and duffle, mother of pearl and shell accessories, metal sculptures of fish, shells and mermaids plus beautiful holiday decorations are just a few of the items offered by this exciting catalogue.

Welcome Aboard ??? http://www.welcome-aboard.com/

Calling itself the Yachting Lifestyle Catalog, Welcome Aboard is a great source of personalized gifts for the dedicated yachtsman or yachts women. Customs cups, napkins, can ???cozies???, yacht mats and carpets along with bedding, apparel, duffle bags and engraved items feature yacht name and, if you wish, an image of the yacht. These are welcome gifts for your favorite cruiser (or wannabe boater)!

Tiller Publishing ???http://www.tillerbooks.com/

One of the great joys of cruising is reading, and Tiller Publishing prides itself on publishing and selling high-quality, affordable nautical books. They carry books on everything from designing and building your next boat to cruising to nautical fiction. The site features cookbooks, books on cruising, nautical and historical fiction, seamanship, navigation, kid???s books and coffee table books on maritime art and nautical dictionaries. Give a book or two to a cruiser and they???ll think of you every time they open it.

Captn Jack???s ??? http://www.capjack.com/

For the past 19 years Captn. Jack's has represented the very best in quality, innovation, and value. Known for its adorable Original Maine Rocking Dory ??? a delightful rocker that can be personalized with the child???s name, Captn Jack???s also carries clocks, nautical instruments, tableware, toys and games. There???s even a remote control pirate ship for the young or young at heart!

Weems and Plath ??? www.weems-plath.com

For the classic yachtsman, the place to shop is Weems and Plath! Beautiful brass lanterns, clocks, barometers, navigation tools, binoculars, watches, gorgeous leather and varnished wood boat logs plus the classic ship???s bell that can be personalized. Any of these gifts would delight the cruisers you love.

Matworks Custom Boat Carpet www.matworks.com

Matworks is well known for its quality boat carpet and features lovely personalized boat ???welcome??? mats. However, if you are looking for something for your yachtsman???s favorite pet, Matworks has the PURRRfect gift ??? Pet Diner Mats with cut outs to fit water and food bowls! These special mats are created in four sizes ??? 8 oz. for a cat or small dog; 16 oz; 32 oz. and 64 oz. for the Great Dane or Newfoundland! All sizes come with stainless steel bowls and they can be personalized with pet???s name. The cost of the small was about $25, so this is a moderately prices gift as well.

Yacht Accent ??? www.yachtaccent.com

Newly launched in the U.S., Yacht Accent is an Italian company specializing is original and distinctive designs that exhibit a passion for the sea. Using boat materials including heavy roping, leather, canvas, brass, stainless steel and wood, Giovanna Locatelli, the artist for Yacht Accent, creates innovative, eye-catching furnishings and nautical d??cor, Yacht Accent offers elegant items for your boat and home.

A.G. A. Correa http://www.agacorrea.com/

Renowned maker of nautical jewelry, AGA Correa offers unique jewelry designs for the yachting man and woman you love. Exquisitely handcrafted Turk???s head jewelry, woven gold rings, bracelets and necklaces, diamond pins and boat themed gifts await your perusal.

PassageMaker Magazine, PassageMakerUniversity and Trawler Fest ??? http://www.,passagemaker.com/

One of the best gifts you can give a boater is PassageMaker Magazine. Already a subscriber? Give them the gift of tuition to PassageMaker University or Trawler Fest where they can learn how to better care for their boats.

Caribbean Cooking Escapades

2008-04-30T11:45:09.74

While wintering in South Florida, we fell in love with Caribbean and Floribbean cuisine. We dined on Cuban Sandwiches, ceviche, conch and fish salads, fish and shrimp with sweet plantains, jerk chicken with salsa and Cuban pork with rice and beans. We also experimented with the ingredients, flavorings and spices unique to Caribbean cooking ??? pepper, coconut, nutmeg, mace, allspice, cinnamon, garlic, mango, papaya, plantains, greens. And we discovered wonderful sauces, rubs and marinades for meat, chicken and seafood from Haiti, Jamaica, Bahamas, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Caymans and the Dutch and French Islands. In this blog, I share a few of my favorite sandwiches, salads and side dishes with you. In PassageMaker???s new newsletter, I share the recipes for sauces, rubs and marinades and in an upcoming issue of PassageMaker, I offer a few Caribbean menus that are easy to make aboard.

CUBAN SANDWICH (Serves 2)

12-inch loaf Cuban bread, split lengthwise

1/4 lb. thinly sliced ham

1/4 lb. thinly sliced cooked pork roast (see recipe above)

4 slices Swiss cheese

6 pickle slices

Mustard and mayonnaise

Spread mustard and mayonnaise on insides of the split loaf. Add layers of ham, roast pork, and cheese. Top with sliced pickles. Heat both sides of the sandwich on a grill or in a Panini press. You can also fry it in a pan on the stovetop (like you???d cook a grilled cheese sandwich), weighting the top with a plate and turning once. Serve hot or warm.

CONCH OR SEAFOOD SALAD

This is the basic recipe for raw conch salad, should you find yourself with fresh conch. It is also delicious when made with any raw or cooked fish or scallops.

1/4 cup lime, lemon, or sour orange juice

1 tablespoon grated lime, lemon, or orange peel

1/2 teaspoon minced hot pepper (jalape??o, habanero, or other hot pepper)

1/2 cup chopped onion or scallion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 lb. fresh raw (or cooked, if you prefer) conch, scallops, salmon, tuna, whitefish, or shrimp, cut into bite-size pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except seafood in a mixing bowl, blend well and season with salt and pepper. Add seafood and marinate 30 minutes in refrigerator. Serve on lettuce leaf cups with a bottle of hot sauce on the side

TROPICAL COLESLAW

There are more variations on coleslaw recipes in Caribbean cuisine than I can count. This is one of the best I???ve tasted.

2 tablespoons chopped green pepper

1/2 cup diced apple

1 teaspoon each salt and sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot

3 slices pineapple, chopped

Combine all ingredients and serve.

SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD

1 large cucumber

1 teaspoon seeded chili peppers, minced

1 cup white, cider or rice vinegar

1/2 tablespoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and slice it into moon-shaped, 1/3-inch-thick pieces. Place it in a bowl along with the chili peppers. Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper. Pour onto cucumber mixture, chill, and serve

SWEET PLANTAINS

Near our Florida home is a great little Caribbean restaurant called Calypso in Pompano Beach that makes the most delicious plantains I???ve ever tasted. I spent the winter trying to replicate the recipe and here is the one that comes closest to the original.

3 ripe black plantains, peeled* and cut into 1??? inch rounds
5 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and place over medium low heat (to avoid burning the plantains). Sautee the plantains in a single layer, until golden on the bottom then turn over with a spatula. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar and let cook a few more seconds until the sugar melts. Remove pan from heat and leave plantains in pan. Just before serving, melt remaining butter and gently blend plantains into caramelized sauce and heat on low until thoroughly warmed. Serve immediately.

*To peel the plantains, cut off ends and discard. With a paring knife, make 3 shallow slits lengthwise along the seams of the skin and peel away. Split the plantains lengthwise.

COCONUT RICE

3 cups long grain rice
2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff rice when cooked. To make it a bit sweeter, add ?? teaspoon of sugar or crystallized ginger.

Variation: Coconut Rice and Peas

To the recipe above (without sugar) add items below to saucepan at the start of cooking and follow directions above:

3 cups canned and drained pigeon peas or chickpeas

1 cup chopped scallions

1 scotch bonnet or 2 jalapeno peppers left whole

?? teaspoon dry thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1/4 cup olive oil