The Spice Necklace: My Adventures in Caribbean Cooking, Eating, and Island Life - Paperback

by Ann Vanderhoof (Author)

While sailing around the Caribbean, Ann Vanderhoof and her husband Steve track wild oregano-eating goats in the cactus-covered hills of the Dominican Republic, gather nutmegs on an old estate in Grenada, make searing-hot pepper sauce in a Trinidadian kitchen, cram for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of the West Indies, and sip moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills.

Along the way, they are befriended by a collection of unforgettable island characters: Dwight, the skin-diving fisherman who always brings them something from his catch and critiques her efforts to cook it; Greta, who harvests seamoss on St. Lucia and turns it into potent Island-Viagra; sweet-hand Pat, who dispenses hugs and impromptu dance lessons along with cooking tips in her Port of Spain kitchen.

Back in her galley, Ann practices making curry like a Trini, dog sauce like a Martiniquais, and coo-coo like a Carriacouan. And for those who want to take these adventures into their own kitchens, she pulls 71 delicious recipes from the stories she tells, which she places at the end of the relevant chapters.

The Spice Necklace is a wonderful escape into a life filled with sunshine (and hurricanes), delicious food, irreplaceable company, and island traditions.

Front Jacket

Sailing around theCaribbeanin their boatReceta, Ann Vanderhoof and her husband, Steve, set off on a voyage of culinary discovery. They track wild oregano-eating goats in the cactus-covered hills of theDominican Republic, gather nutmegs on an old estate inGrenada, make searing hot-pepper sauce in a Trinidadian kitchen, cram for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of theWest Indies, and sip moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills.

Along the way, they are befriended by a collection of unforgettable island characters who share their folklore, history, and recipes for mouthwatering dishes like twice-fried plantains, coconut drops, mango chow, grilled fish with passion-fruit-ginger sauce, Trini-style curried shrimp, spice-infused chocolate cake, and many others.

Back in her galley, Ann transforms the ingredients of island life into 71 delicious recipes, bringing them to readers who want to take her adventures into their own kitchens and even offering helpful substitutions for hard-to-find items. You, too, can make curry like a Trini, dog sauce like a Martiniquais, and coo-coo like a Carriacouan!

Just like Time Out noted of her first book, in The Spice Necklace "page by page, you weave your own impossible fantasy of chucking everything for island adventure and suddenly remember that it doesn't have to be far-fetched after all."

So take a trip intoThe Spice Necklace-- a marvelous escape filled with sunshine, wonderful food, irreplaceable company, and island traditions.

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Back Jacket

"A mouthwatering slice of Caribbean culture and lip-smacking foods." New York Post, Required Reading "Until you decide to explore the islands for yourself, you couldn t ask for a better armchair (and kitchen) guide." Wall Street JournalLeaving behind canned asparagus and Toronto winters, Ann Vanderhoof and her husband set out on their sailboat to follow the spell of the West Indies bounty: rough curls of cinnamon bark, glistening fresh fish, and luscious exotic fruits. With taste buds as tour guides, they tracked wild oregano eating goats by day, sipped moonshine out of backcountry stills by night, and back in their galley transformed what they learned into the seventy-one tasty recipes in this book, from Carnival corn soup to spice-infused chocolate cake. So take a trip into The Spice Necklace and escape to a life filled with sunshine, delicious food, irreplaceable company, and island traditions.
"If an island getaway won t fit into your tight budget this year . . . [Vanderhoof] will have you relishing a Caribbean staycation." Elle, Top 10 Summer Books for 2010
"Vanderhoof is a remarkably smart, funny, and generous writer: she brings us on her journey, and in the process, in her words and her recipes, she gives us a journey of our own. I would follow her anywhere." Molly Wizenberg, author of the New York Times bestselling A Homemade Life Ann Vanderhoof is an award-winning writer and magazine and book editor, as well as an avid cook, traveler, sailor, hiker, kayaker, and scuba diver. Her first book An Embarrassment of Mangoes, introduced readers to her life aboard the sailboat Receta.www.spicenecklace.com

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