Papaya Perfection

Papaya

The papaya is probably the most perfect fruit! Look at that perfect star nature gave it, as some kind of natural approval of its importance. It grows easily in the island sun, and its scent just tempts you to find something wonderful to do with it. The local birds love it too. On the island, it is a huge competition between man and beast, as to who will get the first bite (or peck) of this sweet fruit! In the day time the Thrush Bird attacks, and at night the Fruit Bats take their turn. Its the lucky person who can harvest it at just the right moment! Read More

Red Bean, Pumpkin & Coconut Dumpling Soup

If there was a definition of a “hearty soup”, it would be in the dictionary in a bowl featuring this soup. Here is my twist on a local favorite, Red Peas Soup (it’s actually made from red kidney beans)! If you are Crucian, or grew up in the Virgin Islands, you know the comfort of a steaming hot bowl of red bean soup with cornmeal dumplings. Yes, even on a hot day! Read More

Contessa Kitchen Tip #7

Never miss an opportunity to add flavor to a dish! For example, if you juice a citrus fruit and then simply toss the fruit, you are missing a great opportunity to add flavor to your creations. Whenever, I have  a recipe that calls for citrus, I always zest it before I juice the fruit. Whether or not the recipe calls for the zest, I add it anyway. It is virtually an invisible mouth-feel, yet it heightens the overall citrus taste factor. Try it!

Big Leaf Thyme

 

This large leaf plant grows wild on the island. It is a sweet-smelling plant that is referred to as “Big Leaf Thyme”. It makes its way into everything from Tea to more importantly “Seasoning.” Every household has its own “seasoning” variation. But almost all include this plant as a base flavor.

Estate Whim Museum

This is a picture of the Cook House at the Whim Great House Museum located in Estate Whim on St. Croix. The museum is one of the best examples of what life was like on the island during Colonial times. The Virgin Islands is unique in the Caribbean in that it was the only set of islands owned by Denmark.  Many of our street names are still written in Danish!

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Contessa Kitchen Tip #6

Organic evaporated cane sugar is my go-to sweetener. It has all the sugar cane flavor notes of brown sugar but it behaves exactly like white sugar in most recipes. It is a gently refined sugar made from fresh sugar cane juice. The juice is evaporated to expose the straw-colored, delicate sugar crystals, complete with trace minerals from the fresh cane juice. If you can’t find this sugar, simply make sure that the sugar you choose is made from sugar cane. Avoid sugar made from beets, as it tends to toughen pastries and cakes slightly.

Contessa Kitchen Tip #5

I love baking fresh pies and croissants and other butter-based pastries for my friends and family. But if there is any element that can ruin pastry dough it is heat. I remember speaking with a fellow “kitchen-sister” friend of mine once who declared, it is impossible to make croissants on the island without having an air-conditioned kitchen! She said, “You can do it, but the texture will not be as light as you can find in the colder States or from a cool kitchen.” Read More

Contessa Cocoa Tea

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I can still remember the quizzical look that would cross my college friends faces on the mainland when I would ask for “Cocoa Tea” in the cafeteria.

“You mean hot chocolate?” They would correct.

No, I meant Cocoa Tea!

Cocoa Tea is a warm delicious chocolate morning drink that is a far distant cousin to the pre-packaged, marshmallow-ed versions I had in the States. It’s made traditionally on chocolate producing islands like St. Lucia and Dominica, but it is also sparingly locally grown and made here on St. Croix. Someone must LOVE you, if they share a cup of cocoa tea with you! Read More