Free Range Friday ~ Food Fun

Not infrequently read here is 'play with your food'. That can be stretched a ways, making today's offering a true special of the day. Au jus, but you'll have to do that part yourself as well.

This article caught my eyes a few days ago, because of a few things. One, the title, Are You Going to Eat That? Weirdest Caribbean Foods, two the first item on the list, cow heel soup and three - hey, it's food and culture and that's usually an interesting combination.  

When on St. Croix, I always heard Cow Heel Soup called Cow Foot Soup. In looking the names up, both seem to work interchangeably, depending where your feet...are. Sorry. Since many of the items on the list seem to be Jamaican in origin, Cow Heel soup or stew it is. 

Every recipe (this is one of them)I read says to get your cow heel already cleaned up from the butcher. I guess that's better than starting from scratch, where you'd either need your own cow or you'd have to hang around an abattoir. 

Some of the soup ingredients ~ from Caribbean Pot

Also on the list is conch pistol (the reproductive organ of the conch - giving a whole new meaning to 'He/She is a real pistol'), crunchy concon, the scraped up crunchy bits of rice on the bottom of the pot actually does have a name!, land crab and a few more, including iguana. I had a conversation with a local about iguana eating here and while a few people seem open to the idea, you won't be finding it on the menu any time soon, if ever. 

Probably my favorite way to eat conch is to make ceviche with it. On St. Croix at a restaurant I think is no longer open, the ladies there made the best ceviche I've ever eaten. I'd go every week on my day off and if the ceviche wasn't ready I'd cry. Ok, I didn't really cry but I'd want to, it was addicting and I had no shame. Thankfully, usually it was ready. A elderly tall thin man, always in black trousers, a white shirt and a bow tie, would lead me to my table and quickly bring me a glass of chardonnay. He was always smiling and always courtly, even when, as often happened, I was the only one in the place. Then out would come the ceviche. The owner would come out and settle himself with his guitar, singing, always, "Lemon Tree". Over the years I knew all the words but never sang along. It just would not have been right, beside the fact that I was too busy eating.

This recipe looks pretty close to what I ate, but there are a lot of ways to make ceviche. This is just one of them, with my own adaptations. You can double or triple this as you wish.

Photo: Jacquie Kubin

1 fresh conch, rough cut into bite size pieces

2 lemons, juiced

2 limes, juiced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 red onion, minced

1 red pepper, seeded and minced

1 yellow pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 habanero, seeded and minced

1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped

1 tablespoon carrot, sliced from a vegetable peeler

1 tablespoon fresh tomato, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the conch in small bite sized pieces. Add 1/2 of the lemon and lime juice and all of the garlic and ginger, carrot and tomato. Let stand for 60 minutes (minimum). Add all the vegetables, remaining juices and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with lime and plantain chips. Buen provecho!

Here is a video on cleaning conch - and it's KONK, not like couch, just so you know. The music in this is a bit annoying but the work is good so I'm sharing it. You can always mute the sound. Yes you can.

I had a few other food things to share but they got lost in the cyber rinse cycle. But while I was on a beach detour this morning, a food frenzy ballet was right in front of me so this is what will replace vertical gardening for now. They aren't playing with their food, but it was play to watch!

Even though the gull actually landed on the pelican's head, more than a few times, the pelican always won. 

Have a fun with food Friday. Do something fiercely fine. 

Housekeeping Culebra Style

Yesterday was yet another Fajardo day for me. For the first time in my years here, I sat below in the freezer locker both going over and coming back, bowing to the humidity that even before the sun had properly crested the horizon was laying heavy in the air. The good part was chatting with friends I see in passing but not for long, quiet - relatively quiet - stretches of time. It is like being in a temporary time capsule, news of the present, stories of the past and a lot of laughter making the slow boat to China run pass more quickly.

One day this bar will be open and I will absolutely check it out. But at 9 in the morning, the outside is just fine.

Pollen counts are high these days, something I never really paid much attention to until this year, when it seems my nose is more sensitive than in my entire life, bringing teary eyes and sneezes. Rumor has it I am not alone. But along with sniffly faces, it also brings out the birds and the bees and the flowers in the trees and...well, all that.

This is the tree I call the Junk Tree that gets the pearly berries leaving drunk birds in its wake. I wonder if the nectar is as intoxicating.

Spike was looking quite perky the other morning

Bird on a wire

But not for long

If your interest is motivated by birds, here is a page about learning bird song from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The other day we went to the food stand on the road to Resaca. The owner/cook said they were out of chicken, so I asked for his suggestion. He made up a plate of beautiful fat pork chops, with a side of rice and beans for a very reasonable price, served up with smiles. Check it out.

There was an early morning rain today washing clear the air and the breeze is back. Heavenly, after a couple of days where it felt sweat if you move am I growing gills late August weather. The color is back to the sky and waters. Life is good. 

Have a think your way through thorns Thursday. Do something try-angular.

Tiny Home Tuesday ~ Tony

Tiny home can have a few meanings. This is one of them.

Tony and Suzanne lived on a boat ~ a tiny home ~ in the waters of Culebra, a tiny island that we call home. Yesterday land and salty tiny island home inhabitants gathered together to celebrate Tony's life, as he requested. What better way to say farewell than among friends who gather out of love, not duty, to share memories, laughter, a few tears and a lot of hugs? Tony knew just what love would be outpouring onto Suzanne out of love for them both. Good planning, Tony!

If love is sometimes a visible thing, yesterday was one of those times. 

It is impossible to think of Tony without thinking of him in his railroad hat. Ed made sure there were plenty to pass around for love and laughter. Ed worried they would't get here in time; they arrived yesterday, just in time. Coincidence? I think not!

Tony and his snifter...another classic part of Tony's style. Mike made sure we all got to share a toast of his favorite drink, in his favorite glass - keeping traditions alive. Thanks, Mike!

We watched a wonderful slide show put together by family along with friends who sent along our own photos of Culebra Tony. I'd never seen the 'younger' Tony, with his family members far North, it was wonderful!

Asked for some Tonyisms, we were reminded of some classic Tony zingers, always delivered in his straight man low key style. 

And then there was the Tony LookaLike contest, hosted by Nickie, Suzanne's sister.

Can you guess who won? I could just imagine Tony very slightly shaking his head.

Some bits of randomness.

Why Judy doesn't wear hats very often

From David Caraballo who comes over often from the big island -"He was a great guy, good sport. That photo was taken in xmas 2008, we approach to him at the table and asked "santa" for gifts, I ask him for a 29 foot motor boat and he told me that I was a naughty boy so, no boat!" 

Thank you, Tony, for sharing your life with us, and leaving us all a little bit better for having known you. 

Have tremendous tiny Tuesday. Do something in Tony think.

p.s. Any photos from yesterday (and yes, I have many, many more) would be greatly appreciated by Suzanne so she can put together a CD for his family in Canada. Get in touch with her to email them directly to her.