The Spice Necklace: My Adventures in Caribbean Cooking, Eating, and Island Life
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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.
- ISBN13: 9780618685370
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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.
A Look at The Spice Necklace
(Click on Images to Enlarge)
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Photos from the Islands
 Fresh lobster for dinner |  Nutmeg and mace come from the same tree. |  A seamoss farmer with a jug of seamoss drink |
 Author Ann Vanderhoof drinking coconut water |  Cassia bark is rolled and pressed by hand to form cinnamon sticks |  Cooking oregano infused goat |
Spicy Bites: A Taste of The Spice Necklace
1. Wild oregano is a mainstay in the diet of goats that graze in the hills at the northwest edge of the Dominican Republic--which means the meat comes to the kitchen preseasoned, and infused with flavor.
2.Seamoss is a type of seaweed that is reputed in the Caribbean to be a potent aphrodisiac, the island version of Viagra. It’s dried, boiled until thick, then mixed with milk and spices (such as cinnamon and nutmeg). One restaurant in Grenada calls its version of the milkshake-like seamoss drink “Stay Up.”
3. Nutmeg and mace come from the same tree. When its apricot-like fruit is ripe, it splits open to reveal a lacy, strawberry-red wrapper around the hard glossy brown shell that holds the nutmeg itself. This waxy red corset is mace, and more than 300 pounds of nutmegs are needed to yield a single pound of it.
4. On the Scoville scale of pepper heat, Trinidadian Congo peppers rate about 300,000 units. Even the most fiery Mexican jalapeño only measures about 8,000.
5. Coconut water--the clear liquid inside a young or "jelly" coconut--has the same electrolyte balance as blood and was given intravenously to wounded soldiers as an emergency substitute for plasma during World War II. Coconut water is also better than energy drinks for rehydration, replenishing electrolytes and minerals such as potassium. For the same reasons, it's used as a hangover cure in the Caribbean.
6. Much of the ground cinnamon sold in North America is actually cassia, which is the variety of cinnamon grown in the Caribbean. Cassia has a stronger, more pungent flavor than true cinnamon. Once a year, the trees are harvested by carefully peeling the bark away from the branches. After the outer layer is removed, the inner bark is dried in the sun. As it dries, it begins to curl into sticks, and then is rolled and pressed by hand to complete the process.
7.The aroma of allspice is a sensuous combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper-- which leads to the common misconception that it is a blend of several spices. In fact, allspice is a single spice-- the dried berry of a tree that is native only to the West Indies and Central America. Jamaica produces 90% of the world's supply; Grenada, the remaining 10%.
8. To make removing coconut meat from the shell easier, bore holes in two of the eyes of the coconut using a pointed utensil and drain the liquid. Bake the nut in a preheated 400° F oven for 15–20 minutes. This cracks the shell and shrinks the meat slightly, so it virtually pops out.
9. Mauby, a popular West Indian drink, has a proven ability to reduce high blood pressure. It's made by steeping the bark of a native Caribbean tree with spices such as bay, cinnamon, star anise, and fennel.
10. Vanilla is the world's second most costly spice (after saffron). Not only do most vanilla flowers have to be hand-pollinated to produce beans, but the beans also have to be fermented and aged to develop their flavor. Straight off the vine, they're odorless and tasteless.
Customer Reviews ::
You'll Hunger for the Island Life - Skylark Thibedeau - Charlotte, NC USA, Terra, Solaris System, Milky Way Galaxy.
The `Spice Necklace' is part travelogue, part cookbook, and a joy to read. Anne Vanderhoof and her husband Steve took two years off from the real world to explore the Caribbean on their sailboat the `Receta' (Spanish for `recipe'). Along the way we meet the diverse people, customs, and tastes (especially the tastes) of the Islands from the Dominican Republic south to Trinidad.
The people we meet through Anne's eyes are very friendly and generous. They share their lives, their communities and their kitchens. People like Miss Dingis and her family in Grenada who live in a lush forest surrounded by spice and Cocoa trees. She welcomes Anne into her home and over the course of their friendship teaches her to cook like a born Grenadian.
There's also Dwight and Stevie, two local fishermen who trade the bounty from the Waters off Grenada for Anne's Home baked cookies and pastries. Stevie and Dwight have a very delicate palate and advise Anne on her cooking of local dishes. They let her know when she is fixing the dish just right.
Over in the Dominican Republic we can almost taste the sweet tender meat of the self spicing goats of Chef Julian Tatiz's `La Madonna restaurant which is an adventure in itself to get to. The goats graze on wild oregano in the mountains and their meat has the taste of oregano already infused.
Down in Trinidad we meet Miss Pat Jones and are introduced to the Trini tradition of `Liming' that is relaxing and having fun with your friends. In addition to Miss Pat's hot and spicy recipes we also get a glimpse of Carnival and how West Indian Curries are made.
There are so many peoples to meet, tastes to discover, and places to see it would take several pages to relate them all. I really enjoyed this book and probably gain 10 pounds just reading it.
The book comes with 71 recipes of which I tried several. The Ginger Spice Cookies (page19) were terrific and a kid pleaser. The Grenadian Banana Bread (Page 21) was very good and differs in flavor and texture from my normal recipe. I liked the Spicy Peanut Cream (Page 361) but my Kids not so much. The Ginger Peanuts (page 449) are the favorite and we've made 4 batches. I tried the Chivo Guisado (page 46) with Lamb instead of goat. I loved it but it's not a kid pleaser. Give'em Hotdogs.
The Spice Necklace is a wonderful book which will make you hunger for the Island Life. You'll have a hard deciding to keep it in the library or the kitchen.
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