Booklist Review
Caribbean cuisine since the advent of the first island-hopping European explorers in the sixteenth century has been a curious mixture of tropical and Continental traditions. Importation of slave labor to operate the sugar plantations added African influence. Now the region finds itself transformed by contemporary world cuisine, passing mangos and papayas in profusion to northern chefs and receiving in return sophisticated new ways of combining old ingredients and novel flavors. Trinidadian fish sandwiches get a smear of cilantro pesto. Cinnamon-scented dumplings float in meaty oxtail soup. Mexico contributes a tamale pie. Mangos and apples combine in a midwestern-inspired cobbler. Grenada's spice markets yield up their aromas for a spice cake glazed with the region's ubiquitous rum. Traditionalists may frown at this gussied-up food, but the maturing Caribbean kitchen shows that it can grow and adapt to changing tastes as well as any other in the world. --Mark Knoblauch Copyright 2007 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Rahamut, a food writer and consultant, owns a cooking school in Trinidad and is the host of a weekly cooking show. The recipes collected here, which come from all around the islands, include both traditional favorites and dishes she describes as Caribbean fusion (e.g., Chow Mein Pies), which are influenced by a variety of other cuisines. Other recipes, however, such as Bok Choy in Oyster Sauce, seem to have little to do with Caribbean cooking. It's also disappointing that few of the recipes include head notes, as more context would've been welcome. For larger collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.