The cooking of the Caribbean is a happy blend of different styles that have developed from the varied culinary traditions of the many nationalities who have settled in the islands over the centuries. This ethnic diversity, combined with the region's climate and agriculture, has createda cusine of vibrant flavors that match the intensity of the tropical sun. The Caribbean diet is based on an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables and plentiful supplies of fish. Caribbean cooking is colorful and full of flavors of aromatic spices, hot pepper sauce,, fragrant marinades and fiery spice rubs. Back home in Panama, given our parents’ circumstances of low finances, the change purse and pocket book often had little or nothing but “quatis aka la ñapa” in it; but was wisely spent in order to feed relatively large families. They were terrific financial planners and home economists at “making do” with very little, especially in preparing hearty, mouthwatering and healthy dishes. Furthermore, when we were growing up on the Canal Zone, there were certain staples that were readily available for the “picking,” such as crabs, root vegetables (ground foods), home- grown chickens, breadfruit and coconuts, and various “bush teas” that helped our parents feed the family on their meager earnings working for the stingy Pan Canal Co. They also used cheap cuts of meats, pig's feet and knuckles, lots of fresh fish and codfish, as well as chicken parts (back, feet and gizzards) and cow parts (tripe, oxtail). Plantains were also a favorite. Most of our “Make Doers” had their own secret ingredients; which make their recipes unique and stamped with their signature style of cooking. Some foods were referred to as, "Mrs. So & So's souse, patties, bun, fruit cake, Gato bread, fishcakes, yuca pone, cou-cou, etc." Oftentimes, these ladies' food creations would be sold out at church and social functions, with folks remembering and talking about the food more so than the event itself! A dominant condiment, added to any dish, was the Panamanian-style picante sauce a.k.a. pepper sauce (yellow, spicy, hot) that’s guaranteed to clear your sinuses and make your eyes water. Made from peppers (Scotch Bonnet) called “ají chombo,” which more or less means “Afro-Panamanian peppers.” As you know, one of our goals is that of redefining ourselves and reaching out for a higher culture-- while not forgetting our primary root, our symbolic identity. As such, we have combined the best our forebears had to offer to come up with a continental mode of presentation below, featuring traditional dishes of the "Make Doers" as well as modern adaptation recipes from appetizers to desserts for your pleasure. Sample them. Enjoy! Whether cooking for the family or entertaining friends, these recipes will transport you to a tropical paradise and your cooking will never be the same again. Note: most of the photos herein and some of the recipes came primarily from two Caribbean Cooking books by: Leslie Mackley and John Demers. These two books carry a vast selection of other Caribbean recipes.
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