You Jerk, Me Jerk.

For those of you who know me or who have read this blog, you may have gathered that I like bold, flavorful food; layers of spice ans herbs. I am also a chili head, meaning I enjoy and have a high tolerance of all things capsicum. (hot peppers) Yes, I have eaten Ghost Peppers, (Bhut Jolokia) and others of a lesser variety; and while I enjoy the heat and a good sweat of a hit of capsicum, I do like a flavorful palate of ingredients. After Southern Indian and Sri Lankan Curries, may next favorite is Caribbean Jerk seasoning. A wonderfully aromatic blend of fresh herbs and spices with a slow burn on the back of the tongue. These rubs are basically Caribbean BBQ and are best when cooked over an open flame but a skillet will do just fine in a pinch.

Below is my recipe for my Jerk Rub, it is awesome on chicken, pork, burgers really just about anything that can be grilled. (Shrimp, fish...) As with most recipes try to use the freshest ingredients you can find but don't stress if you can't, just use what is available and enjoy and remember...

It's all about the food.

Jerk Rub

• 1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves
• 1 whole red onion
• 1/4 cup ginger root, finely diced
• 3 Scotch bonnet peppers, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 freshly ground bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• juice of 1 lime

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients into a thick, chunky paste. If you are using a food processor be careful not to over process the ingredients, they will turn to mush.The mixture will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for several months.

Most Jamaicans grind their spices by hand in a mortar and pestle. The whole spices tend to retain more aromatic oils in them and therefore more of a natural pungency. To save time, you can pulverize the spices in a spice grinder or coffee mill, and then add them to the other ingredients.

How Is Your Love Life??

How is your love life? I know it is kind of a cheap marketing ploy but, I made you look. I guess that is why so many magazines and periodicals will use similar tag lines; the truth is most people will stop and look just to see what is going on. But really, how is your love life?

I’m not talking about your “romantic” life but your passionate affair with food. Is it still burning bright? Or is it the same old same old vanilla flavored food relationship? The usual places, the usual foods it’s Friday therefore it must be fish day or bar food (party!) We all go through these food blahs were nothing seems to excite or ignite that burning desire to satisfy our culinary affair. Like everything else worth being passionate about one must set aside time to play with ones food, to tantalize and tickle the taste buds. To experiment with combinations and textures the might seem taboo or distasteful, to expand your culinary horizons through trial and error. Yes you may have failures. That exotic stuffed bread or brioche may end up nothing more than a glob of gluten, relax, have a glass of wine this is not brain surgery; the only thing you may have killed is the yeast. It’s all good, you are now the owner of three and a half pounds of homemade playdough; go build something.

The only way to improve your culinary palate is to taste and smell all that there is to offer. Reading books about food taste or watching the celebrity chef du jour will never replace putting fork (or finger) in mouth. Each of us has a different catalog of sense memories (the same memory that a good oenophile or chef poses) to distinguish ingredients and determine in our heads, what will taste good. But you must play with your food, eat, love and consume all you can. (Preferably not in one sitting) Like any relationship it takes a commitment and intention to make it work. So what are you going to do today? Go buy one new spice and see what you can discover. They say that “variety is the spice of life,” well, I think a variety of spices is the essence of life and an epicureans delight. So make that commitment now, that commitment to not just settle for the familiar but to spice up your love life now. (Again, we are talking about food) Make you tongue dance (saltimbocca) in anticipation of your next gastronomique liaison but do kiss and tell so that others may be inspired buy your passionate affair.

Until next time…

Howard