Bahama Book

Tag: local food

  • Checkers Cafe, Local Bahamian Food

    Bahamian food is such a diverse rich experience. It would be a real shame to visit the Bahamas and not experience the food of the locals.

    The unfortunate thing is that the main restaurants in Nassau do not pay tribute to the local palate.

    The fortunate thing is Checkers Cafe serves many local dishes the way locals like them at the price that locals like.

    Because Checkers Cafe caters to the local people, it is a little off the beaten path. To get there a taxi ride will be in order. Bahama John is a local taxi driver who is recommended by many as a good driver with good knowledge of the island.

    Checkers Cafe servers the dishes that most bahamians grew up on in the more rural parts such as the other inhabited islands of the Bahamas.

    Lots of the food has it’s roots in the Cajun parts of the USA. There are foods that resemble such things as Gumbo. One of my favourites is called Stew Conch. It is a bahamian gumbo cooked with the meat of Conch. They will serve other things such as “Steamed Pork Chops,” Peas-n-rice,” “Steamed Chicken…” The Steam food is not at all steamed as you would think, but is cooked in a rich tomato gravy sometimes with potatoes and carrots as well as the meat. I suppose it is more like a stew.

    Breakfast is also rich. Bahamians don’t traditionally eat eggs and bacon. Rather things like “Stew Fish” or “Steam Fish and Grits” There is even one called “Fire Engine.” I have taught many friends from different countries how to cook this traditional breakfast, and years later they cook it more than I do.

    So please step out and experience a little of the Bahamas while in Nassau. Check out Checkers Cafe.

  • Peas n Rice Bahamian Food

    Peas N Rice is to bahamians what potatoes are to most americans. A meal is not a meal with out peas n rice. Bahamian food is a fusion of many cultures and quite unique. Enjoy!

    Ingredients

    1/2 lb bacon chopped

    1 small onion chopped

    1/2 green pepper chopped

    2 stalks celery chopped

    1 tsp black pepper

    1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

    1/2 tsp thyme leaves

    Salt to taste

    1 can of kidney beans (drained) You can substitute any bean you like.

    6 oz can tomato paste

    3 3/4 Cups water

    2 Cups long grain rice

    Method

    Reduce the bacon in a large pot medium low heat. When the bacon is crispy add the onion, green pepper, and celery, salt a little. Continue with the low heat until the mixture is tender.

    Add the tomato paste and stir in. Add the beans. Add the water, stir, season with salt to taste and add the thyme and black pepper. Turn heat to high. When the pot reaches a boil add the rice and stir.

    Top the pot with a proper fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Set your kitchen timer for 25 mins.

    After 25 mins check the rice, if done turn off the heat and let the pot sit for a further 15 minutes.

  • Paradise Island, Port Side Cafe

    Paradise Island is a stunning island. The beaches are both gorgeous and great for swimming. There are times of year when the waters can get a bit on the rough side, mostly getting toward the end of the hurricane season. I can remember riding my bicycle with great excitement in the end of August-beginning of September going to Cabbage beach to “ride waves.” The rest of the year the waters are mostly calm.

    One of the complaints that I’ve heard about staying on Paradise Island is “the food is really expensive.” This next series of short articles will help greatly with the expense of dining on or around Paradise Island. It will also help you to discover some of the local bahamian foods that we enjoy.

    Obviously the main goal of any resort is to keep you on the resort grounds. There are several reasons for them to keep you there, the main one is the most obvious! They’d prefer to be the ones to provide you with all your needs while staying on the property. That is a nice gesture, but if you are like me at all, I like to experience the places I go the way the locals do.

    Believe it or not just a short walk away from the resorts on Paradise Island there is a place that you can get a local breakfast for $3.00. While filling a basic need to eat, you’ll be able to enjoy a breakfast that a bahamian would typically eat.

    The name of the Restaurant is Port Side Cafe. They are there mainly to serve the locals who work on Paradise island, but the food is local, good, and economical. A winning combination I’d say.

    This gem of a restaurant/take out is located under the bridge as it comes onto Paradise Island. There is a marina there, as well as a few offices of tour companies. The Restaurant is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They also serve sandwiches and other dishes. The menu price ranges from $3.00 to $12.00.

    Enjoy!