Today I am thankful for Jamaican cuisine. My introduction to the world of Jamaican cuisine came by way of a friend of my mother’s who used to invite us over to her house for dinner. This particular friend of my mother’s is from Jamaica and to say that she can cook well would be an understatement. She is one of the most amazing cooks that I have ever encountered. Over the years she has treated us to feasts of pigeon peas and rice, plantains, curried chicken and goat, jerk chicken, and more. My lips are watering just thinking about it.
As I sit here thinking about all of the wonderful meals that my mother and I shared with her friend, I realize that in addition to the fact that the food that my mother’s friend prepared for us was incomparably good, whenever we went over to her house we were always enveloped in an atmosphere that was full of love and hospitality. I think that that is what comes to mind every time that I go to a restaurant and order Jamaican food – the love and care that always accompanied the wonderful meals that I had at my mother’s friend’s house. Every bite of delicious Jamaican food seems to be flavored with that love, a love that conjures up all of the pleasant memories of my childhood experiences with Jamaican food and wonderful Jamaican people.
It has been quite a while since I have had the pleasure of partaking of my mother’s friend’s cooking, and despite the fact that I have asked her for the occasional recipe throughout the years, I have yet to attempt to make any of the items that she makes myself. Maybe that is something that I will pursue within the next few months. I think that I certainly owe it to myself to give it a try. #lovebythedrop
love by the drop 