Sweet [antikvár]

What does the word '"'sweet" conjure in your mind? Sitting at home, relaxing in front of a DVD with a bowl of sweet popcorn? Enjoying a homemade brownie? Celebrating a birthday with a big, bountiful cake? Whatever it is, I bet it's something good! To me, "sweet" is about celebrating and sharing - and that's a beautiful thing! The fact that this book is caUed Sweet has more to do with attitude than sugar levels. Choosing to get together with family and friends and enjoy a partioiilar moment by sharing a mouth-watering treat is part of the sweetness of Ufa. You just have to hsten to reggae music to know how important the sweet stuff is in the Caribbean. Bob Marley's "Guava JeUy" is just one of many songs that show how sweet flavours are associated with good times, pick-me-ups, aphrodisiacs, bonding and gifts. In Jamaica, there's a party vibe about sweet food. And because we have a lot of parties in the Caribbean, we have discovered loads of ways to enjoy sweet flavours, and have made putting them together a subtle art. In this book, I explore the typical flavours of the Caribbean and how they marry with those recipes and ingredients that we know and love in the UK. Tm introducing my Sunshine Kit of flavours (ginger, allspice, nutmeg, Scotch Boimet chillies, coriander, thyme and bay leaves) to familiar dishes such as crumbles and tarts, and serving up some typical Jamaican food as well. H«yi smet it is There are ten chapters in this book, each offering many Mnds of sweet foods for you to enjoy. The first "chapter is full of cakes. The cake is the ultimate sharing-out sweet food, from which you cut slices for everyone, and there's something for everyone in this chapter, from extravagantly chocolately and Indulgently fruity to temptingly spicy. The next chapter covers biscuits and bars. Biscuits were the basis of my very first business. Back in the day, when I was still at secondary school, I was always coming up with ways to make money and I worked out that I could buy a packet of biscuits, sell them individually and double my capital. It's a shame I didn't think to bake them myself, or I could have made a kilUng! I sold biscuits until I left school at 16. I love them and never have a cup of tea without one to hand, ready for dunking. If you're a biscuit fan Uke me, you'll find a good selection to choose from in this chapter. Chapter three is all about pies and tarts. Who doesn't love pastries? In Jamaica, we bake in pots. You have a big pot full of boUing water, with a smaller pot inside for the dish - it's a bit like steaming a pudding. We have a saying that a good hot dish in the oven is 'heU a-top, heU a-bottom and "hallelujah" in the middle'! Check out my Jamaican takes on BakeweU Tart (see page 72) and Pecan Pie (see page 75). Zhe fording, Cava i^h'sr, Clarendon.