Category Archives: Caribbean

Tropical Ice Cream

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For the past few weeks, the temperature hit record highs, including several 100-degree days. In weather like this, a trip to an ice cream shop is an absolute must so I asked my friend Regina to join me at Tropical Ice Cream Café in Silver Spring, MD. The cafe sells homemade ice cream with tropical fruit from around the world, including lychee, guava, papaya, mango, passion fruit, rambutan and Irish moss. Due to its selection, the café has a reputation of attracting individuals from Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean who are looking for flavors that remind them of home.

While the café also offers basic flavors like butter pecan, pistachio and strawberry, I decided to try something new and exotic to my taste buds. Therefore, I asked to sample Soursop (Guanabana), which has the coloring of vanilla. As the server prepared my sample, I asked her where the fruit is grown because I had never heard of Guanabana before that day. I learned that the fruit is found mainly in the Caribbean, Central America and parts of Africa. The flavor tasted citrusy with a hint of banana; I found the combination to be great. I immediately ordered a single scoop on a cone to go. Yes, I was surprised to find out that after all these years there are flavors better than mint chocolate chip, my all time favorite. Regina sampled a pineapple flavor for the first time. She is a huge health nut and was surprised to find the ice cream light and incredibly good.

I am sure there are local ice cream shops around the country that sell one or two of these flavors. On your next hot summer day, go treat yourself to a tropical ice cream cone. You will enjoy every lick!

A Cuban – Ghanaian Baby Shower

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I attended my friend ‘s baby shower this past weekend in New York. Barbara is of Afro Cuban decent and her husband, Gerald, is from Ghana, which makes a wonderful cultural mix for a celebration.

My friend Steph and I arrived early to help out, but Audrey, Barbara’s sister, was on top of everything. The party was on Saturday so the only thing left to do was to watch the U.S. – Ghana World Cup match. The game was exciting, and of course Gerald was thrilled with Ghana’s win.

The official party time was at 4PM. However, some of Barbara and Gerald’s family arrived an hour to three hours “late”, although this did not phase the parents-to-be. As guests arrived, I started to hear a mixture of Spanish and Twi, which was fascinating to listen to all at once. With the excitement of the baby’s July arrival, there were conversations around the name. Some thought the baby should be named after a Ghanaian soccer player, but I don’t think Barbara will allow that. Sorry, Gerald! I do know through Barbara that the Ghanaians perform a naming ceremony soon after the baby is born, and I believe they will apply some of those traditions for their child.

Now for the food, which was amazing. It’s always a treat to attend a party at Barbara’s mother’s house because I know Senora Smith would cook up something fabulous. Unfortunately, she told me that she did not cook much; she only whipped up a few appetizers. I admit that I was saddened to not have her mouth-watering bacalao or black beans. But of course, to my surprise, Senora Smith’s “not much” included flavorful lamb chops and delectable shrimp! The party was catered with an array of Caribbean food, including spicy jerk chicken, peas and rice and salmon. In addition, Gerald’s mom cooked a few items, including an incredible black-eyed peas and smoked turkey dish. This was my first time experiencing Ghanaian food and it will not be my last!

The baby shower itself was traditional, games and a ton of gifts. The parents were given great advice, and this baby will be well set from day one. By 10:30 p.m. I was pooped so Steph and I said our goodbyes. For some reason, I think the party continued long after we left. I knew we should have arrived on Cuban or Ghanaian time.

Congratulations Barbara and Gerald on your new baby! I can’t wait to find out if it’s a boy or girl and to learn the meaning behind his or her name.

A Lesson on Mojitos

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During our trip to Aruba last week, we ate lunch at Cuba’s Cookin, a wonderful restaurant that offers delicious Cuban food, drinks, artwork and music.

I ordered a popular Cuban sandwich, the Medianoche, which comes with ham, pork, pickles and cheese on a roll and a mojito. For some time, I have wanted to learn how to make the perfect mojito. Therefore, I asked our bartender/waiter to give me a personal lesson. As he made our mojitos, he told me to do the following:

  • Add one tablespoon of sugar to a tall glass.
  • Wet the sugar with fresh lime juice where the juice rises above the sugar (about ½ a lime)
  • Add a hand full of mint leaves and crush the mixture with a muddler
  • Add one and a half ounces of light rum
  • Fill half the glass with crushed ice and top off with club soda (not too much if you want a drink with a kick)
  • Stir and drink

It’s a Friday after work and very hot so I decided to have a taste of Cuba at home with mojitos. I grabbed a bunch of fresh mint from my garden and followed the instructions. So how did I do? Muy bien, baby, muy bien!!!

Note: we enjoyed our lunch at Cuba’s Cookin. If you ever go to Aruba, definitely add this place to your list.

Around the World Embassy Tour

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My sister, niece and I had a great time at the 2010 Around the World Embassy Tour in DC. Embassies from Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas opened their doors to the public to share their art, music, food, history and traditions. Unfortunately, we could not see all 35 embassies in four hours; however, we enjoyed eight embassies for the day in this order:

Embassy of the Republic of Botswana – we sampled goat and a black eyed peas with corn dish, which we learned are typically served at weddings, funerals and other large gatherings. We watched video about local animals and admired a lot of beautiful artwork.

Embassy of the Republic of Namibia – we had an impromptu lecture from a staff member who talked about the history and agriculture of his country. We learned that the Germans originally colonized Namibia. The British and South Africans also occupied Namibia; however, they eventually gained independence in the early 90’s. Namibia’s terrain is arid with large dessert areas and has the largest canyon in Africa. They export various products such as diamonds, uranium, copper and fish, and their most popular animal is the cheetah. We also enjoyed the arts and crafts on display.

Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda – women and men in traditional attire dancing to Rwandan rhythms greeted us outside.  Inside we sampled tasty ice coffee and purchased jewelry made by Rwandan women who received fair trade wages for their work. And once again, we loved the art on display.

Embassy of Australia – we listened to a gentleman play folk music on an accordion type instrument; saw a display on their military; sampled Australian wines (minus my niece); ate lamb and cheddar cheese; gathered travel information; and saw snakes in aquariums—yikes!

Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago – now this was a party that made us want to go on vacation immediately. The calypso music was playing, and women were dressed in carnival costumes. There were young kids on stilts and a really long line to sample curry food. Here we enjoyed the celebration and the colorful paintings on the walls.

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – once again, another party. By now we were really hungry so we purchased platters of chicken kabobs with basmati rice, yogurt and vegetables. As we ate, we listed to a live band playing Afghani music and watched visitors purchase clothes and jewelry. The embassy itself was the most beautiful thing on display, as you will see in my video.

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – as soon as we walked in we started dancing to the African rhythms in a group circle. Unfortunately, we were running out of time so we quickly admired the jewelry and art.

Embassy of Ghana – our last stop for the day, we heard the tail end of drummers and looked at the artwork of sculptures, paintings and jewelry. I picked up their schedule and was bummed that I missed the food tasting, dancers and movie.

Each embassy did a fantastic job highlighting their country’s culture, people and tourism, and their staff was incredibly hospitable. We had such a great time that we are already planning our 2011 embassy tours. Below is a short video that highlights our day.

For those of you in the DC area, visit CulturalTourismDC.org to learn about other events this month, including the European Union Embassies’ Open House (May 8th) and the Meridian’s International Children’s Festival (May 15th).

Latin and Afro-Caribbean Production

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Last night we attended the Strathmore Hall to see the production of Danzón, which included Luna Negra Dance Theater with the Grammy Award winning ensemble Turtle Island Quartet and Grammy Award winner Paquito D’Rivera.

Luna Negra Dance Theater, a Chicago based, multicultural dance company, blends traditional ballet with contemporary dance. Each dancer previously trained with different companies located within and outside of the United States: Chicago, Houston, New York City, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain. The Turtle Island Quartet consists of two violinists, a cello player and a viola player. This ensemble fuses classical music with contemporary American, Latin and Indian musical styles. Paquito D’Rivera, a Cuban native, is a composer and musician who blends jazz, classical and Latin music. When these diverse artists came together, they generated a lively and exciting show.

Danzón music was originally created in Cuba in the late 1800s. During that period, dancers would follow the melody via different actions: choose partners, stroll onto the dance floor, and begin to dance at precisely the same moment. Later in the music, the dancers would stop, chat, flirt, greet their friends, and start again. After learning more about Danzón, I realized the Luna Negra Dance Company interpreted this style in their production, which consisted of three parts: Nube Blanco (White Cloud), Danzón and Quinceañera.

The Luna Negra Dance Company started the show with what I would call a “step show” but with a Spanish, African and Latin American twist. When Turtle Island Quartet and Paquito D’Rivera took stage, they played colorful pieces that infused blues, jazz, classical and Latin music, which complemented the dancers’ movements. The show ended with the dancers doing a whimsical interpretation of a girl’s coming of age. I liked all parts of the production, as they were each very unique. However, there were moments when I did not understand the modern dance interpretations. In those instances, I used the rhythmic beats of the music to let my imagination come up with my own story lines.

The Luna Negra Dance Theater reminds me of a junior version of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where traditional ballet is modified with a cultural influence. Once again, their style of dance shows that the art is made for every culture to explore and interpret.

Overall all, I enjoyed the Danzón production and encourage you to see it if it comes to your town.