JPennant: you want to learn how to make rice and peas?

kate12: yes
JPennant: ok
JPennant: using a big thick walled pot....
JPennant: The best beans are red beans
kate12: now this is sounding spanish to me
kate12: red beans and rice...
JPennant: sure
kate12: maybe the spices are diff?
JPennant: except the best ones are the DARK red ones.
kate12: mmmm
JPennant: anyway
JPennant: lessee you will need
JPennant: thyme
JPennant: scallion
JPennant: a few red chili peppers, small.
kate12: erg
JPennant: dried coconuts
kate12: ooh
JPennant: salt of course
JPennant: do not substitute onions for scallions
kate12: no
kate12: I adore scallions
kate12: but I might have to cut back on the chilis
JPennant: I said small. :-)
kate12: ya, ya okay
JPennant: one or two is enough
JPennant: okay

JPennant: this is enough to fill a big pot

JPennant: and here is why it takes so long to make
JPennant: you will have to either finely grater the dried coconuts
JPennant: or puree it, but not too fine.
kate12: you mean all the meat of an entire coconut?
JPennant: dried.
JPennant: half a coconut is usually sufficient
kate12: what do you mean dried?
JPennant: you have fresh coconuts
JPennant: where the meat is all gelatinous
kate12: yes
JPennant: or dried, where it comes in the brown husks
kate12: I don't think i've ever seen a gelatinous coconut
JPennant: go to any spanish markets
kate12: ohhhhhh...the ones I see have the brown shells
kate12: no kidding!

kate12: gelatinous?
JPennant: didnt anyone give you coconut juice?
kate12: yes
kate12: when you crack the coconut open
kate12: the milk escapes
kate12: very watery
JPennant: did they split open the shell for you?
JPennant: Its like Jelly then.
kate12: hmmm
JPennant: I prefer fresh juice.
kate12: fresh coconut is so wonderful
JPennant: very soda-like cuz of the potassium :-)
kate12: potassium...good
kate12: anway...I could toss that in the food processor
JPennant: yes
JPennant: but dont puree it TOO fine
kate12: right
kate12: actually, I liked it shaved coarsely
JPennant: if you do you get the husks in your food. Not fun.
kate12: okay
kate12: I'll remember that
JPennant: anyway
JPennant: you put it in a fine strainer
JPennant: and squeeze the juice out
JPennant: squeeze until its dried fiber
JPennant: that juice is VERY concentrated.
kate12: hmmm

JPennant: okay, the stock and beans

JPennant: I prefer to soak my beans in a mug overnight
JPennant: reduces the farting later. :-)
kate12: lol...wait...back up..
kate12: which stock?
JPennant: Im about to get to it
kate12: okay
kate12: hey, at least I'm paying attention

JPennant: basically, what youre gonna do is boil the beans until theyre cooked.

kate12: how long does that take? if presoaked, not as long, right?
JPennant: right, but at least an hour or two
kate12: do you pressure cook them or just in an open pot?
kate12: or a covered pot?
JPennant: covered
JPennant: you can pressure cook them, but then the stock isnt as rich
JPennant: either way
kate12: okay...I don't own a pressure cooker anyway
JPennant: okie
JPennant: anyway, add the seasonings to the water, including the pepper :-)
kate12: k (throwing one pepper aside)
JPennant: some people put a little salted ox-tail, piece of cured beef or bacon, sometimes a little beef buillion.
JPennant: personal preference
kate12: yummy
JPennant: just a little
kate12: for flavoring
JPennant: add the beans and simmer until the beans are nearly cooked
JPennant: usually when theyre still firm, but can be eaten.
JPennant: that'll usually take an hour or two

JPennant: at that point, add the coconut juice

JPennant: if the juice is rancid or bitter, dont use it
kate12: boy, this sounds good
JPennant: the reason you add the coconut juice so late is that it 'curdles'
JPennant: and kinda accumulates to the side
kate12: ah...like whey?
JPennant: grainier
kate12: ah
JPennant: the stock will be dark red
kate12: wow
JPennant: and the beans should be firm, but ready to fall apart.
kate12: k
JPennant: undercook them and I'll guarantee farting :-)
kate12: lol!
kate12: well...I'll keep some Bean-o handy just in case
JPennant: plus they get chalky later when theyre undercooked.
kate12: ah...

JPennant: now, there is a reason you cook so much
JPennant: I'll tell you why when Im done
kate12: thank you
kate12: *rolls eyes*

JPennant: anyways :-)
JPennant: you add the rice
JPennant: purists like parboiled or Uncle Bens.
kate12: and you?
JPennant: I prefer Uncle Ben's, but parboiled is good too.
JPennant: Rice and peas suck when the rice is overcooked
kate12: this sounds like the critical part of the cooking
JPennant: sorta
JPennant: this is where the experience counts, and why you want a thick shelled pot.
JPennant: you bring the water to a full boil from the simmer
JPennant: add the rice and stir
JPennant: to mix beans, rice, seasonings, coconut 'whey', all that
JPennant: and then you bring it back down to a loooooow simmer
kate12: ah
JPennant: cover the pot
kate12: I could see that coconut whey scorching
JPennant: well, not really
JPennant: its now a part of the mixture when you stir it in
kate12: hmmm...ok
kate12: true
JPennant: when its almost cooked, tear a piece of a supermarket paper bag, enough to cover the pot opening.
JPennant: turn down the fire to bare minimum
JPennant: or off if its basically cooked already
JPennant: or if the pot retains heat well
JPennant: and cover the pot with the paper bag between the cover and the pot
JPennant: some folk use foil
kate12: why?
kate12: why the paper there?
JPennant: you want the rice to absorb the moisture and yet you want to get rid of some of the moisture
JPennant: because the beans are sodden and soaked already. it wont absorb any more water
kate12: k..couldn't you do that by taking the lid off?
JPennant: you still want it to slow cook
kate12: ok
JPennant: this is the old fashioned way
JPennant: but it gives you all the flavor
kate12: neat
JPennant: it takes trial and error to get it right.. I just gave you a short cut :-)
kate12: lol...thx
kate12: you may save me from a soggy mess
JPennant: better to have too much rice than too little
kate12: *nod*
JPennant: and then leave the pot like that for about a half hour more.
JPennant: and youre done.
kate12: wow


JPennant: now since it takes so damned long to make properly

kate12: takes as long as it took my Italian aunts to make spaghetti sauce
JPennant: thas why rice and peas is usually only cooked for sunday dinner
kate12: I can see why..prolly started on saturday
JPennant: yep

JPennant: yeah, there are a zillion easier ways to do it

kate12: it sounds wonderful though
JPennant: this is me growing up with it
kate12: hee
JPennant: I tried the shorter ways (no coconut, scallion or thyme)
JPennant: and I go back to the old ways
kate12: there's something to be said for authenticity
JPennant: its not really that.
kate12: what's that saying? "accept no substitutes"
JPennant: its like Jerked pork
JPennant: or chicken
kate12: never had that
JPennant: once you have it made the RIGHT way, you dont accept it any other way.
kate12: I can understand that
JPennant: Port Antonio is famous for jerked meats
JPennant: vendors selling it by the side of the road.
JPennant: anyway
kate12: I remember lots of vendors cooking by the roadside
kate12: and lots of plantains?
JPennant: thats your rice dish
JPennant: sometimes you boil an overripe plantain in the stock and take it out before you add the rice.


kate12: thank you...I saved your instructions

JPennant: Im not done yet
kate12: oh.
kate12: then why don't I hush up
kate12: of course, you gave me NO measurements
JPennant: course not, because you cook 'just enough' and for taste
JPennant: personal preference and all
JPennant: the same techniques work for enough for one to a pot for 50
kate12: wow

JPennant: ok now, so youve cooked a CRAPLOAD of rice and peas

JPennant: and unless youve got hungry men coming for thirds (me)
kate12: lol
JPennant: you will have about half a pot left over.
JPennant: by the way, the meat to go with this.. beef, chicken, pork
JPennant: the different meats give it a different flavor
kate12: oh
JPennant: I prefer stewed chicken. Everything but fish. Fish never goes quite right with rice and peas.
JPennant: personal preference
kate12: *nod* I steam chicken a lot
JPennant: heheh.. I'll get to stewed chicken in a bit. :-)
JPennant: anyways
kate12: promise?
kate12: =)
JPennant: just ask :-)
JPennant: anyways
kate12: hee

JPennant: leftovers

JPennant: AMAZINGLY versatile leftover food
kate12: really?
kate12: I could see it as a filling for something
kate12: like a taco
JPennant: here is one recipe I learned from my half-chinese girlfriends mother.
JPennant: it makes STUPENDOUS fried rice :-)
JPennant: I always went over Mrs Hew's house for monday dinner :-)
kate12: yum
kate12: lucky you

JPennant: Here is how she made it

JPennant: bsically you add vegetables and slices of meats to it
JPennant: and fry it
JPennant: what SHE did was add fresh shelled shrimp :-)
kate12: oh...yummy
JPennant: oh yes :-)
kate12: but...an oriental sauce as well?
JPennant: doesnt need it
kate12: so just some flavored oil?
JPennant: the rice shoud be flavorful cause you made it like that, remember?
kate12: I remember
JPennant: add spices, herbs
JPennant: of course the oil is to fry it, but you dont want it oily
kate12: well, you don't use much...a tablespoon or two
JPennant: wok does it well....
kate12: that sounds so good
JPennant: but I use a 'dutch' pot because you want to SEAR it without burning

kate12: does it freeze well?

JPennant: yeah, but it gets hard then
kate12: *nod*
JPennant: an you have to steam it back to life
kate12: what interesting imagery that conjures up
JPennant: the fried rice? Yes, it freezes very well.
JPennant: so add fresh shelled shrimp
JPennant: ground chili pepper
kate12: more pepper?!
JPennant: yeah, cause its fresh
JPennant: youre reheating rice, but you want the meal to taste fresh.
kate12: I know
JPennant: thats the joy of rice and peas. leftovers. :-)
JPennant: cause it goes with everything
JPennant: For instance.. curried chicken. :-)
kate12: some foods are just so much better when reheated
JPennant: yep
JPennant: curried chicken with rice and peas is addictive
kate12: and curried chickens sounds like great accompaniment'

JPennant: remember, Jamaican cooking is caribbean, asian and indian.. basically.

kate12: fusion...
kate12: I never realized that
kate12: never realized the asian piece
JPennant: yup :-)

JPennant: didnt you clock onto all the chinese and korean folk around? :-)

kate12: would you believe no?
JPennant: most people only notice black :-)
JPennant: when I tell folk Im mixed race.. they only think in terms of 'half'
kate12: what's your ancestry?
JPennant: if Im not 'half'.. Im black
kate12: that's silly
JPennant: thas how america works.
JPennant: anyways
kate12: in some parts, perhaps
kate12: not all
JPennant: Among caribbean folk, Im mixxed.. most people think Im dominican.
JPennant: Lessee
JPennant: West African of course
JPennant: Indian
JPennant: there is chinese in there somehow.. but we cant pin it on any one person
JPennant: scottish
kate12: great blend
JPennant: Indian = east indian
kate12: right
JPennant: Most black folk are mixed anyway.
kate12: hmm
JPennant: Heheh. Id tell most non-immigrant white folk that its VERY likely they have black blood in 'em. :-)
kate12: lol
JPennant: seriously :-)
kate12: oh I know
JPennant: all of us are mutts :-)
kate12: just chuckling
kate12: absolutely
JPennant: I loved that line from the Sopranos
kate12: which one?
JPennant: where Meadow is talking about a mulatto girl.. and she said "Shit, we italians are blacker than she is."
kate12: lol
kate12: yepp

JPennant: yeah... another food I kill for is roti

kate12: what is that?
JPennant: essentially stewed curried meat, usually beef
kate12: hmmmmm
JPennant: with naan
kate12: sounds flavorful
kate12: now what's naan?
JPennant: although some people use pita
kate12: flatbread?
kate12: like a chapati?
JPennant: yep
kate12: mmm
JPennant: usually guyanese and trinidadian folk make it the best
JPennant: closer to the indian source
kate12: now, do you ever offset that, as the Indians do, with something cool and dairy, like raita?
JPennant: errrr... why? :-)
kate12: it just seems like a nice complement
JPennant: you WANT that stinging aftertaste :-)
kate12: lol
kate12: not me

kate12: thx for the recipe

JPennant: like clockwork
kate12: hee
kate12: dependability is good ;-)