Pleasant House

How do I say this? My dad’s side of the family could be considered the more “eccentric” side of the family. As a whole, the paternal side of my family is the side that tends to do a lot of hands-on stuff and to get pretty creative in the kitchen. My mom, though, is of course chock-full of craftiness and her own brand of eccentricity. My dad, his sisters, and my grandparents were all born overseas, so this may have something to do with their eccentricities. My dad and grandfather were born in England, my grandmother in Lithuania, and my aunts in southern Africa and New Zealand, so together, they’ve brought with them and acquired some interesting tastes from the different places they’ve lived.

My aunt Maria and uncle Cort took the plunge years ago and moved to the Caribbean. They set up shop on Grand Cayman and ended up living there for about 12 years. I first visited Cayman when I was about 16 and have been back several times since then with Chelsea, and everyone else in the family has visited several times. Maria and Cort don’t live there anymore, but the spirit of the island is part of us all and is the theme of our annual Christmas get-together. The Caribbean couldn’t seem any further from the Midwest, especially in late December, but if you fill a home with some decorations reminiscent of the island and the aromas of its food and drink, you may just think you are there. Okay, I admit it’s a stretch, but still a lot of fun.

Mom tenderizing conch meat

flouring oxtails

tropical inside, un-tropical outside

The menu for the event is always an array of Caymanian and Caribbean specialties. The menu consists of homemade oxtail stew, conch stew, beans and rice, sauteed sweet plantains, lobster, meat patties, sorrel drink, ginger beer, rum cake, and fresh mango. The beef patties are shipped fresh (frozen) from the island. (You can find them at The Caribbean American Baking Company on Howard Street in Chicago, too. It’s funny how these rich and comforting foods seem just as appropriate in the frigid Midwest as they do on a tropical island. You might think that the island cuisine would be light and chilled, but ironically, that’s not the case. In fact, you don’t see many islanders eating sandwiches for lunch; rather, you see them dining on a daily stew in a restaurant or hitting up the deli steam tables full of fresh-made stews, plantains, and rice at the grocery store.

Caribbean stovetop

conch stew with "sea pies"

Caribbean plate

Tortuga rum cake and fresh fruit

sorrel drink, mango punch, ginger beer, and Tortuga rum

Sorrel drink, made with the flower calyces of a certain kind of hibiscus, is one of my favorite Caribbean beverages and always served at the Caribbean Christmas dinner. It’s similar to the Mexican liquado jamaica (pronounced ha-mike-ah). The fresh or dried flowers are steeped in water, which is then sweetened and seasoned with spices including ginger and cinnamon. I was excited to find out, just last week, that Gayla Trail of the gardening blog You Grow Girl has been in Dominica studying its flora and fauna, including the species of hibiscus that is used for sorrel drink, and blogged about it here. After reading her post I was more than ready to enjoy some sorrel drink spiked with Tortuga rum, from Cayman. Sorrel can also be “fortified” with a splash of red wine, which was originally intended to be used as a preservative, or it can be enjoyed on its own over ice or with a splash of ginger beer.

Here’s You Grow Girl’s recipe for sorrel drink. My aunt’s recipe uses the same formula, but she adds a little touch of cinnamon to hers.

image of hibiscus for sorrel from You Grow Girl.com

Optional variations on the drink include adding fizzy water (we like this best), orange zest, cloves, lime, or a couple of shots of rum to make rum punch.

Ingredients

1 cup hibiscus calyces (dried or fresh)
1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon cane sugar, honey, or agave syrup (or to taste)
4 cups hot water

Method

Steep hibiscus calyces, ginger, and sugar in hot water for several hours. Once cooled, place in the fridge and continue to steep for as little or as long as you prefer (up to two days). Strain out the plant parts and serve with ice.

Makes approximately 4 cups.