My Modern Caribbean Kitchen: 70 Fresh Takes on Island Favorites

If you’ve ever vacationed on one of the Caribbean islands, chances are you loved their local cuisine. Chef Julian Jackson features seventy typical island recipes in his book My Modern Caribbean Kitchen. The recipes are not complicated, ingredients are readily available in any food market and recipe instructions are easy to understand–even an intermediate home cook would have no difficulty reproducing the recipes at home. Many of the dishes are spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. Jackson uses the super-pungent Scotch bonnet pepper in many recipes (typical Caribbean ingredient) but not chopped. He instructs the cook to add it whole and then remove it before serving. This gives the dish a bit of hot, spicy flavor without making it inedibly hot. If the diners prefer a milder version, remove the peppers earlier. The book also includes occasional familiar non-island recipes like mac & cheese. The recipe layouts are excellent; the book designer placed one recipe with a beautiful, colored illustration on facing pages. Each recipe is illustrated. Jackson’s headnotes are excellent and worth reading. He features foods of his native Virgin Island, but these are typical of any of the Caribbean islands. Jackson also adds a useful index that is nicely cross-referenced..