Belly Full: Exploring Caribbean cuisine through 11 fundamental ingredients and over 100 recipes

My recent post on negative synchronicity, reported on the unusual difficulty in getting this book delivered to me from Amazon (I only received it on the 4th try, and even then it was a struggle.

But I had to have it, for it was written by my daughter and just published by Ten Speed Press in New York.

Given my bias, I won’t try to tell you all the reasons why I love the book. Instead, here is an eloquent quote from inside the cover by Hawa Hassan, author of In Bibi’s Kitchen:

….Lesley Enston shares the stories and flavors that have shaped her life-long affair with Caribbean food. From her mother’s effortless cooking style, infused with love and tradition, to her father’s culinary experiments with Trinidadian staples like curried chicken and souse, Lesley’s recipes inspire in the ways they approach, transcend, and unify cultural boundaries on page after delicious page.

In case you noticed it, yes, I too am a Caribbean cook, of varying talent. Also, 2-3 of my photos have contributed to this wonderful book.

I often talk about the weakness of contemporary writing, mainly in fiction, the chief exception being the writing of history which has entered a golden age. One of the striking things about this is the way history has begun to permeate other writing. You see this in spades in Belly Full, as Lesley documents the fascinating background of the 11 ingredients and the recipes that have emerged from them.

Click here to read, and see, more of the book on Amazon.com.

PS – Lesley Enston is the daughter of Ken Enston, who is Alan Conrad