In Motherland, Melissa Thompson gives us a different view of Jamaican cooking: one from the other side of the Atlantic. Instructions are clear, ingredients are easy to find, and the whole vibe of the book is consistent with Jamaica: inviting, colorful, chill. A recipe for fried fish features escovitch, a common way of serving fish in Jamaican cuisine that's derived from the Spanish dish escabeche, featuring vinegar and vegetables. Her worst nightmare is realised when her mother moves in, which means Julia has to scream into the bathroom towels and start fancying Garry the builder. Thompson, 41, was surprised to learn ackee isn’t originally from Jamaica, despite being synonymous with the country’s cuisine (it’s actually native to West Africa, and came to the Caribbean through the slave trade).

Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook eBook : Thompson, Melissa

Leyla discovers that while some processes born out of necessity may be less popular today, it’s clear the practice of smoking is showing no signs of dissipating.We hear from producers bringing diverse barbecue and smoking techniques to new audiences, as well as those keeping traditional processes alive. In a beautifully observed episode about the monstrosity of emotions surrounding Mother’s Day, she goes out for lunch with her mother, played to frosty perfection by Joanna Lumley.

Motherland by Melissa Thompson | Cookbook Corner | Nigella Lawson

Melissa Thompson’s enticing Jamaican-inspired cookbook Motherland combines a solemn history of the Caribbean island nation with notes about its delicious food and spirited reputation … Spicy, sweet, rich and varied, the recipes of Motherland evoke the unique wonders of Jamaica’s enduring spirit.

Happily, the rest of the season two team – Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz and Barunka O’Shaughnessy – have done a solid job of retaining Horgan’s signature blend of comedy: lacerating, farcical, painfully British (although, of course, Horgan is Irish). Though sometimes brutal, Motherland doesn’t shy away from the 500-year story that makes Jamaican food the unique cuisine it is today. Here is a quick description and cover image of book Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook written by Melissa Thompson which was published in .

Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook | Strong Sense of Place Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook | Strong Sense of Place

About this Thompson is direct and - rightly - unsparing, and yet she manages to bring such joy at the same time: this is a true celebration of Jamaican food and Jamaica, not an airbrushed, whitewashed version. I feel sorry for other Caribbean islands, because when people talk about Caribbean food, they think about jerk, they think about Jamaican food.Stir loosely, as vigorous mixing will get rid of the bubbles you want to keep; don’t worry if there are some lumps. But, without doubt, it was the men and women from Africa, who against their will came to the Caribbean islands during the transatlantic slave trade, that had the biggest influence on the island’s food and culture. Pour the custard into the pastry case and bake for 40-45 minutes; it should still have a wobble in the middle. It follows the impact of colonization, and how the periods under Spanish and British rule left an indelible mark on the nation’s gastronomy, without shying away from their Eyewitness accounts describe the barbarity of the colonial powers.

Melissa Thompson says Jamaican cuisine reflects the - BBC Melissa Thompson says Jamaican cuisine reflects the - BBC

It is a love scene of sorts, if by love scene you mean a husband and wife who can barely stand each other going to the pub.Sometimes, you’ll see recipes from very established chefs – who should know better – it’s like jerk with different chillies, whether it’s jalapenos or random things – it’s like, where does that come from? Patchwork seems the perfect description for a cuisine that has taken many different influences – from the island's earliest known settlers, who farmed cassava, which remains one of Jamaica's staple crops, to the Spanish colonialists, who introduced sugar cane to the Caribbean – and stitched them together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. This is another big part of Motherland: “Know where the food has come from, know the origins, and know how it’s supposed to be before you start playing with it. Helen Graves, editor of Pit Magazine and author of Live Fire, explains why she has made it her mission to champion the broad range of diversity in open fire cooking, and the reasons she tends not to follow the trend of US-style barbecue.