Floribbean Cuisine

Chapter 4Floribbean CuisineAmerican Regional CuisineNew Era CuisineFloribbean cuisine, also known as new era cuisine, has emerged as one of America’s new and most innovative regional cooking styles.The fresh flavors, combinations, and tastes of Floribbean cuisine are representative of the variety and quality of foods indigenous to Florida and the Caribbean Islands.Regional chefs often make a commitment to using locally grown foods and the fish and seafood of the abundant fresh and salt waters of the area. The cooking style and techniques used in Florida today are highly influenced by those of Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.They are lighter, with less frying and fewer oils involved in the preparation. The Early History of FloridaJuan Ponce de Leon landed on the Atlantic Coast in 1513, and Spain began to colonize the area, but with Florida’s rough terrain and the Spaniards’ supply problems and weakening empire in Europe, all of their expeditions failed. They were able to establish a settlement at St. Augustine in northeast Florida in 1565, and this became the first permanent European settlement in the United States.The French disputed Spain’s right to Florida and also began to settle the area.Both sides attacked the other’s settlements, often completely destroying them.Farther north, the English became worried that the Spanish and French would threaten the Carolinas and Georgia.When the French and Indian War ended in 1763, Spain gave Florida to England.After the Revolutionary War, England gave Florida back to Spain. Finally, in 1819, Spain sold Florida to the United States.The History of FloridaDuring the final quarter of the 19th century, large-scale commercial agriculture in Florida, especially cattle raising, grew in importanceIndustries such as cigar manufacturing took root in the immigrant communities of the state.Potential investors became interested in enterprises as diverse as sponge harvesting in Tarpon Springs, and the Florida citrus industry grew rapidly.The development of industries throughout Florida prompted the construction of roads and railroads on a large scale.The citrus industry benefited now that oranges could travel to the northern states in less than a week.Beginning in the 1870s, residents from the northern states visited Florida as tourists to enjoy the state’s natural beauty and mild climateThis tourism industry drove the development of lavish winter resorts from Palm Beach to Miami Beach, nicknamed the “Gold Coast.”The History of FloridaBy the early 1900s, Florida’s increased rapidly, and land developers and promoters marketed the state as a tourist and retirement mecca, resulting in a massive real estate boom in South Florida. This boom ended by 1926, and land prices plummeted.The Great Depression hit the nation. Florida’s citrus industry was further devastated by the invasion of the Mediterranean fruit fly.World War II brought an end to the Great Depression and led the reemergence of economic development in FloridaOne of the most significant trends of the postwar era has been steady population growth resulting from large migrations from within the United States and from countries throughout the Western HemisphereThe History of Little HavanaFlorida’s most diverse cities are Tampa and Miami:Before the turn of the century, Tampa was the center of the U.S. cigar manufacturing industry.Many of the cigar makers were Cuban Americans, and southern and eastern Europeans. With so many immigrants from Cuba, Spain, and Italy, Tampa developed a mixed Mediterranean and Latin culture.Florida’s current multicultural center is Miami.In 1959, a revolutionary army led by Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba. Castro’s political foes and many professionals and businesspeople fled the island-nation, just 90 miles from southern Florida. Many of these Cuban exiles eventually settled in Miami. In 1980, more than 100,000 people left Cuba for Florida and have developed a Cuban-American economic and political presence in South Florida.The History of FloridaJewish retirees from colder Northern states moved to South Florida beaches, and today the region has the second largest Jewish population of any U.S. metropolitan area. Large populations from Haiti, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and other Central American countries also exist in Florida. A Southeast Asian influence is beginning to be seen as more people immigrate to Florida from Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam.The Florida CoastlineWhen the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s, they brought cattle and pigs. They are given credit for many recipes using meat in a region that formerly depended entirely on fish and game.Native Americans taught the Spanish about local fruits and vegetables, including hearts of palm, malanga, yuca, and plantains.Abundant finfish attracted Cuban fishermen to the harbors and bays. They salted and dried their catch, then shipped it to Havana and other Spanish colonial settlements.Before the Civil War in the 1860s, the commercial red snapper and grouper industry was active, as well as industries developed for harvesting and processing clams, scallops, turtles, oysters, and shrimp.The Florida Coastline Cont.The spiny lobster, a large sea crawfish with no claws, is found off lower Florida’s west coastStone crabs are trapped and fishermen remove one of the two claws, tossing the crabs back into the water to grow the missing claw back.The conch that is found in the spiraled seashell has sweet but tough meat that is chopped up for fritters and chowders.Greek sponge divers settled at Tarpon Springs in 1905.Other immigrants, including Italians, and Chinese brought their cooking traditions with them.The Florida PanhandleInland toward the center and north of the state, the food is more Southern in character.In the mid-1600s, the Spanish conquistadors brought many thousands of slaves from Africa to Florida and the Caribbean Islands.The slaves brought with them the skills and knowledge to grow, cook, and prepare the types of foods they were familiar with: yams, eggplant, sesame seeds, and okra.Many of the regional specialties, like field peas and okra, came from this period.In the mid-1700s, a group of Minorcans—people of Catalan descent from the Spanish Balearic Islands—were brought to the Florida region as indentured laborers.Their foods and cooking influenced the existing Florida cuisine, particularly in the use of peppers.South Florida and the Gold CoastAgriculture has fueled much of this area’s economic development.Draining the Everglades uncovered rich soil, permitting the development of sugarcane fields, and helped turn the area southwest of Miami into the winter vegetable capital of the country. Today, Florida is the nation’s top producer of sugarcane.Florida trails only California in the production of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, greens, beans, and peppers.Florida is one of the largest producers of citrus fruits in the world .Florida oranges provide nearly 80 percent of the orange juice consumed in the United States.Florida also produces grapefruit, limes, lemons, and tangerines.Some of the more exotic citrus fruits from the region include kumquats, tangelos, pummelos, and calamondins.Culinary InfluencesCaribbean and Latin American immigrants have followed the Cubans and have found that many of their native ingredients are indigenous to Florida.They brought with them all of the rice and legume dishes like rice and peas, or beans.Coloring foods, like adding turmeric and saffron to rice reminded them of the palm oil that is used in West Africa.Cane sugar in oil is caramelized to give a color and flavor to stews.Dried and smoked ingredients as well as pickled pork and vegetables intensify flavors.Seasoning pastes, salsa, rubs, and hot sauces are used for flavor but also enhance digestion and encourage perspiration in order to cool off in the hot environment.Salsas come in many forms and flavors.They can be spicy and hot with vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, corn, peppers, and cucumbers or tart and acidic with fruits like mango, pears, pineapple, and grapefruit.The word mojo comes from the Spanish word mojado, which means “wet.” Mojos are more liquid in consistency than salsas and are used as sauces or marinades.The  heat of the salsas and mojos are adjusted with the choice of peppers, from the fiery Scotch bonnets to the milder banana peppers.By using any of the countless vinegars or fruit juices combined with choices of oils that include olive, walnut, hazelnut, and avocado, salsas and mojos can provide a wide range of flavors.They have the benefit of being very low in calories and cholesterol, making them healthy alternatives to heavier, cream-based sauces.Root vegetables like cassava, boniato, and malanga are abundantGround meat dishes called picadillo, rice and beans, mofongos (mashed plantain with pork crackling), escabeches, seviches, frijoles, and paella are commonly favorite meals.Culinary Influences Cont.The Evolution of Floribbean CuisineIn the 1980s, a talented group of local chefs recognized these exotic ingredients and the cooking traditions of the immigrant population With Miami’s explosion as a new and exciting playground for the hip, rich, and famous, they developed and marketed what became one of the next acknowledged regional cuisines of AmericaUnsustainable Fishing Methods Longlines can be set near the surface to catch pelagic  fish like tuna and swordfish, or when laid on the sea floor catch deep dwelling fish like cod and halibut.In this fishing method a central fishing line that can range from one to 50 miles long; this line is strung with smaller lines of baited hooks, dangling at evenly spaced intervals.Nearly 20 percent of shark species are threatened with extinction, primarily as a result of being caught accidentally on longlines. When cast out and left to "soak," longlines attract anything that swims by, from sharks to sea turtles.Purse seining is used to catch schooling fish, such as sardines, or species that gather to spawn, such as squidA large wall of netting is used to encircle schools of fish. Fishermen pull the bottom of the netting closed—like a drawstring purse—to herd fish into the center.There are several types of purse seines and, depending on which is used, some can catch other animals (such as when tuna seines are intentionally set on schools of dolphins).Bycatch also includes young fish that could rebuild populations if they were allowed to grow and breed.Unsustainable Fishing Methods Cont.Gillnetting is used to catch sardines, salmon and cod Curtains of netting are suspended by a system of floats and weights that can be anchored to the sea floor or allowed to float at the surface.The netting is almost invisible to fish, so they swim right into it.Unfortunately gillnets can also entangle and kill other animals, including sharks and sea turtles.Trawls and dredges are designed to catch fish such as pollock, cod, flounder and shrimp.These nets are towed at various depths to catch fish or shellfish.Trawl nets, which can be as large as a football field, are either dragged along the sea floor or midway between the floor and the surface.Bottom trawling can result in high levels of bycatch.The effects of trawling can actually be seen on satellite images taken from space.Dredging is done by dragging a heavy frame with an attached mesh bag along the sea floor to catch animals living on or in the mud or sand; catches include scallops, clams and oysters.Dredging can damage the sea floor by scraping the bottom and also often results in significant bycatch.Sustainable Fishing MethodsFishermen use a wide range of gear to land their catch. Every type has its own effects on the ocean.Using the right gear for the right job, the fishing industry can help minimize its impact on the environment can be minimized.In places where management agencies have enforced the use of better fishing gear, bycatch and habitat damage have been reduced.This includes requiring devices that allow turtles to escape from nets, the use of less harmful "circle hooks" and a movement away from harmful methods such as bottom trawls and dredges.Sustainable Fishing Methods Cont.Pole/troll is considered environmentally responsible and a good alternative to pelagic longlining.Fishermen use a fishing pole and bait to target a variety of fish, ranging from open ocean swimmers, like tuna and mahi mahi, to bottom dwellers, like cod.With this type of fishing method fishermen have very low bycatch rates.Traps and pots are used to catch lobsters, crabs, shrimp, sablefish and Pacific cod.These submerged wire or wood cages attract fish with bait and hold them alive until fishermen return to haul in the catch.Traps and pots are usually placed on the ocean bottom and have lower unintended catch and less sea floor impact than mobile gear like trawls.Sustainable Fishing Methods Cont.Harpooning is a traditional method for catching large pelagic predatory fish such as bluefin tuna and swordfish.When a harpooner spots a fish, he thrusts or shoots a long aluminum or wooden harpoon into the animal and hauls it aboard.Harpooning is considered an environmentally responsible fishing method since fishermen visually identify the species and size of the targeted fish before killing it.Trolling is a hook-and-line method that designed  to catch fish that will follow a moving lure or bait, such as salmon, mahi mahi and albacore tuna.Fishing lines are towed behind or alongside a boat. Fishermen use a variety of lures and baits to "troll" for different fish at different depths.Trolling is an environmentally responsible fishing method as fishermen can quickly release unwanted catch from their hooks since lines are reeled in soon after a fish takes the bait.Jerk Chicken Skewer with Cucumber and Pineapple SalsaJamaican pit masters cook over a fire of pimento wood and leaves. Pimento wood is the wood of the Jamaican allspice tree, found only in Jamaica. Butter Lettuce Salad with Orange, Avocado, and Shallot-Hazelnut VinaigretteRock Shrimp with Shellfish QuinoaRock shrimp are wild-caught from Virginia to the Gulf of Mexico, along the coast of California and in the Caribbean. They have a thick, rock-hard shell, which is very difficult to remove by hand. The texture is firm and slightly chewy with a sweet flavor similar to that of lobster.Quinoa should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer because of its high fat content. Quinoa naturally comes with a bitter coating called saponin which must be rinsed off. Most quinoa purchased in the U.S. has been pre-rinsed and dried. Quinoa does not need to be soaked, however it helps it cook evenly, and it must always be rinsed.Cuban Braised Pork Shoulder with Mango and Jalapeno MojoPork shoulder has a high fat content and is high in collagen; both add flavor and moistness.  Butterscotch Pudding with Molasses CrispJamaican-Style Escovitch of FishThis method is similar to a ceviche, the difference is the fish is seared, not raw. Typically, Jamaicans uses scotch bonnet peppers.Banana EmpanadasGolden Gazpacho with Puff Pastry StrawsGazpacho began centuries ago as a poor people’s food and consisted of nothing more than leftover bread, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and water. Over the centuries, each region of Andalusia, Spain, developed its own distinctive version of gazpacho based on the same simple ingredients.The discovery of the New World introduced Spain to tomatoes and peppers.Today there are as many varieties of gazpacho as there are towns in Andalusia, but the local chefs usually do not use cucumbers or onions in gazpacho.Some are like a chopped salad and others are made with almonds or lima beans or even sorbet of gazpacho.Hearts of Palm SaladHearts of palm are also referred to as “swamp cabbage” because they come from the cabbage palm tree and usually grow in swamps in southern FloridaFresh hearts of palm are frequently available in Cryovac bags and will last up to two weeks in a refrigerator Canned hearts of palm may be substituted for fresh.Jamaican Beef Patties Pan Seared Grouper with Black Bean, Jicama and Corn RelishKey Lime Pie The Key lime is smaller than the more common Persian lime and is rounder, with a color more yellow than green. Outside of Florida and Mexico, where it is called limon. The Key lime is usually available only in Hispanic specialty markets. Key lime pie became popular in the Florida Keys in the 1850s.The first Key lime pies were baked in a pastry crust and topped with a meringue, but now they are frequently baked in a graham cracker crust and served with a whipped cream topping.If true Key limes are not available, the juice from regular Persian limes will suffice, but the pie should be called a lime pie rather than a Key lime pie.Stewed Pink BeansThis dish can be made with virtually any variety of dry beans.The West Indian pumpkin is typically available in specialty markets in South Florida. Regular pumpkins are an excellent substitute, if pumpkins are not available, try using yams.The procedure uses an important element of Latin and Caribbean cooking— sofrito.The term is derived from the Spanish word sofreir, meaning “to fry lightly.”Sofrito is an essential flavor element and can be prepared in large amounts and stored in the refrigerator until needed.Key West Conch Chowder Celebrity chef Norman Van Aken says,“Conch chowder is to Key West what cioppino is to San Francisco.” This unique mollusk is such a part of the folklore and diet of Key Westerners that the people who were born and raised there in the late 1800s became known as “conchs” (pronounced konks). Conch meat has a rich, exotic, clam like taste and can be used in salads, fritters, and chowders.Conch meat is almost always purchased frozen, even in Florida.Select Grade A quality conch and be sure to check for freezer burn, which can be identified by white spots.Conch meat can be extremely tough, even if you dice it very small. Grind conch meat in a meat grinder using a medium die. Before grinding, cut away and discard any orange, flaplike meat attached to the conch.