Gracefoods

Any bread that is made in a pan atop the stove rather than baked.

To cook in a heavy frying pan over direct heat with very little or no fat.

To fry in a skillet using fat.

Papaya, Papaw( Carica papaya)

The Papaya or Papaw originated in Panama and is indigenous to the West Indies and Central America. The shape of the fruit varies from oblong to round, depending on the type or variety. Ripe papaya can be served in several ways, the most popular being to cut the unpeeled fruit and remove the seeds, and then use a spoon to scoop out the sweet and juicy flesh. The ripe fruit may also be processed into juice, puree or jams while the green fruit is used for sauces and pickles.

To place in boiling water for a short period of time until partly cooked.

Heavy grease and moisture resistant paper used to cook or bake.

To remove the outer layer

Passion Fruit, Maracudja, Granadilla (Passiflora Edulis):

Oval-shaped fruit that has a tough shell and a color range from yellow-purple to eggplant to deep chocolate. The golden-yellow pulp is sweet and tropically exotic, and must be strained to remove the seeds. Used primarily in juices, desserts, drinks and sauces.

Jamaicans refer to nearly all beans as "peas." Kidney beans are probably the most popular. Gungo (pigeon) peas have also been a hit since their introduction from West Africa by the Spanish, as have cow peas, black-eyed peas, and butter, lima and broad (also called fava) beans. They are the island's primary source of protein--even more than meat. Smaller peas are used in Rice and Peas while larger-sized peas often appear in savory stews and side dishes.

There are many varieties of pepper, but the following are best known in Jamaica.

Scotch Bonnet – Large, round, wrinkled with a flattened base; very pungent but with an excellent flavour – the fruit ripens yellow

Bird or Bird’s Eye Pepper – Not cultivated but growing half-wild with a very small, but exceedingly pungent fruit which is red when ripe. It is the principal source of ‘cayenne’ pepper.

Sweet Pepper: A non-pungent variety, edible as a vegetable. The fruit, under good cultivation, are about 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches across. The powdered dry pods make paprika.

Spicy Cuban hash, made of ground beef and cooked with olives and raisins.

Preserved or flavored in brine.

Plantain: (Musa Paradisiaca)

Technically a banana-family fruit, but generally regarded as a vegetable. Inedible raw, cooked plantains are served as appetizers or starchy side dishes. The unripe (green), ripe (yellow) and very ripe (dark) plantains are used in Caribbean cooking. They become slightly sweet as they ripen.

To cook in liquid covering the food. Poached food is not boiled, it is only simmered.

To pulverize by processing through a sieve, blender, food processor, or similar appliance.