An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean InterludeUnder the Tuscan Sun meets the wide-open sea . . . An Embarrassment of Mangoes is a delicious chronicle of leaving the type-A lifestyle behind -- and discovering the seductive secrets of life in the Caribbean. Who hasn’t fantasized about chucking the job, saying goodbye to the rat race, and escaping to some exotic destination in search of sun, sand, and a different way of life? Canadians Ann Vanderhoof and her husband, Steve did just that. In the mid 1990s, they were driven, forty-something professionals who were desperate for a break from their deadline-dominated, career-defined lives. So they quit their jobs, rented out their house, moved onto a 42-foot sailboat called Receta (“recipe,” in Spanish), and set sail for the Caribbean on a two-year voyage of culinary and cultural discovery. In lavish detail that will have you packing your swimsuit and dashing for the airport, Vanderhoof describes the sun-drenched landscapes, enchanting characters and mouthwatering tastes that season their new lifestyle. Come along for the ride and be seduced by Caribbean rhythms as she and Steve sip rum with their island neighbors, hike lush rain forests, pull their supper out of the sea, and adapt to life on “island time.” Exchanging business clothes for bare feet, they drop anchor in 16 countries -- 47 individual islands -- where they explore secluded beaches and shop lively local markets. Along the way, Ann records the delectable dishes they encounter -- from cracked conch in the Bahamas to curried lobster in Grenada, from Dominican papaya salsa to classic West Indian rum punch -- and incorporates these enticing recipes into the text so that readers can participate in the adventure. Almost as good as making the journey itself, An Embarrassment of Mangoes is an intimate account that conjures all the irresistible beauty and bounty from the Bahamas to Trinidad -- and just may compel you to make a rash decision that will land you in paradise. |
Contents
ISLAND TIME | 1 |
THE FIVEYEAR PLAN | 15 |
IN THE MARSHES | 32 |
BLOWN AWAY IN THE BAHAMAS | 46 |
ESCAPE FROM CHICKEN HARBOR | 66 |
THE DELICIOUS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | 87 |
NOT QUITE SEASONED BUT VERY WELL SALTED | 104 |
THAT DEMON RUM | 135 |
FEELIN TRINI TO DEH BONE | 184 |
RETURN TO SWEET GRENADA | 198 |
SHARING THE DREAM | 213 |
TO LEEWARD AT LAST | 235 |
BEAUTIFUL BABE SPIT | 254 |
THE PASSAGE FROM HELL | 264 |
THE NORTHBOUND BLUES | 280 |
ONE LAST LESSON | 292 |
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Common terms and phrases
½½ afternoon anchor anchorage Bahamas Bahamian baking beach beer bell pepper Bequia black pepper boat boil bottle breadfruit butter called Caribbean cheese chicken christophene cloves coast cockpit coconut milk conch cook couple crab cruisers cruising curry dinghy dinner dish finely chopped fish fresh freshly ground black garlic Gennel George Town green Grenada Grenadian ground black pepper harbor head heat Hog Island hot pepper hurricane juice kids leave lime lobster look Luperón mangoes Mighty Sparrow miles minutes Mona Passage Myrna night nutmeg onboard onion plantain Port of Spain radio Receta recipe reef roti sail sailboat saltfish sauce season serve shrimp side sliced Snack soca Splashdance Steve says stir sweet tablespoons taste teaspoon tell there's thyme tomatoes Toronto Trinidad trip tuna vegetable waves weather wind