West Winds: Recipes, History and Tales from Jamaica

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TI: Do you think anything has changed in regards to Caribbean food in mainstream British food culture since, say, you first started crowdfunding for Belly Full? I always ate Caribbean food growing up—but to me, it was just food. It wasn’t until I went to school in a predominantly white middle-class area that I realized the food I was eating was different from my friends. My grandma also passed away, and I really regretted not talking to her about where she came from. Remove the oxtail from the marinade, reserving the marinade for later. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Working in batches, add the meat to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 mins until browned all over. The Caribbean food scene in the UK is akin to a private members’ club. Invite-only. Unless you run in certain circles, you might not know much about it. Family recipes, the best butchers, where to buy a quality Dutch pot, how to make the perfect dhal puri roti… The community is powered by word of mouth, not to mention the sheer breadth of culture emanating from the islands, each of which is unique. Put simply, it can be intimidating for an outsider. Enter Riaz Phillips, who’s on a mission to make Caribbean cooking feel more accessible. Team Infatuation: Congratulations on the publication of West Winds. What made you want to write Belly Full, Community Comfort, and now West Winds?

Arrange the blanched vegetables on the lined baking tray and place in the oven. Leave the oven door ajar and cook for 4-5 hrs, turning the veg every hour, until dried and crisp. Place a large pan of water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water. Working in batches, add the pepper, courgette, carrot and beetroot to the pan for 10 secs, then transfer to the bowl of cold water for 10 secs. Scoop them out, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. At one point, though, I realised I didn’t actually know how to cook a lot of the stuff myself. I’d just been enjoying eating it for so long, and I was never really pressured to get into the kitchen in the same way my female cousins were. I couldn’t live with myself not knowing, so I started to learn the recipes, and things grew from there.Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6) and grease and line the base of a 24cm round cake tin. (If making a double-layered cake, use 2 tins and double the quantity of the cake mixture and frosting.) TI: When it comes to newer Caribbean restaurants, do you think it’s important that they serve other communities as well as their own? Add the carrot, pepper and tomato, if using, and three tablespoons of water, then stir until combined. Cover with the lid and cook for two minutes. Add the tofu and heat through, adding an extra two to three tablespoons of water if needed. Cover and heat through, then serve with a scattering of the green part of the spring onions. Want to feel like you’re on a walk in Jamaica with a local, talking to his friends and sharing plates of food? Then this is the cookbook for you. Growing up in London and now living in Berlin, food writer Riaz Phillips is passionate about celebrating the familiar Caribbean food of his childhood while also demystifying new and unknown ingredients for home cooks from around the globe. With 120 traditional and delicious dishes that draw on Riaz's personal memories, West Winds is so much more than a showcase of Jamaican cooking, it is also rooted in the exploration of the island's heritage and culture. Featuring colourful and sun-drenched imagery, and easy-to-follow instructions, the versatility of Jamaican cuisine is apparent.

RP: Not because of the book, but I just think mostly all the people strive to do Caribbean food in new ways and modern ways. It's definitely pushed the whole food culture forward. If you go to a food market now, you're always going to see maybe even more than one Caribbean food stall. In more cities across the UK there are sit-down Caribbean restaurants than there were, I guess, when I wrote the book. So I think it's something that is definitely on the increase. Just as people's knowledge and awareness of it grows. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and saute for two minutes, add the garlic, ginger and the white part of the spring onions, then cook for another two minutes. Growing up in London and now living in Berlin, food writer Riaz Phillips is passionate about celebrating the familiar Caribbean food of his childhood while also demystifying new and unknown ingredients for home cooks from around the globe. With 120 traditional and delicious dishes that draw on Riaz’s personal memories, West Winds is so much more than a showcase of JamaicanSift all the dry ingredients, up to and including the salt, into a mixing bowl, then stir until combined and set aside. Wipe the wok or pan clean, and heat the remaining oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, spring onions, saving some of the green part to garnish, thyme and scotch bonnet. Stir-fry for three to five minutes, then add the garlic and ginger, then cook for another two minutes. cooking, it is also rooted in the exploration of the island’s heritage and culture. Featuring colorful and sun-drenched imagery, and easy-to-follow instructions, the versatility of Jamaican cuisine is apparent. In a bowl, combine the dark soy sauce or ketchup, vinegar, maple syrup or sugar, the browning, if using, and 90ml water, then set aside. In a separate bowl, mix three tablespoons of water with the remaining cornflour.

And there are spiced patties, the irresistible hand pies with golden pastry so buttery-crisp, ‘you just have to accept the pastry flakes are going to get everywhere.’ Heat half the coconut oil in a large saucepan or Dutch pot over a medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the all-purpose seasoning, the ginger and 2 tablespoons oft he paste or 1 tablespoon of the curry powder. Stir for1–2 minutes to combine. Turn the heat down a little, then add half the coconut milk and stir to combine.

From the book: West Winds: Recipes, history, and tales from Jamaica

Meanwhile, cook the okra. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the chilli flakes. Add the okra and fry for 3-4 mins, until they start to brown slightly, then flip them over and fry for another 3-4 mins. Transfer to some kitchen paper to drain, and tip any excess oil from the pan into the curry. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based sauce pan or Dutch pot over a medium heat. (If using a pressure cooker, see note below.) Remove the goat from the marinade, reserving the marinade for later. Add the goat to the pan or pot and brown on all sides; this will takeabout 5 minutes. (Do this in batches to ensure the meat browns, rather than steams, adding more oil if needed.) Put the tofu in a shallow bowl and add the soy sauce. Gently turn it until coated, taking care not to break up the slices. Add three tablespoons of the cornflour, then turn to coat all sides of the tofu and set aside. Introducing West Winds - the most-talked about cookbook of 2022 and a joyous celebration of Caribbean cooking, with a special focus on the sensational flavours of Jamaican cuisine. Winner of the Jane Grigson Trust Award 2022, the all-encompassing Caribbean cookbook West Winds introduces everyone, everywhere to the enriching and mouth-watering flavours that Jamaica has to offer.

The hidden Caribbean isn’t a place but a legacy of the complex history, people, and food that exists outside the limelight of Caribbean culture. Riaz Phillips is a writer, video maker, and photographer. He was born and raised in London, but he’s passionate about the Afro-Caribbean food he ate growing up. So passionate that he self-published his first book. Belly Full: Caribbean Food in the UK is an in-depth look at Caribbean people and restaurants around the UK. It tells the oral histories of the chefs, butchers, grocers, and bakers who bring the food of a warm island to a cold one. It’s also where a cookbook comes in. You get to see a rich culture of things that maybe you didn't know about or haven't eaten before. Then you can make your own journey towards it. Restaurants aren't the only player in that sphere of influence. What’s inside: A celebration of the lesser known Caribbean culture, rooted in tales and memories of the history and heritage of the eastern reaches of the Caribbean.

Riaz blends authentic Jamaican ingredients and dishes with popular trends - discover recipes for nose-to-tail and vegan cooking. Why not also recreate popular takeaway food, Oxtail and Butterbean, or feel as though you're on the beach with a Langoustine Soup. This cookbook has everything - main meals, sauces, soups, juices and preserves, bakes and desserts.