Because my parents eloped on St. John, I spent an early part of my childhood growing up in the Virgin Islands. After moving to Hartford, we still visited the islands for nearly all of our family vacations. As an adult I have met friends from Jamaica, Haiti, Peru, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and the Barbados. As such, my life has always had a tropical flair to it and I have developed a love affair with Caribbean foods and drinks. My mother retains a wonderful collection of old island cookbooks and I love flipping through the pages for inspiration. Since it is so cold outside, and I am dreaming of warmer days, I thought it would be nice to honor all these friends and memories with two traditional holiday drinks, coquito and sorrel.
•2 14-ounce cans condensed milk
•6 ounces white rum (I suggest Jamaican Wray and Nephew)
•1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract
Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients in a blender.
2. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Serve cold.
Serves: This recipe makes about 36 ounces.
Sorrel is non-alcoholic, spiced Carribean drink, although I am sure it would taste quite good with some rum added as well.
Ingredients:
2 cups dried sorrel
8 cups water
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup sugar
4 cloves
Preparation:
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, then add all the ingredients to the pot. Bring back to a boil and reduce the heat to a rolling boil. Allow this to boil for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow this to steep for at least 4 hours (overnight would be best). Next up, strain the contents into a juice jug and add more sugar as needed. You can store this in the fridge for about a week
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