This dinner party idea is inspired by a site where I got to read about Dominica
At
another site I read that Dominica "is not your ordinary fun-in-the-sun
kinda island. It’s a mysterious, romantic, natural island where you
will encounter a French-Creole culture with the overtones of a British
heritage".
Dominica [Commonwealth of Dominica] is a small island located between the French
islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean and this
is definitely on my list of countries to visit.
Whilst many of
my friends know the country’s name and have a rough idea of its
whereabouts -few know about its history. A dinner party is the ideal
way to share my new found interest with friends by introducing them to
its tasty food and maybe sharing a little about what I now know.
Chances are it will get on friend’s lists of placed to visit too.
A little about Dominica’s food:
Dominica’s
food is very fresh and healthy and is often cooked in a Creole style
featuring a spicy sauce or dish made especially with tomatoes, peppers,
onion, celery, and seasoning. Whilst most of the cooking on Dominica is
island Creole, you can also enjoy Continental and North American
cuisines too. Fresh fish and seafood are found on every menu.
Dominica’s
cuisine is simple and that’s a good start. It consists of basic fried
chicken, seafood dishes and Creole cuisine like goat columbo and
callaloo soup (a creamed spinach type soup). Roti, the curry-filled
flat bread is a Caribbean staple.
The cuisine is based on root
vegetables like yams or turnip, spinach, watercress, chicken, goat and
seafood (fish, crabs, crayfish and octopus). Meat is one of the main
elements of most Dominican dishes and cured and smoked hams are often
used in their cooking.
The food is often flavored with the
earthy aroma of curry and coconut milk. Fresh herbs like parsley,
celery, chive, cinnamon, thyme, nutmeg and cloves are also commonly
used in the cooking.
Bello Hot Pepper Sauce is made locally and
served everywhere with almost everything. It contains Scotch Bonnet
Pepper, papaya, onion, vinegar, salt, and spices.
Inviting guests
Ask
your guests to come dressed for the occasion – what would they be
wearing down to a Caribbean dinner by the beach? – shorts, flowing
shirts, straw hats?
To set your scene
Dominica is a
beautiful Caribbean island – so this is a great Summertime dinner party
idea and perfect for the outdoors. This will be a low key affair to be
enjoyed by all.
Light your dining area with candles or hanging lanterns – you want a laid back, relaxed feel to the night.
Place
some exotic flowers as your centrepiece or have some lovely
hand-painted candles on show. Alternatively, place a straw basket
brimming with exotic fruit somewhere in your room and nicely lit.
Maybe greet your guests with a cocktail – a Pina Colada maybe with the popular coconut and pineapple flavors.
Have some music playing in the background – Calypso, Reggae or Smooth Jazz.
The meal
People
from Dominica prefer light and spicy fish or seafood dishes served with
plenty of vegetables and greens. The visual attractiveness, like the
balance between colors and proportion is important.
A typical meal eaten by a Dominican family could consist of Black Bean Soup, Coconut Grouper and Corn Pudding. I found the recipes on this website: or you could cook one of the many Creole recipes as found at this site
After
your meal, you could also serve a fresh platter of exotic tropical
fruits like mango slices, banana, guavas, tangerines, oranges,
pineapple and papaya.
During the evening, you could even educate your friends on Dominica which celebrates its 30 year of independence.
Dominican Dinner Party with your friends visit
http://dinnerpartyideas.blogspot.com/2008/02/dominican-dinner-party.html
The image has been taken from the Dominica Food and Drink Guide.
If you would like a copy of the guide please email Celia at foodanddrinkdominica@gmail.com
Marcia Charles
MaDD