Yardies, at home and a farrin (part 8)

[Mrs. Palmer 5]

JG...here in NC you they are encouraging people to go ahead and cast your ballots before Nov 1. Even if you aren't registered yet, they will allow you to register to vote and vote on the same day, as long as it occurs before Nov 1. And this goes for everyone, not just those that arent going to be in town on election day. I think it's great.

[*JG* 2]

Interesting.....our cut off date for voter registration was October 8th.

[Yaads 0]

Good Morning

Love the name JALove! Can't wait to see pictures

[TRELAWNY PARISH 10]

sjb -

Not sure why they call it "blue draws"...well, let me see. If my memory serves me well, I think the corn leave that the cornmeal is placed in turns at light blue when it's being cooked. I think. My next favorite is PONE or potatoe pudding OMG...it's sooooooooo good.

Hey Honey;

Did you ever find out what was in the soup.

[Yaads 0]

Do anyone know how to make a Jamaican fruit cake with rum? We found a Jamaican restuarant not far from our house which sells cornmeal pudding ($2/slice) and fruit cake ($5/slice), that's expensive.

black cake.

Thanks, Damien said it isn't but I told him it is. Do you start making it now for the holiday? Do you know how to make it?

Girl, that's a special art and not everyone can make it. I gave up on trying to make it 6 years ago. I never turns out right. My aunt says the art of it is know how long to soak the fruits in rum and how much rum to use. When I would watch my mom and grandmother make it they never measured anything Sometimes the black cake they serve in the state don't look like the ones from back home. And you have the add the right amount of rum...too much rum will dry out the cake and make it taste bitter.

My aunt mails us a cake every year from Florida and my other aunt brings them from New York. I love cornmeal pudding (the one the call blue draws)...OMG so good.

I agree. It definitely is an art form. Some people just have a knack for making it. This is the recipe that I have used the last couple of years. It has turned out really well. Good luck

Title: BLACK CAKE

Categories: Cakes, Jamaican, Fruits

Yield: 24 servings

1 lb Raisins; minced

1 lb Prunes, pitted; minced

1 lb Currants, dried; minced

1 lb Cherries, glaceed; minced

6 oz Lemon peel, glaceed; minced

6 oz Orange peel, glaceed; minced

3/4 l Passover wine (Red Label Wine)

3/4 l Rum (Overproof)

2 lb Sugar, dark brown

4 1/4 c Flour, cake

4 ts Baking powder

1/2 ts Nutmeg, grated

1/2 ts Cinnamon

2 c Butter, sweet; softened

10 lg Egg

1 T Vanilla

In a large bowl, mix all the fruits thoroughly with the wine and the

rum; let the fruit macerate, covered, at room temperature for at

least two weeks.

In a heavy skillet combine one pound of the brown sugar and 1 cup water.

Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is dis-

solved, and gently boil the syrup, swirling the skillet occasionally,

for a few minutes, or until it is reduced to 1 3/4 cups. Let the syrup

cool; reserve.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together into a bowl.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream together the remaining

brown sugar and the butter until it is fluffy; then beat in the eggs,

one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla,

the flour mixture, and 1 1/3 cups of the burnt sugar syrup, reserving

the remaining syrup for another use. In another large bowl, combine

well the flour mixture and the fruit mixture and divide the batter

between two buttered and floured 10″ springform pans. Bake the cakes in

the middle of a preheated 350 F. oven for two hours, or until a tooth-

pick inserted in the centers comes out with some crumbs adhering to it.

(The centers of these cakes will be quite moist.) Let the cakes cool in

the pans on a rack, remove the sides and bottoms of the pans, and wrap

the cakes in foil or wax paper. Let the cakes stand at room temperature

for a week.

I don't make the two individual cakes - I just make one big one. After it is made and cooled I "wash" it with rum every 2-3 days...probably about a 1/4-1/2 cups worth. I have learned that the more air tight you keep it the better. Wrap it in the tin and then put in a tupperware container. Also keep it in a place that won't have a huge change in temperature - like the oven (when not in use of course) or a cupboard. It also says to let the fruit soak for at least 2 weeks. We soak ours for a month or longer. We put it in a glass jar on our counter.

[Marlita 0]

hey Ladies!

Anyone know about POE thru Fort Lauderdale/ Will they take your JA food items?

[Yaads 0]

Morning ladies! I worked on-call over the weekend, so I'm off today. I'm actually going to head over to the polls today and vote early. Mi cyaan wait in line forever on Nov 4 How is everyones work day so far? I was just reading where they have found a young black boy's body in a white SUV who's tags match the SUV they were looking for in the Jennifer Hudson case. While I pray that it is not her nephew, I have a sad feeling that it is. This world is so scary.

Oh no How horrible. I sure hope it isn't the case but I bet it will be that poor boy What a tragedy.

[*JG* 2]

Marlita, I've come through Miami with food items and they did not take them.

Tell him to blanche everything that must be cooked and then freeze it.

[Yaads 0]

My aunt mails us a cake every year from Florida and my other aunt brings them from New York. I love cornmeal pudding (the one the call blue draws)...OMG so good.

I don't know if I have ever had that...at least not by that name Do you know how to make it Lawns?

[TRELAWNY PARISH 10]

hey Ladies!

Anyone know about POE thru Fort Lauderdale/ Will they take your JA food items?

Lita; if they let me through with 15lbs of ackee Evan will be fine. Plus I had about a dozen small breadfruit and a carry-on full of fry fish.

[Yaads 0]

Happy Monday! I'm wishing for this week to FLY by.

Hi KK Any particular reason you are wanting the week to fly by?

[TRELAWNY PARISH 10]

My aunt mails us a cake every year from Florida and my other aunt brings them from New York. I love cornmeal pudding (the one the call blue draws)...OMG so good.

I don't know if I have ever had that...at least not by that name Do you know how to make it Lawns?

No, girl it's so good.

[Marlita 0]

Marlita, I've come through Miami with food items and they did not take them.

Tell him to blanche everything that must be cooked and then freeze it.

I have never heard that term before. some stuff he has cant be frozen or it ruins it.

Oh I am so sad for jennifer hudson family. I assume the boy was found dead.

[Yaads 0]

We got our flu shots last Saturday. Kasier had a drive-thru clinic. Damien and I just drove up, rolled up our sleeves then stuck our arms outta the window....it was funny.

What?! Drive through flu shots...wow that is funny.

[JaHoney 3]

Lawny, Dwayne swears up and down he didnt give me mannish wata, i dont believe him. He keeps saying baby i tell you it was chicken, i said that unidentifiable thang in my cup came from what part of the chicken??? and then he just laughs, he said well you said you liked it, and it tasted good....umm hmmm dyam good he says then no worry yuhself....

So to answer your question,