A reflection on the culture and food of Haiti

With all that's going in in Haiti right now, I took some time to research the country itself, the resources, cultures, and even their food.  As I was looking over site after site I was amazed at what resources they don't have, and what they are able to create in spite of it.  I'll be honest, I find it a cumbersome task to cook even the most basic of foods when I'm camping, and have really nothing but the environment around me, and these people do it every day.  We take so many basic resources for granted like, running water, and electricity, the two things that make it very difficult to cook without.  Personally I'm a bit of a gadget junkie when it comes to the kitchen, I'd be lost without my Kitchen Aid mixer, or my stick blender, I consider them my kitchen wubby.

Anyway, I'm posting a few recipes from the Haitian culture and I hope you find them as inspiring as I did.


Fried Plantain Slices
Ingredients:
Green plantains
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Peel the plantain and cut off both ends. Thinly slice the plantain into ¼ - ½ inch rounds. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat keeping a close watch on it. Once the oil sizzles when a slice of plantain is added, add several plantain slices and brown them for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer them to towels to drain the excess oil.
On a cutting board, use a rolling pin to flatten each slice into a flat round. Add the flattened rounds into the oil once again and brown on each side for a minute more on each side. Drain again on the towels, add salt and pepper and serve at once.
**These are very tasty served with Ti Malice




Ti malice (hot sauce)
Ingredients:
1 small hot pepper, finely diced
1 large chopped onion
½ cup chopped green onions
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Pour the lemon juice over the onions and let marinate for about 2 hours. Place all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil and cook until the pepper is soft (about 10-15 minutes). Let the mixture cool and refrigerate to store.




Haitian Salad
1 cup cooked corn
1 cup cooked green peas
1 cup of cooked green beans
1 ½ cups cooked carrots, chopped
Dressing:
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Toss together the corn, peas, beans and carrots. Whisk dressing ingredients together, then pour over the mixed vegetables. Refrigerate several hours before serving.