Bahama Islands

We remain in the Caribbean but move a little further north – to the Bahamas – a country with more than 700 islands in the shape of an arc between North and South America. The name of the Bahamas comes from the Spanish word “Baja Mar”, which means “a shallow sea”. From every satellite photo you can see that the water around the islands seems to be divided into smaller parts and has a turquoise color. Some historians believe the island of San Salvador is the first place Christopher Columbus encounter when he sees the New World. According to National Geographic, the discoverer first came to Samana Cay. Whatever the truth, however, it is clear that the development of the lands of the New World begins in the Bahamas.

In the entire Western Hemisphere, the Bahamas rank third in per capita GDP after the United States and Canada. Much of the revenue comes from tourism. No wonder because they having a place like Dean’s blue hole. It is deeper than the blue hole in Belize. It’s actually the deepest in the world. Viewed from above it has the shape of an eye. The diameter is between 25 and 35 meters. Its entrance starts 6 meters below the surface, then the walls descend vertically downwards and after 20 meters you fall into a cave with a diameter of 100 meters. A magical water portal. According to divers, the cave is surrounded by three rocks with a natural amphitheater and the fourth side borders a turquoise lagoon with fine white sand. There is no waves or tides inside the hole. More than 5% of the coral reefs in the world are in the Bahamas. They are a paradise for diving lovers.

Bahamian food is a combination of South American (cornbread, peas, rice) and Caribbean (spicy seafood) specialties. Here you will find a rare abundance of shellfish seafood, and the national cuisine of the islands has mastered many European peculiarities. For example, locals have learned from Europeans the variety of soups, meat and pizza. All the inhabited islands of the Bahamas have an impressive array of fine restaurants, but also unpretentious coastal dining and relaxed cafes.

Bahamian traditional foods include freshly caught local seafood, fresh tropical fruits, and chicken, goat and a range of delicious and local Caribbean vegetables.

Conch is a local product – shellfish and national dish of the Bahamas. This mollusc is found in the regional waters and its meat is prepared in different ways. It can be part of a salad, eaten fried and seasoned to perfection or as part of the “Conch Chowder” – a tomato-based soup with a shell that sucks while the meat is juicy and tender. The rock lobster looks quite different from lobster caught in cold water. It is prickly and smaller, and is often served in salads. Fresh fish is very popular in the Bahamian cuisine, and dishes such as fried snap or snack served with semolina or peas and rice are typical of the local menu.

I chose to make “Pina colada cake”. Cake with a lot of pineapple, a very tropical taste that turned out to be a good hit.

Here are the necessary products:

For cakes:

1 cup of softened butter

2 teaspoons of sugar

6 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon coconut extract

3 tea cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 tea cup of sour cream

230 grams of crushed pineapple

For glaze:

1 tea cup of softened butter

2-4 teaspoons of powdered sugar

2 teaspoons of coconut extract

3 to 4 tablespoons of water

For the stuffing:

500 grams of jam / pineapple jam

For decoration:

dried pineapple slices and / or toasted sweetened chopped coconut, optional

Steps of preparation:

In a large bowl, mixed the butter and sugar until it becomes fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Add the coconut extract. Mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture by alternating the dry ingredients and sour cream and shred well after each addition. Pass the pineapple and add it to the dough. Transfer the mixture into three oil-lubricated baking trays with a diameter of 22 cm. Bake at 180 °, or until the wood stick is dry. About 20-25 minutes. Leave the roasted cake for 10 minutes in the pan before it is removed on a grid to cool completely.

In a large bowl, mixed the butter up to fluffy. Add powdered sugar, extract and enough water to achieve a creamy consistency.

Assembling the Cake:

Place a cake, and half of the pineapple jam on it. Repeat the same with the second one. Finish with the third cake and smear all over with the butter cream. Garnish with pineapple and coconut slices if you like.

I made pineapple flowers. I cut thin slices. I cut thin slices. I put them in a baking sheet on baking paper and dripped on each slice of a little red confectionery paint I dried them in the oven for 50 minutes at 150 degrees.

This is from me this week and from the Bahamas. A cake with a rich butter taste and a pineapple breath. Soft and juicy. Great! While I was preparing it, I immediately moved to the Caribbean. I was there for a short while, but the place stayed in my heart. And I know I will go again. 🙂 And if it is right on some Bahamian island … only time will show.

Next destination – Bahrain.