Legend in the kitchen.
“ICAN cook any dish, and the funny thing is I don’t eat meat, and I have never had meat from birth, but I can cook it and I can almost guarantee that it is the best, “said eighty-seven-year-old Barbara Hepburn, a legend within the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s history and a phenomenal humanitarian within Hepburn’s community. In celebrating their 55th anniversary, JCDC highlights her ability to create innovative Jamaican cuisine that will leave you beaming with country pride.
KITCHEN ESCAPADES
Hepburn began her kitchen escapades from as early as elementary school by being an active member of the 4H club.
Her most memorable experience involved learning how to make butter from scratch.
Her passion for food grew at the workshops held by the Social Development Commission (SDC), which gave her an opportunity to perfect her skills and compete professionally.
“They (workshop coordinators) told us what to do and how to enter the JCDC (Jamaica Cultural Development Commission) Culinary Arts Competition and I was the only one from the SDC workshop that entered in culinary arts... I got a certificate of appreciation” she said.
“I have a zeal for cooking, and when you have nine children and one adopted, you have to feed them well. Cooking for me was just everything, and that is why I entered the competition over the years,” said the awardwinning chef.
Barbara has over sixty gold, silver and bronze medals, certificates of merit, plaques, and trophies, which she has garnered in eighteen years of competing within JCDC.
Her most memorable entries include Yellow Yam Ice Cream, Fish in Jacket (fish with creamed potato), Yellow Corn pudding,
Pumpkin and Banana pudding, Red Pea’s wine and Mango Bread
Delicious Turn Cornmeal Served with Chicken INGREDIENTS
3 cups cornmeal
4 cups coconut milk 1 medium onion
1 large stalk escallion
2 cups diced beef
1 green sweet pepper 6 small okras
1⁄4 cup diced raw saltfish 1 medium tomato diced
1⁄4 lb Grace Hello Margarine 1 hot Scotch bonnet pepper (cut very fine) black pepper to taste
2 tsp salad oil
METHOD
Cook the meat until it is brown, and set aside.
Lightly fry onion, escallion, green pepper, okras, tomato, hot pepper in salad oil
Combine meat, saltfish, butter, cornmeal and stir well.
Set coconut milk to boil until a slight scum is formed (roughly 10-12 minutes), then add cornmeal.
Stir well to remove lumps, then cover and steam on a very low flame.
Stir occasionally until cornmeal is cooked
Grease a mould dish and press the turned cornmeal in cover of dish to keep warm until ready to serve.
Unmould and serve with chicken and tomato slices.