Koretha's Jamaican Barbecue

Hello Everyone,
My name is Koretha, I am Ja-merican girl..Thats a half Jamaican and American person.
My father was from Kingston,Jamaica and my mother was from Macon, Georgia. I am very proud of my heritage.Thats what prompted me to write this blog. I have spent my life in the kitchen watching my parents cook up delicious epicurian delights for friends and family. My father grew up in the faraway country in Jamaica, A place called Westmoreland. As a child I would watch my mum and dad cook up things that were so intresting and so outlandish that it enriched my imagination to the highest heights!

I could see my dad cooking up ideas for meats and rich rice dishes..But he speciality was meat. He treated meat with a certain respect, and at that time I didn't understand until I got older that I was being prepared to show love in the kitchen. I understood that all food cooked and served to others was an honor and a great form of respect and love. My dad and mum would say, Do not cook or serve food to others unless you put your whole soul and love into it. I understood that concept from early childhood.

My mum on the other hand was a strong chef in the kitchen, what I mean by strong..She stuck to a certain way..She had southern roots, but she had formal chef training from cooking school in Chicago, Illinois. She made sure the kitchen was always set up correctly and had all the proper herbs and spices to work with. There was never any slacking in her kitchen.
She would cook wonderful dishes roasted chicken with basil and Thyme,or ham roles with a pickapepper sauce,or she would make a delicious ham salad with capers and tomatoes.

When I would come home from school my mum and dad would always be cooking up something awesome and wonderful for me to feast my eyes upon.. It would always be heaven for me to assist them in the kitchen..It was a thrill and an education. Everything about cooking I learned from my parents. My mum and dad taught me about how to cook and prepare roasted meats to perfection..always cooking it slow and easy..that way people could enjoy the meat without fighting to chew it.

My dad would always soak his meats in fresh lemon and orange juice. The acid from the citrus would break down the fiber of the meats. With chicken it was always lemon or an apple cider to do the trick, the apple cider would give the chicken a wonderful flavor.