Robyn Rahming
I am an island girl and I love being from The Bahamas. I am secretly tickled with pride with the sound of saying “I am Bahamian….. from The Bahamas.” It sounds soooo exotic, like my heritage!
My Island Heritage
My grandfather was a stowaway from Haiti. In fear of punishment from his parents, he jumped on the first boat smoking out of Haiti. I can’t remember the complete story but I think he lost the grocery money in a game of dice. Luckily for me, that boat headed for Nassau Bahamas.
My pappy was a survivor! He was a farmer, a fisherman and the last horse drawn dray owner on the island of Nassau.
He was not lucky in love but he did raise four girls – one being my awesome mom. My mom’s mother was raised on the island of Andros, the “Big Yard,” and her father sailed across the seas from Ireland.
My mom married my father, who just happened to also hail from Gonaives, Haiti. His great grandparents were from France. As we would say in Bahamian terms, “mixed up like conch salad.” OOH I just love it!!!
Growing Up Island Style…
Many memories of my parents and grandparents involve food. Smells from their kitchens often permeated the air with aromas of various herbs and spices. To this day, I find it all very soothing and calming.
My grandfather, believed in spoiling my brother and me. Upon arrival at Pappy’s house on weekends, we were always greeted with the smell of dinner, freshly baked homemade bread and potato bread were always waiting. Our favorite cookies were stocked in the cookie jars, sodas were stocked in the ice box and they had change so we could buy cups and salty sausage (rather “chawsage”) covered with hot sauce and served in wax paper from Mrs. Pratt, the neighborhood “tuck” shop.
FRIDAY NIGHTS!!!…
Food was definitely the center of our home. My parents entertained constantly and Friday nights……let’s say that my parents’ friends would begin to arrive at 8:00 p.m. The guitars would start playing or there was music from the record player blaring and there was singing and dancing to the beat of meringue.
My mom would prepare the feast. It seemed like a feast to me, anyway. The aroma may have been filled with something like curried chicken, white rice, candied carrots and broccoli, green salad. Someone would bring dessert and of course wine or Barbencourt rum. The night would end late, but don’t ask me how late, ’cause I was asleep by then!
NEIGHBOURHOOD ISLAND PARTIES
Sometimes mummy and daddy would have BIG parties which included a roasted pig in the back yard prepared by a family friend, a French chef, named Charlie who had relocated to The Bahamas. He always made apple or fruit tarts. I can still smell them and I was always in awe at how pretty they were. He ALWAYS made a special one just for me.
I can still remember that pig on the spit spinning with that apple in its mouth. I was horrified. Who would eat that? Who would want to?! Apparently, the whole neighborhood! At least that’s what it looked like to me as everyone hung out in the front yard hoping to get some of that pig and free drinks.
As my parents got older, and we kids grew up, the parties got smaller and became more like intimate dinners with friends and family on Sundays or whenever. It was always an eclectic array of food paradise with dishes likes,
Asian seafood soup, diri djon djon(black mushrooms) and rice cooked with dried hearing, grio, banane pesee, steamed snappers, asparagus wrapped in bacon, homemade pound cake, potato salad and Bahamian style baked macaroni and cheese and so much more.
My Turn….
Today that tradition of friends and family coming over for fun and food continues with me. Thankfully, I married someone who enjoys having a good time with family and friends, and he loves the taste of of down home cooking. He, too has skills. As a matter of fact he has me eating stewed fish, which I would not have eaten before.
He can season a fish! Fried, stewed or boiled. I guarantee you will lick your fingers, suck those fish bones and clean your plate. I promise.
Food whether negatively or positively – has always played an integral part in my life. I can still remember my home economics teacher from the UK, Ms. Barbara Clarkson. She wanted me to pursue a career in culinary arts. However, in those days being a “cook” was not on the top of my list…..I wanted to be an Actress!
Today, you can have a lucrative career as a female chef. You can have a respectable career as a foodie, food blogger, food stylist, food photographer and so much more.
The positive thing these days is that it is now okay to have a passion for all types of food. It’s a thing nowadays – a good thing. I am no longer ashamed to say I really enjoy eating or that I look forward to the taste of good food. And of course, I fill my life with lots of love, laughter, family and friends. La joie de vivre!
