The Spice Necklace: My Adventures in Caribbean Cooking, Eating, and Island Life

by Ann Vanderhoof

While sailing around the Caribbean, Ann Vanderhoof  and her husband Steve track wild oregano-eating goats in the cactus-covered hills of the Dominican Republic, gather nutmegs on an old estate in Grenada, make searing-hot pepper sauce in a Trinidadian kitchen, cram for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of the West Indies, and sip moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills.
Along the way, they are befriended by a collection of unforgettable island characters: Dwight, the skin-diving fisherman who always brings them something from his catch and critiques her efforts to cook it; Greta, who harvests seamoss on St. Lucia and turns it into potent Island-Viagra; sweet-hand Pat, who dispenses hugs and impromptu dance lessons along with cooking tips in her Port of Spain kitchen.

Back in her galley, Ann practices making curry like a Trini, dog sauce like a Martiniquais, and coo-coo like a Carriacouan. And for those who want to take these adventures into their own kitchens, she pulls 71 delicious recipes from the stories she tells, which she places at the end of the relevant chapters.

The Spice Necklace is a wonderful escape into a life filled with sunshine (and hurricanes), delicious food, irreplaceable company, and island traditions.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Food, Memoir, Cookbooks, Cooking, Foodie

439 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Leeanne G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t really cook much, so the recipes are not what interested me in this book. What did was fun adventures through the Caribbean islands, meeting the people there, and learning about their different cultures and traditions. This book really served all that! I learned so much and got to feel like I was there with Ann and Steve, experiencing the Caribbean first-hand. It was also special to 'visit' average Caribbeans and places you had to climb through the woods to get to. This book was also quite funny. Ann and Steve get into some hilarious situations.

A lot of this book is set in Grenada. This was not a bad thing, I was just expecting to visit more of the islands, not keep going back every few chapters to Grenada. Ann and Steve visit the Dominican Republic, Haiti, St. Martin & Saba, Dominia, St. Kitts, Carriacou, Petite Martinique, Trinidad, Tobago, the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, et Ile de Saints. I did enjoy getting to revisit their Grenada friends again and again because they had the most funny reactions to what news Ann and Steve brought back from the other islands, and always immediately began their best efforts to convince them why Grenada is the best island. Despite the hardships of poverty and life in the islands, everyone was always so positive, joyful, and grateful. That was just so great to read about.

“Generosity, even among those who have little, is another fact of life here.”

It was lovely to learn about their traditional agriculture methods. Unfortunately, islands like Trinidad have become very unrespecting of the environment, not because the people don't care, but because the government doesn't care, and the impoverished general public have no other choice but to join the oil industry.

“The Dominican Republic hammers home connections between food and the land that produces it. In Canada and the United States, local-food movements are gaining strength; in the towns and villages here, they never lost it. Forget the 100-Mile Diet—people in Luperon are on the 5-mile one. Here, though, it’s not a matter of choice: transportation costs scarce pesos, and locally grown, seasonal food is cheap. That it tastes better is just a side benefit. (That it’s better in the global big picture never comes under consideration.)”
Well as long as they keep doing that, they don’t need to be thinking about the bigger picture. They’re already taking care of the planet.

Some of the recipes actually sounded like something I might like. Ann does a great job describing how to cook the meals, what some of the items that are lesser known in North America are, and what can be used to substitute those less common foods.

I wish I had made more notes about parts that stood out to me but I didn’t. One of the most interesting parts that I still remembered very clearly was when Ann went shopping on the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic when the Haitians get to come across and sell their items. The experience was startling for Ann to see and for me to read about.

“Even poor Dominicans look rich compared with their Haitian neighbours. And they get to show it twice a week, at a street market in the Dominican town of Dajabon, about 22 miles south of Monte Cristi, one the border where the Dominican Republic meets Haiti at the aptly named Rio Masacre, the Massacre River.”

All in all, a very fun, informative read! Happy cooking!

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect summertime read. The author has a real gift for capturing the feel of tropical places, and made me long for the food and sights of Grenada and Trinidad (places I knew very little about until reading this book). I did skim over some of the bits about rum and drinking-- the book should really called the Food AND Drink Lover's Caribbean Adventure-- but food lovers can't miss this book for her loving and reverential representation of the cuisine of the "Spice Necklace" islands. Sometimes travel memoirs can seem condescending depending on the tone of the author, but there's not of that here.

[PorshaJo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one so much. I waited to read this one while on a trip to the Grenandines and Grenada and it was the prefect read. I love to read anything about food and this was perfect. Perhaps it was reading about the food of the area that I was in at that time time, or reading it while sailing and sunning myself, but I loved this one. It was nice to get a history of some food, such as this history of cocoa on Trinidad and Grenada and how it goes from bean form to actual chocolate. I read both books by this author and have to say this one is my favorite. Though it was a tough decision.

[Amy L. Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Free review copy received from vendor's booth at ALA 2010.

I wasn't expecting to be so enraptured by this travelogue/recipe book, but Vanderhoof added enough of her interactions with the local people, history, the food and where it came from to keep me from getting bored with one thing or the other. However, like her boat Receta, Vanderhoof knows exactly when her writing needs to change tack and bring it around to a new topic. Readers will be thrilled, but not overwhelmed, with descriptions of scenery, humorous anecdotes about cooking or eating failures, and brief tidbits about the various spices and dishes of the Caribbean.

While some of the recipes will be out of reach for the majority of the US population (particularly the ones that call for conch), there are still many out of the 71 included recipes that will be both palatable and easy for even the less adventurous to cook up.

This may also be an excellent guide for people interested in a Caribbean trip a bit off the beaten path, and offers excellent advice about traveling pretty much anywhere: eat the food, and ask questions about it. You will learn more about the culture that way and be more satisfied with both your meal and your experience.

The reviewer is the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.

[Kaitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m going to DNF this book. I just can’t get into it. Someone else said that it felt a little like looking at someone else’s vacation pictures. It was fascinating to them, but you’re bored. I agree. And I don’t know what it is, but the author comes off as condescending. Like, on page 30 they’re renting a car in the Dominican Republic, and she says they hand the businessman a couple of “greasy” pesos. Why are they greasy? It sounds derogatory. There’s no context for why the money would be greasy. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a dollar described that way unless there’s some context for why it would be greasy. I also find the way she chooses to represent dialects in the dialogue irritating. It’s just not sitting well with me, which is a shame, because I was expecting to like this a lot.

[jb Byrkit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of travel, adventure and food. All things I love especially in a book. It’s full of local recipes as well as the history of some of the ingredients.

There’s even a recipe for the common cold involving rum.

Not to mention the cover is beautiful.

[Sky Thibedeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The `Spice Necklace' is part travelogue, part cookbook, and a joy to read. Anne Vanderhoof and her husband Steve took two years off from the real world to explore the Caribbean on their sailboat the `Receta' (Spanish for `recipe'). Along the way we meet the diverse people, customs, and tastes (especially the tastes) of the Islands from the Dominican Republic south to Trinidad.

The people we meet through Anne's eyes are very friendly and generous. They share their lives, their communities and their kitchens. People like Miss Dingis and her family in Grenada who live in a lush forest surrounded by spice and Cocoa trees. She welcomes Anne into her home and over the course of their friendship teaches her to cook like a born Grenadian.

There's also Dwight and Stevie, two local fishermen who trade the bounty from the Waters off Grenada for Anne's Home baked cookies and pastries. Stevie and Dwight have a very delicate palate and advise Anne on her cooking of local dishes. They let her know when she is fixing the dish just right.

Over in the Dominican Republic we can almost taste the sweet tender meat of the self spicing goats of Chef Julian Tatiz's `La Madonna restaurant which is an adventure in itself to get to. The goats graze on wild oregano in the mountains and their meat has the taste of oregano already infused.

Down in Trinidad we meet Miss Pat Jones and are introduced to the Trini tradition of `Liming' that is relaxing and having fun with your friends. In addition to Miss Pat's hot and spicy recipes we also get a glimpse of Carnival and how West Indian Curries are made.

There are so many peoples to meet, tastes to discover, and places to see it would take several pages to relate them all. I really enjoyed this book and probably gain 10 pounds just reading it.

The book comes with 71 recipes of which I tried several. The Ginger Spice Cookies (page19) were terrific and a kid pleaser. The Grenadian Banana Bread (Page 21) was very good and differs in flavor and texture from my normal recipe. I liked the Spicy Peanut Cream (Page 361) but my Kids not so much. The Ginger Peanuts (page 449) are the favorite and we've made 4 batches. I tried the Chivo Guisado (page 46) with Lamb instead of goat. I loved it but it's not a kid pleaser. Give'em Hotdogs.

The Spice Necklace is a wonderful book which will make you hunger for the Island Life. You'll have a hard deciding to keep it in the library or the kitchen.

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I think I loved it more than the first book, An Embarrassment of Mangoes. I love Ann and Steve, and think they sound like great fun people, someone with whom I'd want to share dinner and a bottle of wine. And it's their charm that leads them into so many new friendships and adventures, and secures old friendships, in this return to the Caribbean in the good ship Receta.
I was so happy to hear about Dingis again, and to make acquaintance with new friendly faces--to get to know Dwight and Stevie better, meet Miss Pat and Martin and Jamie and Seacat and Moses Jr & Sr. Aside from Guadaloupe, everywhere they visited sounded wonderful, and very much worth visiting. Many of the recipes sounded delicious, and are going to be added into my collection. I appreciate that in this book the recipes are often listed with possible North American ingredient substitutions, or ideas on where to find items that can't be substituted. I have no plan to start cooking conch/ lambi any time soon, but it's still interesting to hear about.
I found it slightly humorous that Ann, due to her Jewish heritage, doesn't eat pork, but absolutely scarfs down any seafood offered...but neither ingredient is kosher. I guess we all internalize our heritages in different ways. Steve, meanwhile, sounds like a human vacuum cleaner. It's always nice to have an appreciative audience when cooking.
The other thing I really appreciated about this book was how much I learned. I read most travel books to not only hear about new areas, and vicariously experience them, but also to learn, about culture and history and geography and such. And I was just surprised by the end of this book how MUCH I'd learned. So much information about nuts and spices especially. I now know why cashews always come shelled and roasted at the store (their shells are toxic.), that allspice is just one spice (although it smells like a combination), that cocoa and vanilla both need to be fermented before they get the taste we love, etc.
I really do recommend this book--have done so already with several friends. It's fun, interesting, educational, and sounds delicious!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about a couple who use their boat to live various months at different Caribbean islands. They explore the islands to find out what spices are used with different recipes and how these have come to the islands. Interestingly enough although the use of hot spices are very common there, these spices are not grown there. They often come from India. The practice of using them was brought with those who emigrated from India. But originally, these spices came to India from South America in the first place.

This is a good book to dip into. You read little stories about the author Ann Vanderhoof and her husband’s stay in tracking down local food, inviting people to eat with them as they try cooking on their boat at one Caribbean island after another. The book is full of different stories of native people they meet as they rent cars to go around each island.

Most interesting is description of how things grow and are processed. Coffee is grown and after it has been through bidding, it is processed. A new way of dealing with chocolate is not only to have cocoa grow on the islands but also to have the locals involved in making it into chocolate right there instead of sending it elsewhere to be made into bars and pieces. I'd love to try to Grenadian chocolate that they're importing to the US.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I wish I'd read this before my vacation to St. Lucia and Grenada (among a handful of other islands) back in January. Despite that, it was nice to be able to return to these places through the pages of a book and relive the short time I spent on those islands. Even though my Caribbean exposure has so far been limited to spending a few hours on each island, thanks to having been on cruise ships, I've fallen for the islands hard and just reading about them left a smile on my face every time I had to put this book down.

This was a surprisingly informative and interesting book on all kinds of topics including politics, culture and food. I don't know how many times I thought to myself, "huh, I did not know that" or would mention them out loud to someone. I preferred that so little was mentioned of sailing itself and the emphasis on the food, since that's what I bought the book for. I can't wait to try some of the recipes and it's great that such a generous amount are included.

The only slightly negative thing was that I felt somewhat left out of the loop as she mentioned all these friends of theirs, be they fellow sailors or islanders. Probably would've helped considerably if I had read her previous book first...

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude by the same author, and I loved this book as well. The reason it took me almost two years to finish the book is that I wanted to savor each chapter as I would the dishes Ann Vanderhoof details in them: slowly, and at my leisure. I found this book best read one chapter (or section) at a time, with plenty of time to devote to what I read. Vanderhoof centers this book firmly on food yet still manages to work in scraps of local color. In this book, she progressed from curious visitor to something more — island culture food anthropologist, perhaps?

I will keep this book around to try my hand at some of the recipes, and I appreciate the offering of practical substitutions.

If I had one complaint it would be that I wished she included more environmental and historical perspectives on the islands, as she does hint at these things from time to time and I would have welcomed more insight.

I anticipate another book soon, I hope!

[Riley Vermilya · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a GREAT summer on your hammock read! I loved how this is a travelogue/memoir/cookbook written about a Canadian couple's adventure sailing, hiking through the Caribbean, meeting the natives, eating and cooking their food...added BONUS. The food actually was a conversation starter and helped them form great bonds with the people of the land. I totally dug that.

After cruising through the book and seeing the recipes at the end of each chapter, I found myself wanting to make an attempt at trying to cook, too! In fact, the lemon bar recipe is similar to my Irish mother's and mine is not too shabby either.

I always LOVE it when a book takes me away to a place I've never been and stimulates all of my senses with a smile. This book achieves that and now I need to have an American mid life crisis and sail to the Caribbean! First I need a boat! ;)

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be more fun and beneficial if a person had Caribbean experience. I have none, yet I enjoyed the travels of this Canadian couple who ditched Toronto for life on their sailboat to learn all they could about food in "the islands". Lots of interesting recipes, although I'll pass on the roasted goat, thank you very much. I learned alot about spices in general, though and the recipes are very unusual in their native capacity!

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Ann Vanderhoof's first book, An Embarrassment of Mangoes. This is in a similar vein - more recipes, more Caribbean customs, people, markets and life in the very different islands from St Vincent down to Trinidad. Beautifully atmospheric and a joy for any lover of the Caribbean and any foodie...so that's me then!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars I liked her other book. This one was "hey, we've come to another island! Everyone here loves us! Let's watch them cook! Okay, I'll make some food. Everybody loves it!" Over and over.

[Bidasari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penulis dan suaminya bersara awal dalam umur pertengahan 40an dan belayar dengan bot deme ke Kepulauan Caribbean.

Setiap kali bot berlabuh, deme akan menyiasat rempah ratus dan resepi tempatan. Sejarah ringkas tentang beberapa rempah ratus memang daebak. Indonesia merupakan pengeluar buah pala terbesar dunia.

Kambing sedap di Monte Cristi yang meragut di padang oregano Banyak adventures - hiking, belajar memasak resepi tempatan, berjalan di pasar tempatan, tengok cara pembuatan moonshine dan bay oil, pembuatan bot nelayan secara traditional craftmanship, upacara pelancaran bot ke air buat pertama kali selepas disiapkan, crayfish and crab hunting, melepak dengan komuniti yang ganja merupakan part and parcel of life, merentas sungai dengan kereta, trespassing untuk tengok pembuatan rum, makan masakan pemilik kilang Turban Brand, kilang pembuatan pepper sauce, pertanian dan penuaian cive, melawat ladang koko dan pengalaman menjadi chocolate tester di Trinidad and Tobago, proses peram koko menggunakan kaedah tradisional seperti pada 1880an, sertai Carribean Carnival, melawat kawasan penanaman rumpair seamoss, sesi membeli belah di pasar ikan dan pasar rempah ratus.

[Diane Zwang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts in Grenada with a harrowing bus ride. I can relate as I have had similar rides on other Caribbean islands.

The book combines my favorite things; cooking, travel and history. “And the tourist board still trumpets that Grenada has more spices per square mile that any other place on the planet.”

“...new nutmeg seedlings take ten to fifteen years to bear fruit.”

The bits about renting a car in Dominican Republic and the bumpy drives reminds me to not rent a car in the Caribbean.
Reminded of the shockingly poor in Haiti.
Did not know that the Dominican Republic was such a mecca for baseball.

Chocolate 101. Enjoyed learning about the cocoa bean and its history on Trinidad and Grenada.

I will never look at a clove the same again.

“Most vanilla has to be hand-pollinated, which is part of the reason it is the world's second most costly spice-...”

“-the cashew tree is a relative of poison ivy-which can cause a reaction serious enough to kill a person. This is why cashews are always sold shelled, and always roasted; heat destroys any toxic residue on the nut.”

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely enjoyed this travelogue. While it's ostensibly about food, Ann goes deeply into cultural traditions, history, and politics of the Caribbean region. She doesn't shy away from mentioning how she knows she is privileged and she talks about understanding her impact of her journey, as well as the gratitude she has for the people who met and became friends with. While the recipes themselves are of course wonderful to peruse, the real meat of this book lies in how the food from the region connects to the history and culture behind it. If you're interested in Caribbean culture from an outsider perspective, I definitely recommend this book.

[Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 bk 108 The follow up to An Embarrassment of Mangoes returns the Vanderhoofs and their sailboat the the Carribbean, this time for a three year adventure in seeking out food sources and original methods of cooking. We learn that Dingus is now a grandmother and that she and Dwight appear to be speaking to each other again. Visits are paid to Miss Pat and the awesome duo practice their chipping skills again for another Carnival in Triniday and Tobago. I loved learning about chocolate in the Carribean and looked into sponsoring a tree. A lovely book with wonderful recipes.

[lynn stilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Foodie Trip in the Caribbean

I loved the author’s descriptions of people, countrysides and especially the Food! Thank you to her for the recipes, although trying to cook Caribbean in the States just has not worked out for me. Maybe it’s the water, the air or the hurry-up atmosphere! An amazing book that exactly captures the attitude of the islands!

[Valerie Quinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book of hers that I read, but because she talked a lot about sailing, I couldn't 100% relate. This one was even better, as the focus was squarely on food, and that's something I can relate to!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved her books. Food and travel are intertwined for me. She did a wonderful job of travelogue, sailing info and tasting my way through the Caribbean. I felt I could relate to the overall attitude of Ann and love that their relationship was strong and loving.

[Terree Rola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for the foodie who is looking for a relaxing (and real) travel adventure that will give you an appreciation for the local cuisine. Also, it provides you with a few recipes to satisfy the cravings you'll get, and let you feel like you're there.

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me crave Caribbean food so much!

[Renae Sokola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting learning about different spices and different recipes from the Caribbean Islands. I enjoyed hearing about the local people and all their teachings about local cuisine

[Denise Rolon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story about sailing around the Caribbean and studying the local food and alcohol. A little tough for me because I am always trying to eat healthy and reduce my intake of alcohol. Maybe I will read this again when we are traveling down there and I expect then I’ll give it four or five stars.

[Sue Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could taste the food

[Claire Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foodie book club

[Morgan McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and with singular focus, but this lacks the comprehensiveness and energy that I loved about the first book.

[Yvonne Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it and want to go to the places in the book and make some of the recipes