I’m a little more than halfway through my Bahamas adventure, so I’d thought I’d pause and talk about one of my favorite subjects: food. I mentioned in my last post that the best way to find authentic food is to go to the Fish Fry. This is true, but only if…

You don’t have a friend who happens to be a local who happens to be an amazing chef. Which I (or rather my sister) does.

Enter Kim, the Haitian-Bahamian wonder woman who cooks like an angel. While I think that if there’s any justice in the world, she’d own her own restaurant, she’s not quite there yet. But she does cook at home for people. She has a menu and everything. They put in their order, and she has it ready for the next day. She probably fed us more than half the nights we were there, which was fantastic.

Dinner 1:

I fell in love with the red snapper. They don’t do beef down here (expensive to import), but they do some chicken and pork. They really do fish. I mean, if you’re an island country and the ocean is right there, then why not? And their fish is fresh. If you live inland, then you probably don’t really know how good fresh fish is (or how blah your fish really is), the difference in flavor and texture.

The elk is an anomaly. By sister and brother-in-law brought it from the states. I don’t know what spices Kim used, but the elk was delectable and delicious. It was a food-spiration. I think I might have wept a little.

Dinner 2:

Have I mentioned how much I like red snapper? But I think the Bahamas in general (and Kim in particular) spoiled me for fish anywhere else. I’m not a coleslaw fan, but this stuff was amazing. Not too creamy (or sweet—too much of either one makes me want to pull a face like a three-year-old). The rice and beans were excellent as well. I never thought I’d be such a fan of rice and beans, but whatever Kim puts in them really worked. Her spices are magical.

Dinner 3:

I don’t know what kind of barbecue sauce (most likely homemade) Kim used, but it was thick and spicy and perfect. Plus, plantain?! They’re amazing. Like bananas and potatoes had a love child.

Dinner 4:

I was praying for another elk day: prayers answered. Kim has her own special spice mix that she uses for her meat. She should sell it in stores. I’d buy it. Now crayfish salad. Who would’ve thunk? Well not me (but then, I’m not an adventurous eater, so I’m not a particularly goo barometer). It’s like crab/lobster/fish. Amazing. Kim did tell us that she soaks the crayfish for days in order to keep it moist and remove much of the salt. Can’t argue with results.

Dinner 5:

Well Kim did it again. I’m not longer surprised. I look forward to dinner with sheer enthusiasm. The pork was glazed with something. Probably unicorn tears and magic. The coleslaw was different from last time. There was no cream and a lot of spice. Like coleslaw meets sauerkraut. It. Was. Amazing.

Dinner 6:

This night, Sunday was sadly the last of our Kim meals. We left on Monday. But Kim left us with a bang. We had lamb chops (I’ve had more varieties of meat this trip then I’ve had in the last five years), which was marinated in something awesome (as usual). The mac and cheese had penne noodles and this cream sauce. It reminded me of an Italian dish. So good.

Thoughts:

I told Kim she should come to the United States. She’d kill in the food truck business. her food was spicy (but not too spicy), tasty, and amazing. I’ve used that world a lot, but it holds true. Thank you, Kim, for giving my taste buds an adventure while in the Bahamas.