Kirk Johnson

In Jamaica, everything is organic. It is a way of life to eat what is grown. You learn about spices more intimately and how it affects food. As a child, I saw my grandmother got creative, and made delicious meals out of the little she received after a hard day of work. You would look at what she started with to make a meal for a family of 14, and think nothing could come of it, but instead, a savory meal was created with food left over. She would buy the bones leftover from the butcher, and like most grandmothers in Jamaica, she would create a hearty stew, which would be enhanced with vegetables from the garden for thickness. An example of how she would stretch food for breakfast would include porridge, in a variety of flavors, with doughy bread. My grandmother helped me appreciate and learn little can be much, depending on what you do with it.