St. John Style

Sun, sea, sand, glorious scenery and tropical breezes contribute to the perfect setting for hostesses to entain with creativity and charm on the beautiful island of St. John. Dinner parties at island homes are casual, yet often elegant affairs. beach picnics; seaside birthday, holiday parties and lunch aboard a boat anchored in a secluded cove are other popular ways to entertain on the island. All this done with very limited choices in grocery shopping, almost no specialty items, and sometimes even difficult in finding the basics.

"Five stop" shopping is typical on St. John. the meal has to be planned, and armed with a grocery list, you visit the first market where two of the main ingredients ar found, followed by a stop at all the other stores for the remaining ingredients. Only then do you realize that the key ingredients for your recipe cannot be found. This is when plan "B" goes into effect, and you end up with, hopefully, a new and creative version of the planned dish, or a very expensive spaghetti dinner ! Challenge, creativity, versatility and a sense of humor are necessary for cooking "St. John Style".

Nice thing about this book is that our daughter is marrying there soon and now we know what to get for all of our good friends to take home as a remembrance of the wedding and a remembrance of a lot of paradise.


Yes, it is difficult to shop for ingredients in the islands!   January 14, 2001
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Having lived in the islands 20 years myself, I certainly understand five-stop shopping. The Caribbean recipes in this books are fresh, exuberant and bursting with exotic island flavor. If you like this book, you'll really love Angela Spenceley's brand new book "A Taste of the Caribbean" filled with hundreds of traditional recipes and the new, exciting Caribbean cuisine. A must for any good cookbook library.