Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin: Forty Years of Funny Stuff

Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin: Forty Years of Funny Stuff by Calvin Trillin
Published by Random House ISBN978-1400069828
Hardcover $27

I've been reading Calvin Trillin's funny books for a long time, and his ode to his wife Alice, About Alice, is one of the loveliest books about a marriage that you'll ever read. (Many people give this book as a bridal shower gift, and it's great idea.)

So I looked forward to a compilation of his New Yorker columns, his The Nation humorous political poetry and so much more into one book. Some of his best stuff is here, and I chuckled at such comments as:

"Math was my worst subject. I was never able to convince the mathematics teacher that many of my answers were meant ironically."

I always tell my sons to beware of people who scream the loudest about other's moral weaknesses, that they have something to hide, and a Trillin political poem from 2007 that speaks to that reads:

"Once more, for right-wing folks it really rankles                                                                    To see who's caught with pants around his ankles.                                                                Who's next? Who knows?                                                                                                        But some would take the view                                                                                                   That sanctimony is often quite a clue."

Trillin, who grew up in the midwest and still has that sensibility, now lives in New York City, and his comic observations about city life are dead on, including this one:

"I live in Greenwich Village, where people from the suburbs come on weekends to test their car alarms."

His funniest stuff includes his attempts to reason logically with his young daughters and his ongoing arguments with a magazine publisher whom Trillin feels doesn't pay him enough for his work. Alice is  here as well, and her presence is definitely a welcome addition.

This is a book best read in short chunks, and I read it daily while on the treadmill, which was perfect. Some of the earlier political stuff may feel a bit stale, and younger people may not have a clue as to who some of these people are, but they will know George W. Bush, a frequent comic target for Trillin.

Calvin Trillin is one of smartest, funniest writers around, and this is a terrific compilation for his many, many fans.

rating 3.5 of 5

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay
Published by Delacorte Press ISBN 978-0385344227
Hardcover, $26

There are a two books publishing within two months of each other, both about fathers dealing with their sons being accused of murder. The first is Defending Jacob by William Landay. The other is Noah Hawley's The Good Father, publishing March 20th.

The main character, Andy Barber, is an assistant DA in a town in Massachusetts. When a teen age boy is murdered, he is the prosecuting attorney until his son Jake is accused of the murder. The dead boy bullied Jake, and Jake was tired of it. But Andy believes that a man previously accused of molesting a young boy, and who was seen in the park where the boy was murdered, is the real killer.

Andy is forced to take a leave from his job, and his wife Laurie has a hard time dealing with the accusation, the loss of her friends and the isolation of her family. She finds out that Andy has been keeping a big secret from her, and this causes her to pull farther away from her husband.

There is a lot of suspense in this novel, and Landay excels in the courtroom scenes, especially the scenes with Andy on the stand battling against his former colleague who wishes to takes Andy's position in the DA's office.

This novel is unsettling for parents, and will cause you to ask yourself if you really know what's going on your child's life. With all of the social media and helicopter parenting today you may think you know everything about your child, but this novel may disabuse of that quaint notion. Laurie has a line early in the book after the murder but before Jake is accused, talking to other mothers she says,

"I think we overestimate what we can do as parents. Your kid is your kid. You get what you get."

The nature versus nurture question definitely comes into play in this novel.

This novel drops a bomb at the end, one that the author only slightly hints at, but I got a sinking feeling about where it was going. Yet I still didn't know exactly how it would end, and it is a shocker, one that almost caused me to fall off the treadmill when I got there.

Landay skillfully takes the reader on a roller coaster ride, and this is one crackerjack of a novel.

rating 4 of 5 stars

Bond Girl by Erin Duffy

Bond Girl by Erin Duffy
Published by William Morrow ISBN 978-0-06-206589-6
Hardcover $24.99

The cover of Erin Duffy's debut novel, Bond Girl, is striking and catches the eye right away. A black stiletto with a blood red sole placed on top of The Wall Street Journal newspaper. So if you thought by the title alone that this book was about a female spy, the cover sets you straight- it's about a woman working in the world of finance.

We meet Alex, a twenty-something who works in the bond department at Cromwell Pierce, "one of  Wall Street's biggest powerhouses". She describes an overheard encounter in the elevator between two men trying to one-up each other in where they went to college, what college their sons' attend, which lacrosse position their sons' play, which golf course they played at this past weekend, and says that she works in "the giant sandbox from hell".

Duffy herself worked in the financial industry and this book is filled with anecdotes that you just know are true. On a slow day, one coworker takes a bet that he can eat one of everything in the vending machine before the end of the day. Alex is forced to keep track of everything he eats on a clipboard and keep every wrapper. That scene just rang with veracity, it made me wonder if the guy who did this has read this book.

Alex is a female in a mostly male environment, a hostile environment at times. The men that work at Cromwell are competitive, masters-of-the-universe type. Her boss, Chick, tells Alex that the job won't be easy but he will cut her no slack.

She doesn't get a desk, she has to sit on a folding chair while she shadows salesmen at their desks. Since she is the last hired, she has to do the scut work- making several trips up to the trading floor bringing boxes and boxes of pizza to rally the troops, running to Starbucks to get 33 cups of coffee, (each with specific instructions), and once as punishment, she had to go from lower Manhattan all the way up to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx to get hot sandwiches and a 50 pound wheel of parmesan cheese and get back before the sandwiches got cold. (Food is a big part of the reward system there.)

Working at Cromwell isn't for sissies, and Alex has to prove herself. She battles sexism, long hours, and a powerful, lecherous client who wants Alex to sleep with him or lose her job. She makes a few friends at work, and eventually becomes romantically involved with a good guy whose biggest fault is that he disappears on the weekends.

I don't know much about the bond trading world, and Duffy educates her readers while keeping them interested in her story. This is a fantastic debut, with terrific, real characters and snappy writing. Her characters aren't stock; her boss Chick at first seems cruel, but he grows on you once you get to know him, and Alex herself changes as she gains more confidence.

I raced through this book and thoroughly enjoyed my trip through the hectic, crazy finance world of Bond Girl. This book is ripe for a movie treatment, and I would look forward to seeing on screen soon. This is a terrific book to curl up with on cold, snowy day; once you start it, you will want to finish it in one sitting, rooting Alex on the whole way. It's one of the most enjoyable reads of this year.

rating 5 of 5 stars

For a look at a real life female trader, read Play Money: My Brief But Brilliant Career on Wall Street by Laura Pedersen.

How I Learned to Drive at Second Stage Theatre

Second Stage Theatre's production of Paula Vogler's Pulitizer-Prize winning play, How I Learned To Drive ends its run on March 11, and it is a not-to-missed production.

Elizabeth Reaser (the Twilight movies, TV's Grey's Anatomy) plays Lil' Bit, at different stages of her life starting at age eleven. She is so good in this production, you actually believe you are watching an 11-year-old on stage. She is a revelation in this performance.

Norbert Leo Butz is her uncle Peck, who has an unnatural attachment to his young niece. He teaches Lil'Bit to drive and under that pretense to be alone with her, he woos her and charms her, and sexually abuses her. His portrayal is amazing;  he is not outwardly the creepy uncle, someone you would avoid right away.

The subject is upsetting and you could feel the audience grow uncomfortable, but the play draws you into their world. Lil' Bit gives into Peck's requests to touch her inappropriately, and at times she seems to relish the power she has over him, but she is just a young girl and doesn't understand.

Butz shows Peck's careful grooming of his niece, patiently waiting until she is 18 to fully consummate their sexual relationship. But as Lil' Bit gets older, she becomes more aware of how wrong this relationship is. There is a scene when she is 11, and wants to ride with Uncle Peck to their vacation at the beach. Her mother warns her about Uncle Peck's unnatural attachment to her, yet relents and allows the her to ride with him. I wanted to shake the mother; she knew better than to let her daughter go.

These are two of the strongest performances I have seen in a long time. Butz keeps the audience unbalanced and on edge and when he finally explodes in anger, you believe you are seeing the unraveling of a pedophile. His performance is genius.

I've never seen Reaser on stage, but she is well matched to the veteran Butz. As Lil' Bit grows up, she realizes the true cost of her relationship with her uncle, and the conflict of this shows on her face. I hope to see more of her onstage soon.

While you may shy away from this play because of the unpleasant topic, it is well-written and the two main performances by Butz and Reaser are among the best I have ever seen. It deserves a chance to go to Broadway and bigger audience. This is a play I would pay full price to see.

Seminar on Broadway

Playwright Theresa Rebeck, creator of TV's Smash has a new play on Broadway titled Seminar, and like Smash, it examines the angst of artistry and what it takes to be successful, this time in the field of writing.


Alan Richman plays Leonard, a once-famous writer who holds a seminar for four students in the apartment of one of the women. Most people know Richman from the Harry Potter movies, but I know him from my favorite Christmas movie, Love, Actually. I was excited to see him on stage and he does not disappoint. He owns every scene he is in, and he is very funny.

He spends much of his time name-dropping famous writers and dangerous places he has been, alternating that with his evisceration of his students' writing, ignoring them or hitting on the women. He plays this role to the hilt, breezing in and out of scenes, leaving decimation in his wake. There is talk of a Tony nomination, and I wouldn't be surprised if he got it.

Lily Rabe is brilliant as  Kate, a woman from a wealthy family who can't believe that Leonard doesn't like her writing. She is one of the best actresses working today, and I was happy to hear that she will be working again on TV's American Horror Story. I first saw her on stage in  The American Plan in 2009, and I knew then that she would be working steadily.

Hamish Linklater, whom most people know as Julia Louis-Dreyfus' neurotic brother Matthew on TV's The New Adventures of Old Christine, plays Martin in his Broadway debut, who is frustrated in his affection for Kate and lacks confidence in his writing ability. There is a little bit of Matthew in this performance, which is spot-on. He has a tense scene at the end of the show with Richman, and he more than holds his own with the veteran actor.

Jerry O'Connell portrays the super confident and annoying Douglas in his Broadway debut and he does just fine in a role well suited to his charms. Hettienne Park ably plays Izzy, a girl with few inhibitions and a zest for life and lust.

The play is funny, sexy and empathetic to the creative process. Linklater and Richman are leaving the show on April 1, so you should hurry to see some fine acting. I got my ticket at the TKTS booth, and it was  more than worth the price.

Frontera Taco Skillet Sauce- Weekend Cooking

My husband and I used to own a fast food Mexican restaurant, so we've eaten many tacos over the years. When we ran our local CYO program, we'd buy a 12pack of tacos from Taco Bell and we'd enjoy lunch together every Sunday before we opened the gym. (We'd sold our restaurant by that time.)

So I have many fond memories of Mexican food, and yet, when it came to making tacos at home, I just couldn't find a decent recipe that everyone liked. My husband enjoyed the Ortega taco seasoning packet, but I found it tasted rather flat. And every time he would ask me to make tacos, I would cringe.

Now I've found something that really makes my tacos taste terrific- Frontera Taco Skillet Sauce. Chef Rick Bayless, who owns the famous Frontera Grill in Chicago, has packaged his own brand of taco seasoning sauce, and it is what I've been looking for for a long time.

I tried the Texas Skillet Sauce, which has cumin and red chile sauce. It really tasted fresh and rich, as opposed to the powder-y tasting taco seasoning packets. There are three other flavors, Key Lime Cilantro, Chipotle Garlic, and New Mexico, as well as many other sauce and seasoning products that can be found on the website here.

My husband loves it too, so now we'll be able to have tacos that we both enjoy, thanks to Rick Bayless.

Have you found a new product at the grocery store that you enjoy? Share it in the comments section.

This post is part of Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking.  If you have anything related to food, cookbook reviews, novel or non-fiction book reviews, recipes, movie reviews, etc., head over to Beth Fish Reads and add your post. Or, if you want to read food related posts, head over to read what some interesting people have to say about food!

The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar

My review on auburnpub.com of Thrity Umrigar's fascinating book set in India, The World We Found.

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A trip to Roma

My husband and I took a recent trip to Rome to see the elevation of Cardinal Dolan. It was the trip of a lifetime, with so much beautiful art, history, churches and of course, food.

We had a wonderful experience at a private dinner at Aventino Palace, which is located high on a hill overlooking Rome. The view is spectacular, with the dome of St. Peter's Basilica shining in the background.

The view from Aventino Palace

The evening started with Prosecco and passed hors d'ouerves, the tastiest of which was the fried zucchini flowers, although the shrimp on bruschetta was a close second. At the lovely candlelit dinner, which was served in courses, the seafood risotto was the standout dish.

We were treated to a fantastic, authentic Italian dinner at Ristorante 34 on our third evening. Our host is a regular customer there, so the dinner started with our waiter (whom one in our party described as a "cross between Elvis Costello and John Turturro"- I found a photo of him on the restaurant website so you could see what she means) bringing our table Jerusalem artichokes, which I had never tried.

Our waiter- photo taken from the 34 website

They were crunchy and delicious, although the waiter came back to tell me I wasn't eating the best part! (I was just eating the leaves, which I honestly thought tasted better than the bulb.) It's not really an artichoke, it's more of a tuber, like a potato or onion.

Next he brought fried squash blossoms, which had a delicate outer batter and inside, the squash, mozzarella and anchovies. It was heavenly!

Another appetizer was sliced octopus with shrimp and pistachios. I was not brave enough to try the octopus, but our dining companions loved it.

Another course was brought out- pasta soup with cuttlefish and chick peas. I've never had cuttle fish, and if someone had explained to me what the fish looked like before I ate it, I would have missed out on a delicacy. It reminded me of pasta fagioli, but it had a more vibrant flavor.

After all of this, then it was time to order our meal! I was seriously full by this time, and most of our table shared entrees, like the rabbit and grilled calimari. The calimari was so beautifully plated, I wish I could have taken a photo, but I could not. It was not calimari as we usually see, in rings, but flat on the plate and it tasted as good as it looked.

My husband ordered veal meatballs and asked for pasta on the side, maybe some spaghetti. Elvis Costello shook his head at my husband and said, "No, no not that. I bring you something better." The table erupted into laughter.

The dinner lingered and it was such a great experience. At the end of the meal, our waiter spoke in rapid Italian to those in our party who understand Italian about the impact of the Costa Concordia cruise liner crash on Italy. He said that cruise ship traffic is down, which hurts tourism, including restaurants, and how embarrassed the country is about the conduct of the ship's captain. It seems many Italians feel his conduct reflects poorly on all Italians.

It was an unforgettable evening, full of mouth-watering food, wonderful companionship and we followed it with a walk to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, which must be seen at night- so gorgeous!

My husband and I at Trevi Fountain

Other culinary musts when in Roma include cappuccinos at cafes, pasta carbonara and gelato. My husband would go to a cafe near the hotel every morning, stand at the counter and order his cappuccino and drink it there like the locals. Our dinner host said that one simply must have pasta carbonara in Roma, so I ordered it at Corsetti 1921, and it was simple fabulous. And the gelato in Italy tastes creamier than any gelato you can get in the US.

Pasta Carbonara at Corsetti 1921

Rome is a spectacular place and I hope to get back there again soon. If you have been to Rome, please suggest the restaurants we must visit for our next trip in the comments section.

This post is part of Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking.  If you have anything related to food, cookbook reviews, novel or non-fiction book reviews, recipes, movie reviews, etc., head over to Beth Fish Reads and add your post. Or, if you want to read food related posts, head over to read what some interesting people have to say about food!

Deconstructing Super Bowl Snacks

If you have ever watched Bravos' Top Chef, you had heard the term 'deconstructing'. It involves taking a popular dish, breaking down its ingredients, and using them in a different way to evoke the same flavors.

This Super Bowl there were only three of us, and my husband wanted the traditional football foods- chicken wings, tacos, pizza. Instead of that, I deconstructed those snacks and made dips out of them.

I used to make this Taco Dip all the time when the boys were home and we had Mexican night.
Taco Dip
1 can refried beans
1 cup taco sauce
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. shredded Mexican cheese blend
shredded lettuce
1 chopped tomato
sliced black olives

Directions: Spread beans on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Top beans with taco sauce. Mix cream cheese and sour cream and spread on top of beans and sauce. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly. Top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and sliced black olives. Serve with tortilla chips.

Taco Dip

I made Chicken Wing Dip using Frank's Hot Sauce's recipe, which is just softening 8 oz. cream cheese and spreading it in a casserole dish, mixing 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing with 1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, stirring in 2- (12oz) cans of chunk chicken breast and spreading that on top of cream cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with celery and carrot sticks. My son also makes his own version of this dip, but he informed me that he uses shredded rotisserie chicken, not canned chicken.

Chicken Wing Dip

I did not make my famous Pepperoni Dip, which I got from a community recipe book many years ago, but it falls under the deconstructing umbrella. Everyone loves this dip, so I'll share the recipe here too.

Pepperoni Dip

8 oz. tub soft cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp.  dried oregano

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1/2 cup chopped pepperoni

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions: In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, garlic powder and red pepper. Spread in a 10 inch pie plate. Spread pizza sauce over top. Sprinkle with pepperoni, green pepper and green onion. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. top with mozzarella and bake for 5 minutes more.

I also made homemade peanut cups for dessert and french dip sandwiches with Johnny's French Dip sauce that we got in a lovely food basket from my parents for Christmas. It was delicious!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

11 oz. package of milk chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions: Line a mini muffin tin with paper muffin cups. Melt 1/2 of the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stir to melt completely. Spoon melted chocolate into paper muffin cups, drawing halfway up the sides until evenly coated. Cool in refrigerator til firm. In a small bowl, mix peanut butter, salt and confectioners' sugar til smooth, then put on top of chocolate. Melt the rest of the chocolate and spread over peanut butter to the edge of the cup. Chill til firm.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

What was your favorite Super Bowl snack this year?

This post is part of Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking.  If you have anything related to food, cookbook reviews, novel or non-fiction book reviews, recipes, movie reviews, etc., head over to Beth Fish Reads and add your post. Or, if you want to read food related posts, head over to read what some interesting people have to say about food!

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
Published by Harper Collins ISBN 978-0-06-206422-6
Hardcover, $25.99

I first read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre a few months ago on my Kindle while on the treadmill. I can't believe I had never read it, but better late than never, right? I loved it, and so when I heard that there was a retelling of Jane Eyre titled The Flight of Gemma Hardy, I was excited to read it.

The story's setting has been moved to Scotland and Iceland in the late 1950s, early 1960s. Gemma is an orphan, whose mother's brother and family took her in when she was a young child after her father died. Her mother died when Gemma was just a toddler.

Gemma's uncle, a minister, loved her and treated her well, but when he died in a tragic accident, his family began to treat Gemma badly. Her aunt and three cousins treated her worse than a servant, because according to them, Gemma was freeloader who contributed nothing to the household.

When Gemma was ten, her evil aunt sent her to a boarding school. It was hard to believe, but school was worse than living with her cruel aunt and cousins. The students beat and stole from her. The head of the school humiliated her in front of everyone. She was a 'scholarship' student, so she earned her keep by working like a dog.

She had only one friend, and studied hard, hoping someday to get a job as a teacher and return to her homeland of Iceland and find her real family. When the school is forced to close, Gemma takes the only job she can get as a tutor for a young girl on an estate on the Orkney Islands in Scotland, owned by the wealthy and mysterious  Mr. Sinclair.

So the first part of the novel hews very closely to Jane Eyre; if you read that book, you pretty much knew everything that was going to happen. This puzzled me somewhat, thinking that it isn't difficult to take the plot of a long beloved classic and make a few differences, updating it.

There is a big mystery in Jane Eyre, a big secret that Mr. Rochester kept from Jane that caused her to flee. Mr. Sinclair has a secret in this novel too, and this is where the author diverges from Miss Bronte's book and creates her own story.

Gemma falls in love with Mr. Sinclair, agrees to marry him, but when his secret is revealed, she runs away. I didn't truly understand why Gemma ran away, as Mr. Sinclair did not have a mad wife in the attic, but his dishonesty drove her away nonetheless.

Her troubles begin when she is robbed and has no money or place to go. She, like Jane, is rescued by a mystery man, the local postman. His sister and her friend take Gemma in, and after a while, Gemma feels like she belongs.

She finds a job as a tutor for a young boy, and comes to care for the boy and his family. While Gemma feels that she has found her place in life, she still feels insecure, like it could all be taken away from her in a moment. She longs to go home to Iceland.

Gemma makes a few bad decisions, but ends up discovering her parents' family in Iceland. This part of the book really tugged at me, and the setting in Iceland added a unique aspect to the book. I have never read anything set in Iceland, and it made me curious to  learn more about it.

I liked the second half of the book better than the first; Livesey creatively uses the Jane Eyre template to  build a new story, with a scrappy young heroine who appeals to the reader. I fell in love with the people of Aberfeldy, the town in which Gemma ends up.  And Gemma's reunion with her family is so touching. The ending is familiar to readers of Jane Eyre;  how could it be any other?     

I loved the unique setting of Scotland and Iceland, although it seemed that the time of the 1950s and '60s was less relevant to the story. The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a terrific companion read to Jane Eyre, and Gemma is a worthy successor to the great 19th century heroines in literature.

rating 4 of 5

Weekend Cooking- A Barbados Food Feast

My husband and I celebrate our 25th anniversary this year, and along with his brother and his brother's wife (also celebrating 25 years), we took a trip to Barbados last week.

The weather in Barbados is perfect- 80 degrees every day, a nice breeze, and beautiful sunshine. My sister-in-law is curious as to why the sand is always cool to walk on, never too hot, but I don't know why- anyone have the answer?

Anyway, Barbados has some truly fantastic restaurants, and every one we went to, we thoroughly enjoyed. On Fridays, the town of Oistins hosts a Fish Fry. There are dozens of food stands and small restaurants lined up one after the other, most serving fish.

We went to Uncle George's, and even though we were told the wait in line would be about an hour (and it was), it was worth it. And besides, they take drink orders and bring you back a cold beverage while you wait. Banks Beer, the beer of Barbados, was a popular choice. (Don't try the Carib beer- it's not a winner.)

When we got to the front of the line, we placed our order for marlin, tuna and shrimp. Each fish is grilled and comes with cole slaw and a baked potato that is halved and grilled. Tartar sauce is served on the side. You make your way to a picnic table and dig in.

The fish was the best I have ever had! They brush on a seasoned oil when they grill, the same oil they brush on the potato. The big man working the grill was amazing; he had at least six different kinds of fish on the grill, plus the potatoes, and every piece of fish that came off that grill was cooked to perfection; not undercooked, not overcooked, just right. And it only cost $15.

Shrimp dinner at Uncle George's

Marlin dinner at Uncle George's

The atmosphere was fun too. They had stalls where you could buy jewelry ( I got two beautiful bracelets), art work, and souvenirs and everything was $20. The setup reminded me of the New York State Fair.

On Saturday we drove up the west coast to The Tides restaurant. There is an art gallery when you first walk in, filled with beautiful Bajan art work for sale. We got to sit in the treehouse section of the restaurant, right on the beach.

The treehouse

The scenery was gorgeous, and the food was delicious. My husband enjoyed his drink, the Sea Monkey, which was like a martini with raspberries. My favorite dish of the night was the lobster risotto, which they topped with lobster bisque. My chicken entree came with Lemon Cous Cous, a Bajan specialty made with cornmeal. My brother-in-law had the catch of day blackened, and he pronounced it just spicy enough. I highly recommend the Tides for a special occasion.

On Sunday, we went to Champers, a restaurant we had been to previously. You sit outside, right over the water. You can even feel the splash of the water as it hits the rocks below.

Champers

My sister-in-law and I had the Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls and Shrimp Mango Salad, both appetizers, as our meal. The spring rolls were so light and tasty, and the salad was so good, I made it for dinner when we returned home. It is a refreshing change of pace, and I found Bolthouse Tropical Mango Vinaigrette dressing at Fairway Market, so it was easy too.

Shrimp Mango Salad

My brother-in-law had the Parmesan Crusted Barracuda and it was his favorite meal in Barbados. Champers is very romantic, and overall, it had the best food. On the way home, our taxi driver told us he was going there next week for his birthday dinner. Always eat where the locals eat, they know best.

For lunch one day, we had the flying fish sandwich, a Bajan specialty. Everyone enjoyed them. My brother-in-law likes spicy foods, so he tried the Pepperpot, an Indian/Bajan specialty at the Waterfront Cafe. It was very spicy!

I brought home some Mango tea bags so I can have a little taste of Barbados in the afternoon. My brother-in-law brought home some Bajan hot sauce as a souvenir. 

It was an unforgettable trip, and if you have any favorite foods or restaurants in Barbados, be sure to share them in the comments section.

This post is part of Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking.  If you have anything related to food, cookbook reviews, novel or non-fiction book reviews, recipes, movie reviews, etc., head over to Beth Fish Reads and add your post. Or, if you want to read food related posts, head over to read what some interesting people have to say about food!