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13 posts by Jacqueline Campaigne

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When we moved to Cat Island, 16 years ago, I knew we had found our paradise. But even paradise has its glitches. For a foodie like me, the lack of fresh veggies and meat, the scarcity of fish and the really bad assortment of wines was a bit of a challenge. I had to learn to cook in a whole new way. How to make an interesting salad out of carrots and iceberg lettuce, for example. Not so easy. If any of my ideas can make a dent in the traditional way the cooks of Cat Island think and serve dinner, I think it would be a step in the right direction. I might not be able to convert anybody, but I can inspire at least some of them. If you are reading my blog from afar, perhaps you will visit my cat island kitchen. I would enjoy cooking for you!

Thanksgiving on the island
Thanksgiving is usually a family affair on Cat Island. My sons arrive with their kids, who seem to be multiplying with a frightening speed. Last year we could all fit around the table if the baby had her own lobster chair, but this year we probably have to make a “children’s table” with two new high chairs and five chairs for the rest. Next year we will have to make space for yet another lobster chair. Our family get-togethers usually involves a lot of cooking and a lot of different ... Continue Reading
November 19, 2015

LOBSTER
  Everybody loves lobster. When visitors come to Cat Island, they want lobster. The restaurants always have lobster on the menu - although not always in the kitchen. There is always a demand for lobster from the fishermen on the island, and they try to accommodate as much as they can. But lobsters are cunning little creatures. They hide under rocks, they swim backwards and they don't always congregate in the same spot as last year, so they are not that easy to catch. There is a ... Continue Reading
October 25, 2015
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Halloween Pumpkin
It's almost Halloween. We don’t celebrate Halloween on Cat Island, but we do eat pumpkin. Although it is not the pumpkin normally displayed in supermarkets all over America this time of year, but really a butternut squash that grows very well in the islands. And although we don’t get kids running around asking for treats, we do get into the spirit when we receive pictures of our grandchildren via email or messages dressed like Spiderman, Disney princesses, pirates and witches. &... Continue Reading
October 4, 2015
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3 Ways To Cook Polenta
It is summer on Cat Island. Hot, hot, hot. Sun is shining every day and the winds have gone to sleep. Mosquitos, the size of wasps, are multiplying in billions in the stagnant puddles left over from short, non-refreshing summer rains. Not much is growing in the intense heat except for weeds and corn. And I don’t mean marijuana, I mean weeds that send out urchin-like seedpods that stick to everything and really, really hurt to step on. I mean weeds that look like pretty little daisies and ... Continue Reading
September 12, 2015
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Mango Upside Down Cake with Mango Ice Cream
I have so many mangoes that I don't know what to do with them all. I give away a lot. That makes me feel good, and also relieved. At least a few that I don’t have to do something with. When I go and look at the trees, branches bent to the ground with heavy, fragrant, blushing fruits, I get a very ambivalent feeling. I love the fact that I have fantastic mangoes on the trees and I resent the fact that I have to take care of them. I can’t just let them fall to the ground and rot or become ... Continue Reading
September 12, 2015
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Cabbage Lasagna
Almost every meal on Cat Island involves coleslaw. Cabbage, carrots and lots of Mayo. It’s not bad. I love coleslaw and can easily skip the rice and peas and potatoes salad that also accompanies the meal. In some restaurants here on the island they have tried to vary the formula a little by adding hot sauce or changing from mayo to vinaigrette. Or by adding raisins or apple. But it is still coleslw. Almost every farmer will plant cabbage in October to be ready to harvest in February or ... Continue Reading
September 12, 2015
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Tokyo Sushi
Every time we visit Florida, we do a “Costco Run.” That means that we fill up whatever car we have with wine, dry goods and every day necessities. We haul that over to Seacor Island Lines in Port Everglades and pack a pallet. That pallet goes out on a ship every Thursday and lands in Cat Island on Sunday night. Very practical. What is also very practical, is that our favorite sushi restaurant is just a few blocks away from Port Everglades. Tokyo Sushi, in Southport Shopping Center off the ... Continue Reading
September 11, 2015
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. - Dr. Seuss
September 11, 2015

Welcome To My Cat Island Kitchen
An island kitchen is never finished. It grows and shrinks and expands to the next room. It moves outside and waits for the rain. Glasses break and toasters rust. Little mice hide in the insolation of the oven and get roasted together with the bread. There is space in an island kitchen. There can be shelves on the outside of the house. There can be furniture on the lawn to keep your pots and pans in. There can be planters and boxes and big ceramic pots for all the spices and vegetables that can ... Continue Reading
September 10, 2015

The Table
"Today Was Good. Today Was Fun. Tomorrow is Another One." - Dr. Seuss... The entrance to our house is through the dining room. On the porch, facing the azure blue waters of the Caribbean, that is where we eat, drink, live, work and play. The dining room/porch reflects the way we live. The table will frequently be cluttered up with screw drivers and drill bits. iPads and computers are taking up a big space on the table. Telephones, receipts, drawings, maps extra batteries and wayward ... Continue Reading
September 9, 2015