A work of art — This is a stained glass window inside the Gavinos family’s private chapel in South Florida, depicting the Bahamian flag, a cargo plane flying into the island, and a family floating on the water.
As the weather officially warms up and the summer season and all the fun that comes with it is just around the corner, I think back to my childhood in the Bahamas. For the past 42 years, since I was six years old, my father has traveled to Nassau for work every Tuesday. Once we did the math, he spent the equivalent of more than two months of his life in the air without any rest.
My father started a shipping business to the Bahamas in 1982. When I was a kid, my mom and dad would pick me up from school on a Friday afternoon, pack my bags, and head to the port to catch a Chalk Ocean Airways flight.
Arthur Burns “Pappy” Chalk first began flying seaplanes to the island in 1917. Their first base was a beach parasol set up on the Miami coastline. In 1926 it moved to Watson Island in Biscayne Bay, where it operated for the next 75 years.
When I was a kid in the 1980s, flying chalk was, in a word, cool. They operated the amphibious Grumman Mallard he built in the 1940s and his 50s. After boarding at the coast, the plane taxis to the Port of Miami, where it gathers speed and takes off. The floor at the back of the plane is filled with seawater, and you can see the seawater draining away as you ascend into the sky.
Then, when Eastern Airlines started flying to the Bahamas, we went on it. Until I was about 10 years old and before my siblings were born, we would leave for the Bahamas almost every weekend on a Friday afternoon and return on a Sunday evening. On my Sunday night flight, the stewardess helped me with my homework due the next day.
We spent the whole summer there and stayed for 3 months with my grandmother, great-grandmother, and dog. Sometimes my parents would send me away to spend the weekend with friends. My father took me to the plane, seated me, and asked the stewardess to take care of me during the flight. Times were different.
The Bahamas in the 1980s was a vibrant, colorful and wonderful world. These islands only gained their independence in 1973, but as independent members of the British Commonwealth, their love for the Union and the King was (and still is) very strong.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force, wearing all-white uniforms and white helmets, stood on Bay Street directing traffic. Many older British residents had homes in the Deals Heights area of the island. Grand cliffside homes overlooked the ocean, and the sea breeze blew through banks of towering curtains and French doors.
The restaurant served conch fritters alongside British favorites such as roast lamb with mint jelly. I remember the atmosphere of joy and enthusiasm that enveloped the whole island when the Queen visited in 1985.
In the early 1990s, I was already in high school, so I helped my dad load his cargo onto a cargo plane before going to school. We went to the airport at 4am, loaded our bags onto two planes, showered, dropped them off at school, and headed home. I remember loading boxes of fresh bread to head to the hotel that morning. The smell was intoxicating.
My parents used to go to the Black and White Masquerade Ball every year in the grand ballroom of the Paradise Island Hotel. All the children were together and the nannies watched over us while the parents were at the ball. They made us trays of Bahamian macaroni and cheese and we ran through the garden, climbed the breadfruit tree, and picked mangoes.
One year, my mother met Sir Sean Connery and danced with him, and she came home with a twinkle in her eye. My childhood was an incredible time.
Every summer, as the weather warms and the coast beckons visitors, I think of these idyllic times, of this country so dear to my family’s heart, and of the warm and proud people of the archipelago that lies right on our doorstep. I remember that. coast. As their national anthem says, “Raise your heads to the rising sun!”
So in this month’s recipe, I’m sharing some of my favorite Bahamian dishes. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
First, next to Kalik Beer is a beer that is widely considered to be the national drink of the Bahamas. It’s surprisingly easy to make and incredibly refreshing. A word to the wise, though: This packs quite a punch and goes all too smoothly.
sky juice
Refreshing — Drinking an ice-cold glass of Sky Juice on a hot summer day is hard.
2 cups fresh coconut water
1 cup gin
1 can sweetened condensed milk
fresh cinnamon
Combine all ingredients except cinnamon in a large pitcher and whisk together. To serve, pour over ice and sprinkle with cinnamon or top with a cherry. cheers!
Few dishes are as widespread in the Bahamas as conch salad. My mom makes some of the best ones. It’s tangy, spicy, and cold, and it feels like summer in the bowl.
Marcy’s Conch Salad
Made Fresh — Marcy Gabino makes her famous conch salad while sailing through the tropics.
1 pound of fresh conch meat (washed and diced, available at fresh seafood markets or sold frozen)
1 large tomato (diced)
1 green pepper (diced)
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 large white onion (chopped)
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, finely diced (Scotch bonnet peppers can be a little hard to find around here. Habanero or jalapeno will also work. Use pepper depending on your spice level. We I like spicy food!)
Juice of 1 sour orange (sour oranges are available in most Latin and Caribbean markets; in a pinch, mix the juice of 2-3 sweet oranges with the juice of 1-2 limes) can.)
3-4 lime juice
salt and pepper taste
Mix all ingredients in a large non-metallic bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This gets even better the next day!
Finally, here’s a recipe for Bahamian mac and cheese. I often joke that it should be called “cheese and mac” because it’s so cheesy. When baked like a casserole, it goes well with anything. The eggs, evaporated milk, and butter form both the binding agent and a wonderfully creamy base for this dish. Unlike the brash American version.
During the early colonial period, the island lacked fresh dairy products and meat. Canned evaporated milk has become a staple and has evolved into a key ingredient in this indulgent snack. Traditionally, this baked dish is cooled, cut into squares, and served directly from the baking dish.
Bahama Mac & Cheese
Introducing Bahamian macaroni and cheese packed with the deliciousness of melty cheese.
1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
2 bags (16 oz) of shredded cheddar cheese
1 large bell pepper (diced)
1 large white onion (chopped)
4 eggs
Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
2 pinches of salt
2 teaspoons paprika
12 ounces evaporated milk
First, add a pinch of salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Then add macaroni and cook according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir until butter is melted, then gradually add most of the cheese, reserving 2 cups for topping.
Then add paprika, salt, black pepper, onion and bell pepper and stir until the cheese is melted and everything is well mixed. Slowly pour in the evaporated milk, adding about half at a time. Lightly beat the eggs and mix gently.
Spread mixture evenly into a greased 13-inch by 9-inch pan. Top with remaining cheese and cover loosely with foil.
Bake at 375°F for 1 hour or until golden brown on top. After 45 minutes, open the lid until it turns slightly brown. Let the casserole cool for 35-40 minutes before serving.
