Crawling Through St. Croix
July 24th, 2008. Filed under: Thursday's Travels.
I didn’t really crawl there. That just sounded like a cool title. A lot of cruise ships stop at St. Thomas, USVI, but as much as I liked St. Thomas, St. Croix had more of a draw for me. I guess maybe that was because it didn’t have as much of a tourist feel. I loved St. Croix. Most of the time I was in port I just walked around the town, but once I rented a car and drove all the way around the island. What a beautiful drive that is. I would encourage you to do the same if you happen to be there for a day or two. When you get to Point Udall, the easternmost point of St. Croix, you’ve gone as far east as you can go and still be in the United States.
There are three things that make me think of St. Croix. One is the Caribbean Hook Bracelet. This first became popular on St. Croix as a way to celebrate love and good fortune. If you wear the hook facing towards your heart, your heart is taken and good fortune will come your way. If you wear the hook away from your heart, you are available and sharing your good fortune. A good friend gave me my hook bracelet. We both have one in the traditional horseshoe design. I have to admit that there are days when Consumer Man makes me want to wear my bracelet with the hook out.
The second thing that makes me smile and think of St. Croix is my slice of the ocean. It’s actually a slab of Larimar, but I bought it because it’s like holding the ocean and it’s waves in my hand. Larimar is an unusual gemstone mined from a remote mountain in the Dominican Republic. The name Larimar was given to the stone by a Dominican, Miguel Méndez, who combined his daughter’s name LARIssa, with MAR, the Spanish word for sea. I didn’t realize I was purchasing one of the world’s rarest gemstones when this piece of Larimar became mine. All I knew was that I felt as if I were holding the sea and it’s beauty in my hand. It had to come home with me.
And what, you ask, is the third thing that brings back the memory of St. Croix? It’s roti. Actually, what I ate was a dish of stewed or curried ingredients stuffed in a roti skin. The actual roti part is more of a flat Indian bread. St Croix is the only place I’ve eaten that dish. I’ve had the roti just as a bread here in the States. I guess I’ll have to learn how to make my own. Recipes, any one?
July 25th, 2008 at 13:57
the color of Larimar reminds me of the blue of an iceburg, beautiful!
and the recipe you wanted
Roti Bread
4 cups All purpose or wholemeal flour
1/8th tsp salt
2 or more cups Water
Whisk flour and salt together.
Add water, little by little and form in to a semi soft dough.
cover the dough with a moist cloth and let it sit for 15 minutes
Knead for about 2 minutes
Make egg-sized balls.
Flatten and roll on dry flour with a rolling pin; it should be less than 1/4 inch thick and round in shape.
Cook in a pan or griddle until a little brown on both sides.(Keep turning)
July 25th, 2008 at 15:23
Nova,
I’m glad you, too, appreciate the beauty of Larimar. It’s hard to just leave it on my desk. I want to hold it, and it’s difficult to type with one hand clutching my slice of the sea. ;p
Thanks for the recipe. Now I just need to come up with the good stuff that goes inside it. I know I can come up with something on my own. It’s the mix of spices that will be tricky.
July 25th, 2008 at 21:25
you can find several web sites with different recipes
if i make mine to spicy boys won’t eat
http://members.tripod.com/berdina/rotirecipe.htm
has several yummy fillings
or try this one
http://members.tripod.com/berdina/rotirecipe.htm
oh yes and i always don’t use cilantro cause it tastes soapy to me
but parsley is a great substitute IMO
P.S.
i think they turn out best when done with cast iron skillet BUT
can’t use those on a glass top stove NONONONO
July 25th, 2008 at 21:40
Nova, you’re the best.