The Belcour Cookbook

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For a signed copy contact Robin at 876-383-8942
or email at belcourpreserves[at]gmail[dot]com

About the book...

This book celebrates a Jamaican family’s legacy of love, food and hospitality. Jamaica’s heritage is a fusion of diverse cultures, and the recipes in this book reflect the richness of Jamaica’s culinary landscape. Interwoven throughout the book are short vignettes of the family’s history over three generations. The recipes act as both a snapshot of a personal history and a useful manual for entertaining.

Interview with author Robin Lim Lumsden

Video interviews about the book

About the book continued

This book started with a collection of my Mother’s family recipes. One Christmas, many years after she had passed away I made spiral-bound copies of her collection and gave them to all the women in my family as presents. When I noticed that over the years this collection had become a permanent fixture in their kitchens, and they told me how much they used it, I decided to publish a proper book. In this book, I thought I needed to explain how Chinese Red Cooked Pork and Eggs, Ackee and Salt Fish, and Chicken Au gratin all ended up in the same collection. It is the telling of these stories of my Jamaican family’s history, I think, that makes this book more than a cookbook, and the recipes come alive.

My family's heritage

When I was a child we often ate a dish called "Ja Ja" Mian for dinner, it was one of my father’s favourites and is still one of ours. Dad told us that it was a poor man’s dish from the North of China. His Chinese God Mother often visited us in Jamaica and she taught Mum how to make it. It consists of pork in a black bean sauce, served over spaghetti with slivered cucumbers and peanut butter or sesame sauce. Dad said when Marco Polo visited China, he took the recipe back to Italy and that was the genesis of spaghetti and meat sauce. We never saw Ja Ja Mien on any menu in any Chinese restaurants, so we were very skeptical about this claim; another of Dad’s fantastical tales of growing up in China. When Dad, my sister Mirah and I visited China in 2000, we finally found Zha Jiang Mian, and somehow discovering it validated all my father’s fascinating recollections of growing up in pre-war Beijing and his life in China. This treasured family recipe will always remind me of my father and his wonderful Chinese heritage.

Big Ups

"Author Robin Lim Lumsden takes three cuisines from her heritage, Jamaican, French, and Chinese, which are three of my favorites, and has rolled them into one gorgeous cookbook you'll want to open again and again whether you're making a weeknight dinner for your family or having friends over for a party. Some of my favorites include Flank Steak with Mango, Green Curry Shrimp with Chive Dumplings, Honey Jerked Roast Chicken, Green Papaya Salad, Robin's Coconut Cream Pie, and Scotch on the Rocks Rum Cake. But with all the flavors in these well thought-out recipes, you'll be eating well for months if you use this book on a regular basis. It's one of my absolute favorites."

Tracey Ceurvels

Author of The NYC Kitchen | Editor at Tracey's Global Kitchen

"Flipping through the pages of the Belcour Cookbook, I was transported into a journey that tingles all your senses... A beautiful array of colours, tastes, scents, spices, flavours... Belcour truly epitomizes what Jamaica is all about "out of many, one people". It is beautifully set up and never feels stagnant or impersonal: the author takes you on a journey throughout the island with her recipes but also by sharing precious family anecdotes. The recipes are wonderfully written and photographed with much finesse. I truly enjoyed this book which respects tradition but was never predictable enough for the curious cook... there are some unexpected twists & turns around flavour combinations which make this cookbook truly unique!"

Marianna Farag

Food Blogger | Restaurateur, Marianna's Kitchen
Kingston, Jamaica

"This far exceeded my expectations. More than just a cookbook, it is a look into the diverse culture of Jamaica and a Jamaican family's history and culinary legacy. The author's passion for cooking, entertaining and family shines through, and her recipes are easy to follow. I have already made some of the dishes with great success. The suggested menus for entertaing groups of 12-15 are also a wonderful idea. the photography in the book is beautiful, and showcases the beauty of Jamaica as well as the beauty of it's food and diverse ethnic mixtures. So glad I bought this!"

Donna Brice

See more reviews on amazon.com

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