Krysta AndersonGleaner Writer

IT’S FINALLY here! The most wonderfultime of the year - the season of savouryindulgences - has arrived. During this

season, the next white meat takes centrestage. Yes, we are talking about pork. Tablesare set for various forms of this four-leggeddelicious beast. Whether it’s the shoulders,the ribs or the chops, it’s all good. But themainstay on almost every table for Christmasis ham - taken from the shoulder and leg.

Ham is one of the most popular meats forChristmas dinners. And for those looking tospice up their palate, we have a treat for you!The Gleaner sought culinary expertise fromCB and Grace Foods to provide heart-warm-ing and scrumptious ham recipes for yourtables. Indulge.

Caribbean Passion Citrus-glazed HamHAM PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350F.2. Thaw Caribbean Passion picnic or leg

ham and remove packaging or netting fromthe ham. Trim away any excess fat, leavingjust a little.

3. Line a baking pan with aluminium foil,place ham in pan, cover it with foil and bakefor 45 minutes.

4. Remove it from the oven and increasethe oven temperature to 425F. Using a sharpknife, score one-inch-wide diamond patterns.

5. Brush the ham with a quarter of theglaze, return it to the oven, and bake uncov-ered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven,brush with another quarter of the glaze, andrepeat every 15 minutes (about three more

times) until glaze is finished and a darkgolden-brown crust has formed.

6. Let ham rest 20 to 30 minutes beforeslicing.

Chef Oji JaJa Citrus Glaze (yield 32oz)

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups orange juice• 2 each bay leaves• 12 each allspice berries• 4 each cloves• 2 cups granulated sugar• 2 tbsp ginger purée• 2 each star anise

METHOD

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingre-dients and reduce until a sauce consistencyis achieved. It should be able to coat the backof a spoon.

2. Cool and store for use.

Grace Country Pride Hamwith Grace Sweet N’ SpicyHot Pepper Sauce GlazeINGREDIENTS

1 whole 6.36 kg. (14 lbs) Grace CountryPride Leg Ham

• 2 sheets aluminium foil• 4 cups water• 1 can Grace Pineapple Slices• 1/4 cup sugar• 1tsp crushed ginger• 24 cloves• 1 bottle Grace Sweet n Spicy Hot Pepper

Sauce

12 whole cherries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Remove ham from the freezer and wrapin newspaper. Thaw in the bottom of therefrigerator for 24-36 hours.

2. Remove casing from ham andpat dry using a clean kitchentowel. Place two overlap-ping sheets of aluminiumfoil on work surfaceand use to wrap ham.Use additional alu-minium foil to coverham completely, ifnecessary.

3. Fit a rack overthe roasting pan,place ham on therack, ensuring thatthe fat side of theham faces upwards;then pour water intothe roasting pan. Thewater should not touchthe ham.

4. Bake ham in a pre-heatedoven at 1800C (3500F), allowing 20minutes per pound. Replenish water if neces-sary.

5. Remove ham from the oven and allow tocool for about 10-15 minutes. Ham is fullybaked when the skin peels off easily.

6. Drain liquid from the can of pineappleslices and put it to boil with the sugar, gin-ger and about 8 cloves. Boil until the mix-ture becomes syrupy. Remove from flame andadd the pineapple slices to the mixture, tossand set aside.

7. To decorate the ham: Peel off the skin.Use a sharp knife to make diagonal slits in

the ham and then stud with remainingcloves. Pour Grace Sweet n’ Spicy Hot

Pepper Sauce over the surface ofthe ham and spread evenly using

a pastry brush. Return to theoven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until a goldenbrown colour is achieved.Remove ham from the oven.

8. Arrange pineapple slicesover the surface of the hamand secure each with tooth-picks. Place a cherry in thecentre of each pineapple slice.

Preparation Note: (1)Thawing time will depend on

the size of the ham. (2) The sizeof the roasting pan will dictate the

amount of water used. (3) The size ofthe ham will determine the total baking

time.Calculating baking time (example):6.36 kg x 2.2046 - 14 lbs14 lbs divided by 3 - 4.67 hours or 14 lbs x

20 minutes per pound - 280 minutes dividedby 60 minutes - 4.67 hours.

THE WEEKLY GLEANER DECEMBER 11 - 17, 2014 • 15

Merry ChristmasMMeerrrryy CChhrriissttmmaassA WEEKLY GLEANER FEATURE

It’s Christmas HAM time!Whether it’s the shoulders, theribs, or the chops, it’s all good

Traditional Ham, Christmas Ham- Jamaican Style

CHRISTMAS SEASON inJamaica is a time when fam-ily and friends, from nearand far, journey home to bewith loved ones. These holi-day guests, no matter how

welcome, bring stress. Witha little preparation, you canreduce some of that holidaystrain before the doorbellrings.

Michael Scott, president

and owner of UltimateKitchens and Bath Inc, and aconsultant with the EdgehillHomes project in St Mary,has shared the following tipsto get your home in guest-

shape by December 24.� Painting – Scott said

painting provides the mostdramatic results with theleast amount of investment.This is something any home-

owner can take on, with alittle time and effort, tomake meaningful improve-ments to a space.

� Kitchen – This vitalroom in your house can beupdated easily and affordablyby replacing the knobs/pullson your cabinet doors anddrawers. You can also addunder-cabinet lighting or aglass-tile backsplash. Thiswill allow you to showcaseyour holiday feast. After theseason, you will have a greatspace to show off yourkitchen.

� Bathroom – Adding anew light fixture or newtrim to your datedshower/faucet set canbrighten up a space and cre-ate a more enhancing prod-uct.

“Also, a new hanging mir-ror can spruce up a datedbathroom. On the mainte-nance side of a bathroom,you can re-caulk the tubdeck or sink. Fortunately,caulk is cheap, and applyingit isn’t difficult. All you need

is an hour, a few commontools and materials easilyfound at any hardware store,Scott told The Gleaner.

Look for the little problems.“Every house has some smallproblems, from loose door-knobs or toilet handles thathave to be held down whenyou’re flushing. We get usedto them, so we know how tomake them work, and hardlyeven notice them,” he said.

House guests don’t knowour way of working aroundthese little problems, soScott advised that, forChristmas and beyond, wedo them a favour and fixthose little problems beforethey arrive.

“It will save your gueststhe embarrassment of havingto ask how to use somethingor, worse yet, thinking theybroke it,” he said.

� For more information, emailmscott@ukbi.net. Phone: 954-534-6881 or visit ww.ukbi.net.

christmasfeature

Spruce up the home before Christmas

Keisha HillGleaner Writer

POINSETTIAS ARE traditionally thequintessential Yuletide flowering plantsthat hold a nostalgic place in many

hearts throughout the Christmas season.Grown for their brightly coloured bracts (thepart of a plant that may resemble a leaf or apetal), poinsettias are popular Christmas dec-orations in homes, churches, offices, andelsewhere across North America and theCaribbean.

The coloured bracts are often mistaken forflower petals because of their groupings andcolours, but are actually coloured leaves. Theactual flowers of a poinsettia are the yellowbutton-like buds in the centre of the bril-liantly coloured bracts.

While the poinsettia provide a radiantbackdrop during this season, many personsare curious about its colours. According toGeoffrey Shields - of Shields & Shields, aleading pioneer in the development ofJamaica’s Horticultural Industry - thecolours of the bracts are created throughphotoperiodism, meaning that they requiredarkness 12 hours at a time for at least fivedays in a row to change colour.

“Poinsettias flower naturally at Christmasbecause they need long nights to flower andshort nights to grow. None will flower if theydo not get the long-night treatment,” Shieldssaid.

It can be quite a tedious process if you arereally not into gardening because at thesame time, the plants require abundant lightduring the day for the brightest colour. They

should be kept in temperatures from 60*F to70*F in an area free from either hot or colddrafts. The soil can dry out slightly betweenwatering, but avoid overwatering as theroots could rot if these flowers sit in puddlesof water.

RED MOST POPULARAccording to Shields, the coloured poinset-

tias represent 10 per cent of actual sales,while the red colour still represents 90 percent of production and sales. Shields indi-cated that numerous other breeds have come

on the scene, so there are many in terms ofvariety and colours.

“Poinsettias come in a wide range ofcolours, including solid colours like red,maroon, red-purple, white, peach, and paleyellow. Many other varieties include speck-led, striped, or splotched colours. No matterwhat colours you choose, however, there aremany creative and attractive ways to deco-rate with poinsettias,” Shields said.

The plants typically reach a height of 0.6-4metres (2ft 0in-13ft 1in). The plant bearsdark-green dentate (teeth-like or serrated)

leaves that measure 7-16 centimetres (2.8-6.3in) in length.

There are many ways to decorate withthese beautiful plants, and with a bit of cre-ativity, poinsettias can be part of all your hol-iday adornments. To keep the blooms of boththe flowers and bracts fresh and strong,choose plants that also have abundant greenleaves at the base and where no pollen isfalling from the flowers. Swap a poinsettia’sstandard plastic pot for a basket lined withmoss. You can hang it inside or out for aunique Christmas display.

‘Tis the season ... for poinsettias

A remodelled bathroom.

THE WEEKLY GLEANER16 • DECEMBER 11 - 17, 2014

THE UK’S leadingJamaican pattyMANUFACTURER,

JAMAICAN PATTIES LTD,is redefining the worddiversity with a brandnew range of Port Royalgourmet patties. A gour-met patty is a large 250gram HIGHER QUALITYversion of the normalpatty and has its originsat Devon House inJamaica.

It is an exciting ven-ture for the London-based company JPLand their PORT ROYALBRAND, which hashelped to introduce thewider British public toJamaican pattiesthrough their largepresence in mainstreamretail stores.

The PORT ROYALgourmet patty range willbe available in a varietyof flavours (FILLINGS)including Curry Goat,Trini curry chicken,Pumpkin and FetaCheese, Ackee andSaltfish, Callaloo andSaltfish with Lobsterand Stew Beef soon to beadded. They typicallyretail at £4 to £5 andare a complete meal bestserved with a side salador Coleslaw and chutney.

The NEW PORTROYAL product line willbe launching soon atDub Jam Jerk BBQ andRum Shack in CoventGarden.

Dub Jam is the hipand trendy place forCaribbean food that sideof the city. Its themeshouts life, vibrancy andenergy with a chilled outundertone and reflectsthe passion that hasgone into making PortRoyal Patties the choicefor so many consumersacross the UK.

The team at Dub Jamsaid: “We compared thePort Royal Gourmetrange to all the pattiesavailable in the UK andthey were by far thebest.

There are other pattiesbeing sold in CoventGarden but the PortRoyal Gourmet rangewin hands down.”

Managing directorat JAMAICANPATTIES LTD,Edward

Johnston said: “We arereally happy that wenow have a prestigiousoutlet such as Dub Jamselling our PORT ROYALGourmet range in thishighly competitive areaof London.

We wanted very muchto be showcased in pre-mium trendy outlet andare thus very happy toteam up with Dub Jam.

Continuing, he said:”The Rum Kitchen , aCaribbean inspiredbeach shack restaurantand cocktail bar locatedin Carnaby St andNotting Hill also nowcarry the Port Royalgourmet patties. Overthe years we havealways sought toimprove our productofferings and this is oneof the lines about whichwe are most excited. ThePORT ROYAL GourmetRange is also availablefrom our factory atwholesale prices and canbe delivered to high endrestaurants that want a£5 retail patty. Believeme, it is well worth it.The big chunks of meatare so succulent andtasty that you will beamazed.”

The PORT ROYALGOURMET range will belisted in several high-end restaurants in thenear future.

Marketing manager atJAMAICAN PATTIESLTD, Aaron Johnstonsaid: “ We are planning alaunch party for our newPORT ROYAL GourmetRange, and thoughtthere was no betterplace than Dub Jam tolaunch from!

In keeping with the“Dub” theme, we haveVP records (Number 1Reggae Label) on boardso we’ll be having veryspecial guest DJ’s toplay some wicked reggaeto set the vibes right,with lots of musical sur-prises in store. DubJam’s Rum Punch will beflowing as well as otherclassic Caribbean cock-

tails.And of course

guests will beable to samplePORT ROYAL’SNEW deliciousnew range ofpatties.”

THE WEEKLY GLEANER DECEMBER 11 - 17, 2014 • 17

christmasfeature

Jamaican Patties Ltd rolls outnew range of gourmet patties

If readers are interested in attending the launchthere are limited guest spots available. You mayemail Aaron Johnston at aaron@portroyal.co.ukto be added.

THE WEEKLY GLEANER18 • DECEMBER 11 - 17, 2014

christmasfeature

THE JOY ofChristmas and NewYears often causes

people to overindulge,thus compromising theirsafety and that of others.This Christmas, as yougo about decoratingyour home andindulging in other mer-rymaking activitiesaround the house, pleasetake note of and enforcethese basic anti-disasterprinciples:

� Place your tree orgreens at least three feetaway from other firesources. If purchasing alive, cut tree, carefullyinspect the needles. Ifthey are brown or breakeasily, the greenery isn tfresh and poses agreater fire risk.

� When you take yourtree home, put it in asturdy, non-tip standand keep it filled withwater at all times.Ensure that it is difficultfor the family cat or dogto drink from the con-tainer as not only canthey topple the tree over,

but they also can chewon the electrical wires,which can literally be ashocker.

� When decoratingwith artificial trees orgreens, purchase thosewhose branches havebeen treated with flame-retardant material.(Check labelling). Don’tadd light strings andother electrical decora-tions to artificial treeswith metallic needles,leaves, or branch cover-ings.

� Carefully inspectnew or old electrical dec-orations before pluggingthem in. Cracked sock-ets, frayed, or loose con-nections may cause aserious electric shock orstart a fire. Replace withnew decorations.

� Always unplugbefore replacing lightbulbs or fuses.

� Don’t overloadextensions cords. Theycould overheat and starta fire.

� Turn off all electricallight strings and decora-tions before leaving

home or going to bed.� Don’t put your fam-

ily at risk by heading offto sleep while feedingelectricity to thesepretty but popular flame-starters.

� Check Christmaslights for frayed, ordamaged wires, or looseconnections. Never leavelights on with unat-tended children around.

SHOPPING FOR TOYS

� When shopping fortoys for young children,ensure that they are ageappropriate.

� Examine toys care-fully to see if any partscome off easily andmight be swallowed byyoung children.

� Check for sharpedges, hidden pins, orwires.

� Immediately throwout all wrappings fortoys that can be a chokeor suffocation hazard.

� Toddlers arestrangely more attractedto the wrappings andpackaging of some toysthan the toy itself.

� Keep candles awayfrom walls and drapes,open windows where theflame can be fanned andignite nearby flamma-bles.

Avoid using them indecorations or displaysand watch for drippingwax.

� Do not leave candlesunattended.

� It is that time ofyear when kids aregoing to insist on help-ing around in thekitchen. Make sure theyare never left unsuper-vised or have easy accessto sharp objects.

� Stress that the stoveis out of bounds. To beon the safe side, reservetheir assistance forwhen it is not in use.

� Make sure all newbicycles have trainingwheels.

� Avoid video gamesthat are too graphicallyviolent unless the childis responsible enough.Some kids have beenknown to act out com-bative moves they exe-cuted in the game onfriends, causing bodilyharm.

HOSTING A PARTY

As the host, it is yourresponsibility to makesure all guests whodrink alcohol have a des-ignated driver. Plenty offood and soup should beavailable when alcohol isserved.

Holiday home-safety tips

File

Six-year-old Jaheem Robinson, seems to be enjoying this huge Christmastree in the St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston days before the TreeLighting Ceremony and Concert.

11 Hide gifts: Make suregifts and valuables,wrapped and unwrapped,are out of view and notvisible from any win-dows. The same appliesto gifts in the car.

22 Inventory: Make aninventory (list and pho-tos) of the most impor-tant and/or valuable stuffin your home and keepthe list in a safe place(not on a laptop, in casethat gets stolen!).

33 Gift packaging: Don tput gift packaging boxesout for recycling or leavethem sticking out ofyour bin. Thieves willnotice! Store boxes outof sight until you aresure they will be hauledaway by the garbage col-lectors.

44 Doors and windows:Lock all doors and win-dows, leave a light on, anddraw the curtains if you goout after dark. Keep yourdoors and windows lockedfrom the inside even whenyou are inside your home.

55 Alarm wiring: For themost effective alarm sys-tem, check that all wiringis fully concealed. A bur-glar could look for placesto disconnect the securitysystem.

66 Outbuildings: Don tleave spare keys outside,or in a garage, or shed.Keep garden sheds andgarages locked at all times.

77 Window lock keys: Don tleave window keys in theirlocks.

88 Fire guard: Have aspark-proof guard in frontof all open fires.

99 Smoke detectors: Makesure your smoke detectorsare working correctly. Onein three smoke alarms failto work mainly due tomissing or dead batteries.

1100 Burglar alarm: If youhave a faulty alarm thatfrequently goes off, get itfixed immediately and tellyour neighbours that ithas been repaired. Twenty-five per cent of peopleignore an alarm thatgoes off regu-larly!

1111 Messages:Don t leave ‘I’mout’ or ‘Back infive’ minutesnotes for servicepeople or familymembers on thedoor.

1122 Kitchen cup-boards: Stash yoursmall valuables inside

boxes and cans in thekitchen. That s the lastplace burglars will look!

11 33 Lost-key cover: Ifyou lose your keys,change the locks imme-diately.

11 44 Get involved in yourneighbourhood watchprogramme and utilise abuddy system so thateveryone knows the sig-nal to use when troubleis present. If you regoing away thisChristmas:

11 55 Neighbours: Ask atrusted neighbour tohelp make the houselook occupied; to call inevery now and then; toturn the lights on andoff; to draw the cur-tains; to collect the

post,

etc.

11 66 Security measures:Visible burglar alarms,exterior security light-ing, indoor timer light-ing switches, and leav-ing the radio on will allhelp to give the impres-sion that somebody is athome.

11 77 Answer phones:Never leave an answermachine message indi-cating that you are notat home.

11 88 Rubbish bins: Ahome without rubbishshows burglars no oneis at home. Ask a neigh-bour to put rubbish inyour bin while you areaway.

11 99 Car in driveway:Leave a car in yourdriveway while you areaway. Don t forget tolock everything and setyour burglar alarm

before you go away!

Tips to ensure your safety this Christmas