“The market ladies sell spice necklaces–garlands of cloves, cinnamon bark, bay leaves, cocoa beans, mace, and nutmeg–that are irresistible. I now have them hanging all over the boat, making it smell spicy and delicious. Mangoes are in season, and literally falling off the trees–an embarrassment of mangoes, to someone from the north. We feel duty bound to try as many varieties as we can.”
–Journal Entry, July 1998, “An Embarrassment of Mangoes“
Winter weather got you down? It’s time to crank up the steel drum music, pour a tall rum cocktail, put up your feet and escape on an island adventure with “An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude” by Ann Vanderhoof. This foodie travel book follows Vanderhoof, a former book editor and her husband as they give up their regular lives and set sail on their 42-foot sail boat from Toronto to tour the crystal blue waters and sun-drenched islands. A lively adventure and a glimpse of the colorful food, people, history and culture of the Caribbean. If you ever have dreamed of packing it all up for your own island adventure, or you just want to live vicariously through Vanderhoof’s descriptive verse, this book is sure to warm you up.
Once you’re done reading, cook up an island-inspired dish or meal that represents the book for you and post it by Friday, March 25th. Link back to this page and leave a comment here and/or email me at debinhawaii@gmail.com so I can be sure to add you to the round up. New to Cook the Books? We would love to have you join us–you can find all the details here.
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Exciting Update!
In my haste to get a post up about our current selection, I didn’t quite have all my ducks, (or maybe it’s mangoes?) 😉 in a row yet, so I wanted to add some late-breaking exciting news. Although she and her husband are back living, traveling, and cooking on the Receta and are currently anchored off the island of Carriacou in the Eastern Caribbean, author Ann Vanderhoof has graciously agreed to be our judge for this round of CTB and is very much looking forward to seeing your posts at the end of March.
It seems you all are enjoying the book and I also wanted to mention that in other Ann Vanderhoof news, her second book “The Spice Necklace: My Adventures in Caribbean Cooking, Eating and Island Life” is out in paperback this month and in case you want to see some great travel photos, see life on the boat and explore more delicious recipes, you can visit Ann’s website and blog here.
Happy reading & cooking!
Cook the Books Club 
Another excellent selection! I am really enjoying this!
I am definitely ready to set sail! I loved the other book in this series, looking forward to this one too.
I am reading it already.
Enjoyed my vicarious vacation sailing through the Caribbean with Ann and the Man. Great pick Deb!
I am glad you are all enjoying the book and hope you are excited by my news that the author will be our judge for this round. Send positive thoughts for good wifi at the end of March as she will be reading all of our posts from the Receta. 😉
Just finished the book, and loved it! How great to
know they’re back on the boat and cruising.
Now I want to read the new book too.
If you liked “An Embarrassment of Mangoes” you should also try Victoria Allman’s new book ” SEAsoned: A Chef’s Journey With Her Captain” (http://www.victoriaallman.com/seasoned) – it follows the adventures of a newlywed couple working on a yacht – the husband the captain, his wife the chef. Not only is it a great read but it includes some delicious recipes that are inspired by their travels to the Bahamas, Italy, France, Greece and Spain. I loved it so I thought I would share. Happy reading (and eating) !
I’m reading…dreaming of incredible food! I want conch! LOL! Yeah…right! I still want it though… *Ü*
Just got my post up. This was a great respite from our seemingly endless winter. Great pick Deb, as always!
Well, my post is up today. What an enjoyable read!
Thanks Deb! What a fun read!
I’m posted and I still want conch!
This was a great read! Here is how it inspired us (in more ways than one): http://eliotseats.com/?p=3557
Can’t wait for Lunch in Paris!
Thanks everyone! I am seeing some great dishes so far. I forgot to mention I got my post up this week: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/papaya-banana-muffins-with-pineapple.html 😉
Aloha,
Deb
Apologies for arriving at the last minute. As I recount in my post, I had to change plans. Anyway, here is my contribution: http://briciole.typepad.com/blog/2011/03/sorbetto-al-mango.html
Hi Everyone,
I loved the book and enjoyed reading everyones posts. Sorry I am catching it at the very end, hope there is still time. Here is m post, enjoy
Jess
http://literaryfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/03/embarassement-od-mangos.html
p.s. it is still the 25th here on the West Coast 🙂
Jessica–You are fine! It’s still before 7:00 PM on the 25th here in Hawaii so you are early! 😉 I am just glad you joined in. The round up will be posted sometime this weekend.
Aloha,
Deb
I just realized that the deadline for this was March 25–pay attention, Kaye! ! Thursday I planned my meal and yesterday, which was the 25th, I bought salt cod (which I’ve had my eye on at the store for a while, looking for an excuse to use) and other goodies. Phooey, phooey, phooey. Well, we’ll have the meal anyway quite soon, but too late, too late. 😦
I have enjoyed reading the stories of other contributors.
Hi Kaye,
I am not doing the roundup until Sunday so if you get your dish done and posted by morning of that day, I will include it in the roundup at least. Aloha, Deb
Thanks Deb, but there’s no way I can get this done before Sunday morning I fear. The cod has to soak overnight (although I’ve read 24 hours some places). I’ve got it soaking now and with luck will get it cooked tomorrow (Sunday); if I don’t have the time, or the fish is still too salty, it’s for Monday. We’re out Sunday evening, so even if I get the meal cooked, it could be difficult to get a post up by anything you’d consider still to be morning. This will teach me to pay more attention to dates. I somehow fixed “end of March” in my head and couldn’t lose that. We will, nevertheless, have our Caribbean meal soon.
That’s too bad. We usually end the week before the end of the month so that we have time for the judging before the next book “officially” starts. 😉 I hope you join us for that one. And please do post about your cod meal and leave a link here or on the upcoming round up post so we can all check it out and see how you liked it. 😉
And bringing up the rear, we have http://inkayeskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/embarassment-of-mangoes.html
Better late than never! 🙂
Hey Kaye,
I am sorry it wasn’t in time to make the round up / judging but happy you enjoyed the book and had a fun meal too! 😉