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Old Country Meets New on the American Grill
by Elizabeth S. Bennett
Grandparents offer a taste of family heritage
Forget all the usual "melting pot" references. In the warm weather, the backyard grill becomes the place where ethnic heritage meets an All-American ritual. It's a rare culture that does not have its distinct open-fire cookery. And the casual feel and long-slow evenings of summer make it the perfect season for grandparents to rediscover and share the "old world" outdoor cooking recipes with their US-born grandchildren.
Allan Vernon, the Jamaican-born impresario of jerk-style barbecue in New York City, has nine grandchildren; he began sharing the secrets of his smoky, spicy barbecue with them as soon as they were old enough to baste.
Vernon had, after all, started helping his working-mother by preparing dinner when he was 7 years old. In addition to giving him a deep sense of his own cultural identity, the skills he learned had unexpected benefits.
"I remember going to parties at university and people saying 'Why don't you cook something and bring it over?'" says Vernon, who recently moved from Manhattan to Georgia to be closer to his grandchildren. Instead of a playroom or backyard playground, he is building a new restaurant in his home outside Atlanta so that his grandchildren can have the same experience he did.
Fatima Khan of Greenlawn, N.Y., is from Pakistan and has three grandchildren. Her traditional spicy marinade can be used with chicken or lamb; it's a favorite for family cookouts. Armaan, her 4-year-old grandson, who loves to cook, often serves as a sous-chef for Khan, who came to the States from Pakistan in 1963 when she was 4 years old.
Another must-have at the Khan barbecues is Nani Fatima’s mint and mango chutneys.
"They are in high demand especially during our holy month of Ramadan and during the summer grilling season," she says. "You can serve them with rice or anything on the grill."
Continue to the recipes: Jamaican Jerk Sauce, Jamaican Jerk Fish, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, and Nani Fatima's Recipes
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