I recently received a flurry of emails after my rum and raisin cake was published. I was taken off guard because since the inception of this column I have used metric except on rare occasions. I didn’t just suddenly use metric overnight. It’s always been my practice. I will continue to use metric because it is what I was taught, and how I triple-test my recipes based on my measuring equipment. The fact is, 95 per cent of the world’s population uses metric as it is the international standard of measuring weight and volume. The nations known as BUL (Burma -now known as Myanmar due to the military junta, United States of America and Liberia) are the only nations that still use the old imperial system. They are resisting joining the rest of the world, but trade and other factors will force them join in the future.

Here in Jamaica, if you go to the petrol station the units of gasoline and diesel are in litres, when we watch the weather news temperatures are in Celsius versus Fahrenheit and if you go to the supermarket meat and vegetables are weighed in grams. The same applies for the majority of cookbooks unless they are American. Ironically, most people don’t pay attention to volumes and weights when purchasing, and buy according to cost. But check those labels again, some have both imperial and metric and others simply metric. I find the main locations where old imperial scales are used are in markets and small countryside grocers so people will buy in pounds. I also believe that because the American influence is so strong and we import a lot from our neighbour, the transition from imperial to metric has not been so straightforward on the island.

Case in point: my ovens abroad were in Celsius but here they are in Fahrenheit so although my recipes will be in metric, I’m giving imperial temperatures. Confusing indeed! I undercooked or burned a lot of food in the beginning because I used to convert incorrectly, but now I am used to using Fahrenheit again. Below are basic conversion measurements for you to use as well as two websites which can help you convert. There are others too, so see which ones are best for you.

www.traditionaloven.com

www.onlineconversion.com

1 pound/16ozs (imperial) equals 0.454kg (metric)

1 ounce (imperial) equals 28.35g (metric)

2.2 pounds (imperial) equals 1 Kilogram

0.0350 ounce equals 1gram

Example: 2 cups of flour equals 250grams; 1 stick of butter equals roughly 115grams

I hope the above helps you with my metric measurements. Add the conversion tables to favourites on your computers or print them out. Christmas season is coming up and I know many of you are eager to bake.

Mafe: Groundnut Stew

Today to please my meat-loving readers who think I have been biased lately to vegetarians, I am sharing this gorgeous Senegalese meat stew in peanut sauce called Mafe. Typically beef or lamb are used and some people use chicken. Today I am using beef. It’s great for chilly weather when you want something substantial and a change from our local beef stew. In West Africa, peanuts are known as groundnuts.

Ingredients:

120g/ roughly 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter (I used reduced fat)

500ml/ roughly 2 cups beef or vegetable stock

1kg/2.2 lbs stewing beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 large sweet pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tbsps vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Add peanut butter to a measuring jug and add hot stock, whisk until combined and set aside.

Season the beef with salt and pepper.

Add vegetable oil in large frying pan and warm up over medium heat.

Add the beef and brown in batches, then remove from pan.

To the same pan, add onions, sweet pepper, hot pepper, carrots and garlic and sauté until soft.

Add the peanut butter stock and deglaze the pan.

Return the beef to the pan plus the canned tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for an hour or until meat is fork tender.

Serve hot with rice.

My Autumn Salad

Even though Jamaica does not have the distinct seasonal changes like northern countries, we do get a cool breeze in the evenings this time of year. I do miss the tastes of autumn and this salad with my leftover celery from last week evokes the sense of autumn for me. This would be a great side for roast meats.

Ingredients:

3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

2 apples, cored, sliced and pips removed

Handful of roasted almonds

2 tsps apple cider vinegar

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

3 tbsps olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley to garnish

Method:

In a salad bowl whisk together apple cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and parsley.

Add celery, apples and almonds and toss together to mix well.

Chill for at least an hour before serving.

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Please contact me at info@juicychef.com

Bon Appétit!