Recipes | Restaurants | Nightlife | Other Choices

The cuisine of Bonaire, like that of many islands of the Caribbean, brings together the myriad influences of the many cultures and people who made the island's history. The resulting culinary palette is a colorful one, incorporating the zesty cooking of Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal, robust northern European fare imported from Holland, exotic Indonesian spices which reached the island via the maritime traffic of the Dutch Empire, and bold, flavorful cooking carried to Bonaire from West Africa.

Although Bonaire's many constituent cultures brought unusual diversity to its cuisine, the island's limited capacities for agricultural production encouraged cooks to adapt their recipes to the particular range of ingredients available here. Although imports from abroad were sporadic, residents created a wide range of dishes--from soups and stews to sweets and desserts. Many of these dishes rely on easily preserved staples such as salted meat (which kept longer in pre-freezer days), some on such mainstays of Caribbean cooking as plantains and okra, and others on the unique bounty of Bonaire's environment-including conch, cactus, and iguana.

Many of the hotels in Bonaire serve native island fare, but these dishes may not appear on the menu, so be sure to ask about unlisted specials.

Recipes
The following recipes give a good introduction to the tastes and variety of this Caribbean island. Because they are featured in Bonairean festivals, and because they are among the most interesting Bonairean dishes, we have included rather more soups than other dishes. All of the recipes are derived from This is the Way We Cook! (asina nos ta cushinà): Recipes from the outstanding cooks of the Netherlands Antilles, compiled by Jewell Fenzi with illustrations by Helen Dovale. As they say in Bonaire, Bon Probecho (Bon Appetit)!

Pastechis (4 dozen)
The versatile pastechi is a plump, little pastry filled with spicy meat, shrimp or fish. It appears everywhere, around the clock: with coffee, tea or cocktails, at beach parties, or on the most formal buffet tables.

Filling: Rub with the juice of several limes 1 lb. chicken breasts and 1 lb. chicken thighs. Season the breast and thighs with salt and pepper, poultry seasoning and minced onion. Let stand for several hours, then arrange the pieces in a shallow baking dish. Brown the chicken under the broiler, then bake for one hour at 350 degrees, deboning and chopping it when cool.

Dough: Sift and set aside 6 cups flour. Cream 3 heaping tablespoons butter, 3 heaping tablespoons shortening, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 2 small eggs. Add 2 cups of the flour to the shortening mixture. Add, a little at a time, 1 1/2 cups water. Continue adding flour two cups at a time until it is absorbed in the mixture. When the dough is pliable, knead it well.

Roll the dough into a very thin sheet, then cut out circles about 3 inches in diameter. Place one tablespoon filling in the center of one pastry circle. Top it with a second circle. Lightly moisten edges and press the circles together. Fold or roll the edges over slightly and flute them as with pie crust. Fry the pastechis in deep, hot fat until golden brown. They may be prepared in advance and heated in the oven just before serving.

Sòpi di Binja (serves 10-12)
This wine soup is an Antillean favorite.
In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a rapid boil and add 30 prunes and one or two cinnamon sticks. Reduce the heat and simmer prunes until soft. Remove the saucepan from the fire and permit it to cool. Discard the cinnamon sticks and remove the prunes from the liquid, setting them aside for later use.

Stir into the cooled liquid 1/2 cup cornstarch, mixed with enough water to make a smooth paste. Return the saucepan to a low flame, and stir the liquid until it thickens. Add 2 one-fifth bottles dry red wine and 3/4 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. The soup should have body and a smooth consistency. If it is too thick, add water a little at a time. Add the prunes just before serving.

Sòpi di Yuwana, or Iguana Soup (Serves 6-8)
Small boys in the countryside, or kunuku snare yuwana, or iguana, and offer them for sale along the roadsides. Choose a plump one for this delicacy, which tastes a bit like rabbit and a little like chicken.
Clean, skin, and cut into serving pieces one iguana. Place in a heavy kettle 1 & 1/2 quarts water, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 1 clove garlic, 1 leek, 1 tomato (coarsely chopped), 1 onion (studded with 3 cloves), 1 green pepper (quartered), 1/4 of a small cabbage.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes. Ad the iguana, and simmer an additional half hour, or until the meat is tender. Remove from the fire. Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables. Bone the iguana and set the meat aside.

Return the broth to the fire and add 1 teaspoon cumin (or to taste), a dash of nutmeg, salt and pepper, and a few ounces of vermicelli. Simmer for about five minutes until the vermicelli is tender. Add the iguana and heat thoroughly. Serve piping hot with funchi.

Giambo (Okra Soup) Serves 6-8
Giambo (pronounced ghee-Yam-bo) is the traditional Antillean gumbo. A thick, hearty soup, it is a traditional dish of the Simadan festivities. The purèed okra gives it a slippery consistency.

Soak overnight 1/2 lb. salted beef. Discard the water, and place the beef in a heavy kettle with 2 quarts of fresh water, 1 ham hock, 1-2 onions, a few sprigs of parsley, 1-2 carrots, 1 bay leaf, 1 celery stalk. Bring to a brisk boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about one and a half hours, or until the meat is tender.

Place in the simmering kettle 1 lb. red snapper fillets. After a few minutes test the fish with the tines of a fork, and remove them from the broth when the meat flakes easily. Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces. Remove the beef from the broth, cube and set aside with the fish. Strain the broth and return it to the fire.

Discard the ham hock and vegetables. To the simmering broth add 2 lbs. okra (washed and sliced), a few sprigs crushed yerba di hole (or fresh basil), 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer until the okra is tender. With a wire whisk, reduce the okra to a pure(accent)e. Return the cubed beef and red snapper pieces to the kettle. Heat thoroughly and adjust seasonings. Garnish giambo with 1/4 lb. cooked shrimp. Funchi is a must with this delicious soup.

Island Curry (serves 8)
Place in a heavy kettle: 1 large chicken (about 5 pounds), 2 celery sticks, 1 or 2 onions (studded with several cloves), 4 cups water, 3 sprigs parsley, 2 teaspoons salt. Simmer for one half-hour or more, until the chicken is tender. Strain the stock and return it to the kettle. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat in large chunks and set aside. Return the chicken bones and skin to the stock. Add one cup of water and simmer the stock for an additional 45 minutes. Strain the stock a second time and set it aside. There should be at least four cups. Up to this point, the preparations may be made a day in advance.
When it is time to make the curry, use a large, heavy kettle to sauté: 5 tablespoons butter, 4 onions coarsely chopped, 1 large apple (peeled and chopped). Stir the onions and apple frequently until they are translucent, but not browned. Remove them from the pan, pressing out the butter as it is needed for the sauce base.

Blend in 4 tablespoons flour. Continue stirring until the flour and butter are slightly browned. Remove the kettle from the fire and permit it to cool slightly. Add the chicken broth, then return the kettle to the fire. Stir the sauce constantly until it is smooth and thick.
Add 1 cup raisins, juice of half a lemon and a strip of lime peel. Simmer the sauce an additional five minutes, then add 1 cup light cream. Add 2 teaspoons curry powder, mixed with a little water. Taste, then add more seasoning until the sauce is spicy. Antilleans may use as many as five tablespoonfuls!

Remove the strip of lime peel, then add the chicken pieces, the sautéed onions, and apple to the sauce. Warm the sauce only until the chicken is heated through, but do not boil it. Serve the curry over rice, with any combination of the following ingredients: chopped hard-boiled eggs, peanuts, fresh grated coconut, diced bananas, minced green pepper or chutney.

Funchi (serves 6)
Funchi is an Antillean staple, often served with soup.
Mix in a heavy saucepan: 1 1/4 cups cold water, 1 1/2 cups corn meal, 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in: 1 1/2 cups boiling water, 1 tablespoon butter.
Bring to a brisk boil over high heat and cook for three minutes. Continue cooking an additional three minutes, stirring the funchi vigorously with a wooden spoon.

When the mixture is very stiff and pulls away from the sides of the pan, remove from the fire. Turn out into a deep, well-buttered bowl and cover with a plate. Shake the funchi down into the bowl, then invert it on a serving platter.

For a special Sunday breakfast, fry sliced funchi in butter and serve with crisp bacon and scrambled eggs.

Cocada (about 3 cups)
Traditionally, this coconut candy is served on broken bits of a coconut shell.

In a saucepan, combine: 1 lb. brown sugar and 1 cup water. Simmer gently until the mixture forms a thick syrup. Have a cup of cold water ready. Drop a little of the boiling syrup into it.

When the syrup can be gathered up in the fingers as a soft ball, remove the saucepan from the fire. Stir in immediately: 1 lb. fresh grated coconut, and juice of half a lime. Turn out onto a lightly buttered platter and spread to cool.

Restaurants

B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner

Nightlife

The following are places to kick back and relax after a hard day diving or exploring the island. Remember, in Bonaire, everything everywhere is casual!

City Café - , Kaya Isla Riba 3 (no phone)
Karel's Beach Bar Cappuccino Bar- reggae, soca, and dancing , on the waterfront (tel. 599/717-8434)
Little Havana, Kaya Bonaire 4 (tel. 599/786-0717), Live Jazz
Mona Lisa - Dutch style pub
Paradiso Discotheque - dancing, casual-elegant attire

Other Choices

• See the sunset from aboard the Samur, an authentic Siamese Junk, or from the Woodwind, a trimaran.
• Romantic dinner cruises are available on the Oscarina, a sailing yacht.
• Night dives, especially at the town pier.
• Check out a flick at the Bonaire Twin Cinema.
• There are many slide shows and lectures various nights of the week at the Harbour Village Beach Resort, the Sand Dollar Condominium Resort, Divi's Flamingo Beach, and at Captain Don's Habitat.
• On weekends, many of the Ranchos (local ranches) have live bands and local cuisine, and open their doors to both locals and tourists.
• Don't forget to check out the Flamingoes at sunset from Pekelmeer. Be sure to bring your binoculars or telephoto lens.