As I look out of my window, the mountains are misty with fog, the sky is grey and the rain is coming down in torrents. It’s June and the hurricane season has begun with a bang as a tropical system hovers over the island. Each year I take it as my personal duty to speak about hurricane preparedness via this column. Yes, while you read this, for all I know the skies have become sunny and blue, but for the next six months, we will live under a constant threat of possible storms.

Of course, this is a food column, so my perspective comes from not wanting you to go hungry! Will you have something to eat if a storm strikes and you are stuck inside? After all, if disaster strikes you will need to have sustenance to deal with the aftermath. It’s imperative to stock up on essentials. I will begin first with water, as they say “water is life”. Make sure to have at least a week’s worth of drinking water for each member of your household. We have reputable brands of water locally which provide water in large five-gallon/18.9 litre recycle bottles and other substantial sizes which you can store. I also believe in “green living” and lately have been making use of water containers to collect rainwater as this can become useful for any water emergency for household- cleaning duties.

On a recent trip to the Upper Waterloo Road location of my sponsors MegaMart, I noticed specials on canned foods. Whether we mostly eat fresh or not, during times of crisis, good old canned merchandise is what we have to turn to. Staples like corned beef, tuna, mackerel, and sardines are the most popular as well as beans, corn, peas, etc. Crackers are also good, especially the tough ones. They don’t go stale as easily as bread. Condensed milk and long-life UHT milk are also good to have in your pantry for your hot drink needs.

If you don’t possess these already, purchase battery-operated hurricane lamps; they are much safer than old-fashioned kerosene lamps which can be a fire hazard. Check that the batteries you have are working and stock up on extras. Not everyone has a gas stove, so if you have an electric one, invest in gas-operated hot plates so you can cook food if there is no electricity. They are relatively inexpensive and a good back-up appliance, especially if you don’t have a generator.

Here are a few no-cook ideas with canned foods in case you need to prepare a quick bite during storm conditions:

* Mix tuna with butter or broad beans, chopped celery, lime juice and oil for a quick salad.

* Mix tuna with ready-made medium-spiced salsa and cilantro; and serve with tortilla or plantain chips.

* Instead of mayonnaise, if you have any cream cheese in your fridge that you have to use up, quickly mix it with corned beef, chopped onions and peppers for a spread for crackers or a sandwich filling.

* Crush sardines and mix with mustard, mixed herbs and serve on crackers.

These are just a few simple treats that you can create with your pantry items. Knowing how creative you all are, I’m sure there are many fantastic ideas floating around in your respective kitchens.

Thanks to my weekly sponsors MegaMart

Thanks to Jamaica Broilers Best Dressed Chicken

Contact me at juicycheffoodmedia@gmail.com

Bon Appétit! JuicyChef’s Spicy Coconut and Ginger ChickenIngredients:Method:

When it rains, I love stews, the ultimate comfort food.

The beauty of chicken is that it is adaptable to all sorts of spice combinations.

Coconut and ginger are the flavours of the tropics. Coconut milk lends creaminess and spicy Jamaican ginger is prized for its warming properties. Coconut oil is the oil of our ancestors and is making a remarkable comeback as being a “good for you” oil, but culturally we already knew that! Serve with rice, mashed yam or pumpkin.

1 Best Dressed Whole Chicken, cut into pieces

1 large lime, juice and zest

Salt

1 Tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

2 red onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

3 plummy tomatoes, chopped

200ml/1 Cup coconut milk

Coconut Oil, for frying

Wash chicken pieces, season with salt, cayenne pepper and lime juice and marinate for an hour.

Heat coconut oil and fry chicken pieces until golden all over, remove from heat.

Sauté onions, garlic and ginger for a few minutes then add the tomatoes, stirring well.

Add back the chicken pieces and cover, bring to a boil and then simmer until chicken is cooked through.

Pour in coconut milk and mix into the sauce, cook until heated through and sauce becomes thicker.

Sprinkle in lime zest and serve.