Mingo Learns To Cook Caribbean Breakfast - Fried Bakes and Buljol

To Cook Caribbean Breakfast
Fried Bakes and Buljol

To Cook Caribbean Breakfast
Fried Bakes and Buljol
by Marilyn I. James
CAC PUBLISHING
Washington, DC

MINGO LEARNS…
To Cook Caribbean Breakfast Fried Bakes and Buljol
Copyright © 2019 by Marilyn I. James
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All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photography, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of
the author except as provided by US copyright law.
ISBN 978-0-9890128-2-9
Character Building/Personal Growth
Grade 2-5
Printed in the United States of America.
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CAC Publishing may publish this book in a variety of electronic formats and by
print-on-demand. Not all content that is available in standard print versions of this
book may appear or be packaged in all book formats.
To order copies of this book or inquire about other products, please contact the
publisher at: youthliftoff@gmail.com
CAC Publishing
Washington, DC 20009

Acknowledgements
Many people have generously given timely advice, words of
wisdom, and genuine assistance, that profoundly impacted my
academic performance, decision-making, and life choices. This
book series was inspired by my interaction with children in our
expanded learning programs that need such support and
guidance. Collaboration with the University of the District of
Columbia (UDC), District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS),
Department of Employment Services Youth Services (DOES),
and Learn 24, provides platforms for me to impact young lives.
Resonating with each written word is the proverb, “Start
children off on the way they should go, and even when they are
old they will not turn from it.”
Sincere thanks and gratitude to my family, colleagues, and
friends, who encouraged me to write this book to benefit
children. I dedicate the series to parents, caregivers, teachers,
administrators, and everyone who selflessly support and
motivate others to be the best they can be in life.
--Marilyn James

Table of Contents
Facts about Mingo 11
Chapter One:
Mingo Learns to Make Fried Bakes 13
Chapter Two:
Mingo Learns to Make Buljol 37
About the Author 57

Facts about Mingo
Mingo is an orphan who spent the first 8 years of
his life in the foster care system. He lived in 4
different homes and is now cared for by family
members.
Since moving to live with Aunt Dora, Mingo has
made many friends. These friends are helping
Mingo gain and develop positive life skills. He is
adjusting to his community, learning to problem
solve, learning to overcome obstacles at school,
and preparing himself for a successful future.
Today, Mingo learns to cook Caribbean Breakfast:
Fried Bakes and Buljol. Join Mingo as he journeys
through this learning process.
11

12

Chapter One:
Mingo Learns to Make Fried Bakes
13

Since coming to live with Aunt Dora,
Mingo has made many friends. Jerry is
one of Mingo’s friends.
Jerry’s
mother, Ms. Janet is from a Caribbean
Island called Trinidad and Tobago.
Mingo has enjoyed many meals at
Jerry’s home.
14

Sometimes Mingo does not know
much about the meals he consumes
because they have unique names like:
accra, pelau, callaloo, pastelle, Coo Coo,
and Roti, but Mingo feels they are
some of the nicest smelling, and
tastiest foods he has ever eaten.
15

It is Saturday morning and Mingo is
at Jerry’s house. He had spent Friday
night with Jerry for a sleepover. Ms.
Janet has offered to show the boys
how to make special breakfast food
items if they woke early.
16

Mingo and Jerry are excited so they
woke early, cleaned up, and enter the
kitchen. They say good morning to Ms.
Janet. She says good morning to the
boys and asks how they were doing.
Both say they are fine. Ms. Janet asks
the boys to wash their hands using soap
and warm water for 2 minutes.
17

When Mingo and Jerry were
finished washing their hands Ms. Janet
handed them 2 clean aprons to put on,
and led them to the counter. Today,
she said they would learn to make Fried
Bakes (also known as “fry bake”) and
Buljol, a popular and savory Trinidadian
breakfast meal.
18

On the counter were Recipe Sheets,
utensils, and ingredients for making 2
sets of fried bakes.
19

Ingredients for Making Bakes:
(Makes 8 bakes)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp brown sugar
3/4 cup water
Vegetable oil (for frying bakes)
2 large bowls
2 large slotted spoons
20

Ms. Janet informed the boys that they
needed to follow the directions step by
step while she guided them.
21

Directions:
1. Take 1 large bowl and add the flour,
salt, sugar, and baking powder. Mix well.
22

2. Add water gradually, using fingers to
blend mixture together. Then knead to
make a soft, smooth dough.
23

3. Form into two balls and cover with a
wet paper towel. Let the dough rest for
about 20 minutes.
24

Twenty minutes go by quickly. It is
once more time to continue following
directions.
25

4. Divide each piece of dough into 4
equal sizes (2 x 4 makes 8 balls total).
26

5. Flatten each ball of dough on a lightlyfloured
bread board or surface to about 1/4
inch using a rolling pin
27

6. Pour about 1/2 cup oil into a frying
pan. Turn on burner to medium heat.
28

7. Place each piece of flattened dough
gently in oil to fry.
29

8. Fry bake until golden brown and puffed
then turn over. About 30 seconds per side.
30

9. Remove fried bake from pan with slotted
spoon, and place on a paper towel-lined dish
or plate. Continue frying bakes until all are
done.
31

When all the bakes were fried,
Mingo and Jerry happily ate a couple.
Fried bakes can be enjoyed as is, or
with cheese, egg, or Buljol. Follow the
Buljol recipe up next.
32

Engagement and Activities
Seek and Find
1. Find 4 words in the story that begin with the
letter F. Write them below:
__________________/____________________
_____________________/_________________
2. Find 4 new words you learned from reading
this story. Write them below:
__________________/____________________
_____________________/_________________
33

Writing skills
1. Write 3 sentences explaining how you would
feel if you knew how to cook.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
2. Do you think it is a good idea to learn to cook
different kinds of food? Discuss with a
classmate or someone at home.
34

NOTES:
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
35

36

Chapter Two:
Mingo Learns to Make Buljol
37

Two Recipe sheets with complete
directions for making Buljol (so anyone
could follow), were placed on the
counter top. Mingo and Jerry carefully
read the recipe and directions which
says:
38

Ingredients for Making Buljol:
(Serves 4-6)
12 oz. salted cod fish
1 med-lge. sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
½ yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 pimento pepper, finely chopped
3 leaves cilantro, finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt, ground black pepper, and hot
pepper to taste.
39

Directions:
1. (a) Remove salt from the fish, by first
rinsing under running water. Next, place
fish in a pot of water and let soak for
4-5 hours. This should be done a day
earlier.
40

1. (b) To prepare the fish same day and
save time: place the rinsed salted fish in
a pot of water and boil for 10-15
minutes.
41

2. While the salted fish is boiling, wash
and chop the bell pepper, garlic, onion,
pimento pepper, cilantro, and tomatoes.
42

3. Drain salt water from fish, then rinse with
cool running water. Press out all excess water
using hands or a strainer and flake fish with a
fork or your fingers. (After draining, test the
saltiness of the fish). Do not remove all the
salt from the fish.
43

4. Place the flaked fish in a bowl. Add the
chopped onion, garlic, bell and pimento
peppers, cilantro, and diced tomatoes. Add
black pepper, and hot pepper to taste. Drizzle
with olive oil. Mix well to combine, breaking
up any chunks of fish. Taste for salt and add
more if needed.
44

During the 20 minutes that the
dough for the bakes was resting, Ms.
Janet showed Mingo and Jerry how to
flake the codfish for the Buljol. She
had already pre-soaked, and washed
the fish for the boys. They both did a
great job flaking until all the fish was
done.
45

Mingo and Jerry are ready to
continue to prepare the Buljol. While
working, Ms. Janet explained to the
boys that back in Trinidad, Buljol was a
childhood and family favorite that
went back many generations. She said
her family always enjoyed a hearty
breakfast of fried bakes and Buljol
with a cup of hot cocoa on Sunday
mornings before going to Church.
46

The boys also learned that making
Buljol is like making a salad using salted
cod fish that is rinsed, and briefly
boiled to remove the excess salt, then
drained, shredded, and combined with
chopped peppers, onion, garlic, herbs,
and olive oil.
47

Ms. Janet said her preference when
making Buljol is to use fresh herbs and
ingredients. Except for the garlic, Ms.
Janet has onion, cilantro, bell peppers,
pimento pepper, hot pepper
(habanero), and tomatoes, harvested
from her back yard garden.
48

Mingo and Jerry chopped the
ingredients for the buljol one at a time
in a food processor. Next, they added
the chopped ingredients to the flaked
fish. Both took turns adding some
onion, garlic, bell pepper, pimento
pepper, cilantro, and diced tomatoes.
49

Ms. Janet showed Mingo and Jerry
how to sprinkle the black pepper, and
add a few pieces of chopped hot
pepper for taste. Finally, they each
added 2 tablespoons of extra virgin
olive oil and took turns mixing the
Buljol. Ms. Janet tasted the dish and
said it was ready.
50

Mingo was very excited. The Buljol
smelled great! Since he and Jerry had
already tasted the fried bakes, he
could not wait to taste the Buljol.
They each got a bake and filled it
with Buljol, ate it, and said, oh sooo
good! May we please have another?
51

And there you have it! Today,
Mingo and his friend Jerry learned to
cook a savory Caribbean breakfast of
Fried Bakes and Buljol.
52

Engagement and Activities
Seek and Find
1. Find 4 words in the story that begin with the
letter B. Write them below:
__________________/____________________
_____________________/_________________
2. Find 4 new words you learned from reading
this story. Write them below:
__________________/____________________
_____________________/_________________
53

Writing skills
1. Write 3 sentences that best describe how
you feel when you learn something new.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
2. Do you think it is a good idea to learn new
things? Discuss with a classmate or someone at
home.
54

NOTES:
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
55

56

About the Author
Marilyn I. James is an educator who
serves as Executive Director of Children
& Charity International. Her focus is
STEM Education and Mentorship for
children and youth, and community
outreach and strengthening of families
in the United States and internationally.
She served as NASA SEMAA Family
Café Coordinator at the Science and
Engineering Center, University of the
District of Columbia where she
coordinated activities for program participants, and provided program
planning and development services. An advocate for academic
enrichment, Marilyn liaisons with government and funding agencies for
pre-college programs and community partnerships.
Marilyn provided support and services to military personnel and their
families for over 20 years. She is also a poet, playwright, and author of
a Parent’s Guide called “The Early Years: Helping Our Children Succeed
- Tips and Resources to Improving Language and Reading Skills”; the
“Mingo Learns…” Children’s Book Series, and “It’s Complicated –
Exploring the Depth of Life’s Difficulties and Finding Divine
Serendipity”. Over the years Marilyn has received commendation for
her work from: NASA SEMAA; Ministry of Education, Ghana; UNICEF;
The Kenyan Government; and the United States Army, Challenge Coin
for excellence, courageous spirit, and compassionate service.
57

Mingo Learns… is a series of personal
growth books with activities to help
children build self-confidence, improve
academically, and overcome challenges, so
they can have a better chance for success
in life. Today, Mingo learns to make Fried
Bakes and Buljol, a popular and savory
Caribbean breakfast meal.
CAC Publishing
Washington DC
www.childrenandcharity.org