Festival

Street-side "jerk stands" are most frequently found in Jamaica and the nearby Cayman Islands. Jerked meat, usually chicken or pork, can be purchased along with hard dough bread or Jamaican fried dumpling or festival, which is a variation of the dumpling that is made with cornmeal and has a sweet flavour because it is made with sugar, served as a side. The starch in the bread lend themselves to counteracting the powerful pepper of the jerk.

2 cups (250g) flour
2 cups (250g) coarse cornmeal
1/4 cup (60g) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
about 1 cup (250ml) water
vegetable oil, for deep frying 

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Make a well in the center and add the eggs; with your hands, knead in enough water to make a dough that is moist but firm. Be careful not to over-mix or the festivals will be tough.

In a large, heavy pot pour the oil to a depth of three inches and heat to 370F/180C. Form cigar shapes by pinching off pieces of dough about the size of a golf ball, dipping them in flour and rolling them into logs between your palms - make them a little thinner in the middle than the ends because they will puff up most here.

Carefully add each one to the oil and fry until puffed and golden (try not to overcook or they'll get very hard). Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Eat as soon as possible.

Yield: about 20