Spicing Up Happy Hour
by Susie Younkle

There are few empty bedrooms or berths in the BVI at this time of the year as people flee cold climates and seek refuge with friends and family in the Islands’ predictably balmy weather.
    
After spending the day exploring the BVI on land and by water, my visitors are always hungry when happy hour rolls around. Since happy hour is rarely limited to an hour in the BVI, serve some tasty snacks to satisfy everyone’s hunger prior to dinner. Consider making appetizers in advance to minimize time spent in the kitchen and maximize time spent relaxing with friends and family. For a truly hassle-free evening, serve a variety of substantial appetizers (pre-made) in lieu of a more formal dinner, letting everyone graze all evening.
    
While beans may not come to mind as an appetizer, two of my standby appetizers involve beans, a staple of Caribbean cooking. Black bean dip is easy and healthy, and my recipe can be doubled or tripled with little additional effort. Simply combine all the ingredients and blend a few batches in a food processor. As an added bonus, this dip is even better the second day.
    
One of my favourite Caribbean snacks is crunchy, spiced chickpeas. This Trinidadian bar snack—called channa, the East Indian word for the beans, due to the Indian influence on the food of Trinidad—is ideal paired with a cool cocktail. I first sampled this snack in Grenada and promptly stocked my boat’s galley with the little packets found in Grenadian supermarkets. As I sailed north, I couldn’t find the snack. My stash of channa was growing low, but I wasn’t sure how to make it. When I finally asked a Trinidadian friend for the recipe, she said: “Easy. Rehydrate, fry, and season the channa.” I was supposed to FRY beans? Never had I heard of this. Of course, I should have known. Caribbean cooks are masters at frying anything—even dough, as evidenced by the popularity of delicious johnnycakes—and everything seems to taste better when fried. I’ve tried to achieve comparable results by baking the channa but have found there’s no substitute for the crunch provided by frying.
    
A bowl of spicy channa is like a bowl of cashews or candy…so irresistible that they seem to evaporate and suddenly you realize you’ve eaten the entire bowl! Be sure to make a huge batch of channa so you have plenty to share with visiting friends and family.  

Recipes

Black Bean Dip
Serve with a large bowl of tortilla chips.

2 15-oz cans black beans
½ C light sour cream
3 Tbl cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped OR hot sauce
to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper

Drain and rinse beans, reserving some of the liquid from the can. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Add reserved liquid from the beans, as needed, to attain the desired consistency. Makes about three cups.

Spiced Channa Snack
Vary the spices depending on preference. Cumin is a
good addition.

½ lb dried chickpeas
Oil for frying
¾ – 1 tsp crushed red pepper
¾ tsp garlic powder
Coarse salt

Place beans in a large bowl and cover with lots of water. Let sit overnight so the beans can rehydrate. Drain the beans and thoroughly remove excess water with a dry towel. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Working in batches, add beans to hot oil and fry until a golden color, about 10 minutes. Remove beans from oil and place in a bowl lined with paper towels then transfer to another bowl and add the spices. Sprinkle generously with salt.