Jamdown Foodie

Hey Foodie! Welcome to my blog. I am Yanikie (pronounceed Yan-neek) and I am so happy you are here! My journey with food started at an early age in my grandmother’s kitchen. In rural Jamaica, young girls like me found their place in the kitchen very quickly as we were groomed for marriage and raising children. I started as somewhat of a sous chef – washing and prepping vegetables, passing items, cleaning up and watching the pots so that they didn’t boil over or burn. When I eventually started cooking, I never let up. It’s safe to say that I love to cook more than anything else in the world.
I have been cooking professionally for the last 15 years. Along the way I have cooked for private events, provided consultations for pop-up dining experiences and restaurant menus, owned my own restaurant and bar in Jamaica, owned and operated a catering business in New York City for 5 years, and helped potential social media influencers create content for their brands and pages.
This blog is dedicated to my grandmother Barbara, and all the women like her who thought learning to cook was important and necessary. Her love of cooking kept so many traditions alive in our family. Gathering at a big dinner table with an ungodly number of options is still the thing that brings our family together and keeps us very tight knit.
Here you will find all of the recipes she taught me, as well as a few variations of my own. I would say this is a Jamaican food blog but this foodie likes food from all corners of the globe. There will be alterations, fusions and downright inventions on this page. You will also learn interesting things about my island home and its long culinary history with influences from parts of Africa, China, India, Spain, and the Natives who left an incredible legacy for us. I am excited that you are here.
Cook with me and don’t forget to send me tons of questions and feedback.