Desiree Clarke DDS

web: https://www.bahamagrandma.com

email: gifts@bahamagrandma.com

When Desiree Clarke (a Bahamian dentist and author of Bahama Grandma’s Recipe Gift Book) takes a sabbatical to Cat Island, she has no idea that it will turn very quickly into an opportunity to capture the magical spirit of her maternal grandmother in a character she calls Bahama Grandma.

Her stay is originally intended as a period of pure rejuvenation, but when Desiree stumbles across a tattered notebook with her grandmother’s recipe’s scrawled inside; the idea of Bahama Grandma’s Recipe Gift Book is born. The cookbook is a compilation of grandma’s secret recipes, along with the author’s childhood memories of cooking with her beloved family matriarch in her tiny, clapboard kitchen.

Colorfully illustrated by the author herself and dotted with lively short stories, this is no ordinary Bahamian cookbook, it’s a work of art.

We sat down with Desiree in a short interview to get to know her a little better. Pull up a seat and join us for the conversation.

GET ACQUAINTED WITH DESIREE

Q. Name 5 things you love?

1. The ocean – give me blue space everyday!

2. A good joke – I never could resist a good punch line.

3. Zumba dancing – shout out to my fellow zumba stars

4. Listening to 80’s music – Rick Astley still rocks!

5. Sunday’s – my absolute favorite day of the week

Q. What’s your favorite dish that Bahama Grandma ever cooked for you?

A. Cat Island crab and dough is one of my favorites.

Q. What’s the most popular recipe in your cookbook?

A. The seafood curry has been attracting a lot of attention, but conch dishes are pretty popular too.

Q. What are you writing now?

A. I’m writing my second cookbook, stay tuned.

Q. What can we expect from your next cookbook?

A. A lot more of Bahama Grandma’ s amazing recipes, a lot more foodie fun.

Q. Name a cooking ingredient you can’t live without?

A. Black pepper .

Q. What’s the most challenging part about writing a cookbook?

A. It’s a process I enjoy creating, but if I had to choose I’d say illustrating the cookbook was the hardest part. I’ve never done anything artsy before.

Q. What’s your favorite vacation destination?

A. Patmos, Greece has been my most memorable destination to date.

Q. What words do you live by?

A. Treat people the way you want to be treated.

Q. Name a country you would like to visit?

A. Dubai sounds nice.

Thanks Desiree. We’re obsessed with Bahama Grandma! We’ve already slid our sweatband’s on and laced up our running shoes , ready to sprint to the front of the line when she releases her second cookbook.