Recipes for the End of the World

If you adhere to the Mayan calendar and have a sneaking suspicion the world will end on Dec. 21, you might as well pig out while you can.

You will find lots of intriguing recipes in Flavors of Belize, a cookbook that celebrates the ancient history, diverse culture and exotic cuisine of this beautiful Central American nation. The book is the creation of Tanya McNab, founder of Flavors of Belize magazine, the country’s first culinary periodical, and McNab Publishing Ltd., producer of the cookbook.

In the Kriol language widely spoken in Belize there is a saying: “Yu kyaah n travl pahn stoma.” Translation: You cannot travel on an empty stomach.

No worries about going hungry with this lineup of recipes from the nation’s top chefs, a menu that ranges from fried ripe plantains to cashew-crusted grouper to mango crumble.

The Mayan culture is not the only influence in this Latin melting pot. The cookbook’s recipes also include dishes from the Brits, Mestizo, Creole, Chinese, Lebanese and other cuisines that have left their mark on Belize over the centuries.

In all, there 120 recipes and if you want to get them all in before the lights go out, you had better start cooking.