Welcome to Flava, my fellow food enthusiasts! My name is Marilyn. I am very excited to use this blog to share tasty food recipes with you. Some of the dishes are not new, but I bet you will find some special ingredient or technique that can take that flavor up a notch … or 2.

You may ask where I got my inspiration. Well, I met the love of my life, Neville Forsythe, while I was attending teachers college in Jamaica. He was in the US Navy at the time. I moved to the US to join him shortly after we got married. After leaving the US Navy, Neville attended the Culinary Institute of America. Upon graduation he worked at several restaurants, in Atlanta, GA and Chattanooga, TN. He soon decided he would be happiest if he opened his own restaurant. He was well known in Chattanooga for two of the restaurants he owned: Chef’s Underground Cafe and Mrs. B’s Reggae Cafe. He was lovingly called “Chef” by many of his friends and admirers around town.

Neville was a very talented chef. I admired him very much. He was very passionate about many different types of cuisines. In our 40 years of marriage I learned a lot about appreciation of new flavors and cultures. Chef Neville passed away in July, 2019. The family has published a cookbook in his honor. The book is called Gone Nuts About Herbs, A Collection of Chef Neville Forsythe’s Favorite Recipes. It is currently being sold on Amazon.

After my husband passed away I thought I never wanted to do anything with the food business again. I just could not picture myself cooking without him around. You see, we had many special moments together sharing many delectable delights — whether at home, around town or traveling. Because he worked so hard at the restaurant, I would do most of the cooking at home, and my goal was always to impress him. I miss those moments.

So lately I find myself doing more and more reminiscing each time I try to prepare a dish. I remember every little comment, every sound of satisfaction he made when tasted a dish that was just outstanding. Now I feel that I want to share some of what I learned about appreciation of different flavors with others. I am doing this with a purpose and it is making all the difference in my life right now.

Going back to my childhood, one of the things that brought me the greatest joy was my mother’s cooking. My mother, Frances Anderson Brown, was an excellent cook. I am Jamaican by birth and totally enjoy my Jamaican authentic cuisine, but I particularly found pleasure when my mother would prepare something new and different. Every Wednesday I would dash home from school, in great anticipation of whatever new dish or new flavor my mother would be preparing for dinner.

Back then, my mother would prepare certain dishes on certain days of the week. For example:

Sunday – Roasted Beef, Chicken or Pork. The Brown Stew Chicken was also a favorite, served with Rice and Peas and a vegetable.

Wednesday – Something new – not a traditional dish. For example, her Meatballs with Gravy, served with the creamiest mashed potatoes and green beans, was outstanding. Or she would make her amazing Macaroni and Cheese loaf.

Thursday – Peas Soup or Peas Stew (made with red kidney beans)

Saturday – Beef Soup, made with fresh beef purchased at the market that morning.

Of course, we had Ecoveitched Fish, Curried Goat, Conch Soup and so much more to choose from!

Generally, whatever wasn’t purchased at the market could be found in our yard. My parents had breadfruit, naseberry and coconut trees on their property. You could also find kidney beans, pumpkin, spinach, callaloo, tomatoes, ginger, different varieties of mint … to name a few.

My goal is to share some of the tried and true recipes that have been perfected over time, as well as new recipes I have learned along the way.

So follow me, Flava Enthusiasts, as we explore some of the many ways to delight our taste buds!