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Vacation Qualms and Jamaican Johnny Cakes.

Before we moved to the mountains, we used to vacation in the mountains. Now that we live in the lush rolling slopes of North Carolina, we travel elsewhere to vacate.

Like the beach.

Did I ever tell you I have certain irrational fears?

One, being bears. Darn that Grizzly Man on Animal Planet! Two is Sharks. …Again, Animal Planet’s fault.

Hey, at least I KNOW they are irrational.

Back to the beach, I love the warm velvety sand between my toes, the sun kissing my forehead, watching the waves gently roll in, the constant roar of the sea. I love watching my husband chase the little ones down the beach, laughing and kicking through the sea foam. Yet the moment I step foot in the water, I am on guard. Watchful of sharks.

Do I let my babies go in the water? Only because I know my fear is irrational. (And because my husband would give me a lecture on parenting.) But I am poised, ready to snatch them from the waves and high-tail it out of the water, at the first glimpse of danger.

Go ahead and laugh. Sometimes I’m a head-case.

Well, these two are afraid of nothing. You can learn a lot from children.

Actually, you can learn a lot from just about anyone. You never know when you are going to gain new knowledge and experience new things.

Take this unassuming little restaurant in Sunset Beach, for instance. I’ve eaten Jamaican food plenty of times. What could possibly surprise me?

The bread, that’s what.

The most nontraditional and luxurious Johnny Cake I’ve ever experienced. Tender, moist, airy with a fine crumb–almost a CAKE, but served as an appetizer. The Sugar Shack’s Johnny Cake is a delicate corny pillow with a good dose of clove. This is MY kind of bread–sweet and SPICY.

Don’t let the Johnny Cake’s humble appearance fool you. This “bread” is not to be missed. Unlike the classic heavy fry bread normally  considered “Johnny Cake” in the isles, this is special. An ultra silky cornbread/buttermilk cake hybrid that is utterly addictive. Two loaves will not be enough. Consider yourself warned!

I didn’t ask for the recipe, like I do here in Asheville. Instead I came home and experimented until I replicated the Sugar Shack’s famous Jamaican Johnny Cakes.

I’m awfully proud of myself over this one. Somehow, it makes me feel better about the shark issue.