Kimberly Forrester brings ‘Beets by Kim’ to Ja

Kimberly Forrester, owner of Wellness Kitchen by Kim in the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, officially launched her Beets by Kim cookbook, featuring 100 beetroot recipes, on Tuesday in her second home, Jamaica.

The vivacious beetroot lover told Food at the “all about beetroot” launch event, which took place at The Life Store Wellness Boutique in St Andrew, that the beta vulgaris rubra or red beetroot, has been a root vegetable that she has always been passionate about. And, having initially launched the book in Trinidad in August, she intends to go to Miami and Toronto in November for their launch events.

“I’ve always wanted to write a cookbook and I thought what should I write a book about, and I figured no one was showcasing beets and what you can do with beetroot, the versatility of it as well, so I decided to write the 100 recipes,” Forrester, who pursued her first university degree in Jamaica starting back in 2017, told Food during her launch event.

Forrester’s cookbook reflects the versatility of beetroots and the different preparation and food processing methods.

“I really tried to use the entire vegetable and use it in as many different preparations as possible. There are recipes you can’t even tell there are beetroots in it. You can do things with the juice; raw beets; cooked beets; the pulp, when you juice [the] beetroot, that you usually discard. They’re things that you do with that as well,” Forrester told Food.

When living and studying in Jamaica, Forrester would prepare a beetroot sangria cocktail mix drink for her friends when they visited her. The good reviews she would get encouraged her to include it in the book, and a Jamaican-inspired beetroot pancake recipe.

“They would all come over to the house and we would all make sangria together, so it’s a really special drink to me, because it’s a drink that we shared many years ago, and they have also been supportive throughout my entire cookbook process and the entire journey in me becoming an author, so it was really special for me to have this drink included,” she said.

The beetroot sangria, which was served at the event, is made with beetroot juice, syrup, white wine and a dash of lemon. The lemon can be substituted for other fresh fruits.

‘Beets are amazing’

For Natalie Murray, principal of The Life Store Wellness Boutique, beetroot is among the products she sells for her health-conscious market.

“I’m a massive fan of beetroot on a personal level and as well, just because of the health benefits. Beets are amazing for your heart, [and] really good for men, because anything that improves circulation is important, so when I heard about a book about beetroot, I was all in,” Murray, who will be hosting her first Menopause Monday event on Saturday at Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, where Forrester will be present, said.

“Beetroots help with improving blood flow. Beetroots have naturally acquired nitrites, so this converts to nitrites in the body and helps to dilate the blood vessels. People with high blood pressure or any circulatory issue will want beetroots in their diet,” she said.

Murray loves the beetroot salad recipes in the cookbook which includes goat cheese, nuts and herbs.

When Forrester told her Jamaican friends that she was heading to the tropical paradise of Jamaica for her second book launch event, her friend, Janelle Montaque, owner of Allspice Catering and Events, opted to make the blended all-natural beetroot four-course meal for the evening with recipes from the book, which patrons did not fail to bask in during the meet-and-greet session.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com