"Tropical Island Cooking -- Recipes from Bermuda and the Caribbean'' cookbook you will find many of those recipes. Here are a few for you to try.

CURRIED GREEN BANANAS OR PLANTAINS Visitors may confuse plantains with bananas; their appearance is much the same, but the formery are larger and cannot be eaten raw. Another use for plantains is conquintay flour, made from plantains, peeled and sliced length ways and dried on a board in the hot sunshine. After about 5 days, when the strips are dry, they are pounded and sieved.

Preparation time 5 minutes Cooking time 35 minutes To serve 4-5 You will need: 1 1 oz. butter 1 tablespoon curry powder 6 green bananas or plantains, peeled and sliced length ways 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 3 pint (U.S. 2 cups) coconut milk 1 egg, lightly beaten HEAT the butter, fry the curry powder for 2 minutes, then add the bananas or plantain slices and brown lightly. Add salt and pepper and then the coconut milk, stirring with each addition. Simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the egg. Serve with any rice dish or with plain boiled rice.

*** RED PEA AND FLYING FISH SALAD Preparation time 15 minutes, plus overnight soaking and chilling Cooking time 20 minutes To serve 4 You will need 4 oz. red `peas' (kidney beans) salt 2 cooked flying fish, flaked 3 teaspoons finely chopped parsley 2 teaspoons finely chopped chives 1 onion, minced 1 small green pepper, de-seeded and chopped 1 pint (U.S. 2 cup) French dressing 1 small firm cabbage, shredded 1 pint (U.S. 2 cup) mayonnaise TO GARNISH 2 small tomatoes, sliced 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced cayenne pepper SOAK peas in salt water overnight. Cook in water in which they soaked for 20 minutes or until tender, but not too soft. Drain and mix with fish. Add half the parsley and chives, the onion and pepper.

Pour over French dressing, toss lightly and chill. Arrange shredded cabbage in a salad bowl, drain pea and flying fish mixture and pile on top. Coat with mayonnaise, thinned if necessary with a little of the drained French dressing.

Garnish with tomato and egg slices, sprinkle with remaining parsley and chives and cayenne pepper.

*** SALT FISH PIE Preparation time 10-15 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes Oven temperature 425 degrees F, Gas Mark 7 To serve 4-5 You will need 1 oz. butter 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced 1 lb. cooked salt fish, flaked 2 small onions, sliced 3 tomatoes, sliced 1 small green pepper, de-seeded and chopped 1 raw egg, lightly beaten 3 pint (U.S. 2 cups) milk pinch salt and pepper 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 8 oz. cooked English potatoes, mashed 1 oz. soft breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon chopped parsley GREASE a pie dish with the butter. Put in a few slices of hard-boiled egg, cover with layers of fish, the rest of the egg, onion rings, tomato slices and pepper pieces.

Beat the raw egg in the milk, add the salt and pepper, beat lightly, then add the Worcestershire sauce and beat again. Pour the milk mixture over the fish.

Spread mashed potato over the top, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parsley and bake in a hot over for 30 minutes.

*** WEST INDIAN RICE PIE Preparation time 7 minutes Cooking time 1 hour Oven temperature 375 degrees F, Gas Mark 5 To serve 4-5 You will need 1 lb. minced raw beef, or mixed beef and pork 1 onion, finely minced 1 teaspoon chopped thyme 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 pint (U.S. 2 1 cups) beef stock or canned consomme 1 oz. butter 1 lb. cooked rice salt and pepper 1 oz. crisp breadcrumbs (raspings) paprika BROWN the minced meat in its own fat, add the onion, thyme, parsley and garlic. Blend with the Worcestershire sauce and a little of the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a buttered pie dish, put half the cooked rice, cover with the meat mixture, season to taste and add the rest of the stock. Cover with remaining rice, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and paprika, dot with butter and bake in a moderately hot over for 40 minutes.

Serve with brown sauce if liked.

Note: This is really the rice version of Shepherd's Pie; one is more likely to have cooked rice than English potatoes on hand in the island. The same basis can be used with cooked fish, using fish stock and one or two drops of Tabasco sauce and lime juice instead of Worcestershire sauce.

*** FRIED OKRA In the islands, fried or stewed okras would be eaten with rice as a meal.

Choose only small, young okras for frying; the Caribbean kind are tough and rough skinned when large.

Preparation time 6 minutes Cooking time 5-8 minutes To serve 4 You will need: 12 okras, cut in half length ways 1 egg, lightly beaten crisp breadcrumbs (raspings) salt and pepper fat or oil for frying DIP okras in egg and roll in breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry quickly ion hot, shallow fat or oil. Drain and serve very hot.

*** JAMAICAN PINEAPPLE PIE The supply of pineapples varies from island to island, but they are usually plentiful in Jamaica, and Elcuthera, in the Bahamas is famous for its pines.

Preparation time 20 minutes, plus chilling time Cooking time 45 minutes Oven temperatures: 425 degrees F, Gas Mark 7 375 degrees F, Gas Mark 5 To serve 6 You will need 12 oz. basic flan pastry FOR THE FILLING 1 large pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks 8 oz. granulated sugar 1 1 oz. flour 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg pinch powdered cinnamon pinch salt 1 1 oz. butter 2 tablespoons water (optional) ROLL out half the pastry and use to line the bottom of a pie dish. Cook over a low heat until the mixture thickens, then remove from the heat, stir in butter and the water if the mixture is very thick. Allow to cool.

Pour into the chilled pastry case. Cover with rolled-our pastry, neatly tucking under the overhang and sealing by damping the edges and pressing between finger and thumb. Make a slit in the top to allow the steam to escape.

Flute edges. Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to moderately hot and bake for a further 30 minutes until crust is delicately brown.

Decorate with pineapple leaves in the centre and serve with coconut cream or soft cream cheese.

Note: Canned pineapple may be used for the filling.