Did you ever wonder about the origins of your favorite dish? Well…everything has a beginning.
Keshi Yena, a delicious dish from the Caribbean island of Curacao, has a humble beginning. This dish was born in the heat of the slave trade on the island in the 17th and 18th century.
The slaves of this former Dutch colony developed Keshi Yena. To this day it is served in the most renowned restaurants on the island. At the time, the 
Dutch masters of the large plantations ate traditional Gouda or Edam cheese. It was produced in large wheels that were covered in wax. Naturally, they ate them from the center, gradually coring the cheese out until they were hollow and just the waxed rind was left. The leftover hardened rind found its way into the plantation workers’ kitchens where the dish was born. The cooks would peel the wax off and soak the rind in water. Then they filled the center with leftover bits of meat or fish and vegetables and baked it until the cheese melted.
Over time, the dish became known as Keshi Yena, which translates from the local language to “stuffed cheese.” It was prepared in kitchens throughout the island with the addition of olives, raisins, capers, local spices, as well as scotch bonnet peppers. Now in the mainstream, the cheese is stuffed with anything the home cooks or restaurant chefs have available. It is very versatile and can be made with all your favorites ingredients and can be different every time!
After reading an article about the dish in AFAR magazine, I was inspired to try it and pass my experience along to everyone. I tailored it to my favorites ingredients and well, frankly, what I had in the kitchen. It only seemed fitting to the traditional way. This time I have made it vegetarian. 
Of course, you can introduce a pre-cooked meat or fish to your liking.
9m+: reserve a small portion of shitake, bell pepper and garlic, Saute separately with butter and add a small amount of water or chicken broth. Cook until mushrooms are throughly cooked and puree until desired consistency.
Have your kids pick the ingredients… with a little help they can be a part of creating this dish and enjoy watching it change form in the oven. Also, the remaining cheese makes a great grilled cheese sandwich for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
Keshi Yena
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 1 hour
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 medium onion, diced
6 oz. Shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
3 tablespoons cooking sherry or white wine
Cooked Keshi Yena Filling
1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Stuffed Gouda Loaf end portion
8 green olives, halved
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon soy sauce (or worcestershire)
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 small Edam wheel or 3″ end of Gouda loaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Keshi Yena ready to bake
In a large frying pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and shitake mushrooms and saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the sherry and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom and reducing the liquid. Add the bell pepper, diced tomato, dried cranberries, green olives, chili powder, cumin, tomato paste, garlic, soy sauce, and cilantro. Simmer until the mushrooms are cooked throughly, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat to cool.
Keshi Yena in the Oven
Beat the egg in a small bowl and add about 3/4 of it to the cooled mixture. Prepare the cheese by slicing off the top, coring out the center, and removing the wax, leaving about a 1/2-inch shell. Grease a baking dish with remaining butter and place the cheese loaf or wheel in the center.
Fill the cheese with your mixture and place the cap on top. Brush the top with the remaining beaten egg. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and it’s bubbling hot.
Serves 4-6
