Since there are no common seasonings such as salt and pepper, substitutes need to be used to season things. The berries and fruit can work to add flavor. The juice can be used to marinate meat, such as the pork from the feral pigs.
Here are some generalized recipes:
----FIRE-ROASTED CRAB [Crabs can be caught if boys will go out into the water and surround them, then drive them into shore.
Or, use the creepers for line, attaching anything dead (such as fish) to it that will attract them. Wait until the crabs come to feed, then snatch up the "line."]
1. Dig a hole and place many dried branches, etc. Make a fire, and burn down to a flameless fire. Create a grill over the top of the fire with green branches that will not catch fire.
2. Wrap crabs in large leaves, such as banana leaves or other large tropical plant leaves. Place wrapped crabs on the "grill."
3. Allow the crabs to roast for about 30 minutes, depending upon their size. Check the crabs as they will turn reddish when done.
4. When the crabs have cooled, crack them and extract the meat.
5. If there is any citrus fruit, this makes an excellent marinade for seafood, and will bring out its flavor.
----FISH
Spears can be made and fish can be caught.
1. Use the grill made for the crabs and follow the same procedures. (Use the pit already made.)
2. Clean by removing entrails. Leave the heads on as you can actually eat the cheeks of fish. Season the insides of the fish with citrus fruit.
3. Wrap them in large leaves as the crabs are done. Place them on the grill and cook approximately as long as the crabs are cooked.
4. The meat of the fish should flake when done. This means that it will separate and fall apart when using a small stick.
5. Allow fish to cool enough to be eaten. Use sharpened stick (spear) to go down the middle of one side. Separate and pull the spine of the fish out by lifting from the tail.
----ROASTED PIG
1. Dig a large enough pit to allow a sufficient fire over which a pig can be roasted. Fashion a large rotisserie with two long, large pronged branches inserted deeply into the ground. Use a large, thick, sturdy branch, sharpened on one end, that can be put through the pig. Boys will have to rotate the pig periodically.
2. Immediately after killing, remove all entrails from pig.
3. Insert the large, sharpened stick through the mouth out the other end, being careful to go through the middle of pig so that the pig will not break through and fall into the fire.
4. Roast over a well-tended fire, rotating from time to time to be sure the meat is all cooked.
5. Meat is done when it can be pulled away easily. It is better that the pork be cooked well than not done as the boys can become ill.
6. Bring the roasted pig down from sticks. Cool unti it can be eaten. The smoked pig will last for a day or more if keep cool. It can be placed in large leaves and buried deeply in a shaded area away from crabs.
Lizards and grubs and other large insects can also be eaten by roasting them in leaves. In addition, lizards can be roasted like hot dogs on sticks sharpened at one end for insertion. Of course, the lizards can be eaten raw, as can the fish and crabs and bugs (good sources of protein!)