Book a Last Minute Trip to the Turks & Caicos Food & Wine Festival!

CARIBBEAN FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
1^ST ANNUAL CULINARY EXTRAVAGANZA
November 4-5, 2011 – Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

Packages:
Grace Bay Club - $1,820 plus tax and service
              3 Nights accommodations in a Junior Suite, double occupancy including breakfast daily
              2 Dinners (Welcome Dinner, Nov 4^th & Gourmet Safari Dinner, Nov 6th)
              1 Lunch (Food & Wine Tasting Experience, Nov 5^th)

Add On the Caribbean Food & Wine Festival Culinary Extravaganza to your Luxury Fully-Inclusive Stay

The Veranda Resort & Residences - $2,365 includes tax and service
            3 Nights accommodations in a Garden View Studio, double occupancy – fully inclusive
            Luxury Fully Inclusive, All Meals and Premium Drinks and your spot and participation at:
Friday November 4^th – 6:30pm  - Welcome Dinner
Saturday November 5^th – 11am to 3pm – Food & Wine Tasting Experience
Sunday November 5^th – 5:15pm – Gourmet Safari Dinner

A CELEBRATION OF FOOD AND WINE THAT YOU WILL WANT TO EXPERIENCE!

FEATURING GUEST CHEF BEAU MACMILLAN WINNER OF IRON CHEF AMERICA (DEFEATEDCHEF BOBBY FLAY); PROVOS TOP CHEFS INCLUDING OUR VERY OWN CHEF PAUL NEWMAN & CHEF MARTIN DAVIES WINNERS OF IRON CHEF TORONTO FROM COYABAACCOMPANIED BY A FINE SELECTION OF WINE EPRESENTATIVES FROM TUCK BECKSTOFFER AWARD WINNING CULTWINE MAKER, DUCKPOND CELLARS & MASTER SOMMELIER GEOFF KRUTH.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4TH—6.30PM
WELCOME DINNER FEATURING GUEST CHEF BEAU MACMILLAN
& LINDA AND SCOTT JENKINS FROM DUCKPOND CELLARS
• EXCLUSIVE 5 COURSE MEAL PAIRED WITH WINES FROM DUCKPOND CELLAR;ANACAONA, GRACE BAY CLUB

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5TH—11AM TO 3PM

FOOD & WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE 
• FINE SELECTIONS OF CHOCOLATE, CHEESE, SEAFOOD & MEAT PAIRED WITH
WINE SELECTIONS FROM TUCK BECKSTOFFER, DUCKPOND CELLARS &
MASTER SOMMELIER GEOFF KRUTH; VERANDA RESORT & RESIDENCES

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5TH—5.15PM

GOURMET SAFARI DINNER FEATURING WINES FROM TUCK BECKSTOFFER
• OPENING RECEPTION, KRAVE AT GRACE BAY CLUB
• FIRST COURSE, COYABA RESTAURANT
• FISH COURSE, SEVEN AT SEVEN STARS• MEAT COURSE, PARALLEL 23 AT THE REGENT PALMS
• DESSERTS AND CIGARS, BAGATELLE AT GANSEVOORT

S P E C I A L GUEST:
In less than a year, Divya Gugnani took a casual idea, mixed it with her passion and financial savvy, added a dash of persistence and created a fully baked, thriving online culinary business. Her company Behind the Burner is an emerging culinary media brand that creates expert-based content about food, wine, mixology and nutrition. Packaging the best tips, tricks and techniques from a network of over 500 master chefs, mixologists, restaurateurs and other culinary visionaries they serve them to viewers in the form of videos, articles and blogs. Their videos are syndicated on TV to NBC New York Nonstop as well as 49 online media properties.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TURKS AND CAICOS TOURIST BOARD

For reservations and inquiries kindly call 800-946-5757 or 
email reservations@gracebayresorts.com

Enjoy!

Anguilla's CuisinArt Resort launches "Cuisine Complete" packages!

Anguilla’s CuisinArt Resort & Spa is featuring a “Cuisine Complete” package featuring five nights in luxury beachfront accommodations, three daily meals at CuisinArt’s signature restaurants, including the AAA Four-Diamond al fresco eatery, Santorini; airport transfers; unlimited Internet access; unlimited fitness classes (including yoga, Pilates, body sculpting); use of the resort’s tennis and bocce courts and non-motorized watersports. The packages are valid for travel through Nov. 22, 2011.

Remember my visit to CuisinArt Resort? {Good food + a great beach make the perfect vacation for me!}

CuisinArt Resort features what is described as the world’s first resort-based hydroponic farm, which sources 90 percent of the fresh vegetables and herbs utilized in its culinary program. CuisinArt Resort & Spa also offers specialized cooking lessons, pastry classes, beginner and advanced wine-tastings, and intimate “chef’s table” dining experiences. Package rates start at $3,700, double occupancy, and apply to new bookings only. Ready, set, go? Give us a call {866-236-1924} or email {info@caribbeanjourney.com} and we'll help you start planning today...

Cheers,

Caribbean Pot - Best Source for Caribbean Recipes

I recently stumbled across this website while researching a menu for an upcoming dinner party. What a great site! Not only is the design super sleek and easy to use, but the recipes are unique and easy to follow. 

I could go for an icy cold peanut punch right now... or perhaps some coconut drops.

Caribbean Pot also features a wide selection of vegetarian recipes too! 

Enjoy,

Barbados Food, Wine, & Rum Festival

Mark your calenders! The 2011 Barbados Food, Wine, & Rum Festival is set for November 18to 21, 2011. This is one of the Caribbean's best parties and certainly the most palate pleasing. 

Check out more photos from the 2010 festival here.

Visit the Barbados Tourist Board's website for more details.

Our Caribbean Travel Agents are standing by... waiting to help you plan your trip to the Barbados Food, Wine, & Rum Festival! Call us - 866-236-1924 to get started today! 

Bahamian Mac & Cheese

Every few days, I'm distracted from my work and wander the internet in search of easy recipes with an island theme. Today, I stumbled upon The Yuca Diaries and this delicious looking recipe for BAHAMIAN MAC & CHEESE

From the author:

After reading this title you might be thinking to yourself, “Bahamian Mac n Cheese?  How’s that Different?”  Let me be the one to to tell you, Bahamian Mac n Cheese ain’t your regular Macaroni.  I had Bahamian Mac n Cheese for the first time about 10 years ago and my life has never been the same. 

Jump over here for the full recipe & more tempting photos!

Dig in!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday Island Lovers!

I'll be spending my weekend packing for another adventure I'm embarking on next week... one where hopefully my views will be similar to the photo above and not full of the clouds and dark skies calling the tropics home this week. Did you hear about the flooding in Jamaica? 

I'm hoping I have time to fix my camera lens before my trip so I can take more photos to share.

I'll be testing out my favorite travel apps.

Fall is in the air around here so I'll make one of the Caribbean's most wonderful contributions to the culinary world - Pumpkin Soup.

Maybe we'll try this new cocktail recipe made with Bacardi Burnt Cherry Rum.

Why didn't I think of this?

Hurry! Only a few more days to enter our FREE HONEYMOON GIVEAWAY! Visit our travel homepage and enter to win.

How about you? Any fun plans for the weekend?

Cheers,

We Love Pickapeppa Sauce!

Pickapeppa Sauce is my 3rd favorite export from the island of Jamaica. (#1 being my darling husband and #2 being Blue Mountain Coffee) Some refer it to the Jamaican A1 Sauce, but we don't use A1 in our house so I've been trying to think of another reference... and the closest I have come to is Sriracha Sauce. Those who know, KNOW - there is an entire cult following for this Asian inspired liquid gold and we use it almost every night - check out this article in the New York Times.

Back to the Pickapeppa Sauce... most of the grocery stores in Atlanta carry it, so hopefully you can find it at a store near you. If not, you can order it online.

What do we do with our beloved Pickapeppa Sauce? Add mayo and make a Pickapeppa Mayo - smear it on sandwiches and it adds a nice kick. But our all time favorite trick is to spread this Pickapeppa Mayo on salmon and bake to a golden perfection! Try it and for more Pickapeppa Recipes go here.

Enjoy,

Latin Caribbean Food Guide

The About.com network is a great resource for just about anything. They have hired experts in almost every field and given them their own platform to share knowledge, attracting a loyal following. I cruise About.com from time to time, checking for news from the Caribbean. Tonight I stumbled upon Hector Rodriquez's About.com Latin Caribbean Food Guide... on an empty stomach, so of course I am smitten!

I love plantains any which way you serve them to me, so I am sure the Jibarito would hit the spot right about now:

Sangria is a staple in our house during the hot summer months, but I've never considered using tropical ingredients such as rum & mango like this 'Sangria Criolla'... delicious!

Photos from here & here. I'll let you know how we enjoy the Sangria in a few weeks!

Jamaica Villa Menu - a sampling of what your chef might prepare!

(Our Villa Chef from our trip to Jamaica last week, preparing grilled lobster for dinner!)


How does this sound for lunch?

Cheese & Callaloo Quiche

or Lobster Quiche

Marinated Bean Salad

Breadfruit Chips or Potato Chips

 

OR this for dinner?

 

Cold Tomato Soup or Lobster Cocktails

Curried Chicken On a bed of White Rice

Steamed Vegetables

Fried Plantains

Orange Cake

 

All of these delicious dishes could be on the menu at the villa of your choice on your next Caribbean vacation! All villas in Jamaica come fully staffed, including a private cook. For our villa clients, we always arrange the arrival meal to be a traditional Jamaican Roast Chicken dinner with all the tempting sides & a tropical dessert. Then we ask that our clients sit down with the villa cook to plan the rest of the week's meals. We provide ideas to choose from, including many of the dishes above. These exact menus are from SunVillas, a rental company specializing in Jamaica. Browse all of their menus here. 


Getting to Jamaica from most major US gateways is easy, all major US airlines fly to the island. From the UK, you may fly American Airlines or find flights on United Airlines too!

Check out the Cheap-O Air Blog!

It's a fact. Most travel blogs out there today are simple tools for self-promotion of expiring rates and tourist traps. Sometimes my own blog falls into this category too... I'll admit. So imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a blog with a typical title but seriously quality content? Check out the Cheap-O Air Blog and this great post from Friday all about one of my favorite Jamaican dishes:

Jamaican Foodie Friday

"Jamaican food is truly a celebration of the diverse cultures we boast, along with a touch of novelty and innovation. The distinctiveness of our food and culture was contributed primarily by the Arawaks or Tainos- the earliest recorded inhabitants, The Europeans, The Africans-who came as slave laborers and The Indians and Chinese- who came as indentured servants.It’s no surprise our Motto is : ‘Out of many one People’..." read more here on their fantastic travel blog and be sure and check their main website for Cheap Flights!

Jamaican Eats

Imagine my surprise as I browsed the racks at Barnes & Noble for my monthly magazine run when I came across an entire magazine dedicated to Jamaican (& Caribbean) cuisine? Of course it came home with me and my husband and I both read it cover to cover within a few days. We found a few familiar faces and even more familiar recipes... but a few new ideas too - like jerk flavored popcorn or nuts to snack on! Check it out here.

Alton Brown is Feasting on Waves

Alton Brown, creator and star of multiple shows on the Food Network Channel, is charting a new course, Feasting on Waves. The shows follows Alton's culinary adventure through the Caribbean islands.
The official word:

Alton Brown goes in search of America's culinary roots and Caribbean flavors in Feasting on Waves. He starts his journey on St. Kitts (aka St. Christopher), named by and for Christopher Columbus on his second journey to the new world. Alton, like Christopher, is traveling North and West through the Leeward Islands and on to the British Virgin Islands. Alton maintains the spirit of Feasting on Asphalt and seeks out the most authentic and traditional foods of the regions and meets the people who created them. Restaurants are the most obvious targets but Feasting is about the unexpected, so Alton also ventures to find roadside stands, street vendors, farmer's markets, farms, spice houses and homes of local cooks who make specialties of the region.

Enjoy his show and contact our Caribbean Travel Specialists to plan your own Caribbean culinary adventure!

Recipe: The Hummingbird

I discovered the Hummingbird on my first trip to Jamaica 8 years ago. I fell fast for the creamy rich concoction and spent years trying to recreate it before returning to Jamaica. With a palate that longs for savory + sweet flavor combinations, this drink soon became my all time favorite in Jamaica. The slight nuttiness of the coffee liquor and the buttery rum cream combined with the sugary sweet strawberry syrup and smoothness of a real banana makes for perfect satisfaction ANY time of day. And by anytime, I do mean that it is the hummingbird I ask for when I stroll past the bar before noon and justify my longing with the cliche "Its 5 o'clock somewhere..." Enjoy!

1 fluid ounce rum cream liqueur
1 fluid ounce coffee flavored liqueur
1 fluid ounce milk
1/2 fluid ounce strawberry flavored syrup
1/2 fresh banana
1 cup crushed ice

Combine first 4 ingredients in blender then add banana and ice and blend until desired consistency.