Vegetable cheesecake; lobster and spinach ragout in plantain cup with rum caviar; mushroom doughnut with truffle spray; pesto butter; creamy pumpkin and leek soup, stuffed chicken dumpling, sausage, chicken cracker and pumpkin seed oil; textures of veal: tenderloin tortellini and croquette with potato press, stuffed zucchini, parsnip puree, glazed carrot, tomato confit and tamarind-rosemary jus — just a sampling of the menu the Bahamian national culinary team will entice fans with at its upcoming annual gala demonstration, in advance of mounting its title defense at the Taste of the Caribbean competition.
“Patrons can expect a great night of Bahamian gastronomy, served in a way that would definitely be memorable,” said Bahamian team manager chef Ron Johnson.
“We wanted to offer Bahamian flavors in unique twists. For example, our creamy pumpkin and leek soup, stuffed chicken dumplings, sausage, chicken cracker with pumpkin seed oil, is a play on leek soup. The menu is an ode to us trying to showcase that we have talented chefs that are world class.
The six-course meal to be served at the annual gala demonstration dinner will be held May 17 at The Café Great Halls of Water, in the Royal Towers at the Atlantis. Proceeds from the dinner go toward defraying team expenses for the upcoming competition to be held June 6-10 in Miami, Florida. Tickets for the dinner are $185 per person including VAT.
Gold medal winning and hall of fame bartender, Marv Cunningham will showcase his specialty concoctions during the cocktail hour which commences at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.
Comprising Team Bahamas will be co-manager and four-time gold medal winning Hall of Famer, Chef Sheldon Tracey Sweeting; junior chef Marvonne Thurston; mixologist, “Marvelous” Marv Cunningham; chef Richmond Fowler II; junior chef Savannah Adderley; team junior chef Leonardis Moss; chef Charon McKenzie, chef Jamall Small and chef Shelby Coleby.
The Bahamian squad will defend their title against a record number of Caribbean competitors. Anguilla, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will throw their culinary hats into the ring to vie for the coveted Caribbean National Team of the Year title.
Trinidad and Tobago, the “winningest” team in Taste of the Caribbean history (2004, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011) is making its return to the competition since their last gold-medal win.
The flavors of the Caribbean will be on full display at this year’s Taste of the Caribbean taking place at the Hyatt Regency Miami. Consumers will have the opportunity to savor Caribbean creations at lunch and dinner as well as embrace the culture of the participating countries at the Taste of the Islands festival.
Presented by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Taste of the Caribbean is an annual event that highlights the art of Caribbean cooking as it brings together top chefs and bartenders from the region to compete for honors in a variety of food and beverage competitions.
Attendees can watch as teams go head-to-head in the Caribbean culinary team lunch challenge. Taking place from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, the lunch will include three-course meals paired with wines and prepared by the Bahamian squad as well as Barbados, Bonaire, Jamaica, Suriname and Turks and Caicos. Tickets for the competition lunch are $55 per person.
Food enthusiasts can further satiate their palates on June 8 at the Caribbean national teams culinary competition dinner featuring three-course meals paired with wines prepared by teams from Anguilla, Curacao, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets for the competition dinner, taking place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. are $55.
Consumers can also attend Taste of the Islands, taking place Thursday, June 9, where they will experience the culture of the Caribbean while sampling a variety of gourmet appetizers and desserts and tasting signature cocktails in an energetic atmosphere featuring authentic Caribbean music.
In addition to exhibits from each of the 13 competing countries, there will also be a number of Caribbean restaurants and other providers of Caribbean food and beverages on display, including several craft breweries — a new addition to the program for 2016 and a sure-to-be-welcomed feature to beer lovers and those looking to explore new tastes.
The Taste of the Islands festival will take place Thursday, June 9 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person and consumers can purchase via https://chtataste.eventbrite.com.
With a month to the competition, Johnson said they are excited.
“We have a lot of detailed work… like they say, the devil is in the details.”
Not wanting to jinx the Bahamian team, Johnson said this year’s squad is an improvement over last year’s gold medal winning team, and as such is confident they will put on a good show and leave people impressed.
Consumers can purchase tickets for both the competition lunch and competition dinner events on Wednesday, June 8 for $105 per person. Another package option for consumers is purchasing tickets for the competition lunch, competition dinner and Taste of the Islands festival for $150 per person.
Taste of the Caribbean is staged by CHTA in conjunction with host sponsors Interval International and JetBlue Getaways, event sponsor Clear Channel Airport Division, and event and product sponsor Certified Angus Beef.
National culinary team gala dinner menu
Hors d’oeuvres
Vegetable cheesecake, aerated bell pepper curd
Conch cake, spicy herb calypso dressing
Lobster and spinach ragout in plantain cup, rum caviar
Breads
Mushroom doughnut with truffle spray
Coconut overload braids
Sesame lavash
Sides for bread
Onion marmalade
Pesto butter
Curry honey butter
Dinner course
Soup
Creamy pumpkin and leek soup, stuffed chicken dumpling, sausage, chicken cracker, pumpkin seed oil
Appetizer
Pressed marinated tomato with smoked and grilled shrimp variation, crispy crab lollipop, tropical salsa, tomato chutney, cilantro-jalapeno aioli, avocado
Cheese
Goat cheese panna cotta, thyme sable, spicy watermelon jam, compressed watermelon, goat cheese fondant, baby pea shoots, olive oil snow
Sorbet
Sands and ruby red grapefruit sorbet, gin-infused honeydew melon
Entree
Textures of veal: tenderloin, tortellini and croquette with potato press, stuffed zucchini, parsnip puree, glazed carrot, tomato confit and tamarind-rosemary jus
Dessert
Bahibe ginger mousse with chocolate cremeux, bruleed lemon pudding, lemon sponge, spice tuile, mocha ice cream, lemon raspberry gel, lemon dust, mango-passion coulis
Drinks
Pineapple and rosemary switcha (non-alcoholic)
Classic mango Gun Cay daiquiri
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National culinary team on display
Administrator
Vegetable cheesecake; lobster and spinach ragout in plantain cup with rum caviar; mushroom doughnut with truffle spray; pesto butter; creamy pumpkin and leek soup, stuffed chicken dumpling, sausage, chicken cracker and pumpkin seed oil; textures of veal: tenderloin tortellini and croquette with potato press, stuffed zucchini, parsnip puree, glazed carrot, tomato confit and tamarind-rosemary jus — just a sampling of the menu the Bahamian national culinary team will entice fans with at its upcoming annual gala demonstration, in advance of mounting its title defense at the Taste of the Caribbean competition.
“Patrons can expect a great night of Bahamian gastronomy, served in a way that would definitely be memorable,” said Bahamian team manager chef Ron Johnson.
“We wanted to offer Bahamian flavors in unique twists. For example, our creamy pumpkin and leek soup, stuffed chicken dumplings, sausage, chicken cracker with pumpkin seed oil, is a play on leek soup. The menu is an ode to us trying to showcase that we have talented chefs that are world class.
The six-course meal to be served at the annual gala demonstration dinner will be held May 17 at The Café Great Halls of Water, in the Royal Towers at the Atlantis. Proceeds from the dinner go toward defraying team expenses for the upcoming competition to be held June 6-10 in Miami, Florida. Tickets for the dinner are $185 per person including VAT.
Gold medal winning and hall of fame bartender, Marv Cunningham will showcase his specialty concoctions during the cocktail hour which commences at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.
Comprising Team Bahamas will be co-manager and four-time gold medal winning Hall of Famer, Chef Sheldon Tracey Sweeting; junior chef Marvonne Thurston; mixologist, “Marvelous” Marv Cunningham; chef Richmond Fowler II; junior chef Savannah Adderley; team junior chef Leonardis Moss; chef Charon McKenzie, chef Jamall Small and chef Shelby Coleby.
The Bahamian squad will defend their title against a record number of Caribbean competitors. Anguilla, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will throw their culinary hats into the ring to vie for the coveted Caribbean National Team of the Year title.
Trinidad and Tobago, the “winningest” team in Taste of the Caribbean history (2004, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011) is making its return to the competition since their last gold-medal win.
The flavors of the Caribbean will be on full display at this year’s Taste of the Caribbean taking place at the Hyatt Regency Miami. Consumers will have the opportunity to savor Caribbean creations at lunch and dinner as well as embrace the culture of the participating countries at the Taste of the Islands festival.
Presented by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Taste of the Caribbean is an annual event that highlights the art of Caribbean cooking as it brings together top chefs and bartenders from the region to compete for honors in a variety of food and beverage competitions.
Attendees can watch as teams go head-to-head in the Caribbean culinary team lunch challenge. Taking place from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, the lunch will include three-course meals paired with wines and prepared by the Bahamian squad as well as Barbados, Bonaire, Jamaica, Suriname and Turks and Caicos. Tickets for the competition lunch are $55 per person.
Food enthusiasts can further satiate their palates on June 8 at the Caribbean national teams culinary competition dinner featuring three-course meals paired with wines prepared by teams from Anguilla, Curacao, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets for the competition dinner, taking place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. are $55.
Consumers can also attend Taste of the Islands, taking place Thursday, June 9, where they will experience the culture of the Caribbean while sampling a variety of gourmet appetizers and desserts and tasting signature cocktails in an energetic atmosphere featuring authentic Caribbean music.
In addition to exhibits from each of the 13 competing countries, there will also be a number of Caribbean restaurants and other providers of Caribbean food and beverages on display, including several craft breweries — a new addition to the program for 2016 and a sure-to-be-welcomed feature to beer lovers and those looking to explore new tastes.
The Taste of the Islands festival will take place Thursday, June 9 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person and consumers can purchase via https://chtataste.eventbrite.com.
With a month to the competition, Johnson said they are excited.
“We have a lot of detailed work … like they say, the devil is in the details.”
Not wanting to jinx the Bahamian team, Johnson said this year’s squad is an improvement over last year’s gold medal winning team, and as such is confident they will put on a good show and leave people impressed.
Consumers can purchase tickets for both the competition lunch and competition dinner events on Wednesday, June 8 for $105 per person. Another package option for consumers is purchasing tickets for the competition lunch, competition dinner and Taste of the Islands festival for $150 per person.
Taste of the Caribbean is staged by CHTA in conjunction with host sponsors Interval International and JetBlue Getaways, event sponsor Clear Channel Airport Division, and event and product sponsor Certified Angus Beef.
National culinary team gala dinner menu
Hors d’oeuvres
Vegetable cheesecake, aerated bell pepper curd
Conch cake, spicy herb calypso dressing
Lobster and spinach ragout in plantain cup, rum caviar
Breads
Mushroom doughnut with truffle spray
Coconut overload braids
Sesame lavash
Sides for bread
Onion marmalade
Pesto butter
Curry honey butter
Dinner course
Soup
Creamy pumpkin and leek soup, stuffed chicken dumpling, sausage, chicken cracker, pumpkin seed oil
Appetizer
Pressed marinated tomato with smoked and grilled shrimp variation, crispy crab lollipop, tropical salsa, tomato chutney, cilantro-jalapeno aioli, avocado
Cheese
Goat cheese panna cotta, thyme sable, spicy watermelon jam, compressed watermelon, goat cheese fondant, baby pea shoots, olive oil snow
Sorbet
Sands and ruby red grapefruit sorbet, gin-infused honeydew melon
Entree
Textures of veal: tenderloin, tortellini and croquette with potato press, stuffed zucchini, parsnip puree, glazed carrot, tomato confit and tamarind-rosemary jus
Dessert
Bahibe ginger mousse with chocolate cremeux, bruleed lemon pudding, lemon sponge, spice tuile, mocha ice cream, lemon raspberry gel, lemon dust, mango-passion coulis
Drinks
Pineapple and rosemary switcha (non-alcoholic)
Classic mango Gun Cay daiquiri
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