Fish by José Andrés at The Cove, Atlantis, has officially reopened. The dining outlet, helmed by Michelin-starred chef José Andrés, offers sustainable seafood dishes that showcase authentic Bahamian flavors.

Guests entering Fish at The Cove will experience an underwater world immersed in marine life, rocks, sand, flora, and fauna. The chic restaurant offers an open layout with a palette of cerulean, pearl, and azure hues, creating a serene atmosphere. Various photographic murals from Bahamas-based artist Elena Kalis are artfully placed throughout the dining room, inspired by the ocean steps away from the restaurant.

“I love The Bahamas – the people, the spirit, and the food. From my time there in 2019 with World Central Kitchen, in addition to the challenges the last year has brought, I am inspired by the resiliency of this beautiful island,” said chef José Andrés. “I could not be happier to reopen Fish and welcome back our guests and team to this special place that means so much to me.”

Highlights of the new dinner menu include bay scallops with leche de tigre and Fresno chili; tuna nikkei from Hawaii with soy-cured egg yolk, ponzu, puffed quinoa, avocado, jicama, red onion, and furikake; fried fish sliders with island slaw and potato chips; seafood croquetas, béchamel fritters with Caribbean seafood; and halibut from Alaska grilled over a wood fire, black garlic mojo, pineapple, and chayote.

Diners at Fish by José Andrés can enjoy the chef’s Bahamian spin on its tasting menu experience. Ranging from eight to 13 dishes – items such as crab cake sliders with dijonaise sauce, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes; ceviche clasico with leche de tigre, sweet potatoes, red onion, corn, cilantro; and key lime pie with key lime cream, graham cracker crumble, toasted meringue, blueberry, and lime air.

Fish offers a variety of specially crafted, Bahamian-inspired cocktails, including The Rebel with Banks 5 Island Rum, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, lemon, honey and sesame; Salt Air Margarita with Casa Noble Crystal Tequila, Combier orange liqueur, and lime; and Slo-Mo Time Machine with Absolut Elyx Vodka, Licor 43, Yellow Chartreuse, Avuá Prata Cachaça, orange, and club soda. The restaurant also offers a wide array of wine and beer options.

“Since opening at The Cove in 2018, Fish by José Andrés has been a signature experience for guests at the resort as well as Paradise Island and Nassau overall,” said Audrey Oswell, president and managing director, Atlantis Paradise Island. “We know our guests and local residents alike will delight in a truly unique dining experience that will leave them wanting to come back.”

Think back to when you were a child taking in your plate filled with some food item you despise. If you close your eyes, you may even be able to hear your grandmother's voice, firm and strong, commanding you to eat your food. Like clockwork, she further chastises you with the words, "there are starving children around the world who wish they had this food to eat”. Still, you push the food aside on your plate, readying it for its fate in the trash.

Now, think of your current food habits. When was the last time you tossed an unattractive, but perfectly edible end slice of bread in the garbage? Or glanced at the expiration date on a carton of milk and threw it down the sink without a second thought? More than 240 million slices of bread are thrown away each year, and around 5.9 million glasses of milk are poured down the sink. When people throw away food that is safe and healthy, it is called food waste. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about one-third of all food is wasted. In the rush of daily life, people rarely consider what happens to the food they throw away or how it affects the environment. But they should. Uneaten food is the number one material sent to landfills, ahead of plastics and paper, and it’s a big problem. When food waste ends up in a landfill, it gradually breaks down to form methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. “Food waste is something we can control, and in New Providence, we don’t have much land available for landfills, so we need to make our current landfill last as long as possible,” says Ginny McKinny, director at the New Providence Ecology Park (NPEP). “When food waste ends up at the landfill, it takes up space and damages the environment by producing methane, which fuels global warming and feeds landfill fires. Food waste in the landfill also produces leachate, which can pollute the water table.” The best way to reduce the harmful effects of food waste is to prevent it from happening altogether. One tip is to keep track of what is in your refrigerator and cupboards to avoid buying food items you already have. Meal planning before shopping is another way to avoid buying items you may not eat. Still, even with our best efforts, there will always be food scraps that cannot be consumed, such as eggshells or banana peels. That’s where composting comes in. May 29 is recognized as International Composting Day. Composting is a great way to recycle household food scraps instead of tossing them in the trash. However, only a small percentage of food is composted worldwide. Still, a growing number of Bahamians are exploring composting as a way to reduce food waste.

Now, think of your current food habits. When was the last time you tossed an unattractive, but perfectly edible end slice of bread in the garbage? Or glanced at the expiration date on a carton of milk and threw it down the sink without a second thought? More than 240 million slices of bread are thrown away each year, and around 5.9 million glasses of milk are poured down the sink.

When people throw away food that is safe and healthy, it is called food waste. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about one-third of all food is wasted.

In the rush of daily life, people rarely consider what happens to the food they throw away or how it affects the environment. But they should. Uneaten food is the number one material sent to landfills, ahead of plastics and paper, and it’s a big problem. When food waste ends up in a landfill, it gradually breaks down to form methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

“Food waste is something we can control, and in New Providence, we don’t have much land available for landfills, so we need to make our current landfill last as long as possible,” says Ginny McKinny, director at the New Providence Ecology Park (NPEP). “When food waste ends up at the landfill, it takes up space and damages the environment by producing methane, which fuels global warming and feeds landfill fires. Food waste in the landfill also produces leachate, which can pollute the water table.”

The best way to reduce the harmful effects of food waste is to prevent it from happening altogether. One tip is to keep track of what is in your refrigerator and cupboards to avoid buying food items you already have. Meal planning before shopping is another way to avoid buying items you may not eat.

Still, even with our best efforts, there will always be food scraps that cannot be consumed, such as eggshells or banana peels. That’s where composting comes in.

May 29 is recognized as International Composting Day. Composting is a great way to recycle household food scraps instead of tossing them in the trash. However, only a small percentage of food is composted worldwide. Still, a growing number of Bahamians are exploring composting as a way to reduce food waste.

We've all heard off "secret menus" and "off the menu" items at restaurants that are not listed as options on-menu; well, I happened upon my favorite Filipino restaurant (actually it's the only one that I know about), for the simple reason that I hadn't eaten there in more than a year – you know with COVID and whatnot – so I recently pulled up a seat at a table. In doing so, I learned the owners Benjamin and Librada Capuli were in-house, and as I chatted with them learned they are trying out a number of new Filipino dishes in their restaurant, that aren’t on the menu yet, which have to be updated to reflect the new items.

They are also dishes the Capulis say they think will please the local palate, considering they are still awaiting the return of their biggest market share, Filipinos that work on cruise ships who flock to Manila Grill when their ship is docked in Nassau, where they are certain to get authentic flavors and cuisine of their home country. Librada suggested I have the Bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) Rice, which she described as a complete meal on a plate and which she says she ate loads of as a medical student, because it is inexpensive to make, and filling. I agreed, with one caveat, I needed a side of Manila Grill’s spicy wings considering the Bagoong Rice did not have meat, and well, I love their spicy wings. Spicy wings with sauce. The platter of fried rice placed in front of me was topped with thinly sliced red onions and cabbage, chopped tomatoes and mango and all topped with shrimp the paste condiment. You’re meant to mix it all together and dig in. Of course, I approached tentatively, considering the dish had a strong-smelling, salty paste atop it all. But its complex taste and combination of salty, sweet and umami flavors just worked. It was full-flavored and delicious. And I found myself asking for even more of the shrimp paste as I ate it. I’ve since come to learn that Bagoong Rice can vary regionally in the Philippines, so if I ever visit the country that’s something I will have to remember. Librada suggested my mom, who was with me on that Saturday, afternoon try the Chicken Inasal, a grilled chicken dish done by marinating chicken pieces in a unique blend of spices and grilled until done.

They are also dishes the Capulis say they think will please the local palate, considering they are still awaiting the return of their biggest market share, Filipinos that work on cruise ships who flock to Manila Grill when their ship is docked in Nassau, where they are certain to get authentic flavors and cuisine of their home country.

Librada suggested I have the Bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) Rice, which she described as a complete meal on a plate and which she says she ate loads of as a medical student, because it is inexpensive to make, and filling. I agreed, with one caveat, I needed a side of Manila Grill’s spicy wings considering the Bagoong Rice did not have meat, and well, I love their spicy wings.

Spicy wings with sauce.The platter of fried rice placed in front of me was topped with thinly sliced red onions and cabbage, chopped tomatoes and mango and all topped with shrimp the paste condiment. You’re meant to mix it all together and dig in. Of course, I approached tentatively, considering the dish had a strong-smelling, salty paste atop it all. But its complex taste and combination of salty, sweet and umami flavors just worked. It was full-flavored and delicious. And I found myself asking for even more of the shrimp paste as I ate it. I’ve since come to learn that Bagoong Rice can vary regionally in the Philippines, so if I ever visit the country that’s something I will have to remember.

Librada suggested my mom, who was with me on that Saturday, afternoon try the Chicken Inasal, a grilled chicken dish done by marinating chicken pieces in a unique blend of spices and grilled until done.

LOCAL non-profit food rescue programme Hands for Hunger says the need for food assistance will likely remain past the government's June deadline to end its national outreach.

Hands for Hunger is part of the government’s National Food Distribution Task Force and is feeding thousands of families in need. #When asked about the expected need for food once the government’s programme comes to an end next month, Hands for Hunger executive director, Keisha Ellis said: “I think that food insecurity has been a part of our reality for quite some time. So do I think that food insecurity will magically disappear at the end of June? Absolutely not. No matter how hard Hands for Hunger is working, that just won’t be the case. #“I think that there will definitely still be a need past June and I’m really excited to see what other innovative ways we can begin to address this now long-term food insecurity that’s been caused by COVID-19.” #She said while the demand for food has remained high during the pandemic, the numbers have been fluctuating recently.

Hands for Hunger is part of the government’s National Food Distribution Task Force and is feeding thousands of families in need.

When asked about the expected need for food once the government’s programme comes to an end next month, Hands for Hunger executive director, Keisha Ellis said: “I think that food insecurity has been a part of our reality for quite some time. So do I think that food insecurity will magically disappear at the end of June? Absolutely not. No matter how hard Hands for Hunger is working, that just won’t be the case.

“I think that there will definitely still be a need past June and I’m really excited to see what other innovative ways we can begin to address this now long-term food insecurity that’s been caused by COVID-19.”

She said while the demand for food has remained high during the pandemic, the numbers have been fluctuating recently.

“Well, you know what the numbers remain high but the names of the people that are on the distribution list that’s changing, because what we’re finding is that there are some people that had a very hard time at the start of the pandemic but are now finding their footing but at the same time there are people at the beginning of the pandemic that were able to kind of hold on a little bit.

“They weren’t in need at the very beginning but now because things are, you know, going on for so long and it’s taking quite a while for the economy to really bounce back.

“We’re finding that people that were able to hold on, that were okay for you know the first half of the pandemic are now presenting themselves as needing assistance.”

As for the number of people being assisted this quarter since January, she answered: “In this phase of the task force we are currently serving 3,500 families.”