Caribbean cuisine & foodways

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St. Kitts Supports Apiculture Industry /World Bee Day
May 20, 2023

 

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Jeanine Prime Is Building A Restaurant Empire ​

The restaurateur, who is the mastermind behind Cane and St. James in D.C., has a knack for building successful restaurants.​

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May 23, 2023
In Washington D.C., there is no shortage of good food options. But when it comes to those that are special — few and far between. And St. James? What food critic dreams are made of.


Since it opened in May 2022, the Afro-Caribbean restaurant has captured the hearts of locals and transplants alike hoping for authentic food in the heart of the city. And Jeanine Prime has delivered on that promise.


The best part, there’s no such thing as the sophomore slump when it comes to Prime, also the owner of the Michelin-rated Cane on H Street NE. This tribute to Caribbean cuisine is a love letter to her roots, and the menu from the 67-seat eatery features a fusion of ingredients and cultural influences — plantains, okra, rice — a staple within the Diaspora; Chinese inspired stir fries and sauces; and curries and flatbread so good you’d think you were right in India.

The restaurateur who has a knack for building successful restaurants, began her career as an organizational psychologist before transitioning to the hospitality industry — a testament to her tenacity and embracing the “power of the pivot.” While holding senior research positions at Catalyst and Gartner, she oversaw the development of breakthrough research and insights that empower leaders and organizations to create inclusive workplaces.


Here, Prime shares her story, from what makes each restaurant special, to the Black Savannah chef she’d love to sit down and have dinner with.


How did you come up with the concept for the menu

I worked closely with Emma Hernandez, our Head Chef at Cane, and Fiola Mare alum, now St. James’ Head Chef, Alfredo Romero Contreras, to design the menu. The inspiration for the menu comes primarily from the food I grew up eating in Trinidad and throughout the Caribbean. While there are distinct differences in the cuisines of each island, the shared histories of slavery and indentured servitude across the Caribbean have also created some notable commonalities in the culinary traditions that have emerged across the region.


For example, Callaloo, which we make as St. James with pureed spinach, chilies, coconut milk, and top with lump crab meat, is a dish that is enjoyed throughout the region, although the specific preparations vary from island to island. It’s a dish that is believed to be inspired by the Nigerian dish Efo riro. With the common Nigerian roots of many enslaved peoples across the Caribbean, it is not surprising to find recreations of this Nigerian staple across the region. The use of salt cod can also be traced to the shared history of slavery in the Caribbean. Low-grade salt cod (not deemed suitable for European markets) was introduced to the Caribbean as food for enslaved people. Across the Caribbean, this cheap ingredient was transformed into delicious salads spiked with chiles or served as fish cakes or fish fritters such as the Accras served at St. James with a culantro-chili aioli. Emma and Alfredo were and continue to be instrumental in transcribing these traditional homestyle recipes into the modern restaurant-quality dishes served at St. James today.


What are the main differences between Cane and St. James?


Cane is the more casual of my two restaurants and specifically highlights Trinidad’s East Indian food traditions. Cane’s menu features some of Trinidad’s most iconic street foods like doubles. St. James offers a more upscale casual dining experience with a lively vibe that evokes its namesake district in Port of Spain — an area known for its nightlife and diverse dining options.

Is there a big difference in comfort/soul food on the mainland (U.S.) versus the Islands?


Yes, there is. American Southern cuisine is very different from Caribbean cuisine. For example, in Trinidad, our food is influenced by African, Indian, French, Portuguese, and Chinese culinary traditions. This melting pot of ethnic influences on the cuisine makes it very distinct. However, there are some Trini dishes that are influenced by American cuisine, for instance, the macaroni pie on the St. James menu. Our version includes local seasonings like scotch bonnet chiles and pimentos, and we typically use noodles that are larger and longer than the elbow pasta that’s typically used in the American version. At St. James, we use penne because it’s the closest pasta shape to the original, which is the width of penne and the length of spaghetti.


What is the one ingredient you can’t live without when making Trinidadian cuisine?


Definitely green seasoning — it is the base of pretty much all of our food. It is a mixture of herbs like cilantro and broad leaf thyme, green onion, pimento peppers, and garlic.


If you could meet one chef and have dinner with them, who would it be and why?


I think it would be great to have dinner with Mashama Bailey, the executive chef of The Grey restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. She’s a Black woman utilizing southern cooking techniques, textures, and flavors to reimagine southern dishes. I admire her use of her culinary background and personal experiences to creatively represent southern food traditions, which resonates with my passion for reinventing how we present Caribbean cuisine at St. James. I think we’d have a great conversation about what that creative process is like, and the various ways that people react to new interpretations of beloved dishes.


How did the pandemic impact your businesses?


Like the rest of the industry, I had to pivot the business to fit and work within the limitations of the pandemic. Cane, which was a dine-in only establishment pre-pandemic, switched over to a take-out business model for over a year, offering our standard menu for lunch & dinner takeout as well as special family-sized meals. We leaned heavily on the support of the neighborhood to survive and truly are so thankful for the support we received. The pandemic also slowed down the opening of St. James; I had hoped to open the restaurant in late 2021 but due to industry-wide staffing and supply chain issues, we weren’t able to open our doors until May 2022.

 

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Caribshopper inks deal with JET BLUE subsidiary TrueBlue​

... builds partnerships to expand e-commerce footprint

May 24, 2023


Regional e-commerce platform Caribshopper has signed a partnership deal with TrueBlue — a subsidiary of JetBlue — that will see the company increasing its distribution points and visibility to a wider customer base.

As per the agreement, TrueBlue rewards members will be able to use their points earned to shop on Caribshopper. TrueBlue members can earn points by registering their debit and/or credit cards in the programme and using the same cards to shop at associated merchants, including Caribshopper.

The deal is just one of many partnerships Caribshopper, which sell products made in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago on its website, has solidified over the last nine months as it seeks to expand its footprint in the e-commerce industry.

"Over the past three quarters, we've solidified strategic partnerships with Mastercard, Meta, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Caribbean Airlines, Road Ready TV, the Caribbean Students Association; and as of May 1, 2023, we are in over 400 points malls globally, giving us larger distribution and visibility through partners like JetBlue and Emirates Air, giving customers more flexibility and incentive to shop with us and taking brand Caribbean even further into the world," founder and CEO of Caribshopper Kadion Preston informed the Jamaica Observer.



TrueBlue merchants include AliExpress, Kohl's, JC Penny, and Ford. Every 15 points earned on TrueBlue equates to US$10 on the Caribshopper platform.

Since its inception in 2020, a critical part of the company's growth has been building out its network of partners, Preston said. As a result, the company shipped some 68,000 items as at the end of 2023 to the United States and the Canadian provinces of Montreal and Ontario.

The website also received 60,000 views on average each month, with the highest share of revenue coming from Florida, New York, Washington, DC, and Toronto.

"We worked assiduously throughout the first quarter to learn and improve our internal systems and business partnerships. Therefore, that period was primarily business development," Preston shared.
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When asked about further plans to expand into newer territories, he told Business Observer that, "We hope to begin exporting to Caribbean friends, fans and natives in England first, and work our way throughout Europe. But that will be a future endeavour as we continue to research consumer behaviour in different pockets across the globe."

At the same time, Preston said the company is also aiming to expand its merchant network outside of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, given the demand for Caribbean products.

"Today the Caribbean in its entirety produces hundreds of millions of products, yet 80 per cent never leave our islands. This 20 per cent exported abroad accounts for US$13 billion in revenue, so I ask myself the question: What if we could do more?"

As Caribshopper continues to engage in research on the needs of the diaspora, the vision is to become the "cultural hub" of products that hold a nostalgic value for the region.

"We see partnerships as a the catalyst to accelerate this vision to reality…partnerships that allow us to be[come] strong in the areas we're still developing," Preston explained.

 

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France destroys 35,000 ‘champagne’ soda bottles​

May 25, 2023

French border police have destroyed nearly 35,000 bottles of a soda drink that called itself champagne.
Customs officials in the northern port of Le Havre said the bottles originated from Haiti, and contained a "bright orange liquid".
They were seized in October 2021 after customs noticed their label "Couronne Fruit Champagne".
Only sparkling wine products from the French Champagne region can use the title.
The name is designated under France's Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system, which is supposed to give them exclusive use of the word in countries that follow EU laws on distinctive geographical indications.
There are currently more than 121 countries that follow the ruling on the use of the name, according to the Champagne trade association.

Greek Feta, Italian Parmesan and British Stilton blue cheese are also protected by such rules.

French customs said the bottles of the orange drink were intended for sale on the French market.
In October 2022, a Parisian court ruled the bottles should be destroyed as they infringed the AOC regulation.

Charles Goemaere, director-general of the Champagne Committee said their destruction enforced the importance of the regulation.

French customs (Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects​

"This kind of use contributes to weakening the reputation of the appellation," he said. "The fight against the abuse of the Champagne name started in 1844 and hasn't stopped since."
Prior to being seized for infringement on the Champagne title, the same product had been subject to an investigation by France's Directorate for Competition, Consumption and the Repression of Fraud.
It was recalled due to an excessive amount of benzoic acid - a common preservative used in food and drinks.

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But the destruction of the orange soda is not the first time beverages have met their fate for using the Champagne name.
In April, more than 2,000 bottles of American beer, called "Champagne of Beer", were destroyed in Belgium at the request of the Champagne Committee.

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Event brings taste of Caribbean culture to Beijing​

May 29, 2023

Dignataries at the Caribbean Experience 2023 event

The Caribbean Experience 2023: An Exclusive Immersion of Culture, a celebratory gala that brings Chinese visitors close to the Caribbean's diverse culture, was recently held at the Embassy of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in Beijing.

Member countries of the Caucus of Caribbean Embassies in Beijing which is comprised of the Embassies of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Barbados, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Suriname and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, jointly hosted the event.

 

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*youtuber who has since blown up. Mama appears at 9:20

My MOM Comes To The Kitchen! Making a Spice Island Grenada MEGA Cake | How To Cake It​

How To Cake It​

My MOM Comes To The Kitchen! Making a Spice Island Grenada MEGA Cake | How To Cake It

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Joel McHale’s ‘Crime Scene Kitchen’ on Fox Sets NeNe Leakes, Dwight Howard and More as Season 2 Guest Judges (EXCLUSIVE)

Fox's "Crime Scene Kitchen" with Joel McHale has set its Season 2 guest judge lineup, including NeNe Leakes.

variety.com

 

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*previews of episodes are on BET UK youtube channel

 

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JetBlue, BTMI team up to bring Chefette to New York and Boston

June 4, 2023​

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Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Export Barbados and JetBlue are teaming up to bring one of Rihanna’s favorite quick service restaurant spots to the east coast for a summer pop-up event.


Chefette, Barbados’ biggest quick service restaurant chain will be making its US debut via a food truck pop-up in Manhattan, New York City on Tuesday, June 6, and in Boston on Thursday, June 8.
The food truck pop-up experience is expected to feature many of the restaurant’s bestsellers including chicken wings (“wing dings”), a variety of rotis, chicken tenders and unique dipping sauces.
“Absolutely no trip to Barbados is complete without a trip to Chefette,” commented Eusi Skeete, US Director at BTMI, “So we are excited to have partnered with this iconic Bajan brand as well as JetBlue, who continues to be one of our most valuable partners in bringing the east coast to Barbados, as well as a bit of Barbados, to the east coast via experiences like this one.”
“This is the first time that Chefette will officially leave Barbados’ shores, so it is quite a significant event and we are just happy to be a part of this moment,” added Skeete.
“These are the kinds of experiences and events that get us really excited,” stated Mark Hill, CEO of Export Barbados.

 

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*cannot directly post the Instagram post, so just posting vid here

 

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Here Is the Full List of James Beard Awards 2023 Winners

Congratulations to all the chef and restaurant winners

www.eater.com

2023 James Beard Award Chef and Restaurant Winners​

Best New Restaurant


Kann, Portland, OR

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)


Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City, OK

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Grenada Launches Culinary Partnership With James Beard Award-winning Chef Alexander Smalls​

06/07/23
Known as the Spice Isle of the Caribbean, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched a culinary partnership with renowned Chef Alexander Smalls to raise its profile as a leading culinary destination.


The partnership will involve a Master Class with local chefs, recipe development showcasing Grenada’s spices and cacao, a Tastemaker event featuring celebrity and influential chefs, a Fireside Chat with Grenada’s leaders in food security, agriculture and sustainability, and the Spice Replanting Program.


Alexander Smalls, both a Grammy and Tony award-winning opera singer, is a James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur, author, and culinary activist
Chef Alexander Smalls commented, “I’m excited because the Spice Island concept is near and dear to the work that I do. I look forward to bringing a congress of chefs to explore the island and to create partnerships on the ground with local vendors and restaurateurs. We’ll also be creating a series of engaging and interactive video content that will excite the locals, as well as the global community that should know and celebrate Grenada as we do.”


“The soil of Grenada is rich and produces some of the best spices in the world. The partnership with Chef Smalls will elevate awareness of Grenada as a top culinary destination in the Caribbean with a variety of new events and experiences geared to entice the taste buds of visitors and locals alike,” said Hon. Lennox Andrews, Minister for Economic Development, Planning, Tourism and ICT, Creative Economy, Agriculture and Lands, Fisheries and Cooperatives.


“We are absolutely delighted to embark on this partnership with Chef Smalls,” said Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority. “His pedigree not only speaks for itself, but his creations offer delicious memories that are unforgettable. We know culinary is a big reason why people choose the places they travel and we intend to make it known that there are no greater bites to be had than in Grenada