Flava – 26 May 2012

Healthy juices at Cayman Cupcakes

One of Cayman’s most popular cupcake stores, Cayman Cupcakes by PJ Bakery and Coffee House, is now serving a selection of delicious freshly squeezed juices. Kick start your day with the Morning Zinger, with parsley, apple, ginger and carrot, or opt to cool down with the Kiwi Cooler, featuring kiwi, cucumber, apple and pear. For those looking to detox their systems after a heavy weekend, try the Melon Cleanser featuring freshly squeezed melon, cucumber, lime and mint. The bakery and coffee house can be found at the Duty Free Centre, on Edward Street, George Town.

Open canvas at Karoo

Local tapas bar and restaurant, Karoo, has come up with a novel way to combine art and food with their open canvas night. Held every Wednesday night from 7pm, artists gather at the Camana Bay restaurant to paint one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork in a creative and inspiring setting. Artists are provided with an easel, two glasses of wine or local brews, as well as a complimentary appetizer platter. The event will be hosted each week by a different artist, who will showcase their work and provide art tips. Guests can immerse themselves in the world of art and food, while enjoying wine specials from Premier Wines & Spirits.  To reserve your easel, email douglascameron@cib.ky.

Tea time at The Ritz

Here at Flava we’ve fallen in love with the new afternoon tea menu at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Served amongst the elegant setting of the Silver Palm Lounge, here you can feast on delicate bite-sized sandwiches, scones and delectable pastries to your heart’s content. Then, wash it all down with enough tea to sink a battle ship. Choose from the aptly named Oliver Cromwell or Sir Francis Drake menus. We can’t get enough of the mango and Caribbean lobster sandwich on sour dough bread and melt in the mouth buttery scones served with lemon curd, cream and raspberry jam. The tea service is available Thursday to Sunday, from 2pm to 4pm. Reservations required.

Brunch for a good cause cancelled

Abacus’ annual fundraising Sunday brunch for Big Brothers Big Sisters has been cancelled due to uncertainty over inclement weather. The event, scheduled for this Sunday, 27 May, is set to be rescheduled for a later date. Keep checking the Flava column to find out when!

 

Food diary

Friday, 25 May

Euro Trip wine dinner – eat and drink your way around Europe. Cracked Conch, from 7pm. $80 per person. Call 945-5217.

The Westin hosts their winemaker dinner series, this month featuring the ‘Tour de France’. Eight course menu with wine pairings. $99 per person, plus 15 per cent gratuity. The dinner starts at 7pm. For reservations, call 945-3800 ext 6017.

Thursday, 31 May

Join Ristorante Pappagallo for a gastronomic feast ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. Each week the menu will feature different cuisines from across the globe. The first menu takes diners from London, UK, to Suez in Egypt. Cost is $35 per person for three courses, including a specialty cocktail.

Interactive cooking class with Chef Mook from Karma at Bon Vivant, 6.30pm. $50 per person, call 623-2665 for reservations.

Saturday, 2 June

Uncovered lunch and cooking demonstration at Blue by Eric Ripert, 11.45am to 2.30pm. Call 943-9000 for reservations.

Join Tea Time in Cayman, the Cayman Islands Olympic Fundraising Committee and the Queens Jubilee Celebration Committee, for a delicious lunch from 12pm to 3pm. The event also includes a live auction, with a trip to London up for grabs. $125 per person.  Call 623-8282 for reservations.

Monday, 4 June

Jubilee brunch at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.  Celebrate the 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth 11. Don your most beguiling fascinator and coronation worthy frock, from 12pm to 3pm. $95 with champagne, $70 without. Call 815-6912 for tickets.

Ortanique hosts their monthly full moon pig roast on the Palm Island at Camana Bay. This all-you-can-eat feast includes two complimentary mojitos and a live DJ to dance the night away. $60 for adults, $30 for children under 12.

Thursday, 7 June

Periwinkle hosts their third and final Table Series, featuring foods and wines from Toscana Italy. The gourmet extravaganza is served family style on Periwinkle’s breezy dock from 7pm. $60 per person, with an optional $30 wine pairing. Call 943-9000 for reservations.

 

Flava – 18 May 2012

Check out Flava

Tucked inside today’s Caymanian Compass you’ll find your very own gleaming, brand spanking new copy of Flava – Cayman’s premier epicurean magazine. This edition is packed full of great summer time culinary tips and recipes, ideas for cooking with fresh seasonal produce, as well as regular features, including healthy eating options and wine and food pairings. There are even tips on gardening, fishing and where to find local meat products. Check it out now – you could even win yourself a Big Green Egg.

Cheese soufflé day today

Gourmands will find any excuse to celebrate food. Indeed, according to the national food day calendar – the Holy Grail for all foodies out there –its National Cheese Soufflé day today. So, head to the kitchen and whip up this delicious treat at home to kick-start the weekend with. A cheese soufflé is perfect as a quick dinner and pairs perfectly with a crisp green salad. Rich yet simple, light yet undeniably decadent-tasting, soufflés always please – even when they fail to rise quite as you had hoped in the oven. Master the basics and you’ll find that the soufflé is infinitely adaptable too. Log on to www.flavacayman.com and check out our fool proof soufflé recipe. Happy cooking!

Food for Thought now offering delivery

Just a couple of weeks ago we highlighted Food for Thought, which has introduced a fabulous new lunch menu designed to tickle your taste buds. It seems to have been doing just that as due to popular demand Food for Thought is now offering delivery throughout the George Town area. Visit their website www.foodfortthought.ky for further details.

Food diary

Saturday, 19 May

Farm-to-table dinner series at Michael’s Genuine, from 7pm. Price is $50, or $90 with wine pairings. Call 640-6433.

Agave Grill tequila dinner, from 7.30pm. Five course dinner with tequila pairings. $80 per person. Call 947-5555 for reservations.

Friday, 25 May

Euro Trip wine dinner – eat and drink your way around Europe. Cracked Conch, from 7pm. $80 per person. Call 945-5217.

The Westin hosts their winemaker dinner series, this month featuring the ‘Tour de France’. Eight course menu with wine pairings. $99 per person, plus 15 per cent gratuity. The dinner starts at 7pm. For reservations, call 945-3800 ext 6017.

Sunday, 27 May

Join Abacus for their annual fundraising Sunday brunch, and help raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters. $100 per person. From 11.30am to 3.30pm. Call 623-8282.

Thursday, 31 May

Join Ristorante Pappagallo for a gastronomic feast ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. Each week the menu will feature different cuisines from across the globe. The first menu takes diners from London, UK, to Suez in Egypt. Cost is $35 per person for three courses, including a specialty cocktail.

Interactive cooking class with Chef Mook from Karma at Bon Vivant, 6.30pm. $50 per person, call 623-2665 for reservations.

Saturday, 2 June

Uncovered lunch and cooking demonstration at Blue by Eric Ripert, 11.45am to 2.30pm. Call 943-9000 for reservations.

Monday, 4 June

Jubilee brunch at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.  Celebrate the 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth 11. Don your most beguiling fascinator and coronation worthy frock, from 12pm to 3pm. $95 with champagne, $70 without. Call 815-6912 for tickets.

Flava – 11 May 2012

Get ready to savour Flava!

The next edition of Flava magazine will be free with next week’s Friday paper. The second edition of Cayman’s premier epicurean magazine, the latest edition of Flava is packed full of insightful culinary news, healthy eating options, recipes and seasonable events, including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Jamaican Independence Day and  the 4^th of July. With temperatures rising, Flava also takes a look at some of Cayman’s summer culinary trends, including seasonable fresh fruits such as mangoes, and the annual land crab migration to the sea. There’s also a great reader’s prize to be won – a Big Green Egg – the Ferrari of coal barbeque grills.  Don’t miss out on your copy!

Tequila tasting at Agave

Heighten your appreciation for tequila! Agave Grill continues with its tequila tasting dinner series, with an event on Saturday, 19 May. Diners will be able to enjoy a sumptuous five course dinner, featuring Mexican inspired cuisine with a modern twist. Each dish will be enjoyed with a selection of tequilas. To start off the night, dinners will be greeted with a tequila cocktail, created especially for the event.  See the food diary for more details.

Caribbean night at Tiki Beach

The popular beach-side bar and restaurant Tiki Beach is launching a weekly Caribbean themed night, starting Saturday, 19 May. The buffet, from 6pm to 9pm, will feature a delicious spread of traditional Caribbean cuisine, including roast suckling pig, jerk chicken and pork, curry chicken and goat, ox tail, roast plantain, festival, rice and peas and stew beef to name just a few. After dinner, dance the night away with local bands or a live DJ. Price is $28 per person.

 

Food diary

Thursday, 17 May

Bon Vivant cooking class with Chef Thomas Tenant of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, 6.30pm to 8.30pm. $50 per person, call 623-2665 for reservations.

Saturday, 19 May

Farm-to-table dinner series at Michael’s Genuine, from 7pm. Price is $50, or $90 with wine pairings. Call 640-6433.

Agave Grill tequila dinner, from 7.30pm. Five course dinner with tequila pairings. $80 per person. Call 947-5555 for reservations.

Friday, 25 May

Euro Trip wine dinner – eat and drink your way around Europe. Cracked Conch, from 7pm. $80 per person. Call 945-5217.

The Westin hosts their winemaker dinner series, this month featuring the ‘Tour de France’. Eight course menu with wine pairings. $99 per person, plus 15 per cent gratuity. The dinner starts at 7pm. For reservations, call 945-3800 ext 6017.

Sunday, 27 May

Join Abacus for their annual fundraising Sunday brunch, and help raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters. $100 per person. From 11.30am to 3.30pm. Call 623-8282.

Thursday, 31 May

Join Ristorante Pappagallo for a gastronomic feast ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. Each week the menu will feature different cuisines from across the globe. The first menu takes diners from London, UK, to Suez in Egypt. Cost is $35 per person for three courses, including a specialty cocktail.

Interactive cooking class with Chef Mook from Karma at Bon Vivant, 6.30pm. $50 per person, call 623-2665 for reservations.

Saturday, 2 June

Uncovered lunch and cooking demonstration at Blue by Eric Ripert, 11.45am to 2.30pm. Call 943-9000 for reservations.

Monday, 4 June

Jubilee brunch at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.  Celebrate the 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth 11. Don your most beguiling fascinator and coronation worthy frock, from 12pm to 3pm. $95 with champagne, $70 without. Call 815-6912 for tickets.

Flava – 4 May 2012

Food for Thought launches lunch menu

Where to go for lunch? Office workers are always on the hunt for a new lunch menu option to break the routine. Local catering company Food for Thought’s newly launched lunch menu offers a daily changing menu, ensuring there’s always something different to try. On Mondays its Mediterranean inspired, on Tuesdays it’s a taste of Asia, Wednesday its traditional Caribbean fare, while on Thursdays it’s a taste of India and on Fridays its traditional English food. The menu also includes a selection of healthy salads as well as snacks and juices. For those keen to support the drive to ‘go local’ the menu is influenced by the availability of fresh local produce. Visit www. foodforthought.ky

Around the World in 80 days!

Beginning 31 May, Ristorante Pappagallo will follow the adventures of Phileas Fogg, hero of the Jules Verne classic, Around the World in 80 Days.

The three course dinner menu will change weekly, based on each leg of Fogg’s voyage, and will include a specialty cocktail created especially by Papagallo’s master bartender, Franco Centola. The gastronomic adventure kicks of with London to Suez, followed by Suez to Bombay, Bombay to Calcutta, Calcutta to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Yokohama, Yokohoma to San Francisco, San Francisco to New York City and New City to London.

Over the weeks, the menu will include classic dishes such as duck, rib eye steak and chips, as well as more unusual offerings such as curried fried oysters and crab samosas. The dinner costs $35 per person, plus gratuity.

Family picnics

After a long week of work often nothing is more enjoyable than escaping with family for a relaxed picnic. Ortanique at Camana Bay is helping to take the hassle out of the picnic preparation by offering an under $10 on-the-go picnic, with items including hot dogs, hamburgers, specialty grill items, snow cones and soft drinks. The picnic is held every Saturday, from 1pm to 5pm on the Crescent at Camana Bay.

Food diary

Saturday, 5 May

Blue Uncovered cooking class and lunch at Blue Restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. Learn about kitchen oils and how best to use them.  11.45am to 2.30pm. $110 per person, including gratuity. Call 815-6100.

Sunday, 6 May

Ortanique hosts their monthly pig roast, on the Palm Island at Camana Bay. This all-you-can-eat feast includes two complimentary mojitos and a live DJ to dance the night away. $60 for adults, $30 for children under 12. A 20 per cent discount for industry staff is offered.

Thursday, 17 May

Bon Vivant cooking class with Chef Thomas Tenant of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, 6.30pm to 8.30pm. $50 per person, call 623-2665 for reservations.

Saturday, 19 May

Farm-to-table dinner series at Michael’s Genuine, from 7pm. Price is $50, or $90 with wine pairings. Call 640-6433.

Friday, 25 May

Euro Trip wine dinner – eat and drink your way around Europe. Cracked Conch, from 7pm. $80 per person. Call 945-5217.

The Westin hosts their winemaker dinner series, this month featuring the ‘Tour de France’. Eight course menu with wine pairings. $99 per person, plus 15 per cent gratuity. The dinner starts at 7pm. For reservations, call 945-3800 ext 6017.

Sunday, 27 May

Join Abacus for their annual fundraising Sunday brunch, and help raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters. $100 per person. From 11.30am to 3.30pm. Call 623-8282.

Thursday, 31 May

Join Ristorante Pappagallo for a gastronomic feast ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. Each week the menu will feature different cuisines from across the globe. The first menu takes diners from London, UK, to Suez in Egypt. Cost is $35 per person for three courses, including a specialty cocktail.

Flava – 27 April 2012

Delight mum with a delicious brunch!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. This year, show her your appreciation and spoil her with a sumptuous brunch. Here’s a round-up of some of the best of the best to enjoy on Sunday, 13 May.

Grand Cayman Marriot

The Marriott will hold their Mother’s Day Brunch in the Red Parrot restaurant; from 12pm to 3pm. Highlights include bottomless sparkling wine, action stations, raw bar, salad bar, carving station, and delectable desserts. Price is $60 per person. Call 949-0088.

Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

Treat mum to Grand Cayman’s most luxurious brunch, mingling breakfast tradition with Caribbean spice, Ritz-Carlton elegance and flowing Tattinger Champagne. A token for Mum, courtesy of Silver Rain, a La Prairie spa will be offered. From 12pm to 3pm. $86 unlimited champagne, $62 without. Call 815-6200 for reservations.

Blue Cilantro

Save mums weary legs and check out Blue Cilantro’s al la carte brunch. No need to get up and head to the buffet table, instead order whatever you like from the restaurant’s extensive brunch menu and have it bought direct to your table. Choose from a selection of breakfast items, small starter plates, main plates and delectable mini pastries and cheeses. Call 945-4372 (HERB) for reservations.

Tukka

Head East to Tukka restaurant and enjoy brunch at this charming restaurant perched right on the water’s edge with views of the famous Wreck of the Ten Sails. Delight mum’s taste buds with a carving station, breakfast items, soups, sushi, salads, desserts and a chef manning the barbecue. From 11.30am to 3.30pm. $29.50, plus an optional $19.50 for endless bubbles. Call 947-2700 for reservations.

Guy Beringer’s 1895 Hunter’s Weekly article, aptly titled “Brunch: A Plea,” extolled the virtues of brunch, principally because it would allow you to stay up later and get drunker on Saturday night and not be required to wake up early for breakfast.

“Instead of England’s early Sunday dinner, a post-church ordeal of heavy meats and savory pies, why not a new meal, served around noon, that starts with tea or coffee . . . By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers.”

 

On the web

On a budget, or would rather treat mum to a meal at home? Treat your mum to a delicious home cooked meal. Visit www.flavacayman.com for recipe ideas.

Food diary

Saturday, 28 April

Slow Food dinner, Grand Cayman Beach Suites rooftop. This five-course dinner observes Earth Day and Earth Month, with a focus on locally produced ingredients. From 6.30pm. $75 per person, $85 for non-members. Price includes wines and gratuities. Email alan@cfp.ky.

Monday, 30 April

Big Steaks, Big Reds wine dinner at XQs. Four course dinner with wine pairings. $65 per person, plus gratuities. Call 947-9770.

Tuesday, 1 May

Join Chef Aaron Molloy of Karma at Bon Vivant for a cooking class on sushi. 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Price TBC. Call 623-2665.

Saturday, 5 May

Blue Uncovered cooking class and lunch at Blue Restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. Learn about kitchen oils and how best to use them.  11.45am to 2.30pm. $110 per person, including gratuity. Call 815-6100.

 

Flava – 20 April 2012

St. George’s Day is here!

It’s St. George’s Day this Monday, 23 April. St. George is the patron saint of England and while the day is no longer a national holiday, many people still take time to mark the day, often with a traditional English feast. Here’s our pick of some of the best.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

A roast beef served with Yorkshire pudding is arguably the quintessential English dinner. A Yorkshire pudding is a savoury pastry which originated from Yorkshire, England and is cooked by pouring a thin batter made from milk or water, flour and eggs into oiled then preheated baking pans. Everyone has their favourite recipe– just make sure it’s all served up with ample gravy for all.

Fish and chips

What could be more English than a hearty portion of fish and chips all wrapped up in yesterday’s newspaper? Fish and chip shops – often known as chippies – traditionally use a simple water and flour batter, adding a little baking soda and vinegar to create lightness, therefore causing bubbles in the batter. The chips are usually cut extra thick and served with a healthy splash of salt and vinegar. Popular additions include gravy or mushy peas.

Toad in the hole

A traditional English dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and onion gravy. The recipe itself is rather simple but requires some skill to cook perfectly. A pan is placed in the oven and heated for about 15 minutes while the batter is prepared. The sausages and batter are then added and cooked for about half an hour.

Steak and kidney pie

Comfort food at its best! Steak and kidney pie is a savoury dish that is filled principally with a mixture of diced beef, diced kidney – often ox, lamb, or pork – fried onion, and brown gravy. The gravy typically consists of salted beef broth flavoured with Worcestershire sauce and black pepper, and thickened with refined flour, beurre manié, or corn starch. Top with hot water crust pastry, puff pastry, or short crust pastry.

 

Camana Bay restaurants offer summer internships

Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink and Ortanique have teamed up to offer budding restaurateurs from John Gray High School summer internships. Offered to students in year 10 and year 11, who have shown an interest in food, nutrition or the restaurant industry, the internships offer selected students an introduction to the hospitality industry. Interns will have the opportunity to work in the kitchens, where they will learn how to use restaurant equipment and utensils as well as cooking techniques, in addition to assisting staff front of house. Interested students should contact Paulette Gayle, pgayle@jghs.edu.ky.

Wine sale

This Saturday, 21 April Tortuga Fine Wines & Spirits is holding a spring clearance sale.  Tortuga will have a wide range of wines, spirits as well as select beers on sale, as well as extra discounts for cases. The sale will be held from 10am to 7pm, at the Greenery location, at the entrance to The Strand.

 

Food diary

Friday, 20 April

Wine dinner, Clash of the Titans – Tuscany versus Venetto – at the Westin. $99 plus 15% service charge. Call 945-3800 ext 6007.

Saturday, 21 April

Farm-to-table four course dinner at Michael’s Genuine, 7pm. $50 per person, $90 with wine pairings, exclusive of gratuities. Call 640-6433.

Wednesday, 25 April

Cooking class at Bon Vivant with Chef George Fowler of Calypso Grill who will explore exotic Caribbean flavours. From 6.30pm to 8.30pm. $50 per person, call 623-2665 or email info@bonvivant.ky.

Monday, 30 April

Big Steaks, Big Reds wine dinner at XQs. Four course dinner with wine pairings. $65 per person, plus gratuities. Call 947-9770 for reservations.

Saturday, 5 May

Blue Uncovered cooking class and lunch at Blue Restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. Learn about kitchen oils and how best to use them.  11.45am to 2.30pm. $110 per person, including gratuity. Call 815-6100.

Thursday, 10 May

Periwinkle Italian dinner series. Celebarte the capital of Italy’s famous food valley where Parmigiano Reggiano cheese reigns supreme. Indulge in house made gnocchi, braised beef cheeks and Torta limone to name just a few. $60 per person, $30 with wine. Call 943-9000.

On the web

Check out www.flavacayman.com for some traditional English recipes to try at home this St. George’s Day!

 

Flava – 13 April 2012

Food of Titanic proportions

This Sunday, 15^th April, marks the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. We all know the story – the liner, on its way to New York, hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and sank the following morning, claiming 1,517. Her sinking is one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history and has led to major improvements in maritime safety.

While many are captivated by the sheer scale of the disaster, often overlooked is the extravagant food many of its passengers feasted on. Titanic’s passengers – some of the wealthiest in the world – feasted on some of the finest cuisine available.

Titanic sank during the last years of the Edwardian era before World War I, where the privileged ate and drank with abandon guaranteed to increase girth and shorten lifespan. Food was rich and fatty, and courses were accompanied with wine and liquor in sufficient variety and quantity to yield magnificent hangovers.

The final meal for Titanic’s first-class passengers was an extravagant ten course affair, washed down with some of the finest wines in the world. Delights included oysters, filet mignon, poached salmon with mousseline sauce, roast duckling, foie gras, waldorf pudding, and chocolate and vanilla éclairs. For those who still had room, cheese, fresh fruits, coffee – and cigars for the gentleman – followed after the meal. To view the full menu, visit www.flavacayman.com.

 

Big Steaks, Big Reds

XQs restaurant has recently launched a new wine dinner series, which is bound to appeal to steak and red wine lovers everywhere. Temptingly named Big Steaks, Big Reds, this is an extravagant four course dinner held on the last Monday of each month. The menu hasn’t been firmed up for this month’s yet, but based on last month’s menu – Certified Angus Beef carpaccio, braised short ribs, bone in rib eye steak and a decadent liquid centre lava cake – diners will be in for a feast. Check out the Food diary above for more details.

 

Food diary

Friday, 13 April

5 course Dog Point Wine Dinner at Grand Old House. $85 plus 15% gratuity. Call 949-9333.

Thursday, 19 April

Cooking class at Bon Vivant with Chef Thomas Tennant of Michael’s Genuine, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Explore rustic cooking with local ingredients. $50 per person. Call 623-2665 or email info@bonvivant.ky.

Friday, 20 April

Wine dinner, Clash of the Titans – Tuscany versus Venetto – at the Westin. $99 plus 15% service charge. Call 945-3800 ext 6007.

Saturday, 21 April

Farm-to-table four course dinner at Michael’s Genuine, 7pm. $50 per person, $90 with wine pairings, exclusive of gratuities. Call 640-6433.

Wednesday, 25 April

Cooking class at Bon Vivant with Chef George Fowler of Calypso Grill who will explore exotic Caribbean flavours. From 6.30pm to 8.30pm. $50 per person, call 623-2665 or email info@bonvivant.ky.

Monday, 30 April

Big Steaks, Big Reds wine dinner at XQs. Four course dinner with wine pairings. $65 per person, plus gratuities. Call 947-9770 for reservations.

Saturday, 5 May

Blue Uncovered cooking class and lunch at Blue Restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. Learn about kitchen oils and how best to use them.  11.45am to 2.30pm. $110 per person, including gratuity. Call 815-6100.

 

Flava – 6 April 2012

Chocolate Easter eggs offer sweet treats

Chocolate Easter eggs fill the shelves at local food stores at this time of year and are a popular treat with the old and young alike, but what really is behind the meaning of today’s chocolate eggs?

The egg is seen by followers of Christianity as a symbol of resurrection and new life. The Easter egg tradition may also have merged into the celebration of the end of the privations of Lent in the West. Historically, it was traditional to use up all of the household’s eggs before Lent began – hence Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day. Eggs were originally forbidden during Lent as well as on other traditional fast days in Western Christianity.

The oldest tradition is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs, but today chocolate shaped eggs are commonplace, and are often filled with additional candy for an extra special treat.

Cayman’s Easter traditions

While Easter eggs may be a common tradition across the globe, each country still has their own unique dishes at this time of year. Tanya Foster of Foster’s Food Fair reminisces over some popular Caymanian dishes.

“A friend of mine remembers ham and fresh roasted pork stuffed with garlic, peppers, hot pepper, thyme, salt and pepper. It was served with rice and beans and Cayman style potato salad with beets. She then told me they decided on a “Bush Cake”. I had never heard of Bush Cake before; but it is the term they use for any traditional Cayman cakes like cassava, sweet potato, rice pudding cake and Irish potato cake.

Other people I spoke to remember traditional cookouts on the beach that they have been camping on for the whole Easter weekend. They only had seafood that they have gone out and caught, such as lobster, stewed conchs, welks, turtle and fish. It was served with breadfruit, sweet potato and other bread kinds.

The final tradition friends and family spoke of was stewed turtle and stewed beef with breadfruit and other ground foods.”

Did you know?

Deep-fried chocolate Easter eggs are sold around Easter time in Scottish fish and chips shops. The idea was invented in a northeastern Scottish takeaway as a sequel to the extremely popular deep fried Mars Bar.

On the web

Need a recipe for Easter? Check out http://www.flavacayman.com.

 

Food diary

Sunday, 8 April

Ortanique pig roast, from 6pm on The Island at Camana Bay. $60 per person, plus 18% gratuity. Includes two complimentary welcome drinks. Call 640-7710.

Wednesday, 11 April

Cooking class with Chef Lloyd Brown at Bon Vivant, Camana Bay, 6.30pm to 8.30pm. $50 per person. Call 623–2665.

Thursday, 12 April

First in the Italian Dinner Series at Periwinkle, 7pm.  Chefs Jordan and Stefano will explore Campania’s exuberant cuisine. $60 per person, $90 with wine pairings. Call 943-9000. 

Friday, 13 April

5 course Dog Point Wine Dinner at Grand Old House. $85 plus 15% gratuity. Call 949-9333.

Friday, 20 April

Wine dinner, Clash of the Titans – Tuscany versus Venetto – at the Westin. $99 plus 15% service charge. Call 945-3800 ext 6007.

Saturday, 21 April

Farm-to-table dinner at Michael’s Genuine, 7pm. $50 per person, $90 with wine pairings, exclusive of gratuities. Call 640-6433.

Food Diary BOX

Easter brunch, Sunday 8 April

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is hosting two brunches this Easter, April Showers Easter Brunch, in the Royal Ballroom, and Taittinger Champagne Easter Brunch in 7 Restaurant. $125 with champagne, $95 without.