Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
Virginia Burke signs a copy of her new book 'Eat Caribbean' for Ian Wong at the book's launch held at Devon House, corner of Hope and Waterloo Roads last Wednesday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
FOR A book launch, there was a lot of food! But considering this was the launch of 'Eat Caribbean', the popular cookbook from author Virginia Burke, then it all made sense. Despite the heavy downpour around the corporate area on Wednesday May 18, the skies held up enough for the function to go ahead at Devon House. The courtyard, usually filled with the hustle and bustle of people was doubly packed as guests piled in to enjoy tastes of Jamaica. And for the cigar lovers, freshly rolled ones were yours as well.
You see, the author asked the managers and cooks of the restaurants featured in her book to fire up the grill and serve guests. So guests had a variety of dishes to choose from. The evening's activities were made possible by Walkerswood Caribbean Foods (for which Burke is director of marketing), Appleton and Devon House's own Rum, Roast and Royals. Of course, these entities were offering a taste of their good stuff as well making it a real gastronomic affair. Guest speaker, Minister of Industry and Tourism Aloun Assamba, was ecstatic at the book's launch.
ISLAND CUISINE
"Virginia is absolutely right, the distinctive and increasingly popular flavours of island cuisine are as enchanting as our music, our geography and our culture. Caribbean food is as powerful a tourist lure as any beach, or mountain," she said.
The minister felt that the book would be a great marketing tool for the island and considering copies were already being sold in England, she might get her wish. Persons waited patiently to collect a signed copy of the book.
This is Burke's second book, the first entitled 'Walkerswood Caribbean Kitchen'. Eat Caribbean has over 100 recipes of traditional and updated recipes.
