Rosemary Parkinson, Contributor
Breads in all shapes, sizes and types. - PHOTO BY ROSEMARY PARKINSON
BACK AND firmly ensconced on the land, Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa's fabulous experience - Food & Wine's Epicurean Escape 2005 'Jawaiian II - Twice the Spice' that ran from August 31 to September 5 with demonstrations, cooking classes - Jamaican chefs doing their thing and counterparts from overseas trying to keep up!
Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum's master blender Joy Spence and Walkerswood's Virginia Burke were in-house showing the large turnout of 'foodies' from all over (including multi-media), how to blend and imbibe our island's elixir and how to cook with the best in seasonings, respectively.
I arrived on Thursday, September 1 - just in time for the general manager's grand gala. What a production! Actually, I really have to take my hat off to all of Grand Lido's staff. They did a wonderful job in ensuring that the entire show from beginning to end went like clockwork - and I am talking about the entire Escape not just the gala evening.
A GRAND BUFFET
Once those who had anything to do with the week's festivities were introduced by General Manager Bryan Drew, the national anthem beautifully rendered by Millicent Williams, the hotel's spa manager, the food games began. A grand buffet that offered over 100 local and international dishes with celebrity chefs at designated stations offering their signature fare accompanied by décor that this year had exceeded the limits of splendour.
Sam Choy - Grand Lido's very, very special guest chef and Hawaii's culinary ambassador will be mentioned first for that very same reason. His entourage had quite a booth - one lovely Hawaiian-themed spot that featured a magnificent Kahlua pig that was succulent and delicious. Other dishes included chicken and long rice, coconut shrimp and macadamia shrimp. I sampled tidbits for my real 'raison d'être' to search out Executive Chef Martin Maginley. I just knew he had to have his signature oyster booth that had me mesmerised last year. Yep! He was way, way out by the pool - trying to hide, I am sure, after all the work behind the scenes.
When it comes to oysters, a little walk on the wild side was fine for me and before Maginley could jump over the edge into the sea, I was on him like oyster on mangrove. Dr. Richard Harrison, his able assistant from Kingston (his story will be told soon - what a trip - a roving culinary doctor) all decked out in chef's outfit, must have thought I belonged in the mad house. Those oysters had me hanging around for as long as I could - the smell of grilled lobster the only thing drawing me away and, in any case, decorum does not allow being stuck on Maginley and his oysters all night! Young Adrian Crooks of the Grand Lido kitchen staff had some fine chunks of lobster, grilled to expert perfection, served with a scoop of a tantalising butter sauce that threw me into crustacean ecstasy.
THE BRITISH/JAMAICAN CONNECTION
I visited the sushi booth of chef Roberto Gabriel - one of the finest providers of both sushi and sashimi that I have come across in this island and elsewhere. More about him when I review Munasan in the coming weeks. This chef's fare is nothing short of amazing. I have warned management about possible kidnappings here, for sashimi (especially his) and I are now one.
The excitement at two other booths forced me to see 'wha' gwaan'. At first, British-born Executive Chef, Stephen Window, with the able help of Jamaican chef Maxwell Thomas, was beaming with delight at the 'oohing' and 'aahing' over his cubed bonito marinated in miso hamachi, topped with micro greens or sesame seeds and served on a tiny fork. Mr. Window opened La Jolla's Roppongi Restaurant - his love for classic culinary traditions as well as his appreciation for the diverse flavours of the Pacific flourishing so, many awards have come his way, including the Institute of America's Chef of the Year (2001) and Critic's Choice for Best Chef 2003 by San Diego magazine.
DREAM CUISINE
Window's greatest honour was being a featured chef at the James Beard House twice in 2002 and 2004 - an invitation most chefs can only but dream about. Right next to him was executive chef of Azure in Boston, Robert Fathman, whose sautéed wild prawns with diabolique infused bourbon glaze and green mango salad was for me a delight of tastes. Fathman has his own accolades to be sure - a featured chef in the James Beard Foundations' Discovery Series, he received national recognition as chef at Trio in Boston. He has served up fine fare at several restaurants from Cincinnati to California before settling at Azure although claims openly his other love might just win over his dream cuisine - "there's no greater release than splattering some paint on a canvas," he says. "In the kitchen, I am inspired but have to use some restraint so the integrity and balance of the ingredients remain intact."
