Nashauna Drummond, Staff Reporter
LEFT: 'King of the Kitchen', president and CEO of Cable and Wireless, Rodney Davis, set palates on fire at Strawberry Hill Restaurant in Irish Town on Monday. RIGHT: With the assistance of one of Strawberry Hill's chefs, Oscar Richards (right), Rodney Davis holds with pride the Vanilla Custard Pudding he made with his grandmother's special recipe. - PHOTOS BY WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
DID YOU know that the new boss at Cable and Wireless is into more than just phones? President/CEO Rodney Davis had guests' taste buds feeling very good on Monday when he changed hats and donned a toque in the kitchen at Strawberry Hill Restaurant and Spa in the hills of Irish Town.
The event formed a tantalising part of The Gleaner's Kingston Restaurant Week (KRW), of which Cable and Wireless is a sponsor. Mr. Davis, who is a food enthu-siast, said he thought it was a wonderful idea and the telecoms giant just had to get on board.
He equates being in the kitchen to a game of golf. "Being in the kitchen is like golf, you can't think about anything else. Not the pressures of work, nothing. It takes me away from everything else just like when I'm on the golf course."
And Mr. Davis is no novice in the kitchen. It's a hobby that he's learnt well since he entered the kitchen at the age of 14 as a dishwasher at Shenanigans in Toronto, Canada. By age 16 he was a cook helping with preparation work, and by 20 he was running the kitchen on weekends at Miller's Country Fair in Toronto.
He joked that by the time he realised he could make good money being a chef, he was already in his third year at university.
But on Monday evening, Mr. Davis' special guests were in for a special treat. He thrilled their taste buds with his grandmother's (Miss Dolly's) Vanilla Custard Pudding with a touch of Cable and Wireless. But that was the icing on a meal of Conch Chowder as starter. Mixed Seafood Gevinche Martini as appetiser and entrée of Grilled Fillet of Snapper or Pan Seared Chicken Breast.
His favourite meal to prepare: Cajun Chicken drizzled with Lemon Butter Sauce with Jalopeno Cornbread. Of course, that has to compete with his Curried Shrimp, which he has recently perfected.
Mr. Davis' interests are as diverse as his palate. Some of the 'weirdest' dishes he's tried include: Ackee soup as well as entrées using alligator, deer, kangaroo and oysters. But on any day of the week you can win him over with a bowl of chicken soup with everything in it, just like his mother used to make.
