Rosemary Parkinson, Contributor

Part of the madding crowd! - photos by Rosemary Parkinson

In 2002, Lee Brian Schrager, director of special events and media relations at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, had a vision - to reinvent their Florida Extravaganza at FIU Byscane Bay Campus. This became the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBE), attracting some 7,000 guests to a series of dinners, seminars, a grand tasting and live auction.

The following year 10,000 people came. By 2004 these numbers doubled, with media coverage rampant. In 2006, its fifth anniversary, some 16,000 swarmed in daily. Today, The Food Network has attached itself as title sponsor, resulting in the national appeal of one of the most watched food networks with its celebrity chefs and hosts, a combination of international top-quality libations from around the world, and the excitement of Latin and Caribbean-inspired regional cuisine.

Hosted by Southern Wines & Spirits of Florida and Florida International University (FIU), the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival February 22 to 25 - benefits the Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center at FIU becoming one of the largest and most well-known food festivals in the U.S.

At last year's SOBE, I was horrified that this show had no real Caribbean product representation. Knowing the diverse cuisine and food items we have to offer, it hurt to see one Trinidad Rum 100 cane on show with Chef Cindy Hutson and Delius Shirley, keeping the Jamaica flag flying with Caribbean fusion cuisine. As I walked around, sipped and tasted, I had my own vision.

MY VISION

Convincing the organisers of South Beach to allow me a booth for SOBE 2007, although sold out, was the easy part. But when you have a vision, you 'haffi' fight to see it come to fruition. Fight, push and cry. Together with Maurison Randall, New Kingston Farmers Market, we did all three. Now I am ever so proud that Jamaica will be at SOBE 2007. Look for SOBE exclusive Food articles.

With Bon Appetit visiting us, their unprecedented Caribbean May 2006 issue, I shouted to whoever would hear that we would miss the boat by not waking up to smell the spice. With Rachael Ray and Emeril preparing Jamaican rice and peas and oxtail respectively, chefs across America using Jamaican jerk, restaurants opening daily serving Caribbean nosh, Ferran Adria, the 'god' of chefs in Spain, using ackee, Caribbean food is hot!

And now, we gwine' show dem how hot come February 23! Jamaica is going to ensure that some of that US$200 billion (J$13.4 trillion) that American 'foodie' travellers spend yearly will come our way forever! My vision did not stop at Jamaica being a part of SOBE but to bring it to the Caribbean, one way or another. I shall continue my whisperings with Mr. Schrager, but with the advent of the BET/MACO St. Lucia Food & Rum Festival in October and my plans that were already in the making before that for Jamaica and Barbados, we will have our own Food, Wine & Rum Festivals, come hell or high water.

Imagine: Jamaica for an exotic food festival, spicy St. Lucia for theirs, thanks to Neysha Sodeen and Allan Chastanet, and on to Barbados for the aromas of life itself. Sounds tasty, eh? But a vision is a vision.

THE CAST OF SOBE

Left: If you had too much Trinidad rum, a sleep in the hammock is very relaxing.   Right: It was rum, rum, and more rum

This years celebrities at The Food Network SOBE include Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Martha Stewart, Giada De Laurentiis, Todd English, Paula Deene and her Southern fare. The Mondavis, George Duran, Anthony Bourdain, Ortaniques Cindy Hutson. David Lieberman, Hedy Goldsmith, Mark Millitelo, Alton Brown, Racheal Ray, Nobu Matshuhisa and a bevy of other greats. Joining them is our own Al Roker. I say "our own" because with Jamaican roots (his maternal grandmother), Bahamian roots (father from Exuma) and the love that every Jamaican feels viewing him weekly on NBC's Today Show, we feel "he belong to we!"

In an exclusive telephone interview last week, Al divulged, "I love Jamaica. About eight years ago I stayed at Montego Bay's Half Moon. We sure ate a lot of stuff from all the various eating stands wherever we travelled." Asked if he could name any particular stand, Roker laughed: "I am in my 60s and can hardly remember what I did this morning."

The host of several NBC's specials and an accomplished producer, Food Network's Roker On The Road, a bestselling author of Don't Make Me Stop The Car: Adventures in Fatherhood, Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue, Al Rocker's Hassle Free Holiday Cookbook and Big Shoes: in Celebration of Dads and Fatherhood, Roker loves ackee, jerk, Bahamas conch salad, hopping John and johnny cakes. He does all the cooking at home, but with two small children, aged eight and four, hot, hot, hot cannot be on the menu although his 19-year - might be more receptive.

Roker attends the South Beach show because. "It's like going to the Caribbean without leaving the U.S." When asked if he'd accept an invitation to Jamaica, "most certainly," was the answer. "I will be part of the BubbleQ at South Beach this year preparing grilled shrimp and potato salad. I have a jerk chicken recipe I'll have my assistant (Vanessa Miller, a Jamaican, by the way), send to you. It has to be served with my mom's peas and rice and salsa."

'VANESSA MILLER and AL ROKER'S RECIPES

'Twenty-six-year-old Vanessa Miller just loves working for Al Roker. "He's a wonderful great boss." Although born in the U.S, her parents are Jamaicans. Her favourite foods are her grandmother's curry chicken and oxtail with, "those great butter beans." "I just adore Jamaica and visit as much as I can. It's so beautiful," she told me.

AL ROKER'S JERK CHICKEN

The word 'jerk' refers to the spice mixture used to coat the chicken.

Brought to Jamaica and other Caribbean climes by African slaves, jerk seasoning has been used on pork, chicken, and many other meats.

INGREDIENTS

1 (3 1/2 4 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces

METHOD

Step 1. Rinse the chicken pieces under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the chicken pieces all over the jerk seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling.

Step 2. Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for indirect grilling over medium heat.

Step 3. Put the thighs and legs on the grill, cover, and 10 minutes later, add the chicken breasts and wings, to allow for different grilling times.

Grill the chicken, turning once, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced and the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F in the thickest part of the thighs and 170 degrees F in the breasts.

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From left, Van Aken, Gari Ferguson, Anthony Bourdain, Norma Shirley and Colin Hylton.