SUNDAY 14 MAY, 2017 – UWI TODAY
9
Noveck Gowandan is a cook, food blogger and the eLearning team lead at Campus IT Services, UWI, St. Augustine.
FOOD MATTERS
Caribbean Hand
Students concoct 28 delightful bites
B Y N O V E C K G O WA N D A N
The UWI’s Faculty of Food and Agriculture
hosted
the practical component of its “Development of
Caribbean Cuisine” course, on April 15, 2017, giving
students a chance to showcase their skills to the
public. In its third consecutive year, the theme this
time around was “Caribbean Delights in 28 Bites,”
and featured the authentic tastes of seven Caribbean
states, alongside a backdrop of solid entertainment,
serene weather, great people and a range of on-site
vendors from artisanal to commercial. Managed by
the course lecturer, Nequesha Dalrymple, this year’s
event outshone its previous two, and has everyone,
including myself, looking forward to next year.
The students fared brilliantly under the pressure
of managing their respective kitchens, engaging with
their customers and arranging their creative decorative
displays to lure votes for the coveted “People’s Choice”
award.
From my perspective as an event judge, we
assessed various components of their presentations,
from knowledge about the dishes and the countries
that they represented, to culinary specifics such as
food science, safety, standards and a little general
banter to lighten things up a bit. No questions were
left unanswered, evidence that their lecturers did a
stellar job preparing them for the real world. This
was also backed by some long patron lines at each
tent, with some of them returning for seconds and
in some cases thirds.
As a judge, it was a little overwhelming to
taste well over 28 bites in a compressed time, but
our palates were offered a brief interlude with a
surprise live performance by Isasha, a popular local
dancehall, reggae and soca artist, who had the crowd
singing along to his popular tunes.
The dishes were simply brilliant and for each
country there were at least one amazing bite that
made me go WOW! Innovation and creativity
was really at the forefront and these students all
delivered.
The Seven Teams
Bahamas • Barbados • Cuba
Grenada • St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia • St. Martin
Judging Panel
Mr. Ottley Alexis
Ms. Michelle John
Ms. Renata Sankar
Mr. Noveck Gowandan
TheWinners
1st Place: Team Bahamas
2nd Place: Team Cuba
3rd Place: Team St. Kitts and Nevis
People’s Choice: St. Martin
Island Banana Bread with Buttercream (Bahamas)
This dessert was soft and moist with the right balance of
spices and a moderately sweet buttercream that finished it wonderfully. I’d take a dozen to go, please.
Sofrito Salsa and Tostones (Cuba)
Twice-cooked plantain was the secret to this impeccable bite. A slightly
crunchy exterior yielded to a fluffy interior and paired with the tangy, almost ambrosial sofrito salsa, made this
appetizer into a mouth party, and I’m glad I was invited.
Curried Goat filled Cassava Dumpling (Grenada)
The curried goat
dumpling won me over with the cassava flour and it was love at first bite.
If they share this recipe I’ll be glad to give them both a try.
Rice and Peas (St. Kitts and Nevis)
A subtle hint of coconut milk, with
the floral, minty notes of thyme brought amazing depth of flavour in this
Caribbean staple. A welcome variation to our local versions, it’ll make a
great side to any Sunday lunch spread.
Sweet Potato Pudding (St. Martin)
The pièce de résistance was the
extraordinary sweet potato pudding. The pecans added the right textural
contrast and flavour notes to a moist and indulgent bite, wonderfully
peppered with spices. This was off-the-charts good.
PHOTOS: NOVECK GOWANDAN
