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Local chefs shine
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE - JULY 2006
Local chefs shine
Annual competition is a winner
The Bahamas' biggest food fight, the Culinary Classic, is coming to Nassau again, probably in the first week of November. (Exact dates had not been finalized by press time).
Up to a dozen teams, representing top restaurants and hotels from throughout The Bahamas, will face off in a competition that tests not only the skill but the imagination and creativity of the chefs.
For four days, teams will vie for prizes and recognition in four categories and, at the same time, strive for the grand championship, awarded for overall excellence.
Competitors from Grand Bahama and New Providence will be joined in head-to-head competition with chefs and their teams from resorts and hotels on the Family Islands.
The Atlantis resort on Paradise Island fielded the winning team in 2005. According to Julia Burnside of the Ministry of Tourism, creator and host of the annual event, the victors earn bragging rights plus the right to represent The Bahamas in international competitions through 2007.
Four events are designed to challenge the full range of culinary skills.
At the Celebrity Choice Cocktail Reception, contestants produce canapes and drinks appropriate for a large cocktail party or an official function.
The Mystery Basket competition is the centrepiece of the event. Teams create a full four-course meal from ingredients they receive early on the day of the competition. This part of the Classic is something like the Iron Chef competition, which can be seen on the US Food Network.
Each chef also prepares a Signature Dish representing his or her speciality, which is evaluated by a panel of top international chefs and food experts. Judges also grade table decorations, ranging from small pieces to massive ice sculptures carved to grace a sumptuous buffet.
Invited judges, writers
Judges are all members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). In 2005, ACF president John Kinsella of Ohio personally judged the Classic. He said the quality of this competition matches that of any he judges in the course of a year.
Janet Johnson, director of events, strategy and special projects for the Ministry of Tourism, says at least one of the 2006 judges will be a celebrity chef with a wide following.
During the competition, food and travel writers observe and take part in events to showcase The Bahamas as a travel destination. They'll enjoy dinners, tours, seminars and workshops featuring the foods and culinary culture of the country. "We have some unique and interesting foods to share with visiting writers," Johnson says. "Their articles appeal to a lot of people, including quite a few who plan their vacations for new culinary experiences. Others like to include special events in their plans."
In 2005, Sara Moulton, executive chef at Gourmet magazine - co-sponsor of the Classic last year - and host of the Food Network's Sara's Secrets, was the programme's headliner and guest chef. Moulton demonstrated her skills and how to use local foods.
This year ?we?re going to promote our own chefs,? says Johnson, ?it?ll be their show.?
While local chefs have mastered the necessary kitchen skills, Johnson says not all have developed ease in audience interaction. Relying on the local talent for programmes and demonstrations will give them an opportunity to become comfortable working in front of the public.
The annual Bahamian Culinary Classic started as the Great Bahamas Seafood Festival a decade ago, according to Burnside. Since then it has grown and adopted a new name to keep pace with the constantly changing dining scene. Foreign chefs dominated the original competitions, but Bahamians are now taking home the medals. Indeed, native-born teams of teacher chefs at The College of The Bahamas have won the Classic twice, in 2002 and 2004.
Culinary Olympics
With visitors from all over the globe arriving in Nassau daily, hotels and restaurants have to offer dishes that cater to many tastes. However, Bahamian foods, whether prepared in traditional ways or used creatively in new dishes, are also an important part of the country's culinary offerings. As one might expect, Bahamian chefs excel in this area.
That Bahamian dishes have wide appeal was demonstrated in 2004 when a team of Bahamian chefs took two bronze medals at the Culinary Olympics, held in Erfurt, Germany. More than 1,200 chefs competed. The next Olympics, technically the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung, will be held in 2008.
"It was a big accomplishment for us to be among the world's best," says Jasmine Young, one member of the all-Bahamian team. Other members were team captain Basil Dean Jr, co-captain Tracey Sweeting, Jason McBride, Wayne Moncur, Emanuel Gibson and alternate Alpheus Ramsey. All are senior chefs in New Providence.
Following months of preparation, the seven-member team made history as the first from the Caribbean region to compete at the world-renowned event.
"To see what's new in cuisine, new techniques of cooking, new trends and a chance to work with top international chefs - it was a mind-boggling experience," says Moncur. "Once we got in the arena, we thought about nothing else but to represent our country."
Award-winning menu
Chefs were judged on presentation, composition, preparation and arrangement of a three-course meal - appetizer, main course and pastry or dessert.
Over the course of three days, chefs prepared their meals in glass-encased kitchens, within specified time limits. Teams were not only closely monitored by judges but were also under the watchful eye of media and thousands of spectators.
The bronze medal appetizer, under the theme Seafood Trilogy, included winter melon, avocado and crawfish salad, accompanied by citrus and mint marinated fresh greens; tropical grilled shrimps with Bacardi Limon essence; and creamy Nassau conch and grits with spicy pan-seared island snapper, stewed tomatoes and lobster foam.
For the main course, the team prepared a Pork Feast of jerked pork loin with bacon crust and a ragout of ginger; mango and pork; spiced pork sausage; warm cabbage slaw with market fresh vegetables; sweet potato waffle; cinnamon glazed beets and pan gravy.
The dessert, entitled A Sweet Taste of The Bahamas, featured white and dark chocolate souffle with sapodilla cream filling, laced with banana rum and accompanied by pina colada ice cream and thyme-infused pineapple tart. The dessert was also served with a pineapple chip, vanilla crisp and tropical fruit sauces.
In addition to presenting its dishes to the judges, the team also had to prepare 110 portions for the Culinary Olympics Restaurant of Nations - proving that Bahamian chefs, working with traditional Bahamian foods, can compete with the best the world has to offer.
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