Rosemary Parkinson, Contributor

The use of local fruits in Chef Richardson Skinner's crêpe dessert was thoroughly enjoyed. - Photos by Rosemary Parkinson

Let me start with the woes. The continuing crime problems on our islands saw my passport and other personal effects being stolen by one of the many 'druggies' that prey our streets leaving me with a piece of paper from Barbados Immigration to travel to the St. Lucia Food & Rum Festival. Time to put a stop to this nonsense. But ... on to St. Lucia.

Ahhh ... Appleton Estate rums were among the many displayed at the festival, their booth was well attended by all and sundry. Elements 8 caused a riot with their young good-looking barmen mixing cocktails a mile a minute. Angostura launched their new product - Angostura Orange Bitters, a must-have for any well-stocked bar. A 'new' rum to watch is a Haitian rum from Berling S.A. Herbert Linge (owner) is already planning to come bigger and better next year. Barbancourt probably for the first time feeling the pinch of another Haitian rum taking away some of their glory. Famed Las Vegas mixologist Tony Abou Ganim, employed their elixir, and his spirit was overjoyed to use the Appleton blend during his demonstration - his amazing video (available on amazon.com) that clearly defines the true and correct way to handle the science of bartending.

Tobagonian Duane Dove is making a huge name for himself pairing dark chocolate made by exclusive chocolate companies in France and Italy from specific Caribbean estates producing cocoa beans (Jamaica, Grenada and Trinidad), had the crowd mesmerised as he did last year.

SUPERB DINING

Dining at special restaurants across the island was an experience. Oprah's personal Chef Art Smith, delighted patrons at Discovery Hotel in Marigot Bay - the trip there under Caribbean stars by Hackshaw's boat adding to the magic. Doran Payne, a St. Lucian now famous in Chicago, did his do at The Edge, and a fine night of good company, excellent wine paired with fare delighted the over-booked restaurant at the water's edge. Chef Robert Oliver, prepared his Fiji/New Zealand/Caribbean cuisine at the Rainforest Restaurant based on the excellent one prepared for Taste of Barbados weeks earlier. The biggest kudos went to Eoghain O'Neill, an Irish Trini, whose organisation, plating and excellent attention to detail, had those who attended the St. Lucia Golf Club craving for more. This young man has places to go and Raffles in Canouan (an island within the St. Vincent and Grenadine chain), awaits those who should brave the difficulty of travel just to dine with him. St. Lucian Orlando Satchel (Dasheen Restaurant at Ladera set against the majestic Pitons) and Richardson Skinner (Coco Palm in the heart of Rodney Bay), put St. Lucia on the map to say the least.

FOOD, MIXOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS & STREET PARTIES

Demonstrations in the 'rum village' were a great hit. Watching their culinary skills in a state of the art kitchen by Scavolini, in a huge air-conditioned tent with large screens, made watching them a real delight.

At night, the street alongside the village was awash with street food. The bars in the vicinity doing a roaring trade whilst bands from Jamaica and St. Lucia, took the crowd into a dancing frenzy way into the wee hours of the morning. A job well done by all the organisers - Neysha Soodeen and The St. Lucia Tourist Board. We are finally on our way to showing the world (and ourselves) that culinary tourism is the way of the future.

KRW AND THOSE WHO KEEP THE FLAME GOING

Chef Doran Payne's local fruit caviar.

Meanwhile, Kingston Restaurant Week is well underway in Jamaica, and from all reports, another resounding success. With many of the top restaurants in Kingston doing their best to show off their fare, it is an exercise that will not only bring in the 'tourist dollar' but with the idea of a prix fixe, goes far in encouraging locals to eat out more regularly. Nothing like being treated like a King or Queen in a good restaurant, with superb fare all year round and Kingston Restaurant Week has succeeded and will continue to succeed in making this the norm.

The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association has already began planning for Taste of Barbados 2008, and their participation in the South Beach Festival next January. The many food festivals over the year are being noted worldwide. I must commend magazines such as Jamaica Eats, Health Home & Gardens (Jamaica), SHE (St. Lucia), and MACO (Trinidad), for putting our culinary arts on to the coffee tables of discerning 'foodies' up north. These Magazines brightly adorn the shelves of bookstores such as the prestigious Barnes & Noble, putting out the strong message that the Caribbean is hot at the moment. The time to wake up and smell the good food is here and now. For these magazines to continue to bring our cuisine to the fore, I urge corporate Caribbean to find it opportune to advertise their product/s as an investment for the future. To those who relentlessly write and strive for their cookbooks to be published and well distributed, I also say "keep up the writing for it is worth it". Bon appetite. -