And the winner is...

Last week we had a 'Name the Fruit' quiz. The prize was 1-dozen freshly baked, Jamaican plantain tarts. Today, we are happy to announce the winner ....

Mrs. Hinds-Smith, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Univ. of Technology

She correctly provided the name of the fruit...it's called a Mountain Cherry!

Yes, grown right here in Jamaica. Visit the fruit vendors at Loshusan's Barbican Centre or along South Avenue in Kingston and you will find these little gems. [Note: They will be out of season in the next 2weeks.] Mountain Cherries can be found in the hills of St. Mary. You will be amazed at the types of exotic fruit that are found in JA that often sit idle, unattended or people just do not know what they are. I could not help but to chuckle when a fruit vendor said to me "Miss, mi nuh know ah wah but yessideh mi see people ah buy it so mi decide fi pick and sell." The simple pleasure of food discovery and our colorful story-telling manner coupled with quick-thinking business spirit makes me fall in love with Jamaica over and over again.

Have you spotted a unique fruit in Jamaica recently? Tell us your story and send a picture (if possible) to info@myelitegrocer.com

As a little send-off treat for my friend Stephy who will be attending Tuft's School of Dental Medicine in Boston we settled on Tamarind Restaurant, a new spot offering Indian cuisine in Kingston. Although the food and the service were good it was a chance meeting with fellow Foodies - the ever charming JuicyChef, Jacqui Sinclair and Dale Pilgrim-Wade, HR professional and Blogger of Transition Sunshine, that made our day extra special. From our group chat, we quickly realized that we had a lot in common and will be meeting up again real soon! Upon Dale's suggestion, I attended a live cooking demonstration with Virginia Burke, author of EAT CARIBBEAN and WALKERSWOOD CARIBBEAN KITCHEN. The event was held at Bookland in New Kingston and from pictures below you will see why I was happy I attended. [Thanks Dale!!!]

One may think of Caribbean cooking with various unique and flavorful spices as intimidating but with Virginia, it was made easy. With her warm and personable style, everyone in the audience embraced Virginia's kitchen tales and cooking tips. I found myself reminiscing about my childhood adventures in the kitchen. My thoughts meandered around God-awful kiddie creations that were nevertheless eaten by my parents (bless their hearts & tummies). Fragrant smells of pimento, coconut oil and garlic 'calypso-danced' around Bookland and broke my mini 'day-dreaming' spell just in time to snap pictures and sample Virginia's fare.

First up was escoveitched chicken salad.

Typically Jamaicans make escoveitched fish so this was a welcomed twist. The star of this dish is the sauce that is comprised of vinegar, slivers of carrots, onion rings, whole pimento seeds and sometimes shredded 'cho-cho'.

Pumpkin fritters with love apple sauce soon followed.

Pumpkin for breakfast? Well let me tell you prior to this cooking demo I would not have thought but as it turned out it is one of the most delicious tasting fritter I have ever tried. So a fritter isn't exactly the most good looking thing but consider it a canvas of sorts with which you and your family can make fun shapes adding tomatoes and such for eye-popping color. If love does not shine through then you will certainly be captivated by the aroma of coconut oil when blended with the batter! Once the fritter has turned golden brown let it sit for a bit before adding the love apple sauce.

Both creations were megalicious! I can hardly wait to try recipes at my next social with friends. Purchasing EAT CARIBBEAN is simply a must!

Visit us next week for a review on the newest addition to the New Kingston strip - Springroll, an Asian Fusion restaurant and in celebration of Bird season in Jamaica we will be 'hopping' over to Medusa for Medusa Tuesdays at 96 Hope Rd in Liguanea for exciting bird fare.

- Yours megaliciously