By MARSHA J MCDONALD | Owner of Seacrest Designs & Decor
If you’re into the island lifestyle, it’s pretty safe to assume that you love a good party! Wherever you are in the world, some delicious Caribbean food and some good reggae or calypso music can transform your space into a tropical oasis in a heartbeat… or a drum beat!
Another way to bring the islands home is to add some tropical flair to your décor. Here are five no-fuss ways to infuse the island experience into your party or home.
1. Select a Theme
establishing a theme makes it easier to select decorating items for your party space. If you want a soca fest, choose a carnival theme with bright colors, metallic accents and a bold centerpiece. For a beach theme, go with more mellow blues, seashell motifs and nautical accessories. A theme will help to make your party even more memorable for your guests.
2. Bring color Into the Mix
Once a theme is chosen, turn up a notch with a color scheme. Even if your party space has a lot of neutrals like white or beige, you can add bold splashes of color for visual interest. If the event is more casual, brighten and uplift the energy of a room with vibrant hues of orange, pink and lime green. For more formal parties, add metallics such as gold or silver with neutrals or blues.
Island Origins Magazine – Marsha McDonald Decor
3. Create a focal point
Since everyone is going to gather at the table for the food, creating a tablescape or centerpiece on the table based on your theme is a great way to focus your attention. Other focal points can be seating areas or the bar area. Whether your gathering is indoors or outside, create focal points by adding colorful pillows and a throw to your couch, chairs or chaise. Adding a tiki bar, umbrellas and other props like sandboxes will add to your budget but are also great ways to add impact.
Island Origins Magazine – Marsha McDonald Decor
4. Add the natural touch
As a nod to your vacation time as a beach bum or island hopper, bring in shells, sand, palm trees and a floral touch to echo the natural draw of the islands. If you have access to coconuts, use them as accessories. Try large banana leaves as placemats, or bamboo poles leading to a thatched roof outdoor bar.
Island Origins Magazine – Marsha McDonald Decor
5. Go Bananas
Use fruits like pineapples, limes or bananas as décor elements and not just for food. They can be used as accessories on coffee tables, credenzas or on the main food table. Put in a large clear vase and you have a simple centerpiece. During the party, if your guests want to eat the decor, there will be less waste for clean up!
Island Origins Magazine – Marsha McDonald Decor
Using these five tips will help to spice up your décor, setting the stage for an unforgettable experience for you and your guests as you party island style.
Seacrest Designs is a boutique design studio specializing in residences and architectural interiors. Services include space planning, furniture, kitchen and bath design, redesign and staging. Marsha’s design style adds classical notes with a tropical luxe sensibility, creating luxury living experiences for her clients in South Florida and the Caribbean.
Island Origins Magazine HR Online Single Pages 27 1 e1502393136120
DERRICK RECKORD
SVP of Commercial Operations
Grace Foods USA
In preparing for a business trip to West Africa in 2007 I was informed that the best place to get my vaccinations done was at the Government Health Clinic on Slipe Pen Road in Kingston, before heading home to South Florida. It was another early morning in Jamaica, but with heavy traffic I had time to see a side of the capital city I had not seen in years.
Looking around me I realized that this old commercial area was also occupied by some families. Through the crevice of a zinc fence I could clearly see a little girl about 2 years old walking through a muddy yard. She gingerly took up seat on a boulder overlooking a pot placed on 3 stones. Someone, I assume to be her mother, was squatted over the pot preparing breakfast. The vision was in stark contrast to what my 2 year old daughter was doing for breakfast in comfort, in Florida. I resolved then to proactively find a way to make positive change in situations like what I was seeing.
Over the years, through The Grace and Staff Foundation, many of us made small contributions to the communities around our Grace Offices, factories and warehouses. These contributions are matched by Gracekennedy and have proven quite effective. However, what I felt was absent was the commitment of my own family to be an agent of change. We needed to connect through an organized program that addressed the issues of shelter, nutrition, clothing and health care among the needy in the wider community.
We often articulate a vision of what we would do if we had huge resources, but we don’t spend enough time thinking how we can help a few with the limited resources we may have. In 2007 I realized that we can do more today to help the less fortunate, rather than waiting on the grand vision. Food for the Poor became one of the primary channels for our monthly charitable contributions as a family. When these contributions are added to those made by others, they become transformational. With over 95% of what we donate going directly to the people we intend, it is an easy decision to use Food for the Poor to manage our giving.
Our charitable effort is one of the most uplifting aspects of our lives and I encourage everyone to plant their own “small mustard seed” and let it grow and help our community.
In his exploration of Dutch Caribbean cuisine, Chef Irie came across a recipe for savory curried peanut chicken and long beans. The Thai influence in the Dutch Caribbean islands makes surprising combinations like this one, fairly regular. Of course, Chef Irie made it his own.
In an oversize frying pan over medium-high heat, add the curry powder and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the onion, garlic and chicken to the pan, stirring so the chicken becomes coated in the curry. Add the red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic powder, paprika, coriander, oregano, and lime juice, mix well, and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add 1 cup of hot water and the peanut butter to the pan, stir well then add stock. Mix until the peanut butter has blended with the stock. Add the chicken back to the pot. Let simmer on low heat, covered, for 30 – 45 minutes. Cook for another 15 minutes if using bone in thighs.
Garnish with peanuts and enjoy with steamed white rice or Chef Irie’s Long Beans.
Foregoing the creamy milk based version of Jamaican Carrot Juice, Chef Irie opted to create a cool carrot juice cocktail modification to the traditional lime-infused recipe. It’s made with the juice of a Granny Smith apple for tartness, nutmeg for spice and some white rum for a mellow kick.
1 ½ pounds Carrot, roughly chopped
1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and roughly chopped
2” piece fresh Ginger, peeled
¼ cup fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp. Nutmeg
6 tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. White Sugar
2-4 oz. White Rum, optional
Blend the chopped carrot, apple, ginger and six cups of water until fully pulverized.
Line a strainer or fine-mesh sieve with a cheesecloth and place over a bowl or pitcher. Pour the juice through, squeeze by hand to extract all the liquid, and then discard the pulp.
Add the lime juice, nutmeg, brown sugar, white sugar and, if desired, rum. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then place in the refrigerator to chill. Serve cold.
Try this carrot juice cocktail next time you’re gathering with grown up friends.
In the Afro-Caribbean themed episode of Taste the Islands Season II, Chef Irie prepares these scallops with French Caribbean sauce chien or ‘dog sauce’, so called because of the bite it has from the spicy peppers blended in. He used 5 scotch bonnets in the original recipe. Follow at your own risk!
For the Scallops:
10-12 large Bay Scallops
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. ground Black Pepper
2 tsp. Paprika
1 ½ tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 tbsp. Canola Oil
For the Sauce Chien:
½ cup White Onion, roughly chopped
5 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. Oregano
1-2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers, whole with stems removed
2 tbsp. fresh Lime Juice
3 tbsp. Canola Oil
Gently peel off and discard the “foot” or appendage of each scallop. Toss the scallops, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, and canola oil together and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Heat the canola oil in a frying pan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the scallops and sear about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
For the sauce chien, add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times to roughly combine.
Add 1 cup of hot water and continue to pulse until the consistency is semi smooth, but still a bit chunky. Serve over hot scallops.
Sweet potato pudding recipes have many iterations throughout the Caribbean. In this version, familiar elements like baking spices and raisins are present, but so are elements like rum, ripe bananas, and three types of milk that make it extra creamy. This method starts on the stove and ends in the oven. Chef Thia created this dessert, served in adorable little ramekins on an episode of Taste the Islands Season II.
Remember that Caribbean sweet potatoes aren’t the same as the orange American ones. Look for “boniatos” or the Asian-style white or purple skinned sweet potatoes when making this. Try the delicious Haitian sweet potato pudding recipe here.
Add boniatos and cook for 4-5 minutes while stirring.
Add 1/4 cup of coconut milk and continue stirring for about 2 minutes.
Stir in sugar until it is melted, then mix in 1/2 cup of the coconut milk along with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Fold mashed banana into the mixture and add remaining coconut milk, then stir until bananas are melted.
Add condensed milk, evaporated milk, raisins and white rum while stirring for another 5 minutes. The mixture should be moist and approaching a semi-firm texture by this stage.
Mix in vanilla, cover and let simmer at low heat for 5 minutes until the mixture has reduced and become sticky in texture.
Spoon mixture into ramekins and bake for 25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the crown of the pudding is dark brown.
Enjoy this Haitian sweet potato pudding recipe warm with ice cream.
If someone could blind you with a smile, Cynthia “Chef Thia” Verna would probably be the one to do it! With huge, sparkling eyes and contagiously joyful energy, the Haitian American social media maven is the new culinary co-host of national television series Taste the Islands.
Though she’s classically trained in French techniques, and graduated at the top of her class, her recipes are often simple, and her island roots consistently shine through.
She’s from a region of Haiti called Pelerin, just outside the capital city of Port au Prince. Family members mentored young Thia who opened her first restaurant, ‘Ateliers le Bamboo’, at 17.
Since then she has deliciously satisfied the cravings of presidents and celebrities, and represented Haiti’s consulates in Italy, Thailand and Suriname. Today, she is a private chef and caterer, living and working in South Florida, but her long term goal is to operate restaurants, develop mass market food products, write more books, and build a sustainable brand around her name.
One of the food products you might see in the near future is the element she talks about most, Chef Thia’s Spice. It’s her own version of Haitian epis, a blend of fresh herbs used as a base for savory dishes. Like Haitian culture overall, her food reflects a blend of African, Indonesian, European, Latin and native Taino elements reflected in frequent use of ingredients like star anise, parsley, watercress, cinnamon and thyme.
She says that what sets her food apart is simply the love and passion she puts into making it. Rather than throwing things hurriedly together, she’ll take the time to roast fresh garlic, or saute her special spice to release other layers of flavor, before adding them to her recipes.
CHEF THIA IMAGE GALLERY: BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE SET OF TASTE THE ISLANDS
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The ingredients she uses in her own cooking are usually natural and fresh, and she is acutely aware of the health benefits they offer. According to Chef Thia, fresh herbs and spices are the fountain of youth, as evidenced by her family members who “refuse to die”. She plans, like them, to stay healthy and functional way into her 90s with prolific use of garlic, and secret recipes like parsley tea.
As a survivor of physical assault, she is a staunch advocate for abused girls and uses her platform to raise awareness of social issues. In her 2015 book “Ordeals”, she shared her story of family, food, victimization and triumph, and now she focuses her energy on uplifting messages of hope for her legions of online fans.
She is a mother to three beautiful children, and a devout Christian. Look out for her first cookbook “50 Favorite Haitian Recipes” as part of the Taste the Islands Essentials collection, available now on Amazon. Catch her warm Haitian energy on Season 2 of Taste the Islands, on Create TV or a public television station near you.
In Haiti, turkey is eaten as commonly as chicken. Chef Thia created this recipe on an episode of the Taste the Islands TV show, where she showcased the food of her native island. This fried turkey recipe sees turkey breast well seasoned, fried, and then sauteed in tomato paste (a common ingredient in Haitian cooking) for a rich, robust flavor. Try it with Djon Djon Rice for a delicious dinner.
2 lbs lean Turkey Breast, diced into 1 1/2” pieces
2 tsp. Mustard
1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Lakay Foods Tomato Paste
3 tbsp. Scallions, chopped
4 tbsp. Canola Oil
1/3 cup Red Bell Peppers, diced
1/3 cup Green Bell Peppers, diced
1 1/2 cups White Onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup White Wine
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
Place turkey into a large mixing bowl and season with mustard, pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Toss to combine and place in refrigerator to marinate for 30 to 40 minutes, or overnight for maximum flavor.
Over high heat, heat canola oil and sear turkey breast for 3-5 minutes on each side until browned. Remove turkey and drain excess oil from pan.
Reduce heat to medium and add tomato paste. Stir in 1/4 cup of white wine and bring sauce to a light simmer. When sauce is simmering, add green and red bell peppers. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes and then add scallions to the pan.
Increase heat to medium-high and add turkey along with any juices released. Add the onion, remaining white wine and 1/2 cup of stock or water, and stir.
Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, until there is no pink coloration inside the turkey breasts and they are soft and juicy.
Enjoy Chef Thia’s Haitian fried turkey recipe with Djon Djon Rice (Haitian Black Rice) or Diri Kole (Haitian Rice and Beans).
Djon Djon Rice is a uniquely Haitian black rice recipe made with wild black trumpet mushrooms called “djon djon” grown in the north of the island. Well seasoned from start to finish, it is very popular in the Haitian communities at home and abroad.
1 cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 cup Chef Thia’s Spice (or other Haitian Epis)
2 cups frozen Lima Beans, thawed
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1 cup Button Mushrooms, sliced
4 cups Djon Djon Mushrooms
3 cups Lakay Food Yellow Long Grain Rice
Bring dried djon djon mushrooms to a boil in 4 ½ cups of water over medium heat and allow to boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. When it’s ready to use, strain the mushrooms and silt from the water using a fine sieve or strainer lined with cheesecloth.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in dutch oven and add Chef Thia’s spice (or other Haitian epis).
Add red bell pepper, stir, and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes or until the seasoning begins to lightly caramelize on the bottom of the pot. Add lima beans and button mushrooms while still stirring.
Add strained djon djon water and bring to boil.
Once water is boiling, add rice and reduce heat to medium high.
When the water is dried out, cover and reduce heat to low for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked.
Enjoy this Haitian black rice recipe with Chef Thia’s Tasso de Dinde (Fried Turkey) or any other Haitian food dish you’d like to try.
The story behind the TV show and the Taste the Islands Experience
How Taste the Islands began
When we started this journey four years ago, I knew that we would end up on national television. I didn’t know how, but the idea for Taste the Islands was conceived with mass market, family friendly potential in mind, so it was only natural. I also knew that regardless of our team’s resources, whatever we produced would be worthy of a large mainstream audience.
Calibe, Adam, Rory, Irie, Lisa Lee, Brandon, Lukkee and Tyler on the set of Taste the Islands Season 2 | Photo by David I Muir
The quick version of the inception story is that one evening in 2013 over a casual conversation, Chef Irie shared that he wanted to host a TV show, and I shared that I wanted to create one. Without much in the way of liquid assets, I sold my 2007 Toyota Corolla for cash, solicited the services of some recent film school graduates, borrowed a friend’s kitchen, and we got to work. Chef Irie researched his Caribbean culinary history, I went knocking on doors for support. We got a few episodes recorded but no one was giving us money and no one was offering us national distribution.
Fast forward to 2014, and Chef introduces me to a contact at Channel 2. They loved the pilot that had been sitting on my hard drive for almost a year, and our team agreed to deliver seven episodes without having a clue about how we’d bring it all together. You know the saying, “say yes first and then figure it out later.” We pulled a few favors and got some of our celebrity friends on board. We finally had the episodes completed, but still no money to cover the distribution fees!
I remember sitting in my office on the morning that the funds were due, frantically calling, texting and emailing everyone I had tried to solicit up to that point to let them know that we needed a decision. The hours rolled by and 6:00PM approached with not even crickets responding to me.
Instead of sinking, my spirit calmed. My heart and mind knew that we would not have been brought to this point, only to be left outside the doorway.
In the quiet room I turned to my computer and continued editing, determined to be ready for the opportunity that was sure to manifest.
At about 6:30 that night I received a text message from Paul Pennicook of the Jamaica Tourist Board letting me know that Jamaica would underwrite our first national broadcast. I cried. And now our team is forever in their debt.
The choosiest beggar
I occasionally refer to myself as the choosiest beggar you’ll ever come across. Yes, I generally am a little self-deprecating, but when I make this comment it’s about practical reality.
When you are creating something new, without a track record and without a whole lot of money, you have to do a whole lot of persistent solicitation (begging). Many people in this position take that to mean that they should simply accept whatever they get. While true to a certain extent, I believe that what you make of the goods and services you receive should reflect the quality of the brand you are trying to establish. You must use your solicitations to prove to other potential benefactors that you are a worthwhile investment.
With that in mind, regardless of our resources we ensure that our product, whether on screen, in print or in person, represents only the best of what we have to offer.
Lukkee, Rory, Thia, Calibe and Chef Irie
We are now entering the second season of our national television show Taste the Islands, and while it has been challenging, it is also truly gratifying to hear from viewers across America, and even from Canada and the Caribbean, who love and appreciate our efforts. We’ve heard from parents in Texas about enjoying the show together with their young children. We’ve heard from travelers in Colorado, Ohio, California and New York about the island memories the show has conjured for them. We’ve heard from expatriates of the Caribbean in Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina who reminisce about the flavors of home.
This season on Taste the Islands, with the inclusion of island footage from Barbados, Jamaica and Haiti, we expect that our broadcast will be even better received and more broadly distributed. We are all excited about our imminent foray into the realm of streaming services and look forward to presence on Amazon Worldwide in the coming months.
The Taste the Islands Experience
When we came up with the idea to produce a live event that would be an extension of the TV show, as usual our broad view was big and shiny. We imagined something like The South Beach Wine and Food Festival, but with a Caribbean spin to it. We envision fans from across the country coming to South Florida to indulge in the flavorful gastronomic delights that we explore on our show, and bringing their friends and family when they attend in subsequent years.
Fortunately, there’s a team of people who have bought into this idea. We’re currently planning the 2018 “Taste the Islands Experience” in a fabulous, multi-day, outdoor setting, and looking to invite a few thousand friends from around the region and the country to enjoy it with us.
Instead of doing a typical event program, we have chosen to publish a magazine that reflects all that is wonderful about the cuisine, culture and people in the Caribbean American community, and back home in the islands. Depending on the response, we may make it an ongoing thing.
Like everything we do, these projects are pretty awesome. And since we now have a track record, both community and corporate support have been way more forthcoming than in the days of the silent crickets.
Gratitude
None of our accomplishments would be possible without the people and organizations who have been early believers. Our profuse thanks to our series team including Chef Irie, Chef Thia, Lisa Lee, Lukkee, Adam, Tyler, Mike, Allison, David, Katie, Rory Lee, Ben, Sara, Maria and Bella, our broadcast partners American Public Television, South Florida PBS (and BECON-TV for the Island Origins TV show), underwriters Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Grace Foods and Lakay Food, and our in-kind supporters Caribbean Airlines and Wright Style clothing.
TASTE THE ISLANDS PHOTO GALLERY: BEHIND THE SCENES OF SEASON 1 AND SEASON 2
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David and I thank the members of the event production team including Tyrone, Marsha, Donna, Allison and all the volunteers involved, as well as Mayor Wayne Messam and the City of Miramar for hosting us.
To the viewers, attendees and supporters, we are most thankful to you, and hope that like us, you’re excited to see what happens next!
