This year’s Cayman Classic will delight taste buds from 2 to 5 March, 2006.
The Department of Tourism and Food & Wine Magazine announce the schedule of events for the third annual Cayman Classic.
The Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort will serve as the host venue for this year’s Classic, which promises to attract foodies from abroad as well as locals with a myriad of delights, said a press release from DoT.
The four-day extravaganza kicks off with a welcome reception that will set the tone for a weekend highlighted by cooking demonstrations, wine seminars, and special events with five-star meals from international celebrity chefs, sommeliers and on-island Caymanian cuisine specialists. Bruce Sherman, chef from Chicago’s North Pond Restaurant, Aarón Sanchez, chef from Manhattan’s Paladar and Centrico restaurants, and wine expert Joshua Wesson of Best Cellars will share lessons from their vast experiences and recipe files.
The main events include the always popular gala dinner on Friday at the Grand Cayman Marriott’s Solana Restaurant and a cook-off brunch Sunday, the closing day of the Classic. Saturday brings action throughout Grand Cayman for a dine around line-up that will see some of the island’s best restaurants offer participants a special Cayman Classic menu, which includes dinner paired with wine at a set price.
Thursday, 2 March
Welcome Reception – Sea Grape Café, West Bay – 6-9pm – A truly Caymanian affair, this special event is hosted by DoT for weekend pass holders and VIPs . . . a light-hearted evening filled with island flair, complete with local epicurean offerings and dancing under the stars to live entertainment by some of Cayman’s finest musicians.
Welcome Reception – Sea Grape Café, West Bay – 6-9pm – A truly Caymanian affair, this special event is hosted by DoT for weekend pass holders and VIPs . . . a light-hearted evening filled with island flair, complete with local epicurean offerings and dancing under the stars to live entertainment by some of Cayman’s finest musicians.
Friday, 3 March
Local Cooking Demonstration by the National Trust – Marriott Beach Resort – 1- 2pm – Bergman Ebanks – Cayman Style Snapper – Cayman Fish Stew, once an everyday staple of life in Cayman, has become a less frequently made treat in recent years. This meal includes red snapper, cassava, sweet potatoes and cocos with corn meal dumplings. The stew is seasoned with salt, black pepper, onion, seasoning peppers and fresh coconut milk – a very traditional Caymanian meal and pleasure to the palate.
Culinary Demonstration & Sampling – Marriott Beach Resort – 2 – 3pm- Aarón Sanchez – Barrio Classics – Updated and Refined – Aarón will present traditional Latin recipes that are prepared at home and in neighbourhood eateries, in a jazzed up and modernized style with new presentations, addition of ingredients and techniques. At the same time, he’ll be remaining true to the roots and inspiration of these classic dishes: Pupusas, Ensalda de Bacalao and Pescado con Salsa de Coco.
Wine Tasting Seminar – Marriott Beach Resort – 3- 4pm – Joshua Wesson – A Jug of Wine, a Hunk of Cheese, and Thou – Revel in great wine and cheese pairings with top-gun sommelier, Joshua Wesson. From Champagne to Port, and Brie to Parmigiano-Reggiano, no sip or slice will be unexplored.
Gala Dinner under the Stars – Marriott Beach Resort, Solana Outdoor Restaurant – 7pm – A festive four-course dinner prepared by visiting chefs Bruce Sherman and Aarón Sanchez, who will team up with Executive Sous Chef Saravan Appadurai and Chef de Cuisine Roman Dolejs at the Marriott Beach Resort.
Saturday 4 March
Cooking Demonstration by the National Trust – Marriott Beach Resort 12 – 1pm – Denise Bodden – Cayman Fried Crab – Land crabs, caught through traditional means, will be seasoned with coconut oil and fresh herbs and then pan fried and served on a bed of coconut flavoured white rice.
Culinary Demonstration & Sampling – Marriott Beach Resort – 1-2pm – Bruce Sherman – Tropical Trio: Grilled Fish, Cucumber Salad, Coconut Curry – Watch and learn about simple and clean warm weather flavours and preparations. We’ll instantly marinate and grill today’s local catch, put together a refreshing minted grain salad, and finish with a carrot and coconut cream curry with just a bit of zip.
Wine Seminar: Island Food & Wine – Marriott Beach Resort – 2 – 3pm – Joshua Wesson – An Island of Food, a World of Wine – Celebrate the deliciousness of Cayman cooking paired with wines from around the world. Learn how to match wine with everything from Jerk Chicken to Fisherman’s Pie.
Wine Seminar – Westin Casuarina Resort – 4 – 5pm – Grant Stein – Cayman Spanish Wine Connection – The Jacques Scott Group will be hosting an hour long guided tasting of the Estancia Piedra range of wines from Toro, Spain. This tasting and seminar will provide insight into the world of Spanish wines and will focus on the Toro region, where some of Spain’s most sought after and exquisite wines are produced. Estancia Piedra winery owner Grant Stein will be conducting the tasting and seminar.
Dine Around Cayman -7pm – Select a prix-fixe menu at one of the following participating restaurants: Casa Havana, Grand Old House, Hemingways, Mezza and Ristorante Pappagallo.
Sunday 5 March
Celebrity Chef Cook-off and Champagne Brunch – Marriott Beach Resort -9am -1:30 pm – Wrap up the weekend with what promises to be a culinary ‘Battle Royale’ when Aarón Sanchez and Bruce Sherman square off in a light-hearted, deliciously entertaining cook-off. Sure to be a highlight of the weekend, this event is based on a classic Food & Wine tradition: Aarón Sanchez and Bruce Sherman, both selected as Food & Wine Best New Chefs, will be presented with a surprise box of ingredients. That’s when the fun begins as these two kitchen kings try to outdo each other by fashioning a dish on the spot
Prices for the individual events are as follows:
Thursday 2 March – Welcome Reception, included in Weekend Pass and for special guests;
Friday 3 March – Gala Dinner, CI$80 per person inclusive of gratuity;
Friday 3 March and Saturday 4 March – Cooking Demonstrations and Wine Tasting Seminars, CI$20 per event, per person inclusive of gratuity;
Sunday 5 March – Brunch, CI$40 per person inclusive of gratuity;
A four-day Weekend Pass is also available for CI$160.00 which includes an invitation to the Welcome Reception, Gala Dinner, Brunch plus one Cooking Demonstration and one Wine Tasting Seminar. Dine Out price not included.
Tickets are available from the Department of Tourism. For more information on Cayman Classic visit www.caymanislands.ky/caymanclassic2006 or call DoT on 949-0623.
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