The beautiful words of the National Song were written and put to music by one of Cayman’s best-known writers of poetry and song, the late Mrs. Leila Ross-Shier. An organist in the Presbyterian Church, she had a great love and talent for music. “Beloved Isle Cayman” was composed in 1930 and she sang it for years accompanying herself on the guitar before it was adopted as a National Song.

BELOVED ISLE CAYMAN

O, land of soft, fresh breezes, or verdant trees so fair

With Thy Creator’s glory, reflected ev’rywhere.

O sea of palest em’rald, merging to darkest blue,

Whene’er my thoughts fly Godward, I always think of you.

Chorus

Dear rarest juices, abundant rich and free,

When sweet churchbells are chiming, my fond heart yearns for
thee.

When tired of all excitement, and glam’rous worldly care,

How sweet they shores to reach, and find a welcome there.

And when comes on the season, of peace, goodwill to man,

Tis then I love thee best of all, Beloved Isle Cayman.

verdant island, set in blue Caribbean Sea,

I’m coming, coming very soon, O beauteous isle to thee.

Although I wandered far, my heart enshrines thee yet

Homeland fair Cayman Isle, I cannot thee forget.

Away from noise of cities, their fret and carking care,

With moonbeams’ soft caresses, unchecked by garish glare,

Thy fruit with

Star Chefs and Homegrown Heroes: The best restaurants and cuisine on Grand Cayman.

With its first Cayman Cookout food festival, hosted early this year by über-chef Eric Ripert of Blue at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, and of Manhattan’s le Bernardin, the island served notice: Once best known for its diving, the isle now deserves equal acclaim for its dining. In recent years, a profusion of foreign-trained chefs has touched down, creating Caribbean-fusion menus that make for surprising and memorable meals. The island’s local talent shines too at several popular restaurants and casual roadside eateries that specialize in traditional Caymanian cuisine.

Calypso Grill
If you judged it solely by its name and location – overlooking the sport-fishing docks at Morgan’s Harbour – you might expect this to be one of those typical island fry houses that focuses more on its rum drinks than its menu. But chef George Fowler takes advantage of all that fresh fish in his backyard to turn out tuna spring rolls and wahoo ceviche appetizers, and entrées such as grilled ginger tuna, and grouper filled with crabmeat and spinach. Nab a table on the deck and linger over the sticky toffee pudding, which justly deserves its island-wide raves.
345-949-3948; calypsogrillcayman.com; average dinner entrée: $32

The Cracked Conch
This venerable island institution, perched above the sea at West End, has renewed its 25-year-old reputation for fine dining with the arrival of chef Gilbert Cavallaro, formerly with the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. Cavallaro puts a fresh spin on the standards, serving up conch chowder with bacon, leeks and coconut milk, and jerk-glazed pork belly on sweet-potato purée. Entrées include seared snapper with chorizo potatoes, and green sea turtle (ethically farm-raised on the island), braised with wilted lettuce, onions, mushrooms and coconut rum.
345-945-5217; crackedconch.com.ky; average dinner entrée: $28

The Lighthouse Restaurant
Ready for Italian-Asian-Caribbean fusion? That’s the mash-up at this Grand Cayman landmark, where owner/maitre d’ Giuseppe Gatta presides over a small battalion of ultra-attentive waiters, and Indian chef Remy Azavedo puts his signature on dishes like the tea-cured-tuna tataki roll and grouper cooked in a banana leaf with Thai spices. Lobster-and-shrimp gnocchi, classic lasagna and chicken parmigiana pay homage to the Italian side of the equation. For dessert: beignets for two, sprinkled with Vietnamese sugar and served with white-chocolate-truffle mousse and strawberry coulis.
345-947-2047; lighthouse.ky; average dinner entrée: $30

Vivine’s Kitchen
Native Caymanian Vivine Watler holds court in the kitchen at this seaside restaurant beside her East End home. Take a seat on the terrace overlooking Gun Bay and order off the blackboard menu, which offers a rotating variety of traditional dishes, including conch and whelk stews, fish ‘n’ fritters, and curried goat. To wash it down, there’s fresh mango juice or sorrel.
345-947-7435; average lunch/dinner entrée: $10

Norma Jean’s
No visit to Grand Cayman is complete without a stop at one of the island’s roadside stands. Each Thursday and Friday, starting around 5 p.m. and ending when the food is gone, Norma Jean Obando serves serious chicken and ribs with tangy, sweet barbecue sauce from her spot alongside a parking lot overlooking the north end of Seven Mile Beach, with coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, and peas ‘n’ rice on the side. Most folks do take-away, but there are a few tables, so you can enjoy your ‘cue with a view.
North West Point Road and Town Hall Road, West End; no phone or website; average dinner entrée: $10

Roland’s Garden
There’s no written menu. A yellow mutt named Sir Alex wanders freely among the tables. If you want wine or beer, you have to brown-bag it. And irascible-yet-lovable chef/owner Roland Schoefer tells his guests: “If you don’t like what I’m cooking tonight, then you don’t eat.” Nevertheless, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll not only like but also be overwhelmed by Schoefer’s copious culinary offerings, starting with appetizers of gravlax, cheeses and homemade sausage; followed by quiche, sauerbraten, pork chops, fresh fruit, scallops in bacon and homemade bread; and finishing with tiramisu, chocolate mousse and coconut rum cake. Trained in Germany, Schoefer opens the gardens outside his home to guests each Thursday through Sunday night. There’s room for only five or six tables, so reservations are essential. And there’s no bill at the end of the evening; simply leave the amount you think the meal was worth. Think generously.
Breakers, 345-926-7670; chefroland.com; typical contribution per person for a multicourse meal is $45 to $50.

Source: caribbeantravelmag.com

This deliciously coconutty concoction of rum and pineapple comes to us from Caribbean Cocktails (Ten Speed Press). Mix one up at home for an island escape any time.

SERVES 1

– 1 1/2 oz. Gosling’s Bermuda Black rum or other dark rum
– 1/2-oz. coconut syrup (available in specialty or gourmet stores)
– 1/2-oz. coffee-flavored brandy
– 4 oz. pineapple juice
– freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon

Fill a Collins glass with ice, add all ingredients and stir. Garnish with a cherry and serve!

Source: www.caribbeantravelmag.com

LEGEND HAS it that sometime in or near the year AD 600, a goat shepherd Kaldi noticed a change in his goats’ behavior. After eating the cherry-like fruits of a particular bush, they began to run and jump, full of excitement. Curious, Kaldi decided to try out the cherry-like fruits for himself and realized that he also felt full of energy. Intrigued, Kaldi took some of the bush’s fruit and branches to a nearby monastery where he shared the unusual events with the Abbot who then decided to cook the fruit and branches. After tasting the bitter liquid that resulted the Abbot threw the entire pot into the fire. Soon, however, when the cherry-like fruits started to burn, a delightful aroma filled the air and an idea occurred to the Abbot. He would investigate making a drink based on the roasted cherry-like fruit (what we now call beans) and the first version of the beverage known today to millions as coffee was born.

It is not known exactly where and when coffee was first cultivated. Some authorities say that around the year 575, Arab traders took the plant to the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula, now known as Yemen, where the cultivation of coffee began. Others believe that it was grown initially near the Red Sea in Arabia circa 675. Others say that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia circa 900. Regardless of its exact origins, it is known that coffee cultivation began in earnest in the 15th and 16th centuries when extensive planting of the trees occurred in the Yemen region of Arabia. The world’s first coffee shop, Kiva Han, is believed to have opened in Constantinople in 1475.

The use of coffee beans is said to have spread from Yemen throughout the Arabian peninsula and later to Turkey. At that time, coffee was used as a ritual drink and for its medicinal properties. It wasn’t until the end of the 15th century that roasting and crushing the coffee beans before extracting them with hot water became common practice and the modern coffee drink was born.

The Venetian merchant, Pietro Della Valle brought coffee to Italy in 1645, and it soon became a favorite drink. The British started to drink coffee in 1650, thanks to another merchant, Daniel Edwards. In 1652 Edwards is also said to have been the first European to open an establishment where coffee was sold as a drink. A cup of coffee sold for a penny. In Paris coffeehouses opened in 1672, and in 1675, Franz Georg Kolschitzky, a Viennese who had lived in Turkey, opened the first coffeehouse in central Europe. To Kolschitzky also goes the honor of refining the drink by filtering out the coffee grounds, sweetening it, and adding a dash of milk.

COFFEE COMES TO JAMAICA
Folklore says that in 1723 King Louis XV of France sent three coffee plants to his colony, Martinique. Two of the plants died en route and either the third plant or cuttings from it ended up in Jamaica, brought here in 1728 by former Governor, Sir Nicholas Lawes (1718-22). Lawes first planted coffee at Temple Hall, St. Andrew. Jamaica’s climate was so conducive to coffee production that the coffee industry expanded rapidly from St. Andrew to the Blue Mountains and the hills of Manchester, St. Ann and Elizabeth. By 1814 there were 600 coffee plantations on the island. In the 1830s with the abolition of slavery came a shortage of labor and a decline in coffee production. The harvesting of coffee is labor intensive because the beans are handpicked when ripe, one at a time. By 1850 only 186 coffee plantations were still in operation. Close to 100 years later, in 1943, the coffee industry nearly collapsed due to labor shortages, mismanagement and a lack of organization. Overseas, concerns were also being raised as to the quality and consistency of Jamaican Coffee and valuable markets were lost. In an attempt to address these issues, the Colonial Secretary created the Coffee Industry Board in 1953. Production became more streamlined, a centralized marketing system and a rigid system of standards control were developed.

There are two main types of Jamaican coffee ­ Jamaica Blue Mountain and Jamaica Prime. To be known as Jamaica Blue Mountain, coffee must be grown, as its name suggests in the Blue Mountains within the prescribed areas of St. Thomas, St. Andrew and Portland. Package labels indicate if coffee is a blend or 100 per cent Blue Mountain. Jamaica Prime is grown in Manchester, St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. Ann and St. Elizabeth. Jamaica Blue Mountain is cultivated between 2000 and 5000 feet above sea level, while Jamaica Prime is cultivated at slightly lower altitudes. The Coffee Industry Board’s trade name for Jamaica Prime is Jamaica Mountain Choice Coffee and it is recognized as a premium quality gourmet bean in its own right.

The reaping of the beans is only the first stage of an involved operation. After reaping, coffee is pulped and washed at a pulperie and the “wet parchment” that results is dried, cured, raded and then sorted. Jamaica is one of only a few countries worldwide that allows the “wet parchment” to sit and age for a minimum of six weeks so as to ensure consistency. Prior to export, the coffee then undergoes quality control measures including appearance checks and cup testing to ensure the cup-quality of the beans.

So pour yourself a cup, and drink in the history and aroma!

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story0029.html

The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots.

The Arawaks are the first people known to make a grate of thin green wood strips on which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and the word we know today as barbeque is taken from this early Indian cooking method.

The Carib Indians added more spice to their food with hot pepper sauces, and also added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs are said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No recipes exist since every time the Indians made the dish, they would always add new ingredients. The Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe.

Then the Caribbean became a crossroads for the world . . .

Once the Europeans brought Africans slaves into the region, the slaves diet consisted mostly of food the slave owners did not want to eat. So the slaves had to be inventive, and they blended their traditional African foods with staples found on the islands. The Africans introduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, saltfish, ackee, pudding and souse, mangos, and the list goes on.

Most present day Caribbean island locals eat a present diet that is reflective of the main ingredients of original early African dishes, and includes cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas and corn meal.

African men were hunters in their homeland, and often away from home for long periods of time. They would cook spicy pork over hot coals, and this tradition was refined by the early slaves in Jamaica. The technique is known today as “jerk” cooking , and the secret involves a slow meat cooking process. Jamaica is famous for jerk chicken and pork, and you’ll find jerk all over the island.

After slavery was abolished, the Europeans went to India and China for labor, and more cooking styles were introduced. Much of the Indian cooking culture remains alive and well in the Caribbean of today with the introduction of curried meats and curry powder. Indians call it kari podi, and we have come to know this pungent flavor as curry.

The Chinese introduced rice, which is always a staple in home cooked island meals. The Chinese also introduced mustard, and the early Portuguese sailors introduced the popular codfish.

Most visitors to the Caribbean have no idea that the fruit trees and fruits so familiar to the islands were introduced by the early Spanish explorers. The fruit trees and fruits brought from Spain include orange, lime, ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, tamarinds and coconuts.

Even the Polynesian islands play an important role in Caribbean cooking. Most of us remember the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty”, but do not know that particular ship carried breadfruit, which was loaded on board from the islands of Tahiti and Timor. In the movie the crew took over the ship, forced the captain into a small boat to fend on his own, and they threw the breadfruit, which they considered “strange fruit” overboard. Another ship was more successful in bringing breadfruit from Polynesia to Jamaica and the St Vincent and the Grenadines. Breadfruit is a staple diet in the current day Caribbean

America is responsible for introducing beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili pepper to the Caribbean. In fact these particular foods had never been seen in Asia, Europe or Africa, so America actually introduced these foods the rest of the world via the Caribbean.

So it’s no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and creative with the flavors of Africa, India, and China, along with Spanish, Danish, Portuguese, French and British influences. Food served in the Caribbean islands have been influenced by the cultures of the world, but each island adds its own special flavor and cooking technique.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/45781
Image Source: www.outsideyourworld.com

Juan José Valdés, Director of Editorial and Research of National Geographic Maps goes on a nostalgic trip as he looks at their new Caribbean Destination Map, which you can preorder through the Amazon link below.

It’s 5:45 a.m. on a chilly October morning. The office is dead calm and my cup of coffee has just kicked in. Thirty emails await my response and two handfuls of map projects need to be reviewed. Half of them, of course, are time sensitive. Where to begin? The project requiring the most urgent attention is our new double-sided Caribbean Destination Map. At a glance, some elements stand out:

On the eastern Caribbean side, the dive site symbol is too far away from the town, Bávaro, Dominican Republic. Hey! That’s where my wife and I danced the merengue all night on our 30th wedding anniversary.

The city inset map of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands, seems correct. Oh—those fresh lobster sandwiches!

In Puerto Rico, the town of Luquillo will need to be added. Wow! I remember those brightly colored food shacks lining the road.

On the western Caribbean side, it’s essential that the Mayan ruins of Tulum be shown. Boy, how impressive it was to swim in the warm turquoise waters of the Mayan Riviera with Tulum and its swaying palm trees in the background.

It’s 7:00 a.m. already! Seems like this map has drawn me in. Best to leave reminiscences aside and get on with the business at hand.

From the weather maps on television to the GPS screens that guide us, maps have become an integral part of our daily lives. As I can attest, they can also be a very personal part of our lives—for to relive some of your life’s most pleasurable moments, sometimes, all you need is a map.

National Geographic’s Caribbean Destination Map will become available later this month. It’s currently available for pre-order at Amazon.

Source: www.RepeatingIslands.com

Have you tried Cayman’s best import, Tortuga Rum Cakes? You can purchase these delicious, rum-soaked cakes online but if you can’t wait that long, the next best thing is to make one for yourself. Try this recipe below:

It may not be Picasso or Pollack, but its vibrant energy, and deep cultural connections are just as strong. Sarah Venable provides budding art collectors with a whirlwind tour of art throughout the Caribbean: the perfect jump-off point to this pulsating and fluid world.

Heads up, art lovers. If you have the notion that Caribbean art is just fruit-flavoured nostalgia, it’s time to take another look. According to Wayne Gallimore, owner of the Jamaican online art space, Jamagination, and a collector himself, buying art in the Caribbean offers a wealth of opportunities -literally. “Current market conditions are such that, generally speaking, art in the Caribbean is significantly under-priced when compared to equivalent quality art in North America and Europe,” Gallimore says. As a result, collectors who are visiting the region have the opportunity to collect art at relatively low prices. Investments aside, however, Gallimore adds that there is a growing appreciation for art in the region. “Heritage tourism and intercultural appreciation are growing trends in our increasingly globalized world and multicultural societies,” he says, and while it may not be at the rate it deserves, demand is increasing for art from the region.

Barbados, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Caymans all have prolific art scenes, and among their artists, you’re bound to find something that speaks to you.
Here’s a space-restricted preview, that barely scratches the surface of the profound art culture in the Caribbean, but is sure to whet your appetite.

JAMAICA’s proud and varied artistic heritage is complete with masters, movements and trends that collectors treasure.

In Kingston, get an overview at the National Gallery of Jamaica, or the CAG(e) at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, and then go shopping. Kingston is full of galleries, but The Mutual Gallery, The Art of Contemporary Jamaica, The Frame Centre Gallery, 128 Gallerie, HiQo Art & Framing Gallery, Island Art & Framing, The Jamaica Guild of Artists, Gallery Barrington and the Grosvenor Gallery are perhaps most extensive. Diverse Jamaican artists to note include Christopher Gonzalez, Oneika Russell, Judy Ann Macmillan, Alexander Cooper, Milton George, the visionary Albert Artwell, and Albert Huie, one of the fathers of Jamaican art.

In the Ocho Rios area, don’t miss Harmony Hall, a 19th century manse with over 100 artists and a good restaurant too.

Around Negril, see Lloyd Hoffstead’s Gallery and enjoy a cup of coffee with him, while in Montego Bay, The Gallery of West Indian Art is doing big business, with two retail outlets.

GRENADA has just begun to recognise the cultural value of visual art, which has only recently been added to the curricula of schools and colleges. Fresh and unique artists have sprung to fill the former vacuum.

In St. Georges check out: The Yellow Poui Gallery, for a wide range of artists; Art & Soul at Spiceland Mall, with the bold, often impasto paintings of Susan Mains, influenced by both impressionism and expressionism; The Freddie Paul Gallery, known for traditional, figurative and colourful depiction of Caribbean scenes; Gilbert Nero on Young Street. This regionally recognised young artist’s work is large, expressionistic, vibrant and socially conscious.

Outside the capital, visit established abstract artist Oliver Benoit at his home gallery in St. Pauls, by appointment only. Authenticity rules when outsider art goes outdoors with na•ve paintings and remarkable installations by Doliver Morain on the road to Bathway Beach in the north of the island. For an awesome art experience, visit Molinere Bay by glass bottom boat, snorkelling or scuba diving. There you’ll see the eerie beauty of Jason de Caires Taylor’s underwater sculpture park.

In GRAND CAYMAN, growing interest is energizing the arts, adding variety to this beach-oriented the caribbean canvas destination. Look for internationally-exhibited, homegrown artists Wray Banker, Al Ebanks, Luelan Bodden and Horatio Estaban (known collectively as Native Sons,) as well as Joanne Sibley. Visit the National Gallery for an idea of local art’s range, and who else is considered important.
Galleries have multiplied. They include:
Cathy Church Gallery, specialising in spectacular underwater photograph; Guy Harvey Gallery, carrying original artwork, prints, photos, and sculpture by Guy himself as well as other artists, including Kent Ullberg and Ian Coleman; The Ritz Gallery, at the eponymous hotel; The Morgan Gallery, whose large selection is primarily imports, alongside some local pieces.
The National Gallery’s curator also suggests the Kennedy Gallery, Pure Art, and the Nelson Gallery, as well as restaurants and cafes, such as Grand Old House, Full of Beans, and Sapphire, which have rotating exhibitions. For works in glass, visit the Island Glass Blowing Studio in Georgetown.
This art’s really deep: go down 45 feet in the water off of Cayman Brac, and you’ll see over 100 large concrete sculptures representing the lost city of Atlantis.

Art in the BAHAMAS is evolving on creative and political levels, thanks largely to stimulus from the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas. Located in a purpose-converted estate house in Nassau, the gallery also has events where you can meet local creatives.
Among the most interesting artists are Eustace McPhee. A real creative force, he makes remarkable wall hangings from local sisal fibre, and also does large, vigourous acrylics on wood panels. Astrid Pinder is known for her romantic style and use of colour.
On Grand Bahama, browse in comfort at the Arts & Crafts Market building at the Port Lucaya Marketplace, or visit Leo’s Art Gallery. Serious collectors should go to Prospect Ridge for the wood and marble sculpture of Antonius Roberts, whose work is prized on four continents.
On Paradise Island, check the Bahamas Craft Centre. At Little Harbour, Abaco, the Art Colony at Johnston’s Studio is a treat, especially the bronze-casting foundry.

BARBADOS’ art tends to fall into two camps: decorative and more ‘conscious’ work, with social commentary on the rise. Insiders go to the Kirby Gallery or to Zemicon, for the most collectible of local artists. Those who like their art infused with ideas will find too much to list here, but should note Stanley Greaves, Nick Whittle, Ewan Atkinson and Ras Akyem, all of whom exhibit internationally.
The largest selection of art on this up-market island, particularly for non-aggressive work, is found at the Gallery of Caribbean Art in Speightstown and its smaller branch at the Hilton Hotel. Best-sellers include water-colourist Arthur Atkinson, and Vishni Gopwani, whose luminous pastels show beauty and heart. The gallery’s biggest star is Boston-based Vincent Castellet, who has regularly visited Barbados to paint over the past 23 years, producing masterful landscapes and portraits.
The monthly exhibits at Queens Park Gallery are always thoughtfully curated and will never give you ‘tourist art.’ Comfortable paintings of good standard are sold in restaurant settings, for example at Champers and at Tides. In Pelican Craft Village, the Barbados Arts Council’s gallery showcases a melange of new and established artists.

Tips on Transporting art
Sculptures and heavy framed pieces are safest in wooden crates. Otherwise pack and ship according to courier specifications. When you buy pieces, check with the gallery owner or artist, as they may be able to recommend a reliable courier. For works framed with glass, use bubble wrap and heavy cardboard. To carry works on canvas, have the gallery remove it from the stretchers and roll it up. Remember to take the stretchers too! Don’t remove pastels from their frames; they are too easily smudged.

Buying art online
Can’t make up your mind? Assuage your afterthoughts by ordering from the web. In cyberspace, you can also glean whose work is valued by collectors. But remember, when buying original works, choose artists whose work you have seen in person. You’ll know more about what to expect for your investment. Prints (reproductions and giclŽes)are inexpensive enough to take a chance on.

Source: Skywritings Magazine