Join us for our very special Virgin Islands Regional dinner in August! Strega Danny had the opportunity to visit the island of St. John during his spring break at NMU as part of one of his classes, destination catering. He and two other hospitality students cooked alongside locals to learn recipes and history of the island's cuisine! They also spent the week cooking breakfast and dinner for the 45 biology students and professors who traveled there to study marine and terrestrial ecology. Allow us to take you on a tropical culinary journey with inspiration from Danny’s expedition!Â
Danny Learned that the Virgin islands cuisine is very exciting and unique because the island is located smack dab in the spice route and is such a melting pot- drawing influence from Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, creating a very vibrant local fusion of flavors!
Dinner will be about 7 courses and served family-style.Â
Sample Menu: (subject to change)
To start:
Arancini (Fried Risotto Balls stuffed with cheese)
Lamb empanadas with spices, tart cherries, and tomato
First:
Chutney chicken roti (Curried chicken with potatoes, carrots, onions in a sun-dried tomato tortilla and topped with mango chutney)
Mains:
Trinidadian coconut shrimp curry
Pigeon peas and rice
Stewed chicken with fungi (pronounced foon-jee) a cornmeal based dish with okra, similar to polenta
Steak and pineapple kabobs with Onions & Peppers
"Salad"-- romaine and tomato (described by a local that this would be such a treat, since the island is always starving for fresh produce)
Dessert:
Banana bread pudding with rum simple syrup