AMERICAN CULINARY HERITAGE -TRINIDAD HILTON

It feels ironic to have traveled all the way from D.C to Trinidad to participate in an American Culinary Heritage promotion. Trinidad Hilton's Executive Chef Carlos Gomez and General Manager Ali Khan invited me to take part in a five week event highlighting five major U.S. regions: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest. We kicked off the event with a press conference, and, a chef and culinary student symposium called the Circle of Culinary Knowledge. This was a lively round table discussion that included White House culinary curiosities, current food trends, and hospitality career themes.

I learned a great deal from the Trinidad chefs that I met. One chef in particular is someone who I think of as the face of Trini cuisine - Debra Sardinha-Metivier; she is the first woman executive chef in the Caribbean Hilton Chain. And, while this benchmark is impressive, it is her family ties that make her so interesting. Like her grandmother and parents (who are self-taught cooks) her cooking emanates from the love of culture and food. Debra's parents own a very successful restaurant in Scarborough, Tobago, called the Blue Crab. Both Debra and her family members describe themselves as "vibration cooks". Debra explains, "This means a good touch with the balancing of smell and taste." After tasting a meal that Debra put together, I completely understand what she means although it is a bit of an oversimplification; her food springs from her heart.