25 things to eat before you die (Interesting Article)

Fume? FUGU!

(#3 on the list)

http://travel.ca.msn.com/international/photogallery.aspx?cp-documentid=23957391

-Jerek

Supermarket excursions and a final meal in the Caymans

Dolphin. (This is sooooo not Oceanwise...)

I am so hoping that this is Dolphin Fish, or Wahoo.

Either way, it's ridiculously affordable.

My karma made me pass on this.

Me going COOCOO FOR COCOA PUFFS!
The crack addition of my youth; I had to have my shot taken with this selection of the Cocoa Puffs, and Apple Jacks, both of which no longer sell in Canada as far I have sourced.

My lunch from the supermarket;
Tripe and Beans, Oxtail, Grilled Wahoo, Dirty Rice, Stewed Lentils,
Salad of Papaya and Avocado, and a crazy Jamaican drink called June Plum Juice, which tasted like melted Lime Popsicles.

Wahoo Escoveitch
We went out for our last night to Calypso Grill, the best known restaurant on the Island. All said and done, it was superb.
This was my favorite dish I had the whole week. Served with Pickled Fennel, brunoise of Scotch Bonnet, and Onion Crackling, the dish was a revelation of both light and freshness. Impressive seeing as the fish is deep fried.


The Sticky Toffee Pudding Thing.
Canadian restaurants always have a Caesar Salad on the menu, well, Cayman's have the Sticky Toffee Pudding. It is found everywhere, and, the Calypso Grill was both the place that started the tradition and happens to serve the best as well. Light, warm, moist, and huge. Words to live by. Special note that they serve steeped heavy cream, NOT WHIPPED, to make this finessed even more.

THERE! I am done writing about my Grand Cayman experience. It's lovely, we'll go every year or so (No, no, we are not at all rich. We happen to have wicked relatives who are cool enough to put us up) and I'll continue to explore new worlds of food. By that, I have been eye-balling the wild Chickens and Iguanas that are everywhere on the island. The combinations are endless!


The best meal on the island can be found at the Calypso Grill.

http://www.calypsogrillcayman.com/

-Jerek

2010 The World's Best 100 Restaurants

The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards 1-50 (2010)

1
Up 2
Noma
Denmark
The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in the World, The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Europe
2
Down 1
El Bulli
Spain
Restaurant Magazine Chef of the Decade
3
Down 1
The Fat Duck
UK
The Chef's Choice sponsored by Electrolux
4
Up 1
El Celler de Can Roca
Spain
5
Down 1
Mugaritz
Spain
6
Up 7
Osteria Francescana
Italy
7
Up 3
Alinea
USA
The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In N.America
8
Up 33
Daniel
USA
The Highest Climber sponsored by Cocoa Barry
9
Down 1
Arzak
Spain
10
Down 4
Per Se
USA
11
Up 29
Le Chateaubriand
France
12
Up 26
La Colombe
South Africa
The Acqua Panna Best Restautant in South Africa
13
Down 4
Pierre Gagnaire
France
14
Up 2
L'Hotel de Ville - Philippe Rochat
Switzerland
15
—
Le Bernardin
USA
16
Down 5
L'Astrance
France
17
up 9
Hof Van Cleve
Belgium
18
Up 6
D.O.M.
Brazil
The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in South America
19
Up 10
Oud Sluis
Holland
20
Up 29
Le Calandre
Italy
21
Up 9
Steirereck
Austria
22
Up 3
Vendome
Germany
23
Down 2
Chez Dominique
Finland
24
Down 4
Les Creations de Narisawa
Japan
The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Asia
25
Up 25
Mathias Dahlgren
Sweden
26
Up 5
Momofuku Ssam Bar
USA
27
Up 19
Quay
Australia
The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Australasia
28
Up 17
Iggy's
Singapore
29
Down 11
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
France
30
New Entry
Schloss Schauenstein
Switzerland
Highest New Entry
31
6
Le Quartier Francais
South Africa
32
Down 20
The French Laundry
USA
33
Down 4
Martin Berasategui
Spain
34
New Entry
Aqua
Germany
35
Up 7
Combal.Zero
Italy
36
Up 12
Dal Pescatore
Italy
37
New Entry
De Librije
Netherlands
38
21
Tetsuya's
Australia
39
New Entry
Jaan Par Andre
Singapore
40
New Entry
Il Canto
Italy
41
Re-Entry
Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenee
France
42
Down 10
Oaxen Krog
Sweden
43
Down 29
St John
UK
44
Re-Entry
La Maison Troisgros
France
45
New Entry
wd~50
USA
46
New Entry
Biko
Mexico
47
Down 24
Die Schwarzwaldstube
Germany
48
New Entry
Nihonryori RyuGin
Japan
49
New Entry
Hibiscus
UK
50
New Entry
Eleven Madison Park
USA
51
Maison Pic
France
52
Jean Georges
USA
53
L�Atelier de Joel Robuchon
Hong Kong
54
Wasabi
India
55
Robuchon A Galera
Macau
56
Bras
France
57
De Karmeliet
Belgium
58
Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley
UK
59
Lung King Heen
Hong Kong
60
Rouge
Canada
61
Etxebarri
Spain
62
Tantris
Germany
63
Akelarre
Spain
64
Gastehaus Erfort
Germany
65
Bo Innovation
Hong Kong
66
Zuma
London
67
Marque - Winner of Breakthrough Award 2010
Australia
68
Ruscalleda Sant Pau
Spain
69
Chez Panisse
USA
70
Quique Dacosta
Spain
71
Ristorante Cracco
Italy
72
Pujol
Mexico
73
Attica
Australia
74
Rust En Vrede
South Africa
75
Varvari
Russia
76
La Grenouillere
France
77
Langdon Hall
Canada
78
Les Amis
Singapore
79
Can Fabes
Spain
80
La Gazzetta
France
81
Plavi Podrum
Croatia
82
The River Caf�
UK
83
Mirazur
France
84
Gunther�s
Singapore
85
Doce Uvas
Russia
86
Manresa
USA
87
Enoteca Pinchiorri
Italy
88
Quintessence
Japan
89
Restavracija JB
Slovenia
90
Amber
Hong Kong
91
Masa
USA
92
Le Gavroche
UK
93
Caf� Pushkin
Russia
94
Semifreddo
Russia
95
Alain Ducasee at The Dorchester
UK
96
Cepage by Les Amis
Hong Kong
97
La Pergola
Italy
98
Le Louis XV
France
99
Le Pre Catela
Paris
100
Amador
Germany

The Cayman Fish Scene (IT'S OFF THE HOOK!!!) ...hahaha...

Local fish monger strolling along the beach with his grouper head.

Actually, he is about to whip it back into the ocean to feed a colony of ghost crabs, which aren't really sellable, so they have a good thing going for themselves there.

This fish market is located right at the docks and the fish are brought in early and discarded at the end of the day. These guys are right in the core of tourist town, so they are battle hardened and give off a permanent thousand yard stare to every inquisitive gesture you make towards them. Truthfully, I could not care less about the hospitality potential of a guy who only wants to sell his fish and be at home. They have a good product.

They are a seasonal market, so at the moment, the fish were exclusively Red Snapper ($4.99 lb.) and Grouper ($4.99 lb.).

I was in the water everyday. The amount of life and clarity of the sea was over the top. PLUS, it did wonders for the sinus infection I was sporting from the pollinated chamber that is Ontario spring air.

I have a vast number of underwater pics, but they are barely food related, rather, here is the first stingray I came across. I chased it, but in the end, I felt it would make a tough textured lunch so I gave up the pursuit.

Local Sushi for the soul!

I did something awesome at this restaurant. I glanced at the menu, saw the usual suspects (Does anybody else really take offense to cream cheese on sushi?) then told the chefs that I'd rather they surprise me with local fish courses. So, I got Yellow Fin with Avocado, Red Snapper, and Tempura Flakes, and Yuzu Marinated Grouper, Tempura, and Shiso.


-Jerek

Continuation of the awesomeness that is the Cayman

Interesting B.O.H. side talent;

Dynamite is both cheap and easily sourced on Cayman to create picture perfect shots of the tidal splash.

Yellow Fin Tuna Cerviche

I had a few different style cerviches while on this trip and every restaurant has their own signature, I noted that nobody here actually garnishes with anything crispy like tortilla chips. It works well on it's own considering it's boiler room hot normally outside.

Peruvian Style Prawn Causa
A "Causa" is a very traditional coastline Peruvian dish that keeps a central theme of potato salad with layers of compliments.
Here it was paired with onion confit, roasted tomato, prawns and spiced balsamic. I enjoyed it, however, it was not all there in the texture department. Some variety would have made it perfect.


Red Snapper Tacos

Speaking of perfection... This was easily one of my top two dishes I had the entire trip and they served them with those stupid crispy store bought shells!
NEVER AGAIN will I force myself to open a mystery spice blend and mix it into ground beef! These tacos found an empty place in my heart (I suspect by the Inferior Vena Cava) and sealed itself permanently there.

...actually, based on family history that is not a good thing...

Luckily for this guy I have an allergy to crabs.
A hermit crab. ...don't you think while under intense stress that this sheltered loner has the right idea?


The above plates where greedily consumed at www.agua.ky/


-Jerek

Grand Cayman Awesomeness II/Epic Review from Toronto Life

It really doesn't get more local then this menu.

Conch Fritters with Scotch Bonnet Aioli on the beach.
Made like crab cakes, there is no discernible "conch" taste to them. It's standard pub fare in Cayman, so when in Rome...

How many people can say they have hung out with a Victoria Secret Super Model? I am not sure actually... BUT I CAN SAY I AM ONE OF THEM! Selita Ebanks and the family on the night of her "Celebrity Apprentice" episode airing globally.

Check #46 of things to do in life off...
Drinking straight up from a wild coconut. Containing about 100ml of not-so-sweet milk, it was still fantastic and messy.

Me holding a machete and drinking from a coconut with a straw because my wife wanted me to be cleaner.

Toronto Life once again came into Epic and tested us out. This time it was not Chatto and it was for our lunch service and not dinner. Anywho, it's very flattering and mentions nothing about over usage of garlic so there is relief in the kitchen. Take a read at this link below;

http://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/weekly-lunch-pick/2010/04/19/where-to-eat-lunch-this-week-epic-restaurant/

-Jerek

Grand Cayman Awesomeness

Yup, officially been sailing now. I was invited on the first day to go out and try my hand at sea. I have to say, for a landlocked pale Canadian, I loved it. All I am missing in this shot is a fishing rod. We managed to make ourselves hungry on this excursion by discussing the best curry fish recipes we knew.

Snagged a baby sea turtle. Cute little guy.

Eating Sea Turtle. Bbq Sea Turtle with Jicama Slaw. Delicious ...and cute.

I have a thousand shots of this. You can't get this kinda thing in April on Canadian soil. (Including 30C Temperatures that is).

So, the Cayman Islands is where we vacationed this year. I have taken photos of everything awesome. You can be sure to see them all as I am positive the next 3 blogs will be Cayman Food Porn.

Enjoy!

-Jerek