Summer’s over and the Christmas holiday is quickly approaching. Trinis love a good holiday celebration, especially when it comes to the food. Pastelles are a traditional delicacy during the Christmas season in Trinidad even though they are also consumed at other times throughout the year. Although widely found around the Caribbean, pastelles actually originated in Venezuela.

Typically, pastelles are made from cornmeal that is steamed and filled with meat and other ingredients, such as olives and raisins, then wrapped in banana leaves. Throughout the years, pastelles have taken on many variations as the tastes of the public have changed; they have taken on the names of chicken, fish, vegetarian and soya pastelles with flour rather than cornmeal used. Locals would not call these versions pastelles as their beloved original is made strictly with cornmeal and stuffed with minced beef. No matter how the pastelles are made, the crucial step that stays the same is wrapping them in banana leaves, which have been lightly placed over an open fire to reduce stiffness. Twine is tied like a bow around the wrapped pastelles to keep the banana leaves in place while boiling.

Here’s my favorite pastelles recipe:

Filling
1 lb. minced beef
2 onions, finely chopped
1 bunch chive
1 bunch big leaf thyme
1 hot pepper to taste, finely chopped
1 pimento pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk celery
2 cloves garlic
20 leaves chadon beni
1 bunch fine leaf thyme
Salt to taste
¼ cup roucou (or ketchup)
2 tbsp. capers (optional)
2 tbsp. raisins (optional)
8 olives chopped finely (optional)

Dough
2 cups yellow cornmeal (very fine)
3 cups lukewarm water
4 tbsp. vegetable oil or coconut oil
¼ lb. butter
1¼ tsp. salt

Wrapping
2 -3 large fig (banana) leaves
String to tie

This recipe was submitted by the Hyatt Regency Trinidad’s executive chef Fernando Franco and his team, which are members of this year’s ‘Caribbean National Team of the Year’ at Taste of the Caribbean in Miami.

The post How to Make Trinidad’s Famous Pastelles appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Four Seasons has opened its newest resort in the Caribbean: the new Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla.

The resort, which is a rebranding of the former Viceroy Anguilla in Barnes Bay on the southwestern corner of the island, becomes Four Seasons’ second Caribbean property along with its flagship resort in Nevis.

The hotel has a total of 181 total accommodations, including 24 villas, four townhomes and 33 residences, along with five restaurants and lounges, a superb spa, a fitness center and there heated outdoor pools.

A number of the spacious, modern rooms also come with a special perk: a private plunge pool, while even basic rooms have marble bathrooms, deep soaking tubs, walk-in showers and large outdoor sundecks.

The pools at the Four Seasons in Anguilla are one of the property’s standouts, thanks to an elevated infinity pool that has one of the Caribbean’s most spectacular views, adjacent to the hotel’s Sunset Lounge.

The infinity pool adjacent to the Sunset Lounge.

That’s joined by restaurants including Cobà, a seafood grill, the Half Shell Beach Bar and the Bamboo Bar & Grill, which has a Mediterranean culinary focus.

This has long been one of the Caribbean’s most architecturally stunning hotels, highlighted by its Kelly Wearstler interiors and a design by Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG).

If the company’s Nevis property is any indication, Four Seasons should bring a new level of service to one of the region’s toniest destinations.

The post Four Seasons Opens in Anguilla appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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There’s a new place for holding your group meeting in the Caribbean: Nevis.

The Four Seasons Resort Nevis is offering groups the opportunity to combine privacy, scenery, service, and luxury amenities through its Exclusively Nevis resort buyout program.

Planners will have access to experienced Conferences Services Professional to help curate the resort’s options for an optimal meeting and incentives experience.

“Exclusively Nevis offers limitless customisations for a distinctive and standout incentive program on a paradise island,” said Director of Sales Jim Bishop. “Buyout groups enjoy the maximum flexibility, from completely branding the Resort and our amenities; having exclusive use of a pristine, half-mile long Caribbean beach for private activities and events; extending outdoor events to midnight or later; and enjoying many more benefits not possible when sharing the Resort with other guests. Throughout, our talented team will ensure the ultimate VIP experience for each of your guests.”

Groups can buy out the resort with as few as 150 of the resort’s 196 deluxe guestrooms for four-night and longer programs.

The resort also features 50 multi-bedroom, luxury villas, which groups can add in order to accommodate VIPs and create unique events in a different setting.

When in Nevis, meetings and incentives planners can take advantage of any location on the resort’s 350-acre property.

The half-mile stretch of Pinney’s Beach in front of the resort can be converted into a unique event venue for exclusive daytime activities as well as recognition dinners and late-night beach parties.

Additionally, Exclusively Nevis groups also can use more than 3,000 square feet of outdoor terrace as well as 5,000 square feet of indoor meetings space, which can be configured into five break outs.

Planners can choose from a wide range of services and amenities to make for a personalized and private experience, including welcoming greeters at the airport, to private speedboats that takes guests to the resort’s on-property pier, to custom-created culinary experiences that focus on individual preferences and fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Visitors will also enjoy the resort’s 12,000 square foot spa, a golf course, tennis courts, and more.

The post This is Where to Hold a Meeting in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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MIAMI, USA — On Tuesday, Boatsetter, a leading international boat sharing service, announced the formation of a new partnership with Wally Castro Marine in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The deal is the first of its kind in the Caribbean and adds Wally Castro Marine to Boatsetter’s industry-best…

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Virgin’s cruise endeavor has a new brand

By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

Sir Richard Branson’s new Caribbean cruise line is moving forward, and it’s got a new name.

At a press conference in Miami on Tuesday, the new cruise line announced that it will now operate under the name Virgin Voyages.

“I was never interested in going on a cruise,” said Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson during the Broadway-style announcement at Miami Beach’s Faena Theater, “but I’m interested in a voyage. Thousands of future sailors and travel professionals shared their thoughts with us and tasked us with delivering the most irresistible vacation at sea and that our name alone should leave them dizzy with anticipation. I’m excited to reveal we are now Virgin Voyages, and while we have lots of work ahead to build our three ships, we can’t wait to welcome you aboard the ship of things to come.”

Sir Richard Branson (right) with Virgin Voyages CEO and president Tom McAlpin

Virgin Voyages’ CEO and president Tom McAlpin updated the audience on the progress of the new line, which will have three ships, at least one of them home-ported in Miami, Florida, by 2022.

McAlpin said that the contract between Virgin Voyages and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has been signed and that they are nearing the close of a financing deal.

“Our world class partners like Bain Capital Private Equity, Virgin Group and Fincantieri as well as financial powerhouses like Cdp, UniCredit, SACE and SIMEST, showcase Virgin Voyages’ strong backing and commitment to developing an incredible product,” McAlpin said. “This is anything but just another cruise or holiday, it will be a transformational experience delivering a very ‘Virgin style’ of adventure.”

Fincantieri will begin cutting steel on the first ship in February 2017, and there will be a keel-laying ceremony in Genoa toward the end of 2017, when, as the CEO put it, “ship gets real.”

Inspired by Branson’s leadership on environmental issues and desire to “do good in the world,” McAlpin also announced the line’s partnership with Swedish clean energy company Climeon.

In a first for the cruise industry, Virgin will install Climeon Ocean, a system that will transform low-grade energy into clean electricity on all three of its ships. The resulting environmental impact will be an estimated 5,400 tons of carbon dioxide savings annually per ship, the line says, — an amount that would take 180,000 trees 30 years to absorb.

Virgin Voyages’ first ship will arrive at PortMiami in 2020 with capacity for 2,700 “sailors” and 1,150 crew, and will sail a Caribbean itinerary to “ports that deliver unique and very social experiences,” the line said.

The post Richard Branson Launches Virgin Voyages appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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