The Best of St. Croix
Kallaloo-Gumbo Cook-Off 2008
The Second Annual Kallaloo-Gumbo Cook-Off, sponsored by the Krewe de Croix
kicked off this afternoon on a hot, but pleasant, day.
This event is held as a meeting of the cuisine traditions of St. Croix and New
Orleans, which are similar, yet different. All cultures living on the island come
together at the event to celebrate our similarities of cooking. Best of all, we get to
taste the individual renditions of everyone who enters, be it Kallaloo or Gumbo.
This year some cooks made both, while most stuck to the one they felt most
proficient at preparing. Generous sample tastes were handed out for 50 cents
each.
We arrived at the
Cook-Off early this
year. Cooks were still
arriving and setting up
at the Spratnet Bar and
Grill.
Some major tweaking
was being done by the
early cooks, adding and
tasting and re-seasoning.
These two from
Elizabeth's Restaurant
showed a great pot of
Gumbo complete with
File powder. The BAM!
This St. Thomain turned
Crucian entrant also
showed us her smoky
good Gumbo.
Over at the Farchette
Gumbo station,
preparations of the crab
and conch were in full
swing. And no, there is no
turtle in it.
Since it was hot, some
folks took a dip in the
sea before eating. That
always makes one
hungrier.
Mmm...Just smell that!
The guys at Angry Nate's
weren't letting the Gumbo
out of the pot too early.
A giant pot of Gumbo
brimming with conch and
crab and shrimp. This is
the Latin way.
And now for the Kallaloo
entries. This lady
admitted that she did not
make the Kallaloo herself
but it was her entry.
And so the line formed
for the purchasing of
tickets for the tastings.
Drinks were available
under the shade at the
Spratnet Bar.
HESS trucks.
Must have been good.
And from Bogey's an
entry of Kallaloo and an
entry of Gumbo.
And now we get to see
the mysterious Gumbo
from Angry Nate's
Restaurant.
And some more Kallaloo.
And the prizes and
plaques, seahorse glass
sculptures by Jan
Mitchell.