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Do you know what makes a rainy day 100 times better? Good Southern Cooking!
If you're wondering where you can find that unique pairing in Barbados, then I guess you may have missed Huda Mu’min’s Chef Classic, during the 2022 Barbados Food and Rum Festival.
Nestled in the Mount Gay Rum Barrel Aging Room at Harrison’s Cave Eco Adventure Park, attendees were treated to a private cooking demo with culinary powerhouse Chef Huda Mu’min. Chef Huda is a record-setting Champion of Food Network’s "Cutthroat Kitchen" and a favourite on ABC's Emmy-nominated show, "The Taste" with Anthony Bourdain.
With host Dawn-Lisa Calendar Smith doing the talking and Chef Huda doing the cooking, we were taught how to make Cajun Shrimp and Grits. This dish was a top choice as it was a version of what Chef Huda made for her ‘The Taste’ audition. Anthony Bourdain loved it, so she has been making it every since.
Let’s Cook Some Grits!
Huda Tip: If you are new to cooking it’s good to experiment. Recipes are wonderful but they are guidelines. You must do what works for you.
Huda started by making savoury grits with her own little twist. Though the cooking time for grits is usually 20-45 minutes, used five-minute grits to give us a simple and easy demo.
She started by melting butter to toast the grits then added water and salt. Continuously whisking, she then added garlic and a half cup of Anchor heavy cream to create a creamy consistency.
When that garlic hit the pan, Huda made everyone’s senses tingle!
To flavour it up, she then added sharp white cheddar and medium cheddar blend to give it some complexity. Next, she poured in sweet corn to add some sweetness, then topped it with parsley to add colour.
Now to the Shrimp!
Huda first seasoned her shrimp in her Cajun kick seasoning from her spice line called ‘Just Savour’. She then poured olive oil into the pan and sauteed yellow and red bell peppers and onions. The more colour, the more nutrients as Huda said.
She then placed the shrimp in the pan and cooked it for one to two minutes on each side.
Huda Tip: Don’t overcook your shrimp. It tells you when it's done, it curls up, changes color and the firmness gets tighter so you can see.
Huda then made a nice cream sauce, topped the dish off with cherry tomatoes mixed with parsley and lemon juice, then plated it.
The Tasting
Of course, we all got a taste and the food was as exquisite as it smelled during the demo.
One of the attendees, Jackie, not only loved the food but also enjoyed how interactive the demo was.
“I loved the savoury twist that Chef Huda brought to the dish and the interaction between the demos and tips that were given, especially the tips about not overcooking our meats. I chose this demo because I wanted to represent the females but then after researching her and seeing all she had done, I was so excited. The atmosphere felt like I was interacting with a friend,” she said.
Huda’s Ties to Barbados
This wasn’t Huda’s first time in Barbados. She travelled to the island in 2021 for a very special occasion…her wedding.
While here she fell in love with Barbados’ culture and of course the macaroni pie.
Fun Fact: What makes macaroni pie different from mac and cheese is the ketchup
“Barbados has such a rich and beautiful culture. It is a wonderful culture. I love the people, the history and just how passionate they are about where they are from. You can taste the love in the rum punch and in the food. You can hear the love in the music,” She expressed.
So, when she got the invite, it wasn’t even a question of yes, it was more like “What am I doing?”
As this year’s festival is about developing youth in culinary arts, Chef Huda has a little advice for up-and-coming chefs.
“To any young chef, my advice is to trust yourself and know that you are learning the entire time. You are always being inspired, so take every experience even the bad ones as lessons that you can learn from. Remember that what you’re doing, feeding people, is a true gift and to share it with people is a blessing. So have fun!”
Surprise Cocktails
But wait the experience didn’t end with Huda, guests were surprised with a demo from liquid artist Philip “Casanova” Antoine. He created the ‘Casanova Kiss’ which is a twist to the classic Daiquiri.
It consisted of 2oz of Mount Gay Silver, ¾ of an oz of simple syrup, and 1oz of lime juice. He then topped it with a dehydrated lime wheel and a flower to represent nature as we were surrounded by the lush greenery in St. Thomas
It’s safe to say, everyone left with a taste of the south mixed with a pinch of Barbados.
Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) will be hosting We Cookin’– The National Barbados Food and Rum Competition from January to December, 2025 as part of the We Gatherin’ Barbados 2025 celebrations..
This competition is a community initiative geared at allowing the most lauded chefs in the community of each parish to compete in a ‘cook off’ for the best pork or fish dish, served with any ground provision, as they vie for attractive prizes. The parish based cook offs will then culminate with a national event where the winning chefs from each Parish Competition will be given the chance to compete for the grand prize at the National Competition in December 2025.
In an effort to support local farmers in the respective communities, as well as those in the fishing industry, the competition will require the participating community members to use local pork or fish and any locally sourced ground provision.
(1) Enter Your Best Pork or Fish Dish
Interested participants may enter via www.foodandrum.com. The top Three (3) will move on to the second round with the live cook-off.
How to enter?
Create a dish that features either pork OR fish, that is served with any ground provision in any variation.
To enter the competition you can:
Upload a photo of you holding the dish and the recipe via www.foodandrum.com
If you do not have access to a computer take your dish and recipe to the Heritage Centre in your parish where a representative will take a photo of you and the dish, and record your contact details.
Your likeness and the dish must be clearly visible in the photo.
The top three (3) entries will be chosen by a panel of judges with the winners announced at least one week prior to the Cook Off. The three finalists will be contacted by the BTMI.
Prior the Live Cook-Off, all parish finalists will be required to attend a short briefing sessions with regards to the conduct of the competition.
All successful applicants are required to be in possession of a valid certificate of good health (Food Handling Certificate) from a registered medical practitioner.
Applicants must habitually live within the parish and may be required to provide proof of residence (Utility bill).
(2) Parish Competition – Live Cook-Off
The Live Cook-Off of competition will take place typically on the last Saturday of each month, featuring the top three (3) cooks who will re-create the dish featured in their submitted entry photo. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges. The judges’ decision is final.
BTMi will provide the equipment such as stove, fridge, grill and utensils, cutlery and crockery to be used in the Cook off.
Contestants will receive a stipend of BDS$150 to purchase the items for the cook off.
(3) National Competition – National Live Cook-Off
The winners from each of the eleven (11) parishes will “face-off” in a National Competition in December 2025 in order to determine the overall Best Community Cook..
Terms & Conditions – We Cookin’ – The National Food & Rum Competition
1. Who is eligible for this promotion?
This contest is open to persons who habitually reside within the parish. Applicants may be required to provide proof of residence within the parish.
2. Winning Contestant
The winner of the competition will be chosen by a panel of judges at the Live Cook Off. The winner will then qualify for the National Competition to be held in December 2025.
3. Who is NOT eligible for this promotion? Persons in any of the following categories are NOT eligible to participate or win prizes:
Any person who at any time on or after May 1, 2017 was or is a director, officer, employee, agent of BTMI.
Individuals engaged in the development, production or distribution of materials for the Promotion of this competition (collectively the Promotion Entities).
Professional Chefs- those that work as chefs in Restaurants, hotels, are culinary ambassadors or awardees.
4. BTMI hereby specifically reserves the right to terminate, cancel, suspend and/ or modify the promotion if any fraud, virus or other technical problem corrupts the administration, security, safety of the promotion, as determined by BTMI in its sole discretion.
5. BTMI reserves the right to at any time vary the terms of the Promotion, to amend its Terms and Conditions, or to withdraw the Promotion. In any of these events notice will be given via media advertisements or messages to customers or via its social media platforms and will be effective immediately or as of the date referred to in such notifications.
6. BTMI cannot be held responsible if any or all included prizes are unavailable for any reason, including any natural or unnatural occurrence.
7. Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. reserves the right to disqualify any contestant for reasonable cause.
8. Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. reserves the right to post, publish or otherwise use any image entered in this promotion.
9. Contestants must agree to be included in any promotional video or photographic promotion of the contest or Barbados Food & Rum.
10. Contestants must be able appear in person on the communicated day of competion in their respective parish.
11. This is no way sponsored, administered or associated with Instagram or Facebook.
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