June is still the most favoured month for weddings.

Perhaps it’s because the sun has begun to embrace us fully or there are flowers opening just about everywhere. Or perhaps, women have secretly always just wanted to be a June bride and celebrate that special day during the same month as Father’s day.

The ring came and it really did leave you glowing (him still in a daze at the cost) and now you’re caught up in that traditional wedding bit — yes all those things not so long ago frowned upon by you. How about an engagement dinner — well perhaps just a small get together to announce to the world that … I’m, oops sorry, we’re getting married…

The traditional engagement dinner is now thankfully much less formal with more emphasis on what the couple wants as opposed to what everybody else does. Make yours a refreshing signal of everything else to come.

It’s a great idea to invite both sets of parents and the intended bridal party but anybody else left to invite is entirely up to you. Start getting used to the word BUDGET from now. How much can you afford to splurge on this? Perhaps you just wish to have an engagement party a deux and announce to the rest of the world your intentions much later on, by phone… Our suggestion is that you savour these private moments, for you’ll find leading up to your wedding day that quiet time will be extremely hard to find.

This week we’ll look at both options and leave you to decide. Whatever you do, ensure that you are happy both with the venue, the menu and most importantly the cost.

A great investment for the newly wed is Walkerswood Caribbean Kitchen for if intimate dinners is what you crave you’ll love all of Virginia Burke’s suggestions especially her lobster and shrimp in coconut rundown sauce (see page 25).

Create a romantic setting using lots of candles (you’ll find unscented ones work much better with food). Use wild orchids or tall anthuriums around the room and as much tropical foliage as you are able.

Eclectic is in (this means that not everything has to match) so scour Azan’s for great coloured plates and cheap, attractive glasses. Napkins are a must, for after all dining is red hot again.

Lobster and shrimp in coconut rundown sauce

Ingredients:

20 large raw shrimp peeled and deveined

500g/1lb lobster, shelled, flesh cubed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 escallion stalks, chopped

3 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp saffron strands

1/2 lime juiced

2x180ml/6oz jars Walkerswood coconut rundown sauce

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Prepare the shrimp and lobster. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Sauté the escallions and tomatoes and add the garlic, saffron, shrimp, lobster, salt, black pepper and lime juice. Cook over high heat for two minutes. Reduce the heat, pour in the rundown sauce and simmer (do not allow to boil). Stir in the chopped herbs and cook for five minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a bed of steamed rice with cucumber salad is what the book suggests. The Foodpage enjoyed it atop crushed sweet potatoes and a sweet white yam.

Preparation and cooking time is 40 minutes giving you lots of time to pamper yourself before greeting guests.

This is yet another great meal idea for your kick-off-the-shoes engagement dinner party for two or more. Virginia invited friend Cindy Breakespeare to share this one with her readers.

Cindy’s Jerk Chicken Pasta in creamy sauce

Ingredients:

8 boneless skinless chicken breats

2 tbsp Walkerswood jerk seasoning

2 tbsp oyster sauce

250g/31/2 cups penne

2 tbsp olive oil

3 medium onions

160g/2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

6 garlic cloves, crushed

400g/140z can evaporated milk

4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro salt and fresh pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. Wash and dry the chicken. Season with jerk seasoning and oyster sauce and wrap each piece individually in foil. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Heat the oil in skillet and saute the onions, mushrooms and garlic. Add the milk and salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the chicken breasts in thin strips and add these and the spicy (cooking liquid from the foil) to the milk mixture. Cook for five minutes to reduce liquid.

Mix in the cilantro. Combine everything with the drained pasta. Serve with a salad of dressed green leaves and orange wedges.

Serves 8. Preparation and cooking time 35 minutes.

And so if you must at least have a small get together to officially annnounce…

Chill sufficient bottles of Codorniu (reckon on one bottle serving five persons) and do some great healthy horsd’oeuvres. Sugarcane is in abundance and really makes a great finger food when cut as thinly as possible.

Sugar cane and shrimp kebabs

ingredients:

2 lengths of sugarcane peeled and cut into 12x 18cm/6 inches

400g/1lb shrimp, shelled and deveined

pinch of salt

1 chilli finely chopped

2 egg whites

6 basil leaves shredded

For the dipping sauce:

(120ml) 4fl oz light soy sauce

1.5cm/1/2 inch grated fresh ginger

6 sprigs of coriander

1 lemon grass stem, peeled and finely chopped escallion for decoration

Method:

1. Place the shrimp, chili and salt in a blender and mix to a puree. With the motor running, pour the egg whites into the shrimp mixture.. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the basil, coriander and lemon grass.

2. Rub some of the peanut oil over your hands and then form the prawn paste around the centre of each piece of sugarcane.

3. Cook the shrimp wrapped sugarcane sticks in a steamer set over hot water for four minutes, or until the mixture is firm to touch.

4. Brush each one with a little bit of peanut oil and barbecue on a grill for about 2 minutes on each side

5. Serve with soy sauce dipping.

— recipe from Judy Bastyra Maco Caribbean Food editor. Makes 12

Smoked marlin

Howard and Jane Taylor’s smoked marlin will make your evening that much more memorable.

Wafer thin slices of this Jamaican sushi wrapped around papaya or mango slices will have guests returning to the platter for more and more. You have been warned so twirl enough.

Salt cod and sweet potato patties with roasted garlic and pepper dip. (another recipe from Judy Bastyra)

Ingredients:

For the cod cakes

2 x 195g or 71/2 oz cans salt cod drained

700g or 11/2 pounds sweet potatoes

4 tbsps olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper,

salt and freshly ground black pepper,

2 large eggs beaten

100g/4oz wholemeal breadcrumbs

For the dip

2 whole heads garlic

350g/12 oz seasoning or sweet peppers cut in half

and seeded

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and finely ground black pepper

Method:

1. Boil the sweet potatoes in salted water until cooked. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl then mash to a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper

2. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes until it is soft and translucent. Spoon the onion into the potato mixture. Add the salt cod and season with the herbs, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Mix all the ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.

3. Wet hands and form mixture into 25 oval patties

Heat the oven to 400ºF/gas mark 6. Dip each patty into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Using the remaining oil, lightly grease two non-stick baking trays and place in the oven for 20 minutes, turning the patties over halfway through. At the same time, place the whole heads of garlic and the halved peppers on another baking tray and roast in the oven.

Remove at the same time as the patties to make the sauce, squeeze the pulp from the roasted garlic and transfer to a blender, add the roasted peppers, cayenne pepper and blend to a smooth puree. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spoon into a small serving bowl.

Carefully remove the fish patties from the oven, transfer to a serving dish and serve with the red pepper dip. – Serves 28

— Bon Appetit —

Food

Okay it’s June and there’s talk of weddings

so let’s stir our pot of wedding magic…

The engagement dinner is it still a necessity?

What to eat and how to eat without the anticipated indigestion which can

accompany such an affair.

Some refreshingly different menu ideas from Virginia Burke of Walkerswood and Judy Bastyra of Maco Caribbean.

Contributing editor:

Novia McDonald-Whyte

Layout: Hevol Benson

Photographer: Ken Ramsay

(The Von-Oiste, Willinsky Wedding)

Enjoy!