The name Seth Daugherty might not be generating as much buzz as Briton’s Jamie Oliver, who will go down in history as the chef who revolutionised British school canteen slosh, nor is it spoken with as much reverence as famed Spanish chef Feran Adria for his fusion of science and technology to create unexpected texture and flavours.

But inside the comfy Bay View Suite of Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa, it was yet another opportunity to rub shoulders with international chefs at The 8th Annual Epicurean Escape by Land & Sea and to share Seth and Karen Daugherty’s goal of getting more REAL FOODS in the cafeterias of the public school system.

“Le Bernardin was an incredible experience,” shares Seth Bixby Daugherty, Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef for 2005, “but I was working almost 20 hours a day and my son didn’t know who I was.”

This was not only a wake-up call for Daugherty, but the beginning of Real Food Initiatives to help deal with the multi-dimensional problem that is America’s relationship with food. His new take on food is not only visually appealing but is given a nice kick thanks to our local Scotch Bonnet pepper.

With Chef Seth Bixby Daugherty in an open kitchen setting and the rest of us comfortably seated, it was hard not to buy into his mission statement of getting people to EAT REAL FOODS, (Thankfully, we’re still able to do a lot of that in Jamaica) but so much easier to enjoy the smooth yet meaty textures of his olive oil poached halibut in a spicy cucumber broth, Gazpacho salad and micro basil.

Earlier that Thursday afternoon Johanne Killeen and George Germon of Al Forno Restaurant, Rhode Island had shared their culinary skills as they, in between interesting food anecdotes and ever so handy food tips, whipped up cold shrimp and shaved mushroom salad, pasta shells with tomato, cream and five cheeses and delicious strawberries for dessert. Their comfy good nature stemming perhaps from their multi-cultural backgrounds. New York-raised George learned Italian cooking from his mom (who in turn learned from her mom), while his Greek father, Demetri, also cooked, regaling the family dishes he learned from his mom before emigrating to America.

George’s father also had a garden full of choice vegetables and George was able to enjoy juicy ripe tomatoes plucked straight from his own garden. Enter Johanne: Her mom was Polish, a widow and a physician. The first pasta she tasted was pierogi. Johanne developed her passion for Italian food during childhood while accompanying her mom on house calls.

“The Italian patients,” she explains, “always had something cooking in the kitchen (often the basement rather than the ‘show’ kitchen.” The aromas instilled in her a serious case of Italian envy. “Thankfully,” she shares, “they were only too happy to share.our life today revolves around food and specifically pasta. You could call it an obsession. While most people do not trust anyone who doesn’t like dogs, our litmus test is pasta.” It is indeed and we’re thankful for our own quiet moment of pasta advice:

Abundant water and salt (at least 6 quarts of water and 3 1/2 tablespoons of sea salt)

Stir to keep it apart. The water is what reduces the starch. Reduce flame after three minutes. This prevents pasta from sticking.

Keith Jones, the “Champagne Chef” and owner of Chef’s Secrets, wants as a result of his first visit to Jamaica to start an exchange programme. “There’s so much talent here,” he shares Thursday night at the Taste of Jamaica Festival. “I’m really impressed.I mean you’ve got guys in the kitchen using a single knife to create amazing masterpieces. Where I come from the guys have entire carving kits.”

The food too, has left a favourable after-taste, especially Grand Lido’s executive chef’s innovations, ably executed by his culinary team, with mouth-watering goodies like the fish broth and ackee and saltfish. Pastry chef Ernest Bell, of the exclusive Charlie Palmer Group in Las Vegas, was intent on sampling as much of the local culinary delights as possible but had high praises for the braised oxtail, curry goat and jerk chicken. We caught up with sommeliers Jason Quinn of Prime in Las Vegas and Michael A Jordan of Napa Rose, the premier restaurant in the luxurious Disney’s Grand California Hotel Resort in Anaheim, California at the dessert station enjoying blue draws, coconut drops and bread pudding. Chef Martin Maginley was kept busy on the grill exciting patrons with his jerk pork flamed with Red Stripe Beer as well as a magnificent whole roasted snapper marinated in vodka.

Chefs Lora Kirk and Lynn Crawford of Four Season, New York stood sipping their beverages as they took in the sights and sounds of the night complete with mento band, cane man and craft vendors like Clive Chambers. The 8th Annual Epicurean Escape By Land & Sea was held at the Grand Lido Resort & Spa June 27-July 1 and culminated Saturday evening with “Formal Dinner”. An elaborate seven-course affair complete with a post reception of Rum & Cognac Tasting, petits fours and truffle served butler style.