One of life’s sweetest pleasures is spending an afternoon around a table sharing a delicious meal in the company of “sister friends”. There is a special magic when women commune with each other; a common bond of sisterhood among all women, although we sometimes forget that it is there. We women have our own “medicine” that is very different from the “medicine” men apply to rejuvenate themselves. A ladies’ lunch is a great way to take a moment to reconnect to our feminine energy, and savour life with the women we hold dear. When we gather together we heal ourselves and we heal each other. Our feminine gatherings

can be the balm for a wounded spirit, and can be the remedy for many ailments.

This remedy is served with many doses of laughter, a few drops of tears, and infinite spoonfuls of love and wisdom.

Our restaurant Café Bella was a favourite lunch spot for all kinds of women; in fact, we would say that our business began with the support of a predominantly female clientele. Our cookbook Caribbean Potluck devotes an entire chapter to the “Ladies’ Lunch”, and is filled with recipes we served during our restaurant years at Café Bella and Restaurant Ciao Bella. We dedicate the chapter to “the beautiful women who have supported, taught and befriended us, and who love to lunch as much as we do”. So with the end of Season 2 of Two Sisters and a Meal here, we could think of no better way to wrap up this fantastic exploration of Jamaica than by having a ladies’ lunch for a few friends, with a menu featuring recipes from Caribbean Potluck.

We love eating outdoors and embracing the best of island living, and we believe that one’s table can be anywhere as long as it’s readied for the occasion. Our table was dressed with lots of love and colour — a perfect setting for an al fresco lunch. In our opinion, a beautiful table makes every meal more enjoyable for our guests and for us. Our menu was a blend of rustic and sophisticated char-grilled, country-style ribs glazed with molasses, ham and Cheddar quiche, our pasta Cubana with black beans and plantain, alongside a creole-spiced slaw with mango, papaya and jerked cashews, all topped off with a refreshing white wine sangria — not a bellyful, but a nourishing and scrumptious feast.

‘Nourishing’ and ‘scrumptious’ would be the perfect adjectives to describe the glorious adventure that has been Season 2 of Two Sisters and A Meal. We have been nourished by our travels across our lovely island home. Along the way we have met delightful people and learned more than we could ever have imagined about our food, our culture and our country’s history. It has been a scrumptious journey: from Kingston to Walkerswood to Mandeville and Black River and way beyond our shores to London, England, we continue to be inspired by Jamaicans and the stories they allow us to tell about the work they do, the food they cook, and the shared legacy that is in all of us.

Thanks for joining us every Sunday as we explore together Jamaica and Jamaicans. It has been both a joy and a privilege to share our passion with all of you. Until next time we meet — as the old Jamaican saying goes — walk good!