Palm Beach -- Aliza Green, chef, consultant and author of renowned and useful cookbooks organized Aruba Taste and Tale, a special evening dedicated to Aruba’s cuisine.
Green, in collaboration with Director of Food & Beverage Franz Sydow, just finished writing a cook book with recipes collected from Aruba’s best chefs and local cooks.
She visited more than one dozen famed restaurants, talked to the owners and chefs, tasted, evaluated then finally asked for the recipes she liked, then edited and compiled them into a magnificent coffee table book, promoting the island’s culinary diversity and uniqueness.
The project, endorsed and sponsored by the Westin Aruba Resort, has been almost eighteen months in the making. Green reports that the last photographs have just been taken and that the much-awaited manuscript is going to print.
Finally, as a token of gratitude to the chefs who donated their time and special dishes, Green offered to cook up a storm at the Westin Aruba Resort kitchen.
Her culinary feats resulted in a tremendous six course meal, served in the grand ballroom, at an elegant dinner party attended by chefs, members of the press, and members of Starwood Hotels’ management team.
On the menu an outstanding interpretation of the classic Caribbean Callalou Soup, a much-liked Thai Tamarind Shrimp appetizer with Cucumber Salad, a just-caught pan seared Red Snapper with buttery Cranberry Beans, Arugula and Tomato, a flavorful Alsatian Venison Medallions with Red Fruit Mustard Sauce, tasty Speatzle with Brown Butter, Chives and Toasted Breadcrumbs and a refreshing Autumn Apple Walnut Salad with Baked Goat Cheese chased by a irresistible Jamaican Spiced Pineapple Roulade with Guava Sauce.
All dishes were perfectly paired with the appropriate wines from Piper-Heidsieck Champagne to Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, 2005; Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc, 2005; Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay, 2004; Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002; Wente Riesling Monterey 2005, and a well-received Taylor Fladgate Aged Tawny.
Dinner was attended by resort General Manager Rob Smith, Vice President Graeme Davis, Corporate Director of Food & Beverage Michiel Bakker and Corporate Executive Chef Richard Faeh.
At the end of the evening Green wrote personal dedications into copies of her best-selling new “Starting with Ingredients: The Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Cook,” and awarded the books to her guests.
It was a terrific soirée, put together by a great lady who is a fantastic culinary force and a significant gastronomic inspiration.
