CHANT To Hosts Crucian Fusion Week Of Traditional Gone Gourmet

ST. CROIX — Cultural Heritage and Nature Tourism Inc. (CHANT) is inviting residents and visitors here to join its Agro-Tourism Culinary Excursion from November 29 to December 5, to benefit the organization’s programs to preserve and demonstrate the best of local culture, including foods, music, dance and crafts, a press release the group issued on Friday makes known.

According to CHANT’s Executive Director Frandelle Gerard, the week of culinary happenings will culminate in CHANT’s signature event, the fourth “Crucian Fusion: Traditional Gone Gourmet,” at Whim Plantation Museum on Saturday, December 5, from 6-10 p.m.

“Crucian Fusion serves as our annual fundraiser and we are delighted to have native son, V.I. Culinary Ambassador and Caribbean Chef of the Year 2015 Digby Stridiron as our returning featured chef,” said Gerard. The event will also provide a great platform for chefs, cooks and food enthusiasts to share the richness of traditional Crucian cuisine as they present their unique interpretation of local foods during the food competition, said Gerard.

Local mixologist Frank Robinson will be creating specialty drinks for the occasion. This year’s theme “Guavaberry, the Twelve Nights of Christmas” pays homage to cultural icons Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights as they celebrate forty-five years of Quelbe and Culture. The We Deh Yah Cultural Dancers will also entertain.  Gerard says there is still room for more chefs and cooks to participate by calling 340-277-4834.  Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

According to Crucian Fusion Chairperson Jozette Walker, the culinary excursion begins on Sunday, November 29 with the second Friends of James Beard  “Slow Down Dinner” at the Ridge to Reef Farm hosted by CHANT and Chef Digby to fund scholarships for local students. Kristopher Moon, a Vice President of the Beard Foundation, a New York City-based national non-profit culinary arts organization named in honor of James Beard who was a prolific food writer, mentor, and television personality, will travel to St. Croix to attend the dinner, in support of the farm to table concept of healthy eating and to promote scholarships for local students to study the culinary arts. Chef Digby, who will soon open “balter” restaurant in Christiansted, will be assisted in preparing the five course spread by Chef Shaun Brian Sells, Executive Chef of “Ocean 362” of St. John and Chef Brandon Callanta, “balter” chef de cuisine. Cocktail and wine pairings will be by Patrick Kralikof of “balter” and Frank Robinson of Zion Modern Kitchen.

On Wednesday, December 2, the Virgin Fresh St. Croix Farm Tours will showcase some of the best locally grown fruits, vegetables and cheeses offered at eight St. Croix farms.   Registered Crucian Fusion chefs and cooks will ride free and shop with coupons courtesy of the V.I. Department of Agriculture. The general public can join the tour for $25. Tour buses leave at 8 a.m. from the Ag Fair grounds

On Thursday, December 3, CHANT and Chef Digby will celebrate the finest gourmet Crucian cuisine at a delectable five course Private Dinner at the luxurious Cohen Estate, on Strand Street, Frederiksted. Each course will be prepared with all locally sourced foods expertly prepared.  The tickets for this fundraiser are $200 per person or sit and chat at the Chef’s VIP table in the kitchen for $250 per person.

Tickets for all events can be purchased online at www.chantvi.org or at the CHANT office in Frederiksted in the courtyard behind Polly’s at the Pier. For more information contact Frandelle Gerard, CHANT Executive Director, at 340.277.4834 or[email protected]  or Jozette Walker, Crucian Fusion Chairperson at[email protected] or 340.514.8698.

Sponsors for CHANT’s Crucian Fusion Culinary Excursion are the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, St. Croix Landmarks Society, the Buccaneer Hotel, the Palms at Pelican Cove, West Indies Corporation, Prestige, and V.I. Department of Tourism.

Offering walking tours and other cultural experiences for eight years, CHANT is a Virgin Islands 501(c)(3). not-for-profit corporation and a sponsored project of the St. Croix Foundation. CHANT’s mission is to promote and develop a wide range of vibrant, high-quality, Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism products. The organization works closely with the Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and existing heritage and nature providers and also identifies and nurtures the development of new providers with business counseling and marketing initiatives.

For more information please visit www.chantvi.org or contact: Frandelle Gerard, Executive Director at [email protected] or 340-277-4834.