Creston’s Chef Jo-Anne Schultz is combining her love of people with her passion for food, working to spread the joy she finds in the kitchen.
The founder of The Little Lucian, a cooking school and restaurant on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, is now happily using her own kitchen as a home base.
Last month a group of friends gathered to learn about her “7 Secrets for Caribbean Cooking”, an interactive and joy-filled evening that showed Schultz’s enthusiasm for authentic cuisine.
Servings of traditional beverages and food were accompanied by her stories of the adventures that she and her husband, Chuck, have experienced on her travels. Samples of ingredients were available to feel, smell and taste. Eventually the group would be invited to join her in preparing a salsa made from celeriac, thyme, onion, red pepper, garlic, salt and hot peppers, which forms the base for many traditional St. Lucia-style meals. A Jamaican family was on hand to share their own food and cultural lore, pointing out the similarities and differences.
When samplings of chicken and pork marinated in the “7 Secrets” came in off the barbecue, Schultz saw her guests become instant converts to the joys of Caribbean cuisine.
That particular Saturday evening was really an experiment for what Schultz is calling My Authentic Food, in which she plans to delve into traditional cuisines and food culture from around the world, bringing in other cooks to share their knowledge.
“I am going to seek out exotic and unique locations where they can teach others about their food,” Schultz says.” I can really do this anywhere with any cuisine—my plan is to showcase cuisines of the world.”
While her home is ideal for small groups, Schultz plans to use a variety of facilities. Readers might remember her Farmers’ Market appearances, in which she demonstrated cooking cedar-plank salmon and local vegetables, turning the results into a memorable chowder.
Her love affair with food started when she was in high school, and she later had a memorable experience in Mexico.
“I got inspired helping a friend get established in Cancun,” she recalls. “I watched Juan, seeing how he treated each morsel of food like a precious gem.”
My Authentic Food becomes a reality on Saturday, June 16, when Schultz and friends delve into more Caribbean cuisine—Jamaican-style jerk BBQ chicken.
“Dimitri Karountzos has already promised to join me for an event soon, where he will share his favourite Greek recipes!”
Schultz has also been invited by Chef Freda Gore to demonstrate her cooking skills for guests on a Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas cruise in December.
“Wouldn’t it could be great if a bunch of people from Creston came on the cruise, too,“ she smiles. Billed as a Caribbean Culinary Vacation, the cruise promises a winter getaway with wine, food and rum. The week-long cruise—December 16-23— departs from San Juan, Puerto Rico and calls into St. Thomas, Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia and St. Martin.
More information about the cruise and My Authentic Food events can be found on Facebook at Schultz’s pages, My Authentic Food and The Little Lucian Cooking School. She can also be reached by email at myauthenticfood@gmail.com.