(taken from everythingtrini.com)

I know you guys are tired of hearing this…. BUT I (still) LOVE WHAT I DO!!

I’m out of town again for meetings, parties, shopping, cooking and celebrating my parents’ 40th anniversary! I’m not quite tired of all this traveling, but after sitting in the plane, on the runway for over an hour on Friday, I was over it.

I haven’t upgraded my pink razor phone to the pretty iphone (not yet, anyway) so I had to wait until I got home to check my email. This is the first email I checked:

“Brenda, Interested? Seems to be right up your alley

—— Forwarded Message
From: XXX
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:34:03 -0400
To: XXX
Subject: Trinidad and Tobago’s Culinary Festival Invite

Dear Nick,

I’d like to invite you to join me on a culinary press trip to the beautiful dual island nation of Trinidad & Tobago in the West Indies, May *****, 2008. The idea of this trip is to feature the food that represents the many cultures that make up the people of Trinidad & Tobago. This trip should appeal to anyone who writes for major consumer publications that report on, culinary travel and active lifestyles, and in-style, “must see” yet, virtually undiscovered vacation destinations.

Trinidad & Tobago is one of the few places in the world that offers visitors such a wide and varied array of ethnic festivals, events, and activities. In addition to attending the annual “Taste T&T” culinary festival, the trip will also include visits to Trinidad’s natural tourist attractions such as rain forests and bird sanctuaries. We will travel around the island and learn about the wide and varied array of ethnic cuisine available and the colorful history that has left a culinary influence of Arabic, Spanish, African, Chinese, Polynesian, Thai, Indian, Cajun, and indigenous Amerindian in the food of Trinidad & Tobago.

Participants will have the opportunity to experience some of the best dining in the Caribbean and the warm, welcoming Trinidad hospitality at every corner of this island paradise.

Your host is the Trinidad & Tobago Tourism board and you will be escorted by a CAMC representative. Airfare will be provided to journalists with firm assignments from major consumer publications as well as meals and activities on the itinerary. Space is limited on this press trip. Only those travel writers with firm assignments will be considered. Please contact me if you have any questions and check out the T&T website at www.goTrinidadandTobago.com http://www.gotrinidadandtobago.com .

Best, XXXXX “

I couldn’t hit “reply” fast enough. This is why I NEED that iphone! I would have been able to respond while boarding my flight from ATL. But noooo, I had to wait until 4ish to do so.

So, yes, my friends, this is my FIRST culinary press tour and I’m soooooo excited!! I’d been after my editor to send me on another trip since Barbados, and specifically pitched being the mag’s food editor. Until he accepts that offer and says yes, I’ll be totally content with receiving messages of this likeness.

I’ve never been to T&T, therefore I am very excited about everything I’m going to see, learn and EAT! I I’ll be eating at some fancy schmancy restaurants and doing reviews, talking to Chefs, hopefully going to the farmer’s markets and non-food related things like rain forest walks!

My interest is really engaging with the home cooks and finding out little secrets about what makes their cuisine so special. Hopefully I’ll be able to pick up a local herb or two to use at home, and jarred sauces, marinades, etc.. like the own pictured below.

Now, I have to go find a pretty notebook to take notes–something that depicts food on the cover, you know; and a pretty bathing suit since the weather is about, hmmm, 88 degrees right now!!!!

(taken from everythingtrini.com)

Sometimes, it really doesn’t get much better! I know I’m in for a treat. If you’ve traveled to Trinidad and Tobago and have any suggestions, recommendations on where I should go during my limited down time, please leave me a comment or send an email! I’m looking forward to seeing things outside the itinerary the Tourism Board has for us. And of course I’ll report to you all at the end of May.

IN OTHER FOOD….

I’ll be back tomorrow with FOOD that I’m cooking at my parents house (again)… I’m thinking oxtail and coconut rice??? Hmmm. Stay tuned.

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