(WSVN) - You don’t have to leave SoFlo to get a taste of the Caribbean. That’s a bonus for us — especially when food festivals are involved. Deco’s got a sneak peek of the ultimate summer soirée.

SoFlo is getting splashed with a wave of Caribbean flavor.

Lindell Douglas, CEO of Caribbean Village Entertainment: “Caribbean Village is a celebration of Caribbean-American heritage. It’s where we look at music, food, culture and we bring together all the different aspects of the Caribbean.”

This year’s Summer Soirée Festival is going down at the Solaris Gardens in Southwest Ranches.

It’s a one-day event showcasing more than 30 dishes from the Caribbean.

Lindell Douglas: “You pay one price. You come in and you get to go around and sample all these dishes.”

Two of those dishes will be whipped up by Chef France Michele. She’s repping Haitian cuisine at the festival.

France Michele, chef: “Today I made Griot, which is a special dish for Haitians. It’s a fried pork.”

The pork is served with fried plantains and for a little heat, add some pikliz on top.

France Michele: “The pikliz is like a spicy slaw, made with cabbage, carrots, hot pepper.”

And you can enjoy it with the meat or by itself!

Sheldon Bland, customer: “Everything was amazing. Everything was delicious. It tasted really fresh. It was very well seasoned, very well prepared. It was tender, juicy and it was just – it was awesome.”

Craving some authentic Jamaican food? Chef Mark Cameron’s got you covered!

Mark Cameron, chef: “Jamaican food takes a little time to prepare and there’s a reason for that. Because of all the spices that we have, there is a reward.”

Leave the cooking to Mark, but bring your appetite for this vegetarian stew.

Mark Cameron: “We’re using spinach, we’re using broad beans, coconut milk. Everything in the dish is exciting.”

He’s also making a garlic crab dish that’s sure to make a splash.

Mark Cameron: “All the spices are infused into the crab. It’s not just a surface flavor. It’s about the entire crab having the flavor with the garlic and the curry.”

Frederick W. McLenon, customer: “I’ve had crabs every kind of way you can imagine, and to have this garlic crab done in this Jamaican way, it is amazing. I love it.”

The Caribbean Village Festival’s Summer Soirée is next Sunday.

FOR MORE INFO:

Publix Carribean Village Festival Summer Soirée

Click here to purchase tickets

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox