The Indians: Best Scuba Diving in the BVIs

The Indians are a spectacular rock formation just off Norman Island, and offer some of the very best scuba diving in the British Virgin Islands. This unique rock formation looms out of the water from a depth of 10 to 50-feet and features a tunnel that divers can pass through to the other side. All dive sites are protected by the government as national parks, in an effort to protect the coral and preserve the sites for future generations, and sailing vessels must show special permits and use only existing mooring balls to tether up to — no dropping anchor in these areas! A popular destination for divers, it's imperative to get to The Indians bright and early to grab one of only 5 moorings on the site. But first things first — a solid breakfast is needed to get the metabolism going and have enough energy for the dive. Not fancy, but a very tasty Alegria Del Mar pre-dive breakfast by the Chef de Cuisine — me!

Alegria Del Mar scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and grilled tomato — magnifique!

Once we're suited up, we take our first of our trip. I love this dive site. The incredible bounty of brightly coloured reef fish, lavish coral formations and sponges at the Indians is just fantastic, and contrast so dramatically with the rocky ledges and steep walls that rise to the surface. 

The bright sun streaks its rays across the water's swell and creates incredible viewing and photographic opportunities. From the rainbow coloured Parrot Fish, Tile Fish, Angelfish, the health of the coral and the breathtaking clarity of the water, it's a reassuring sight given the damage we hear about to much of the world's aquatic life due to global warming. 

A Tile Fish munching on coral at The Indians

A school of Blue Tang — are they smiling?

The little fish just flow with the current

Thrilled with our first dive, we set sail for Cooper Island and hope to arrive just after lunch, to make sure we get a mooring for the night in Manchioneel Bay and maybe a cocktail at the Cooper Island Beach Club to watch the sunset.

Norman Island and the Willy Thornton Floating Bar

Great snorkeling but no treasure, except the amazing coral 

The undulating coast line of Norman Island comprises a number of bays and offshore reefs providing excellent snorkeling and diving. On our first night, we always anchor in beautiful Benures Bay, home to two enormous tortoises! A quiet secluded anchorage, it's the perfect bay to start our two week journey through the islands. As the sun sets, a blanket of stars start to appear overhead boasting the best star viewing I've ever encountered. It's breathtaking.

Beautiful and tranquil Benures Bay

Norman Island's Beautiful Benures Bay & The Bight

The busiest and most popular anchorage on the island is called The Bight. The Willy T floating bar and restaurant can likely take credit for at least some of the popularity of this truly excellent anchorage. 

The Famous 'Willy T' Floating Bar & Restaurant

Established in 1985 by Mick and Annie Gardner, this one-of-a-kind, "bistro on the briny" has remained in the family and is now operated by Mick and Annie's son-in-law, Ewan Anderson, with Zeus captaining the bar and serving his notorious 'Zeus Juice'! Known for his intoxicating rum cocktails, the culinary fare on the Willy T is pretty good too, serving local favourites such as conch fritters, grilled lobster or their delicious flying fish sandwich — caught fresh from the Bight!

Zeus - King of the 'Willy T'

Flying Fish Sandwich

Serves 4

8 flying fish, approximately 1 pound total

4 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 tsp paprika

fresh lemon or lime juice

vegetable oil for frying

4 buns or baguette

onion, sliced thinly

sliced tomatoes

sliced cucumber

Season both sides of the flying fish with salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika. Sauté the filets in a little oil in a skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side; sqeeze lemon juice over the fish while its cooking. Serve on a toasted bun or baguette and garnish with with homemade Willy T tartar sauce, tomato, onion, and cucumber. Enjoy!

Willy T Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp chopped dill pickles and a splash of pickle juice

1 tbsp minced onion 

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill for at least an hour before serving with the Flying Fish sandwiches and an ice-cold beer!

One of the hidden treasure caves of Norman Island

Legend plays a large part in the history of Norman Island with tales of pirates and treasure caves, although the role of the island as the model for the epic 'Treasure Island' by Robert Louis Stevenson is perhaps the most famous legend of all. While the island is now uninhabited, farmers have in the past reared cattle there and today the Caves are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the islands. 

The British Virgin Islands: Nature's Little Secret

The British Virgin Islands are heaven on earth. We've been sailing their crystal clear aquamarine waters every few years for the past decade and always look forward to returning. It's a sailor's paradise. Azure waters, calm anchorages, deserted coves and over sixty islands and cays, plus hundreds of fabulous dive sites to explore, and we always discover something new. Our journey always begins with an ice cold beer on the high speed open-air island ferry from Charlotte Amalie in the US Virgin Islands, where our flight lands, to the heart of Tortola, the largest island in the BVIs, and home to BVI Yacht Charters where we pick up our 46' Beneteau, the Alegria Del Mar, our seafaring home for the next two weeks.

The Alegria Del Mar

Our home away from home for two weeks — I think we'll manage!

The master stateroom

Provisioning for the trip is always an adventure, but thankfully most shops offer free delivery to charter boats, which makes lugging the bags of ice and crates of beer, wine and 'jungle juice' back to the boat, a little easier to manage. Once everything is stowed away, it's off to dinner at a local restaurant, for some fresh grilled seafood and a rum punch made with the island favourite — Pusser's Rum — the original rum of the British Royal Navy! Then off to bed for an early start the next morning, as we set our sails for Benures Bay on Norman Island.

Pusser’s Rum Punch
Serves 1


2 ounces Pusser's Rum
1/2 cup guava juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice 
1/2 lime, juiced
touch of grenadine 
grated nutmeg for garnish


Combine the rum, juices, lime and grenadine and pour the lot over the rocks. Finish with a dusting of nutmeg on top and a fresh fruit garnish.

The British Virgin Islands — A Culinary Journey

The British Virgin Islands

A Sailing, Scuba Diving & Culinary Journey

May 17, 2011 - June 2, 2011

Scrumpdillyicious will be sailing in The British Virgin Islands from May 17 to June 2, 2011, exploring the cultural, culinary and aquatic pulse of this unspoiled corner of paradise in the Caribbean. Join me online each day as we sail from Tortola to Virgin Gorda, Anegada and all the islands in between.  

Our Culinary Journey will take us from Tortola to The Bathes of Virgin Gorda, home to magnificent stone boulders along it's southern coastline, then on to Jost Van Dyke and the Soggy Dollar Bar, and then the tiny island of Anegada, renowned for it's spiny lobsters and hundreds of shipwrecks! From secluded anchorages and crystal clear blue water we'll explore underwater caverns and maybe even search for buried treasure on Norman Island — the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island!

Enoteca Sociale: Agostino's Roman-Inspired Cuisine

Enoteca Sociale is the newest venture by Chef Rocco Agostino, Max Rimaldi, and Daniel Clarke, of Pizzeria Libretto fame, but this time the menu is "inspired by classic Roman cuisine", according to Agostino. Utterly simple, few of the dishes have more than four or five visible ingredients. "I wanted to make simple food" says Agostino, so he's created a menu that is composed of dishes he's always wanted to make along with several dishes poached from his Nonna, pulling the maximum amount of flavour out of the fewest ingredients. He's done his Nonna proud.

Chef Rocco Agostino oversees Enoteca Sociale's impressive kitchen

One of the talented cooks in Agostino's kitchen

Using only the freshest, seasonal and impeccable produce, Agostino's cooking is rooted in solid technique and is absolutely delicious. We started with three antipasti including Arancini Con Stracciatella, which are deep fried little balls of risotto, known as arancini, or little oranges, that are filled with mozzarella and fried to a golden perfection, with decadent gooey centres. Outstandingly good.

Being an ardent fan of octopus, we had to order the Grilled Octopus with Swiss Chard, New Potato & Chili Pepper, which, as Chef Agostino explained to me, was braised for over 3 hours to a point of succulent perfection.

The Baccala Fritters with Tripe Ragu and Caper Aioli were unlike the baccala that I'd enjoyed in Venice (which were more like a brandade de morue), but these were absolutely delicious in Agostino's fragrant tomato based sauce. I must admit that I was a little unsure about the 'tripe aspect' of the dish, but our charming, and handsome waiter, assured me that the tripe was braised in such a small dice, that the texture was more like calamari, than the offal we all know and loath. I was proved wrong, and our server was right — it was delicious and I'd order it again!

We followed with Coda Alla Vaccinara which is braised oxtail served over soft polenta that had been cooked with wonderfully tangy pecorino — my hands-down favourite dish of the evening and the best polenta I've ever had. Rich and full flavoured, this is a dish that I desperately need to master at home. 

Braised Oxtail over Pecorino Polenta — outrageously delicious!

We also ordered a new dish on the Enoteca Sociale menu — Grigliata Mista — a platter of deliciously grilled lamb, quail, capicola and house-made fennel & black pepper sausage. The portion is quite generous, so it's the perfect dish to share. All the pasta at Enoteca Sociale is hand made in their kitchen, and with over seven pastas to choose from, it's imperative to make as many return visits as your waistline will allow, in order to do justice to Agostino's outstanding menu. 

The Conchiglioni Pasta with Taleggio and Walnuts

We tried their pasta special of the evening — Conchiglioni, or big pasta shells, stuffed with melted taleggio cheese and crushed walnuts, which was lovely and delicate — a gentle flavour that balanced well with our Grigliata and oxtail dishes.

Enoteca's light and delicious Chocolate Budino

To finish the meal, we shared a Chocolate Budino which was garnished with olive oil and sea salt, with a hazelnut meringue on the side, but we wished that we had saved some room for a sampling of Enoteca's Cheese Menu. An impressive list of almost 20 cheeses from their own Cheese Cave, the restaurant stores their cheeses in humidity controlled rooms so that they can be served in their optimal state year round — one of two restaurant's in the city with their own cheese cave. 

Enoteca Sociale is a small restaurant with a big heart. A lively animated crowd lit up the room the evening we were there, and coupled with the friendly professional service, outstanding menu and Chef Agostino's watchful gaze over each night's proceedings, I'm looking forward to returning many times to this fabulous tiny restaurant on Dundas Street West at Dovercourt, for a taste of Agostino's La Dolce Vita, again and again. Bravo.

Rocco Agostino's Bucatini All’amatriciana

Serves 4 

Recipe courtesy of Enoteca Sociale

28-oz can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 lb guanciale or fatty pancetta, cut into 1-inch slivers
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes, or more to taste
Salt + ground black pepper to taste
4 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano + more for serving
1 lb dried bucatini or perciatelli

Empty contents of tomato can into large bowl. Gently crush tomatoes with hands. Set aside.

In large pot, heat oil in over medium heat. Add guanciale or pancetta. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic is soft, 1 to 2 minutes Add tomatoes and juices. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 minutes. Season with chili flakes, salt and pepper. Stir in 1 tbsp cheese. Remove from heat.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. Place sauce over medium-low heat. Drain pasta and add to sauce along with remaining 3 tbsp cheese. Cook, stirring, until pasta is well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste for seasonings. Transfer pasta to large platter or divide among 4 bowls. Serve with extra cheese on side.

These wonderful postcards come at the end of your meal, with the bill 

Enoteca Sociale 

1288 Dundas Street West

www.sociale.ca

Smokey Tomato Soup Shots with Clams

Any recipe that features clams, gets my attention, and when it looks this great and also tastes delicious, it's a sure-fire winner. This fabulous soup is wonderful served as an appetizer in small shot glasses, garnished with a rim of salt and pepper and a sprig of rosemary for show! This recipe is courtesy of the good folks at Cloverleaf, and I can't thank them enough. It's terrific.


Smokey Tomato Soup Shots with Clams
Serves 12 as appetizers

2 lb plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 sweet onion, cut into wedges
1 clove garlic, halved
1 sprig rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 can Clover Leaf Whole Baby Clams, drained and rinsed
2 tsp chipotle flavoured hot pepper sauce or to taste
1 lemon wedge
rosemary sprigs or celery tops, for garnish
Vodka

Heat the oven to 300°F. Toss the tomatoes, onion, garlic and rosemary with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 90 minutes or until very tender; discard the rosemary sprig.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender and process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve; discard solids. Chill for 2 hours or for up to 2 days. Just before serving, stir in the clams and hot sauce.

Toss coarse sea salt with the coarse pepper in a shallow dish. Moisten the shot glass rims with a lemon wedge; turn the moistened rim in the salt and pepper mixture to coat. Fill each glass carefully with soup, add a splash of vodka, stir and garnish with a rosemary sprig or mini celery stick.  Serve hot or cold.

COOK'S NOTE: Double the recipe and serve warm in bowls as a soup course to serve four.

TOCA by Tom Brodi: Canadian Cuisine at The Ritz

The new Ritz-Carlton in Toronto

After spending 10 years at Canoe as executive chef under Anthony Walsh, and also at North 44 and The Gramercy Tavern in NYC, Chef Tom Brodi is now the culinary dynamo behind the new Ritz-Carlton signature restaurant, TOCA — a word play on TOronto and CAnada, and Chef Tom Brodi’s culinary theme is a tribute to both. 

Chef Tom Brodi

Brodi sums up TOCA’s menu as 'Canadiana', “humble, farm-to-table Canadian cuisine that supports local farmers and producers, and focuses on classic northern dishes like souffles and fish, using local, naturally raised ingredients". Going local is nothing new to the chef, who was one of the driving forces behind using sustainable, local food at Canoe. To that end, the restaurant will be working with purveyors like Afrim Pristine from the Cheese Boutique, Jumbo Empanadas from Kensington Market, Balzac’s in the Distillery District for coffee and Marc Thuet, who will supply some of the bread at TOCA. In March, Brodi even plans to begin planting Toca’s own garden at Matchbox Garden & Seed Co. in Vaughan.

TOCA is also one of only two restaurants in Toronto with a cheese cave — the other is Enoteca Sociale. Why the scarcity? "Because they’re too damn expensive", says Cheese Boutique owner Afrim Pristine, who stocks TOCA’s cave. He estimates that TOCA spent up to $250,000 building it, and the restaurant has three staffers caring for its $50,000 stock! 

The Cheese Cave

The dining room also waves the national flag as Canadian craftsmanship abounds — from the pastry corridor, built brick by brick, to the glassed-in cheese cave, built from over 100 pieces of granite, to the plaster ceiling studded with hand-placed pieces of marble, and the rich Canadian walnut floors which create a lovely warm space, dotted with works by Ontario artists and red glass chandeliers by Toronto glass maker Jeff Goodman. 

TOCA Bar features sophisticated cocktails and raw bar with ceviche, BC Dungeness 

Crab salad, Malpeque Oysters and sustainable sturgeon caviar from New Brunswick

In the kitchen, Brodi’s team turns out ultra-Canadian appetizers like B.C. Dungeness crab with bone marrow, Wolfhead smoked salmon on top of a Hungarian flatbread, using a recipe straight from Brodi's grandmother, and “fancy fish and chips”, which is actually lobster knuckle meat coated in a Mill Street beer batter and fried. 

TOCA's Fish and Chips with beer-battered lobster

The restaurant also features a walk-in cellar, where customers can hand-pick their accompanying wine, which is mostly Canadian. TOCA’s wine program is run by Taylor Thompson, formerly of Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar and Reds, and offers 50 wines by the glass, plus house-labelled wines by Niagara’s Stratus Vineyards, Flat Rock Cellars, Cave Springs Cellars and hard-to-find bottles of Ace of Spades Champagne by Armand de Brignac at $650 per bottle — endorsed by Jay-Z and Beyoncé, no less!

www.tocarestaurant.com