Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
Last Tuesday, I was invited at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem for the launch of the Bazodee line of sauces, a set of Caribbean sauces from Mavis Foods, LLC. I love the story of this company: it all started with Ms. Mavis Davis, the daughter of a family of 12 children who has been cooking since she was 13 years old, complaining about the family not cooking and losing the legacy of the Caribbean and Venezuelan dishes carried from one generation to the other. That is how Bazodee, that means crazy, head over heels in love in Trinidad and Tobago, started. Ms. Mavis Davis got the title of CIO or Chief Inspiration Officer and works with her daughter Ms. Kiah Sandler as well as her niece Ms. Debra Sandler who is the Chief Executive Officer of Mavis Foods LLC.
Mavis Davis and Debra Sandler from Mavis Foods, LLC
I got the opportunity to meet them at the event as well as try some of the family recipes made with their sauces:
- The Marvelous Marinade, made with green herbs and seasonings.
- The Soca sauce, made with vegetables, peppers and seasonings.
- The Hot Hot Soca sauce, made with the Trinidad Scorpion pepper, one of the most piquant peppers in the world.
Here is what I tried:
Dishes made with Bazodee sauces
Dishes made with Bazodee sauces
Orzo with mango salad made with the Bazodee Marvelous Marinade:
Orzo with mango salad made with the Bazodee Marvelous Marinade
Chicken with Angel hair pasta made with the Bazodee Marvelous Marinade:
Chicken with Angel hair pasta made with the Bazodee Marvelous Marinade
Chicken with Angel hair pasta made with the Bazodee Marvelous Marinade
Tomato salad made with the Bazodee Marvelous Marinade:
Tomato salad Chicken with Angel hair pasta made with the Bazodee Marvelous Marinade
Shrimp ceviche made with Bazodee Hot Hot Soca sauce:
Shrimp ceviche made with Bazodee Hot Hot Soca sauce
Accra, codfish cakes:
Accra, codfish cakes
Accra, codfish cakes
As a drink, I got the Planters Punch made with Cannes Brûlées Classic Rum, pineapple, citrus juice, bitters and grenadine juice.
Planters punch
The food, prepared by Executive Chef Martin Little, was delicious and I could not believe how most of these dishes were so simple. I should also mention the venue: Minton's Playhouse is an institution. Minton's Playhouse is a jazz club that was founded by tenor saxophonist Henry Minton in 1938. It is famous for its role in the development of modern jazz, also known as bebop, where artists like Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie performed. It closed in 1974 and then reopened few years after few tries in 2013. I loved the atmosphere there as well as the old black and white photos of the artists who created such a legend.
Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, NY
Dining room at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, NY
It was a great event and I loved the food and concept created by Mavis Foods, LLC. I will for sure try to make these recipes and others with the Bazodee sauces that were in the press kit!
Enjoy (I did)!
If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!
Minton's Playhouse - 206 W 118th Street, New York, NY 10026
