I just got back from a Jamaican vacation and I must proclaim that while the weather was warm, the beaches were beautiful, and the atmosphere was relaxing- the FOOD WAS NASTY!! Actually, for the sake of this blog I won’t even give Breeze’s All-Inclusive Trelawny the honor of calling it “food.” From here on out, I will refer to it only as “grub.” The grub was disgusting. Gross. Repulsive. Inedible. Jimmy and I are people that enjoy eating just about anything, any cuisine, any taste, any texture. We are not picky eaters by any means, but after just a few hours at this resort we knew we had a problem on our hands…. Our first meal was at the Poolside Grill where they served quick bar bite type grub. Jim got a hot dog that was hot pink and a burger which the lettuce and tomato were cross-contaminated with imitation crab salad. The cheese on their nachos had the viscosity of water. I tried the jerk chicken which was basically a pile of jerk-flavored chicken ligaments, tendons, and unidentifiable bones. Later that night we attempted the buffet. We were surpised to see canned fruits and vegetables (really, canned fruit on a tropical island?) There was also a variety of cheese that all tasted exactly the same. Yes, they looked different. The Swiss had holes in it, the Mozzerella was in little ball shapes, and the Gruyere had that red rind… only to fool you. Each variety tasted exactly like rubbery Velveta. Then there was the pizza, the kind you find at roller skating rink. And, I could never forget the special Jamaican grub- Curried Pig Tails, Braised Mutton, and Jamaican “One Pot.” Hey, I’ll try anything once, but this grub I would not wish upon anyone. At one point I was actually envious of Tide back home eating his Purina Puppy Chow. The next day on our way to breakfast we devised a game plan. We decided to play it safe and stick to the simple basic grub. I got hard-boiled eggs. Jim got 2 slices of bread and packets of jelly and peanut butter. How can ya mess that up? Well even the hard-boiled eggs tasted funny and there was a nice little surprise in the packet of jelly- a layer of mold. Everything just tasted so “off”. The ketchup was funky, the iced tea had floaters, the Pepsi was not Pepsi… or Coke… or cola for that matter. I’m convinced this grub had to be classified as Grade Z. Well, we suffered through the next 6 days, eating what we could choke down, and utilizing meal supplements to get by- you know, the liquid kind ;) If it weren’t for the rum drinks and Red Stripe I don’t think we would have made it out alive. But we did and a minute after our plane landed back in America, we jumped in the truck, put it in drive, and B-lined to the nearest Wawa. We made our selections and scarfed them down as if they were some kind of antidote for the toxic Jamaican grub we ingested over the past week. I am definetly left with a newfound appreciation for good-quality, familiar, FDA approved, American FOOD. Enjoy the pot pie! And, if anyone knows was Mutton is, please inform me!

1 pie crust ( i used pillsbury)

4 large chicken breasts, cubed

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 c. corn kernels

1 c. frozen peas

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup half and half

3 T. flour

3 T. butter

S&P

fresh herbs of your choice, chopped

In a large pan, begin sauteing the chicken. When chicken is about halfway done, add the carrots, celery, and onion and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through but veggies are still crisp. Add garlic. Transfer to a large cassarole dish along with corn and peas. In a saucepan over med/high heat, make a rue with flour and butter. Add chicken stock and half and half and continue stirring until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs. Pour sauce into cassarole dish overtop of chicken and veggies. Top with pie crust. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.