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Chef Ed Harris Jr’s first visit to Canada was memorable. The St. Lucian-born American resident won the International Iron Chef title last Monday at the 18th annual Hot & Spicy Food Festival competition at Harbourfront Centre. He was among four chefs in this year’s competition who were challenged to use local and sustainable ingredients from their homelands. Harris has been cooking for most of his life. When most of his peers were playing sports, Ed Harris Jr. was quite satisfied to be indoors helping his mother in the kitchen. “My mom, uncles and grandfather loved to cook and I relished watching them seasoning and preparing food,” said Harris, who represented St. Lucia in last weekend’s event. “Growing up, I always wanted to help my mom in the kitchen and I stuck with cooking.” The son of a St. Lucian father and Guyanese mother whose entrepreneurial exploits took them to several Caribbean islands while their son was growing up meant that he was exposed to a wide variety of Caribbean dishes. Edward Harris Sr., who is based in St. Lucia and was counting on his son becoming a fashion designer because he was the only male student enrolled in sewing class in high school and Faye Harris, who resides in New York, spent time in Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Jamaica and Barbados before returning to St. Lucia. “I must have gone to about a dozen schools in the Caribbean and my favourite food back then was cook-up rice, pepper pot and all that good stuff,” he said. Migrating to New York in the late 1990s, Harris completed his high school education and graduated from the Art Institute of New York culinary arts program. He worked as a sous chef at Vong and Michael’s in Manhattan, a chef tournant at The River Café in Brooklyn and an executive sous chef at St. Lucia’s SunSwept Resorts before landing a job as a chef at Buddakan, an awe-inspiring restaurant in Manhattan’s meatpacking district that combines the serenity of Asia with the flamboyance of 16th century Paris. Opened in March 2006, the upscale restaurant’s menu includes crab sui mei, Cantonese spring rolls, tuna tartare, spareribs, black cod, snapper, tea-smoked chicken, mao poe tofu and fried rice with scallop congee. “I have always loved Asian food,” said Harris. “After school, my uncles took me to Chinese restaurants in the Caribbean. I also watched a lot of Kung Fu movies. When I moved to New York at age 16, I gravitated even more to Chinese food and culture and I told myself I had to learn how to make fried rice and steamed dumplings. So I was extremely excited to spend five years at Buddakan with a Master Dim Sum Chef who taught me everything I needed to know. I perfected the art of making dumpling, Asian sauces and friend rice.” While at Buddakan where he also learned about menu planning and development and food costing, Harris won the US$10,000 top prize five years ago in the American reality based television cooking series, “Chopped”, aired on the Food Network. In each episode, four chefs are required to take a mystery basket of ingredients and turn them into a dish that is judged on their creativity, presentation, and taste with minimal time to plan and execute. Married to a Nigerian who is expecting their third child, Harris used the monetary reward from “Chopped” and his culinary experience to launch a consulting business. “I always wanted to be my own boss,” he said. “In this role, I do private dinners at residences, consult for restaurants, train staff, prepare recipes and menus and do team-building exercises using food for large corporations.” Earlier this year, Harris launched a “pop-up dinner” initiative in Atlanta, where he resides with his family. “We do from four to six course dinners that could be Asian, Italian or just vegetables at awesome locations once a month,” he said. “It’s a ticketed event with an open bar and people enjoy it. It’s different and something that they will not experience at a restaurant.” On his first visit to Canada, Harris was the second St. Lucian chef to participate in the hot and spicy food festival that explores global cuisine as innovations in food production and preparation advances towards a highly specialized art form. Certified chef Shorne Benjamin, who has a degree in finance and resides in New York, represented the Caribbean country last year. With tourism being St. Lucia’s leading economic sector, emphasis is placed on exposing chefs to international training. Chefs Stephenson Charles and Niguel Gerald of the Sandals Regency La Toc and Sandals Beach Halcyon Beach Resort, respectively, participated in last month Liaison College of Culinary Arts five-day international culinary tour program in Toronto. They were exposed to courses in advanced kitchen management, molecular cuisine, product identification, classical dessert & cuisine and food & wine pairing. Last year, Nina Compton – the daughter of late Prime Minister John Compton – was appointed the island’s first culinary ambassador. She was the runner-up in the 2013-14 edition of the award winning series, “Top Chef”. Source: Sharenews.com

Emmy Award winner Steve Harvey will host “2015 MISS UNIVERSE®,” it was announced today by The Miss Universe Organization and FOX. The three-hour annual event will air live from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas Sunday, Dec. 20 (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. “I am thrilled to be hosting this iconic event for the first time ever,” said Harvey. “It’s exciting to be working with FOX, IMG and The Miss Universe Organization to make this year’s MISS UNIVERSE® telecast a huge success.” “Steve Harvey is one of the funniest, most likeable personalities on TV today, and he’s the perfect host for this very special evening,” said David Madden, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “The combination of Steve and the talented, impressive women vying for the Miss Universe title is sure to make this a night to remember.” Steve Harvey is a TV personality, talk show host, actor and comedian who currently hosts two popular TV shows: “The Steve Harvey Show,” which premiered in 2011; and game show “Family Feud,” which he began hosting in 2010; as well as a nationally syndicated radio show, “The Steve Harvey Morning Show,” since its inception in 2000. Harvey began his career doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s. His success as a comedian eventually led to a long stint as host of “It’s Showtime at the Apollo,” as well as various acting, hosting, writing and producing roles. Harvey’s television and film career includes roles in “Me and The Boys,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” “Steve Harvey’s Big Time Challenge,” “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” “You Got Served,” “Johnson Family Vacation” and “Madea Goes to Jail.” In addition, Harvey is a best-selling author. The MISS UNIVERSE® telecast is one of the most-watched events in the world, with distribution in approximately 190 countries and territories. Contestants from more than 80 countries will vie to become the next Miss Universe in this special programming event, which will conclude with current Miss Universe Paulina Vega of Colombia crowning her successor. As previously announced, WME | IMG wholly acquired The Miss Universe Organization in September 2015. Prior to the acquisition, IMG had produced a number of shows for The Miss Universe Organization and will continue to do so with this year’s MISS UNIVERSE® telecast

As the days grow shorter and winter approaches, Mahalo New York Bakery, located at 66-40 Myrtle Ave. in Glendale, provides a much-needed dose of warmth and sunshine on blustery fall days. In the short six months since the bakery first opened, Mahalo New York has gained quite a loyal local following. From the moment they enter the pistachio and pink colored shop, visitors are greeted with a smile and a cheery “aloha” from owner Sunita Shiwdin, who was inspired to open the tropical-themed bakery after honeymooning in Hawaii last year. “In Kauai, no one passes you without saying ‘aloha.’ Everyone there calls each other cousin, instead of miss and sir,” Shiwdin explained. “It made me want to bring a little bit of that aloha spirit back to New York City.” Shiwdin first arrived in New York more than two decades ago as a child from Guyana. Her family settled in Queens, where she attended Richmond Hill High School and went on to graduate from Queens College. It was during her time as a high school history teacher that Shiwdin first realized her desire to turn her lifelong passion for baking into a full-time business. Shiwdin credits her family’s move to New York with instilling in her the desire to dream big, as well as the courage and confidence to pursue those dreams. “Over here, girls are given this equal opportunity,” she added. “If you work hard at anything, I feel you can achieve it over here.” Mahalo New York Bakery’s owner and founder Sunita Shiwdin with her sweet creations Shiwdin honors her family’s culture and heritage by incorporating the natural tastes and flavors from her childhood in Guyana, as well her love of Hawaii, into her large selection of cupcakes and desserts at Mahalo. Her popular mango-mango cupcake infused with mango puree and topped with mango cream cheese frosting was inspired by Shiwdin’s fond memories of afternoons spent climbing the mango trees in her backyard with her brother. The succulent and sweet hibiscus pua cupcake was inspired by Hawaii’s national flower, as well as her mother’s garden back in Guyana. “My mom loved flowers, and I think her obsession with flowers kind of trickled on to me,” Shiwdin joked. “I grew up seeing these tiny little hummingbirds jumping from flower to flower.” Shiwdin’s Guyanese and Hawaiian influences can also be tasted in the pineapple guava cupcake infused with guava jam and topped with cream cheese frosting and chunks of pineapple jam. Her mango passionfruit whipped cheesecake pairs the tropical fruit atop a bed of cinnamon and spiced graham crumb with fresh mango and kiwi garnish. The mango passionfruit whipped cheesecake at Mahalo Baking is a family affair at Mahalo. Shiwdin’s husband Michael created the special Hawaiian sweet bread with a pineapple and ginger twist, and is currently crafting a Hawaiian doughnut. The aromatic rice pudding spiked with cloves, cinnamon and sugar is made from Shiwdin’s mother’s traditional Guyanese family recipe. Seasonal desserts include traditional apple, blueberry and coconut cream pies, as well as the “ono” (delicious) pumpkin whipped cheesecake and pumpkin chai cupcakes. Mahalo also crafts specialty cakes with impressive fondant designs for weddings, showers and special occasions. Source: QNS.com

Diana Ross, Charlie Wilson, Patti LaBelle, New Edition and Jazmine Sullivan will be rockin' it aboard an eight-day Caribbean cruise in April that raises money for a great educational cause. The cruise, which also will feature a boatload of other entertainers, including DJ Kool , the Bar-Kays and Con Funk Shun, raises money to support students attending historically black colleges and universities. Entertainment runs from a Funk Fest to West Coast Hip Hop to Smooth Grooves from the '70s, where Harold Melvin's Blue Notes will be singing. And there will be empowerment seminars, theme nights and daytime parties too. The Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage is organized by radio personality Joyner and sponsored in part by Ford. Joyner has been chartering fund-raising cruises to support black colleges and universities since 1999. The cruise aboard the Carnival Breeze sails from Miami on April 23 and returns May 1. Port calls include St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Maarten and Grand Turk in Turks & Caicos before returning to Miami. There's still room on board too. Prices start as low as $2,860 per person for interior cabins and $4,000 per person for ocean view cabins; both are based on double occupancy. Info: Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage, (972) 980-7245

NEW YORK – Veronica Campbell Brown was presented with the COJO 2015 Humanitarian Award at the 21st Annual fundraising gala of the New York based Jamaican charity, Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Inc. The gala awards and presentation took place at the Hilton New York, JFK Airport on Saturday, December 5 with NBC 4 New York meteorologist Dave Price serving as emcee for the charity gala. In accepting the award, the decorated Olympian, Veronica Campbell Brown expressed her thanks to COJO on being selected as the recipient of this special honor. She lauded the work of COJO and its mission which is similar to that of her Foundation, except that she focuses on young women while COJO focuses on children. Over 250 patrons attended the anniversary gala affair which was attended by His Excellency Ralph Thomas & wife Sandra, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Rev. Canon Calvin McIntyre, political consultant Basil Smikle and a number of other officials. Entertainment for the gala event was provided by No-Maddz and Tropical Rhythms, who entertained guests during the cocktail hour, with music by Empea Entertainment. Wayne Cummings, Director of Administration at Sandals Resorts International was this year’s guest of honor. COJO Founder Gary Williams thanked the many sponsors and donors who continue to support the organization to ensure COJO is able to carry out its mission of helping to improve the health, education and general well-being of underserved children in Jamaica and the United States. Since inception, COJO has contributed in excess of US$500,000 to various child care facilities in Jamaica as well as provide scholarships to deserving wards of the state. COJO Founder & Chairman Gary Williams presents the COJO Humanitarian Award to Olympian Veronica Campbell-Brown Photo Credit: Margot Jordan For over two decades, the volunteer-driven organization has supported a number of institutions in Jamaica as well as the United States. Among them, the Alpha Boys’ Home, Glenhope Place of Safety, Marigold Child Care Centre, City of Refuge, St. Augustine Place of Safety for Boys, Musgrave Girls’ Home in Jamaica; and in New York, the Jamaica, Queens YMCA and Leaf of Life. A number of corporate entities including JetBlue donated airline tickets as raffle prizes with Half Moon, Hyatt Ziva, Jamaica Inn and The Courtleigh & Suites donating vacation packages for the silent auction. Proceeds from this major fundraiser are used to provide scholarships and support for deserving students and Jamaican child care institutions in need. Rounding out the 2015 honorees were Madge Warren, COJO Distinguished Service Award; Patrick Jolly, COJO Visionary Award; Orville McKenzie & Donald Vernon, Esq., COJO Community Service Awards; and Caribbean Airlines, COJO Corporate Service Award.

Selah Poitier is a bassist, vocalist, songwriter, musician, producer, actress and activist hailing from the beautiful islands of The Bahamas. To Selah, music is storytelling and is a powerful tool for social change, healing and spiritual transformation. Her musical philosophy is that musicians may come from completely different cultural backgrounds and social climates, but all come from the same root and commonality which is ‘ humanity ’. That is what makes music so relatable to listeners from all over the globe. Selah was born into a family of preachers, singers, songwriters and musicians. She began playing the piano at the of age 4, produced her first track at the age of 9, and later discovered her love for singing and acting in local films, stage plays and musicals all with lead roles. At 13 years old, she sang in a group that opened up for International Gospel Artist Israel & New Breed. She developed her musical ear by playing piano in local churches. Selah entered The Bahamas' Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture's Junkanoo in June Song Competition after singing, writing, producing and performing her own song “What’s going down” and placed 3rd after performing live on stage in front of thousands of locals and tourists for the first time at the age of 15. She has played in The Bahamas National Symphony orchestra as a double bassist, funded by receiving a scholarship from the local Government in their apprenticeship program. Selah also became the first and only female double bassist in The Bahamas From a very young age, Selah’s passion for the preservation of culture and raising awareness of social issues in The Bahamas was incontestable. She began using the same intensity she would use to present local speeches and write to local newspapers through her songs and poems. She found her voice and purpose through these experiences. Selah believes that musicians are born into this world with an undeniable purpose to be freedom fighters and activists using their influence to raise the awareness of people through their art and music. Her aim is to help transform the world using her music as a tool to address the human condition, give people hope, uplift people’s spirits, unite Nations and express spiritual essence. Selah is also influenced by Esperanza Spalding, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Nina Simone, Marcus Miller, Christian McBride, Eddie Gomez and Lalah Hathaway. Her musical style is situated at the crossroads of influences such as jazz, hip-hop, blues, neo-soul, R&B, gospel, reggae, rake ‘n’ scrape and Junkanoo (traditional Bahamian music). She describes herself as a messenger and freedom fighter and looks to Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley as her heroes and inspirations. Selah's highly anticipated EP is set to be released this fall 2015 and her debut album is set to follow up in the spring of next year. Selah Poitier performs her original song "I've learned to love me" from her upcoming albumlive at Berklee College of Music's David Friend Recital Hall. Website: www.selahpoitier.com

UK, Nigeria, U.S.A (MPR Consulting) - Multi-talented singer songwriter Ayo Jay truly embodies the definition of music fusion by merging both his personal musical surroundings and experiences to deliver top charting music worldwide. With a proud African heritage from Nigeria, born in the UK and schooling in America, Ayo Jay influences and versatility play out with prolific lyrics based on Dancehall, R&B, Hip Hop and Afrobeats productions. Since Ayo first hit the stage in 2012 there has been no turning back for the rising star "It was at a fashion show at the Nigerian Reunion in Maryland. I performed the song "She Like It" alongside the rapper Cap B. I remember very well that I was quite nervous before I got on stage, but I did not want to get of the stage afterwards." Never looking back, Ayo Aji went on to sign with acclaimed label One Nation Records and thereafter released his first official single "Available" to rave reviews. But it is a collaboration with popular Hip Hip star Fetty Wap that brought him to the international forefront. Produced by Melvitto, the single "Your Number" was well received and made it's way unto international airwaves, as well as attention from international media such as the prestigious publication The Source magazine. Explaining how the collaboration came about, Ayo explained "The CEO of One Nation was already in contact with Fetty and some of his representatives. He played the song to them and they seemed to like it a lot. A collaboration was spoken about right there and not long after it happened. I was already feeling Fetty's sound and I thought it would complement well with mine on the song. I'm glad we made it happen ." Aiming to deliver quality music and setting himself apart to be remembered, Ayo musical motto reflects his mindset "I want to be more like "the moon" rather than "a star". There are several stars in the sky but the moon stands out; and is equally as bright if not brighter than the stars." While Ayo Jay is busy on his promotional road by performing a number of his successful singles, his debut album is set to be released in the latter part of 2016.

Regina Harding , Miss Supranational Jamaica 2015 did Jamaica proud on Friday, December 4th in Poland by becoming the first Jamaican to place in the Top 20 of the Miss Supranational Beauty Pageant. The pageant saw 82 girls from all over the world vying for the crown. Regina is a model from Montego Bay. She is no stranger to pageants as she won the Miss Jamaica World model title in 2014 and was 2nd runner up in Miss Jamaica World Cornwall 2014 The Miss Supranational pageant is now a ranked among the best such as Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss International. The pageant was born in 2009 and is synonymous with prestige, glamour and edginess. Most pageant fans would agree that year after year, the final competition is one of the best among all existing international pageants around in terms of overall production. The main focus of the pageant is on Tourism. She officially placed 12th of the 82 contestants and was a top 10 finalist in the Swim suit mini competition. Miss Paraguay, Stephania Stegman walked away with the crown. First runner up was Sierra Bearchell of Canada and Second runner was Monica Castano of Colombia. Regina is elated to have done well for Jamaica and sold Jamaica to a global audience. The pageant was televised in over 100 Countries and streamed live on You tube to a global audience.

Twenty Two year old Leighton Ramsay a third year Occupational Safety and Health student of the University of Technology walk away with the award of National Christian Youth Ambassador 2015 . This was on Sunday November 29, 2015 at the Living Water Christian Ministries, 57 Molynes Road, Kingston 10. The National Christian Youth Ambassador competition seeks to celebrate Christian youths who are active in their fellowship, talented, role models, passionate to reach the lost and must be able to share the gospel. The competition saw 14 Ambassadors selected from across Jamaica. The Ambassadors were interviewed by a panel of judges. Then they were each given a bible verse to make a presentation to the panel judges. Finally, the Ambassadors all shared their amazing talents. The talents ranged from singing, dancing, drama and Mime. At the end of the competition the judges decided Leighton Ramsay was the National Christian Youth Ambassador, Daron Mitchell was second place and Tyrone Brown t hird place. The Champion Female was Glacia Richardson a 17 year old student from Clarendon and Leighton Ramsay Champion Male. Best in interview Daron Mitchell, Wayneann Cooper was second place and Tyrone Brown third place. For the People’s Choice Award Leighton Ramsay was the winner, Johnoy Harrison second place and Glacia Richardson third place. For Presentation Tyrone Brown was the winner, Leighton Ramsay second place and Glacia Richardson third place The Most talented youth was Leighton Ramsay, Rachel Thompson was second place and Andwaley Wellington third place. According to Leighton. ”I am a young man who is trying my best to be a Christian not only by virtue of having on the name of Jesus but also by living up to the standards of the word of God. I said trying because I am also a young man who have struggled and is still struggling to live the life God has called me to live.” He is able to identify with the struggles that other Christians Youths and will seek as the National Christian Youth Ambassador to visit different churches Youth Fellowship to encourage the youths. The National Christian Youth Ambassador can be contacted via email : christianyouthambassador@gmail.com

Kimberly Dunkley aka “Nheon” is a West Indies born singer-songwriter. Endowed with a strong cultural affiliation to music, and a heavy dose of natural talent. Nheon started writing her own songs at a very age, which didn't go unnoticed by mother Sandra Dopson -who was once a popular vocalist in their country Trinidad. Her mother encouraged and nurtured her gifts foreseeing the potential her daughter possessed. Coming from a long line of singers and musicians, some would say it's no surprise her passion lies with music, but to Nheon and her family it was destiny! As much an adventurer as she is a musician, she traveled to Europe and was exposed to a different world of music she was not that familiar with, pop! Incorporating pop into her already fused style she created a genre of her own! Fans are extremely important to Nheon , fame and stardom however are illusionary. For she, views her position as an artist to be a sacred trust, a trust that is best honored serving humanity. Her genuine benevolence is reflected through an unwavering commitment to spread peace and love to those in need throughout the world. When it comes to music Nheon is a risk taker, but still a perfectionist, passionate yet meticulous! Accomplishing her musical goals is a magical experience for her. She wants her music to be a "magical mystery ride" she quotes from one of her favorite songs, All of Me by John Legend. "Music is life and all its drama! The good, the bad and the ugly, and I love that. Music can have so many faces and still be appealing! That to me is outstanding! So I love letting music reveal my different moods and attitudes. I also want people to know they're not alone. You see when I listen to a song that is about a topic that I might be presently in, I feel understood, not as alone, we all need a little comfort now and then, or a little reminder we're all in this together…" Now in the United States, Nheon has mastered a sound unlike any other working with some of the world’s leading producers. Meanwhile building an online “buzz” with covers and original music! Nheon is primed and ready to take the music world by storm. Look for the beautiful and talented Nheon on her new release entitled Like A River , now available on Itunes .! Stay connected to Nheon by visiting her website: www.itznheon.com.

Four Jamaicans and a Ghanian have been nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards. The nominations for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards were announced by the National Academy of Recording, Arts and Sciences Morgan Heritage The nominees are: Branches of The Same Tree by Ghanaian singer Rocky Dawuni; Strictly Roots by Morgan Heritage; Zion Awake (Luciano), Acousticalevy (Barrington Levy) and The Cure by Jah Cure. The Grammy Awards will take place on February 15 in Los Angeles. Click here for Grammy Nominations 2016: Full List of Nominees

Rihanna's debut sneaker needs no introduction, probably because you've already heard all about the formidable ' FENTY ' collection. It’s been worn by trendsetters and visionaries including Puma's own creative director Rihanna herself, as well as rapper Travis Scott, the sneaker is already living up to its hype. A classic suede upper mixed with the thick, creeper sole makes for a seamless marriage between comfy athleisure and throwback high fashion. It's the sort of genre-defying blend worthy of RiRi's name. Want to dress the fashion pair them with a slip dress and oversize fur coat, but they're still cool with just jeans and a sweater. PUMA by Rihanna Women's Creeper, $120 at Opening Ceremony