St. Lucia is the sort of island that travelers to the Caribbean dream about--a small, lush tropical gem that is still relatively unknown. One of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located midway down the Eastern Caribbean chain, between Martinique and St. Vincent, and north of Barbados. St. Lucia is only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, with a shape that is said to resemble either a mango or an avocado. The Atlantic Ocean kisses its eastern shore, while the beaches of the west coast owe their beauty to the calm Caribbean Sea.

The island, rich in natural beauty, seems like it was plucked from the South Pacific and set down in the Caribbean. Its dramatic twin coastal peaks, the Pitons, soar 2,000 feet up from the sea, sheltering magnificent rain forests where wild orchids, giant ferns, and birds of paradise flourish. Brilliantly plumed tropical birds abound, including endangered species like the indigenous St. Lucia parrot. The rainforest is broken only by verdant fields and orchards of banana, coconut, mango, and papaya trees.

Living on a volcanic island has it challenges but it also has its perks. In St. Lucia the rich volcanic soil of the island yields a vast supply of produce earning the country’s status as one of the leading banana producing Caribbean islands. There are about 12 varieties of bananas produced in St. Lucia. Of course, there is also the wide assortment of tropical fruits which include papayas, mangoes, soursops, passion fruits, guavas, coconuts and pineapples.

With this rich culinary offering, the St. Lucian chef or regular cook can create tantalizing dishes to satisfy the palace and seduce the taste buds. The food is a delectable combination of Creole with French and West Indian influences. Creole style dishes, curries, pepperpot stews, and callaloo soup are staples in the island. Add seafood to this wonderful selection of foods and the local cuisine is a hit!

Few places on earth exude eternal beauty like Dominica, located in the Eastern Caribbean; the island embraces a sense of serene, ageless beauty. It's a place where man and nature live in harmony, above and below the surrounding sea. You’ll remember the small coastal towns; the rugged mountains of the interior; the generosity of the people, and blessed with fertile soil and abundant seas, you’ll remember the quiet confidence of and island that can feed itself. The island is ideal for well-traveled couples, young adventurers, professionals looking to unwind and everyone who travels with a passion not just to see things, but to make discoveries.

Throughout its history, the fertile land of Dominica has attracted settlers and colonizers and has been the subject of the military and often bloody squabbles of European powers. At the time of Columbus’s visit in November 1493, the island was a stronghold of the Caribs from South America who were driving out the Arawaks. Eventually, after changing many hands, Dominica became an English territory.

The island gained full independence from Britain on November 3, 1978.

Is your dish bland, tasteless? Are you looking for something to give it that oomph? No stress, just add cheese. Yup! Cheese!

For your get-togethers, games and any place where food is a feature, cheese is a must on the menu. Wine and cheese parties weren’t given that name just for style. Cheese is one of the jost versatile foods in aljost every society and the variety of cheeses around the world is astounding.

France and Italy are known for their love affair with cheese and the rest of the world has caught on. Imagine pizza with no cheese, macaroni with no cheese, and lasagna with no cheese, bun with no cheese. Where would your bacon and cheese sandwich be? How empty the world would be without cheese?