'Tis the season for those Caribbean holiday treats, with high, hungry expectations for Christmas fruit-cake, gallons of sorrel and one hefty smoked ham. But wandering from the beaten path can also make some tasty holiday eats. Substitute your usual fare with these recipes, either a unique twist on a classic or an old dish that deserves more spotlight, and you might find a new favorite for next year's yuletide.

June Plum Ginger Ham

Speckled with pineapple and cherry, the Christmas ham is the preferred centerpiece for the holiday dinner table across the Caribbean. This June plum and ginger glaze, however, adds just a touch more Caribbean joy.

June Plum Ginger Glaze:

Competitors are sharpening their knives and perfecting their jerk recipes for the 10th annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival's Publix Jerk Cook-off and Celebrity Quick Fire Competition. Local jerk masters will show off their jerk flavor potential in these fiery competitions at the event slated for Sunday, November 13 at Markham Park in Sunrise.

While jerk cooking has come a long way from its days of wild hogs roasting in coal pits, these culinary stars will dial back the clock for authenticity and add their modern flavor to compete for a cash prize and the coveted golden Dutch Pot trophy.

"This year's competition will be even more exciting with the new rules and a new area, outfitted with tiki huts and jerk pits, where contestants will be cooking in front of the judges and the audience," says June Minto, coordinator of the Jerk Cook-off.

These competitions have been the centerpiece of the festival's annual jerk celebrations. Jerk battles from past festivals have been filled with smoking hot rivalry, and this year's lineup promises to be just as intense.

Two former challengers will return to compete for the title in the Publix Jerk Cook-off. Last year's winner, Chef Robert Wong of Miami's Half Way Tree Restaurant, will again face last year's runner up Chef Michelle Jones. Chef Rolin Gordon of Tropic Gourmet will also enter the fray.

New, exciting features to celebrate 10th anniversary

Organizers of the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival are pulling out all the stops to ensure that patrons get 10 times the spice and 10 times the enjoyment at the 10th annual event scheduled for Sunday, November 13 at Markham Park in Sunrise.

According to Richard Lue, Director of Jamaican Jerk Festival USA, Inc., "The people who come every year know that we improve each time; and for the 10th anniversary we want to show patrons that we appreciate their loyalty and support by improving their level of comfort and offering more culturally impactful visuals."

Markham Park will be transformed into the Mecca of Jamaican culture and organizers are introducing entirely new features and improving others to ensure that this milestone is celebrated in fine style.

Culinary magicians put the "Jerk" in Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival

At the heart of the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival is the world-renowned, mouthwatering taste of authentic jerk foods. That's where the loyal and talented culinary magicians come in. Preparing everything from the traditional jerk chicken and jerk pork to the more exotic jerk ribs and jerk lobster and the most curious jerk item, the jerk ice cream – these vendors put the "jerk" in the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival.

Some of these vendors tell us what they have in store this year and weigh in on the festival and its 10-year milestone:

Joseph Smith of D & J Feeding Tree who's been preparing jerk delights for the festival from the start says, "The 10th anniversary supposed to be a success. It will be well attended and it will be good! He says, "I keep going back because we have to support our Jamaicans and I get some business from it." Smith has sells tickets for the event every year he says.