Summer is here and Nicole Taylor celebrates with a show on St. Croix cooking with Chef Evelyn Paul. Learn about life on the islands and some of the native fruits and foods that make it such a unique culinary spot. From Caribbean plums to fresh local beef, find out more about local cuisine in St. Croix. Hear how chef Evelyn Paul fell in love with cooking professional and how she interprets her island influences in her dishes. Find out her top 5 tourist spots and get yourself in a summer state of mind.

Listen here and read more.

Grotto Beach-The Buccaneer Hotel

Mermaid Beach-The Buccaneer Hotel

Anthony Giglio, Chef Govind Armstrong and Chef Evelyn Paul

Flowers-The Buccaneer Hotel

Every soul born in the warm months must crave waving waters, neon flowers and spreads of lush seafood. Thanks to the US Virgin Islands, I clanked glasses, soaked up the St. Croix's  April sun and consumed plenty of glorious food.

Arrival, rum punch awaits every guests checking into the historic The Buccaneer Hotel -- the best greeting ever. I believe lodging is the foundation of a great getaway and the walls always talk to me. Inside the cottage suites, the ghosts of Arthur Ashe and President Jimmy Carter whispered, "Have lunch beach side." I did just that at The Mermaid.

Trekking up the hill with a 18 hole golf course in my peripheral, all I could dream about was Chef Govind Armstrong (my last chew is always followed by thoughts of the next meal). Hands down, I was dying to dine on Govind's California meets St Croix cuisine. The Gourmet Vintner Dinner at Tutto Beno paired Chef Govind with wine wise guy Anthony Giglio and didn't disappoint.

The St Croix Food and Wine Experience kick off dinner began with noshing on passed canapés and sipping wine. The 2008 Vintage Brut Sparkling erased all memories of the concrete jungle and prepped my taste buds for the superbness morsels to follow. I'm a white wine lover but it wasn't only the Chardonnay that peaked my interest but the Smoked Ahi Pastrami topped with Black Eye Peas, Cracked Olives, Preserved Lemons and Salsa Verde. Govind's pea relish could be cousins with akara. The chef's four courses solidified our collective food relationship with Crucians and was the perfect crescendo for an auction benefiting the St Croix Foundation.

Stay tuned for Part Two of St Croix Crushin, a 30-minute Hot Grease chat fest dedicated to the island. 

(Disclosure: I was guest of USVI's PR Agency and partners. All opinions and commentary are my own).

Gourmet Vintner Dinner-Tutto Bene

2008 Domaine Carneros Brut Sparkling

First Course-Ahi Pastrami and Black Eye Peas

 Have you visited St Croix? Tell us about your trip.