Latoya Grindley • Gleaner Writer

Left: Lisa Gabay puts the final touches on the chicken pineapple kebabs. Children love kebabs and they can be made in 10 minutes on a grill. Right: Lisa Gabay adds a piece of chicken breast to the skewer as part of the preparation for the chicken pineapple kebab. - photos by Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer

I love cooking and I consider food to be an art because you can do so many things with it and there are so many ways to prepare it," says executive chef for 10 years, Lisa Gabay. Having pursued courses in various cuisines and being an expert in her field, she is also a pastry chef, which is where it all began. "I became bored with it (pastry), especially because I loved to cook."

At present, she is the executive chef at the Grog Shoppe, located at historic Devon House in St Andrew, and has held that post for the past five years. Loving to cook was probably innate as both her grandfathers, she says, were chefs. She is proud that it has become a 'family profession' as other family members are active in the culinary field.

Preparing nutritious and highly attractive dishes are critical to Gabay. And for this week, she combines nutrition and appealto complete her chicken pineapple kebab.

Stepping into the kitchen at Grog Shoppe, Gabay is dressed in her chef garb and is ready and eager to get started. Her dish for the day, chicken pineapple kebab, she says, was inspired by children and the nutritional values of the ingredients.

With expertise and ease, she prepares the kebabs to be grilled. While placing each kebab on the grill, she explains the reason behind doing them. "This is an international cuisine mixed with a bit of local, hence the fruits and vegetables. Preparing kebabs is also a fun way to get the children involved as you can have them place the pieces on the skewers. It is also appealing to the eye and can influence them to eat healthily."

Ready to be eaten

All senses are revived as the open flames connect with the kebabs, bringing alive all the condiments. And with about four minutes on each side, they are ready to be eaten. The executive chef says another of the advantages of preparing kebabs is that they are quite convenient and not time-consuming.

A stickler for perfection and completion, Gabay surprises the Food team with her other additions. As part of the meal, she adds a vegetable samosa, which is a combination of salad and appetiser, the surf and turf which consists of steak and shrimp and, of course, the dessert - chocolate mousse.

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com

Turning on each side after three to four minutes on the grill was integral to making the chicken pineapple kebab.

Chicken pineapple kebabs on the grill. To make the kebab, fruits and vegetables were used alternatively to sandwich pieces of chicken breast.

A combination of salad and appetiser results in this vegetable samosa. This, too, would be a pick for the health-conscious.

The mouth-watering chocolate mousse exclusive to Grog Shoppe.