Profile of a Chef: Martha Cabada
Dish by Kaletha Patterson
The night before her big culinary win during the BVI Charter Yacht Society’s 2008 culinary competition, Chef Martha Cabada carefully plucked through a juicy list of ingredients and freshly prepared an array of produce and seafood that would place her as the overall winner the following afternoon.
After gaining only two hours of sleep, Martha successfully and proudly displayed her award winning dishes before a crowd of well experienced judges: Tangled Shrimp with Pineapple Chili Garlic Sauce and Apricot Cheesecake Dumplings with Apricot and Strawberry Sauce.
Martha pays tribute to her grandmother for her entry into cooking while growing up in Chihuahua, Mexico, “when I was 6-years-old, she started giving me, as a present, cooking books,” she notes, and to her mother-in-law while living in Europe.
Although her grandmother stayed busy preparing meals for local farmers and those alike, Martha decided to forgo the matriarch’s old-fashioned methods of cooking, and quickly found herself submerged in sugary recipes that allowed her to develop a well-defined sweet tooth.
She fell in love with the artistry of cooking while living in Austria and the manner in which Austrians cared for their legendary recipes. “The recipes were handled with extreme care like they were for royalty five hundred years ago.”
In addition to the artistry, Martha also discovered a love for garnishes on food. “I think 50 percent of the dish comes from the first view.”
Years later and quite removed from Central America, Martha continues to develop delicious sweets, yet, her range of cooking and expertise is worldlier.
Martha’s exposure in the culinary world has come through extensive traveling opportunities with her Austrian husband and when they’re not stationed in the BVI, the couple sails throughout the Caribbean on The Victoria, their Swan 48 Yacht – a purchase they made after living on the island of Grenada for three years. They also take frequent trips to St. Martin where Martha can select from numerous ingredients and they spend their summers in Trinidad where the international markets sell everything needed to cook authentic Chinese, Indian and distinctly West Indian dishes. “Trinidad is a paradise,” Martha noted.
When the couple is docked on Tortola, Martha shops for groceries at the local food markets and cites pumpkin, ginger and plantains amongst her favorite Caribbean ingredients.
If you have a chance to meet Martha, you’re bound to see how striking she is as an individual. Through her personality, she exudes a zest for life and by standing over six feet, the Latin beauty easily resembles a model en route to her next casting call.
Martha Cabada’s recipes can be found on our Recipes Page.
Hey Martha, I am very happy and proud to read about your win during the Boat Show! you deserve in like no other! Its all so true in this article, your food is legendary and you are as sweet looking as your delicious desserts are ! See you soon, Lela
Hello Martha, I live and work as a chef in San Francisco, California and have access to the nation’s best produce and wine. How encouraged I am to read about your passion for cooking and living in the Caribbean. I myself was born in the French West Indies but lived all my life in the U.S.. It is my dream to live and work in the Caribbean. I would love to meet you in the near future and perhaps if I should be so lucky to get advice from you about the culinary challenges in that region.
Congratulations on your success at the Boat Show.
Cheers,
Danielle