that reflected an `Island flavour' for the Taste of the Caribbean Competition in Puerto Rico. The team was scheduled to leave Friday for the event, but Hurricane Georges washed away any chance for the Bermuda team to defend their award winning performance at last year's contest. Here are some recipes to help bring a `taste of the Caribbean' into your kitchen.

*** CONCH FRITTERS ISLAND STYLE Conch fritters are a great favourite with people in the Bahamas, where this shellfish is found in abundance.

FOR THE BATTER 4 ounces flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 pint (US 2 cup) milk 1 onion, chopped 1 tomato, peeled and chopped 1 green pepper, de-seeded and chopped FOR THE FILLING 1 pound raw conch meat, cut into chunks Salt and pepper Deep fat or oil for frying FOR THE BATTER SIFT the flour and salt together. Make a hollow in the middle and pour in the egg and half the milk. Beat well and gradually add the rest of the milk, onion, tomato and pepper pieces. Set the batter aside for 30 minutes.

FOR THE FILLING Dry the conch chunks, season with salt and pepper and coat with batter. Fry in hot fat or oil and drain on absorbent paper.

Preparation time 8 minutes, plus 30 minutes resting. Cooking time 10 minutes.

Serves 4-6.

*** SURINAM CURRIED SALAD 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon wine vinegar 3 tablespoons cold cooked rice Scant 1 pint (US 1 cup) mayonnaise 4 ounces cold veal, cut in 1 -inch cubes 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced 4 small tomatoes, sliced 1 cooked cristophene, peeled and cut into 3 -inch cubes MIX the curry powder, vinegar and rice with the mayonnaise. Pile the veal in the centre of a dish, surround with sliced egg and tomato and diced cristophene. Cover with the curry mayonnaise mixture.

Preparation time 10 minutes. Serves 4 *** CARIBBEAN PEPPERPOT This pepperpot recipe is the one most used in the Eastern Caribbean.

8 ounces salt pork 8 ounces salt beef 1 pound fresh meat 11 pints (US 33 cups) cold water 1 teaspoon salt 6 callaloo leaves, chopped with their stems 4 aubergines, sliced 2 onions, sliced 1 pound pumpkin, diced 2 tomatoes, sliced 1 tablespoon chopped chives 1 tablespoon chopped thyme 6 okras, sliced Pepper 1 pound cooked pigeon peas WASH the meat and chop roughly into convenient pieces, about 1 1 -inches square. Put in a large, heavy saucepan, cover with some of the water and bring very slowly to the boil. When just beginning to boil, add salt and continue simmering over a low heat for at least 11 hours.

Skim the scum from the surface, add a little more cold water, skim again and repeat this process three times. Add all the vegetables and seasonings, except the peas and simmer for a further 1 hour, skimming from time to time if more scum rises.

Stir in the peas, cook for a further 5 minutes and serve very hot with plenty of pepper added.

Note: Spinach can be used in place of callaloo and split peas instead or pigeon.

Preparation time 10 minutes. Cooking time 21 - 3 hours. Serves 4-5.

*** CURRIED PRAWNS IN PINEAPPLE This is a recipe from the Trinidad Hilton, the famous `upside down' hotel in Port-of-Spain.

FOR THE FILLING 11 pounds live prawns or shrimps or 8-12 oz. peeled prawns or shrimps Salt (optional) Strained juice 1 lime (optional) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped chives, eschalots or spring onions 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 pint (US 11 cups) fish stock or water 1 ounce butter 1 ounce flour 2 small pineapples SCALD the live prawns or shrimps in boiling salted water for 10 minutes.

Drain, peel off the shell and head, slit the backs and remove the black cord.

Clean in lime juice and salted water.

Heat the oil in a frying-pan, add the onion, 1 teaspoon chives, eschalots or spring onions and tomato with curry powder and cook for 5 minutes without browning.

Add the stock or water and prawns and simmer over a lot heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Blend butter and flour together and add in small pieces to prawns, stirring until smooth. Continue cooking for a further 3 minutes.

While the prawns are cooking, plunge the pineapples in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain. Halve them exactly down the middle leaving some leaves on each half, hollow out some of the flesh, fill the hollows with the prawn mixture and sprinkle with remaining chives, eschalots or spring onions. Allow half a pineapple per person.

Preparation time 15-20 minutes. Cooking time 30 - 35 minutes. Serves 4.

*** BARBADOS BREAD AND CHEESE SOUFFLE 8-10 slices white bread 11 ounces butter 2 teaspoons mustard 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives 4 ounces cheese, grated 1 egg 1 pint (US 2 cup) milk Salt and pepper GREASE an ovenproof dish with butter. Cut the crusts off the bread, butter each slice and spread with a little mustard. Cut into triangles, sprinkle with chives and arrange a layer of bread to cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle liberally with cheese and cover with a second layer of bread.

Continue the layers of bread and grated cheese until the dish is nearly full.

Beat the egg with the milk, season with salt and pepper and pour over bread.

Bake in a 375 F oven for 20-25 minutes, until the souffle' rises and is slightly browned on top. Serve very hot.

Preparation time 10 minutes. Cooking time 20-25 minutes. Serves 4