(L-R) Nancy of Nancy's Fruits & Vegetables, Smiling Pat (Center) and (R) a visiting tourist. Photo by Dave Mackey

A trip into Freeport’s idyllic Farmer’s Market, with its brightly painted clapboard fruit and vegetable stands, is just the place to motivate both aspiring chefs and culinary connoisseurs alike.

Patricia “Smiling Pat” Hoyte is a regular at this market.   Here she finds the special herbs and spices she uses to prepare her delectable delights, that now viewers of ZNS TV will be able to experience from their own home.

Smiling Pat is bringing her taste of the islands to ZNS each Wednesday at 8pm as the host of her own with Smiling Pat Cooking Adventures television show.

Ms. Hoyte’s big international break came as a result of her appearance on the Food Network’s hit TV show Dinner Impossible with Chef Robert Irvine. The episode, Stranded: Deserted Island aired back in January of this year. It was shot on location at Sandy Cay also known as Gilligan’s Island in Grand Bahama.

Dinner Impossible showcased Chef Irvine, who was assisted by Ms. Hoyte and two former cast mates of the U.S. reality TV show Survivor. Together they whipped up a succulent six-course Bahamian culinary feast in record time for appreciative hungry guests.

Ms. Hoyte said it was the overwhelming response from the public, both locally and abroad, that inspired her to move ahead with her own television show.

“I received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from my appearance on The Food Network,” Ms. Hoyte explained. “Phone calls came in from Canada, Barbados, England, all over, basically pushing me to continue on and become a television personality by developing my own TV show. I feel that this is my calling at this point in my life, so I am pursuing my dream,” she said.

As owner and operator of Smiling Pats Adventures, Ms. Hoyte is no stranger to hard work and dedication.

Smiling Pat is the eldest of nine children and the daughter of now deceased, world famous steel pan player, Little Sparrow.

Looking to put her love of the hospitality industry into this latest venture, Ms. Hoyte explains that Cooking Adventures with Smiling Pat, will be more than just an instructional cooking show featuring her and an experienced guest chef in the kitchen.

“Sure we will be featuring great chefs here in The Bahamas, but I also want to go to Cat Island, learn how to catch a goat and then prepare it for a meal. I want to take viewers to the forest with me and go crab hunting, duck and boar hunting, fishing, while learning and sharing indigenous information about that particular island and the dish we are preparing,” Ms. Hoyte said.

Giving just a taste of things to come, Ms. Hoyte said her first show, sponsored by Ginn Sur Mer, will highlight world-renowned “Bonefish Foley” of West End and Chef Patrick Pierre, a Bahamian gourmet chef at Old Bahama Bay.   Together, they will prepare a traditional fish dish and Lobster dish with a new twist.

“I am old school and I’m heavy on my culture,” said the native Cat Islander of her style.

“I don’t want to pretend that I am from somewhere else. I just want to be me and put God first.”

Ms. Hoyte said that the show offers a wonderful venue for advertisers to show off their location, product and/or services. She is also looking for talented chefs from throughout the Bahamas to showcase their knowledge of Bahamian cuisine. Shortly, restaurant owners will also have the opportunity to highlight their culinary delights on the show. Those chosen would have an opportunity to appear on Smiling Pat’s Cooking Adventures TV show. Interested persons can contact Smiling Pat at: www.smilingpat.com ,   Email: promotions@mackeymedia.com or   phone (242) 352-2988.