FARMINGTON — On Saturday, May 18, Farmington locals and more will be given the opportunity to sample the flavors of the Caribbean through Kezia Highsmith and her Trinidad heritage.

Starting at 2 p.m. and going until food runs out, Highsmith will be handing out free Caribbean dinners from her home at 122 Lake Avenue to the community to share the flavors of her upbringing and get some feedback.

“I would like feedback from everyone,” Highsmith shared. “You know, if they like it, is it too spicy, or is this something that they would want in the future. Is this something that they would, you know, want to get every Saturday or at different food events or festivals and stuff like that.”

So far, Highsmith has said the response from the community has been “overwhelming, in a good way” and she is excited to see the turnout.

Originally born in Trinidad, Highsmith came to the U.S. with her family when she was nine years old. Her family settled in Buffalo, New York, but has been living in the Farmington area for the past nine years.

Growing up, Highsmith said it was her mom who showed her how to cook Caribbean food.

“My mom does not know how to cook American foods, which is funny,” Highsmith shared. “She only cooks Caribbean food. So I basically grew up in the kitchen with her, watching her cook different meals.”

Highsmith is not a professional chef. Outside of the kitchen she works with adults with special needs at Work First Inc. and has a house cleaning business on the side. However, it has always been a dream of hers to open a food truck.

“I’ve never really cooked for the community before,” she said, “Or anyone other than family and friends that came over for dinner.

“So, this is a first for me,” she added. “[I’m] actually putting my food out there for others to try.”

When asked to describe Caribbean food, Highsmith called it “different, in a good way.” Her first example was jerk chicken, which she recommends for those who are fans of spicier foods. Highsmith will also be serving stew chicken and curry chicken, which will be served with rice and beans.

“It’s very flavorful,” she said. “I really don’t know how to explain it, you just have to taste it and see for yourself.”

She will also be handing out complimentary sweets from Meg’s Sweets, a home baker located at 109 Fairview Avenue in Farmington. According to Highsmith, Meg’s Sweets donated some baked goods to help promote her Caribbean dinners and get her closer to her dream of owning a food truck.

“I love to cook,” Highsmith said, adding that she sat on the idea of a food truck for a long time, fearing the big investment and the possibility of things not working out. However, the more she thought about it, the more motivated she became in chasing after the dream.

“I figured life is short, so why not go for it,” she said. “The worst that can happen is it doesn’t work out.”

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