News from the “Rhodes Restaurant” kitchen

Posted on February 19, 2010 by calabashhotel

Here at the Calabash we hardly ever have to say goodbye to members of staff, but when we do its always on good terms.

At the end of the week Kevin Derbyshire our head chef will be leaving to go back to England. Although we are very sad to see Kevin go we are also very excited about the fact that Grenadian’s will now be in charge of the “Rhodes Restaurant” kitchen.

Dexter Burris will be taking over as head chef while Dandy Smith will be his sous chef. Both Dexter and Dandy have been trained to the highest standards by Gary Rhodes who is very pleased that locals will be running the kitchen.

So from all at The Calabash Hotel & Villas, we would like to wish Kevin the best of luck for the future.

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Delta Airlines JFK to Grenada Service Starts in July 2010

Posted on February 9, 2010 by calabashhotel

Delta will fly to Grenada from JFK, New York as of July '10

It’s a busy week in news of flights to Grenada. Unfortunately we lose the Air Jamaica service as of next month but the good news is that Delta has now put a date on the commencement of its service from JFK, see the full press release below for details.

The world’s largest airline will begin operations into Grenada this summer. Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister, Glynis Roberts on Wednesday confirmed that Delta Air Lines will commence scheduled service from John F Kennedy International Airport in New York to the Maurice Bishop International Airport in St George’s starting from July 3, 2010.

In addressing the 2010 Budget at the Grenada Trade Centre Minister Roberts said that the government will continue its aggressive efforts to expand airlift service to Grenada. The nonstop service departs JFK at 8:30 am and arrives in Grenada at 1:20 pm with the return flight scheduled to depart at 2:10 pm and arriving in New York at 7:30 pm.

Delta will use its 737-800 aircraft which offers 16 First Class seats and 144 Coach Class seats. The Minister said that the new service from Delta will also encourage more nationals to return home during the Festive seasons, starting with Carnival this summer.

Roberts, who is also the Parliamentary Representative for St George South, said that the new flight, which will operate only on Saturdays, is also as a result of the Grenada Board of Tourism’s road shows on the eastern corridor and the excellent work of the Airlift Committee led by Michael McIntyre.

The weekly service is expected to provide additional seats to the island which is already served by American Airlines and Air Jamaica from the United States; British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Monarch and Condor from Europe and Air Canada, Sky Service and Zoom from Canada during the winter.

Passengers flying with Delta will be able to make connections to more than 360 destinations, using the airline’s hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St Paul, New York-JFK, Salt Lake City, Amsterdam and Tokyo-Narita, as well as its Northwest subsidiary and Delta Connection carriers.

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Air Jamaica Terminates JFK to Grenada Service

Posted on February 7, 2010 by calabashhotel

Air Jamaica has announced a significant  realignment in its network – including the suspension of service on several routes – driven by the departure of three aircraft from its fleet.  By April, Air Jamaica will operate six aircraft; one A319, four A320’s and one A321.

“This fleet reduction has become necessary as we seek to meet our financial obligations, however Air Jamaica continues to be the best choice for convenient schedule and excellent service as we have ensured that adequate capacity is provided on our core routes”, stated Bruce Nobles, Air Jamaica’s President and CEO.

Effective March 9, 2010, Air Jamaica will suspend service on the New York (JFK) – Grenada and Jamaica – Orlando route, among others.

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Congratulations to Jason Roberts OBE

Posted on January 1, 2010 by calabashhotel

Jason Roberts MBE

Grenada and Blackburn Rovers striker, Jason Roberts, has today been awarded an MBE in The New Years Honours List.

The 31 year old Blackburn Rovers striker was given the award for his charitable work through his Jason Roberts Foundation which gives young people in the UK and Caribbean the means to play and get involved in sport.

We would like to offer Jason and his staff our wholehearted congratulations. The hotel has worked with the Foundation on a couple of events – most notably in June of last year when we had the Liverpool FC Legends staying here. The ex Liverpool players were visiting the island to play against a Grenada Select XI to raise funds for the Jason Roberts Foundation. We feel very honoured to have been a part of that and look forward to working with Jason again in the future.

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Fears Grow for Missing Grenadian Man in Small Plane Disappearance

Posted on December 27, 2009 by calabashhotel

There’s still no word about a Miami Beach man and his cousin from Grenada, who were aboard Piper Turbo Aztek that disappeared near the Bahamas Thursday after taking off from Fort Lauderdale.

The aircraft owner, a commercial airline pilot living in Miami Beach, was flying his small plane to Grenada. His cousin, Bancroft O. Nyack, joined him for the trip to his home in the island country. They left Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at about 8 a.m. Thursday but never made it to their first stop to refuel the Piper Turbo Aztec at Providenciales International Airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Authorities think the plane, owned by Compton, may have crashed about 10 miles northeast of Plana Cays, two small islands in the southern Bahamas.

Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard have been searching the waters around the area where the 1981 Piper was last heard from about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal, a Coast Guard
spokeswoman.

David Van Sickle, the pilot of a corporate jet who was airborne nearby contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to report an emergency distress call from the Piper, recently purchased by its owner. It’s not clear if the former or Nyack, who also is an FAA-certified pilot, was at the controls when the plane went down.

The Piper had lost power in both engines and was descending rapidly, according to a discussion on FlightAware.com, which tracks flights internationally.

“It was gut-wrenching speaking to [the pilot of the Piper] knowing there was nothing I could do but try my best to quickly get as much info from him and relay it clearly to Miami and hope the rescue goes
well,” Van Sickle wrote in an e-mail to a pilot friend, Robert Reid of Toronto.

The plane’s owner regularly flew 757 and 767 jets for a major airline out of Washington, D.C., said the man’s brother, who did not want to give the name of the airline. He described his brother as a “a very private
guy” who wouldn’t like strangers reading about him.

He said Nyack, 30, is a cousin who was visiting South Florida for about a week before leaving to return home.
Nyack’s family owns the Belmont Estate plantation in northern Grenada, according to Belmont’s website. Belmont Estate, an authentic 17th-century plantation that allows guests to participate in the workings of a fully functional plantation, is Grenada’s top tourist attraction.

Our thoughts go out at this difficult time to all at Belmont Estate and we hope for some positive news on this story.

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Simon Cowell and Sinitta in Grenada for Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2009 by calabashhotel

Simon Cowell

The pint sized impresario will be visiting Grenada’s sunny shores over the festive period to play Santa. He’s selected a rather luxurious sleigh for his gift deliveries – a 12 berth/43metre super yacht called ‘Slipstream’. Apparently it will set him and his shipmate, Sir Philip Green, back to the tune of £625,00 per week. We’re pretty sure they can afford it.

A source said “Simon wanted a change of scenery rather than spend another Christmas looking at Michael Winner’s gut at Sandy Lane for dinner.”

He should be on his way to Grenada right now after having left Barbados, and his reason for coming to Grenada? To deliver presents to his ex-girlfriend and best mate Sinitta and family who are apparently on the island.

Slipstream - the big sleigh

The source went on to say “Then he is off to Antigua for cocktails with Amanda Holden and her husband Chris Hughes. And then Jacqui St Clair is planning to meet up with him when he hits St Barths.

“Simon hates winters in England and has been looking forward to this trip for months. He chose this yacht because of the high spec. It oozes luxury – as soon as he docks the three-storey beast, people will be impressed.

“He could have gone for something more discreet, but that isn’t Simon’s style. He turned 50 this year and decided it would be his Christmas treat to himself.”

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Sally’s Health Tips – Cooling Down in Hot Weather

Posted on December 16, 2009 by calabashhotel

Hot hot heat

Grenada is currently experiencing some very warm weather, so Sally (our esteemed Spa Director) thought it wise to share some tips on keeping cool during this time. Very wise Sally, very wise.

  • Reduce calorie intake, eat less fats and proteins, eat more carbohydrates eg  fruit and vegetables
  • Avoid mid-day sun
  • Wear light clothing, light colours are good because they reflect the sun, dark clothing absorbs the sun
  • Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day, take time out to drink liquids even if you are not thirsty – avoid alcohol though!
  • Eating melons is a good way to increase your fluid intake, Water Melons and Cantaloupe contain a significant amount of water
  • Make sure your drinks don’t have sugar in them
  • Eat small meals rather than large ones, digestion adds to body heat
  • Replace potassium and salt lost through sweat, citrus fruits and bananas are good sources of potassium
  • Avoid alcoholic beverages, they act as a diuretic, resulting in faster water loss
  • Take cool showers, water removes extra body heat 25 times faster than cool air
  • Avoid heavy physical activity

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Grenada Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Posted on December 3, 2009 by calabashhotel

Grenada Chocolate... Yum.

We all love Grenada chocolate and what could be better than a Grenada Chocolate Mousse? One our guests has very kindly shared her recipe for a delicious Grenada Chocolate Mousse so we can all enjoy it!

This is our version of a chocolate mousse recipe found in my 1997 edition of Joy of Cooking. The Grenadian chocolate elevates an already good recipe to superb. It only matters to your taste whether you use the 60% cocoa or 71% cocoa varieties of the chocolate. The 60% is a little sweeter.

Grenadian Chocolate Mousse

6      Ounces Granada Chocolate Company Chocolate, plus some more for shavings

3      Tablespoons unsalted butter

5      Tablespoons water separated 2 Tbls and 3 Tbls

1      Teaspoon Chocolate Liqueur (optional)     I use Lady Godiva but any will do.

1 ½  Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

¼     Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

1 ½ Teaspoons unflavored gelatin

3      Large Egg Yolks

3      Large Egg Whites

¼     Cup granulated sugar plus 3 Tablespoons Sugar separated

½     Cup heavy cream (cold)

Sprinkle gelatin over 3 Tablespoons of water. Allow to set for 5 minutes as you complete the next step.

Melt 6 ounces of chocolate, and butter with 2 Tablespoons of water and vanilla in a heat resistant bowl by setting it in a large sauté pan with simmering water. Stir until melted and then set aside.

In another heat resistant bowl combine the 3 egg yolks, gelatin water and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Place in the simmering sauté pan water bath. Whisk constantly until it thickens up like a marshmallow sauce. Whisk the egg yolk mixture thoroughly into the chocolate mixture. Set aside to cool.

In another bowl, beat the 3 egg whites until frothy and then add the Cream of Tartar beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add in ¼ cup of granulated sugar and continue beating until the peaks are stiff. Stir ¼ of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Now gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

In yet another bowl, beat ½ cup of cold heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold this into the chocolate mixture.

Make sure it is thoroughly folded or there will be white streaks in the mousse.

Pour into any style of serving bowl or individual cups. Using another bar of Grenada Chocolate Company chocolate grate some shavings over top of the mousse. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve within 24 hours.

Where to buy Grenada Chocolate in the UK.

Filed under: Food and Drink, Grenada, Grenada Chocolate, West Indies | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

British Airways Doubles Flights to Grenada – Update

Posted on November 26, 2009 by calabashhotel

Gatwick to Grenada - Twice a Week

British Airways has confirmed their updated service to Grenada which means doubling their flights as of 28 March 2010 to two flights a week.

The carrier currently flies to Grenada twice a week in the busy Winter season but previously reduced that to one flight over the quieter Summer months, this new service gives travelers more options of getting to Grenada to take advantage of lower accommodation costs in the off season.

The increased service will be using Boeing 777s in three classes: World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World. The Winter service will fly from London Gatwick to Grenada via Antigua on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Summer service will operate on Tuesdays and Sundays via Barbados.

British Airways Holidays are offering deals to a hand picked selection of hotels, Calabash is (of course!) among that selection.

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River Antoine Rum – Aviation Fuel

Posted on November 13, 2009 by calabashhotel
River Antoine Rum, 75% - 86% alcohol

River Antoine Rum, 75% - 86% Alcohol

You’ll find a few varieties of local rum lurking in the bar backs of all the watering holes on the island. None is more potent however than Rivers – the local firewater, quite literally. When Grenada first entered my world some 20 odd years ago my Dad (now Calabash hotel owner) was working at the River Antoine Rum Distillery, he bought a few bottles back home with him and one evening showed us a trick, holding a burning spill in front of his face and with a mouthful of River’s he proceeded to breathe fire with the rum. This is quite an art, as he explained, since the rum very quickly numbs your mouth which makes it very difficult to keep your lips pursed and therefore maintain the necessary pressure with your mouth to force the stuff far enough away from you so as to avoid severe burns.

Rivers is the only drink I’ve ever seen that ice sinks in.

Strength varies from year to year and since the rum isn’t exported (except in hand luggage) the specific strength doesn’t have to be displayed on the label. Typically the stuff is 75% alcohol by volume, although the label lists the alcohol content by proof: 140% – most other rums are around the 40% alcohol by volume mark. This varies though from year to year depending on how much rain has fallen on the sugar cane from which the rum is made, some years it can get up to 86% volume / 180% proof if it’s been dry.

Strictly speaking the rum is not actually allowed on planes, it’s just too flammable. You can however buy a bottle at the airport to take back home with you, this is the aviation friendly stuff at a mere 69% volume.

river-antoine-rum-distillery

Production hasn't changed in over 200 years

The distillery hasn’t changed its production methods since production began in 1785. Sugar cane is cut by hand and taken to the distillery which claims to run the only operating water wheel in the western hemisphere, this and the conveyer that moves the cane to the press have been in use since production began over two centuries ago. Tours are available and visitors are very welcome, our front desk staff or on site taxi drivers will be happy to arrange this for you.

The rum is an island favourite and the distillery can’t make enough to satisfy demand. My advice is to go easy on the stuff, it’s lethal.

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