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.

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

Peter Pan eats a lot of fish

Some recommendations which you can do now:

1. Substitute fish for meat as often as possible. Fish contains oils that may prevent a heart attack
2. Use fish oils and olive oils in salads and cooking. Research has shown that these oils lower cholesterol
3. Substitute vegetables for meat and dairy products
4. Increase your intake of food high in beta carotene such as carrots, spinach, broccoli and cantaloupe – these may help to prevent cancer
5. Stay on basic low-fat diet which may prevent heart disease
6. Keep your calorific intake and weight low to help slow ageing
7. Eat more foods high in Vitamin C (citrus fruits, green vegetables, green peppers etc)
8. Eat food high in Vitamin E (vegetable oils and grains), zinc (pumpkin seeds) and selenium (bran, tuna fish)
9. Substitute hard water for soft water. Also, use a charcoal filter to help eliminate chlorine from the water
10. Don’t smoke

Ten old fashioned rules

1. Get 7 – 8 hours sleep every night
2. Eat three well balanced meals  per day
3. Eat bulk food and mineral and vitamin enriched foods daily
4. Cut down on sugary foods and chemically treated foods
5. Get sunshine and fresh air each day if possible
6. Drink a few glasses of fresh water each day
7. Do not smoke, stay away from people who do smoke
8. Avoid alcoholic drinks except rarely and even then only in moderation
9. Exercise naturally every day, walking, swimming or gardening are good
10. Use laughter to banish anxiety and fear, let every day be joyous.

The new menu is inspired by Gary’s recent television programme ”Rhodes around the Caribbean” which aired in April on the UKTV Food channel. In August Gary came over to Grenada to work on the new menu with our kitchen staff and next week Gary is sending over his right hand man Wayne Tapsfield to make sure that all of our staff are trained on the menu and that everything is up to Gary’s exacting standards in time for our reopening on the 7^thof October.  

Below is a copy of the delicious new menu.

STARTERS

Caribbean minestrone soup

Crispy pork fritters with an apple, pink grapefruit, celery and walnut salad

Beetroot, fig and onion tart with soft goats cheese and red wine, port syrup

Citrus cured salmon with a lime and vanilla fennel and paw paw salad

Curried goat soup with coconut cream

Local crab and new potato salad, crispy poached egg, red pepper and Caribbean green seasoning vinaigrette

Butter fried shrimps citrus souscaille

Avocado mousse, tomato jelly, goat’s cheese cream and cucumber sorbet

Pan fried red snapper, pissaladiere tarts and rosemary cream

MAIN COURSES

Grilled swordfish steak with chicken, prawn, scallop, crab and Caribbean paella risotto

Buttered salmon with a shrimp ginger butter sauce and passion fruit and pineapple vinaigrette

Roast grouper fillet with a lobster bouillabaisse

Fillet of beef on a roast potato cake with butter mushrooms and wholegrain mustard cream

Roast loin of lamb, spicy aubergines, steamed pak choi with lime sour cream dressing

Roast chicken with sweet and sour papaya, coconut and chilli prawns

Steamed butternut squash mousse on a sweet potato cake with a roast carrot jus

Roast coffee rubbed pork fillet with crushed sweet potato, pak choi and watermelon chutney

DESSERTS

Warm treacle tart with paw paw salad, sorbet and orange custard cream

Dark chocolate jelly with white chocolate mousse and caramelised mango

Caribbean fruits on warm toasted vanilla and nutmeg custard brioche with ice cream or sorbet

Tiramisu with homemade ginger shortbread biscuits

Iced pink grapefruit chiboust with mango, pink grapefruit and passion fruit salad

Now that we’ve got your mouth’s watering – You know what you have to do to sample to real deal!

So, in their own words.

The Big Day

For a lot of people considering getting married for a second time the prime consideration is “are we getting married for ourselves or do we want to share this with all our family and friends?”. Well for us it was something we wanted to do on our own, for whatever reason we just wanted it to be the two of us and to be somewhere romantic and special.

We first met 14 years ago when Pat came to work for me looking after the company accounts. Over the next five or so years we worked well together, building the business into a substantial multi-million GBP company. At Christmas 2000/01 we started our relationship and since then we have both been very happy.

Then last June I travelled to Las Vegas on business and Pat flew out a week later to join me for a short break. We had a fabulous time Skydiving from 15,000 feet over the Hoover Dam, seeing Elton John in concert as well as taking in all the sights and sounds of the casinos and the Strip. On our last day I took Pat to Caesars Palace and into the DeBeers diamond store where I suggested that Pat might like to try on a few rings – just for fun of course. When she found one that she really liked I said “right we’ll have that one then!” she thought I was joking but I replied “Don’t you want to marry me then?” and Pat replied “Yes, of course” and that was that, we were engaged!

Over the next six months we searched the world for the ideal location and in January this year we found the jewel that is the Calabash Hotel, in Grenada. From the moment we arrived we were whisked into another world, a world where every need, every wish was catered for. All the arrangements for the wedding were handled by our wedding co-ordinator who helped to make it our perfect day.

On the day itself we spent a relaxing morning by the pool before Pat headed off to the hair salon and I went to get ready. The sun had shone all day drenching the beach in a warm, sunny haze that perfectly matched the cool tropical splendour of the gardens surrounding our suite and where the two met so we were joined in marriage. In the presence of our witnesses from the hotel staff, Ingrid and Dexter as well as our other new friends Peter and Rosie along with their friends and families. Our afternoon was complete when upon returning to our suite we found a wonderful spread of canapés, wedding cake and champagne waiting for us. Finally Ingrid had laid a glorious carpet of fresh tropical petals leading from the patio and into the bedroom…

Janet felt sure that someone had spiked her drink with alcohol

Another of our Spa Director’s many health and well-being pearls of wisdom.

Hangovers

Hangovers are basically caused by manufacturing by-products in alcohol beverages called congeners. Whisky has a large amount of congeners as do brandy, rum and red wine which means they’ll generally cause the worst hangovers. Vodka and Gin have the fewest congeners.

Getting rid of a Hangover – Sauerkraut juice mixed with tomato juice (in equal parts) is one of the best cures for a hangover. [ed. yum, sounds delicious]

Vitamin C minimizes the adverse effects of alcohol. A study showed that Vitamin C speeds up the exit of alcohol from the body and shortens the length of time of a hangover.

If you know you are going out drinking then it is advisable to take Milk Thistle before you go out, this will help to protect the liver.

Mushies!

Continuing our Spa Director’s series of health and well-being pearls of wisdom.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a valuable health food – low in calories, high in vegetable proteins, iron, zinc, fibre, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. In particular, most mushrooms provide good amounts of Vitamin C and the B Vitamins, as well as the mineral calcium. Three species of mushroom in particular, have demonstrated phenomenal healing potential: maitake, shiitake and reishi.

These medicinal mushrooms have been shown to boost heart health, lower the risk of cancer, promote immune function, ward off viruses, bacteria and fungus, reduce inflammation, combat allergies, help balance blood sugar levels and support the body’s detoxification mechanisms.

Computer Eye Strain

Eye strain caused by using a computer is very common, causing symptoms such as headache, blurred vision and burning sensation in your eyes. To help avoid these problems:

• Position yourself about 22 inches from the screen, the screen should be at eye level
• Get rid of glare reflecting off your computer screen
• Blink your eyes periodically
• Take scheduled breaks from the computer
• Have your eyes examined to make sure you do not need spectacles and to make sure you have the proper prescription.

Beetroot

The health benefits of this vegetable, which belongs to the same family as Spinach and Chard, are varied and include its stimulating effects on your liver’s detoxification processes. It is one of the great cleansers and immune strengtheners, having a beneficial effect on your entire system. Beetroot is good for your heart too as it contains soluble fibre which can help to reduce high blood cholesterol levels. It also contains the phytochemicals. Carotenoids and flavenoids, which help prevent LDL – ‘bad’ cholesterol from being oxidized and deposited in the arteries.

I have been appointed as Sales & Marketing Project Manager at The Calabash Hotel and Villas and part of my brief is to assist you with details and information about our lovely property. Obviously it is in our joint interests to increase sales so anything I can do to help you promote Calabash I am keen help. To this end I am in the early stages of planning visiting our UK Tour Operators sometime in September, so I hope to be able to see you at that time. As soon as I have the confirmed dates I will be contact with you.

For lots of information about us I am sure that you are aware of our website www.CalabashHotel.com where you can also jump to our Facebook page, Blog and follow us on Twitter. All good fun so I hope that we can be in contact one way or another.

With warm regards from sunny Grenada,

Adéle Garbutt

Please email adele@calabashhotel.com for more information and to get in touch.