By Cedric Johnson, Gleaner WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE WESTMORELAND Parish Council (WPC) has issued a one-month ultimatum on central Westmoreland's Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Karl Blythe to have the 15 hectares of land, earmarked for the new Savanna-la-Mar cemetery, transferred to the council.
Speaking at last Thursday's council meeting, chairman of the WPC and mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, Councillor Delford Morgan,
one who not only rates a restaurant in terms of the savoury taste of the victuals, but also in terms of the service. A 'foodie' can also be someone who dines out so frequently that he/she expecting the creme de la creme in all areas.
After watching that programme I dubbed myself a 'foodie' as my behaviour in relation to food falls under those umbrellas. Good service is often hard to come by in Jamaica, so knowing this I was not anticipating much from this beachfront joint. However, Fiona and Cassandra took care of me. What shocked me the most was that the minute I placed my knife, fork and remaining food to the right side of my plate, the two women were there promptly to clear the table.
The food, the food, the food. I have saved the best for last. The food was excellent! As I've mentioned earlier, the menu consists of seafood and pizza. My companion and I chose not to eat a traditional meal, but, instead ordered several entrees from which we picked and nibbled Spicy Conch Soup, tender Creole Lobster with bammies and festival, golden-crusted crab backs, a vegetarian pizza and a small garden salad topped with tangy honey mustard dressing.
Being a 'foodie' I usually find something to complain about but everything was just so tasty. OK, maybe the sweet peppers in the Lobster Creole were a bit on the soft side, but we all know it's common for Jamaicans to overcook vegetables. Beside that minor slip-up, the cuisine at Jack Sprat is first class and appetising.
A true 'foodie' will search far and wide in the pursuit of a tantalising meal. So if ever feel for a weekend drive-out to get some yummy grub, consider making your escape to Jack Sprat in Treasure Beach. Oh, and most days you can catch DJ Fabulous on the turntables spinning a mix of rocksteady and ska.
Treasure Beach Pizza Dough
10 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsb. yeast
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsb. sugar
1 tbsb. salt
2 tsb. olive oil
Topping
1 can pizza sauce
1/4 lb. Mozzarella cheese
1 tomato, diced
1 sweet pepper, sliced
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. oregano
METHOD
Knead ingredients for the dough in a bowl and let sit for half-an-hour with a warm towel covering the mixture.
After half-an-hour weigh out the dough in three-quarter pound increments. From this you should get at least six circles of dough. Use only one circle of dough per pizza (The remainder can be refrigerated).
Stretch out the dough and place on a greased pizza pan. Bake crust for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add pizza sauce and Mozzarella cheese, vegetable toppings and a sprinkle of oregano. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F until the crust is crisp and golden.
one who not only rates a restaurant in terms of the savoury taste of the victuals, but also in terms of the service. A 'foodie' can also be someone who dines out so frequently that he/she expecting the creme de la creme in all areas.
After watching that programme I dubbed myself a 'foodie' as my behaviour in relation to food falls under those umbrellas. Good service is often hard to come by in Jamaica, so knowing this I was not anticipating much from this beachfront joint. However, Fiona and Cassandra took care of me. What shocked me the most was that the minute I placed my knife, fork and remaining food to the right side of my plate, the two women were there promptly to clear the table.
The food, the food, the food. I have saved the best for last. The food was excellent! As I've mentioned earlier, the menu consists of seafood and pizza. My companion and I chose not to eat a traditional meal, but, instead ordered several entrees from which we picked and nibbled Spicy Conch Soup, tender Creole Lobster with bammies and festival, golden-crusted crab backs, a vegetarian pizza and a small garden salad topped with tangy honey mustard dressing.
Being a 'foodie' I usually find something to complain about but everything was just so tasty. OK, maybe the sweet peppers in the Lobster Creole were a bit on the soft side, but we all know it's common for Jamaicans to overcook vegetables. Beside that minor slip-up, the cuisine at Jack Sprat is first class and appetising.
A true 'foodie' will search far and wide in the pursuit of a tantalising meal. So if ever feel for a weekend drive-out to get some yummy grub, consider making your escape to Jack Sprat in Treasure Beach. Oh, and most days you can catch DJ Fabulous on the turntables spinning a mix of rocksteady and ska.
Treasure Beach Pizza Dough
10 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsb. yeast
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsb. sugar
1 tbsb. salt
2 tsb. olive oil
Topping
1 can pizza sauce
1/4 lb. Mozzarella cheese
1 tomato, diced
1 sweet pepper, sliced
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. oregano
METHOD
Knead ingredients for the dough in a bowl and let sit for half-an-hour with a warm towel covering the mixture.
After half-an-hour weigh out the dough in three-quarter pound increments. From this you should get at least six circles of dough. Use only one circle of dough per pizza (The remainder can be refrigerated).
Stretch out the dough and place on a greased pizza pan. Bake crust for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add pizza sauce and Mozzarella cheese, vegetable toppings and a sprinkle of oregano. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F until the crust is crisp and golden.
said the council was now running out of patience and wants the land, which is owned by the Dr. Blythe-led Central Westmore-land Trust, turned over to the council before its next monthly meeting.
"This matter has been with us since 1999, we have now run out of patience and if by the next council meeting we receive no positive response from the MP, we will have to take strong action," said Mayor Morgan. "We will just have to find a way to bell the cat."
In the council's September monthly meeting, a letter written by Dr. Blythe to the Ministry of Housing, requesting that the land be turned over to the council, was read.
NOTHING NEW
However, after being told last Thursday that nothing new had happened since the previous meeting, Mayor Morgan said the matter had become quite embarrassing and confusing to him as it should have been settled long ago.
"We will have to find another way to deal with this one," said Councillor Earl Brooks. "Even though the land belongs to the Central Westmoreland Trust, since all lands come under the purview of the department of lands, we probably should try to pursue the matter from that angle."
Five years ago, the WPC identified a plot of land on the state-owned Llandilo property and started preparing it for use as a replacement burial site for the Tate Cemetery, which was all but filled and was being considered a health risk. However, the project hit a snag when residents of the community began expressing concerns about having a cemetery so close to their homes, claiming it would depreciate the market value of their properties.
Responding to the concerns of the Llandilo residents, Dr. Blythe entered the fray and asked the council to abandon the project, promising that he would secure an alternate site elsewhere in the parish. He subsequently informed the council that the 15 hectares of land, which falls under the Central Westmoreland Trust, would be transferred to the council.
However, due to the protracted delay in turning over the land to the council, bodies are still being buried at the Tate Cemetery against the wishes of the parish's health department.
