Edition 11, April 2016

DUBAI’S FINEST FOOD & TRAVEL E-MAGAZINE

s r u o l o #c

EDITION 11 ~ COLOURS

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Edition 11 – Colours

www.foodemagdxb.com

Let colours rule your life - in food and elsewhere!

Are you colour-ready?

The last remnants of Spring. And anticipation of Summer. This edition is an ode to colours which we have embraced in our lives, tables, platters and in our journeys in the name of festivals and seasons!

Let's celebrate colours... let us live our each moment inspired. As always, do keep us in your journeys and hashtag us (#foodemagdxb) in your food and travel inspirations. Until our next special Ramadan edition that will also officially herald Dubai summer!

Ishita B Saha Editor & Co-Founder ishita@foodemag.com T/FB/Instagram: @ishitaunblogged www.ishitaunblogged.com Debbie Rogers Deputy Editor & Business Head debbie@foodemag.com FB/Instagram: @coffeecakesandrunning T: @bettyboodubai www.coffeecakesandrunning.com Mita Ray Srinivasan Consultant & Marketing Strategist mita@foodemag.com www.mita56.com Website development Romy Kalluvely romyjohn@outlook.com Prior permission for all editorial content and images have been obtained from contributors and featured sources. Images are sourced from authors for respective articles unless mentioned otherwise.

[Cover picture credit: Chef Amrish Sood, Rang Mahal Dubai]

Ishita B Saha, Editor

Ishita is obsessed with street food and learning about culinary cultures across the world. She aspires to travel the world with her family - husband and two daughters – the Z-Sisters, and dreams about writing a book on Bengali cuisine, the kind that can be passed on as a wedding trousseau to her daughters.

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{

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www.booncoffee.com The origin of coffee, pure and simple

Our Panel Debbie Rogers, Travel & Features Editor Debbie shares her experiences through the joys of eating and travelling, as well as the pains and gains of exercise. She is passionate about Food, Baking, Cooking, Travel and Exercise. www.coffeecakesandrunning.com

Sally Prosser, Food Sourcing Expert In her own words, Sally is ‘a food blogger, a keen eater… of GOOD food…. and for me that’s about using the best, freshest, tastiest ingredients cooked from scratch.’ Who else can we trust with our food sourcing and market round ups, but Sally? We are proud to have this award-winning blogger in our panel. www.mycustardpie.com

Prachi Grover, Kids Columnist Prachi declares that her blog has ‘recipes that we have tried and appreciated, cooking victories and failures, kitchen and food related DIY projects that we are working on and more'. We refers to Prachi and Sara, her 6 year old little chefling, whom we have lovingly adopted as our own contributing chefling! Prachi is a super Ambassador of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Programme. www.orangekitchens.net

Our contributors in this issue:

Dibyendu Majumdar

jayati Saha www.jayatisaha.com

Ritu Chaturvedi www.fussfreecookingblog. wordpress.com

Lucy Forbes Taylor www.lucytaylortravels.com

Joe Mortimer www.somewhereinthebetween.org

Tanuka Gupta Soullight Tanuka on Facebook

Special Travel

Columnists

5

CONTENTS

Markets

Spices

8 12

Cooking with Kids

Recipes - Chasing Rainbow

Recipes

Intersect By Lexus

6

Cookbook

Plated Heirlooms by Dima Sharif

22 28

Dubai Dining

Recipes - Finnish Blueberry Soup; Cucumber & Blueberry Salad

14 20

Palestinian Recipes from Plated Heirlooms

Ingredient... Bilberry

32

Recipes Colours

Dubai Dining

Vanguard by Quique Dacosta

34 36

Coffee

38 41

Travel

Glastonbury

Organic Oasis Farm Visit

Travel

A tale of two Travellers: Nicaragua

46 50

Moving Closer

Chai

Cultural Travel Brijbhumi

58

Note: Some of the articles and/or recipes in this edition may contain reference to alcohol and other ingredients without intentions to hurt any religious sentiment.

7

#Markets

Colour Grind...

getting spicy in Dubai!

By Sally Prosser www.mycustardpie.com

I posted a picture on Instagram the other day. It was of the spices in my local supermarket and got an enthusiastic response from around the world. “How I wish I had that on my doorstep!” and “One of the things we most miss about Dubai” were just two of the comments. It’s easy to take the profusion of exotic ingredients available here for granted. When Ottolenghi’s Nopi cookbook was released recently, there was a rush to find hard to source ingredients in the UK and US. Not so here where only black garlic remains elusive. The challenge in Dubai is finding quality over quantity. Spices may confront you in profusion every time you go shopping but what’s the inside track for getting the very best?

Supermarkets

If you buy those little jars of imported herbs and spices, please think again. The contents have often been sourced from countries within our region, then shipped (for many weeks) to Europe where they are decanted, packed, labelled and then go off for another long sea voyage. ‘Use by’ dates are definitely not the same as ‘best by’ dates with spices where freshness is key. Look for the sealed packs imported from India that usually works out a lot cheaper. If you can’t find what you are after, look for an alternative name. For example, cumin is often called jeera on the packet. You can transfer into small jars if you insist on matchy matchy.

Carrefour and Union Coop both have large ranges of loose spices as well as packets. Choose a branch that has a high

turnover of stock. Smell the spices before you buy – if there is no aroma, they are stale. It’s a good way to buy

Independent shops

small amounts of something you don’t use that often. There

Down to Earth Organic is my favourite place for spices.

is often a choice of the same spice from different origins,

It’s a small part of a much larger initiative in India aimed at

reflected in the price.

protecting small, organic farmers and empowering women.

I’ve visited their offices and factory in Rajasthan and it’s

What to buy: Sumac, cardamom and bay leaves.

truly admirable. But my decision to buy from them is because the spices are organic, super potent and fragrant.

The Spice Souk

This seems an obvious place but ‘buyer beware’! The shop assistants are world class at selling. They all know a snippet of different languages related to culinary uses for spices.

“Risotto Milanese” for instance, when persuading Italians to buy saffron. I spent a long time in one shop and witnessed tourists hand over AED 400 for a bag of mixed spices, a dazed look in their eyes as they handed over the cash. The best way is to take your time, choose a favourite shop and get to know the owner. If you visit and buy regularly you’ll avoid the hard sell reserved for tourists.

What to buy: B’zar – the Emirati spice blend.

The only downside is that they often run out of stock. You can order online at www.downtoearthorganic.ae or visit their location in the Sheikh Hamdan Complex.

What to buy: turmeric and chilli powder are particularly good (you don’t need to use much of the latter).

If you are looking for a spice from a certain cuisine, look for a specialist. Mr Reza of Sadaf Iranian Sweets sells fantastic Iranian dried fruits, nuts, sweets and also spices.

Sadaf Iranian Sweets is located in Rigga Al Buteen Plaza on Maktoum Road.

What to buy: Sarghol or negheen (more expensive) saffron, dried mixed herbs – which can be soaked and

9

#Markets ...continued

Mr Reza of Sadaf Iranian Shop

washed and then used in Persian kuku (similar to quiche).

Dima Sharif, who has recently publisher her book on Palestinian cuisine – Plated Heirlooms, sells a small range of Palestinian spice blends at her stall at The Farmers Market on the Terrace every Friday at Bay Avenue (in front of Executive Towers). While you are there you could also buy fresh organic herbs from the farmers and dry your own.

What to buy: Organic dried za’atar mix which is really sublime, spice mixes for meat or fish from Dima and fresh zaatar from the farmers. *A note of thanks to Arva of Frying Pan Adventures for her expert information.

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The Spice Souk at night

Tips for using and storing • Buy whole wherever possible and grind in small quantities before using. You will get a much more intense and exciting flavour.

You get to control the texture too. Use a pestle and mortar for building your arm muscles or buy an electric spice grinder (coffee grinders work too but keep it for this purpose only).

• If decanting your spices label the purchase dates. I have a big clear out once a year so my cupboards don’t harbour tasteless powder!

• Store spices in a cool, dark place. The cupboard above the cooker is the worst place for condensation and heat. Label the top of jars and keep them in a drawer.

Note: Check before bringing in spices from other countries. Poppy seeds, for instance, are banned in the U.A.E.

#Ingredients101

Bilberries...

flavoured by Finnish Northern lights Bilberries are often confused with the high bush blueberries that we commonly know, as the word bilberry translates into blueberry in many European languages. However bilberries (or forest blueberry) refer to those that grow naturally in Northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and some parts of Russia.

Brought to you by Berryfect www.bilberry.ae

Bilberry Benefits Bilberry is four times richer in flavonoids and three times higher in anthocyanins than the blueberry.

Research suggests that flavonoids and anthocyanins may play important roles in helping reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and cancer.

They also act as powerful antioxidants, which are well-known for their anti-aging and immune system benefits.

Regular use of bilberries has been found to have a positive impact on blood pressure and HDL cholesterol levels and they are also one of the best sources of polyphenols, which have been found to have highly beneficial health effects such as reducing high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Bilberry also contains high amounts of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as nutritional fibre and hence a perfect food choice for children, the elderly, competitive athletes and anyone trying to improve their health, or trying to lose weight.

Berryfect comes in easy to use individual sachets which can be added to shakes, smoothies, porridge, dressings, dips and in baking, making it ideal for a busy lifestyle. The deep purple powder adds colour, nutrients and an extra tangy taste to food. One 3g serving is the equivalent of 30g of fresh berries and one complete box contains one litre of fresh picked arctic berries – all the Bilberry’s nutritionally dense parts: juice, pulp, skin and seeds are used. Berryfect Recipe & Image:Image: Ritu Chaturvedi Debbie Rogers contains no additives, preservatives or sugar.

Growing under the Northern Lights and the midnight sun in wild forests in Finland, bilberries and other berries are organic part of Scandinavian life – something we got to know at our coffee morning with Minna Herranen, Managing Director of Nordic Power General Trading and regional distributor of Berryfect. Minna reminiscences about her childhood – ‘This is something that we still do – we pick berries! Although we lived in Helsinki, we would go to our country house during the summers. There are forests every where in Finland and it is every man’s right to pick berries, mushrooms and a few other things. We would have enameled mugs in our hands or big buckets and we would just pick berries that would later be turned into jams and jellies, juices or would simply be stored in the freezer. A famous Finnish dish using bilberries is Mustikkapiirakka, the bilberry pie or Mustikkakeitto, the Finnish Blueberry soup, that is also sold in the supermarkets in bottles. Minna has shared the soup recipe exclusively with FoodeMag dxb readers, we promise to knock on Minna’s door soon for the pie recipe!that is also sold in the supermarkets in bottles. Minna has shared the soup recipe

Bilberry Facts: Did you know?

• • • • •

•

•

Bilberry is sometimes called whortleberry and from the vaccinium myrtillus species Bilberries stain fingers, mouth, tongue, clothes and your picking bucket dark blue whereas blueberry does not stain as much.

Bilberries are tangier and stronger in flavour than blueberries.

In Finland, bilberries are eaten fresh or made into jams and dishes. The most famous one is the bilberry pie.

In Ireland, the fruit is known as fraughan, from the Irish fraochán, and is traditionally gathered on the last Sunday in July, known as “Fraughan Sunday”.

Bilberry is used for improving eyesight, including night vision. In fact, during World War II, British RAF pilots ate bilberry jam to improve their night vision.

Bilberry contains tannin that can help improve diarrhea, as well as mouth and throat irritation, by reducing swelling and inflammation.

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#Ingredients101 ...continued

Mustikkakeitto as it is called in Finnish, is a Scandinavian soup made from bilberries, which can be served both hot or cold. It is sweet in taste and contains starch, which gives it a fairly thick consistency. It is served both as a soup, often together with porridge, or as a drink. In Finland and Sweden, the blueberry soup is very popular and although energy rich, it is soothing and gentle on the stomach.

Bilberries are often confused with the high bush blueberries that we commonly know, as the word bilberry translates into blueberry in many European languages.

However bilberries (or forest blueberry) refer to those that grow naturally in Northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and some parts of Russia.

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Mustikkakeitto or Finnish Blueberry Soup Prep time: 10 mins Serves: 2

Ingredients 2 cups blueberry juice 2 tbsp potato starch mixed with 3 tbsp cool water 4 tbsp bilberry powder* 5 tbsp raw honey or agave syrup (or according to your liking) ½ cup bilberries or blueberries, fresh or frozen

Method • • • • •

Bring the berry juice to boil in a pot or pan.

Just when the berry juice bubbles a few times, add the potato starch mixture slowly to the berry juice.

Stir well and continuously until the soup thickens. Do not boil further.

Add fresh blueberries or thawed frozen blueberries into the hot soup and stir well.

Add bilberry powder* and raw honey or agave syrup. Add more if you prefer sweeter.

To Serve: Serve hot or cold over steaming hot porridge. Or may be turn this blueberry soup into a dessert by serving it with tiny dollops of whipped cream?

Berryfect is a premium berry powder, made from bilberries grown under the Northern Lights and the midnight sun in wild forests in Finland. Berryfect powders are ground from whole juicy Bilberries.

All the Bilberry’s nutritionally dense parts: juice, pulp, skin and seeds are used. Berryfect is brought to the region by Nordic Power General Trading. Follow their visual journey on Instagram and search for the hashtag #berryfectme for violet superfood inspiration.

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Cucumber and Bilberry Salad Prep time: 10 mins Serves: 2

Ingredients

Method

4-5 pickling cucumber (or 1 large greenhouse cucumber), cut in buttons or thin matchstick shaped strips

• •

For the Sauce: ¾ cups (180 ml) sour cream or cream fraiche ¾ cups (180 ml) yogurt (solid) ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped ¼ cup spring onions, very finely chopped 1-2 tsp raw honey 1 tsp sea or rock salt fresh ground pepper, preferably a lot 1 crushed garlic clove, crushed 2 tsp bilberry powder*

Why not try another variation of this Bilberry Salad? Omit the yogurt, sour cream and spring onion and pour 30 ml of Finnish organic cold-pressed rapeseed oil and apple cider vinegar over the ingredients and stir.

Mix all the sauce ingredients and toss with cucumber Add roasted seeds and nuts on top before serving

TIP: Nuts and seeds are easy to toast at home. Heat a frying pan, add one layer of nuts or seeds and turn several times. From scent or popping sound, you know, when they have begun to broil. Take the pan off the heat, stir in a few more times when they cool down to toast evenly.

Roasted nuts and seeds remain viable in a jar for about a week.

For Garnish: ½ cup roasted nuts (cashews, walnuts) ½ cup roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds

*Recipes and images provided by Bilberry.ae

15

Chasing rainbow...

over a rainbow playdate!

By Prachi Grover www.orangekitchens.net

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#CookingWithKids

Where ever I go there’s gotta be a RAINBOW!

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Sara loves to paint. All walls of her room have artwork and are interspersed with quotes that we both love.

She has at least forty favourite colours and some of them don’t even sound real! I have begun to run out of space; there are art files, canvasses, paints, crayons and glitter everywhere. Even her dolls have artwork in their tiny dollhouse. The cutest quote is the one that she has written for them – “Where ever I go there’s gotta be a RAINBOW”!

In short, my little girl is obsessed with colours and so we decided to invite some of her friends over for a Rainbow Playdate where they made lots of colourful, sparkly cards and crafts for Holi (the Indian festival of colours). They also made vibrant loom bands for each other and enjoyed eating colours off their plates.

Sara helped me make these Rainbow Tartines, Tropical Rainbow Fruit Salad Cones and a Rainbow Cake, for no rainbow playdate is complete without a rainbow cake dotted with these hundreds-and-thousands and some lemonade. So, if you have a rainbow obsessed little girl or a little boy in your home, then I urge you to give this a try – there can only be pots of gold at the end (read warm hugs) at the end.

So here’s to my favorite quote in her room, for it has everything she hearts. A very happy Holi to all of you who are celebrating!boy in your home, then I urge you to give this a try – there can only be pots of gold at the end (read warm hugs) at the end.

Play with fairies. Ride a unicorn.

Swimtowith mermaids.

Chase Rainbows.

So here’s my favorite quote in her room, for it has everything she hearts. A very happy Holi to all of you who are celebrating!

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Rainbow Tartines You will need • • •

sliced bread of your choice – we used a baguette vegetables in a variety of colours – we used sliced cucumber, grated carrots, boiled corn and grilled aubergines sandwich spread like mayonnaise, cream cheese, savory chutneys – we used hummus

To assemble: Spread the hummus on the baguette slices and layer the vegetables into rows – it’s that simple!

17

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#CookingWithKids

Chasing rainbow... over a rainbow playdate! ... continued

Tropical Rainbow Fruit Salad Cones You will need: • •

•

ice cream cones a variety of colourful fresh and dried fruits chopped and sliced – we used sliced apples, sliced strawberries, black and green grapes, dried coconut slivers and dried mango slices yogurt (optional)

To assemble: Fill each of the ice cream cones with fruits and serve them with yogurt on the side. The children can drizzle the yogurt on top just before they sit down to eat.

Rainbow Cake with Sprinkles You will need: • • • • •

a round bundt cake from a recipe that you love – Sara loves chocolate, so we made one adequate icing to spread – we made a chocolate frosting colourful sprinkles (warning: these are really messy!) blue card-stock sun made out of yellow card-stock

•

cotton to make the clouds

To assemble: • Cut the cake into two (one rainbow for the kids and another one for you to enjoy with your coffee).

• Cover it with the icing and the sprinkles.

• Place the cake on a sheet of blue card-stock, put on a bright sun on one side and add the fluffy clouds on the other to complete your sky. Pour some lemonade and watch your little sunshine giggle with joy!

Note: If you don’t have a round bundt cake pan, place a ramekin or a glass in the middle of the cake pan before pouring the batter inside while making your own cake.

19

#CookBook

Dima Sharif: Plated Heirlooms

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

The tagline says it all – Stories & recipes through Generation of Palestinian Cuisine. Dima Sharif, artisan chef and food blogger, in her first cookbook aptly titled ‘Plated Heirlooms’ explores the rich culinary history of the region and takes it beyond family recipes. In effect, Plated Heirlooms reflects the turmoil and emotional conflict that is part and parcel of tracing back to one’s roots, and also harmoniously sews together all the memories that shape Dima’s childhood, her deep love for her grandmother who has also been an inspiration.

Plated Heirlooms is not an ordinary cookbook.

It is a collector’s item with more than 400 pages wrapped in a hardbound book and has taken three years to collate. It’s beauty is in its minute detailing – the wood free pages, the black and white pictures from Dima’s ancestral family album. Every photograph unfolds like a story that carries memories and nostalgia in Dima’s head.

Although there are captions, she doesn’t set out to explain these images, rather leaves them strewn in the pages for the reader to pick up in

20

The cookbook is divided into eight distinct chapters and starts with an introduction to the Palestinian cuisine.

The other chapters delve into - Mooneh or the Pantry, Breakfast and light meals, Roasts and Bakes, Stuffed vine leaves (both meat and vegetables), Rice and Grains and finally the desserts. Mooneh is the most essential part of Palestinian cuisine as people’s life has always been controlled by circumstances of life – so storing became a way of art. This is duly reflected in Plated Heirloom with the Mooneh section being the largest section in the book. There are more than 200 traditional Palestinian recipes collected from different families and communities around the region and Dima has tried to give a background to the dishes and the recipes. Every regional recipe that came to her hands had to be checked with at least 6 families from one region so as to make sure that the authenticity of a recipe has been maintained.

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their own way. The book unfolds through references of art and poetry – some of the art collections belonging to her grand father while others have been taken from famous artists like Sliman Mansour. Poetry of Mahmoud Darwish forms an integral part of the story telling and Palestinian landscapes taken by various photographers repeatedly add pictorial insight into the lost land of Dima’s Falasteen.

This book is not only about recipes. There are so many stories and they are all intertwined in a way that you must read the book from the beginning. I have resorted to a poetic style to tie all the stories together and lead to the conclusion. Palestinian cuisine hasn't been documented so far and unless I sat down and did what I did with this book, we stood the risk of losing it completely as the cusine becomes localised with different variations and substitutions taking place at every moment.

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#Recipes

Fakhdet Kharoof ~ Roasted Leg Of Lamb Serves 4

Ingredients 3 springs fresh rosemary pomegranate seeds for garnish chopped parsley for garnish For the leg of lamb 1 whole leg of lamb on the bone 6 garlic cloves, halved 2 tbsp yogurt 2 tbsp tomato paste ¼ cup olive oil 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1 small onion, grated a pinch (¼ tsp) ground all spice a pinch (¼ tsp) ground cinnamon a pinch (¼ tsp) ground cardamom ½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed salt and black pepper to taste

Method • •

•

• • •

•

For the roasted potatoes and garlic 4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered 2 whole garlic bulbs ¼ cup olive oil ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crushed salt and black pepper

22

•

The night before roasting, trim any excess fat on the leg of lamb and score the flesh with a small knife and place the halved garlic cloves inside the holes you just created.

In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, grated onion, seasoning, spices and the crushed dried rosemary and mix all very well to combine. Drizzle slowly with olive oil while mixing to emulsify.

Place the leg of lamb in a large zip-lock bag, and add the emulsified yogurt mixture then rub the leg of lamb with the mixture to coat. Seal the bag and place in the fridge over night.

The next day, place the garlic bulbs in a deep roasting tin and drizzle lightly with olive oil then set aside.

In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, seasoning, garlic powder and the crushed dried rosemary then set aside.

Peel and quarter the potatoes and rub all well to coat with the seasoned olive oil mixture, then place the potatoes in the roasting tin with the garlic bulbs. Top all with a wire rack and place the marinated leg of lamb over the rack, then cover the tin tightly with foil paper.

Roast, covered, in a 180ºC preheated oven for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 120C and roast, covered for an extra hour. Make sure to shake the tin frequently to prevent the potatoes from sticking and burning. Remove the cover and roast for 15 minutes extra or until slightly browned.

Transfer the leg of lamb and vegetables to a serving dish and place the fresh rosemary springs on the sides for garnish and sprinkle all with the fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. Serve with a side of salad and green olives.

This slow roast leg of lamb is luscious, it turns out very tender and really flavoursome. The roasted garlic and roasted potatoes are absolutely divine as well; an all-round delicious experience. .

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*Recipe and image provided by Dima Sharif

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#Recipes Colocasia is to some an ugly looking root vegetable. I find it beautiful, it looks like the earth with a pink steam peeking through the dirt! Colocasia is no longer commonly cooked and is becoming increasingly forgotten! Here is how it is traditionally made...

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*Recipe and image provided by Dima Sharif

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Qulqas ~ Colocasia Stew Serves 4

Ingredients

•

1 kg colocasia 1 recipe meat broth made using 1kg lamb meat on the bone 2 tbsp olive oil 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ½ cup lemon juice 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley for garnish salt and black pepper to taste •

Method •

•

Prepare the meat broth using pieces of lamb meat on the bones. Only half-cook the meat, then drain reserving the half-cooked meat and broth. Discard all aromatics.

Peel the colocasia and cut into medium-sized cubes. Place the cubes in a large bowl and mix with 3 tbsp salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside for 30 minutes. Then wash the colacasia with cold water until the gloopy film is gone.

In a medium pot, sauté the garlic in olive oil until translucent then top with 1.5 liters of broth together with the lemon juice. Add the meat pieces as well as the washed colocasia, then season with salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. During cooking, adjust the liquid levels if necessary by adding more broth. The Colocasia must be submerged with liquid all the time.

To serve, transfer the stew to a large serving bowl, and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve alongside rice and some extra lemon wedges on the side.

Samakeh Mahshyeh ~ Oven-grilled Stuffed Whole Fish Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium size whole fish, red snapper or any white meat fish works 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced 1 medium onion, halved and sliced 1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional for spicy) 1 green capsicum, finely sliced 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped 1 bunch coriander, finely chopped 1 tbsp shatta (prepared Arabic-style red pepper flakes sauce) 3 lemons, juiced ¼ cup olive oil a pinch of ground all spice a pinch of ground cardamom 1 tsp cumin salt and black pepper to taste

Method • •

•

•

Brush a baking tray with seasoned olive oil.

Rinse the fish with cold water to clean and pat dry. Score the fish diagonally, head to tail on both sides. Rub the fish on both sides with a lemon wedge, then season with salt, black pepper and spices. Place the fish on the prepared baking tray.

In a large bowl, mix well together the chopped herbs, sliced onion, garlic, capsicum, chopped chilli and shatta, then season with salt and black pepper, and the same spices you seasoned the fish with, along with olive oil. Fill the cavity of the fish and the creases with this mixture, and place the remaining filling around the fish in the baking tray. Sprinkle the remaining lemon juice all over, add 1 ½ cups fish broth or water and drizzle all lightly with olive oil. Cover and bake in 190C oven for 20-30 minutes depending the size of the fish.

Remove the foil, and continue to cook for 10 more minutes or until the flesh flakes easily. Broil to brown if necessary. Serve hot with pita bread and baqdoonsyeh (tahini sauce mixed with 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley) or plain tahini sauce.

#Recipes

*Recipe and image provided by Dima Sharif

Osmaliyeh Malfoofeh Bil Ishta ~ Kadaifi Pastry Cones with Dessert Cream Makes 12 cones

Ingredients

100 gms kadaifi pastry, angel hair pasta or knafe pastry, if available pistachios, roughly chopped, for garnish mastic, finely ground, for garnish fresh or caramelised rose petals, for garnish 1 recipe rosewater infused sugar syrup ¼ kg Ishta (Arabic Desert Cream)

Method •

•

• •

To make the knafeh cones, brush a cone mould with melted butter or spray with baking spray, then grab a handful of the kadaifi pastry and roll it over the cone. Work your way from the narrow tip rolling the dough all the way down to the wide end. Press to secure. The steel cone should be completely wrapped with the kadaifi pastry, with the wide end slightly exposed. Cut off the excess pastry and carefully place the cones on the lined and greased baking tray. Repeat this process with all 12 cones.

Brush the pastry with melted butter and bake in a 180C oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and cool the cones completely. If you want a more deeply-golden colour, fry the cones in a flavourless vegetable oil. Once completely cooled, carefully remove the steel cone moulds, without pressing against the fragile kadaifi pastry.

While the pastry is cooling, make the cream filling. Fill a piping bag with the cooled Ishta, and pipe the filling in the completely cooled cones. Garnish six of the cones with chopped toasted pistachios and the remaining six with finely ground mastic. Place one caramelised or fresh rose petal over each cone. Line the cones on the serving dish and drizzle generously with the rosewater infused sugar syrup. Serve cold with sugar syrup on the side.

We have tasted some of Dima's recipes like these Kadaifi Pastry Cones (above) or the Qulqas stew at her special Palestinian pop up at Lafayette Gourmet last year.

The pop up not only gave us a glimpse into some of the traditional recipes from her book 'Plated heirlooms' but also showed us how these recipes could be presented in the modern day context by giving a contemporary twist to them. Dima's book is not only about Palestinian recipes, it reiterates that Palestine is not about a lost land but about resurrection of real tales from the earth!

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#Recipes

Colours... splatter them on!

By Ritu Chaturvedi www.fussfreecookingblog.wordpress.com

Green Peas and Coriander Soup Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 30 mins Serves 1

Ingredients 2 cups green peas, fresh 4 cups vegetable stock 1 cup fresh coriander, chopped ¼ tsp clove powder 2 tbsp butter or olive oil salt & ground black pepper, to taste To Garnish 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds dash of olive oil

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Method • • • • •

Heat butter or olive oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add coriander and green peas. Sauté and let them cook for 10 minutes.

Add stock, salt, pepper and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Simmer until the green peas turn soft.

Cool for 5 minutes and pour the broth to a blender for blending (you may use a hand blender too).

Pour back the pureed soup to the saucepan and heat again. Add warm water and bring to boil.

Stir constantly for 5 minutes and add clove powder. Remove from heat.

To serve: Serve the gorgeous green soup with a garnish of roasted sesame seeds and a healthy dash of olive oil.

Kadhi Pakoree is a very popular regional dish from North India with many variations in the recipe across the different states like Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Ritu explains that in North India, this is a must during weekends and also at mealtimes on days preceding a wedding or any special occasion. The Punjabi kadhi is thicker than its Gujarati counterpart with gram flour dumplings or pakoree. According to her if you know how to make Kadhi and Kheer (an Indian dessert), you can easily become an expert in Indian cooking. So here’s to Kadhi Pakoree and hoping to become half an expert on Indian cooking!

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Yellow Kadhi Pakoree with White Rice Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 20 mins Serves 4

Ingredients For Pakoree or dumplings 1 cup gram flour or besan, sifted to remove lumps ½ tsp salt pinch of fruit salt 1 cup white oil for deep frying For Kadhi 1 cup yogurt 3 tbsp gram flour 1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter 1 tsp cumin seeds a pinch of asafetida 3-4 curry leaves 1 ½ tsp salt to taste 2 tbsp ginger, freshly grated ½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp red chilli powder

Method For making Pakoree • Place all the ingredients listed for Pakoree in a bowl and make a batter with enough water. Beat it well. (The trapped air is what will make the batter light and fluffy. Solid dumplings do not taste nice.)

• Heat oil in a shallow frying pan. Drop dollops of the batter into the hot oil, either with a dessertspoon or with your fingers – they shouldn’t touch each other. Fry until golden brown. Keep aside.

For making Kadhi • Place the yogurt in a bowl. Add sifted gram flour and beat together to make a smooth batter. Add salt, turmeric and water. Mix well.

• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, ginger and asafetida powder. As soon as the cumin seeds begin to splutter add the yogurt mixture. Add dry coriander powder and chilli powder.

• Bring to boil stirring frequently, until it stops trying to rise and boil over.

Turn heat down to medium.

• Put the Pakoree in the low heat and let it cook for some time. Add lime juice and chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve with hot steamed Rice.

#Recipes

Red Velvet Waffle with Fresh Strawberries and Sour Cream Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 10 mins Serves 2

Ingredients

Method

1 cup ready-made Red Velvet cake mix 2 tbsp rice flour 1 tbsp beetroot powder (or pureed paste) ½ tsp vanilla sugar 2 tbsp yogurt milk for finding cooking spray for greasing the waffle trays

•

For Serving: strawberries sour cream

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•

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and slowly add yogurt and milk to make a smooth batter.

Grease waffle trays with cooking spray and heat it. Spread the batter evenly and cook the waffles for 8-10 minutes. Remove gently and serve with sour cream and strawberries.

Lavender Ice Cream Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: nil; Refrigeration time: 3-4 hrs Serves 2

Ingredients 1 liter full cream milk ¼ cup lavender flower 200 gms condensed milk ¼ cup double cream 2 tbsp purple sugar syrup (optional) 1 tbsp dried lavender flowers for serving

Method • • • • •

Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan.

Add lavender flowers and simmer until it reduces to half.

Strain the milk and discard the flowers.

Mix condensed milk and cream.

Let the mixture cool completely and then blend it. Churn in the ice cream maker until hard.

To serve • Add dried lavender flowers and top with lavender sugar. Serve immediately.

#DubaiDining

Intersect by Lexus...

crafting food to perfection!

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

An edgy design space cum restaurant in the DIFC, Intersect

by Lexus has been designed as a casual networking hub between art and design connoisseurs and food enthusiasts. The space is split into two levels – the upper level consists of a library with books and manuals related to design and art while the basement has been designed as a futuristic garage space for art installations and to showcase Lexus concept cars.

The two levels in Itersect by Lexus

THE MENU CONCEPT A lot of thought has gone into the design of the space as well as the menu which has been created by Chef Tomas Reger, the mastermind behind gastronomic concepts cuch as ‘Dubai’s Secret Supper Club’, ‘From One Chef To Another’ and ‘Bloomie’s Kitchen’. The menu focuses on sourcing the finest ingredients and draws inspiration from raw, healthy and organic food.

THE FOOD What we loved: Even kale and other greens gets its novel twist here! Modern cooking techniques combined with the use of local ingredients give each dish an unique identity.

For example, Tahini paste is whizzed with sunflower oil and drizzled on salads adding richness and flavour, while keeping in mind that the menu thrives on serving healthy food to the diner. Our picks from the menu are Pumpkin and Orange Soup, Kale and Avacado Salad (the dehydrated linssed wafer topping it provides the guilt free crunch!).

Prawns and Clams Moghrabieh where pasta is cooked in a thick and delicious seafood broth. One can order small plates or large plates - all meant for sharing and the Chilean Seabass with an unusual dressing of yuzu glazed turnips with Pakchoi served on the sides or the slow cooked beef short ribs with celeriac puree, are our winners. Desserts are created out of raw and natural ingredients, and sweetened naturally - so whether you opt for the Chocolate mousse with 65% Vahlrona or the Compressed Apple Tart - just dive in!

THE VIBE We love the relaxed dining experience with the library, and the coffee lounge exuding a welcoming warmth It is gradually becoming a popular lunch venue and with not too many covers designed, the place looks relatively full and hence tempting. With honest food that tastes and looks good, and the team appearing hands on, Intersect by Lexus is clearly one of our current favourite venues to go 'Back for Seconds' when in the DIFC area. The lunch menu is priced at approx. Dhs 110/person, and it offers a small plate of salad, a large plate from the mains and a dessert.

Kale and Avacado Salad The charming home-feel with a library and coffee lounge

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#DubaiDining

Vanguard...

by Quique Dacosta

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.com THE CONCEPT Part of the magic, or should we say the enigma about the first chapter of Enigma - Vanguard by Quique Dacosta, is that the whole evening is an unique dining experience, curated and one that is only available for a limited amount of time. The menu is confidential and each dish revealed unfolds a story. The avant-garde chef's restaurant in Denia in Spain has three Michelin star and is listed at No 39 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants. Guests are requested not to share too much as well, as part of the charm of Enigma is that diners don’t know about what their experience will be ahead of the actual dinner.

A brand new dining experience has hit Dubai with the launch of Enigma, The Untold Story, at Palazzo Versace.

Enigma opened it’s doors in January with a new exciting concept which will see the restaurant run by four different chefs throughout the year each taking over the restaurant for three months. Each Chef will come with Michelin starred credentials and associated with a restaurant listed in the World’s Fifty Best Restaurants.

THE FOOD: We dined on a ten course set menu, with vegetarian options being available or altered to suit food allergies etc. Each dish had been cleverly designed to challenge our curioisity, tease our taste buds and tell a story. Plenty of unusual textures, cooking processes and techniques were inevitable as one would expect from a chef with Michelin credentials, but what added to the drama of teh evening is the unusual presentation of dishes. The story evolved - from the story behind the dishes to the story at the table, engaging the diners like the audience in a theatre. One thing was certain that whether the DUbai audience is matured to welcome such a dining concept, each chapter of Enigma will always hold our curiousity.

Smoked Duck in black pepper sauce

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Images: FoodEMag dxb

Enigma with unlaid tables so that the evening unveils slowly like a canvas.

Quique Dacosta adds his final touch to the dessert. The pine branches are leftovers from Christmas following his 'no wastage' principle.

Textures, fruity flavours, interesting play of colours, dramatic presentation mark the dishes.

Food plucked from inside a rose, a sudden switching off of the lights while presenting the 'Breakfast at Tiffany’s (below), Quique Dacosta’s quirky palate cleanser in the midst of drama or trying to figure out the real edible charcoal amongst a plate full of real charcoal – there are too many twists and surprises that need to be experienced by your self!

Golden Egg

#TheBrew

Chai

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

Palazzo Versace Dubai quietly opened it’s doors in November and has remained a bit of a secret hotel until the launch of Enigma. We headed over late afternoon to try out afternoon tea at Mosaico, located in the hotel’s lobby. Opulent and elegant, the lounge perfectly reflects Gianni Versace’s ornate compositions. You can choose to dine indoors in the lobby lounge listening to the pianist or outside on the terrace where the view is stunning, overlooking the Dubai Creek and main pool of the hotel. We chose to sit outside to enjoy the brilliant Dubai winter as long as it lasts.

Mosaico - an afternoon tea in opulence and grandeur The Chai We ordered the Classic Afternoon tea, which came along with savouries and sweet treats served in a classical and beautiful, three tier cake stand. The crockery is specially designed for the restaurant and gained many positive comments on my Instagram feed that day. We tried out two different types of Tea – the Darjeeling and Four Red Berries from Dammann Frères Iconic Teas. Served in silver teapots with beautiful matching strainers, this tea definitely needs a special mention. Dammann Frères Tea is a popular French tea brand that was established in 1692 by two brothers. It is a family run business to this day.

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Savouries The three tiers comprised of dainty finger sandwiches on the bottom tier with Egg Mayo with cress, Chicken with horseradish cream, Salmon with caper butter and lemon juice, and cucumber with yogurt and herbs. The sandwiches were served in flavoured breads, which was nice although personally I would have preferred some different bread choices – knowing that France is famous for its artisanal breads.

Sweet treats Moving up the tier were scones and both the plain and the ones with raisins were very good, as a Brit I know a

bit about scones and these were good. Served warm, they went delightfully well with the homemade strawberry jam, homemade lemon curd and a generous amount of home made clotted cream which was definitely the showstopper (and my weakness).

The top tier of the cake stand was dedicated to five dainty miniature treats, a mini Mille Feuille (another weakness of mine), a strawberry tart, coffee eclair, an English fruit cake and a passion fruit and mango baba. Each piece was presented perfectly, and the small bite sized portions meant that they weren’t overwhelming but difficult to share!

The sign-off There are few hotels with five star credentials this side of town, so if you are in the area this is a great place to visit. Perfect for a classic afternoon tea with some pretty special tea, or if you fancy something a bit different, make a selection from the dessert trolley or opt for the Mille Feuille. Served directly from the sweet trolley, which is wheeled to your table, this Mille Feuille, topped with berries is the best I’ve tasted in Dubai so far and I would go back for it again in a heartbeat (yes, this overtakes my last Mille Feuille winner).

The Classic Afternoon tea is priced at AED185 (suitable for two) and AED 345 with a glass of champagne. We also suggest the Cream Tea which costs AED 85 and comes with two scones – a steal for a venue like this!

#TheBrew

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

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Coffee

We love hunting out new specialty openings in Dubai and this time we take a look at a new coffee roastery that has recently opened in Dubai Investment Park – Jebena Specialty Coffee. I recently caught up with the founder of Jebena, Stuart Szabo, over a cup of Ethiopian Sidama Sasaba, to talk about Jebena and the story behind the roastery.

Third Wave Coffee, is a movement to produce high quality coffee where coffee is seen as an artisan product rather than a commodity. Typically, third wave coffee involves improvements in all parts of the coffee lifecycle starting from sourcing (direct trade), high quality coffee beans (speciality coffee), single origin coffee (no blended coffee), fresh roasting (usually roasted in the last few weeks), latte art plus the revival of traditional brewing methods eg vacuum coffee and pour-over brewing devices eg Chemex/V60. There’s also an increase in customer engagement, so that the customer knows more about what they are drinking and the taste profile of the coffee being served.

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Speciality Coffee refers to the quality of the coffee in terms of flavour and taste characteristics, it applies to a coffee scoring 80 points and above on a 100 point scale.

Jebena Specialty Coffee The Coffee: Stuart’s love for Specialty Coffee started ten years ago when he lived in Melbourne, a city that has had a long established café culture. Stuart’s job takes him all across the world and he is always on the hunt for Specialty Coffee. After plenty of exploration, tasting and cupping, Stuart’s passion grew and he started roasting green beans at home using a small 1kg kit-build roaster (a 1957 Faema Urania lever espresso machine), which he lovingly restored and still uses. Soon after relocating to Dubai, and disappointed at the proliferation of US style chain cafés and poor quality of coffee offered in hotels, he saw an opportunity to start his specialty roastery, and partner with various F&B outlets to “delight guests with an extraordinary coffee experience”.

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I visited Jebena’s custom built production facility which has climate controlled storage, Giesen roasting equipment and a dedicated cupping lab and training facility on roasting day. The green beans are roasted here according to roast profiles developed by Stuart to highlight and enhance the best unique natural flavours. The roasting process takes twelve minutes as the beans slowly turn from green, to medium brown and the aroma when they quickly cool down are intoxicating. As a final quality check the beans are hand sorted and imperfect beans, either in shape or colour, are discarded as these may impact the taste in the cup. Finally the beans are bagged and ready for dispatch. The beans are best enjoyed around five to seven days after roasting when they have had a chance to

degas and the flavours have fully developed.

Jebena offer regular free public cupping sessions at the roastery, Home Barista training courses and complete manual brewing kits. Their current speciality coffees include two natural processes – Ethiopian, Konga Sedie and Sidama Sasaba; and one washed from Kenya, Gakuya Ini. The Sasaba is perfect as an espresso and also great in a flat white, my milk coffee of choice and has been Q graded at 90. You can also buy Jebena Specialty Coffee online and they are also currently available at Cafe Rider.

Colour and Coffee Colour plays a big part in the coffee life cycle. Coffee beans start their lives as coffee cherries which should be picked when the sugars have developed. The cherries are usually red in colour and after drying and processing the coffee beans turn green. From green, they turn into varying shades of brown as they are roasted. The roasting process changes the moisture, oil and sugar levels in the beans and depending on the roast this can completely change the taste of the beans even if they are from the same batch.

Coffee Taster’s Flavour Wheel There is a Coffee Taster’s Flavour Wheel, which helps to describe the range of tastes and aromas experienced in a coffee. For the first time in its 21-year history, the flavour wheel was revised and launched by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (www.scaa.org), giving a colourful representation of the different flavour attributes of coffee.

#Travel

A Tale of Travellers...

Taking a year out from the rat-race to explore the world, former Dubai journalists Lucy Taylor and Joe Mortimer chart the highs and lows of life on the road, and travelling as a couple. This time from Nicaragua!

Sunset in San Juan del Sur

Nicaragua...

By Lucy Forbes Taylor www.lucytaylortravels.com

according to her

One of the best things about travelling is the constant surprise: the new activities, new foods and new cultures to be discovered each day.

Having said that, we do always try to learn a little bit about where we’re heading beforehand: so we’d conscientiously read up on Nicaragua and learnt that it’s the largest country in Central America, broke free of a crushing dictatorship with a 1970s revolution, and is seriously diverse – with hot, dry low-lands, temperate mountain regions and beautiful beaches along both coasts.

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But nothing could have prepared us for just how breath-taking this country is.

We arrived by bus into San Juan del Sur, a small town on the Pacific coast that’s become a popular traveller stop, thanks to its proximity to the Costa Rican border and incredible surf. With good waves come expat surfers and the inevitable trendy small businesses. Happily, they haven’t overpowered this quaint and colourful town, but instead integrated some fantastic little shops and restaurants into the laid-back coastal community.

It’s also home to the most spectacular sunsets, which we soon found are best viewed – cold drink in hand – from the terrace of one of the beach bars dotting the main

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bay, watching the curving headland turn black against a crimson-striped sky.

After a few days on the coast, we tore ourselves away and headed inland for a more historical experience: the great colonial city of Granada. Brightly painted, peppered with churches and redolent with history, Granada remains one of the country’s most important cities – and a stroll past the colonnaded buildings along the central plaza, to the buttercup-yellow Catedral de Granada will quickly show you why. This place is packed with historical landmarks, galleries showcasing pre-Colombian art and museums charting its

Catedral de Granada

dramatic history – from the Spanish invasion through to independence in 1821.

If you’re after an authentic memento, handmade hammocks are a local speciality. We loved the Tio Antonio workshop – a store that’s also a social project, training up blind and deaf residents to weave a variety of bright and beautiful creations, along with a tasty organic café alongside. Joe and I spent our evenings in the city’s small but vibrant centre: a pedestrian zone of bars and restaurants where mariachis serenade outside tables with swooning Spanish anthems, to a backing track of happy chatter and clinking glasses.

It’s the perfect introduction to the country’s colonial heritage and modern character – but eventually, it was time to leave the cobbled streets and soaring bell-towers to travel further inland, and experience some of Nicaragua’s natural beauty.

The colourful city of Granada

San Juan Del Sur

The view from the bell tower of Iglesia de la Merced

Volcan Concepcion on Isla Ometepe

Nicaragua...

By Joe Mortimer www.somewhereinthebetween.org

according to him Travelling long-term with a loved one is an incredible experience – a chance to spend quality time together without the daily pressures of work, deadlines and bills. But as we’ve said before, it only works if you can factor in some time apart, and that means two things: potential FOMA (fear of missing out) and nagging concern for the welfare of the absent other half.

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The island of Ometepe in the middle of Lake Nicaragua is home to two of them – Conception and Maderas – which burst through the surface of the lake millions of years ago, connected by a thin saddle of land.

Sunset opposite Kokua Hostel in Santa Teresa

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Perched on the lower slopes of Maderas Volcano, our hostel looked back across the isthmus to the towering cone of Conception – a majestic chimney that filled the foreground. We arrived just in time for a swim in the lake, while wild pigs roamed on the beach, before watching the sunset from a hammock.

Joe In the hammock after a long day

The pre-dawn hike up Maderas was a gruelling slog through farmland dotted with ancient pre-Colombian petroglyphs and dense cloud forest filled with monkeys, birds and snakes. A grassfringed lake filled the crater, and tropical birds swooped through the treetops – an oasis after an arduous climb.

The following morning I gave in to the protestations of my aching limbs and hired a motorcycle, concluding that driving around the other volcano would be just as good as climbing it. Lucy sensibly elected to spend the day at the beach with the pigs, which was wise because I soon got lost down a rocky track, stalled the bike and couldn’t get it started again for 30 infuriating minutes. I arrived back at the hotel just before sunset, exhausted.

Spending time apart means you’re only responsible for yourself (or, you only have yourself to blame), and while that means more opportunity to take risks, it also means there’s no one there to watch your back.

While I recovered from my ordeal in a hammock at the hostel, covered in mud and dust from the road, I looked forward to the next leg of the journey. In the Corn Islands there would be no volcanoes or roads, just tropical beaches and plenty of time to explore the underwater world of coral reef and tropical fish.

Scuba, like travel in general, means that for best results, you need a buddy with you at all times.

Joe and his trusty motorcycle

Black volcanic sand beach of Ometepe

#Travel

Glastonbury: breathing in life with a high energy vibration!

Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset United Kingdom infamously known for its music festival. Exotic, hippie, bohochic, quaint and odd, Glastonbury holds you tight and breathes intoxicating life into you.

The prospect of visiting all the 7 earth’s chakra points in the world is an exciting prospect and quite a dream for me. And to chase this dream, visiting Glastonbury, where in lay the heart chakra of the world, seemed the most doable for me due to the relative ease of travel as compared to the other earth chakra points like Lake Titicaca Peru and the Machu Picchu or Mt. Kailas in the Tibetan Himalayan Mountains.

By Tanuka Gupta Soullight Tanuka on Facebook

Glastonbury was a meandering way from the Heathrow airport and as I got off the bus I immediately knew that this quirky place wouldn’t disappoint me. The town seemed familiar and I felt very much at home. No, there was nothing ordinary about this place – yet everything seemed homely. From the ancient ruins of Glastonbury Abbey to Merlin’s magic, from the sacred water well to the Holy Grail, Glastonbury had a different vibration. All the shops lining the street were unique, selling tarot cards, gemstones,

essential oils, magic and organic products and other items related to metaphysical.

Another fascinating aspect of Glastonbury was the variety of wellbeing and spiritual workshops that were available on a daily basis. A sample of such an event was “Sensual Awakening: A Tantalizing Taste of Tantra”, a daylong event to take a journey through the chakras and experience a taste of sensation of flavours, colours and textures with

Being a vegetarian I was a bit worried about finding a place to suit my needs. But I was surprised to discover that Glastonbury was far ahead of its times in its understanding of the subject of vegetarianism or veganism and it had a plethora of organic, vegan and allergy sensitive eateries with elaborate and exciting menus to choose from.

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the carefully chakra attuned food prepared by Chef Greg Manning. The purpose was to learn to achieve healing through wholesome organic high vibration food. Greg Manning is trained as a Rebirthing practitioner, energy healer, shamanic healer, clinical nutritionist, and yoga teacher. He trained as a gourmet raw chef with Chad Sarno in 2005 and has been working with food ever since. His passion is creating healthy and healing community spaces and works towards this through innovative events and retreats. He is also the Co-Manager of the recently opened Excalibur, the ethical vegan raw-food cafĂŠ in Glastonbury High Street, which serves sustainable and locally sourced food. Focusing on vegan food, the team also specialise in "raw foods" that also use cutting edge food to create a fine dining fare.

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Chakras...

colours & meanings

Chakras are circular or flower shaped spinning energy centers located throughout your body that influence and reflect your physical health as well as your mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. There are seven main chakras that begin with the root, or base, chakra at the base of the spine, ascending in a column to the crown chakra at the top of the head. Each chakra is associated with a particular color along with certain functions. All of your chakras must be open and clear in order to achieve optimum health and balance. Open chakras allow energy to flow cleanly and easily, resulting in an increase in energy and awareness along with arousing your natural intuitive abilities. When chakras are out of balance, certain physical, mental and emotional symptoms will be pronounced.

1. The RED Root Chakra Located at the base of the tailbone the root chakra depicts our connection to Earth and ushers in life force into the body. It governs our feelings related to survival, vitality and passion. No wonder the colour of passion is visualized as red! Our response to survival of fight or flight in an emergency situation is guided by this chakra.

Do you now know why the emergency sign is always in red? A healthy root chakra helps us to be courageous and secure in our needs. In India red tilaks or red paints are drawn vertically on the forehead to indicate honour, victory and courage.

2. The ORANGE Sacral Chakra The second chakra is located below the navel and governs emotional body and physical and emotional feelings and senses. It is the center of sensuality, emotion and pleasure. The colour orange impacts sexuality, reproductive function, joy, desire and even creativity, compassion for others. When your second chakra is balanced, you love life, feel generally optimistic and happy and take healthy satisfaction in sensual experiences. The colour orange stimulates the emotional body including the appetite. Often creative people are found to be food lovers, chefs, highly sexual and passionate beings and love combining their passion with creativity. It is good idea to keep orange flowers or colour a wall of your study/bedroom orange to stimulate creativity.

3. The YELLOW Solar Plexus Chakra The third chakra is located at about the level of your belly button where your gut is. This is the seat of personal power, focus, decision, volition and will power.

The colour of power is often depicted as bright yellow, the colour of the sun. When this chakra is balanced, a person feels confident, decisive, focused and committed to their path. Many motivational speakers use the third chakra to inspire people. The colour yellow encourages people to mobilize their energy and 'Do something positive'!

Do you know why taxis are yellow in colour ? A 1915 research showed it is the easiest colour to spot from a distance. Yellow exudes power of a leader from a

distance and thus Gold is often associated with royalties in certain cultures around the world.

4. The GREEN Heart Chakra Located at the center of your heart it connects you to the vibrations of love, security, kindness and compassion. It is the seat of the soul and the center of love in your consciousness. Love is patient, calm, generous and kind. It is accepting of oneself and others.

The colour of healing love is associated with green and one of the theories behind medical professionals wearing green scrubs is that it is easier on the eye and helps in dealing with stress of medical emergencies.

Green is the colour flowing abundance and we all know what a green traffic light indicates. It is the colour of balance, life and progress and is considered sacred in many religions. The heart chakra is the balancing gateway between the first three lower chakras and last three higher chakras.

5. The BLUE Throat Chakra It is located at the level of the throat and helps us to express our opinions authentically, to be honest with others or listen deeply to what others are saying. It is the seat of our true voice. Blue is also the colour of stability, peace, depth and calm. Interestingly colour blue is used to promote cleaning products as it gives the impression of being clean and honest like water.

However, we are wary of ingesting blue products and we restrict the intake till our throat as in mouthwash or toothpaste. Blue also destroys appetite and should not be part of colour scheme in an eating place unless you are planning to lose weight!

6. The INDIGO Brow/Third Eye Chakra The sixth chakra is located at the level of your eyebrows in the center of your forehead vibrating the color of a deep indigo blue sky. This chakra governs imagination, bright ideas, visualization and the psychic awareness called clairvoyance. It is the colour of the night symbolizing that it is in the dark of night do we experience deepening of wisdom and heightened spiritual awareness.

7. The Crown Chakra has the colour violet/purple The seventh chakra is located at the highest point in your body at the crown of your head, and is known as your crown chakra. This chakra governs the consciousness of spiritual awakening, inner wisdom and enlightenment. Think of the title of the book Colour Purple and its significance and you will understand the message of this chakra. The title refers to a moment when a character says "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it," It is the colour denoting connections and signs

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#CulturalTravel

Brij Bhumi: drenched in the colours of love!

Images By Jayati Saha www.jayatisaha.com

A widow smeared in colour sits on the ground and rests after the holi celebration as organized by Sulabh International

It was spring and I was headed for an official meeting in Gurgaon on a Thursday. Just as I communicated this to my better half Ronita earlier in the week, she jumped on the idea and suggested we take a day off and do a trip to Delhi and Agra, sans the kids. We grew up in Kolkata and was now settled in Bangalore for more than 10 years. Though I have been to Agra a few times in my childhood and on official meets – this was the first for Ronita.

Story By Dibyendu Majumdar

The widows at a home in Vrindavan dance and sing while celebrating holi, as organized by Sulab International

,, The Nandgaon boys drench the Barsana boys in coloured water and coloured powder at the temple in Nandgaon

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Some experiences like these cannot be photographed and, for some hours, we left our digital world behind and soaked up in the purest human spirits of love, romance and devotion.

As we landed in the morning of Thursday at the Delhi Airport, Ronita was met by one of her school friends who took the liberty to show her all the do’s for a day trip and we agreed to meet at the hotel for dinner. While I finished the official dos for the day, I was surprised to know that she had covered the Qutab Minar, Lotus Temple, drives arounds Rajpath with time to pose in front of India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Secretariat and the Parliament. The high point was taking some amazing photos of the Jama Masjid and doing the round of Chandni Chowk’s streets in a rickshaw and stopping for Biryani at the Karim’s. Her travel shoes were not done till she had finished seeing the Red Fort in the evening. A rather uneventful day for me but a great start to discover Delhi for the first time by Ronita. I realized that she had her “avid traveller” shoes on.

In the madness to rush to book the holidays, we forgot that the Taj in Agra is closed on Fridays (it’s still a Mausoleum and Friday prayers are still held in one the masjids adjoining

A widow with her staff at the widow home, smeared with colour

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#CulturalTravel

Pilgrims in an euphoric trance at the Banke Bihari temple, Mathura

Pilgrims visit the temple at Nandgaon to have a darshan of Lord Krishna and Radha

...continued

the Taj). I thought of spending time in Agra Fort and Sikandra to kill time on Friday and realized that it was the Holi weekend. I had forgotten Holi as a festival after moving from Kolkata to Bangalore a decade ago.

I knew that Holi will be exciting in North India with its joyful celebration, laden with vibrant colours. Ronita’s indomitable spirit was evident and she suggested why not drive through Vrindavan and Mathura on our way to Agra.

I had some rusty memories of Vrindavan during our family trip when I was a 9-year-old. We stayed a couple of nights in a large ancestral home of one of our relatives, next to Kesi Ghat overlooking the Yamuna river. I remembered that we visited many temples, rich with history and tradition, and travelled around in tongas, rickshaws and walking barefooted. The diet for those days was rich with some mouth-watering sweets like rabdi, kheer and the quintessential peda.

A little boy looks in wonder and is overwhelmed by the holi celebration in Vrindavan

A man enjoys the Huranga Holi at the Dauji Temple, Mathura

Men drench the women with coloured water, as a part of the custom, during the holi celebration of Huranga Holi at Dauji Temple, Mathura

We started early in the morning from Gurgaon and took NH2 (part of the original Grand Trunk Road running between Kabul and Kolkata and is supposed one of the oldest and longest roads in Asia before the Yamuna expressway was commissioned) to reach Vrindavan a few hours later. Vrindavan is where Lord Krishna spent his early childhood and Mathura was where he was born.

The entire region where he lived is what folklore calls Brajbhumi. Vrindavan claims to have a few thousand temples rich with history and the notable ones are Madan Mohan, Govindaji, Rangaji, Banke Bihariji. As we entered Vrindavan in our car, the whole town was in festive mode and the dusty roads were covered in the colours of Holi.

While we reached Vrindavan around 10am, we knew the temple timings are quite strict and some temples close around 11am and late afternoon. We were running against time and the driver suggested we do the Banke Bihariji temple and he said he would take the car close to the temple. Vrindavan can be seen by walking or a rickshaw nowadays and most temples are not approachable by automobiles as these are narrow old lanes in a timeless, old and spiritual city. What followed in the next few hours was an experience of lifetime. As we started walking, people were celebrating Holi and throwing colours at passers-by in the narrow streets.

Strangers were inviting you, as friend, and were putting coloured powder (called gulal) on your head or smearing

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#CulturalTravel

A large group of women gather at the Dauji temple, Mathura to be a part of the Huranga Holi

The world renowned Lathmar holi being played in the lanes of Barsana village, Mathura

A widow looks unhappy with all the colour smeared on her while the other widow emerges from the dark wanting to be a part of the celebration

...continued your face. Unlike our fears, no one was doing anything that was intrusive. Tourists, devotees and residents were soaking the spirit of Holi and in the land from which it was born.

The temple is almost 150 years old. Interestingly there are curtains in front of the richly decorated deity. After the main prayers, the curtains are drawn apart to give ‘darshan’ (viewing) to a long line of devotees. The curtain before the Deities is not left open like at other temples but every few minutes it is pulled shut and then opened again. During Holi, as the curtain are drawn apart, the devotees sing the devotional songs and hymns and throw colours at the God . In the temple, small boys take the 4 corners of the sanctum sanctorum and spray “rang” (colours mixed with water) with spray guns. As we walked into the temple to have a glimpse of the god, you just saw devotees with hands folded, chanting Holi songs, throwing gulal in the air and the ‘rang’ sprayed on clothes.

This was truly an unforgettable experience for city born adults like us and the sheer joy and happiness through devotional interplay was the first of its kind in our lives.

We got out of the temple and thought to see one more temple close to Banke Bihari temple and my recollection is that it was Shri Gopinathji temple. We were getting in when temple darshan was closing and we walked into the courtyard and the white marble was covered in red “rang” and as we waited for darshan, we saw that we were standing in red water and our feet had completely turned red.

After we enjoyed experiencing the riot of colours in Vrindavan we headed to Mathura 14 kms away. Lunch was vegetarian with a generous overdose of calories of Lassi, Peda and Rasmalai. As we drove along, my childhood memories of Tonga were replaced by blazing diesel powered auto rickshaws. We went onto to see the birth place of Lord Krishna with the coexistence of both religions Hinduism and Islam being practiced side by side.

A beautiful experience to see the place where he was born and then ended our trip in Agra after a long walk in Agra Fort later in the evening.

Brij or Brijbhoomi is a region around Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, India, where Lord Krishna is said to have spent his childhood and adolescence.

We eventually did the Taj the next day and did the essential photo op with my beloved wife. The few hours in Vrindavan were no less exhilarating and wish to do the same someday in future with the liberty to soak up its spirits for a week in Holi. Planned or unplanned, one can never be prepared for the overwhelming experience that a trip to Brij Bhumi entails!

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#SpecialFeature

Mishti Mishti... sweet flavours

'Noborotno' - a traditional 9 course Bengali menu in collaboration with Chef Atul Kochhar's signarure restaurant Rang Mahal in JW Marriott Marquis, had been a very special event in my culinary journey so far. It not only sparked off many emotions because the menu showcased the regional cuisine from Bengal that is quite often neglected in the popular representation of Indian cuisine, but also because the execution of the menu - in authenticity of taste and presentation, not only satisfied a few staunch Bengali tastebuds but also the non-Indian taste palatte. I can take credit for none of these, as Chef Amrish Sood, an Atul Kochhar protege and at the helm of the Rang Mahal kitchen, took total control and created a culinary journey beyond ordinary, an experience that is not unexpected from Rang Mahal!

s r u o l o c #

from Bengal!

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

I come from Bengal and like every other Bengali, I too feel that the copyright for 'Mishti' or Indian sweets ‘belong’ solely to the Bengalis. You will find many famous Indian sweet shops outside Bengal with a ‘Bengali Sweet’ Counter, even in Dubai – for example, in Bikanerwala, Chappan Bhog, Gangaur and others. Sweets are a necessary signoff for a traditional Bengali meal. A meal ends with a Chutney (a sweet, tangy paste that can be made with every conceivable fruit and even vegetables) which is a casual initiation into a sweet episode promised after a formal meal. After the Chutney comes the formal dessert tasting where the choices in Mishti can be elaborate and never ending. While 'Roshôgolla' or the Rasgulla rules

the popularity charts, the one dessert that comes a close second is definitely the 'Mishti Doi' or sweet yoghurt. The traditional preparation of Mishti Doi calls for an elaborate process – caramelising the milk with sugar or 'Notun Gur', the season fresh jaggery. The thickened milk is then let to ferment overnight in a container which has been coated with fresh yoghurt, which helps in the culture. An earthen pot allows gradual evaporation of water through its pores and provides the right temperature for the yoghurt to set in. The other very traditional home-made dessert is 'Pati Shapta' - rice pancake rolls with a coconut-jaggery filling and can be broadly categorised under the art of making 'Pithe', an art which is prbably dying right now as traditional

The media guests for Nobortno dinner (seated fromt the left side of the table): Anindita Chatterjee of ARN News, Dev Haldar of Burp & Belch, Keith Prosser, Sally Prosser of My Custard Pie, Jasmine Pereira of Pear Tree Diaries, Debbie Rogers of Coffee Cakes & Running and Deputy Editor of FoodeMag dxb, Samantha Wood of Foodiva, Michelle Loxton of Dubai Eye 103.8 FM and her guest. Chef Atul Kochhar at the helm of the table led the evening by explaining the intricacies of Bengali cuisine.

,, Back in the Rang Mahal kitchen with Chef Amrish Sood of Rang Mahal Dubai, Chef Atul Kochhar, Ishita B Saha, Sebastian Nohse (Director of Culinary) and Steven Peter (Executive Sous Chef) of JW Marriott Marquis Dubai

,,

Preference for desserts, by and large, is probably an acquired taste. This is where Mishti Doi wins hands down over other Indian desserts.

The texture and the taste resembles the crème brûlée or the pudding or the dulce de leche!

home cooks are gradually resorting to sweet shops. This is specially true for most elaborate sweet delicacies that once the Bengali grandmothers, mothers and aunties would lovingly make on special occasions that had the capacity to tie up family threads and celebrations - some being cultural like heralding of the harvesting season, while others had been festive or for personal celebrations.

This is where 'Mishti Mishti', tugging in flavours from a variety of Bengali sweets, wins hands down over all experiments on Indian sweets that I have come across. A hand full of nostalgic 'Mihidana' crumbles, slices from Pati Shapta, scoops of Mishti Doi in different flavours... this colourful and modern rendition of Bengali 'Mishti' created by the Rang Mahal kitchen is a delicious contribution to Bengali sweets and one that can transcend beyond the Bengal borders into the international fine dining territory.

A spoonful of approval from the Michelin Chef Atul Kochhar himself definitely acts as a fine catalyst!

Traditional pineapple chutney served as sorbets

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#SpecialFeature

Doing Dubai Differently: how green is my desert?

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.com

We left the hustle and bustle of Dubai behind us recently to visit an Open Day at Organic Oasis. Located just a ten minute drive away from Midriff City Centre (which actually felt like we were hours away), we spent a few hours in this family-operated farm learning about methods of organic farming methods, walked through the irrigated farmland cum desert enriching ourselves with the knowledge of vegetables and herbs and how challenging it is to grow

them in a desert environment. It is interesting to note here that Sheikha Al Muhairy, a local entrepreneur and owner of Organic Oasis is the first lady farmer in the UAE. Next time you are thinking of doing Dubai differently, we suggest – bring the little ones along to fill up your jute bags with fresh farm produce in a real farm – it is just a 10 minutes drive away!

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