Edition 9, October 2015

DUBAI’S FIRST FOOD & TRAVEL E-MAGAZINE ISSUE 9, OCT-NOV 2015

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Edition 9, Oct-Nov 2015

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We are welcoming spices into our lives to breathe in some freshness!

Rise when you Fall... Hello Autumn!

We are obsessed with Autumn. However, with this October-November edition, the FEM team has tried to rise above the stereotypes - fallen leaves (I know, we did put a maple leaf in our cover last Autumn, but we have grown up since) and orange pumpkins.

Instead, we welcome spices into our lives to breathe in some freshness!

As always, the pages are sewn with utmost care - whether you are looking for beautiful Kabab recipes (we said already - hello spices!), Diwali 'mithais', special lunch box ideas for kids - its all there. Jason Atherton, Tom Aikens and Darren Velvick deliciously grace our Dubai Dining pages. Also, a special roundup from the founder of a #veggiebuzzing website - we do love our greens! Our travel stories come all the way from Panama this time while our staycation features a popular hotel right here in the middle of the city.

Do keep us in your journeys and hashtag us (#foodemagdxb) in your food and travel inspirations. Also hoping that this edition of Food e Mag dxb will bring in a lot of fresh inspiration. Before you flip through and we catch up on social media further, we would have reached the festive chaos involving the December issue. Until then!

Ishita B Saha Editor & Co-Founder T/FB/Instagram: @ishitaunblogged editor@foodemagdxb.com www.ishitaunblogged.com Debbie Rogers Travel & Features Editor FB/Instagram: @coffeecakesandrunning T: @bettyboodubai www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

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 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.

Prior permission for all editorial content and images have been obtained from contributors and featured sources. Images sourced from authors for respective articles unless it has been mentioned.

[Cover picture credit: Debbie Rogers]

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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.me

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 implies 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.blogspot.ae

Our contributors in this issue:

Debbie Steedman www.therealgeordiearmani. com

Ritu Chaturvedi www.fussfreecookingblog. wordpress.com

Sumati Menda www.veggiebuzz.com

Lucy Forbes Taylor www.lucytaylortravels.com

Joe Mortimer www.somewhereinthebetween.org

Special Travel

Columnists

5

CONTENTS

Food Sourcing

10 16

Cooking with Kids

Recipes - Snack box ideas

Spices

Dubai Dining

6

Cook Book

28 34

Chef Interview - Jason Atherton

Recipe - Saffron Pistachio Milk

20 24

Recipes - Kebab Special

Ingredient... Saffron

38

Dessert Recipes

Dubai Dining

Tom Aikens & Pots, Pans And Boards Darren Velvick & The Croft

40 44

Chai

Travel

Coffee

54 58

Blogger in Focus

Special Roundup

46 48

A tale of two Travellers: Panama

Dubai Dining

Staycation

65

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

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#FoodSourcing

EXPAT TRAVEL...

honey what is in your suitcase?

By Sally Prosser www.mycustardpie.com

Unpacking my suitcase after my annual break in the UK this year I mourned the fact that I hadn’t had time to buy any British cheese. One constant when returning from my homeland is to bring some special items for my larder especially the ones that are hard to get in Dubai. I asked around to see if I was alone in this and it turns out that many people bring back a taste of home.

Three avid expat foodies also shared insider info on where to obtain their national staples and treats here in Dubai.

Carry on Cheese The list of essentials that I used to pack into my suitcase has dwindled to practically nothing, as all is available in Dubai – apart from cheese. We even have a Waitrose here! Really excellent unpasteurised Cheddar such as Keens, Montgomery or Westcombe; soft, fresh cheese like Vulscombe and an unusual blue such as Beenleigh, Harbourne or Devon Blue. Real vanilla extract is difficult to get due to its alcohol content as is real almond essence (the fake synthetic versions are awful) and I bring Vitamin C powder for baking. This year I brought a jar of homemade marmalade made by a friend and some Dartmoor honey.

I’ve also become an expert on the way to pack wine bottles in your case to avoid breakage.

Rundstykker or Danish breakfast rolls and wienerbrød or Danish pastry

Danish Delicacies Sanne, from Copenhagen, better known as blogger alter ego Mitzie Mee, has a yearning for all sorts of Danish delights including skyr. This is actually an Icelandic sour dairy product, but it is extremely popular in Denmark, and Mitzie has it for breakfast everyday, whenever she’s there.

The rundstykker (Danish breakfast rolls) and wienerbrød (Danish pastry) are amongst the things she misses the most, she says. “You usually eat rundstykker on weekends, and some people (especially the oler generation) would have a small glass of bitter (alcohol) such as Gammel Dansk or Nordsøolie to go with it. You eat the rundstykker with butter, cheese or jam and afterwards, you have your favourite piece of wienerbrød (Danish pastry is called wienerbrød, which means bread from Vienna). There are lots of bakeries in Dubai but none of them sell the Danish pastry classics such as the Spandauer (the one with custard or jam in the middle), Snegl (means “snail” in Danish. It looks like a cinnamon bun, just better) and the Hanekam (cockscomb).”

Think you can find rye bread in Dubai? Forget it, according to Mitzie the German vacuum-packed ones just don’t do it. “I’ve tried making my own too, but I haven’t managed to find whole rye kernels here. Besides, you’ll also need a good sourdough, and despite my good intentions, I still

haven’t got it right. In Denmark, most people have open rye bread sandwiches for lunch. The taste is slightly sour and the bread is heavy and packed with kernels. It will leave you full for hours.”

In Copenhagen, there are hotdog stands on every corner of the city, so in Dubai she misses being able to just pop out on the street for “a traditional bright red Danish sausage” served with remoulade, mustard, fried onions and ketchup on top all washed down with Cocio (Danish chocolate milk). She also admits to an addition to salty salmiak liquorice.

Given the number of Danes living in Dubai, Mitzie says it’s surprisingly difficult to find specific Danish food items in Dubai and there aren’t any Danish restaurants either.

“The closest you’ll get is the cafeteria in Ikea. Though I guess the Danes, coming from such a small nation, are just used to adapting and getting along with what’s available”!

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...#FoodSourcing

This is a take on the Danish smørrebrød, a creation of Mitzie's sister!

...Danish Delicacies continued Mitzie’s suitcase stash includes sovsekulør (gravy colouring), Piratos (salty liquorice), bread mix for Danish rye bread (just add water), fried onions (to put on top of Danish hotdogs), remoulade (“the Danish version is very yellow and chunky, and we’ll eat it on top of everything”) and Læsø (gourmet salt from a small Danish island).

Pork is a staple in Danish cuisine and although it can be found in the special pork sections of some supermarkets, the cuts are different from those needed to cook traditional Danish food.

During December, around Christmas, there’s an increased demand for pickled herring with the Swedish brand Abba is quite similar to the Danish herring brands, although it’s expensive here in Dubai. Mitzie’s tip is to buy it at Ikea (together with a big bag of their pick-and-mix salty liquorice candy).

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Nigerian Nosh “I miss everything!” was Gbemi Giwa of Dubai Fit Foodie blog when asked which foods she longed for from her homeland of Nigeria. “I miss the way our home grown scotch bonnet peppers taste, they add an indescribable heat to dishes that is super satisfying. I miss the meat, ask any Nigerian who lives in the UAE and they’ll tell you chicken and beef here tastes bland in comparison to the cuts we get back home. I miss suya, a popular Northern Nigerian street food that is mostly sold at night; it is almost like the shawarma culture here. If I could only ever have meat in prepared in one way, it would be roasted over an open flame and doused with chilli, kilishi (dried peanut paste), and suya spices. Garnished with freshly cut onions, suya is the ultimate treat. I miss yam, my favourite African root which can be very flexibly prepared but my favourite way is having it pounded into a mash served with efo (a spinach sauce). I could go on and on but I’m starting to

have hunger pangs.”

If Gbemi ever travels back from Nigeria within her luggage weight allowance I’d be surprised. “If I’m to be honest, I pack everything. I even bring back Indomie (a brand of instant noodles). Call me biased, but the Nigerian version is just better and, just so you know Nigerian Indomie with suya (a spicy kebab) is a match made in heaven.

Snails are a touch and go food subject for most, but I absolute love them. It’s a nightmare trying to find decently sized snails in Dubai so I often bring them myself. I also carry palm oil as a lot of Nigerian recipes demand it. If I’m really missing home some efo made with palm oil and pounded yam is the best remedy.”

Tempted by these descriptions? You can find most of these items in African food stores in Deira, although Gbemi says the prices “would leave your eyebrows hanging for weeks”. NUAE.org – Nigerians in the UAE has a directory on where to buy Nigerian food in the UAE. Gbemi’s tip is to visit a new website called Mamfoodhub. com that sells Nigerian food items at affordable prices with home delivery.

Think you can find rye bread in Dubai? Forget it, according to Mitzee the German vacuum-packed ones just don’t do it.

A Taste of Bengal When I asked Ishita Saha, who hails from Bengal in India, which foods and ingredients she misses the most, she answered without hesitation – street food. “Kolkata has a thriving street food culture not limited to an enormous array of Bengali savouries and chats but also Indianised Chinese, South Indian dosas, idlies, Tibetan momos, and even shawarmas and pizzas. Practically every street in Kolkata has a sweet shop too. Each neighbourhood has its famous food stalls – and they are, as the locals say ‘world famous in Kolkata’!”

In her suitcase, she brings back local popular brands of spices or cooking ingredients that aren’t available in Dubai – for example Jharna ghee or Kashundi – a very strong pungent mustard paste. In addition, she packs mouth fresheners (like they serve in Indian restaurants at the end of the meal), traditional pots and pans, seasonal fresh vegetables and sweets!

Sally says: all is available in Dubai – apart from cheese.

Mitzie Mee writes about food, travel and fashion on www.mitziemee.com; Gbemi Giwa blogs about food, fitness, life in Dubai, Nigerian culture and more on www. dubaifitfoodie.com; Ishita B Saha is Editor of FoodEMag and blogs at www.ishitaunblogged.com

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...#FoodSourcing Like me, Ishita can find most things in Dubai that she needs and goes to Adil supermarkets for spices, biscuits and instant noodles made in India. Traditional Bengali fish is readily available in Bangladeshi shops in Backet in Sharjah – frozen and pre packed (in Thailand!) In Dubai you can find it in Mefroz in Karama and Deira fish market also sells frozen Bengali fish in the Bangladeshi shops. The parents coming from Kolkata vouch for the freshness of these products and believe they taste even fresher than back home.

What about you? Are you the kind who brings fried fish and drippy sauces in your suitcase when you return from your home country?

Season fresh Potol or Parval travelling in Ishita's suitcases.

The popular brand in Ghee 'Jharna' and Kasundhi packed carefully inside the case.

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#Ingredient101

Saffron

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

Saffron has its own enigma, probably because of the high price tag attached to it and also because of its vibrant and strong colour. Specially when one is living in the Middle East, this beautiful spice becomes a part of the regular culinary vocabulary as Za’atar and Sumac.

Its versatility lies in the fact that it can blend into so many different kind of dishes – starting from beverages to elaborate main courses – be it is rice or meat dishes and finally becoming an inseparable ingredient for a lot of popular desserts. Enjoy!

Sunshine Spice...

It takes 150 crocus flowers to yield just 1gm of aromatic and colourful saffron. Popularly referred to as the sunshine spice, saffron is made by harvesting the stigmas from the crocus flower. Due to it’s delicate nature the stigmas are hand picked, air-dried and it’s no wonder then that saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, even more expensive then gold – gram for gram! Saffron has many uses ranging from medicinal, religious, cosmetic and last but not the least culinary.

Widely used in Persian, Indian, European, Arab and Turkish cuisines, saffron contributes to the yelloworange colouring, a unique aroma and a floral delicate taste to dishes. Some describe this floral and delicate quality as a metallic honey taste or grassy and sweet. Popular Saffron dishes, many of which are considered as delicacies, include Risotto from Italy, Paella from Spain, Bouillabaisse from France, Biryani and several desserts from the subcontinent as well as many Middle Eastern dishes. In India, saffron is an indispensable ingredient in many recipes including rice, sweets and ice creams providing both colour and a distinctive flavour to many dishes and features in many traditional festive dishes. A common ingredient in Saudi Coffee also known as Al-Qahwa, Saffron is sometimes mixed with other spices to give it a beautiful golden hue.

Saffron is graded and priced according to its strength and colour, Sargol being the most expensive variety – 100% red in colour, followed by Pushall, which is red/ orange in colour, and finally Konge which is yellow in colour and has the lowest grade, strength and colour.

16

Recipe & Image:Image: Ritu Chaturvedi Debbie Rogers

Image: Ishita B Saha

Tips for buying saffron • • • •

It should be aromatic and floral and red in colour.

Always purchase from reputable buyer.

Buy in small quantities as little goes a long way.

Finally, expect to pay a premium price for premium saffron

Cooking with saffron •

Don’t over use it as it has a very strong taste which can be overpowering.

• Never throw saffron threads whole into your cooking: 1. Crush saffron threads lightly, then soak in hot water for several minutes prior to use to help release the beneficial components and release the beautiful colour 2. or grind the threads in a pestle & mortar

•

Store unused saffron in an air tight container to retain its taste and properties.

SAFFRON PISTACHIO MILK Ingredients Serves 4 glasses 1 liter milk 20 almonds, blanched and sliced 20 pistachio, sliced 1 tsp saffron strands, soaked in warm milk 100 gm sugar or as per taste 1 tsp cardamom Powder For Garnish - rose petals*

Method • •

•

Boil the milk on the low heat.

Add sliced nuts and boil till it reduces by ¾. Keep stirring and add sugar, saffron and cardamom powder.

Simmer for 10-12 minutes more and cool. Garnish with rose petals and serve.

FEM tip *Rose petals are easy to find in regular supermarkets. We also suggest serving in clay glass to infuse some ethnicity.

These are to be found in Asian supermarkets namely Adil in Dubai.

Recipe & Image: Ritu Chaturvedi

#Ingredient101

Saffron continued...

Images: Ishita B Saha

In the Middle East, saffron is widely available and can be found in the spice souks through to the supermarkets.

However, one has to be very careful in order to avoid buying fake saffron. Ishita B Saha, our Editor hits her favourite part of the town – Al Fahidi Historical District. She visits the Royal Saffron Herbs, whose original shop is in Deira spice market and is almost 65 years.

Here, she not only comes across a moisturizing lotion that the local women use, which is created by mixing saffron with other herbs and milk but also gets to sniff the most expensive saffron in the world – priced at Dhs 8,000/kg!

Sargol Saffron, the most expensive Saffron

Moisturing lotion made with Saffron used by local women

19

#CookingWithKids

Fun & Festivity...

Eid, Durga Pooja, Halloween, Diwali, Christmas and more. I am talking about the last four months of this year.

I love the second half of the year one that is dotted with festivals! Doing up the house, making edible gifts for loved ones, having friends and family over and of course sending my little girl to school with special lunch box are all part of each of these days.

By Prachi Grover www.orangekitchens.blogspot.ae

Join me and my little chefling Sara where she helps me put together a Halloween and a Diwali snack box for school.

the season has just begun!

A Spook-tacular snack box for Halloween Ingredients For mini pumpkin bites: 1-2 slices of cheese of your choice ¼ cup of pumpkin puree ½ tsp paprika ¼ tsp cinnamon powder (optional but we like the hint of fall it imparts to the sandwich) salt A slice of whole wheat bread 1 tsp butter

Rest of the snack box: 4-5 yellow baby tomatoes edible black pen 1 boiled egg A handful of pumpkin seeds To finish: black and/or orange napkins Halloween theme toothpicks

Method

,,

Growing up in India we did not observe Halloween. Things are a little different for Sara.

Like many expatriate kids, she is growing up in a country where she is blessed to have friends from mixed cultures and nationalities.

She also gets to observe and learn from different festivals and occasions. So here’s to pumpkins, ghosts, witches’ hats and the most important of all – Trick or Treat!

20

,,

To make mini pumpkin bites: • Preheat the oven to 180º C. • In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, paprika, cinnamon and salt to taste.

• Cut out bread “pumpkins” using a pumpkin cookie cutter. I got four tiny “pumpkins”. Repeat the same with the cheese slice.

• Butter one side of each of the pieces of bread and toast them in the oven butter side down for about 30 seconds.

• Take a bread pumpkin (butter side down) followed by a cheese, pumpkin puree, another cheese pumpkin and finally another bread pumpkin, butter side up. Repeat for the next mini pumpkin bite.

• Grill for 5 minutes, flip and grill for 5 more minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

To put together the rest of the box: • Draw spooky faces on the yellow baby tomatoes with an edible food marker.

• Do the same for the boiled egg.

• Finish with a handful of pumpkin seeds. Goes perfectly with the theme and they are super healthy!

• Add the paper napkins and some tooth picks before you pack her/him to school.

Fun & Festivity... continued

,,

#CookingWithKids

Diwali always evokes beautiful and cherished memories of childhood and home (especially now that we are far away from both home and loved ones). Clay Diyas, mithais, strings of marigolds and mango leaves, rangolis, torans and more. Join Sara and I as we make a traditional and sparkling snack box. Sparkle everyone in school this Diwali!

,,

Images: Prachi Grover

A Firecracker of a snack box for Diwali Ingredients For the meetha pura: 10 gms whole wheat flour 10 gms of regular sugar ¼ tsp fennel seeds ¼ tsp of cardamom powder 40 ml of milk oil for frying Rest of the snack box: A slice or two of a plum and a strawberry (or a fruit of your choice) 2-3 sev puris or mathris and a chutney of your choice (we used tamarind) Salty pretzels sticks/ bread sticks and some chocolate sauce/nutella A handful of dry fruits To Finish: Silver Mithi Saunf (sweet fennel seeds) Tooth picks of your choice

Method To make mini pumpkin bites: • Preheat the oven to 180º C. • In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, paprika, cinnamon and salt to taste.

• Cut out bread “pumpkins” using a pumpkin cookie cutter. I got four tiny “pumpkins”. Repeat the same with the cheese slice.

• Butter one side of each of the pieces of bread and toast them in the oven butter side down for about 30 seconds.

• Take a bread pumpkin (butter side down) followed by a cheese pumpkin, pumpkin puree, another cheese pumpkin and finally another bread pumpkin, butter side up. Repeat for the next mini pumpkin bite.

• Grill for 5 minutes, flip and grill for 5 more minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

To put together the rest of the box: • Draw spooky faces on the yellow baby tomatoes with an edible food marker.

23

#CookBook

Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food

By Debbie Steedman www.therealgeordiearmani.com

,,

,,

I am on a mission to take ordinary - even everyday - dishes and make them extraordinary. I want to show you how to make robust, delicious, interesting, good-looking dishes that people can't wait to eat.

I first came across the affable big guy when he appeared on Saturday Kitchen, James Martin's weekly food round up which has been running every Saturday morning for as long as I can remember. Tom's warmth and gentleness comes across in bounds. it wasn't long before I was seeing him on more and more shows. He did a stint on Great British Menu as as competitor, later appearing as a judge. His passion for proper hearty food is what lead to his pub, The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, the first pub ever to be awarded not one but two Michelin stars less than a year after it opened.

Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food was published in 2013 and was promptly added to my collection of cookery books.

I like to read a cookery book from cover to cover; even enjoying the section about essential equipment needed in the kitchen. The book is spilt into 7 sections and takes care of everything – starting from breakfasts to puddings and kitchen basics such as gravies, stocks and sauces. There is an amazing recipe, tried and tested for proper baked beans on soda bread toast.

Tom loves to take a classic and make it his own; the eggy bread with chocolate and orange sauce being a perfect example of this. In the soups and salads section we see interesting dishes like chicken liver and French bean salad in a shallot and white wine reduction. In the starters and snacks section, there is a recipe, which I think was written for my friend and fellow food blogger, Sally Prosser who blogs at www.mycustardpie - gin-cured salmon with buttermilk pancakes.

The main courses are split into two sections, proper fish and proper meat. The smoked haddock fishcakes with fried egg and cheese sauce, which I made just last week, turned out to be amazing. Moving onto proper meats, the mouthwatering treacle cured beef and roast potatoes with Yorkshire puddings promises to be the star of any dinner party. Another dish to whet the appetite is the slow-roasted duck with braised lettuce and potato pancakes.

It is clear to see while reading through all his recipes that there is an emphasis on slow cooking - meats are all slow roasted and everything that is cured or soaked is done over time.

Proper desserts deliver exactly what it says on the label, ‘Proper Desserts’! Simple dishes like chocolate and coffee Image: © Regula Ysewijn

24

mousse sit comfortably alongside spiced orange cake with plum sauce and Christmas pudding ice cream. At the end of the book in the basics sections there is a variety of recipes for basic gravies, stocks and sauces that are used throughout the book.

It just leaves me to say if you haven't got a copy of Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food, then its time to get one! As one of my friend declares: "As much as I hate Tom Kerridge’s use of the word “Lush”, it really does sum up a visit to The Hand and Flowers.

It’s a pub…but not as we know it. It’s two-Michelin starred…but unlike any other Michelin restaurant." Another friend quips in: “Kerridge successfully manages to marry simple pub ambiance – preferring plain wooden tables over white table cloths, for example – with downright fabulous food, all underpinned by great, unobtrusive, service. There are no dud choices on the menu (and between us we’ve pretty much tried them all!), but the signature triple cooked chips are a must! "

These are the other favourite cookbooks on our virtual shelf.

Which cook book have you been sniffing up lately?

#Recipes

s e c i p s

#

‘cinnamon’

spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods.

‘bay leaf’

aromatic leaves of several plants used in cooking.

These include: Bay laurel.

Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance.

‘black pepper’

a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. When dried, the fruit is known as a peppercorn.

‘aniseed’

a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor has similarities with some other spices, such as star anise, fennel, and licorice.

* All data from the web

Kabab Recipes brought to you by

‘turmeric’ ‘clove’

aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice.

a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae.

#kababs

#Kababs

Achari Fish Tikka Preparation Time: 45mins Marinating Time: minimum 1 to 2 hours Cooking Time: 10 to 15mins Serves 4

Method

Ingredients

• •

600 gm fish fillets (white fish with a firm white flesh) 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp fennel seeds ½ tsp onion seeds 1 tsp fenugreek seeds ½ tsp black salt 1 tbsp red chilli powder 1 tsp garam masala powder 1 tsp tandoori masala powder 1 cup curd (yogurt) 1 tbsp mustard oil 1 tsp butter 1 tsp salt to taste mixed pickle (lemon & mango)

28

• •

• • • • • •

Marinate fish fillets with lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and salt in a bowl.

Heat a pan and roast mustard seeds, onion seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seed. Let it cool and then crush into powder in a blender.

Add this powder along with black salt and beaten curd to the fish fillets.

Sprinkle red chilli, garam masala and tandoori masala powder on it. Mix well and leave it for 40 minutes in the fridge.

Meanwhile, heat mustard oil in a pan to the point of smoking. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool a little.

Grease a baking dish with butter and place the fish and the marinade in it.

Pour the heated mustard oil on top of this and grill the fish under a hot grill for 10 to 15 minutes.

Keep turning the Achari fish tikka pieces to make sure all sides are equally cooked.

Give it sitting time of about 5 minutes.

Serve Achari fish tikka with chopped onion and tomatoes and a few slit green chillies.

Kabab Recipes brought to you by

Malai Tikka Preparation Time: 45 mins Marinating Time: 4 to 5 hours Cooking Time: approx 20 mins Serves 3

Method

Ingredients

•

600 gms boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces salt to taste 1 tsp white pepper powder ghee or butter for brushing on top chat masala for sprinkling on top 1 tbsp garlic & ginger paste 3 green chillies ¼ cup coriander leaves 2 tbsp fresh cream ½ cup grated hard cheese 2 tbsp curd (yogurt) 4 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) salt to taste

• •

• •

•

In a bowl mix together chicken with the salt and pepper and set this aside.

In a blender add the ginger & garlic paste, green chilli and coriander leaves and blend well to make a paste and then pour into a large bowl.

Add the cheese to the bowl and mix well then add the cream, curd and cornflour to make the marinade.

Pour the marinade over the chicken, mix well and leave this to marinate overnight in the fridge.

Remove the chicken an hour before you need it so it comes to room temp. Skewer the chicken on kebab skewers (metal or bamboo), place under a hot grill and grill for 8-10 minutes, turn the kebab over and grill for further 8 -10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

To Serve - brush with some melted ghee or butter and serve hot with a sprinkling of chat masala.

#Kababs

Rashmi Kabab Preparation Time: 45 mins Marinating Time: 4 to 5 hours Cooking Time : approx 20 mins Serves 3

Method

Ingredients

• •

600 gms of boneless chicken breast cut into small pieces 3 tbsp hard cheese 2 tbsp hung curd (yogurt) 4 tbsp single cream 2 tsp pepper 2 tsp cardamom powder couple of handfuls of chopped coriander leaves 4 green chillies 2 tsp ginger & garlic paste 2 tbsp corn flour salt to taste

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• •

Mix the chicken, pepper, cardamom, ginger & garlic paste together in a bowl, set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile grind the cheese, curd, coriander leaves, green chilli and cream till smooth (either in a morter and pestle or in a food processor).

Marinate the chicken with the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Skewer the chicken on kabab skewers (metal or bamboo), place under a hot grill and grill for 8-10 minutes, turn the kebab over and grill for further 8 -10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Kabab Recipes brought to you by

Gilafi Seek Kabab Preparation Time: 45 mins Marinating Time: 4 to 5 hours Cooking Time: approx 20 mins Serves 3

Ingredients

600 gms chicken mince 50 gms green chillies, chopped 5 gms ginger, chopped 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste salt to taste 50 gms onions, finely chopped 10 gms coriander, chopped 50 gms cheese, grated 10 gms capsicum, finely chopped 10 gms tomatoes, finely chopped To Garnish ½ tsp chaat masala lime wedges a few onion rings

Method •

• • • •

Mix together the chicken mince with half the chopped onions, ginger, green chillies, grated cheese, half the chopped coriander, ginger garlic paste and salt.

Shape them into kababs and thread them on to a skewer.

Press the rest of the chopped coriander, capsicum and tomato evenly onto the skewered kababs.

Grill for around 15 to 20 minutes turning frequently.

Remove from the grill. Sprinkle chaat masala and serve hot with onion rings and lime wedges.

#Kababs

Mutton Seek Kabab Preparation Time: 45 mins Marinating Time: 2 to 3 hours Cooking Time : approx 10-15 mins Serves 3

Ingredients

600 gm minced mutton (keema) 1 onion, thinly chopped 2 green chillies thinly chopped 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp cornflour 1/2 tsp red chilli powder white pepper powder, a pinch black pepper powder, a pinch 1/2 tsp turmeric powder red-orange food colour, a pinch 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tbsp garam masala powder 1 tbsp cashew nuts or almond 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder ajwain seeds or thyme, a pinch salt to taste chaat masala to sprinkle oil for greasing

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Method • • • •

•

•

Add all of the ingredients in a large bowl, mix thoroughly and knead just like a dough.

Cover the mixture and keep aside for 2-3 hours in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF on high heat. Soak the wooden skewers in the water for about 5 minutes and then grease them with little bit of oil.

Take a big portion or ball of the keema mixture and press around the skewer. Flatten the mixture to stick tightly around the skewer. Repeat with left over mince mixture on all the other skewers.

Place the skewers in hot oven and keep the oven on grill mode. Keep rotating them occasionally and bast either with butter or oil. When the kebab seems cooked then remove them from the skewers.

Sprinkle some chaat masala and serve immediately with coriander chutney and salad.

Kabab Recipes brought to you by

,,

Team FEM had a brilliant lunch recently at Twenty Five Degrees North. As much as we melted on our Kababs, our favourite pick is the 'Palak Patta Chaat' - the incredibly crispy deep fried spinach leaves bejewelled with the traditional chaat masalas and drizzled with the different sauces of yogurt, tamarind and jaggery!

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#Desserts

By Ritu Chaturvedi www.fussfreecookingblog.wordpress.com

Bastani Khas Pudding Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooling time: 2 hours approx

Method •

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

4 cups full cream milk 2 tbsp corn flour 1 ½ cups sugar 2 cups double cream 4 tbsp saffron syrup ½ tsp salt 1 tsp saffron strands, soaked in the warm milk ½ cup pistachios, slightly roasted & crushed gold leaf for garnishing - optional

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• • • •

• •

Heat the pan and add ½ cup sugar over medium high heat until it changes the golden color.

Remove from heat and add ½ cup cream & saffron syrup. Mix it and put the mixture back on the heat.

Cook it for 2-3 minutes. Cool and add salt.

Pour this syrup in the serving glasses.

Mix corn starch with ¼ cup cold milk, and keep aside. Boil the remaining milk and add the corn flour and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it become thick.

Add sugar and cream while stirring. Add soaked saffron and cool.

Once it cool completely pour it on the prepared glasses. Drizzle some syrup and top with sliced pistachio. Garnish with gold leaf and serve.

Jalebi with Matar Rabree Preparation time: 45 mins Cooking time: 20 mins

Method • •

Serves 10

•

Jalebi

•

For making 20 Jalebies

•

1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tbsp corn flour pinch of baking powder ½ cup sour curd 2 tbsp warm water ghee for frying almond & pistachio for garnish

• •

Ingredients

For sugar syrup 200 gm sugar 150 ml water 3-4 strand of saffron 1 tsp cardamom powder

•

Mix flour with corn flour and baking powder in the bowl.

Add sour curd and warm water in the flour to make batter. Mix nicely to make smooth batter, cover and keep aside for 1-2 hours.

For making sugar syrup: Mix sugar with water in the pan and heat on medium high heat.

Add cardamom powder and saffron strands in the sugar syrup.

Simmer for 5-6 minutes to make one thread consistency.

To make jalebies, take batter in the piping bag with plain nozzle.

Heat ghee in the frying pan, and press the icing bag lightly to make curls with batter or any desire shape, (like flower shape).

Make 4-5 at a time and fry from both sides until light brown.

Remove and soak in the sugar syrup for 5-7 minutes.

Repeat to finish the batter. Remove from sugar syrup and garnish with almond and pistachio.

Serve hot or cold with Matar Rabree.

Matar Rabree

Method

4 cups milk ¾ cup frozen peas, defrost 1 ½ tbsp ghee/clarified butter ¼ cup condensed milk ½ cup sugar 1 tsp cardamom powder sliced nuts

•

Ingredients

•

• •

Wipe the peas with kitchen towel and chopped roughly in the chopper.

Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan and add clarified butter add sliced nuts and roast slightly remove and add chopped peas, sauté till it release the aroma and light pink.

Add milk and cook for 20 minutes. Stir continuously and add condensed milk and sugar. Keep stirring till it slightly thick.

Add cardamom powder and remove from the heat. Cool and topped with roasted nuts.

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#Desserts

Chandrakala Doi Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooling time: 2 hours approx

Method •

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 cup hung yogurt 1 cup condensed milk 2 tbsp milk powder 4 tbsp pistachio, finely sliced 7-8 almonds, blanched and thinly sliced 1 tsp rose water 1 tsp saffron strands gold leaf, for garnishing - optional

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• • •

Mix Hung yogurt with condensed milk and milk powder in the mixing bowl.

Heat a steamer with water and rose water.

Add sliced nuts and saffron threads with mixed batter and set in the cylindrical molds. Steam this in a pre heated steamer for 12-14 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cool. Chill for 2 hours. Arrange in the serving plate and garnish with gold leaf.

#DubaiDining #ChefInterview

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

Chef Talk: Jason Atherton

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

How did the 'Social' legacy start?

The name stems from the very concept of the restaurant - its all about social dining. When we opened Pollen Street Social in London, I never envisaged in million years that I will be sitting here in 5 years time opening up my 18th restaurant. 'Social' the word, is the heart beat of what we do.

Dubai has waken up from it’s summer hibernation with the opening of a whole host of new restaurants.

In a short period of just a few weeks, we caught up with three of the biggest named launches and scored interviews with the Chefs behind the restaurants. Be social, make yourself comfortable in a croft and bring on the pots, pans and boards!

Jason Atherton and his chef patron Tristin Farmer

Dubai diners aren't very loyal, faced as they are with so many new restaurants all the time. What are your thoughts here?

We celebrated our daughter's birthday recently on a Saturday night in LPM. It was absolutely packed. The restaurant has been there for 5 years now and is still doing so well. If the food is great, available at a nice price point and keep people excited with the menu, offer excellent service, diners will come back to you - always. We try to make sure that we don't lose our focus and keep diners excited about something new happening either in the Social Room or in the menu.

How can you assure us that you will be hands-on when you are going to be a visiting chef?

I will be travelling to Dubai very often and I will always be involved with the kitchen as I am always cooking. I don't have too many TV shows, or attend every celebrity party that I am invited to and I am very busy doing what I do - I am a chef and I love being in the kitchen. And yes, I will be absolutely hands-on.

You have had associations with very big names Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Ferran Adria and others. Has that influenced your menu?

The menu is very personal to me. The only way you stand out as a chef is to have your own unique style and the way we present and match the plates together is very unique to me. When you become a carbon copy of places you have worked at or a concept that you have created inititally and try to transport the copy elsewhere, you will never stand out - the original is always the best. We did a mistake once and tried to do Pollen Street Singapore, now the name is

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‘Social dog’ duck & foie gras sausage, brioche & caramelized onions

changed, has got much more individuality and is much more successful. Lot of diners would complain that the restaurnat in Singapore isn't the same as in London. But that's not how it's meant to be. I don't roll out concepts, I don't carbon copy concepts. Marina Social in Dubai is unique to Dubai and the menu has been created keeping the Dubai diners in mind. Every menu I do is unique to that city.

How about the sourcing of your ingredients - do you plan to go local, organic with a lot of farms coming up ?

I plan to source 25% of the produce locally within the next twelve months. Tristin Farmer has been going to the local markets and getting to know the suppliers. I can't visit every single market or every single organic farm.

Also, organic is a very grey area and just by changing a few things here and there in the label can make a produce organic. True organic vegetables is a rare thing. For me, its all about getting great produce which will then decide the right menu. Then we can start looking at how we can fit in the local community and how we can make what we do more sustainable.

Your favourites from the menu:

The menu is still evolving and once we have already rolled out for some time, can we think of pinpointing favourites from the menu. All my 6 head chefs have come down from London, tweaking the menu with me to make sure that it is absolutely perfect. Tristin has an array of 8-10 dishes that are unique to Dubai - we are going to go down to the spice market, check out local produce, the fish market.

Tomato Burrata is our instagram dish! The Social dog (note: it's a no pork menu), the Tea & Toast are some of the fun dishes that I would recommend. www.marinasocialdubai.com

The FEM team attended the media preview of Marina Social. Jason seemed to be absolutely a hands-on chef, at the helm of his kitchen along with chef patronTristin Farmer (also formerly of Pollen Street Social and Maze). The contemporary menu designed for sharing draws inspiration mainly from the Mediterranean and is categorised into Munchies (4 courses), Hungry (6 courses) and Famished (8 courses). Our top pick? The quirky take on 'English Breakfast tea & toast’ with wild mushroom, bone marrow and relish!

#DubaiDining

New Openings: Pots, Pans & Boards

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me How long did it take to come up with the concept?

Eighteen months from concept through to design, using the designer I’ve used in the UK. This included sourcing and shipping out all of the pots and pans and boards you see within the restaurant.

What is the concept behind the menu? It’s a mixture of British, Mediterranean and French cusine with a Middle Eastern touch. The idea is to give a good balance of casual and family style with sharing dishes, pretty straight forward menus and good service. This comes from my childhood memories of family sharing meals. More and more people nowadays want the casual dining experience. However,

Tom Aikens in the kitchen

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I caught up with Tom Aitkens at a preview of Pots, Pans & Boards the latest opening in Tom’s growing restaurant portfolio. Launched within two weeks after Jason Atherton's Marina Social opening, Tom seemed relaxed and calm before the preview dinner.

only time will tell which are going to be popular dishes and what won’t be.

Have you dined enough in Dubai? Although I have done a fair bit of research, time constraints mean I have not been out and about too much with the exception of a visit to Ravi’s - a Dubai Institution!

How often will you be based in Dubai? Probably six times a year as the location fits in well with the restaurant I am planning to open in Hong Kong. So yes, I’ll be here regularly.

What is your favourites on the Menu? Hard to and quite tough to recommend, there are so many things you will want to eat!

THE FOOD What we loved: The Steak Tartar as an appetiser with a few twists to this classic dish making it taste very rich and decadent; Malt Braised Short Ribs for our mains (cooked for seventy hours, these were really tender) or the Rustic Roast Chicken which was packed full of flavour; and for the desserts our pick would be the Eton Mess - the good old British classic or the posh twist on Chelsea Buns baked in their own tins and drizzled generously with a salted dulce leche sauce - undoubtedly this had been sinfully divine!

THE VIBE: The open kitchen makes this a great place for a social, interactive dinner with a full view to the activities and drama inside the kitchen. The interior is quirky - think casual, eclectic, industrial and funky with pots and pans and boards (justifying the name of the restaurant in literal sense) everywhere. To top it all, the sea view and a lovely outdoor terrace definitely makes this walk to the far end of The Beach more than worth it! www.facebook.com/potspansandboards

{On Jason Atherton: “ We’re good friends, I went to his opening party!”} Interiors with pots and pans and boards strewn around... literally!

#DubaiDining

New Openings: The Croft

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com How did The Croft materialise? Marriott International's Project Canvas campaign which aims to encourage food and beverage entrepreneurs to create home-grown brands in the region, chose my proposals as one of the winninig projects. So with a budget of US$50,000 The Croft aims to offer delicious food created out of sourcing local organic products. It does aim to be a neighnorhood restaurant with a casual and a laid back atmosphere where loyal diners are repeatedly coming back to. My team here is supported by a lot of staff who were already with me at Table 9.

Is it difficult for you to make the shift from fine dining to casual? Casual dining is the only way to go. Right now, I am trying to teach my team how a perfect chip or a good roast potato should be tasting. I have the care as I have Darren Velvick and his restaurant manager Jane Nedanoski - partners in food crime!

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I managed to catch up with Darren Velvick twice - once for a casual chit chat and later over a seriously delicious meal at The Croft. 'British flabvour' seems to be in season now across Dubai's diningscape.

Darren’s own childhood upbringing in a rural country English village in Hampstead Norreys inspires this terrace restaurant with focus being home grown local produce.

grown up eating this. My mum did try very hard to home cook, made jams, grew patches of vegetables. However, my biggest influence was when at the age of 14, I got an after-school job and worked in a relatively high end gastro pub where - it was here that I got to taste a lot of things that I had never heard of while growing up in a middle lass family.

What is the USP of your menu? I am very conscientious of the fact that there are many diners who have food allergies. My son is gluten and dairy-intolerant, and not many places in Dubai give you an option to eat under such circumstances. Our menu can be tweaked and can offer a lot of options to such diners. I plan to work more on this in the future.

Images: FoodEMag dxb

THE FOOD What we loved: The simplicity of the menu and the emphasis on real taste, starting with the home made caramelised butter. We nibbled on Crispy Mushrooms with Jalapeno Salsa and Mini Fish Cakes with lime mayo and was soon followed by a Burrata & Tomato salad and Chicken Liver Pate accompanied by perfect homemade scones. While the a traditional Fish & Chips made with beer batter and rice flour (gluten free) kept me busy, the Desperate Dan Pie ordered by my companion is something that I would describe as comfort food at the very best. A cripsy crust (mum's crust as the menu describes) held together the most moist and juicy combo of beef tongue and braised cheek. Keep enough space for desserts as the portion size is over generous as was evident from our orders - namely Neat & Tidy, a creative platter of meringues, raspberries, elderflower with gin jelly and Peanut Choc-ice, a sinful concotion of chocolate wrapped around a peanut icecream and drizzled with salted caramel sauce.

THE VIBE: The decor is casual and bright and an early dinner promises a stunning sunset against the backdrop of Dubai Marina. The glass panels bring the outdoors in and Derreck plans to make a herb garden - literally living up to the name - The Croft!

The Desperate Dan Pie (above) and traditional Fish & Chips

www.thecroftdubai.com Bringing the outdoors in, through the wall to wall glass panels

Neat & Tidy

#DubaiDining

Special Roundup:

9 vegetarian Dubai dishes that will make you meat lovers go VEGGIE!

By Sumati Menda www.veggiebuzz.com

Goat Cheese with Tomatoes – Maison Mathis

To all you meat-lovers out there – going out to eat most probably involves a couple of veggie sides or an appetizer. After a few bites of each, the chances are you’ll be diving right back into the meat. We want to broaden your culinary horizons. And you know what, we think we can! After an extensive (and delicious) research, we present 9 dishes that will make you forget about the meat and go veggie instead!

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1. Mushroom Spaghetti – Catch In a seafood joint: Catch – yes, the seafood place. One might think they’ve got less than a handful of veggie dishes to satisfy vegetarians, but could they really have that one dish that’ll convert a seafood lover? Yes, there is – the Mushroom Spaghetti. It is so good that even the original restaurant in New York decided to add it to their menu after the Dubai based chef introduced it on the Dubai menu.

Tomato and Mozzarella Tortelli with Pesto and Truffle Oil – La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie

2. Truffle Pasta – La Petite Maison In the finest of fine dining: For mushroom and truffle lovers, the Truffle Pasta at La Petite Maison needs no introduction. Shaved truffle gives the dish a strong and sharp flavor, which is balanced out by the milder flavor of the creamy but light sauce. For those who aren’t fans of truffles, we guarantee that you will definitely be, by the time you finish this dish.

3. Italian Beef Tomato & Burrata – Jason Atherton’s Marina Social In a celebrity chef driven restaurant: A burrata dish probably doesn’t sound too exciting to a meat lover. After all, it’s a fairly standard starter. But the Burrata at Marina Social gets major points for its unique and creative presentation, and a taste that will have you coming back for more. It looks like a simple tomato has it has quite a few surprises inside in its burrata stuffing and drizzling of aged balsamic.

4. Tomato and Mozzarella Tortelli with Pesto and Truffle Oil – La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie In a super classy restaurant: La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie has lots of great veggie dishes that meat eaters will fall in love with. But if you really want to try something unique, order the Tomato and Mozzarella Tortelli. Before you jump to the conclusion that it is just a pasta dish, read on… The bite-sized envelopes of perfectly cooked pasta are stuffed

Black Truffle and Fontina Pizza – JG Kitchen

with a delicious herbed mix of semi-dried tomatoes and just a right touch of mozzarella. Top that off with drizzles of pesto and truffle oil, you will be hooked from the first bite.

5. Black Truffle and Fontina Pizza – JG Kitchen in Four Seasons Resort In a casual chic (fine dining) cafe: The Black Truffle and Fontina Pizza at JG Kitchen is one of many dishes that highlight the culinary genius of master chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The sharp truffle pairs beautifully with the earthy flavor of the cheese, and the bitter frisée leaves sprinkled on top adds an additional layer of flavor to the dish.

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#DubaiDining

Veggie Burger – The Counter at The Beach in JBR

6. Veggie Burger – The Counter at The Beach in JBR In a casual (okay we admit, a slightly more than casual) burger joint: The Counter gives you lots of options to build your own burger. We recommend that you give the Vegan Veggie Patty a try. It‘s made with brown rice, herbs, various diced vegetables and dried cranberries, which makes it relatively healthy. The patty is best paired with either the Dijon Balsamic or Honey Dijon dressing. You wont miss the meat, and the best part is, you’ll feel much lighter than you would have otherwise!

7. Veggie Burger at The Cheesefactory Factory In a popular restaurant: We absolutely love the Veggie Burger at The Cheesecake Factory, an enormous patty made of brown rice, faro and chopped vegetables. It comes stacked with tomatoes, onions and cheese, and is simply delicious! If that seems like too much of a mouthful, you could always opt for the Skinnylicious version, which is easier to manage in one sitting.

salad of cherry tomatoes finished with almond crusted goat cheese. It’s got three different varieties of tomatoes to give it a little color and depth to the flavor. But the key ingredient that really ups the taste factor is the deliciously spiced almond and za’atar topping on the goats cheese.

9. Spinach, Chestnut and Date Gyōza with Wafu dressing – Zuma Last but not the least, in a legendary restaurant: Gyōzas are Japanese versions of dumplings and these dumplings have just the right amount of sweetness from the dates, which is nicely offset by the deliciously umami wafu dressing that is added generously to the plate. The dish is balanced out with a bit of spice from its garnish of dried chili and spring onion. ZUMA is known for its authentic but non-traditional take on Japanese food and these Date Gyōzas which were created specially during Ramadan earlier has now been added permanently to the menu.

Zuma shares its signature with us >>

8. Goat’s Cheese with Tomatoes – Maison Mathis In a good food restaurant: Get acquainted with the concept of ‘Belgian time’ at Maison Mathis, and have a taste of the

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Roundup continued...

Are you #veggiebuzzing?

Sumati Menda is the founder of VeggieBuzz.com, an online vegetarian user portal and blog that provides recipes, features and restaurant reviews from a vegetarian perspective (The Grassy Perspective ™)! It is targeted towards vegetarians, vegans, health enthusiasts, or anyone who enjoy vegetarian food once in a while! Launched on World Vegetarian Day (October 1st), users can browse through hundreds of restaurant listings and post their own veggie-focused reviews, recipes, ratings and images on the fun and quirky website!

Spinach, Chestnut & Date Gyōza with Wafu Dressing Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooling time: 30 minutes Serves 8

Ingredients

1 kg spinach 10 shallots, finely chopped 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped 500 gm water chestnuts, roughly chopped 150 ml rice vinegar ½ tsp table salt dates olive oil sesame oil Gyōza wrappers or Wonton wrappers, cut into rounds For Garnish fried leeks dried chili julienne spring onion, chopped 2 tbsp Wafu dressing* METHOD • Sauté the spinach with olive oil, shallot and garlic until soft.

Squeeze dry and roughly chop.

• Leave to cool then mix with vinegar, water chestnuts and salt.

• Place 1tbsp of spinach mix in the centre of the Gyōza wrappers, fold in and pleat the edges, adding ½ date to each Gyōza.

• Mix all garnish ingredients and keep aside.

• In a large frying pan with lid, heat a little oil over medium

•

•

•

high heat. Place the dumplings in the pan, pleated side up and cook for three minutes until browned on the bottom.

Pour in ¼ cup water – be careful, it will hiss and splatter – then drizzle ½ tsp sesame oil around the edge. Cover with the lid to trap in the moisture. Then lower the heat to keep the liquid at a bare simmer.

Cook for two minutes until the wrappers appear translucent and the Gyōzas feel firm. Remove the lid and cook until the water has evaporated and you hear a sizzling sound.

Garnish and serve hot, accompanied by the Wafu dressing.

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#DubaiDining

Chai

A good afternoon tea is a bit of a luxury, a ritual that is more holistic than habitual. Here is an afternoon tea experience that we simply loved.

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

Afternoon Tea at Rhodes W1, Grosvenor House If you are looking for a quintessential British afternoon tea experience, then this could be the perfect spot for you. Located in Grosvenor House, the elegant dining room of Rhodes W1, with views over the Dubai Marina and a beautiful outdoor terrace, it has a bit of an 'Alice in Wonderland' feel to it which is not only fun, but refined and elegant too.

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Served on delicate fine Wedgewood bone China plates designed by Chef Gary Rhodes himself, the menu is traditional British afternoon tea fair but served with a light touch. Miniature finger sandwiches are served along with and an elegant take on a moreish shepherds pie (serious suggestion to add these to the main menu as an appetiser please!). The savoury course is followed by dainty scones with clotted cream and jam, mini crumpets and an array of delicate cakes - all very light, tasty and full of childhood memories of Sunday afternoons spent at home. The elegant Eton Mess was a perfect accompaniment to the three tiered cake stand.

Clever fresh juice creations, TWG tea served with more beautiful china and dainty tea strainers, along with Lavazza coffee complete the afternoon tea offering, leaving us sufficiently full without being over fed - definitely a pleasant way to finish an afternoon.

Our verdict? It would be difficult to find a more British afternoon tea than this one, specially when it is under the helm of Chef Gary Rhodes!

The Afternoon Tea is served Wednesday to Saturday from 2:30pm to 5pm where you can choose from Classic Afternoon Tea or Laurent Perrier Afternoon Tea. www.rw1-dubai.com

#DubaiDining

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

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Coffee

Speciality coffee lovers rejoice! Dubai has a new third wave coffee shop simply called The Espresso Lab. Located within The Hundred Wellness Centre in Jumeirah, The Espresso Lab is the realisation of a long held dream by Founder Ibrahim Al Mallouhi, a passionate coffee lover and the first Emirati Barista.

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.

The Espresso Lab The Coffee: Single origin beans bought from six different producers with green coffee beans from (Mi-cro-lots).

The beans are roasted here in Dubai in small batches to produce an amazing single origin coffee with unique taste profiles. Espresso as you would expect, is at the heart of the menu, either served on its own or with milk served in three different combinations - essentially you get two shots of espresso then a quantity of milk 4oz, 6oz and 8 oz which makes your drink into the equivalent of a macchiato, cappuccino or latte. You can also get hot manually brewed coffee using Chemed/V60.

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The Signature Coffee: The Cold drip, infused for eight hours and the Gibraltar - 2 espressos with an equal amount of hot milk served in a glass named the Gibraltar glass!

The Buzz: Ibrahim and his team are passionate about coffee, from the specially filtered water through to the stone cubes (used to chill coffee without watering it down) with only one central focus - the coffee. Whilst spoons are provided, they are provided to test the quality of the crema and not for sugar (no sugar is served), and the only milk that is used is full fat. Watch out for the

lovely design features such as wooden inscribed menus and coffee boards through to the handmade leather aprons.

The Ambiance: Calm, relaxed, bright and sociable.

There’s a mix of customers including members of the Wellness Centre, people working at their laptops or those just dropping by for a good coffee. Inside, there are a few different seating areas, with the largest area being the large central table with views of the garden or the Baristas at work using a fully customised Synesso machines.

The Espresso Lab is located within The Hundred Wellness Centre, and there’s a real synergy between both businesses which compliment each other nicely. Asma Hilal Lootah, the award winning Owner and Founder of the Wellness Centre and Ibrahim Al Mallouhi have both established businesses that allow them to share their passion with others, and as we talked to both, we realised that their hearts and souls have been put into their business!

The Hundred Wellness Centre located in Jumeirah 1 and offers Pilates, Functional Training, Physiotherapy and Holistic treatments. www.thehundred.ae

#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 Panama!

Casco Viejo

Panama...

By Lucy Forbes Taylor www.lucytaylortravels.com

according to her

After several weeks in rural Peru, flying into Panama’s frenetic coastal capital was a severe shock to the system.

As our cab navigated crowded roads at breakneck speed, we silently gaped at the hustle and bustle of Panama City.

Thanks to the famous canal, this is Central America’s richest capital, and everywhere there are signs of wealth and investment: soaring skyscrapers, flash new hotels (including a Donald Trump property), and shiny shopping malls boasting luxury labels.

Looking at the skyline jutting out to sea, I reflected that it didn’t look all that different from Dubai’s cityscape.

However, we were delighted to discover there’s still a part of the city that encapsulates old Panama: Casco Viejo, a warren of winding streets and rickety colonial houses.

The neighbourhood has been gentrified in recent years, with a lot of careful restoration going on. Today, beautiful boutique hotels rub shoulders with peeling, ivy-covered

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apartments, where banners of laundry adorn rusting balconies; it’s a charmingly convivial combination.

Seeking more Panamanian flavour, we headed to the Mercado de Mariscos, or seafood market. This dock-side building is packed with fishmongers selling their wares, as well as small cafes serving fish just off the boats.

I have to admit, the smell nearly put me off: city drains combined with fish guts is not pleasant! But having found a table sufficiently far away from the drainage ditches, we were soon scoffing down the plumpest, freshest mahi mahi – alongside Panama’s trademark coconut rice and beans, fried plantains and lashings of hot chilli sauce.

Despite the delicious seafood, a couple of days in the big city were enough, and we quickly set off across country, to Boquete.

This lush region of forest and volcanoes is known for its coffee, because although Panama is only a very small producer on the world stage, the beans grown here are excellent.

Panama City dock

This was all music to the ears of coffee-lovers like ourselves and we immediately signed up for a tour of a local plantation, Finca Dos Jefes.

It was an extremely educational day, touring the organic farm and learning how coffee is planted, picked and eventually sold. I even got to try my hand at roasting the beans, and am pleased to report that nothing caught fire or broke during my stint as Chief Coffee Engineer.

Who knows – maybe when we finishing travelling, a small coffee plantation could be on the cards?

Watch this space!

Finca Dos Jefes coffee plantation

Mercado de Mariscos

A coffee plant in bloom

Learning how to roast coffee & Beans drying n the sun (left)

This Caribbean archipelago is full of paradise islands

Panama...

according to him

By Joe Mortimer www.somewhereinthebetween.org

"Welcome to Isla Bastimentos. Your room’s ready and we’re looking forward to having you stay with us. Oh, and there’s no electricity on the island right now, so no fans, no lights and no running water. I hope that’s not a problem?”

After a 5.30am start in Boquete, a three-hour drive and two boat rides, with the thermometer teetering somewhere in the high 30s, it certainly was a problem.

But you get used to problems when travelling for the long haul; and even Caribbean islands have their off-days.

Huddled off the northern coast of Panama, Bocas del Toro is a small collection of islands where Creole takes the places of Spanish in both language and cuisine.

Mainland Panama feels like a world away from the colourful boats, swaying palms and screeching macaws of Isla Bastimentos; more laid back and less developed than Isla Colón, the main island of the archipelago.

Friendly children in the local villages

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Here, there are no roads, just a concrete pathway that meanders past restaurants built on stilts, colourful schools teeming with bright-eyed children and the occasional guesthouse looking out over the water.

'Good Times' in Panama!

The macaw wake-up call

Hiccups when travelling are perhaps the most frequent cause of tension between couples, and this was no exception. But four months on the road has taught me that the best way to soothe an angry temper (both hers and mine) is through food, so we took our chances with a fish restaurant, where driftwood furniture sat on an overwater terrace and hammocks swung in the breeze.

Even if there was no power, at least the fish would be just off the boat, we thought. It was, and generous helpings of fresh grilled fish were washed down with liberal pourings of chilli sauce and icy drinks – we had found the only place on the island with a generator. Things were looking up.

After an afternoon trek to Red Frog Beach in search of the elusive amphibian for which it’s named, we waded back across the island through thick mud to discover the power had returned after a three-day hiatus –a relief, since we were both caked in grime.

Beautiful Isla Bastimentos

To celebrate, we returned to the same restaurant that night to enjoy more wonderful seafood. It was only mildly disappointing when, around 10pm, the power went again, and the island was plunged into darkness once more.

Our little overwater terrace was the only place with lights on Bastimentos, and it wasn’t long before other visitors began to arrive, drawn by the light and music like moths to a flame.

As many nights in the Caribbean do, ours ended in high spirits, with laughter, full bellies and new friends. Who needs electricity to have a good time?

The Bastimentos piers during sunset

#Staycation

The Royal Club Stay: eating around the world in 18 ways!

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com My criterion for choosing a hotel for our Staycation feature has always been that our stay has to be uber-luxurious, memorable and please don't forget - delicious! To be honest, Le MĂŠridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre normally wouldn't be my choice for a staycation - I mean what charm can be there in a city hotel right opposite the Dubai airport?

In that effect, checking into any of the city's five star hotels, not having to cook or doing your own bed, a few pampering in the spa and a dip in the pool could be a staycation material.

So checking into a hotel which I visit very regularly for work or occasional dining and then checking out two days later feeling that we had away for a while, does then become a staycation material. The enticing factors here had been the lure of a huge 52 sqm room with jacuzzi and coming with all The lounge at Royal Club wing

its perks (like private butler, canapes on demand, afternoon tea at its own special lounge etc) at the Royal Club wing of the hotel and the 18 restaurants serving different cuisines from around the world. The last factor naturally sealed the deal!

The Food 18 meals in 18 restaurants would obviously mean taking leave for a week, so we boiled down to a strict itinerary that took care of our top cuisine preferences. Starting with tasting the afternoon tea at the Royal Club lounge on the very day that we checked in (read fresh cream with delicious home made scones and sandwiches), we managed to visit Yalumba, Long Yin, Sukho Thai, Dubliners and Mahec. Sadly, we missed the very popular Terrace with it's al fresco dining as it was going to open only the week after.

The airport view isn't all that bad, specially if the roo is as luxurious as this one!

Yalumba

The stunning Dubai skyline from the roof top pool in the Royal Club wing

The dinner at Yalumba comprised of a standard buffet nothing really remarkable in the menu. We however, had a superb time. The music was lively and the Thursday cheer was definitely infectious. The diners here were clearly regulars and it seemed to be a popular venue for groups celebrating special occasions. These are great pointers for restaurants, specially in Dubai where hotels are launching restaurants by the dozens and revamping them daily.

What strikes out about Yalumba are the breakfast that we had on both the days of our stay. Vibrant sunshine filtering through the window panes and good hearty breakfasts - what else does one want waking up in a vacation morning? It has a tropical island feel in there and combined with warm staff, live cooking stations doling out all the things kids love - namely pancakes and waffles (and icecreams and a chocolate fountain!), fresh baked croissants and jam pastries, the lavish breakfast gets full marks from us. The Chef even offered to make 'puri-bhaji' the next day when he heard that I was craving for some, although it was nowhere in the menu.

For breakfast I have only one thing to say now... Yeah Yalumba!

The themed bubbly Friday Brunch seems to be a popular choice too and also offers a lunch buffet with Ă la carte options. Halloween, House of Horror is back on 30th October. www.yalumba-dubai.com Internationa Buffet at Yalumba

Breakfast at Yaluma

Images: Ishita B Saha

Staycation continued...

Lunch at Long Yin

Long Yin Long Yin is a showcase of traditional Cantonese & Schezwan at its very best, with again a lot of regular diners who have been visiting the restaurant for a long time. The highlight of our lunch was the Wasabi prawn from the Friday special Dim Sum lunch - Chef George Chee's signature dish here. The dedicated Dim Sum menu offers a mind-boggling varieties of 34 fried and steamed dim sums including a variety of sio mai.

We started with soups, choosing a scallop and crabmeat soup (spicy), and a seafood soup with asparagus, before going nose dive on to the Dim Sums. A barbecued Peking duck with pancake and hoi sin sauce followed soon after.

Dinner at Sukho Thai

Here, one can opt for the 'catch of the day' from the live fish tank, namely live Hammour, Australian Lobster and live crabs and have it prepared in the manner and sauce of one's choice - batter fried served with sweet and sour sauce or with black bean sauce; deep-fried with spring onion ginger sauce or with Szechuan chili sauce; sautĂŠed with spicy X.O. sauce or Singaporean chili sauce. For our Mains, we ordered a Szechuan styled sauteed lobster and 'Kong po style' stir-fried diced chicken accomapnied by 'Yong chow style' fried rice with chicken and shrimps.

Don't miss out on the Long Yin tiger Prawns promotion is on throughout the month of October! www.longyin-dubai.com

Sukho Thai The earliest memories of Sukho Thai that I have dates back to a decade back when we had first shifted to Dubai. I have very fond memories of this place and consider Sukho Thai as offering one of the best fine dining experiences in Dubai for Thai food.

Inspired from the Sukhothai period, the restaurant offers both Ă la carte and set menu options. We started with 'Khong Wang Sukhothai' - the Sukhothai appetizer selection comprising of chicken pandan, chicken dumpling, fish cake, chicken satay, prawn lemongrass and crabmeat. This is a great option for someone to sample taste from the elaborate menu.

Throughout the months of September and October, there is a Seabass Promotion going on where Chef Supachai has created a variety of dishes using Sea Bass in various cooking styles: grilled marinated whole Sea

Friday Brunch at Mahec

Lunch at Dubliners

Bass in Thai sauce; steamed whole Sea Bass with soya sauce, ginger, mushroom and spring onion; steamed whole Sea Bass in lime dressing; deep-fried whole Sea Bass in Sukhothai style; Tom Yum hot pot Sea Bass; and finally deep-fried whole Sea Bass topped with mango and Thai Herbs. We chose the steamed Sea Bass in lime dressing and it was absolutely sublime. This was followed by a 800 gm lobster cooked in Thai red sauce.

Again, a delicous creation, the spices adding the extra zest.

Apart from the Sea Bass promotion, the Clams and Mussels promotion is also on throughout October. www.sukhothai-dubai.comoptions.

Friday Brunch at Mahec This is one desi brunch that doesn’t hurt the wallet but overfills the tummy. The word Mahec means flavours and also forms the acronym – Modern Authentic Hindustani Evolved Cuisine. Definitely sounds good.

And tastes even better. Starting from a chaat counter and a live Pani Puri station perched on a traditional cart and finishing off with kulfis set in matkas, this is desi binging to the hilt! After the chaat session of Dahi Bhallas, Sev Puri, Papri Chaat comes the Starters –

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Staycation continued...

Lunch at Long Yin

Lobster in Thai red chilli sauce in Sukho Thai

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Afternoon Tea at the Royal Club Lounge

Steamed sea bass in lime dressing

Pub grub at Dubliners

Dubliners

Long Yin

The offerings at various outlets this season: • Casa Mia, the Italian outlet participates in the Italian World Cuisine Summit (26-30 October, 2015) with the presence of Chef Roberto Franzin (of Michelin Star fame) who owns La Taverna restaurant in Italy.

• Halloween Drunch in Warehouse 30th October • AL Fresco Dining is BACK at the Bistro’s, long Yin, Dubliner’s, Sukhothai, Casa Mia, Kiku and Seafood Market.

Walking into the Royal CLub Lounge

Mahec

Chicken Wings for lunch at Dubliners

Staycation continued...

Tandoori Cheese Brocolli, Hara Bhara Kabab, Chicken, Mutton Sheekhs and Botis. This was followed by an elaborate traditional North Indian tray brought to the table complete with Dal Makhni, different types of Naans, Dum Pakht Biryani, Butter Chicken (of course!), Amritsari fish and more. The higest starry dishes? The authentic momos – both steamed & pan fried, served with the tangy chilli sauce!

Dubliners We walked into Dubliners while a match from the Rugby world cup still in session and what an electrifying vibe this place had! With a glass ceiling overhead bringing the al fresco dining indoors alibi a more comfortable airconditioned set up, the atmosphere was laid back and filled with gaiety. We placed our orders and what we didn't anticpate was that the portion sizes were huge! The chicken wings served in wired baskets and the wooden park type benches lent a picnic feel to our lunch. The chicken caeser salad, the steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, the bangers and mash - think delicious comfort food

and big appetite. After sundown, the mood changes in Dubliners, so does if you choose to sit indoors in the bar lounge teh decor of which resembles a traditional Irish pub.

The Stay Draped in whites, 52 sqm Royal Club Rooms are the best and largest rooms in the property and the long walk from the property's old wings which housed some of the restaurants only helped in increasing our appetites. The real luxury comes in the form of a jacuzzi and a rainshower in the adjoining bathroom. Tea, coffee, and fresh juices are served throughout the day with complimentary cocktails and canapĂŠs from 6pm to 8pm. The rooftop swimming pool with inbuilt jacuzzi is the perfect sunset venue against the stunning Dubai skyline.

Anything that could have improved our staying experience?

Probably an access to an outdoor space - for example a private garden with the luxury of the Royal Cub rooms!

For more info: www.leroyalmeridien-dubai.com

A blanket of green in the older wing

The 52 sqm big luxurious Royal Club room

#BloggerInFocus: Gaganjeet Singh Sethi My aspiration is travelling around the world.

I have a dream to cover at least 40 countries before I turn 40. At the moment I have a YouTube show with a few friends called 'The Hunger Reels' but I would love to have a Travel and Food TV show of my own.

The essence of your blog and Youtube channel?

To give a honest feedback on the movies I watch, the food I try from various restaurants, cafes etc and my blog attempts to record all my memories which then I like sharing with the world.

Who helps you in making the videos?

Kevin Sebastian is the man with the camera. We became friends after meeting through Twitter. We have also had Kunal Bilakhia, Aditya Kakodkar and Shreyans Bodhankar as part of The Hunger Reels.

Top 3 favourite videos that you would like people to watch? How do you come up with the idea?

Season 1 Episode 8 - Late Night Shack Attack Season 2 Episode 2 - Ottimo Season 1 Episode 6 - Chaat Me Up I have always wanted to have a show of my own.

I used to follow a TV show called 'Highway on My Plate' and liked how the anchors had fun while eating and ended up doing something similar, but on a smaller scale.

How did it all start?

I spoke to Kevin about my idea and he brought Aditya along. Brainstorming was done and we all got on together really well and ended up shoot an episode the first time we met!

Twitter: @gaganjeet; Instagram: gaganjeet7; Snapchat - gaggy7; Youtube - The Hunger Reels; Facebook - The Hunger Reels, iThink www.gaganjeets.blogspot.ae

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Have a peep through the Festive Issue 2014:

DUBAI’S FIRST FOOD & TRAVEL E-MAGAZINE ISSUE 9, OCT-NOV 2015

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