Edition 6, February 2015

FOOD AND TRAVEL E-MAGAZINE BY BLOGGERS

A NewU

ISSUE 6, February 2015

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Introducing Zomato Cashless – the safe, wait-free way to pay at restaurants.

Save your card details on the Zomato app just once, and never wait for the bill again.

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Connect with us February 2015 www.foodemagdxb.com

A blog is like a garden - plants need to be nurtured, watered and shown love, every single day. And a good blog is like a treasure trove. We congratulate Sally Prosser, the winner of BBC Good Food ME ‘Best Blogger 2014’ Award and Prachi Grover for being selected as the super Ambassador of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Programme!

2015, you have just only begun!

Welcome to a brand new issue in a brand new year! I love the words - 'brand new'. It's devoid of all past baggages that chains one down. Editing a bi-monthly magazine doesn’t make life any easier - the moment an issue is published, that month and the next one seem to vanish in the air in a jiffy. And again, we find ourselves burning our midnight candles once again to give shape to the next issue and we love it.

2015 started, as if on a fast-forward mode. It’s increasingly hard to keep pace with new restaurant launches (typical of Dubai), and dining concepts (gourmet pop ups, themed social dining, celebrity associations), while trying to get accustomed to and accept the ever changing cityscape (today Safa Park isn’t there, tomorrow a new glitzy mall suddenly pops up around the corner). Currently, the Dubai Food Festival, much evolved since its first year, adds to the buzz, with its exciting lineups of food trucks, mystery dining tours and more.

We have been ‘walking up an appetite’ in our culinary travel section - around the world as well as in Dubai and Debbie, our Travel & Features Editor, shares her inspirational climb to Mt Kilimanjaro. However, back in the kitchen and on the dining table, it the ‘real food’ that is the hero. Do let us know what you think of our 6th issue (really?) and join us in our journey as we embrace the hashtag culture fiercely and trend #foodinspiration and #foodemagdxb - with a new vigour in the new year. 2015, you have just only begun!

Ishita B Saha Editor T/FB/Instagram: @ishitaunblogged editor@foodemagdxb.com www.ishitaunblogged.com Debbie Rogers Travel & Features Editor FB/Instagram: @coffeecakesandrunning T: @bettyboodubai www.coffeecakesandrunning.me Shubhang Bhattacharya Marketing-in-Charge foodemag@commqadv.ae Designed by Communique Advertising Mustafa Fahed Shehadah Designer-in-Charge www.communique-advertising.com

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 bloggers.

Note : Level 43 Skylounge is in 4 Point Sheraton Hotel on Sheikh [Cover picture credit: Noreen Wasti]

Zayed Road. We apologise for our mistake in the last issue.

N ew York-Sty le Brasserie ENJOY THE NEW YORK-STYLE CUISINE FEATURING DELICIOUS STEAKS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD FERVOR. TALK & SOUL BRUNCH IS AWARDED AS A BEST BRUNCH AT 2014 BBC GOOD FOOD MIDDLE EAST AWARDS.

FOR RESERVATIONS, CALL 04 449 8836.

The "Jumeirah Beach Residence 1" Tram Station is just a few steps away from the hotel ND

2 FLOOR - MÖVENPICK HOTEL JUMEIRAH BEACH

T: 04 449 8888 | www.moevenpick-hotels.com/dubai-jumeirah-beach Moevenpick.Hotel.Jumeirah

#MovenpickJBR

In the picture: Jungle Beach - Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

IAMSRILANKA HOLIDAYS, your tailor made holiday specialists in Sri Lanka.

Visit: www.iamsrilanka.com, Instagram: @iamsrilanka

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#MovenpickJBR

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 In her own words, Prachi’s 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:

Anja Schwerin www.anjasfood4thought.com

Dima Al Sharif www.dimasharif.com

Debbie Steedman www.therealgeordiearmani.com

Drina Cabral www.eaternalzest.com

Francesca Verrucci www.kitcheninthesand.blogspot.ae

Gbemi Giwa www.dubaifitfoodie.com

Jasmine Pereira www.peartreediaries.com

Kalyan Karmakar www.finelychopped.net

Noreen Wasti www.nonisplace.com

Radhina Almeida Coutinho www.platetrotter.weebly.com

Rupal Bhatikar www.foodienfabulous.com

Sarah Walton www.thehedonista.com

Shibaji Ghosh www.facebook.com/theootawalks

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CONTENTS

Table Porn

Cook books

Recipes

Salads / Soup / Pancakes

Dubai Dining

Food walk - Frying Pan Adventures

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8 10 14 16 18 22 30 32 36

Super Food

Cooking with kids

Recipe - Apple Loaf / Apple Oat Bars

Ingredient... Honey Inspired Recipe - Jam Tartlets

Dubai Dining Chef Interview

Dubai Dining

New Launches

Dubai Dining Valentine's Day Special

Dubai Dining Foodie Happenings

Coffee and Chai

Culinary Travel

Food Walks - Seville / Prague, Mumbai / Bangalore

Food Porn

38 42 46 48 50 52 56 58 63 66 67

Dubai Dining Healthy Eateries

Dubai Dining Chinese New Year

Dubai Dining Food Apps

Abu Dhabi Dining

Inspirational Travel Mt Kilimanjaro

Blogger in Focus

Note : Some of the articles and/or recipes in this edition may contain reference to alcohol. and pork.

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#FoodSourcing

Super Food

By Sally Prosser www.mycustardpie.com

So what is a superfood?

It’s a foodstuff that is attributed with more vitamins, minerals and other nourishing or health-promoting characteristics than other similar produce or products.

Described as nutrient-dense or benefit-rich, thus giving the most nutritional bang for every calorific buck. I’ll

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Quick tips about superfoods and where to find them in Dubai If your thoughts have turned to getting into shape, eating more healthily or changing your diet in this new year, ‘superfoods’ are likely to have appeared in your reading material or on your shopping list. While the word has entered our vocabulary and seems here to stay, what exactly are superfoods? Do they offer all the benefits that are claimed and which are the best places to get them in Dubai?

admit, I’m a bit sceptical as it’s a very handy marketing term for ‘big food’ to hang its hat on. Like most things it’s not a cut and dried term. Will some garden peas, fast frozen within minutes of being picked, be less ‘super’ than a bunch of kale that was picked three weeks ago and has been flown halfway round the world, after having kept in a cold storage? Does the potential harm that agrochemicals, used in non-organic produce, have on the body offset the extra superfoodiness of certain things? As with most food choices, there is always a trade off.

New things seem to join the list of superfoods every day but a few of the well-known ones:

Kale What is it? Kale is a type of dark green cabbage with smooth or crinkly leaves, strong straight stems and an intense flavour.

Wheatgrass What is it?

It’s grass from young wheat plants.

Claimed health benefits: Fans of wheatgrass believe that because chlorophyll and haemoglobin are similar in structure, taking wheatgrass juice benefits your blood condition. It contains A, C and B Vitamins.

Claimed health benefits: Where do I start? It’s high in fibre (good for digestion), very high in iron (good for blood), contains vitamins A and C and other anti-oxidant compounds which are said to have antioxidant, anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties. It’s higher in calcium per calorie than cow’s milk, so a good choice for vegans and for promoting bone density (helping to prevent osteoporosis).

How to eat it: Drink it freshly juiced as a shot or with other fruit or vegetables in a smoothie.

How to eat it: To cook, remove the tough stalk and ribs and shred the leaves. Boil in salted water for 2-5 minutes until just wilted or sauté in a little olive oil. Also good shredded in salads, blitzed in smoothies or oven-baked into kale chips.

People with digestive issues should avoid eating it raw.

Camu camu powder

Alternatives: Swiss chard, spinach, cabbage Where to get it: For organic kale that has been picked that morning (so packed full of vitamins), visit The Farmers’ Market on the Terrace on a Friday morning. You can also order from Greenheart and Ripe. Spinneys stock imported kale.

n super tha e r o m e r ds a some foo our favourites? k in h t u y Do yo hich are W ? r e h ot

Image and Text: Sally Prosser

Alternatives: Other green leafy vegetables Where to get it: The Farm House in Souk Al Manzil or from the Arabian Wheatgrass Company at the Ripe markets.

What is it? A supplement from a fruit that grows in the Amazon rainforest٫ Claimed health benefits: As it’s very high in Vitamin C some say it has anti-viral properties that can help with cold sores, herpes, shingles, and the common cold.

Alternatives: Fresh citrus fruits Where to get it: Be Supernatural sells camu camu powder and other supplements in the shop next to their Bestro restaurant in Lafayette Gourmet in Galeries Lafayette, Dubai Mall or you can order from Greenheart Organic online. Another good online service is Raw Bites (rawbites. ae). Organic Foods and Café sell supplements too.

h t l a e ial Hpec S

#TablePorn

By Noreen Wasti www.nonisplace.com

"There is something exciting about a new season and a new year. A new year comes with a blank slate and the constant resolutions to change the bad to the good.’ I have shared one of my favorite mantras “eat real food,” a phrase I plan to truly stand by in the new year."

"My new year / new-season table setting is all about bringing life back to the basics: rustic, no fuss, and a true reflection of my own life. That doesn’t mean throwing the food in some foil trays and calling it a night. Instead, get a little creative with everyday household items that will lend to a beautiful table.

A new year also means a healthier approach to eating. The cozy Christmas hot chocolates have transformed into neon green smoothies and herbal teas with the promise of adopting better habits."

Image and Text: Noreen Wasti

#CookingWithKids Food Revolution Story

By Prachi Grover www.orangekitchens.blogspot.ae

My little chefling and I often share our experiences on the blog, at workshops/demonstrations and of course, through this magazine. Over time it has helped us build a connection with other parents and children. I had been wanting to take a step forward and build a community here in Dubai (since both obesity and diabetes are rising at an alarming rate, particularly in the UAE).

Jamie Oliver believes that “we need to make sure that all our kids are given an opportunity to learn about food and good eating habits while they are still young, so that they’re sorted for life”. These thoughts have resonated with me as well. The work of Jamie Oliver and his Food Revolution Ambassadors across the globe inspires me. Last October, I took a pledge to volunteer and put all my energy towards instilling love for wholesome and nutritious food amongst children.

Food is an important part of the environment that one grows up in. Children who are involved in preparing food are more likely to try out new flavours, respect the food

Image and Text: Prachi Grover

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Food Revolution is a movement that allows people who love food to come together to share information, talent and resources to bring food skills to life. It is about connecting with the community, raising an awareness about the importance of good food and better food education by focusing on three simple actions; cook it, share it and live it.

that they eat and is interested in knowing where the food is coming from. In the process, they make lifelong happy memories. Being a part of the Food Revolution team has given me the opportunity to do the same.

Last month with the help of Dinnertime ME and others, we conducted our first workshop on Apples. The children learnt how apples grew, their benefits and tasted them through stories, songs and activities. The year will be full of many such workshops, demonstrations culminating to the big day - 15th of May, the Food Revolution Day, preparations for which have already begun.

The idea is to do this together and through the year I hope to connect with several parents, teachers, local businesses and restaurants, farmers’ markets, community groups and organizations, local newspapers, radio stations and magazines to spread the word around. I am confident that together we can make a difference in lives of our kids and bring about a Food Revolution at Dubai.

Apple Loaf This loaf makes for a great alternative to the regular bread sandwich that children often take to school. It has very little sugar so that the kids can slather these “slices of bread” with honey, their favorite jam or a chocolate spread and we as parents needn't worry about the sugar intake. I like it mine with cream cheese and a walnut pesto though.

Makes one large loaf or three mini loaves Ingredients 1/3 cup olive oil 1 cup buttermilk ½ cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract 2 ½ cups of whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon powder 2 medium apples

Method • • • • • •

Preheat the oven to 180° C. In a large bowl, beat olive oil, buttermilk, brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract, Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder and fold them all into the wet ingredients.

Chop the apples finely and fold them into the batter as well.

Grease the loaf tin/s and pour the batter into them. Bake for about 15 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy this apple bread with a drizzle of honey or mushy and sweetened cranberries like my little chefling does.

6 years... Congratulations to our little chefling!

Two apple recipes that hungry children will love. My little chefling certified. Both of these make a great addition to the lunch box and work very well as an after school snack.

Apple Oat Bars These soft apple oat bars are so much better than store bought granola bars. Not only do you know what is going in you can put them together in under ten minutes (far less than the time it will take you to walk down to your neighborhood store). Roll them into balls and serve them as “truffles” if your child doesn’t like the idea of eating a “health bar”.

Makes 4 bars Ingredients 1 apple 4 tbsp butter ½ cup brown sugar ¼ tsp cinnamon powder ¼ tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cups of quick cooking oats Parchment paper (or foil)

Instructions • • • •

Grate the apple and melt the butter on a low heat in a wide pan.

Add the grated apple, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, vanilla extract and bring it to a boil.

Lower the heat and add the oats. Let it simmer for about a minute.

Take it off the heat and spoon it on to the parchment paper.

Smoothen the edges and shape it into a rectangle. Let it cool a bit and cut them into four bars. These are soft bars so you can eat them immediately. Should your child like them a little chewy, refrigerate them for a bit and then serve.

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#CookBook

British Baking

By Debbie Steedman www.therealgeordiearmani.com

Debbie shares her thoughts on Paul Hollywood's British Baking... 'I have never written a book review before. However, this is not the first Paul Hollywood book that I have in my collection of recipe books, the majority of which are on baking as opposed to cooking. The first baking book I ever owned was The Bero Flour Home Recipe Book, which I still use it although many of the recipes seem somewhat outdated and basic. Fifty years ago, I suspect that every household in Britain had a Bero Book!

Paul Hollywood has published various books but I enjoyed this one the most. In British Baking, Paul explores seven regions of the United Kingdom, delving into their baking history and exploring ingredients from the past. The fivepage introduction to the book speaks about the history of baking and how ingredients we are familiar with today, were once substituted or not used at all in the past. Each region has its own baking secret and Paul has made it his mission to find them all.

The book starts in the Southwest with plenty of talk about scones with clotted cream and jam, and Cornish pasties. But have you ever head of a Sally Lunn? Me neither, and I find out that it's a kind of Brioche dating back to 1680! Moving onto the South and Southeast, there are recipes for Sussex Churdles and Osborne Pudding. In the Midlands, he explores Fidget Pies, Homity Pie and Bakewell Pudding, whilst further North, he talks about Denby Dale Pie, Stottie Cakes (my favourite) and Ripon Spice Cake.

• Other books by Paul Hollywood: Pies & Puds, Bread and How to Bake • Paul Hollywood is the co-host of Britain's hugely successful Great British Bake Off, a programme that has inspired many people to get back to baking, my husband included.

• The son of a baker, Paul is passionate about breaking down the myths of baking, showing that anyone, with the right guidance, can achieve success time after time.

• Paul has a great website with lots of tips, information on ingredients, equipment and techniques. We specially love the section on how to rectify mistakes! http://paulhollywood.com/

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Heading out of England, he then takes us to Wales, Ireland and Scotland with so much history and so many beautiful dishes that are part of our heritage. I particularly like the different breads from different regions of Britain - a Crusty Swansea from Wales, Soda Bread from Ireland and a Selkirk Bannock from Scotland. The journey continues - exploring, experimenting and sharing, and it comes as no wonder that Paul Hollywood is one of the nation's favourite Bakers.

British Baking is an easy-to-navigate book, very clear and precise with great photography and a lot of advise that will come handy when you try out the recipes yourself.

Full marks to Paul Hollywood's British Baking from me and Happy Baking!

Click here to see more on this book.

#booksonourshelf

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com Chef and author Greg Malouf, launched his latest book “New Feast: Modern Middle Eastern Vegetarian", co-written with ex-wife Lucy Malouf, in an intimate book launch at Cle Dubai recently. We had the pleasure of tasting some of the beautiful and delicious vegetarian food cooked from the book and also take home a signed copy from the man himself. Even on the day, he was busy in the kitchen... yes, we have seen him cook in the kitchen before and his passion to create culinary sensations is absolutely humbling. New Feast captures exactly that - with stunning photography and recipes that are comprehensible and doable in home kitchens. And we can’t get over the Labneh with Orange blossom and dainty vanilla shortbreads resembling camels. Gifted by Greg Malouf and Cle Dubai team.

Greg Malouf & Ishita b Saha

"Authentic Egyptian Cooking" by Nahal Leheta has been *CHOSEN AS BEST EGYPTIAN COOKBOOK IN THE GOURMAND WORLD BOOK AWARDS 2014*. Abou El Sid is one of Cairo’s most famous restaurants - twice chosen by Conde Nast Traveller as one of the top fifty new restaurants in the world, and four-time winner of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism Award for Excellence - it is well-known for its traditional Egyptian dishes. Amid the political upheaval in Cairo last year, they brought out their first cookbook, ‘Authentic Egyptian Cooking: From the Table of Abou El Sid’ with The American University of Cairo Press which is now being distributed by I.B.Tauris in the UK. The book presents more than 50 of the restaurant’s classic recipes, including traditional Molokhena, holiday dishes such as a fettah and an array of delicious appetizers like aubergine with garlic, special lentils, and tahina. Sent to us by I.B.Tauris.

We practically landed up for an impromptu Masala Chai session with celebrity chef Vineet Bhatia at his Indian fine dining restaurant - Indego at Grosvenor House, by stalking him on his Instagram feed! Result? A signed copy of Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen and a lot of foos discussion early in the morning! Rasoi is an accessible and inspiring book and Bhatia's passion and knowledge shine through on every page. Vineet shares more than 150 ground breaking recipes - traditional Indian recipes, but deconstructed to reflect a mixture of modernity and classicism that is so typical of Vineet. The chef himself says that the book may not be for the novice, but what binds the entire book are the play of nostalgia and childhood memories that has been the essence of recipe selection. Gifted by Vineet Bhatia and the team at Indego.

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#Ingredient101

Elixir of Life: Honey

I often describe Honey as ‘amber nectar’ or ‘black gold’. My earliest childhood memories include a glass of honey, lemon and hot water when we had a cold, and of being given a spoonful of honey after having to swallow a particularly nasty cough medicine to take away the bitter taste. My childhood memories always associated honey with being ill and recovery, but it needn't be that way there’s so much more to honey than that!

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

Honey The first records of honey go back to 8,000 years ago with its depiction in cave paintings in Spain. Historians make reference to it being used in Georgia where it was packed to help people’s journeys into the afterlife. In Ancient Egypt, it was used to sweeten cooking and was also used to embalm the dead, and as an offering to an Egyptian

Qur’an called an-Nahl (the Bee) where Prophet Mohammad strongly recommends honey for healing purposes and as a nutritious and healthy food.

What is Honey?

Honey is the nectar from the herbs and flowers that grow wild in the fields and woods. The benefits of hundreds of herbs are carried in the form of nectar in the stomach of the bee where it is subtly altered by the bee’s digestive enzymes in ways that even modern science has been unable to explain. This process creates new compounds before the honey is regurgitated in the hive, concentrated by evaporation, and stored in honeycomb.

The aroma, taste and colour of honey are determined by the plants from which the bees have gathered nectar.

Sunflowers, for example, give a golden yellow honey, clover gives a sweet white honey. Dark honey has a strong flavour and often has a high mineral content, while pale honey has a more delicate flavour.

Raw Honey Raw honey is one of nature’s richest super food sugar substitutes, containing over 80 different health-giving proponents. This unprocessed honey is pure, unfiltered and unheated, embodying the natural bouquet of flower pollination with a potent source of nutritional elements. All around the world, humans have for centuries, been using honey straight from the beehive.

fertility god. There has been spiritual and therapeutic usage in ancient India as well. Honey is also believed to have medicinal uses. In Hinduism, it is one of the five elixirs of immortality, while in the Jewish tradition, it is a symbol for New Year. Honey is referenced for it’s ability to provide sustenance in Buddhism and the Christian New Testament. In Islam, there is an entire chapter of the

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Raw honey is loaded with many essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamins A, C, D, E, K and all B-Complex Vitamins are all found in honey. It also contains many minerals.

Raw Yemeni Honey There are almost 12 of Yemeni honey produced, the most famous and expensive is from the Elb or Sidr tree - one of the trees mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. Semi nomadic beekeepers gather twice a year to collect Sidr honey in the

remote desert region of Hadramout in the South Arabian Peninsula.

Traditional beekeeping methods can still be seen in Yemen - use of small wood, cane or pottery hives with both stationary beekeeping, hives are placed in gardens or on house roofs.Nomadic beekeeping is also practised.The techniques of beekeeping and honey extraction have remained substantially the traditional ones, although modern methods have intrduced equipments.

Good Yemeni honey is so highly prized that it's possession is considered as a status symbol. Being offered Yemeni honey when entering a Yemini home means that you are truely an honoured guest!.

Honey has a low glycemic index so is great for energy release during sports.

Honey is used in beauty treatments and is a natural moisturiser.

Top Tip : To get the last drops of honey out of a honey jar, add a few slices of lemon to the jar, add boiling water and put the lid back on, Let the mixture sit for a while, shake gently and you have a perfect hot honey and lemon drink.

Images : Balqees Honey

By Dima Sharif www.dimasharif.com

Talking to the Honey Man! Some say childhood memories shape the people we become as adults. It certainly does for Riath Hamed, the founder of Balqees Honey. What I love the most about Balqees Honey, besides the fact that it is raw, untreated and natural, is the story of Riath. Childhood memories sparked a lifelong passion for honey - so strong - that it became Riath's mission to seek superior quality honey that is also eco friendly.

Riath’s story: “I first discovered my unbelievable love of honey when I was eight years old and my mum made a famous Yemeni dessert called Bint al Sahn (Yemeni Honey Cake). Layers of buttered pastry with bits of black seed on the top (black cumin seeds or sesame seeds) and a sprinkle of cinnamon - all baked in the oven. Once it comes out of the oven, it’s only served with honey.

I remember my mum pouring honey over the honey cake and the smell was unbelievable, the viscous honey dripping around the amazing buttery dessert. I remember dipping my hand in, and shoving it in my mouth. I vividly remember that from that day, I fell in love with honey!t” The lasting memory of tasting honey cake has been a passion that I’ve had since a kid and I finally realised when I hit my 40’s that I was driven by this 'honey' passion. When I came to Dubai, I found it difficult to get the amazing Yemeni Honey of my childhood. Here, it was presented in an ugly way, so I decided to do it myself to make it look good, and of course it had to taste amazing!

I love seeing people’s faces when they taste honey - its like they have never tried honey before! People say that we have redefined their tastes for honey, All of a sudden we seemed to have created honey snobs as they say 'Now that we’ve tried yours we don’t want to go anywhere else!'"

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#InspiredRecipe

Have you ever thought about using honey as a pie crust? We hadn’t until we saw this recipe. Francesca shares with us a recipe for Jam tartlets with spelt, honey and olive oil crust that is also suitable for vegans.

By Francesca Verrucci www.kitcheninthesand.blogspot.com

Jam Tartlets With Spelt, Honey and Olive Oil Crust Makes 6 tartlets (10 cm) or 1 tart - approx 22cms

Ingredients

190 gms whole-grain spelt flour 60 gms honey, runny (if it's too solid warm for 20 seconds in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water) 20 gms extra-virgin olive oil 25 gms corn germ oil (or other vegetable mild oil) 50 gms water 5 gms baking powder zest of 1 unwaxed organic orange (or lemon) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract pinch of sea salt 250 gms jam for filling (your favorite, ideally a homemade jam)

Method • • • • • • • • •

•

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In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve the honey in the water, then add, vanilla extract, orange zest and the two types of oil. Mix. Sift together the flour and baking powder; add it to the honey-oil mixture and mix.

Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge for at least one hour and up to 24 hours to rest.

Preheat the oven to 175°C. After the rest, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured counter top and rapidly work it with wet hands (if the dough is difficult to work, add more water, a few drops at a time).

Lightly oil 6 tartlet pan with corn germ or olive oil to prevent the tartlets from sticking (you can also make one tart of about 22 cm).

Roll out the pastry - very thin, about 4 mm, and use it to line the oiled pans; cut out the excess pastry using the back of a knife. Prick the base with a fork and spread the jam over the pastry.

Roll out the excess pastry, cut into nice shapes or strips and place them over the top of the tartlets.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top starts browning.

The wholegrain flour has a dark color, so it's not very easy to understand when the tartlets are done (at least the first time you make it); to avoid under or over-baking also check with your fingertips. The pastry should be firm and a bit crusty.

Remove from the oven and let completely cool in the pan before transferring to a serving plate.

#NextIssue... Camel Milk!

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

On a Saturday afternoon, the Food e Mag Dxb team visited Camelicious, home to almost 4200 camels.

Located not far from the Al Ain Road, the Camelicious site is peaceful and tranquil and is like a small oasis in the desert.

We started our tour in the immaculately clean milk processing unit, where each morning 6,000 litres of camel milk are processed - either as milk ready for drinking or as dried milk powder. The unit is quiet in the afternoon since the milk is processed in the morning.

Photos of clean machinery, are not that exciting although the output from the machines is, so we head out to the farm to meet some camels. It’s surprisingly quiet and peaceful even at the farm, as the camels are being milked quietly in the milking parlour or wandering around their pens in a calm and peaceful manner. It's the Zen effect at work!

We had been given special permission, so we ‘meet and greet’ a select group of camels, jokingly referred to as the ‘media friendly ones’. They line up eagerly when they see the carrots in our hand and they elegantly suck them up from our hands and munch them with gusto. Looking around, it's only camels that we can see. The guys are kept separate from the ladies here, and we’re told

that after milking, the camels are taken on a little walk around the site to get some exercise and to allow them to mix with other camels. They seem to be very sociable creatures and certainly these calm ladies don’t resemble the hissing/spitting ones that I’ve seen on holidays.

As we leave Camelicious, I can’t help feeling a little sad, I would like to have stayed longer and enjoyed the tranquility some more - and the thoughts that are fleeting my mind are Camelicious spa, Camel milk smoothies for breakfast, camel milk bath, a camel milk lotion massage …. mmmmm stop dreaming - I tell myself!

#Recipe Green Quinoa Salad with Pumpkin Seeds and Feta Serves 4

Ingredients 1 cup dry quinoa 2 cups water 1 ripe avocado 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 handful fresh basil leaves

Salt to taste Water as needed 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled 2 handful spinach leaves or lamb lettuce

Method •

•

• •

Rinse the quinoa in a strainer under running water. Combine quinoa with two cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Cook until quinoa has absorbed all liquid and can be fluffed with a fork, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, scrape out the avocado flesh and combine with olive oil, lemon juice basil leaves and salt in a food processor.

Blend until smooth. Add some water to reach desired consistency. It should be thick, but not too runny.

In a dry pan, roast the pumpkin seeds for a few minutes.

Shake the pan regularly to ensure even roasting. Set aside.

In a serving bowl, combine cooked quinoa and the avocado dressing. Add the roasted pumpkin seeds, leaving some aside to garnish. Mix until well combined. Fold in the spinach leaves/lamb lettuce. Sprinkle with feta cheese and leftover pumpkin seeds. Ready to serve.

Kohlrabi Slaw with Toasted Hazelnuts and Parmesan Serves 4

Ingredients 2 medium kohlrabi, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks or grated 1 green apple, cut into very thin matchsticks 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Salt to taste 1/4 cup Parmesan, shaved or grated Fresh mint leaves, torn 1/2 cup hazelnuts

Method •

• •

In a dry pan, roast the hazelnuts over medium low heat for a few minutes. Shake the pan regularly to ensure even roasting. Let cool a little, then take off the peel by rubbing the nuts with your hands. Chop roughly. Set aside.

Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice.

Season with salt. Set aside.

In a serving bowl, combine kohlrabi and apple sticks. Pour over the dressing and mix until well coated. Fold in chopped nuts and mint leaves. Top with parmesan shavings. Ready to serve.

Greek Salad Serves 4-6

Ingredients 2 cups purslane leaves or lamb lettuce 2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthwise and then sliced 2 cups cherry tomatoes 2 green bell peppers, deseeded and sliced 1/2 red onion, finely sliced 1/2 cup whole Kalamata olives

4 tablespoons capers 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped 200 gms Feta cheese 1 teaspoon dried oregano 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar coarse salt and freshly milled pepper to taste

h t l ea ial Hpec S

Method • • •

In a salad bowl, combine purslane leaves/lamb lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and bell peppers. Sprinkle over the capers and olives and finally the chopped dill.

Whisk olive oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss.

Sprinkle dried oregano over Feta cheese, and place as a big piece on top of the salad.

Alternatively, cut the Feta into cubes and sprinkle over the salad. Ready to serve.

Anja’s recipes focus on healthy eating, based on natural ingredients, vegetarian, vegan and raw food. Her other love is running Marathons. She says about her performance at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2015... "This was my 6th Marathon, and the 5th one in Dubai. For the first time, I didn’t get a personal best time. At 34k, with 8k to go, I had nothing left. Marathons do that to you: you are always in for a surprise beyond the 30k mark; either a good one or a bad one. I still managed to finish in 3h18min - ranked first in my age group (40-44 years old) and 33rd in the overall female listing. And just 3 minutes slower than last year. To me this was close to disaster. Oh well, the next marathon is already lined up: Berlin in September." We wish you luck Anja!

#Soup Drina Cabral www.eaternalzest.com

Seafood Miso Soup Ingredients

Method

½ large white onion julienned 1½ tbsp finely grated ginger 500 gms of assorted seafood (I used a mix of prawns and clams in shell) 4 cups water 4 cups vegetable broth ½ cup bonito flakes (katsuoboshi) 2 ½ tbsp red miso paste 2 sheets of wakame (seaweed) cut into strips and soaked 100 gms Dried black fungus chopped and soaked 150 gms Silken tofu cut into 2 cm cubes 100 gms dried shitake soaked 250 gms Rice noodles chives

•

• • •

• •

h t l a e ial Hpec S

To get the Dashi ready; In a pot, sauté the white onion and add in the seafood as soon as it starts to turn soft and change color. Sauté the seafood for a couple minutes with the onions, season with salt and pepper and set aside the contents of the pot in a separate bowl.

In the same pot, add in the ginger and vegetable broth and bring to a roaring boil. Mix in the bonito flakes and 3 cups of water and bring down the heat to a low simmer.

Once the bonito flakes are in, your dashi is typically ready and you don’t want to break down the flavors by extensively boiling it.

As the broth starts to bubble, strain the mixture through a sieve and set your dashi back on the stove. Whisk in the miso paste with the last cup of water and incorporate into your dashi allowing the flavors to even out.

Add in the black fungus, shitake and rice noodles; and incorporate the seafood that was set aside earlier on. Once the rice noodles are done, your miso is ready to be served.

In the center of a bowl, place the slivers of soaked seaweed and a tablespoon of silken tofu (3-4 cubes). Ladle in the broth and seafood gently, and finally garnish with freshly chopped chives.

The most important element of any Miso soup is not so much the miso flavor or the seafood, but the brothDashi, that brings out the distinct flavor of a Miso soup.

It’s the tender balance of the Dashi, Miso and softened kelp (seaweed) that releases that mysterious flavor known to us as Umami. Unlike most soups, it isn’t one that requires pro-longed boiling to maximize the flavors out of its ingredients, but in fact just the contrary.

#PancakeSpecial Gbemi Giwa www.dubaifitfoodie.com

Chia Seed Pancakes Serves 3 Preparation time – 5 minutes Cooking time – 15 minutes

Method

Ingredients

1 cup whole meal flour 2 tablespoon chia seeds ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 egg 1½ cup almond milk 1 tablespoon coconut oil 2 tablespoon maple syrup

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For Topping Fresh raspberries Maple Syrup Greek Yogurt Coconut Sugar

• • • •

In a large bowl, sift the flour, chia seeds, baking powder and salt together.

Add the egg, milk, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir the batter to form a smooth paste.

Heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat, grease lightly with coconut oil and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Top, serve and enjoy.

Almond Peanut Butter Pancakes

Gwemi says: ‘I live an all round active lifestyle and I like to be on the move’

Serves 3 Preparation time – 5 minutes Cooking time – 15 minutes

Ingredients

1¼ cup almond flour ¼ cup brown sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoon peanut butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cup of almond milk Butter (For Frying) For Topping Dark chocolate ganache Crushed almonds

Method • • • •

In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, egg, vanilla extract and almond milk, then stir to form a smooth batter.

Heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat, grease lightly with butter and cook till each side is browned.

Top with chocolate and almonds. Serve and enjoy.

Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday is exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday. Did you know that in some places in England, Pancake races are held even today and participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan while running?

#PancakeSpecial Sweet Potato Pancakes Serves – 4 Preparation time – 5 minutes Cooking time – 18 minutes

Ingredients 1 cup whole meal flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon dry chives ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup of cooked and pureed sweet potatoes 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 large egg 1 cup of soy milk Coconut oil (For frying) For Topping 1 egg 1 cup spinach ½ cup cherry tomatoes 1 clove garlic (minced) 1 tsp. Coconut oil Salt & Pepper

Method • • • • • • •

In a large dry bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, chives, nutmeg and cinnamon.

In a small bowl combine the egg, sweet potato puree, milk and maple syrup.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the sweet potato mixture, mix until there are no lumps the set aside to rest.

Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium high heat and grease lightly with coconut oil. Pour in a third cup of the batter and cook for 2- 3 minutes on each side. Cover in foil to keep warm.

In the pan, add the coconut oil and fry the egg till desired doneness and set aside.

Cook garlic in oil till translucent, then add cherry tomatoes and spinach then season lightly. Stir-fry for for 4-5 minutes will spinach wilts.

Serve pancakes hot and top with egg and spinach mixture. Enjoy!

#ChefInterview

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

Catching up with Nurset Gökçe... It’s mid afternoon and I’m sipping coffee and waiting patiently for Nurset Gökçe to arrive for an interview at the new Nusret Turkish grill restaurant at Restaurant Village, The Four Seasons Resort, Dubai. He arrives in a flurry of activity, and rushes over to firstly to apologise for being delayed and secondly to say the interview will start soon.

I wait a while longer, nibbling on some exceptionally good Turkish Baklava as I let the ambiance of the restaurant sink in.

Nusret stands behind the counter of the open kitchen and is expertly trimming and preparing a whole stack of beef ready for service that evening. Watching him deftly trim the meat for a while, I soon realise that if I want to interview Nusret then I need to do it as he works. His English is not perfect and I accept the challenge of interviewing him, through an interpreter. This has to be one of the most unusual, yet enjoyable and fun interviews I’ve ever done. Nusret deftly trims and works his way through a mountain of beef whilst I watch his fingers closely for him as I’d hate to see him lose one as I distract him! The person whom I assume is his interpreter, actually turns out to be one of the partners in the business. Nusret smiles at me when I explain I thought he was the interpreter, and invites me back for dinner later, telling me, with a cheeky smile, that “nothing is more important than eating good meat”.

Nusret is not your typical chef. In fact, he explains that he started his career as a butcher, following his father and brothers' footsteps. Later, this converted into a passion.

Following his passion, Nusret left Turkey and first went to South America where he continued to learn the art of butchery and became a master butcher. This is very much where he fell in love with 'quality' meat, and where he learnt to cook, not through professional catering college or school, but very much learning on the job.

On returning to Turkey, Nusret was involved in setting up six steak restaurants with the key ingredient and feature on the menu being meat. Nusret is famous for personally seeing every piece of meat that is served to his clientele and that’s

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something that he is proud of and wants to continue to do, although logitics may not always permit this, now that he’s set up the first Nusret outside of Turkey. Nusret says that he’s passionate about the quality of the meat served and he has spent substantial amount of time sourcing great tasting meat from around the world, which matches his taste specification. In addition to beef from Australia and Japan, Nusret will also serve Lamb which is imported from a village in Turkey.

Returning to the restaurant that evening for an informal preview of the menu, it’s clear that Nusret is passionate about what he does. Rather than order from the menu, Nusret concentrates on putting the kitchen through it’s paces and interestingly enough he seems to pair the dishes not only to show case the menu but also to match the diner.

I’m served some exquisite minute steak which literally melts in my mouth, it’s delightfully succulent, cooked to perfection over a charcoal grill and seasoned perfectly with salt and nothing else. A group of guys on a different table are served a huge bone in tomahawk steak which looks equally tempting, and the couple on the table next to me are treated to beef spaghetti which, they later tell me, tasted stunning.

I also try some lamb cooked with rosemary and oregano this too, is exceptionally good. Side dishes are simple but stunning. I have a bowl of chunky chips and another of beautiful buttery mash potatoes with chives which follow a very tasty and vibrant fresh salad for starter.

I can’t wait to go back and to see Nusret, the whirlwind, charismatic and passionate butcher cum chef in action as the restaurant moves into full service.

Nusret has a bit of a fan base, take a look at his Instagram account, at a rough guess I’d say 90% images of Nusret and 10% of food, but when you are as charismatic and charming as him and with Captain Jackesque looks who can blame him!

#DubaiDining

Food Tours: Rise and Dine!

By Radhina Almeida Coutinho http://platetrotter.weebly.com/

Radhina experiances a different taste of Dubai with Arva Ahmed's Frying Pan Adventures’ Food Lover’s Morning March.

Arva's itch for discovering food with stories, soul and honest flavours is so strong that she launched a food tourism company. As founder of Frying Pan Adventures and blogger behind I Live in a Frying Pan, she is dedicated to leading the hungry culture-seeking explorer off the beaten track with her.

Something smells fishy There aren’t many mornings in Dubai that start off with fish so fresh they literally jump out of their baskets and make a valiant attempt at a getaway. An 8am start at Dubai’s famous Deira Fish Market rewards us with an insider’s guide to the best fish to buy (and the overfished varieties to avoid!), tips on picking the freshest catch of the day and the truly rewarding sight of a bustling market swirling with clamorous clouds of people and seagulls.

Quick quencher A cool hit of coconut water straight out of a Sri Lankan King Coconut and a scrape of tender coconut flesh make for the perfect pick-me-up after a hectic march through the fish market.

Glide away We jump onto a rickety abra for a trip back in time down the Deira Creek – lined with mosque domes, minarets and wind-towers – for a taste of some local specialties presented in a fresh new way. Delicate iced rose tea, red velvet lgeimat, fluffy French toast topped with hickory-

Image and Text: Radhina Almeida Coutinho

Traditional coffee-making utensils at the Dubai Coffee Museum

smoked date jam and pomegranate syrup… there’s something for everyone.

Village.

Spingo!

A secret Iranian kebab shop tucked into the wide back streets of one of Dubai’s oldest neighborhoods holds a lot of promise. And it definitely delivers! Lush kebab koobideh (twice minced lamb cooked on skewers), tangy lemon grilled meat chunks stuffed into bread hot from the tanour oven, and tender chicken washed down with salty minty doogh – Iran’s favourite yogurt-based dinner drink. The best bit? No tables and chairs, just colorful carpets rolled straight onto the pavement and everyone cross-legged tucking into the spread.

Think you’ve done the Deira Spice Souq to death? You will never look at those lotions, potions, petals and powders the same way again after playing a round of Frying Pan Adventures’ Spingo! (Spice Bingo). East Indian Screw Tree?

Purging Cassia? Felty Germander? Get ready to tick off the strangest things you’ve ever heard of – may the spiciest food lover win!

Refresher Course Before leaving the souq, a sweet treat to beat the heat – Iranian Faloodeh with snow white vermicelli doused in lemon, rose water and sugar syrup is definitely a winner.

Caffeine Hit Then it is time to fight the mid-morning slump with a smooth cup of Turkish coffee boiled over hot sand and some sweet loqum while taking in the fascinating history of the world’s most addictive beverage at the little gem that is the Dubai Coffee Museum in the Al Fahidi Heritage

Down to Earth Dining

Sweet finale Aromatic, sticky Omani halva – still warm from the pot and very lickable – makes for the perfect sweet ending to a fantastic morning delving into the heart of Old Dubai. Some hot Iranian tea, sipped in the traditional fashion – through a cube of saffron-flavoured sugar held between the teeth – and you are soaking in a side of Dubai you don’t often see, but one that definitely is worth seeking out.

Exotic buys at the Deira Spice Souq

Hand of Fatima

Quaint old Turkish cezves

A sit-down spread of Iranian kebabs Iced Rose Tea

Time for a shot of coffee in the coffee bar

Deira Fish Market

#DubaiDining Omnia by Silvena

Barely a few days old now, we were invited by Chef Silvena Rowe for a preview of her new restaurant in Emaar Boulevard in Downtown - Omnia by Silvena. A stunning wall art - 'calligraffiti' done by artist El Seed, a Chef's Table encased in a glass diamond that hangs in the middle of the restaurant and a double ceiling space showing off the open kitchen, the interiors reflect Silvena Rowe's bold style and personality. The food is crafted with creativity and is fused with Emirati cuisine - think Fois Gras Creme Brule with Dates or the Marry Me Harees. More on our #FoodPorn section!

Junoon

Junoon had been one of the much awaited restaurant launches in the recent times. Traditional food served in contemporary style (an apricot chutney injected into fois gras through a dropper) plus a bit of a local influence (Za'atar Naan) marks the menu, while an open kitchen lends a lot of excitement to the otherwise notso-outstanding interiors. The highlight so far has been the food as well as meet Chef Vikas Khanna at a very exclusive sit down meal and chit chat with Vikas Khanna and Rajesh Bharadwaj, the restauranteur who's brought Junoon from NYC.

Sea Fu

at the Four Seasons Resort offers fresh seafood with Mediterranean and Asian influence, served both indoors and outdoors on a charming terrace. We sampled a beautiful lobster club sandwich on pumpernickel bread and an outstanding 'catch of the day'. Whether you are here for lunch, dinner or sundowners, it is the beautiful al fresco by the sea that catches our fancy.

Coya Restaurant and Bar, also at the Four Seasons,

offers Peruvian fare. Think meat, fish and ceviche in a vibrant and hip setting. The ‘Pisco’ Bar with a special Pisco menu, is obviously one of our favourites.

New launches

New launches that have us excited. However, a review can come only after we have given them some teething time!

TR!BECA

We are really excited with the opening of this New York inspired Kitchen & Bar, located in JA Ocean View Hotel, JBR. TR!BECA’ serves healthy organic food and beverages inspired by Mediterranean and American Contemporary Cuisine. The New York style loft interiors, urban and grafitti artwork and imaginative furniture, most of which is recycled, is interesting and a great setting for the farm-to-table, organic food which is served under the watchful eye of Chef Giovanni De Ambrosis. Watch out for an interesting assortment of entertainment, art exhibitions and pop up events as well as the TR!BECA retail store.

China Grill

The appearance of the gigantic gong in front of The Westin, heralds the opening of China Grill, the popular US import. With a double ceiling height of the dining room and a busy and vibrant lounge, China Grill is becomimg a popular venue. The menu is an interesting Asian/Chinese, with a twist. Jeffrey Chodoros prefers not to use the word fusion and his insistence on thinking outside the wok (lobster pancakes or peking duck salads) gives us an innovative multi-concept restaurant.

Dubai360

This is the first-of-its-kind online interactive tour allowing viewers to explore every inch of the city from the comfort of their own home, in the 360 degree virtual world. Dubai 360 is the world’s largest and highest quality interactive city tour. We are loving it!

#DubaiDining

Dubai Cuts the Fat

Ready for a new U? Someone whose body is a temple (and not one to Dionysus)? Or has the New Year enforced a momentary need to protect your future Earth? Dubai has started to fill this good food, good you gap, and now there are plenty of places to eat out without dirtying your insides. But what’s your poison - or should we say, lack of poison? There are many ways to improve the quality of the food you ingest, and Dubai has a restaurant for just about every one of them.

By Sarah Walton www.thehedonista.com

Healthy and diet-specific eateries to keep your body and soul clean: Organic and Biodynamic

We tend to bunch these two together, but in all honesty, they are quite different. Organic food is like the food the world ate 100 years or so ago, before the introduction of a whole heap of chemicals that make farming easier and more productive. These chemicals, of course, destroy the ecosystem, and our innards, so they are best avoided. Essentially, organic food is natural, and fairly unadulterated.

Biodynamic is a step, or even a giant leap further. It must be organic for a start, i.e. produced without chemicals or genetic modification, but also has a spiritual-ethicalecological approach to agriculture, food production and nutrition. There are many convoluted practices, some that many may regard as verging on witchcraft. But essentially, what you get out of all of it is some mighty clean food with a connection to its local environment. Baker and Spice, Organic foods and Café, Biorganic Café, Tribeca

Sustainable and Local

Did you know that most of the tomatoes you buy off the supermarket shelf are actually under-ripe, and artificially ripened with ethylene (a colorless, flammable gas (C2H4) derived from petroleum)? It’s very rare that you would be able to grow a new plant from one of these seeds. Let’s not even get into GMOs, which are banned in some countries, but not in our own. Who knows what you are really eating?

The only way to make sure is to demand that your food is sustainable and local.

Why Sustainable? Because that means that whatever is taken by you to eat can be easily replaced, so we don’t

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suck the earth dry. And the big deal about local? Firstly, there are all those gassy nasties in the air after the required transport, and secondly, perishable foods are exactly that – perishable. What have the suppliers done to that food to make sure it reaches you before it’s degraded? Scary.

Baker and Spice, Omnia Gourmet, Soulfull

Vegetarian and Vegan

Why be a vegetarian? Some just don’t like the idea of killing animals – perfectly reasonable. Others think further – what has been done to these animals to make them

ready for consumption – what has their life been like? How were they treated? But the newer driver for vegetarians is ecological. Farmland hurts the environment. The trees are chopped down, the water table rises, the cows fart copious amounts of methane into our greenhouse gas blanket, and breathe up a stack of good oxygen, where plant life in the same farm area would be producing it. It also takes about 3400L of water to produce 1kg of beef (as compared to 290L for potato). Most vegetarians will eat dairy and eggs, and some (pescetarians) will also eat fish.

Vegans are the strictest of vegetarians, in that they eat solely from the plant kingdom: vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. They exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products (animal milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.), eggs, honey, animal gelatin, and all other foods of animal origin. But there’s more to being vegan than that – it’s a life choice that omits the harm of any animals in any form, so even non-edible animal derived products such as some cosmetics and clothing are also avoided.

Bestro, Govinda’s, Tidjoori, (Dubai has many vegetarian restaurants – we’ve just gone for some vegan ones here)

Raw food

This is a little trickier than it sounds. Granted, the food should not be cooked (over the temperature of 42 C, anyway), but there are other elements that are usually observed. Firstly, the food should be organic, unprocessed, unpasteurised, unrefined, and without radiation or any genetic modification. It is also a low-alkaline diet, and you’ll be giving up on table salt and caffeine too. Some believe that the main reason people loose weight on the raw food diet is that there is basically very little left to eat, and making delicious food requires such a copious amount of preparation and ingenuity that the idea is generally discarded before it reaches fruition. Even more reason to get someone else to make it for you, no?

Bestro, Le Petit Cafe

Paleo, Atkins and Low carb

These three decrease in severity, but all follow the same ideal. Basically, you want to avoid all those processed grains and sugars that clog up our digestive systems and turn into the kind of fat that is very, very difficult to move. Paleo is the hardest of the three, eliminating all grains, dairy, processed sugars, legumes, starches and alcohol, basically leaving you with meat, fish, fruit, nuts and vegetables (no condiments though!). With the Atkin’s diet, you can add in some vegetable oils and dairy, but only those forms that have a higher percentage of fat (this aids digestion and helps you feel fuller), and as you progress, low levels of unrefined carbohydrates can be added in. A low carb diet is basically the same, but you make up your own rules, attempting to steer away from starch and sugar as much as possible.

The Cycle Bistro, 4S, Waterfront

Macrobiotic

This diet, originating in Japan, is more focused on whole grains, so those who could never go carb-free might want to give this a go. However, it’s another one that requires quite a lot of planning and preparation. There is a heavy emphasis on soups, sea vegetables and fermented foods, and non-nos include dairy, eggs, poultry, anything processed or refined, and a selection of fruits and vegetables such as asparagus, tomato, potato, zucchini and tropical fruits. Also, absolutely no alcohol, caffeine or sodas to drink, and nothing spicy. There’s also a commitment required for outlook, which must remain positive. People are instructed to chew food thoroughly, only drink when thirsty, and listen to their bodies (which hopefully don’t tell them they need a few beers and spicy nachos).

Comptoir 102, Balance Café

#DubaiDining Ayurveda/Satvik

Like the macrobiotic diet, the Ayurveda principals when it comes to eating focus on balance, ingredients to promote health, and vitalizing body, soul and mind. Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge).

There are three fundamental energies (doshas) that govern our inner and outer environments - Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth). Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our energy, outlook, intelligence and inspiration. It’s vital to find which one of these is dominant, and then balance your diet with ingredients that support the other doshas. Ayurveda is specific to each user, so it’s ideal to know your dosha body type before ordering from an Ayurvedic menu.

Balance Café, Govinda’s

Elimination diets: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free

Fairly self explanatory, these diets originated in a need for people to reduce their exposure to food they are intolerant to. Coeliac, gluten intolerant and fructose intolerant

are advised to avoid breads and many grains. Lactose intolerant, casein intolerant, ADHD sufferers and those on the Autistic spectrum have found benefit in avoiding dairy products. Sugar free products are particularly useful to diabetics, and those with hypoglycaemia, and or course, those wishing to loose weight (however, sugar free can often mean that the product is actually only sucrose free, and may be high in glucose, fructose or more easily recognisable forms of sugar like honey or fruit, which in many cases should also be avoided). Omnia Gourmet, Sweet connections

Calorie Count

Some of us just like to play the numbers – energy in, energy out. There were always delivery services to watch your calorie counts, but now there are more and more restaurants opening up that offer diners the full information on their menus, allowing them to make a more informed choice of dish. Sometimes it’s surprising how little some dishes have, and how many others do, so it’s nice to have it in black and white.

Right Bite, Kcal, Nonno, Soulfull

Everyday Healthy Dining: No-fuss eatery with great lunches in the DIFC. All menu items have nutritional data and calorie count listed.

Nonno: Known for having “the world’s thinnest pizza”, and a range of fairly healthy fast food dishes with a leaning on regional and organic origins. Business Bay

Baker and Spice: Pioneers for the organic, sustainable and local movement in Dubai. Souk al Bahar, Al Manzil and Marina Promenade.

Omnia Gourmet: Modern Turkish casual eatery with a

Balance Café: Ayurvedic and Greek concepts, Yogic Art and macrobiotic foods feature on this Indian-flavoured menu. There is also a tailor-made service with the Balance wellness center.

Organic Foods and Café: Organic and specialty foods

wide range of diet specific dishes (e.g. paleo, raw, gluten free), with an emphasis on local produce.

store with attached café. All menu items are as organic/ biodynamic as those on the shelves.

Gourmet, developed by Be Supernatural.

Right Bite: Healthy meal delivery service, with newly opened café in JLT. Emphasis on protein-rich, low-carb and low-cal food.

Biorganic Café: Food store with attached café selling a fairly standard menu made with organic ingredients.

Tecom

Soulfull: Food rated from 0-5 based on calories versus nutrient. Emphasis on local and organic. Opening soon in DIFC

Comptoir 102: Stylishly eclectic boutique with café.

Food is mostly organic, gluten free and dairy free, and has a macrobiotic theme. Jumeirah 1

Sweet Connection: Bakery and catering with an emphasis on elimination of ingredients (gluten, dairy, nuts, sugar, soy etc). Now with cafes in Mercato and DIFC.

Bestro: Raw, vegan eatery in Galeries Lafayette

The Cycle Bistro: Purely Paleo eatery inside a bike shop in Dubai Motor City. Quirky, and full of fitness freaks.

Govinda’s: Bit of an institution. Hare Krishna vegan food, designed to keep your soul squeaky clean. Karama

Kcal: Calorie-controlled meal delivery service with a dinein option. Various locations including JBR, Business Bay and Mirdif Le Petit Café: New fishing harbour café in Umm Suqeim with a focus on (but not limited to) organic and wholesome food

Tidjoori: Brand new purely vegan restaurant in Trident Tower, Dubai Marina

Tribeca Kitchen and Bar: Organic, fair-trade and sustainable wherever possible. New York style night eatery recently opened in the JA Ocean View Hotel, JBR

Waterfront Restaurant: Restaurant attached to the Talise Spa at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Dishes are specifically tailored to help diners to loose weight or gain tone.

#WeRecommend February is not too late to start on a New Year special detox programme! We went through a 5-day detox treatment, courtesy Detox Delight Dubai. I booked for a Botanical delight for a day and a mix of juice and soups for the remaining days. A lot of attention has gone into minor details, including the handwritten cards and daily menu cards... not to mention the ice-filled thermocol box that would arrive every morning.

#DubaiDining

s ’ e n ti n e l a V Daycial e p S

People say ‘Love is in the air’ but we say ‘Love is in the food’. So here’s a round up of the different venues, which are brimming with love, food and rosy atmosphere.

By Jasmine Pereira www.peartreediaries.com

Mint Leaf of London

BiCE Mare, Souk Al Bahar: Italian cuisine and Valentine’s Day pairs up for a dedicated his and hers menu named ‘San Valentino and Per Lei e Per Lui’, specially designed for the occasion by Chef Francesco Guarracino. The fourcourse menu, aptly themed Passion, Harmony, Love and Temptation sets the perfect tone for Valentine’s plus the outdoor seating with view of The Dubai Water Fountain adds to the luster of Valentine’s celebration. AED1,600 per couple, including two glasses of bubbly (04 423 0982).

Mint Leaf of London, Dubai: If it’s not the view from Mint Leaf that’ll set the Valentine’s Day mood, it’ll be the three-course Valentine’s Day menu which includes Mint Leaf’s favorites from the menu, such as spiced crust soft-shell crab, pan-seared venison loin with truffle-

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scented lemon rice, and bundled hearts of rose and strawberry mousse for dessert. Dhs599 per couple with soft beverages, Dhs849 per couple with a bottle of bubbly, Dhs4,999 per couple with exclusive use of a private dining room, a bottle of bubbly, dedicated waiter and private transport. Emirates Financial Towers, DIFC (04 706 0900).

Ronda Locatelli, The Atlantis Palm Jumeirah, Dubai: It’s been said that nobody does traditional romance like the Italians and Ronda Locatelli at The Atlantis is offering just that: a romantic evening for two catering a carefully prepared delicious set menu or feel free to choose your favorite dish a la carte, all with a with a little bit of Italian "amore". AED 760 per couple including a glass of Procesco (04 426 2626).

El Sur, The Westin Dubai: Let El Sur say the perfect “Te Amo” in their own Spanish manner, with a rose upon arrival and molecular inspired Spanish cuisine with El Sur’s speical Valentine’s Day chef’s menu featuring Spanish favorites with contemporary flair night with a candlelit conversation. AED 245 per person for food and AED 890 per couple including a bottle of sparkling Rosé (04 399 7700)

Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Dubai Festival City Dubai: Leave your Valentine’s Day preparation in the hands of the award winning Chef Pierre Gagnaire team hands and watch them present an exquisite experience beyond imagination. Indulge in a unique kaleidoscopic set menu prepared in the signature style of the three Michelin starred gastronomic maestro, accompanied by selected beverage pairing and a complimentary glass of rose bubbly. AED 2580 per couple from 7pm to 11pm (047011127/28).

Mahec

CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Dubai: Fancy one of the most exciting culinary destinations in the city? Well, CUT has all the offering one can crave for this Valentine’s with a stellar five course set dinner menu ensuring that all the lovely couples receive an elegant plus fine dining experience with spectacular views of the iconic Burj Khalifa. What’s not to love about that? (AED450 per person, inclusive of food only (048883444).

Mahec, Le Méridien Dubai: Cerebrate Valentine’s Day with an Indian flare, as Mahec offers a four-course for you and your sweetheart featuring specials like crab samosa, seafood biryani, silky paneer korma and a sweet surprise filled dessert. AED 399 per couple with four-course set menu, AED599 per couple with four-course set menu and bottle of sparkling wine or AED1190 per couple with five course set menu and private seating arrangement with butler service, bottle of sparkling wine, special cake & bouquet of flowers (04702 2615)

Al Maha

Dine in & Hotel Stay Al Maha a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai: Romance in the Dunes this Valentine’s and discover the alluring, golden desert landscape together with your loved one. Indulge in a romantic and luxurious desert adventure with Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve entrance, a choice between any two activities; Wildlife drive, Nature walk, Camel trekking, or Archery, a Valentine Lunch including roses, chocolate dipped strawberries, a bottle of bubbly, soft drinks, water, coffee and tea. (AED 1550 - Rooms are subject to availability and advance booking is necessary. Offer only valid from the 10th until the 15th of February 2015 (048329900).

Al Bayt Lounge

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#DubaiDining

s ’ e n ti n e l a V Daycial e p S

Junoon

New Love Junoon: Our pick is the newly-opened Junoon a with dedicated vegetarian menu. Junoon offers a choice of five course set menus this Valentine's Day weekend. Guests can choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and also whether to accompany their meal with a carefully prepared beverage pairing featuring the finest grapes and cocktails to complement each course.The vegetarian menu treats guests to a selection of contemporary dishes, rooted in traditional Indian cuisine including Aloo Tikki Chole Chaat (pictured below)- kabuli channa, fig chutney, mint chutney, raita, red chili chutney , Black Truffle Galouti - raw shiitake salad, fried onion puree, star anise, holy basil and Bharwan Marrow Masala Wala - stuffed tandoori marrow with pistachio and a coriander batter.

5 courses Vegetarian menu – AED 600 per couple and with Beverage Pairing - AED 780 per couple; 5 courses Nonvegetarian menu - AED 720 per couple and with Beverage Pairing - AED 960 per couple.

Delphine Restaurant and Bar, Dubai: The swanky new venue from the heart of Hollywood’s has made its delicious and fairly recent debut in Dubai. Delphine Restaurant and Bar has all the right ingredients this Valentine’s day for a romantic evening with a scrumptious four-course dinner which includes fresh red mullet with poached oysters, roasted veal tenderloin accompanies with mocktails or Veuve Clicquot champagne, the best of Southern Californian bistro cuisine set in a stylish Hollywood A-list style ambiance with a live soulful band setting the perfect mood for a romantic night and an extra special Valentine’s touch. AED990 per couple 4-course dinner + a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne or AED590 per couple 4-course dinner + Valentine’s special mocktails. The H Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road (04 501 8623).

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Afternoon-tea options Al Bayt Lounge, The Address Downtown Dubai: If you’re in search for a low key and relaxed Valentine’s Day celebration, Al Bayt is your answer. Relish the rich Arabian atmosphere complimented by panoramic views of the Burj Lake and the dazzling Dubai Fountain. A wide selection of delectable pastries, sandwiches, premium beverages, juices and exclusive teas and coffees will also be offered to set the scene for a perfect afternoon. (AED 160 per person, from 2 pm to 6 pm (048883444).

Choix Patisserie, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an afternoontea indulgence all set in an authentic Parisian culinary experience with the Choix afternoon tea and for that added pleasure, romantic vibes courtesy the live jazz pianist in the lobby. (AED310 per couple for food and soft beverages, from 4:30pm – 7:30pm (047011127/28).

Cafe option Emporio Armani Caffe, Dubai / AbuDhabi: Treat your loved one to a romantic dinner in an elegant setting that will truly make for an unforgettable evening, start with a ‘Valentine Love’ welcome mocktail followed by a stylish three-course set dinner menu, a choice of Bresaola or Carpaccio Caldo di Spigola; followed by a main course comprising true Italian favourites Ravioli Con Creama Di Parmiggiano or Gamberoni in Salsa Piccante. To complete

Emporio Armani Caffe

the evening, with a delectable ‘dolce’ or dessert, guests can choose either the mouthwatering Pannacotta or indulge in the signature Armani/Dolci Valentine’s collection. (AED 500 for three-course menu (02676 6995).

Breakfast option Creekside Café & Restaurant, Dubai: For an odd, yet unique Valentine’s Day surprise, head down to old Dubai to experience the parts which shaped its glitzy future that we’ve all grown to accustom today.

Creekside offers a glimpse into the part of old Dubai whilst catering a menu that’s a perfect combination of traditional ingredients mixed with a new flare. Enjoy the view of the abras gracefully swaying across the creekside, while you celebrating a fantastic Valentine ’s Day over an a perfectly curated a la care menu. (Al Suq Al Khabeer, Bastakiya (04359 9220).

Edible Gifts option Edible Arrangements, Dubai: Feel the need to stray away from traditional bouquet of flowers this Valentine’s day? How does the idea of an ‘edible’ arrangement sound? Delicious I reckon. Edible Arrangements are offering a variety of options from chocolate covered strawberries, to the perfect mix of fruit and chocolates filled with fresh strawberries, chocolate covered strawberries, pineapple daisies and grapes. Edible Arrangements, (043418780)

#DubaiDining

Chinese New Year “GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!”

The Chinese New Year is just around the corner! It is the Year of The Sheep (Goat/ Ram) in the Chinese Zodiac, representing a Yin energy which stands for peace, harmony, co-existence and tranquility which will prevail all through the year.

Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa Immerse yourself in the enchanting, authentic far-eastern atmosphere and sample a variety of Chinese specialties, created at live cooking stations by our talented team of Asian chefs.

Mekong’s Chinese tea master, Li Helin, will also be serving up the perfect brew in traditional theatrical style. As part of the celebrations at Mekong, every guest will also receive a voucher for AED 50 off Sam Yan Monday Market in a traditional red packet, Hong Bao. Thursday 19th February, 6:30pm to 11:30pm. AED 250 per person, including soft beverages and AED 350 per person, including house beverages. Tel: 04 567 8304, Email: restaurants.dubai@anantara.com, www.dubai-palm.anantara.com

Atlantis, The Palm: The Asian influenced restaurants Yuan, Saffron and Asia Republic feature themed entertainment, Oriental dining offerings and of course, a spectacular fireworks display on 18th February at 8pm. Visitors can also experience a 3 day traditional lion dance throughout the resort between 18th and 20th February.

Executive Chef Jeff Tan from Hakkasan Mayfair, London, brings in special a la carte menus for dinner and Friday Yum Cha throughout the period. Diners at the glamorous bar and lounge will enjoy contemporary Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine with a traditional twist- delicious meals amplified by their glamourous setting that mirroring a Siheyuan (a traditional Chinese house).

Larger families can enjoy the Chinese New Year themed buffet dinner at Saffron, starting at 255 AED, whilst the popular Asia Republic will feature a Chinese New Year menu for both lunch and dinner. Chinese music, themed decorations and mandarin plants will greet guests, as they enter both restaurants as diners are fully immersed in traditional festivities.

Tel: 04 426 0000, or Click herefor more info. http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/promotionpages/newyear.aspx

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Long Yin, Le Meridien Airport Dubai: Bring your loved ones and celebrate with Long Yin as Chef George serves up a special 4-course menu selection of auspicious dishes, and receive a lucky surprise reward!

#DubaiDining

Food on Canvas

We take a look at some dishes which have stimulated us more than usual. A bit of a theatre and a bit of drama... and here' comes your food served as an art. Your plate might well be a canvas!

By Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

The Pavlova at Bushman's, Anantara The Palm Australian Dessert Constructed by our Chef at your Table.

Well, don't let the writing on the menu fool you into believing that this is a a normal dessert which is going to be stirred up in front of you. Instead, this is like the final act at the opera with a lot of soul and drama going into what we would like to call a 'Performing Pavlova'! The table is cleared and a plastic is laid on it. A sprinkling of chocolate dust, dabbling in chocolate sauce and lemon myrtle cream, crushing of pavlova meringues, plopping of wattle seed mousse and gathering ripberry and raspberry coulis with a Davidson plums' sorbet... and signing off by caramelising mango with a shot burner. Costing AED 200 for 2 persons, this is a delightful sign off!

The Chat Trolley, Trésind A 'modernist twist to Indian Cuisine' is a difficult tag to pull off and we have to admit that Tresind comes off with more than just flying colours. While there is a lot in the menu that had us enthralled - like the 'deconstructed pani puri' or the Khandvi sorbet or the jaleebi taco filled with rabdi as dessert, our favourite is the Chaat Trolley introduced by the young 26 year old dynamic chef Himansgu Saini. Himanshu creates three different chaats - again almost like a painting on the trolley top. Different chutneys in different colours - tamarind, mint, jaggery and yogurt - all play in tandem. The drama is enhanced by using liquid nitrogen. The final verdict - the taste remains intact amidst the smoke and all the action. Impressive! At AED 70, this can easily serve upto 4 persons.

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#FoodieHappenings Dubai Food Festival is a citywide culinary celebration that showcases the Emirate’s emergence as a gastronomy destination through a 23-day programme of food-related consumer and trade events, activities, promotions and appearances by food celebrities. The Festival promotes the diversity, creativity and multicultural nature of Dubai’s culinary offering – from fivestar gourmet dining to everyday restaurants and cafés for all budgets; international brands to a burgeoning scene of homegrown concepts influenced by traditional Emirati cuisine and the flavours of the 200 nationalities that live in Dubai.

At a glance • •

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Beach Canteen, 6 – 28 February, Kite Beach, Jumeirah, Weekdays: 12pm – 9pm; Weekends: 10am – 9pm Food Truck Convoy, Weekdays in February, Sundays: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Mondays: Dubai International Academic City, Tuesdays: JLT Park, Wednesdays: Dubai Media City, Thursdays: Dubai Studio City, 11:30am – 4pm Dubai Food Carnival, 12 – 14 February, Dubai International Marine Club, 12 February: 3pm – 10pm; 13 – 14 February: 12pm – 10pm Taste of Peru, 12 – 14 February, Madinat Jumeirah Amphitheatre, 6pm – 12am Street Food Photography Exhibition, Dates throughout the Dubai Food Festival, Dubai International Airport (DXB) Food & Film – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 13 February, Beach Canteen, Kite Beach, 6pm – 9pm Mystery Dining Tours – High Flying Dinner Tour, 14 February, Personal limousine pick up at suitable time Food & Film – No Reservations, 15 February, Jumeirah Lakes Towers Park, 7pm – 11pm Global Restaurant Investment Forum, 16 –18 February, Conrad Hotel, 16 February: 10am – 9.30pm; 17 February: 9.30am – 9.30pm; 18 February: 9am – 3.15pm Mystery Dining Tours – From One Chef to Another, 17 February, Meeting point: Entrance of The Boulevard, Emirates Towers, 6:20pm Mystery Dining Tours – Celebrity Hot Spots, 18 February, Meeting point: Lobby of The Palace Hotel Downtown Dubai, 5:50pm Food & Film – The Trip, 18 February, Beach Canteen, Kite Beach, 7pm – 11pm Dine on the Creek with Sanjeev Kapoor, 18 February, Al Mansour Restaurant Dhow, Dubai Creek, 8pm – 10pm (two hour cruise) Middle East Food & Travel Blogger Conference, 20 February, A4 Space and Gulf Photo Plus Studio, Al Serkal Avenue, 9am – 6pm , and evening photography session

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Fatafeat Kitchen, 20 – 21 February, Lafayette Gourmet, Galeries Lafayette, The Dubai Mall, 1pm – 10.10pm Street Nights, 20 – 21 February, Street 4B, Al Quoz, 5pm – 12am Masala! Food Fair, 20 – 21 February, Zabeel Park, 12pm – 9pm Food & Film – Ratatouille, 20 February, Beach Canteen, Kite Beach, 6pm – 9pm Food & Film – Daawat-e-Ishq (Festival of Love), 20 February, Masala! Food Fair, Zabeel Park, 7pm – 11pm Food & Film – Julie & Julia, 21 February, Beach Canteen, Kite Beach, 7pm – 11pm What’s On Black Hat Guide Launch, 22 February, Cargo, Pier 7, Dubai Marina Mall (Private event) Dine on the Creek with Chef Manal Al-Alem, 23 February, Al Mansour Restaurant Dhow, Dubai Creek, 8pm – 10pm (two hour cruise) Mystery Dining Tours – Dubai Skyline Tour, 23 February, Meeting point: Zabeel Park, Gate 1, 5:50pm Food & Film – Chocolat, 23 February, Jumeirah Lakes Towers Park, 7pm – 11pm Food & Film – The Trip to Italy, 25 February, Beach Canteen, Kite Beach, 7pm – 11pm Made In Dubai, 27 – 28 February, Zabeel Park, 10am – 9pm Food & Film – The President’s Chef, 28 February, Made In Dubai, Zabeel Park, 7pm – 11pm Urban Farm, 28 February, Creekside, Bur Dubai Creek, 10am – 5pm

#TopPicks Dine On The Creek Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek and celebrity chefs - Sanjeev Kapoor and Chef Manal have teamed up for one of a kind experience – Dining at the Creek event during the Dubai Food Festival 2015.

Guests are welcome aboard the Al Mansour Dhow on the Dubai Deira Creek to enjoy chef’s special menus with their famous signature mouth-watering dishes. 18th February, Sanjeev Kapoor will prepare his finest such as Pesto Malai Paneer and Lehsooni Murg Tikka Makhani etc. On February 23rd Chef Manal will continue the journey, mingling in the crowd with her own signature dishes, blended with a taste of Aseelah and Al Mansour Dhow Favourites.

The first ever Masala! Food Fair is a two-day al fresco festival, with delicious food and exciting competitions, in the sprawling greens of Zabeel Park. While acclaimed chef Sanjeev Kapoor gives a live cooking demo, Bollywood celebrity Raveena Tandon will also showcase their culinary expertise at the event. The entry to the fair is free; only the Zabeel Park entry fee is applicable.could you have asked for a better family outing?

Beach Canteen features nine delicious home-grown restaurant concepts and

celebrity chef pop-ups with local bands, DJs, children’s activities and beach sports. Highlights include activities with celeb chefs, besides an Inventing Room pop-up, a photo talk with Penny De La Santos and a food and film session. Entry free.

#DubaiDining

App-ing Around Zomato turns cashless

p n.

Zomato recently announced the launch of the Cashless feature on its mobile app in an exclusive partnership with Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region. The cashless feature provides an enhanced dining experience by enabling diners to settle their bill at participating restaurants using the Zomato app on their smartphone, rather than paying with cash or physically swiping their cards at the restaurants.

Entertainer Fine Dining App launched A specially curated #DineAroundDubai by Foodiva around the Palms marked the launch of Entertainer App's Fine Dining App recently. The App features over 800 'Buy One Get One Free' offers at fine dining restaurants and upmarket bars. With names including Rivington Grill, Seafire, The Rib Room, The Grand Grill, The Meat Co, Trader Vic’s, Social by Heinz Beck and Clé Dubai among many more, foodies won’t be disappointed with the savings this product offers them. Plus with every Entertainer Dubai Fine Dining you will receive a complimentary copy of the Entertainer Travel 2015, which features over 250 ‘Buy One Room Night Get One Free’ offers at leading 4 and 5 star hotels across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Indian Ocean, including well established hotel brands such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Marriott, Viceroy and many more! The App is currently on offer on the website for AED 345.

Restaurant Buzz Awards For the first time ever in Dubai, social dining awards have been launched based around social occasions and voted by the public through social media. The 2015 Restaurant Buzz Awards are organised by RoundMenu and FooDiva, with the support of Commercial Bank of Dubai. The public can vote for Dubai’s best buzzing restaurants in eight categories; Fine, fun dining; Casual, cheerful catch-up; Celebrate in style meal; Family sharing meal; Serious business dining; Love is in the air dining; Quick, healthy pit-stop; Hidden gems. Furthermore, those voting will be able to see who their friends have voted for. Voting closes on 14th February 2015 and the winners will be announced at the Beach Canteens, Kite Beach on 17th February at 7pm.

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#Rewind Apéritif à la Française 2015 We embarked on a culinary journey to France recently as Apéritif à la Française brought to us a real 'Taste of France' on the sunny lawns of The Westin Mina Seyahi. French food tasting, live cooking demonstrations and a showcase of food by the biggest French names in the city, like Paul's, Atelier M, Evian, Badois, Elle de Vire and more... we felt as if we were in the French Riviera! Food e Mag dxb had been one of the media partners and 3 of our lucky readers won themselves Premium Aperitif Experiences - a red carpet gala welcome, goodie bags and dining vouchers. Apéritif à la Française is a concept adapting to each local market, with the objective of representing the locally available French names to promote French Art de vivre abroad.

Launch of Malabar Chef in Jumeirah Beach Hotel The popular Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra recently unveiled Malabar Chef, the finest Indian Basmati Rice, brought to here in the Middle East for the first time by Tampa Middle East. The latter is also bringing in the famous Italian Grand Padano Cheese into this market.

#ComingUp

Taste Of Dubai As part of the second Dubai Food Festival this year’s Taste of Dubai will be a food-lover’s fantasy as it is jam packed with exclusive new restaurants, world-class chefs, cooking classes, incredible line-up of music and tantalising fresh features. Taste of Dubai on its eighth year brings together not just restaurants and food and drink suppliers, but a line-up of innovative and interactive programs dedicated to cooking and eating. Celebrity Chefs this year include : The line up this year, looks to bring us a whole host of new chefs including many from the region. On the restaurant front, we’re pleased to see some of our favourite restaurants at their first show, including TresInd and Perry and Blackwelder’s Original Smokehouse. 12-14th March 2015.

#Coffee

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

#DubaiCoffeeMuseum

I’m so excited to tell you all about the Dubai Coffee Museum, located in Al Fahidi historical district and a short walk from Dubai Creek. Do take time out and visit the Creek every now and again if you can, there’s so much to see and do in one of the most historical parts of Dubai. You will spot the museum with a cart loaded with coffee bags outside, and a cute shop selling a range of coffee brewing items and assessors at the front. Recently opened to the public, and with free entry, the museum features the personal collection of Khalif Al Mulla from Easternmen & Co. It’s set over two floors giving visitors the chance to learn more about traditional methods of brewing coffee from Ethiopia, Turkey, Egypt, and Yemen amongst others .

Wander freely around the museum and see a whole range of different brewing equipment from shiny new machines, through to old coffee grinders and roasting machines collected from around the world.

Enjoy Ghawha coffee, coffee made over hot sand, or Ethiopian coffee on the ground floor, or go upstairs to enjoy the charming coffee bar where a whole host of coffees are served. There’s also a multi media room and a curated library with plenty of books on coffee and it’s history history. One of the key features of the library is an original print of Johann Friedrich von Pfeiffer’s encyclopaedia with over 170 pages on coffee dating back to 1784.

Dubai Coffee Museum plays host to the popular Sabado Coffee Club for it’s meeting on 14th February. Attendees get to cup and sample a whole range of speciality coffee for a fee of 25/ aed. For details : http://www.coffeemuseum.ae/

Brew Cafe Check out Brew Cafe, a recently opened independent coffee shop on Jumeirah Beach Road. This cosy, funky and friendly cafe serves up great coffee, has a talented barista and sells some amazing sweet treats (loved the bite sized peanut butter pretzel truffle) and double chocolate cookies mmmmm One to watch.

Java Jolt One to try if you are in Silicon Oasis. An artisanal cafe and bakery with a lovely outdoor terrace, good coffee and a versatile indoor space. All produce is made daily on site with an emphasis on healthy and tasty food at affordable prices. Watch out for the launch of their new cookie range, they are delectable.

Gahwa New to the coffee market comes a company called Gahwa who have plans to open their first coffee shop soon, although the location is top secret for now. A company born out of a passion “to make you drink better coffee!” the coffee beans are imported from farmers in Yemen and Eritrea and then roasted and distributed in the United Arab Emirates.

They currently stock 5 roasts including Khaleeji coffee, mixed with cardamon.

Coffee Gossip: Seems like it’s the season for new launches!

CoffeePlanet have launched a range of Nespresso® compatible capsules containing premium quality, freshly roasted, 100% Arabica coffee.

With 8 different capsules to choose from. Canadian favourite Tim Hortons, launched a new Dark Roast blend made from 100 per cent Arabica beans. Nespresso have launched Alter Ego Grand Crus range a decaffeinated variety of their three most popular Grand Crus. Featuring an Intenso, Espresso and Lungo capsules.

Nutella Coffee Our friends at Fumé have shared with us one of our favourite indulgent coffee treats. Not a fan of sugary syrups, we don’t mind indulging, from time to time, with some nutty, chocolatey and moreish Nutella.

Ingredients 1 warm water glass 1 tablespoon of Nutella 1 shot espresso Creme (hot frothed milk) Coco Powder

Method •

• • • •

Take the warm glass, and a spoon of the Nutella and drop it the bottom of the glass (without touching the sides). With the round end of the spoon press the Nutella against the side of the glass to make a ‘flower’ pattern against the side of the glass (four petals).

With the coco powder shaker, cover the inside of the glass with a thin layer of the powder.

Prepare your crème (hot frothed milk).

Pour a single shot of espresso in the centre of the glass.

Add crème to espresso, and finish off with a dash of coco powder on top.

#Chai

Shai Salon We checked out the recently opened Shai Salon at Four Seasons Resort, Dubai. Meaning ‘tea’ in Arabic, Shai serves tea, coffee, a small range of assorted patisseries, and a range of mezzo and arabic sweets.

Decor and Service: Shai is situated in a large, bright but a calm and serene Arabic inspired lounge. The decor is opulent with eye catching Italian mosaic behind the coffee bar. There is also a beautiful large outdoor terrace with a sea view, relaxed seating and the opportunity to order shisha. Service is excellent and the staff are attentive and knowledgeable.

The Food: Whilst not serving afternoon tea yet, the staff put together three plates of delightful sweet and savoury treats - a Mezzo Trio, Scottish Salmon and Foccaccio bread with a delicate anise spread and for sweets, we

were tempted with a range of patisseries made on site by the team, including a divine lemon cheesecake, a vibrant green tea eclair and a raspberry pudding - the Eton Mess.

This reminded us of a sophisticated trifle topped with a soft gooey meringue and indulgent cream and whilst we might not agree on the name, we have to admit that it was definitely sublime.

The drinks: We chose a rich indulgent iced coffee smothered in whipped cream which was sinfully good, and an mock iced tea, made with white tea and honey, infused with orange and coffee, served with a huge ball of ice studded with coffee beans and plenty of orange zest. A reasonable selection of Black, Green and Herbal Jing Teas are also available as well as a lovely range of mocktails. A small selection of alcoholic drinks are served on the terrace after 6pm. A bubble tea next?

#AbuDhabiDining

By Rupal Bhatikar www.foodienfabulous.com

Brunch at Koi

Who doesn’t love a good Friday Brunch?

We sure do. And we think we found a winner.

The decor and service: With rows of sake bottles on display, and a lovely outdoor terrace. Staff were extremely knowledgeable about the menu and guided us through.

Rather than a standard buffet this is a 10-course meal presented in small portions fit for two with repeat orders for the dishes we fancied, The Food: The assorted sashimi platter - quality ingredients, great presentation and a generous portion of my favourite seaweed salad, this checked all the right boxes. We had their Spicy Tuna Roll and Shrimp Tempura Roll. You can tell a good Japanese restaurant by how neatly and scrumptiously they do their rolls, and Koi was no exception. Koi’s Spicy sushi rice bowl topped off with selected sashimi like salmon, shrimp and omelette was delightful. I never expected it to be so potently flavourful and elegant The hero dish that afternoon, was the Grilled chilean sea bass with a honey balsamic glaze, over a shiso-pea coulis. It had everything right about it – the fish was cooked perfectly,

Sushi Art

The Galleria on Al Maryah Island is a addition to the Abu Dhabi scene. High-fashion brands and a variety of interesting dining options, makes it a popular choice for weekends. Sushi Art brings a touch of French flair to the fine art of Japanese Sushi. The menu is extensive with every imaginable sushi combination, and a splash of middle east thrown in for good measure (tabbouleh and the likes).

The menu is created by celebrated French chef Joel Robuchon who operates over a dozen restaurants in France and around the world with a total of 28 Michelin stars among them – the most of any chef in the world.

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moist inside, seared with the glaze just adding enough punch to the creamy bite of the coulis. Absolute perfection.

The Drinks: Pleasantly surprised when the staff obliged at my request for swapping my fruit juices for mocktails. This is exactly the kind of service that guarantees, we will return.

The Signoff: An experience worth every penny, luxurious without being over-bearing, very highly recommend you give it a try.

Location: Koi Restaurant, The Collection at St. Regis, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi The food: Crispy Lobster Roll with banana, cucumber, yuzu mango sauce as well as the Spicy Ebi roll with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado and purple potato chips.

Both executed to perfection. The combination of flavours surprises you with every bite. The New style Salmon Tartare with capers, parsley and onion with a Robuchon sauce was the perfect combination of French and Japanese flavours.

Their succulent Seared Scallop Sushi with a Miso Saikyo sauce was definitely a highlight! For dessert the ultimate chocolate indulgence. Oh-so-gooey chocolatey mess that leaves you speechless and pistachio mochi ice-cream among the better mochi ice-creams available out there, creamy and glutinous, yet packed with flavour!

The Drinks: More variety in their drinks menu eg. a few mocktails or iced the would be great.

Location: Sushi Art, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, Sowwah Square, Abu Dhabi Top Tip: If you want to have a sushi party with friends and family at home, a Sushi Art Black Box Luxe is just a phone call away. We’ve ordered in several times now, each time the delivery arrives looking just as perfect, and tasting just as fabulous as dining in!

#AbuDhabiDining Feb5-Feb21,

2015

A gastronomic feast awaits visitors at the first Abu Dhabi Food Festival with International and local chefs demonstrating their skills and menus from around the world to suit every taste and palate, and for the whole family. The festival will reach out to residents and visitors alike over two weeks and three weekends and is supported by the emirate’s leading hotels, restaurants, malls and main attractions. A superb banquet of three courses will be presented over the Festival including:Gourmet Abu Dhabi, Emirati Kitchen, Street Feast Key items include a Street Feast (AD City, Al Gharbia and Al Ain) and Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort Food Festival (5 - 21 Feb), Italian Kitchen from Holiday Inn (9-21 Feb), Gourmet Abu Dhabi (11- 20 Feb) and Family Cooking Contest at Tilal Liwa on 20 Feb. For more info click here.

We are really excited about...

The Street Feast - one part of this year’s expanded Abu Dhabi Food Festival - will run over three successive weekends across the emirate giving people a chance to savour the very best of local and international street food from around the world at reasonable prices. From the 19th to 21st February, the Street Feast heads to A ِ l Jahili Park in Al Ain and the food trucks will head to the capital and base themselves on the Corniche. Ten international traders will be coming all the way from the UK especially for this event and be joined by a further 11 Emirati street food vendors, who will be representing the best of this exciting new food movement, serving a diverse range of dishes ranging from pizzas, tapas to lamb curries and gourmet burgers.

New launch Asia de Cuba, the internationally

renowned Chino-Latino restaurant, lounge and beach deck recently opened its doors in Abu Dhabi. Describing themselves as Chic, sophisticated, glamorous, witty and above all, fun, Asia de Cuba seemed like a great place to check out. Located at Nation Riveria, at St Regis Corniche, it is founded by Jeffrey Chodorow, the man behind China Grill. First impressions of Asia de Cuba are good. The restaurant/lounge has a great outdoor terrace as well as a large chic indoor space and the weather is perfect to enjoy the terrace for cocktails and nibbles. Asia de Cuba is coming to Dubai during 2015 – we can’t wait!

Image and Text: Debbie Rogers

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#CulinaryTravel Food Tours: Walking up an appetite

By Kalyan Karmakar www.finelychopped.net

Kalyan is India's leading food and travel blogger and columnist. He has won the Best Food Blogger Award for FBAI twice. He says, "Food walks are a great way of seeing a city. I was part of a couple of food walks in Seville and Prague recently which gave me a whole new perspective to the cities. Seeing the city through the eyes of people who loved its food was a great way of falling in love with the cities. The memories left behind were indelible."

Shawn Hennessey’s Seville Shawn is a former Canadian who has made Seville her home. Shawn does food walks and took us on a walk in Seville to her favourite eating places. Through the evening, as we walked with her across the streets of Seville, we saw the locals greet her, and as we stepped into restaurants, the owners welcomed her while she told us about their history. As she strode purposefully up to the counters and placed her orders for us without blinking even once, she told us about how she had fallen in love with Seville and made it her home. It was evident that we were getting an insider’s view into the city.

The best thing about Shawn's recommendations were that they didn’t fall into a pattern. She would point a range of restaurants - both traditional as well as modern. It’s not that she was fixated to either. The only ‘pattern’ that I saw was that she preferred to stop owner run places, where the owner’s involvement was high.

We went to Casa Morales - a classic tavern, huge earthen cylinder on the side. Until recently, these had been used to store wine. There was jamon on offer and pork loin and

some pork shavings which tasted so Indian, Monaco biscuit like, till Shawn pointed out that this was the effect of cumin seeds.

Then there was Bodeguito Romero where we discovered, fell in love with and came back the next day again for, the pringa. Pringa is a dish of stewed pork, mixed with pork fat and choriz, served in a bun. “Pork, pork and more pork” as Shawn put it.

Shawn took us to a hip cafe run by a young chef, his wife and sister who were all running between the kitchen and across tables. This was a modern restobar called La Brunilda. The cod croquettes with aoili, the addictive mini beef burgers which Shawn called ‘crack burgers” and the sardines on guacamole on toast were all the ‘tease the tastebud’ stuff… they flirted with your palate… and woke up your senses even after an evening of great eats.

Apart from the great evening we spent together, Shawn gave us recommendations on where to eat through the rest of our time in Seville. Shawn Henessey can be contacted on twitter at @sevillatapas

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Food Tours: Prague Eating Prague A food walk should show you places which you would have skipped otherwise and our first stop of Le Court was just that. A beautiful garden cafe just outside our hotel which, we had no idea, even existed.

A good food walk should be like a walk among friends and Mirka gave us enough time to get to know the other members of our group. The others in the walk were a group of Canadians, and thanks to our warm up we chatted together through out the rest of our walk.

A good food walk should also give you a perspective of the city. In Mumbai, the heat and dust and the traffic forces me to limit my walks to specific areas - all from a practical point of view. No such problems in pretty-asa-poem Prague, and as Mirka and Jan took us across the city, pointed out the sights, told us about the history, told us where to shop for food, where to go for a drink, what to buy and when to look up to see sculptures hanging from the sky. We must have already walked for two hours out of the four hours that our walk lasted. This is not a walk for lazy foodies as walking on the cobbled streets can get a bit trying. But as any cardiologist will tell you, there is nothing like a good walk to ensure you can eat without feeling as burdened with guilt.

Some of the great food stops that we had were Nase Maso, a meat shop where the food was so good that we came back again later. There was another place called Choco Café run by a Czech family serving Horace Rolls from Napolean’s time. There was a brewery stop at Novometsky Pivovar where we saw the famous beers of Prague being brewed. We went up a Church tower to a restaurant called Zvonice to try out an amazing Czech saurkraut soup. The last stop was at a classy restaurant

called Café Imperial where we had the popular Czech dish of beef sirloin in cream.

The Eating Prague took us to stops that I haven't found in tourist books and exposed us to the best that Czech cuisine had to offer. Eating Prague tours can be contacted on twitter at @eatingprague and led by Mirka and Jan.

Food Tours: Mumbai

I moved into Mumbai about 16 years back and have since then fallen in love with the city.

Finely Chopped Walks in Mumbai A big part of the Mumbai experience for me has been to walk down its various streets which are filled with history and cultural diversity - in search for their food and for the stories behind the food. I have eaten at the little eateries which have made Mumbai what it is today. I have tried to understand the city’s spirit through its food, chatted with the owners of these restaurants and fellow patrons in the restaurants to understand what makes Mumbai such a wonderful food city.

Finely Chopped Walks are my attempts to bring to life some of the stories on my blog, The walks are curated walks built around themes from the blog. They give a peek into the city of Mumbai. The walks cover places I love to eat in. They feature some of my favourite dishes. The walks are peppered with talks on the locality we are in, the food we are eating, the culture surrounding us and stories of the people around us. At times we get to interact with the owners, the wait staff or even the cooks who are behind the food in these often unsung and yet wondrous establishments. We stop during the walks to shop for local spices, pickles, fresh produce or even mortar and pestles.

I started the walks in December 2012. Each walk has a theme and some of the themes that we have covered so far are:

Fort: Getting to know the Central Business District which once powered the commercial capital of India. The Fort walks can be themed around: discovering the public dining history of Mumbai, Parsi Walks, Seafood Walks, streetfood walks and South Indian walks.

Bohri Mohalla: An area where the Bohri community, an Islamic sect in India, live and operate from. Here you get to know about their lives and experience some of the great examples of meat based cooking in India.

Bandra Legends: The suburb of Bandra is considered to be a young, hip and modern one which everyone flocks to.

New restaurants and pubs are opening by the dozen here.

This walk though looks at some of the food legends that has defined the food scene in Bandra before it came of age.

Dadar Maharashtrian Walk: The best way to get under the skin of a city is by understanding and experiencing the food that its people eat. This walks covers the Dadar area of Mumbai which has a concentration of restaurants, spice shops, sweet shops that offer an array of the local Maharashtrian food.

There are two types of walks. Group walks which are held once an month and customised walks. The walks are meant for locals to rediscover Mumbai as well as for tourists to get to know Mumbai. The idea is to help people fall in love with the city through its foods

#WeRecommend Finely Chopped Walks can be contacted at k.finelychopped@gmail.com www.finelychopped.net

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Food Tours: Bengaluru Shibaji Ghosh The Oota Company - www.facebook.com/theootawalks/

The Oota Walks Bengaluru with its unique tale of two cities, tapestry of diverse cultures, mouth-watering cuisines, and unique architecture make it an unforgettable destination. The Oota Walks explores this city by eating their way through some of the iconic neighbourhood interspersing history, tradition, and local food culture be it over a piping hot Benne Dose in a hole-in-the-wall tiffin room or while munching on a Sheekh Kabab from a food cart in a bustling market and all this while listening to the stories and tales of Bangalore and Bengaluru. On a typical walk, the participants will have an oppurtunity to discover the delicious cuisine, history, and culture of some of the iconic neighbourhoods of Bengaluru, be it nestled inside Kempe Gowda’s walled mud fort or where young Winston Churchill sneaked across the city to meet his lady love.

Started in mid 2013, by two passionate foodies with an interest in history, Simi Mathew & Shibaji Gosh have already hosted over 200 participants. Both, full-time

professionals, Oota Walks is their indulgence over the weekend and whenever they find time outside work.

“At Oota Walks we are passionate about all things Bengaluru – including the fabulous culinary scene. There is a lot to love about this city and we can’t wait to show you some tasty reasons why! To our pleasure, living in Bengaluru, our adopted city means having an abundance of delicious and eclectic food options from Bisebele Bath to Beef Carpaccio at our fingertips every day. This shared love of food and the cultural heritage that this city offers is what inspired the creation of The Oota Walks. Mouth-watering food samples at land mark culinary institutions provide the foundation of our walks but for the love of this city, we also possess our share of local history. By combining sweet and savoury food tastings with fascinating stories and a dash of history and architecture, we have created the perfect recipe for a fun, one of a kind way to explore Bengaluru’s neighbourhoods.”

#InspirationalTravel

Learning to Commit

and a lesson on Attitude not Altitude

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

It’s about 8 am, I’m tired, no strike that, I’m exhausted, I’m breathing heavily, I’m freezing cold, I’m aching all over and my head is hurting as the sound of a thousand drums are banging away inside my head - despite all of this, I have the biggest smile on my face and I’m proudly pulling the British Flag out of my rucksack with frozen fingers. Where am I? I’m at Uhuru Peak, the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the fourth highest mountain in the world, the highest free standing mountain in the World and the highest mountain in Africa and I feel alive, more than alive, jubiliant and ecstatic with a huge sense of achievement. I did it! No, actually, we did it!

How did I get here? New Years Eve is always a time for reflection for me, and after losing a lot of weight in 2011,

on the first of January 2012, I made a public commitment on social media that I would climb Mount Kilimanjaro as a personal challenge. I’m a woman of my word and having committed I knew I had to go through with the climb. I’m a great believer that Nothing in life worth having comes easy, and so I had to work hard to get fit and ready for my challenge. I started by focussing on my fitness levels with an average week consisting of twelve plus gym classes per week, typically 2 classes per day, sometimes 5 in a day when I wanted to test myself for endurance. Closer to the time, there were plenty of injections and health precautions to undergo as well as a big spending trip at the local outdoor company and a ton of reading and researching to do - bedside reading had never been so good!

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I flew to Tanzania alone in August to join the tour company I had booked the trip with. I was excited, anxious, a little scared but with a determination to reach the summit if at all possible. Three Brits, Three Brazilians, One Canadian, Five Americans and one Tanzanian meet in a beer garden, no not the beginning of a joke, but the forming of the group I would walk with, we called ourself Di Mojo - which means one team from across the World. The night before we started our trek, our guide Bruce told us that this was a trip about attitude not altitude and that if we followed everything he told us to do, he would get us to the summit. A group of strangers, from across the world but brought together by one common goal, we all committed right there and then to reach the top.

As we started to climb, we each began to really commit to reach the summit, whilst the days had a routine to them, we would get up, have breakfast, break camp and walk, eventually stop and make camp again, each day came with challenges and obstacles for us. Some days there were aches and pains, blisters and injuries. Some days relentless icy rain and we were soaked and cold with no opportunity to dry our clothes. Some days lack of energy or headaches and the affects of altitude hit us and even a sense that we would never reach the top.

Somedays it was a sense of deja vue as we spent most of the day climbing and gaining height only to descend later in the day further along the trail (climb high, sleep low is one of the best ways to acclimatise, but it can also demotivate).

Each day, as we looked at the beauty of the summit above us or as we reflected on our day, weary and wrapped up in sleeping bag whilst wearing every item of clothes we had packed, we individually and collectively committed to summit, to reach the heights that we had never been to before and for each of us to achieve our own individual dream to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Summit night came, and just before midnight we started our frozen eight hour ascent up the final stage of the mountain. Zigzagging clumsily on frozen scree, we walked virtually non stop, continually upwards, with nothing to fuel us but frozen water and frozen energy bars but with a strong inner commitment to reach the top. The mighty Kilimanjaro tricks you a bit, it’s not until sunrise that you see the top, the point to which you have been walking towards all night but couldn’t see, only for you to realise that actually there’s another hour or so of walking until you finally reach the summit. And we all did it! We reached the summit and were revived by our local guides with the sweetest cup of hot green tea I’ve ever tasted (and this from a non green tea drinker).

At the time of summit the fact that you’ve achieved your dream doesn’t really sink in, there’s too much going on and your body is both mentally and physically exhausted. You know you still have lots more walking to do that day and the next. When it does hit you, maybe as you have the first beer at the camp Gate whilst the porters “serenade” you with a hearty rendition of “Jambo, Jambo Bwana” song or when you take the first shower in over a week back at base camp realising that you have achieved a dream that you worked hard for is the best feeling in the world.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the fourth highest mountain in the world at 19341 feet high (5895 metres), Kilimanjaro is also the highest mountain in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the World.

I chose the Lemosho route, which gave me the best opportunity to acclimatise to altitude and hopefully reduced any altitude sickness and gave me the best chance to successfully reach the summit.

I could not have reached the top without the support of my team members in team Di Mojo and the expert skills and guidance of the guides, porters and support team who worked tireless to encourage us, motivate us, guide us, push and pull us and of course look out for our safety too. A big thank you to them, the unsung heroes behind my Mount Kilimanjaro summit success.

#FoodPorn: See, Drool, Eat and Repeat

By Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me

Omnia by Silvena

Passion fruit & Mascarpone Passion fruit curd with mascarpone ice cream

Anhus Beef Tataki

24k gold Omnia sphere

Passion fruit & Mascarpone

rosemary & za'atar with white truffle & za'atar ponzu

crunchy praline & passion fruit cream

Passion fruit curd with mascarpone ice cream

#BloggerInFocus: Noreen Wasti My dining table; which started out as a practical space where we would enjoy our meals, has over time transformed into my blank canvas.

It reflects so much of my life and what inspires me most. During the holiday season it was covered in wrapping paper, pomegranates, deep red hypericum berries and candy canes. Now it’s adorned with beautiful produce from our local farmer’s market and a lighter color palette reflecting the newness in the air.

Weekly trips to the farmer’s market have spoilt me with an abundance of lush vegetables and herbs. I love using these on my table rather than fussing over an elaborate floral centerpiece.

I fasten different vegetables and herbs with twine and place them in glass jars and vessels across my table. The green color and energy that gushes from the table is intoxicating. The contrast between the rustic burlap and vegetables makes for an amazing farm-to-table feel. I like to avoid the matchy-matchy dinner sets and instead mix and match my stemware, flatware and tableware. This truly creates an eclectic and whimsical look full of character.

Creating an infusion tea station is another unique idea for entertaining. I spread out different types of herbs and spices so that guests can infuse their own hot water. It’s healthy and visually stunning.

Adding hand written messages on your table is also a wonderful personal touch to add warmth to a gathering. I have shared one of my favorite mantras “eat real food,” a phrase I plan to truly stand by in the new year.

Instagram: @noreenwasti www.nonisplace.com

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