Yet again, it's not Monday...
But here's a video for ya. I'm not a fan of the song (yet.) But this video made my stomach growl. As far as lyric videos go, Katy Perry's Birthday really impressed me! I can tell it took a lot of hard work to make. So here's a kudos to the production team. And it doesn't hurt that it's so saccharine sweet I feel like I'm gonna puke. Those macarons totally have my name on them. Ugh.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Mado - Delicious Turkish Dondurma
In lieu of my recent trip to Istanbul, I feel like I have to talk about the not so best kept secret of the city, DONDURMA! Or ice cream to us anglophiles. In this perennial palace of sweets, (scattered in almost every neighborhood) you'll find baklavas, cakes, and syrup drenched kunafas that will hug your hips and thighs tight as you munch them down your shameless mouth. It's a carnival of sweet sin in here. You'll have to walk it off by climbing one of the seven hills this city has on offer. And believe me, each hill is steeper than the next!
My favorite flavor is sade, or plain. Ok so it's basically milk. It's Turkey's answer to my Italian favorite Fior di Latte. Ice cream or Gelato's oriental cousin is special in that, it's umm chewy. So chewy and thick that some eat it with a knife and fork! What gives it it's unique texture is the addition of mastic resin and sahlep powder. Both these ingredients change the structure of the ice cream and lower its melting point. Thus when the mixture is partially frozen, they use large paddles to whisk, knead or beat the ice cream to develop elasticity. Mystery solved!
So the next time you find yourself in the Orient, have a go at Mado. Let me know which flavor is your favorite!
PS. The kunafa with a scoop of ice cream is dangerous. Proceed at your own risk.
MADO can be found all over Turkey. It's like Chilis or something.
MADO in Dubai is located at DIFC and Dubai Mall.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Chef - My Kind of Movie
The movie follows what seems like the typical rubric for chefs who quit their restaurant job and follow their dream of opening up their own place (or taco truck.) Passé? Maybe. But I for one am glad that a chef story is actually going to be in cinemas. So other people who aren't culinary nerds can see what this world is all about. And finally my parents will understand the life I want to live!!! But first I need to have a talk with my ego. Ego is getting in the way of my dreams via fear. A movie like this one just might inspire me. But I digress.
Check the trailer out....below!
PS. Ladies...Robert Downey Jr is in it!
Fellas...Scarlett Johansson is in it! PLUS Sofia Vergara!!
Iron Man and Black Widow FTW! #marvelnerd
...and Gloria. My homegirl :)
Monday, March 31, 2014
Video Monday #3 - Heston
Blumenthal that is. A giant in the world of molecular gastronomy, this British chef always impresses me. This video isn't new, however it doesn't cease to be fascinating. What he does here is create the fantastical magical drink that Alice (of Wonderland fame) drinks on the table right before she shrinks down for the first time. During the actual movie I didn't particularly stop to think of what it would actually taste like because a drink like that never existed in the real world. Until now. So naturally, I'm inclined to want to try it.
video: youtube
image: alice-in-wonderland.net
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Book Rec - The Soul of a Chef
This book, that I'm currently NOT reading is sitting on the mantle piece above my A/C, as a prized souvenir from my trip to NYC. Briefly, this book is a chronicle of the author's journey through the professional culinary world. He attends the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) the most influential cooking school in the US and cooks in the same kitchen as Michael Symon at Lola and the illustrious Thomas Keller at THE FRENCH LAUNDRY. LIKE OMG. Jealous? Me? No! ahem... So anyway, I skimmed a few pages and came across a quote that I feel like I must share because it so beautifully relates cooking to human nature in a way that I've never thought of.
"I had some basic information about how food behaves under specific circumstances and, more important to me, information about how the human personality behaves under those same circumstances. This after all was why cooking mattered. It had less to do with filling your stomach or pleasing your mouth than with connecting yourself to something more powerful and extraordinary than sensual gratifications."
I've never considered the kitchen dynamic of the food and the cook cooking that food in the same circumstances. Boiling. Steaming. Sweating. Sizzling. Cracking. Folding. Melting. Adjectives that I now see can be easily substituted for the chef under pressure.
Well of course cooking has always mattered. But maybe for a food culture that sold it's soul to the major fast food corporations and celebrity chefs selling their soul to the frozen food aisle, the author wants to remind the American public of the importance of cooking food for themselves. Cooking is more than just making delicious food or feeding yourself or family. It's about feeling something carnal and liberating. It's celebrating your independence. However small. That you, yes you, can be trusted to prepare a meal, alone in your home kitchen. That, for the wide eyed 7 year old girl that I once was, so entranced by an oven, a whisk, and basically all the magic that a kitchen can produce, was a personal taste of independence. The day I manned the kitchen alone. The feeling was exhilarating. I wanted more. And that's why this passage resonated with me so much. I get it. As with a voyage, we now know that it's not about the destination but rather the journey; so to is cooking more about self-discovery than the actual food.
Unless it's a brownie. Then it's all about the brownie.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Fauchon - Fabulous French Food
Fauchon really needs no introduction. In the summer of 1995, little me (and my family) wandered into the Madeline outpost of Fauchon on a hot summer's day in Paris. I distinctly remember a large staircase, bright pink neon lights, and a sea of waiters dashing in and out of the dining room. The steak I had for lunch that day was marvelous. The fact that I still remember that, astounding. Fast forward 9 years later, I walk in to find that everything as changed. (Duh, new decade, what was I thinking!) The wonderful subterranean cafe transformed into large retail section. The cafe was downsized and moved to the first floor. The menu? A complete overhaul! I was crushed.
Fast forward 9 more years later we arrive at 2013. The year I took these photos. (I know I'm late. Oops.) The menu is more or less consistent these days and the delicacies of this fine french establishment has found its way closer to home. Last December I found myself in Abu Dhabi, where I had a sampling of their new menu. The savories were alright. A very satisfying lunch. But what I particularly enjoy chez Fauchon is the chocolate ganache tart. Every single time, without fault, I'd end a meal with that. Or just have it with my coffee/tea over an afternoon chat with a visiting family member. The vanilla millefeuille deserves a special mention. Ultimately, Fauchon is a great global example of delicious French products, chocolates, jams, and perfectly cooked steaks of a bygone era.
United Arab Emirates
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Mall of the Emirates Fashion Dome, Ground Floor
Dubai+971 4 399 02 89 -
Dubai Mall, Fashion Avenue Ground Floor Unit 25
Dubai+971 4 339 80 24 -
Ground Floor
Abu Dhabi+971 2 667 26 90
Kuwait
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PO Box 18544
81006 Farwaniya+965 2 473 21 00 ext.7556 -
Mohd. Tunayan Al Ghanim St. P.O Box 23413
13095 Safat+965 2 299 64 46 -
360 Mall Sixth Ring Road, South Surra Al Zahraa Area - P.O Box 29060
13151 Safat+965 2 530 96 20
Qatar
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Salwa Road PO Box 2044
DOHA+974 4 432 48 88 -
Al Sadd Street
DOHA+974 4 435 55 88
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Video Monday #2 - MissGlamorazzi Oatmeal
Hey guys! Alright you got me, I know it's Tuesday! Anywaayyy heheh for this week's video I thought of none other than Ingrid Neilsen, one of my favorite beauty YouTubers! As it turns out she's quite adept in the kitchen! Over 2 years ago she posted a recipe for Nutella Hot Chocolate that I swear by! I'll link that video a little later.
But I chose this video because she makes a healthy breakfast oatmeal that looks really really good! If the video isn't loading click this link.
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