www.foodiva.net now live!

Hello FooDiva followers – www.foodiva.net is now live so please bookmark this site to follow my culinary trail. Thanks!

FooDiva. x

Armani’s Amal

Dubai; Now you know FooDiva loves any excuse to take in Dubai’s magical fountains, so given I was heading to an event at Armani Prive (the hotel’s nightclub) last night, my guest and I thought we’d first try out their tapas and bubbles at the champagne bar. Well sadly not, the bar was closed for a private event…for Tom Cruise and crew perhaps? Having scaled Burj Khalifa yesterday am sure he deserved a bottle or two.

Now the hotel’s Indian restaurant, Amal, has been on FooDiva’s wish list for a little while, so we bagged ourselves a table on the third floor terrace overlooking the fountains. With less than an hour to spare, we went straight to mains and ordered prawns in a coconut curry sauce and dhal makhani, accompanied by steamed basmati rice and plain naan (and a couple of bellini proseccos). An amuse bouche of potato cake topped with minted yoghurt, together with mini rolled poppadoms dipped in mango chutney and mint sauce arrived almost immediately. You certainly can’t fault their service – prompt and exemplary. The two dishes were delicious…succulent prawns…we asked for mild and they certainly delivered. And the dhal was as buttery as it should be. We refused dessert and were presented with a teeny package of Indian sweets, truly lovely touch even though I really don’t have much of a sweet tooth for all things Indian. With the fountains dancing away to Bocelli, I would certainly return to eat my way further through their menu.

A bientôt. FooDiva. x

Mireille’s monkfish à la FooDiva

Dubai; It’s about time FooDiva shared an odd recipe or two with you, don’t you agree? I am a huge fan of Mireille Giuliano, author of a number of recipe and lifestyle books including her bestseller ‘French Women Don’t Get Fat’, which had me so hooked I read her four books back to back. It may have something to do with the fact that she was the former president and CEO of Cliquot (LVMH), yes the famous Veuve bubbles amongst lots of others. Anyhow I am digressing, Mireille’s mantra is all about portion control, and the only way my figure can keep up with this blog. Here is one of my favourite Mireille recipes, slightly adapted by FooDiva. 

 

Monkfish with Tomatoes and Capers (Serves 4)

 

Mireille's monkfish à la FooDiva

Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil plus additional for garnish
A dozen vine ripe tomatoes – if not in season such as now, then I realise it’s not ideal but best to use 2 cans of diced tomatoes                                                                                                                                                                                                                             2 tablespoons capers in vinegar, drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 (175gr) monkfish fillets (it’s also delicious with halibut, you can even try cod or hammour)
4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips
 

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.

2. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the tomatoes and capers. Season to taste and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Place half of the tomato-caper mixture in a baking dish, add the fish, and cover with the remaining tomato-caper mixture. Bake until the fish is cooked through, 15-20 minutes.

4. To serve, place 1 fillet on each plate and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

It literally takes no more than 30 minutes to prepare and cook – so go ahead and try it tonight! A glass of Veuve won’t go amiss either.

Bon appétit. I’ll be back with a few more of her recipes soon.

FooDiva. x

FooDiva tidbits

Dubai; There’s one restaurant in Dubai that consistently delivers; 1. quality food at a reasonable price with a menu that continually evolves, 2. excellent service and no upselling thank goodness! and 3. breathtaking location overlooking the world’s highest fountains. It’s none other than Rivington Grill, my all-time Dubai favourite. It’s been operating for a little while, but I wanted to let FooDiva fans know they have recently added a ‘pie of the day’ dish, and when I dined there it was cottage pie. That’s a first for Dubai I believe, so other than my kitchen you need to head there for your British classic fix. I’ve also been known to pop into Rivington just for dessert and tea, so make sure you leave enough room for scrumptious puddings.

A venue that’s not widely publicised, but deserves a FooDiva mention is The Observatory at the Marriott Harbour Hotel. With a stunning location on the 52nd floor, the restaurant and bar offer panoramic 360 degree views of Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah and Sheikh Zayed. It has one of Dubai’s most inventive bar menus; try the baked camembert with thyme, butter chicken with paratha and trio of mini burgers.

I realise FooDiva only recently e-introduced you to Chef Maurizio, but I just had to share an impromptu Sunday supper in his very own kitchen. Starter was crab on a bed of endive (chicory) accompanied by very finely chopped celery and fennel, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Not only was there plenty of crab meat, but it was ever so juicy.

Maurizio's crab

And the piece de resistance, was no, not French, or Italian, but Spanish…red snapper on a bed of SO thinly sliced potatoes they were almost crisp-like, sun dried tomatoes, capers and black olives all baked in the oven, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of black pepper. DIVINE! So much so I just had to have three servings of potatoes – no portion control diet for me that night.

Maurizio's red snapper with magical potatoes

Maurizio weaves similar magic in his kitchen practically every evening – try and blag yourselves an invite, or else am sure he wouldn’t mind sharing his recipes. (E: mauriziodubai@gmail.com M: +971 50 4282 289)

A bientot.

FooDiva. x

Ooh la la…Chocolat…

Dubai, October 22nd, 2010: As I set off on my road trip to Ras Al Khaimah yesterday, I had visions of one of my favourite movies ‘Chocolat’, with Juliette Binoche (flanked by Johnny Depp of course) stirring chilli pods into her chocolate ganache. You’re probably wondering how on earth chocolate relates to Ras Al Khaimah. Well believe it or not, the emirate plays host to the only Swiss chocolatier in the Middle East, Daniel Hutmacher, a seasoned hotelier by trade, and now the owner of L’Atelier de Chocolat, hand producing preservative-free designer chocolates right here in the U.A.E.

 

 

From the small atelier set-up, him and his team including chocolatier Serge Decrauzathand (previously Executive pastry chef for famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten) make chocolates for corporates, hotels, airlines and private clients, as well as selling a limited range through QuickDubai and Mange Tout. Great to see L’Atelier is HACCP (international hygiene standard) compliant, no mean feat here in the U.A.E.

Daniel took me on a guided tour of the boutique premises, and I was astounded by the simplicity of the production process. The chocolate is sourced from the some of the best suppliers of cocoa beans in Switzerland, and once shipped to RAK, production begins. Chocolat’s USP is that all ingredients are natural and completely preservative free, whether that’s the fresh fruit ingredients such as the passion fruit that Serge was blending during my visit, or right through to the numerous spices, and teas used.

Now did you know that chocolate should be stored at an ideal temperature of 18 degrees celsius? – so forget the old wives tale of never storing chocolate in the fridge. For home users, Daniel advises putting chocolate in a sealed tupperware container and into the fridge, remove it an hour or so before serving and you’re good to go. Now no tour would be complete without tasting the product itself…I sampled a host of chocolates from coconut, pina colada (without the rum!), chestnut, rooibos tea, tarte tatin and my favourite raspberry and chilli. Chocolate surely does get those feel-good endorphins going…I was in seventh heaven.

Chocaholics like FooDiva will be pleased to hear that a series of retail stores are planned across the region starting with Dubai – I wonder if Johnny Depp will pop in.

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Now considering I had breakfasted on exquisite chocolate, I am not quite sure why I decided to stop off at Banyan Tree Al Wadi for lunch, but the FooDiva in me was determined to try it…given I was in the vicinity of course. The resort opened earlier this year in Wadi Khadeja, and to be honest the grounds and facilities looked a tad barren and not particularly welcoming.

Anyhow, my objective was a quick lunch at the resort’s all-day dining restaurant Al Waha (oasis). Weather was beautiful enough to sit outside and I ordered a salad of grilled sardines wrapped in prosciutto, on a bed of rocket and pan fried red onions with wholegrain mustard and orange dressing – topped with a parma ham wrapped grisini stick. The combination of sardines with prosciutto really intrigued me, and I must admit the juiciness of the fish and the salty pork did the trick. Service was attentive without being obtrusive. If you’re en route to RAK or returning to Dubai and need a quick bite do pop in – it’s only seven kilometres off Emirates road.

A bientot. FooDiva. x

Chef Maurizio’s ‘Cena di pesce’…

Dubai, October 19th, 2010: I am still reeling from Thursday’s ten-course dinner at Chefaholic Maurizio’s villa, so whilst each course still remains ingrained in my memory, I’d like to share the sumptious Italian fish menu. And yes Maurizio is Italian, and incredibly foodie patriotic – he will defend his country’s traditional dishes right down to the last drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. So here is the ‘cena di pesce’ menu (in Italiano of course, with FooDiva’s best English translation):

 Antipasti freddi

1. Carpaccio di salmone fresco, di gamberoni selvaggi tigre con rucola e pepe rosa – fresh salmon and tiger prawn carpaccio with wild rocket and red pepper

2. Tartare di salmone con finocchio, sedano e melograno – salmon tartar with fennel, celery and pomegranate

Antipasti caldi

3. Gratin di ostriche, cozze, gamberi e sardine – gratin of oysters, mussels, shrimps and sardines

4. Zuppetta di cozze con crostone di pane all’olio extravergine di oliva taggiasca – mussel soup with toasted bread and extra virgin olive Taggiasca

Primi piatti

5. Spaghetti alle vongole veraci spolvetari con bottarga di muggine – spaghetti with clams and sprinkled with mullet roe

6. Tagliolini al nero di seppia con zucchine e scampi – black squid ink tagliolini pasta with zucchini and shrimp

Intermezzo

7. Sorbetto al limone con vodka – lemon and vodka sorbet

Secondi piatti

8. Branzino in crosta di sale con finocchi e fagiolini al vapore  – sea bass in salt crust with steamed fennel green beans

9. Orata all’acqua pazza con insalata di rucola e pomodorini  – sea bream in white wine with arugula salad and cherry tomatoes

Frutta

10. Fragole al porto con foglioline di menta piperita – fresh strawberries marinated in port and infused with mint leaves

Now you’re probably wondering how on earth we managed to digest all this food, well it’s called ‘portion control’. Whilst we did indeed feast on ten courses, the portions were reasonable and well spaced out. I’ll certainly be back, that’s if I get another invite.

By the way, Chef Maurizio is available to cook for private functions – book him and you will certainly impress!

A bientot. FooDiva. x

U.A.E’s first food hall now open!

Dubai, October 17th, 2010: I mentioned a few weeks ago it was coming…well the UAE has finally welcomed its first food hall! FooDiva can’t quite believe it…Galleries Lafayette has opened its Parisian food hall concept Lafayette Gourmet on the top level of the Dubai Mall store. It’s definitely of the same calibre as its original French counterpart…and even Selfridges’ food hall. And just to allay any concerns, this is a food HALL, not food COURT – ok!

Covering 370sq.m or so, the area is divided into a number of food islands – each serving a different speciality either to eat in or take away – seafood, sushi, fois gras, cheese, salads, juices, desserts, chocolates, plus gastronomic delights from Italy, India, Asia and the Middle East of course…you name it they’ve got it. And if the deli style displays don’ t appeal, there’s always the grocery store.

Walking round, foodie or no-foodie you’d be squealing with delight – so take a seat in one of a number of areas (my favourite is the trestle table seating in front of the Indian and Asian sections) and choose from the menu. Now that’s not one menu, but eight, yes you read right, 8 – Mediterranean, Italian, Japanese, Asian, Indian, Grills, Luxury and Beverages. The Nicoise salad from the Mediterranean menu is divine  – aside from the usual ingredients, the team have used watercress instead of lettuce, lightly seared the tuna and popped in a handful of melt-in-your-mouth quails eggs. My friend lunched from the Asian menu – chicken in Thai red curry with kafir leaves (not as spicy as she would have liked), plus side dishes of chilli fried green beans (the highlight) and steamed rice. My berry berry juice concoction was freshly squeezed, as was the lemon and mint juice. Lafayette Gourmet, FooDiva says well done!

Looks like Dubai Mall’s on an F&B roll, Kino’s Cafe has opened its doors in Kinokuniya book store. With a magnificent setting overlooking the fountains and Burj Khalifa, you can’t help but take a seat by the French windows with your favourite book. Given the store’s Japanese theme, it’s no surprise the specialities are green tea inspired. I only had time for a quick cup of sencha, but I’ll be back to try out their food.

A bientot,

FooDiva

x

Ma saalama from Alexandria

Alexandria, October 10th, 2010: Just a quick posting before I leave Alexandria…I have to pay credit to the Four Seasons San Stefano. Those of you that have stayed with Four Seasons hotels will know why. Apart from the exquisitely luxurious product, the service is outstanding in every possible way…every hotel chain likes to lay claim to anticipating guest needs and surpassing expectations, but apart from certain boutique hotels, I have only ever seen this delivered at Four Seasons. From the team member adjusting your sun lounger just at the right moment (yes it’s a hard life I know) to handing out bottles of water as you head off on your sightseeing journey and greeting you by your name every time you enter the hotel, the team is exceptionally well trained. And I must mention the L’Occitane bathroom amenities, you certainly have me hooked.

On the F&B front, the hotel’s ‘Fish’ restaurant (OK, yes very unimaginative name) has a stunning location on a private beach that you can access by underground passage in Four Seasons style. Feast on freshly caught fish, the deep fried calamari was outstandingly tender and crunchy, or there are plenty of meat and veggie options. In the background, a lady sits baking my now daily consumption of Egyptian baladi bread. And a waiter is on hand with a blanket to shield you from the wind (I think winter has arrived!).

I will leave you with some photos of Four Seasons’ signature flower arrangements.

Until my next adventure. My surprise is very much on its way – please be patient.

A bientot.

FooDiva. x

Alexandria beckons FooDiva

Alexandria, October 9th, 2010; As you know, the purpose of my Egyptian visit was Alexandria, and I am finally here to rediscover my Greek roots, or Cypriot I should say. Perhaps I am feeling a tad homesick…or those that truly know me perhaps not. According to the Four Seasons, where I am now ensconced (in their beautiful bar with a very old England library feel), the famous British author Lawrence Durrell referred to Alexandria as the ‘Capital of Memory’, so I am hoping my brief stay will be memorable. If not, you won’t be reading much.

When I say rediscover my Greek roots, I mean eat my way through as much Greek food as possible. Now that’s one thing I do miss. Thanks to Alexander the Great conquering Alexandria in 330BC (and hence the name), the Greek heritage is evident throughout Egypt’s first capital. Set on the Mediteranean Sea and surrounded by beautiful colonial buildings, you are transported back in time, well I was anyway.

Anyhow moving on, FooDiva’s first stop last night was the White & Blue Santa Lucia restaurant, commonly known as the Greek Club – it came highly recommended so let’s see. Don’t let the name confuse you, it’s far from a dance and music club, but a restaurant serving traditional Greek cuisine. We sat at our al fresco table on the second storey of the Greek nautical club, overlooking the citadel, with fishing boats glimmering in the dark. With an enticing menu of traditional Greek dishes, we opted for deep fried fetta, ‘kolokithokeftedes’ ie. shredded zucchini balls, fetta with tomato dip and traditional ‘choriatiki’ salad – accompanied by freshly baked pitta bread Egyptian style. Our main courses were beef souvlaki (kebab) and grilled chicken. Well apart from the ‘kolokithokeftedes’ which were foodelicious, the other dishes disappointed, mainly because they were way too salty and lacked flavour. The meat was also tough. So all in all, the Greek Club failed the FooDiva test…oh well, so much for my Greek Alexandrian experience.

On the sightseeing front, I would recommend hiring a guide and driver for the day to wizz you round the key sights. Naturally, we had to fit in a couple of beautiful Greek Orthodox churches – otherwise the citadel and lighthouse are worth visiting, and the highlight hands down is the Bibliotheca Alexandria. Wow, what an impressive building, it’s the second largest library in the world (after the US Senate) housing two million books and plenty of shelf space for more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fish Market restaurant is a great lunch venue overlooking the corniche – an array of traditional Egyptian appetisers, followed by freshly grilled fish…squid, prawns and sea bass. I guess the Egyptians mastered the art of cooking better than the Greeks here.

Before I sign off, I completely forgot to mention the Sayadin (Fisherman) restaurant at the Moevenpick Resort & Spa El Gouna. Perched on stilts right on the beach, it’s Greek taverna style feel really captures my attention every time I visit. An extensive menu, my favourites are always the grilled seafood catch of the day, but you can’t go wrong with other specialities – for lunch it’s lovely and casual, and the evening’s are very romantic – take your pick.

Anyway as my friend Elena always says. ‘afta’ , ie. Greek for ‘that’s all’. On that note, a bientot – more later.

FooDiva. x

FooDiva calls on Egypt

El Gouna, Egypt, October 6th 2010; You’re no doubt wondering, why’s FooDiva in Egypt?….well over the years whilst growing up in Cyprus and over a decade working in the Middle East, I have travelled to Egypt umpteen times…but never to Alexandria and hence with my sabbatical in full flow I had to visit. But first things first…

I spent one night in Cairo at my old work haunt, the Conrad (thank you Kevin!), and had to try out their newly transformed F&B venues. OMG, what a change, so much so, I thought I had descended on the wrong floor. Level two now houses three new venues; Kamala for South East Asian, Oak Grill, a Scandinavian treat, and Stage One, an upscale lounge bar with spectacular Nile views. I lunched at Kamala, and whenever I spot my all-time favourite Balinese dish Nasi Goreng on any menu, I always have to try it out to see if it rivals the Dubai version at Ginseng. Well it certainly lives up to FooDiva’s expectations, accompanied by what I am sure is Cairo’s only selection of flower teas. Stage One is perfect for pre or post dinner cocktails. Oak Grill will have to wait for my next visit, as will Solana when it opens later this year. In the meantime, Egyptian socialites please add Conrad Cairo to your dinner wish list.

Leaving bustling Cairo behind, I am now ensconced in El Gouna….for those not in the know it’s an integrated lifestyle community in a lagoon setting housing everything you can imagine…hotels…restaurants…residences…golf courses…schools…hospitals…you name it they’ve got it. Egyptians like to refer to it as the ‘Venice of the Middle East’ – I’ll let you decide if you agree.

I was thrilled to hear that my favourite Egyptian restaurant Abou El Sid had opened an outlet here. If you’ve not tried the Cairo Zamalek branch, then please make sure you do. So off we went for dinner on night one. Located in the so-called ‘Downtown’ area, Abou El Sid overlooks one of the many lagoons. Indoors, it’s not as cosy as it’s Cairo counterpart, but great to have the option to dine outside especially with such beautiful weather. Friends think I am crazy, but I am a huge fan of the Egyptian ‘kosheri’ dish, basically a melange of rice, macaroni, lentil and fried onions topped with a spicy tomato sauce which I always eat it when in town. The Abou El Sid version featured spaghetti instead of macaroni, which does not marry very well with the other ingredients, so no seal of approval from FooDiva. We also selected stuffed sausages, chicken liver Alexandrian style, oriental salad and of course tahini. All accompanied with the traditional straight-from-the-oven Egyptian wholemeal pitta bread. And my dad’s main course was circasian chicken in walnut sauce, according to the menu, a very old Egyptian dish. Apart from the sausages which were not as yummy as Abou El Sid Dubai (yes there’s one at Mirdif City Centre!), the dishes were delicious. Polish it off with fresh sugar cane juice (you can add your favourite spirit too), and triple your calorie intake at the same time!

Ma salaama…FooDiva. x