Wanna discover new cookbooks?

I love love love cookbooks.  I have a small collection that I am quite proud of, and one of my favorite things to do when I have some time to myself is to go to a bookstore and flip through new cookbooks that inspire me and get my mouth watering.  (On that note, for anyone who enjoys doing that and happens to be in London, you MUST check out Books for Cooks in Notting Hill, yes a whole shop of just cookbooks! Heaven!!) 


So back to my point. I've discovered the very cool Tournament of Cookbooks created by Food52. This is apparently the third year where 16 of the most popular cookbooks (of 2011) compete against each other for the sought after piglet award. The books are judged by 17 of the top food writers and chefs around, who really share their thoughts on the look and feel of the books, how the books inspire them as well as the success rate of some recipes they personally try.  There is a total of 5 rounds which gradually narrows down the competition to a winner.  Not only do you get amazing insights into these stunning books, but you also get insights into these food personalities that are judging the books.   

You can check out all the action here. I'm off to amazon to make a few orders now ;)

Fancy a good bite?

I've recently come across this site which is super helpful for any foodie who loves to travel.  The World's 50 Best Restaurants (there's actually top 100) is organised by Restaurant Magazine and is a list that's been compiled by over 800 industry experts including chefs and food critics.  So basically this is THE list.  The site also has regional spotlights, most recently on Peru and Singapore, where they dive into the culinary scene in those countries.  And you can also access past years' winners.  So next time you're about to jet off, check this out.  

The 2012 list should be out in April 2012.

Digital Wonders

How clever is this concept of an online only magazine? I'm not sure how long they've been around, but I've recently discovered them and think they are awesome. I get to flip through them just like a regular glossy, I can zoom in, I can click on whatever interests me and I'm immediately directed to it's retailer or designer (a marketer's dream!), it's usually free and not that I'm a tree hugger, but it's environmentally friendly! Of course a big factor for the creators of these magazines is their understanding of the new social media landscape, so lots of talented bloggers get featured which makes the content all the more real.

Here are a few you can check out.

Fashion & Lifestyle:

1. Glossy Magazine - Fashion magazine from London, need I say more?


2. Cellardoor Magazine - Fun read with beautiful fashion and great interviews.
3. Antler Magazine - Fashion, Design and Photography all presented beautifully.

Kiddies:

1. Small Magazine - Covers fashion, crafts, kid friendly recipes, and showcases stylish toys.
2. Papier Mache - Scope out the coolest in kid's fashion and decor while enjoying stunning photography.




Home Decor:


1. Rue Magazine - this magazine has just been launched by two bloggers. You go girls!


2. Lonny - Started by two former Domino staff, this magazine is full of great ideas.

Food & Entertaining:

1. Sweet Paul Magazine - A spin off from Paul Lowe's successful foodie blog Sweet Paul. Yum!

2. Nesting Newbies - Recipes and tips from professional chefs and bloggers too.

Some help for the high chair

Yousef is now 11 months old, and we're both now trying to move on from boring purees and mashed food.  In a way, it's a relief to know that I can now count him in for most of what I cook at home, but it's also been a bit confusing.  See I normally cook (adult food) 3 or 4 times a week, and it's not necessarily baby friendly.  Now I suddenly need to have fresh, healthy dishes prepared almost everyday.  Of course I will be freezing some portions or making one off sandwiches for the little one too...  So for the last couple of weeks, I've been trying to get creative with what I can make for Y, I've been asking friends, looking through my old recipes and checking out what's online.  That's when I found Weelicious.  This is a blog by a culinary school grad, used to be a model, mom of two.  It's super helpful!  I love it because the recipes are very simple and quick, and can be appreciated by the whole family.  So if you find yourself in my situation, not knowing what to feed your little one, or your partner even... check this site out.


Here are images of some of the recipes I can't wait to try.

Noodle Pancakes

Roast Vegetable Pasta Sauce

Deviled Egg "Chicks"

Yum!!

Another one for my girls to remember?

I love ladies' night.  I don't mean the typical ladies' nights that bars around every town offer which is just codename for 'meat market'.  A few of my girlfriends and I have been quite good at making it a point to spend one evening together around once a month, a tradition we have kept up for the last 6 or so years (I think deep down we would like to think we are our own version of the SATC girls).  Yes a few of us have moved in and out of Dubai recently, but we still kept up the tradition as best as we could.  

Again to clarify, our ladies' nights aren't a bunch of girls totally wasted dancing on bar tops.  We usually go someplace where we can have some great wine, sometimes accompanied by great food like cheese fondue, and we have great conversation.  Last night was ladies' night.  Last night was different.  I'm not sure if it's because summer is here that we decided to go to some vegetarian, organic restaurant for dinner.  It sounded good enough, quite unusual for a place like Dubai...and we didn't mind the change.  The conversation was lovely as always, the wine was admittedly delicious.  But the food was a DISASTER.  It's not that it didn't taste good, well some of it didn't taste of anything really, it's just that it wasn't a meal!  And that sucks when you are going with the intention to eat.  Let's see, we had a tasteless avocado - tomato salsa thing with literally the tiniest bread stick ever.  We had beetroot with a small cube of feta cheese to split between ourselves.  We had some scary looking purple potato carpaccio. These were the starters but you get the point.  We left the place slightly tipsy, not because we drank a lot but because of the lack of food in our tummies.  We left the place strangely bloated.  And we left still very hungry.  I don't know who in their right minds would think that was a good meal and go there again or recommend the place. The place should have a warning sign outside or call itself Coloninox or something.  Now on a brighter note, I have come to learn that Wendy's has finally opened in Dubai, at least I wont feel as guilty going there for lunch today.  

Mmmmm...Chanel!

My birthday isn't anytime soon, but when that dreaded time of the year does come by, I would LOVE a cake like this! But there would need to be another normal looking chocolate cake on the side (see how helpful I am, I even give you the flavor), because I wont want to ruin this one. It's too cute to eat! 
It made me smile so I thought I would share.

Image: Prettyfoods

My 'healthier' Maklouba

I've been having good days and bad days when it comes to my attempt to eat better and lighter.  It didn't help that I went to visit family, I swear I had good intentions.  In any case, I'm back in Dubai and trying to get back on track.  Last night I had grilled chicken with salad, no carbs.  Yay me! 
Tonight, I thought I would try to makeover a favorite of mine - Maklouba.  Maklouba is a Palestinian dish where you cook chicken (you can use red meat instead), with some vegetables like eggplant, cauliflower and capsicum and with rice, all in one pot.  Once it's ready, it is flipped onto a big serving dish so that all the ingredients are piled up over each other in the reverse order that they were placed in the pot.  That's the literal meaning of Maklouba - upside down.


I learnt the original recipe from my mother in law and I was really craving it.  I decided to try to make a slightly healthier version here.  So rather than fry each vegetable first, I baked and grilled them.  And I avoided rice all together.  So here's the recipe:


My 'healthier' Maklouba:

Ingredients: (This is for two servings)
4 Chicken Breasts 
2 Eggplants
2 Capsicum (1 green and 1 red - just for fun)
2 Large Tomatoes, cut into round slices
Olive Oil
Chicken Stock (I used MAGGI cubes dissolved in boiled water)
Arabic spice mix
Salt and Pepper

Method:
1. First, peel half of the eggplants, so that each eggplant looked like it was striped.  Cut them lengthwise and put them in a baking dish.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Mix them around with your hands.

2. Bake them in the oven for about 20 - 25 minutes on high heat until they start to turn golden.  Half way through, make sure you turn them around so they don't stick to the baking dish. 
3. Meanwhile, cut the capsicum into large slices and grill them on a dry pan for a few minutes.
4. Boil the chicken breasts for a couple of minutes and then pan fry them with a little olive oil to get a nice golden color.  Season with salt and pepper.  Do not cook entirely. 
5. Prepare the chicken stock.
6. Now in a smaller baking dish, drizzle very little olive oil on the base.  Make a layer with the sliced tomatoes. Then add the chicken breasts, then the eggplant and the capsicum.  

7. Sprinkle a little Arabic spices and drizzle some of the chicken stock.  You may want to put a small plate on top of the last layer of capsicum just to hold everything in place.  Then add a little more chicken stock.  Cover with foil paper and put it in the oven to bake for another 20 - 30 minutes. 
8. Take it out of the oven, remove the smaller plate carefully and flip the entire dish onto a larger serving plate.
9. I served it with cold yogurt with cut cucumbers and a little crushed garlic and salt.

Bliss it is

So, it is probably a little strange that I am a Dubai-ian and my first post is about a place in Beirut, but I'm here for a few days and this city inspires me in all sorts of ways. I love the vibe and the never boring night life. I love the contrasts you see in the smallest things like the three cab rides I took today, the first had someone reciting the Quran on the radio, the second had some French singer blasting and the third had hardcore house music playing. Most of all, I LOVE the food in this city.  Whether it's the proper Lebanese restaurant up in the mountains or the cosy french bistro in downtown.  But my favourite place of all, as simple as it is, is Bliss House. This is a tiny restaurant located on Bliss street opposite the American University of Beirut, where you make your order at the cashier and then stand and watch the cooks quickly put together the yummiest sandwiches ever, that you get to enjoy hanging out on Bliss Street.  

Now, anyone who knows me would say that I love every "junk food" option there is out there, but this is different. This is where the perfect combination of fresh ingredients, amazing sauce and a touch of greasiness come together to melt in your mouth. For anyone who will read this and happen to visit this fabulous city, please please try either a chicken fajita sandwich or a philly steak sandwich, or both. Oh and preferably after a night on the town. Yum!

How fancy?