Pearl's Powder: cuisine

Showing posts with label cuisine. Show all posts

January 5, 2015

AUB Alumni Launching Mediterranean Cuisine Cookbook

A cookbook that can be treasured and enjoyed for years....

To join in the commemoration of American University of Beirut’s 150th anniversary in 2016, the WAAAUB (World Alumni Association of AUB) Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter is sponsoring the compilation of a WAAAUB Mediterranean Cuisine Cookbook. "cookbook that can be treasured and enjoyed for years."
This project will showcase the leadership, expertise, energy and commitment of AUB Alumni globally!

I am really excited for this cookbook as I am an AUB Alumni and I will be on the committee for content editing!

All AUB Alumni and friends may contribute recipes; colored photos are highly encouraged.
Recipe contributors have to include their name, city and state/country for publication. Along with a short introduction, age-old wisdom, or personal story behind the recipe.

Recipe submission begins ~ mid-January 2015.

For more info: http://www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/AVB/cpages/news.jsp?chapter=44

Butcher Shop & Grill : From South Africa to Arabian Peninunsula

The Butcher Shop &GRILL is the iconic chain of restaurants that incorporates a meat butchery within the restaurant! It was established in 1996 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This distinction was the brainchild of Alan Pick, an industry veteran of over 40 years whose immense knowledge of butchery was pivotal for the Butcher Shop &GRILL's success. The concept of The Butcher Shop & GRILL is more than just a restaurant: it allows customers to come by anytime during the day to buy superior meat from the retail butchery, or even take some meat home with them following their meal at the restaurant.

It is rated a top restaurant in South Africa, selling an average of 8 to 12 tonnes of meat per week.
B S&G expanded to UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain and recently KSA in the last few years.

The Butchery Display: Fresh Cut Meats served and cooked straight away to the plate.

Fillet Tenderloin Steak (240 g) for 128 Riyals.

Yokari : Affinity between Modern & Traditional Japanese Cuisine

Yokari...in Japanese means 'Affinity' .... this cultural affinity that brings together the historic Japan and modern Japan.. Perhaps that's why Yokari was named as such.
As it is clearly reflected in the meals served, there is a lot of affinity in the type of cuisine offered. You can taste the modern western flavors infused together with the Japanese traditional ones. Expect names of plates you have never heard of, but with some familiar ingredients like Mayonnaise, eggplant and tomate! Expect to be enthralled by an experience that will touch all your senses...because you really don't know what to expect.

Ebi Karaage spicy dried fried shrimp!

Cooking for Kids: Chef Ducasse Book & an Online Course

Cooking for kids has been a major trend in the Food and Beverage as well as the Health Industry.
No, I dont mean putting up a "Kids Meal" in restaurants and fast food chains...

But what I mean designing special dedicated meals, books, and cooking courses dedicated for our kids.
This is all due to the obesity rates and facts among children.

Childhood Obesity Facts

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years.
The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.
Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.

Source: Center for Disease Control & Prevention

Cooking for Kids: New Book by Chef Alain Ducasse

The Camel Burger: Humps or no Humps?

Anyone up for camel meat? You bored from chicken or beef?

I am sure Burger lovers who are always searching for the "perfect burger" would include this burger in their endeavour!

The Arabic restaurant Local House in UAE slid this camel patty into the hollow pocket of a khameer, traditional, pita-shaped leavened bread studded with sesame seeds, as a response for local demand for camel meat.

Sharing this picture from a friend who tried the " Camel Burger" in Dubai, UAE....
hmm anyone tried it? What do you think about the taste?

Courtesy of Hussein Dajani, Dubai

UNESCO 2013 Intangible Heritage List for Food & Diets

UNESCO Enlists Japanese Cooking as a Heritage, Mediterranean Diet Not Lebanese

One of UNESCO's three heritage missions, Intangible Cultural Heritage focuses on intangible aspects of culture such as festivals, performing arts and traditional arts, crafts and foods that are transmitted from generation to generation. ( Full Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity). This year, UNESCO enlisted the below diets, cuisines, and dishes:

The United Nation's cultural organisation has added traditional Japanese food to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list for this year of 2013. It is the second cuisines enlisted after the French cuisine back in 2012.

Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year.

It is hoped the accolade will help preserve Washoku - the name used to describe all types of Japanese dishes such as sushi - as traditional dietary habits die out in the country due to the invasion of fast food and the loss of traditional cooking.Previously, only French cooking had been distinguished as a national culinary tradition.

Washoku gives Japanese a feeling of social cohesion, it’s of low-calorie and healthy.

One the dishes I had was Saengseonkkaseu (생선까스 fish katsu) is a Korean fish cutlet modeled on the Japanese dish.

Another is Teriyaki (照り焼き): can be beef, chicken or fish!

Featured in " Culinary Blogosphere of Lebanon"

In its October Issue, Cloud961 interviewed 3 bloggers from the culinary blogosphere in Lebanon on why they started a food blog, how blogging about food can make an impact, and everything in between. The bloggers were Strawberryblu ( Cynthia Bu Jawdeh), No Garlic No Onion (Anthony Rahayel), and Pearl's Powder ( Loulwa Kalache).. Yep that's me!

Read full interview here

The Bun Theory

Not quite the Burger bun.. though this is another subject and a much bigger hype that has been ongoing here in middlest east and GCC countries in the last 5 years. ( Yeah with all blogs posting the search for the best burger ever!)

But it is the "Roti" Bun!

If you are living somewhere in Middle East, or any Gulf Country like UAE, Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia, you might have encountered one of these three renowned Roti Bun shops: Paparotti, Mama rotti, and Rotiboy.

You might wonder they are all the same... So who was the first? Who imitated who? And surely.... who is the best?

In my attempt to objectively answer these questions I did a visit to all three on the same date:
To eliminate season effect on eating habits and the seasons' effect on the taste.

I visited Rotiboy in Sahara Mall at 8 pm accompanied with two people. The mall was surprisingly not populated. The food court had around 10-15 people maximum. It was obviously empty in compared to other days. As for Rotiboy kiosk, the counter was clear and clean. The stands were loaded with buns. The cashier was able to answer all my questions about the product, type, flavor, origin, baking and reheating

technique.

He also told me about the other branches: both existing and soon to be open. He informed me about the current offer. He looked well trained and prepared.

Regarding the traffic flow, around 3 people came while I was there during the 40 minutes....but comparing this flow to the current one in the mall, it was good because the neighbor cafes and restaurants barely had even one customer...Even Cinnabon didn't have any customers.

Tasting the bun is another story... Its temperature was perfect, neither hot or cold....just warm like what your tongue really craves for...The overwhelming smell infused with coffee is tantalizing and fresh... As if you are in a bakery and coffee store at the same time, perfect combination.....I tried two flavored buns the original and the chocolate filled...
And the most thing I loved about Rotiboy is that It serves my favorite Organic/Free Trade Tea: Tea Gschwender ( If you remember my post this tea? No well go read it !)

I went to Papparotti in Hayat mall during the same night (Monday Feb 4) surprisingly it was crowded; two tables were only empty in the whole cafe. We stood on the line to take the order. I took a menu…. It had two pages but all it showed was one flavor and wide range of drinks. I think what was attractive about the shop was: its location.

Its location and setting made it a perfect place for ladies and families to have coffee or a beverage...The traffic was superfluous with 3 people visiting every 15 minutes. Neither the waiter nor the cashier had time to hear my question as they were in constant rush and motion...So I couldn't approach them quite comfortably. The original flavor is a bit sweeter than Rotiboy but was similar in texture and aroma...

Paparotti's Bun in Panorama mall

As for Mammaroti branch on Tahliyah, It had a slow traffic in the ladies but medium number of in the singles section (around 6).

The price is the same as in the others. However, the texture of the bun was different, it was doughier and heavier from inside and it was less fluffy than the other buns I tasted. I was easily able to detect a difference in both quality and taste from the other two bun shops.

	RotiBoy	PappaRoti	MammaRoti
Products and Services	Original and Flavored Filled Bun	Original and Flavored covered Bun	Original and Flavored covered Bun
Quality	Fresh smell and taste, fluffy texture	Fresh smell and taste, fluffy texture	Doughy texture, oily, good smell
Price	11 Riyals per bun, but with special offer ( 2 for 13 Riyals)	11 Riyals per bun, No offer	11 Riyals per bun, No offer
Décor and Furniture	Hip décor , youthful colors, special furniture	Wooden design , and furniture that fits	Wooden Hip and contemporary design , and furniture that fits
Social Media	Yes ( Facebook 9800 likes, 1371 Twitter)	Yes ( Facebook 171 Likes, Twitter 130 followers)	Not official (Facebook, 4 Likes)
Product Availability	Available and abundant (can be seen)	Available and abundant (can be seen)	Available
Weakness	Location	Lack of diverse flavors	Quality and product diversity
Strength	Product Diversity	Location and quality	location

Rotiboy's Bun

Rotiboy's

Rotiboy Serves My favorite tea! Tea Gschwender

Lebanon's Paparotti:

I also had the chance to visit Paparotti in Lebanon in June..

It is located on Bliss street, just beside Bliss house.The setting is great as you can see AUB, the main gate clock tower and the passers by!

The taste is the same as the Riyadh branch. The franchiser owner is different of coarse.

March 24, 2013

Even the World's Top Restaurant is not Immune!

Top Restaurant in the World fails in food safety

When Noma, the Copenhagen restaurant that for the past three years has held the top spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, was discovered to have suffered a norovirus outbreak, the media response — both mainstream and social — was vast, immediate and nearly gleeful. “Poisoning at ‘World’s Best Restaurant,’” reported France’s Le Point. “World’s Best Restaurant Hit by Vomiting Bug,” said Huffington Post. “Restaurant Leaves Bad Taste with Guests,” giggled the Financial Times.

Read more

Even the World's Top Restaurant is not Immune!

August 13, 2012

Homemade Fajita

Fajita is referred to the type of cut meat." Skirt Steak". And Faja refers in spanish as " the belt".

It was recent, in the late 1970, that this dish appeared in American cuisine. A dish which was labeled as humble and for cowboys, as a dish from throwaway steak cut, made its way to be a menu star dish!

The historical story described "the cut of meat, the cooking style (directly on a campfire or on a grill), and the Spanish nickname going back as far as the 1930s in the ranch lands of South and West Texas. During cattle roundups, beef were butchered regularly to feed the hands. Throwaway items such as the hide, the head, the entrails, and meat trimmings such as skirt were given to the Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) as part of their pay.

Considering the limited number of skirts per carcass and the fact the meat wasn't available commercially, the fajita tradition remained regional and relatively obscure for many years, probably only familiar to the cowboys, butchers, and their families."

Later it became popular in Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants and eventually introduced in almost all American cuisine restaurants.

In many restaurants, the fajita meat is brought to the table sizzling loudly on a metal platter or skillet, with the tortillas and condiments served on the side.( More on the story Austin Chronicles)...

My love for Fajita , pushed me to try to cook it at home ! It is a very quick and easy dish!

Here is the recipe :

Prepare the Spices as below, you can also add chili if you dont mind the hot taste!

Cutting the boneless chicken (half into small stripes and then sauting it with the spices in a plastic bag. Leave for 2 hours in the fridge:

Cut Assorted Green, Red and Yellow Peppers... the same way as the chicken or meat:

In a pan cook the chicken first , when it becomes cooked enough add the cut peppers and onion. That way they remain firm !

Add the condiments on the side: Avocado sauce and Sourcream ( as seen below) !

Gaucamole: One avocado, quarter chopped onion, salt, and lemon juice ( to the green color getting dark) . You may also add cilantro.

Fajita in Tortilla Bread!

Serving: 6 fajita rolls

Bon Apetite!

August 1, 2012

"Barriga llena, corazón contento "

The Spanish title says : When the belly is full, the heart is happy

None said it better than the spanish! And trying their food was a prove for this!

But, wait, I really didn't go to Spain. But when you can't go to Spain, eat spanish food! Food does convey the culture of a country, the habits of the people and the inside culture!

I had the chance to apply this motto when I was invited to Phoenicia's Hotel Mosaic restaurant for Spanish week last May !

The food I had in Mosaic proved how much Spain is a melting pot, a pot that diffused a dynamic and gastronomic heritage.

Chicory Leaves: "Hendbeh"

Guest Post by Food Technologist Francine Francis

Chicory Leaves

General Information on Chicory
Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) also known as “Succory”, “Hendibeh” or “Witloof” is part of the family plant of Asteraceae. This perennial plant is indigenous to South Africa, Europe and Asia but it is now grown, found and consumed worldwide.

Sunset Sea Dinner at St.Elmo's

St. Elmo's Logo!

"I am the sea. In my depths all treasures dwell. Have they asked the divers about my pearls?" the Egyptian poet Muhammad Hafiz Ibrahim.
I have always had a special fond to the sea, its mystery, and its untold stories..All because my name is pearl. I had built a myth inside my head since I was a little girl that I was indeed from the sea. Lunatic? Maybe. but such mystical illusions do make the best stories later.Yes, I believed the sea was my home, and to it I will return someday. Everything that reminds me of the sea makes me live this myth again..

This time it was not the sea itself, nor a ship, nor Corrine's Bailey Rae " The Sea" song, neither the Little mermaid movie, neither the famous sea navigator Jacque Costeau nor a small shell I picked up from the shore. This time the sea experience was from a whole restaurant that embraced the concept of the SEA from the floor to the ceiling , from the plate to the cup!

Zaytouna Bay

HORECA :A Feast for the Senses

Horeca is the region's largest trade show for both the hospitality and food and beverage service industry. This is the 19th edition for HORECA.
Date: Tuesday to Friday ( March 20-March 23)
Where: Biel, Beirut, Lebanon
What: More than 350 companies from Bahrain, Egypt, France, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, KSA, Lebanon, Poland, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and the UAE will participate in more
than 10 daily events.
Find the Full program here.

I will be attending Horeca 2012 ( As Al-Wazir invited me) to check the latest news of the Food and Beverage industry in Lebanon and the region. Besides the companies' exhibting their products, there will alot of live shows, symposiums and contests ( Check the events below). I will also be interviewing owners of Lebanese food industrialists to see their future expectations, their fears and their innovations!
I think it is interesting that this show is taking place just recently after the scandals of selling expired food in the lebanese markets. So what will these exhibitors have to prove to the Lebanese? Let us wait and see these few days!

Sea Food Night!

Featured and written by Strawberry Blu and Pearl's Powder

Shrimps Ratatouille!

After the revamping of the luxurious Phoenicia Hotel Beirut’s Mosaic restaurant, the restaurant is aiming to take us on a voyage to a new country to visit the folklore, traditions, costumes and mostly taste the exquisite cuisine.
The week I and Cynthia ( from Strawberry Blu) visited was the French cuisine promotion with the 60’s Photo exhibition at Mosaic.

The Red Velvet Cake Dilemma

The Red velvet cake has lately been prominent. Everytime I am around my friends , the Red velvet cake should be either mentioned or devoured in their mouths.One can’t deny that its feathery texture, the striking red color, and the overwhelming vanilla taste, that contribute to its fame. It is indeed a magical cake, and just looking at it reminds me of cartoon, and all the Disney movies we all grew up watching.

Picture from the web

However, beauty is not pure. And as everything in life have their pros and cons. The red velvet cake is not an exception to this rule, sadly.

Normally nutritionists scare you off from these high caloric cakes, but as I am a food scientist I’d rather take another angle. So, this post is not to scare you away from the calories; rather, it’s the “red” you should worry about.

Let’s take Martha Stewart’s online recipe of the cake. Martha uses around 1/4 to 1/2 cup of a red food coloring to make one cake. She clearly states to put 2 one-ounce bottles liquid red food coloring to achieve the desired shade!Consider a normal diet; you are having one piece of the red velvet cake every month, along with other colorants in food from the halloween candies, to the Eid Mlabbas, to the Christmas colored cookies, to potato chips, fruit loop cereals, the guacamole dip, to the hotdog and the frozen vegetables…etc The list goes one because everyone is increasingly relying on processed foods.
The question is whether all these colorants will cause any health implications.

Let us start why is there color in my food?
Remarkably, sensory scientists found that color is always associated with flavor. Consumers may refuse to have a green chocolate drink or a brown strawberry juice. Therefore, industries rush in adding colorants to make their product look fresh, nutritious, and thus appealing to consumers. That’s because consumers love everything that resembles nature. ( more on how color affects the sense of tastes of food & drinks by Washington University)

China: Through the mouth of the beholder

Perhaps noodles and chopsticks are the hallmarks of the China's cuisine, nevertheless this cuisine is abundant with plenty of food items. Outstandingly, the cuisine had evolved throughout history due to ethnic, geographical changes and the different dynasties ruling the empire. It had been also shaped by eight distinct gastronomical schools. Therefore what the capitol of China , Beijing, is bidding nowadays in its food markets, is different than what "china town" or the Lebanese (wanna be) Chinese restaurants are offering.
Let us visit Beijing through the taste buds of Reina Yammine, who traveled there for her summer internship in a technology company.

Reina, Indulging in her Starfish

Peasant Cuisine 1 : Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Let me start by : “ what is Peasant Cuisine? “

World cuisine is divided into three major types:

1- Bourgeois: meaning middle class/urban food.

2- Haute : highly skillful cuisine , elaborate. First introduced by the French.

3- Peasant: Right just what you thought of , the food of the farmer, hunter, fisherman, any person that is close to his food source. Unlike us the "city" people, who go to a restaurant and eat a meal , or go the supermarket and grab a ready to eat microwaveable meal...And definitely not like ordering a 50 dollar meal for a piece of salmon , or 5 grams of caviar.

And thus a peasant food perhaps gives a connotation that it is cheap, unsavory and not exquisite. Yet, it is absolutely the most nutritious, organic and healthy food ever.

Hellman Wonders states that Peasant Foods don’t belong to a village or a country. And so Anthropologists couldnt determine the origins of some peasant foods. This is because ethnic groups migrate and frontiers change (1).
Moreover, written records are rare on this subject since peasant cooks seldom, if ever, jotted down recipes, and the ancient scribes in the city almost never chronicled for posterity the dishes that peasants ate.

Farmer's Market-Ithaca

So if we wanted to talk about stuffed cabbage leaves. I cant say which country it originated from. First, I thought that stuffed cabbage was Lebanese, since my mom used to cook it all the time. And perhaps all Lebanese families do. Then I saw my middternean friends also acknowledging this meal.

But after I did my research, it turned out that this peasant food is actually cosmopolitan .

The dish has emerged in different regions.Surely, there are different versions of this dish that differ in taste according to the region.(2). So, some of these varieties include include 'golubtsy' in Russia, 'chou farci' in France, 'sarmale' in Romania, 'holubky' in Czech Republic, 'kåldolmar' in Sweden, 'gołąbki' in Poland, 'lahana dolması' in Turkey,”malfouf Mehshi” in Lebanon and other arab countries, and a peurto Rican version “Repollo Relleno Con Carne”!!!

Surely, one would say.Cabbage???? This smelly vegetable.??? This dull taste?Why should I eat it when I can enjoy other appetizing foods???

Let me tell you why :

1. STORAGE :They store well and grow in many different areas of the world, which makes them readily available throughout the year.

2. CANCER FIGHTER : Cabbage is full of phytonutrients, which signal the body to produce enzymes involved in the detoxification of the body. These enzymes help to fight free radicals that can cause a number of different types of cancer, including lung and prostate cancer.

3. VITAMIN C which is an antioxidant that protects against the cell-damaging effects of oxidation from free radicals.

4. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Not all cabbage is green. In fact, a special kind called red cabbage has special antioxidants called polyphenols. These help protect brain cells from being damaged in a way that relates specifically to Alzheimer's disease.

5. CHOLESTEROL Cabbage has a certain phytonutrient known as indole-3-carbinol. This helps to lower cholesterol in the body by preventing the liver from secreting an enzyme that helps to carry cholesterol throughout the body.

6. ULCERS : Cabbage juice has a good concentration of glutamine, a type of amino acid. This protects and strengthens cells in the stomach, which helps prevent ulcers from forming.

Here is one great recipe that i would like to share you from : Group Recipes Website

Photo taken from Hub Pages

Ingredients:

· 1 or more large cabbages
· 1 cup short grain rice
· 1/2 lb. minced or ground beef or lamb
· 1/4 cup lemon juice (as desired)
· 4 TBSP butter
· 1 1/2 tsp salt
· 1 cup water
· 1 head garlic, cloves separated with loose paper or skin removed (more to taste)
· a dash of ground paprika
· a dash of ground cinnamon
· a dash of ground cumin
· OR
· 1/4 - 1/2 tsp allspice or bhar hellou
· 1 tbs dry mint

How to make it

· Large pot to blanch cabbage leaves, covered casserole, saucepan or stewpot to cook stuffed leaves.
· CHOOSING the cabbage is important, as you have to be able to get enough leaf area to actually hold the stuffing, rolled. Large, loose-leaf cabbages are best; you might need more than one cabbage if the leaves are tightly wrapped, as you will only be able to use the outermost leaves.
· GENTLY peel the leaves from the cabbage. Lay them flat, and cut the largest area you can without large veins.
· WHEN your pot is boiling blanch some leaves for few minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and put in cold water then put in a colander. Repeat same procedure with remaining leaves.
· LINE bottom of cooking pot with bones (if you have bought lamb shoulder and cut the meat from the bone) or with a thick layer of cabbage leaves.
· MIX rice with minced meat, spices and salt. Place cabbage leaf, shiny side down, on a work surface.
· PLACE crosswise about 1 TBS of stuffing (depending on the size of leaf), and fold ends, roll tightly. Place seam down in cooking pot, packing tightly together. Place several cloves of garlic between each layer.
· REPEAT procedure with remaining leaves. You will want about five 'mahshi' per person.(5 pieces per person)
· PLACE 4 TBSP butter in saucepan. Invert a heavy plate on top to keep rolls in shape during cooking.
· COVER leaves with water, bring to a boil then reduce to low simmer and cover. Simmer very gently for two hours or until tender.