A Restaurant of Naturality

 NATURALITÉ : When a  haute cuisine restaurant, ethically resources the ingredients of each plate delicately and naturally.

NATURALITÉ from Simon Pénochet on Vimeo.

Alain Ducasse's restaurant at the Plaza Athénée has just re-opened. The Chef tells a more personal and radical story, following a path he initiated twenty-five years ago. He introduces a cuisine of naturality, that revolves around three key elements: fish, vegetables and cereals. A healthier,  organic, more sustainable and environmentally-conscious approach.

Watch this soothing video of how the plates were created and the people behind them!

While in Lebanon, people are arguing which restaurant is safe or not.
In the other part of the world, some great minds are going back to the basics of cooking, the natural, the organic, and the fair trade...
Natural is what we need these days. Not the extreme of cleanliness, and not the extreme of contamination.
Hoping we can learn and get inspired from Chef Alain Ducasse and people like him.

Souk Al Ard: Earth Market in Hamra Street

Fresh Organic Produce from the Farms, every Tuesday in Hamra

During my years studying in AUB and living in Bliss street, I discovered Souk Al Ard in Main street of Hamra. It was my escape from the street buzz,  amid the hectic studies and long working hours.
It was my pleasure to meet the local farmers, see their hand made products, and get from their fresh green treasures!! Street Lebanese Heritage food at its best!

Every time I travel back to Beirut, I make sure to visit this farmer's market. It is a blessful experience to smell the saj, and see all these fresh and organic vegetables, and the pickled jars , marmalade...etc
Lebanese heritage food at its best. My last trip in October, I made sure to visit and do some food shopping!

Home Made Food

Dont miss those tasty saj ( saj is a thin focaccia bread) 

Souk El Ard, ( Earth Market), is located in the alley facing Bread Republic.
Organized by Slow food Beirut, the market aims to offer good, clean and fair food.

The Dates Market in Medina

1400 Years Old Dates Market 

Most Dates are sold outside on the streets, others in air conditioned shops

Medina ( اَلْمَدِينَة اَلْمَنَوَّرَة‎, or Al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah) is a modern city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia.  It is also known as The City of the Prophet", i.e., Muhammad. 

I visited Madina last month for a spiritual upliftment and to pray for the first time in the Prophet's mosque. What was remarkable about the city is the tranquility of its streets and its people. It was so peaceful - not just inside the mosque- but also in the shopping areas... You feel like everything is going smoothly.

Exciting thing too see in this city are the Palms farms all around and this explains the plenty of dates shops. Different kinds, different flavors and colors! It was like a "dates" heaven for those who love dates! This reminds me, who is excited for Mamoul this Eid?

Happy Eid Adha! :)

This type is Lagou Dates

And this one Kenta

A Superfood Breakfast: Goji Berries with Warm Quinoa

Guest Post from Christele - Nutritionist & Blogger at Health 'n' Horizons

Hello everyone! My name is Christele, I’m a nutritionist, a mom, a lover of real food, and a blogger over at Health ‘n’ Horizons! I am so excited to be guest posting for Pearl's Powder today. Hope you all like some real satisfying food for breakfast cause I’ll be discussing superfoods, particularly goji berries.

I will also be sharing a warm breakfast recipe for those cold winter mornings (and if you live in a warm climate, don’t worry, a cold version* is as good, if not better).

What are Superfoods?
Goji berries are what some may consider a superfood.

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

Zero Calorie Meals and Zero Guilt

Steam: The Zero Calorie London Restaurant

A pop-up restaurant in London's Covent Garden is promising diners a 'calorie-neutral' meal in which guests will tuck into steam-cooked scallops, chorizo and beef fillet, but leave the restaurant having burned off every calorie. How is this even possible?

Between courses, guests will take part in stretching classes to aid digestion, sit on vibrating seat pads to increase calorie burn, and engage in full-on dining workouts to burn off the calorie count of dishes
Yes, dine and work out at the same time!

Here is someone who experienced dining there from Marie Claire!

This is how it goes:

Taken from Luxo.com

Read More about its unique way.

How I am trying to stay fit in Riyadh

I posted this hamster because I think it's a cute photo. dont ask

Since moving to Riyadh, I barely can go walking around the streets like I used to when I was in Beirut.
Also living in a city, where you have nothing to do except go out for eating or shopping, makes you lose your sight on how to properly keep your body healthy and posture proper.

That's why I am comparing the fitness activities I used to do in Beirut to those in Riyadh:

In Beirut:

• I barely used a transportation (car or taxi ride) unless I was visiting somewhere far away or when I had to go for dinner at night.
• I used to walk back and forth to get my grocery at least 4 times per week
• I used to go walking for several errands around the streets for shopping or paper work or paying the bills, or meeting someone over coffee or lunch.
• I used to walk down to work (yes a downhill with steepy and long stairs), and my work also involved alot of standing and moving around.
• I also used to swim on Sundays for around 40 minutes.

Indeed, walking in Beirut, at least 30 minutes per day, made me fit and healthy.

After moving to Riyadh:

Tongues Indicate Health

Weight & Food Love...Not proportional

"How come you love food, yet  you don't show it (physically)??"
This....! This was one of the weirdest ( a little bit frustrating) job interview questions I have ever got. & mind you it was not related to a food company but rather to a social media/ advertising agency. So the person who asked me, and who comes from IT background, has no relation with Food...

Though I never posted about this "physical aspect" of one's body. Because I am against talking about it.
As every person experience certain situations & environment conditions that can affect his/her own body.  So we cant generalize over the matter of physical appearance.

But since when does our physical bodies show our passion towards something.
Alright maybe a muscled man will show that he goes regularly to the gym, but that doesn't mean he likes it... A short woman might appear she doesnt play basketball, but perhaps she do and she loves it!

Coca Cola Goes Green

 
Coca Cola has used their familiar and distinctive curved script since 1887. And since the 1920s their famous logo has been placed on a red background on the company's classic cola. 

Now Coca Cola is drifting away from its iconic red color, and have launched a new look in Argentina. Coca-Cola Life, distinguished by its green label, is marketed as a "natural" and "green" low-calorie beverage in  a fully recyclable bottle that's made with 30% plant material.