• British,  British cheese,  Cheddar,  Cheese,  Comte,  European Cheese,  events,  Food,  France,  French,  Media,  Middle East,  Restaurant Reviews,  Travel,  wine

    Fromage to Eternity

    November 5, 2013

    As we slide (or stagger) into the business end of the year, I find myself looking for distractions. So when I got a message via the Twitter that went something along the lines of “We have a new menu Market at W Doha, there are 20 new items. There is lots of cheese”, I declare a “Distraction Action” and head westwards. And the Twitter doesn’t lie. The new menu has cheese. Lots of it. And other amazing things as well. Starting with these balls of deliciousness. Cheddar chilli fritters. Give me cheddar and add some green chilis then deep fry it? Yes please. This is what I like about cheddar,…

    Read More
  • Cheese,  European Cheese,  Food,  Travel,  Unusual Cheeses

    Girl on Grill (Cheese) Action

    October 19, 2013

    There are very few things in life that cannot be improved by a good grilling – meat, men and democracy being ones that spring immediately to mind. And of course, cheese. A friend and colleague had brought back this cheese from Saudi Arabia for me. Yes, an Eastern European cheese bought in Riyadh and delivered to me in Doha. International yah? Kashkaval is a yellow cheese hailing from Eastern Europe, specifically Albania, Romania and related countries. It tastes similar to cheddar cheese, and this one was laced with cumin seeds, giving it a unique flavor. It can be made with sheep or cow milk and I suspect this one was…

    Read More
  • Cheese,  Food,  French,  Goat Cheese,  Italian Cheese,  Travel

    My (Goat Cheese) Tart Will Go On

    October 17, 2013

    Remember Cher’s character in Mermaids? Where she only fed her kids cocktail snacks for dinner? That is my idea of heaven. I love a cocktail bite, at any time of the day. This could be because of simple maths, small bites don’t have as many calories right? Being of socialite tendencies, I am an expert in the field of food on a stick or in a napkin. And if it can incorporate cheese into that equation, heaven awaits. Ahem. The following morsels were served to me at a recent drinks function at Grand Hyatt Doha The creamy goats cheese tart was literally coin sized and the pastry on the right…

    Read More
  • Cheese,  Travel,  Unusual Cheeses,  White Cheese

    Like a Paratha – Adventures in India Part 1

    September 20, 2013

    When I tell people how much I like India, their faces often screw up and they hold their stomachs. I may be jinxing myself, but I have never had a dose of Delhi Belly that originated in India. Pakistan is another issue. Visiting there back in 2008, I was so ill I lay on the floor of my hotel bathroom in Karachi wrapped only in a towel in a pool of sweat and started to write my will on hotel stationery. I stopped because I realized all I had was a German car the bank mostly owned and a nice handbag to offer my loved ones. Back to India. I…

    Read More
  • Australian Cheese,  Cheese,  Dutch,  European Cheese,  Food,  Gouda,  Travel

    Amongst Gouda Friends

    September 14, 2013

    Sometimes a gal just needs a home cooked meal. And thanks to my friend Ruth, I enjoyed a little taste of that when she whipped up a spicy treat of Chilli Crab and a Prawn Curry last night. But my end of the bargain, as always, was to bring the cheese. No wonder I get invited to a lot of dinners…hmmmm Still working my way through the cheese accumulated from my European trip, I brought along a Gouda from my friends at Wijngaard and Reypenaer in Amsterdam. This was from their specialty cheese range, which infuses other ingredients like herbs and truffles. The Affiné Zontomaat Bieslook (Affiné Cheese with Sun-Dried…

    Read More
  • Cheese,  Middle East,  Travel,  Unusual Cheeses,  White Cheese

    Feeling Ropey – All Wound Up About Shelal Cheese

    September 13, 2013

    Something had me doing a cartoon-like double take in Spinney’s supermarket this week (and it wasn’t the bill, altough I do tend to leave this place feeling violated and not in a good way). While cruising past the olives and nestled next to the pickles in the deli area I found this interesting sight – Closer inspection revealed it to be a cheese of some description, but the guy behind the counter was unhelpful – “It could be a cheese, I don’t know”. So I took a punt, bought a hunk and set off home to investigate. Turns out this is shelal cheese (Jibneh Shelal), known now amongst hipsters and…

    Read More
  • Cheese,  Feta,  Food,  Middle East,  Sweden,  Travel,  White Cheese

    For Feta or For Worse

    August 25, 2013

    My love of the salty goodness of feta is well documented on this blog and my waistline. So I was the happiest traveler in the sky recently when I had the chance to fly from Stockholm to Doha on the Qatar Airways Dreamliner and the menu featured this tasty little morsel. A moist piece of feta cheese, rolled on sesame seeds. For once also served at the right temperature, along with a tomato salsa. I am learning that feta, in some for or another, is made in countries around the world. It is simply a farmer’s cheese and I have tried varieties in Turkey, Central Europe and of course, the…

    Read More
  • Cheese,  Food,  Sweden,  Travel,  Unusual Cheeses

    Baby I was Bjorn This Way – Cheese, Meatballs and ABBA in Stockholm

    August 23, 2013

    I am going to be brutally honest. I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. The main reason I went to Stockholm was to visit Abba – The Museum (and visit friends NOT called Benny or Bjorn) and pay homage to the supergroup that had a significant impact on my childhood, and yes, my adulthood. Australia was the first country outside of Sweden to really embrace ABBA and all its campness. ‘Australia was the first country that took ABBA to heart and we never forgot about that. We always felt a lot of love from audiences there,’’ Bjorn Ulvaeus once said. I was not immune. I had their albums,…

    Read More
  • Cheese,  European Cheese,  Food,  Gouda,  The Netherlands,  Travel,  White Cheese,  wine

    For a Gouda Time, Head to Amsterdam

    August 23, 2013

    I’m scratching my head. I’m a well traveled, adventurous woman. Why haven’t I been to Amsterdam before? This is a city that is tailor made for me – everywhere is walking distance, stunning art galleries, chilled vibe and more importantly, a cheese loving populace. My home for my quick visit was the seriously stylish Andaz Amsterdam, located on the edge of the funky Nine Streets area and frankly, one of the most fabulous hotels I have stayed in. The Netherlands is not known for its cuisine, but it is known for its cheese. Gouda to be more precise. Now I have been scornful of this cheese in the past, until…

    Read More
  • British,  Cheese,  European Cheese,  Food,  Restaurant Reviews,  Travel,  White Cheese,  wine

    The Long Whey Round

    August 23, 2013

    I usually don’t buy the conception of “it’s not the destination, but the journey”. Given my short attention span and inability to sit still (I am what is called, fidgety) and aversion to walking long distances, I usually choose the shortest possible route. However, on my recent European sojourn, I deliberately took the slow boat/train/plane. This resulted in me being more frazzled that usual (I love traveling, hate the process) but I did manage to see four countries in 12 days – UK, The Netherlands, Sweden and finally Oman. If it appears this journey was chosen by randomly throwing darts at a map of the world, you would be close.…

    Read More