I admire the people of Mexico and their devotion to all things cheese-related. I mean, what’s a taco without cheese? But I am stereotyping this great country and its’ food. It’s much more than tacos and enchiladas. That said, it is hard to find authentic Mexican food in the Middle East, or anywhere outside of Mexico and the US.To make authentic Mexican food, you need a Mexican chef. Which is why I am hightailing it down to The Sheraton Doha tonight to check out a Mexican chef, Demian, in his unnatural habitat. For one week only, the Sheraton is hosting this chef for a Mexican Gastronomic Week, with a special…
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Never Get Feta Up With This Cheese
Ahhhh Feta. Not only is the sharp yet creamy taste something to savor, you can basically to anything with it – salads, sandwiches, stuff it into things (other food I mean you evil people), drizzle it with oil. Back at Grand Hyatt Muscat for the weekend, I managed to convince them to serve up one of my favorite breakfasts -feta, olive oil and tomato on bread. I’ve written of this before, but the cheese on this occasion was a kind of feta I haven’t come across before. It was firm yet creamy and you can see the ripple marks from the basket it was brined in. There was no comparison…
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Solidarity for Philippines and Somalia
While I joke about my #whitegirlproblems, I do lead a blessed life. One of the exceptional things about living int he Middle East is meeting people from around the globe. I am fortunate to have friends and colleagues from dozens of countries including The Philippines and Somalia. While the situation in The Philippines is well documented, the recent Cyclone in Somalia may have passed you by. I was especially moved when at a special event at my workplace, colleagues spoke movingly about the plight of people in both countries. Today in Qatar has been earmarked as a day of solidarity for our friends in both countries, and I urge you…
- British, British cheese, Cheddar, Cheese, Comte, European Cheese, events, Food, France, French, Media, Middle East, Restaurant Reviews, Travel, wine
Fromage to Eternity
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,…
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Stuck on Bleu
You can dine in Michelin Star restaurants in far flung destinations, immerse yourself in the language of haute cuisine and bathe in truffle oil. But at the end of he day, it is fresh, simply prepared and unadulterated food that will win my vote every time. I had the pleasure of experiencing just this recently at Opal by Gordon Ramsay. This thin crust pizza with pear, a eggplant paste, bleu cheese and parmesan with a sprinkling of pine nuts was the perfect combination of sweet, savory, salty and crunchy. I had to restrain myself. But at the same meal, I was blown away with something many of us dismissed on…
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Feeling Ropey – All Wound Up About Shelal Cheese
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…
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Middle Eastern Promise
There are eight new cheeses currently sitting in my fridge to try. But all week, I have been craving Lebanese food, specifically Fatteh. In my world, this is the perfect combination of salty, crunchy, creamy and savory (with the exception of a grilled cheese sandwich). Because I have been on a healthy living kick, buying it from one of the local restaurants wasn’t a option, given it can involve a lot of oil. Fatteh actually means crushed or crumbed. My version has chickpeas, oven baked eggplant, toasted pita and of course a garlicky yoghurt sauce with tahina and lemon. Some people like theirs with ground lamb or chicken, I like…
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Life on the Wedge – in the Media
Thanks to my friends at Time Out Doha, perhaps one of the most read magazines in the country, for featuring me and my wisdom about blogging in their August issue. Doha’s Best Websites As a result, my parents now know how I spend my spare time!
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Life on the Wedge…in the media
It’s always great when you realize that people, other than your mum and your friends who do so under duress, read your musings. This month Time Out Doha have featured my blog as part of their look into the online world in Qatar. Enjoy! Doha’s Best Websites
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I’m Nacho Friend
There comes a time, in every girl’s life, when she must go to places that polite people don’t talk about at dinner parties. In Doha, one of those places is Paloma. The blurb says “where Texas meets Mexico”. It’s more like “Where Drunk People Meet More Drunk People”. Before 8pm, it’s a somewhat decent Tex Mex Restaurant. After then, when the hotpants-wearing Columbian band takes the stage, it becomes something different. I was there to celebrate a friend’s birthday and perversely because I had never been. And because we also had a coupon. The menu stretches the full gamut of tacos, enchiladas and some good looking fajitas. Spotting the opportunity…
