One of the interesting things about living in the Middle East is that literally there is never a dull moment. Last week, Doha alone saw the President of France and the US Secretary of State visit. Then there was the opening of the Taliban (you read right) office. These guys are such bad neighbors. Not a single invite to tea and it has been a week. More exciting has been something that regardless of your background, you may only witness once in a lifetime. That is, the abdication of a ruler. It happened recently in The Netherlands, and now, just yesterday, it happened in Qatar. Qatar’s Emir to Transfer Power…
-
-
Sweet Cheeses – When Cheese Meets Dessert
The French have a phrase – savoire vivre – which basically means living a good life while staying elegant and smart. In my mind, the Lebanese are the embodiment of this. They manage to live a good life, look remarkable at the same time as dealing with the chaos that regularly breaks out around them. Their food is also an illustration of this – elegantly complex. While many words have been written about the wonders of Lebanese mezze and other savory dishes, this country has also given the world some pretty extraordinary desserts. I was given a fabulous surprise by the boys who run Al Balad Qatar on Monday. They…
-
When is a Cheese Not a Cheese? When it’s a “Cheese Food”
My lack of pretension about food and in particular, cheese is well known. I have always been in the “if it tastes good…don’t ask questions” school. But while researching something food-related for my real day job (which is in PR by the way), I came across this interesting piece about the facts and the science behind processed cheese. 10 Things to Know About Processed Cheese When I say “processed cheese”, apparently what I really mean is “cheese food”. As it can’t actually be classified as “cheese”. “Cheese food” is a food product made from normal cheese and sometimes other unfermented dairy ingredients, plus emulsifiers, extra salt, food colorings, or whey.…
-
Are You Going My Whey?
I thought I had exhausted the repertoire of Cheeses of the Middle East. That is until I came across Baladi cheese. Baladi is a soft, white cheese originated in the Middle East. It is known Jibneh Khadra or Jibnah Baladi in Arabic. In local language, Baladi means local cheese made from a flock of “baladi” goats. Alternatively, it is also called ‘cheese of the mountains’ because it is made in high mountains all over Lebanon by the local shepherds. Since Baladi is made from unpasteurized mixture of goat, cow and sheep’s milk, it has to be consumed within three days. The cheese appears similar to Akawie, but it has more…
-
You Goat-a Love This Cheese
My affection for Lebanon is well documented. And when I needed a little bit of comfort food after a stressful and somewhat strung out week, I called for reinforcements from the Levant. Despite my whinging and revisionist tendencies of former residents, there is quite to love about where I live. The variety of fabulous food just a phone call and Evil Kenieval motorbike trip away. Malaysian, Turkish, Chinese, Mexican, Italian…and of course Lebanese joints are all within shouting distance. This includes the terrific little eatery Al Balad I was actually craving a dish called Eggplant Fatteh – comfort food personified – which is fried strips of eggplant with toasted pita,…
-
Shanklish for the Memories
My affection for the Middle East is well know, after all, I have lived here for most of my thirties and now my forties. I have a special affection for Lebanon. Perhaps the only country where, at 11pm, a nice, quiet restaurant will turn into a full blown nightclub. I asked a Lebanese friend about this once. He was blunt. “You know the history of Lebanon. On any given day we could be invaded, attacked or whatever. So why not party?” Words to live by I say. Their food, or food from the Levantine region is some of the most complex and interesting in the world. Drawing from the Middle…
-
Say cheese – My 15 Minutes of Fame
I recently had my 15 minutes of blogger fame when I was interveiwed by the fab people at The Blognerds We talked about cheese and life after I finish my 365 cheeses… You can read the interview here: Interview With Life on the Wedge
-
Romy With a View aka Eating Cheese Like an Egyptian
Egypt is known for many things – the pyramids, the Pharaohs, the Nile and dodgy souvenirs. It’s not necessarily known for it’s cheeses. But, there is evidence of the ancient Egyptians making cheese more than 4000 years ago. So it is true, the ancient Egyptians invented everything…even cheese. This said, I was more than a little excited when checking into my hotel, the Four Seasons First Residence in Cairo this weekend, to discover a cheese platter complete with a sample of Romy, also known as “Egyptian Parmesan”. In Egypt and Middle East people know this cheese as Romy Cheese or Gebnah Romy while in Alexandria it is known as gebnah…
-
Labne…labne my cheese addiction…
Sitting in my fridge, nestled next to the Mint Slices, are a lovely wedge of Machego and a ceramic pot full of stinky Stilton. I had all intentions of tasting them and blogging about their fabulosity this past week and a bit, but life and a bout of the flu got in the way. They will remain in the fridge for another few days as today I have decided to write about a cheese that changed my idea of what a cheese actually was. And this post is also a tribute to a little country that is close to my heart and again finds itself on the precipice of chaos.…