your food mag october issue

BBQ

Issu

e

FIRE UP THE GRILL

FoodMag

Your

ISSUE 03OCTOBER 2015

SEE YOU IN THE GARDEN!

DELIGHTFUL RECIPES FOR YOUR NEXT BBQ BASH

THE NATURAL SWEETENER

BUDGET-FRIENDLY MEALS FOR TWOCREATING AN IDYLLIC PICNIC

SETTING

Escape to a ve-star luxury oasis, that is only a short drive away from Downtown Dubai, on the shores of the Arabian Gulf. Complete with a 500-metre, white sand private beach, Kempinski Hotel Ajman is tailored to meet your hearts every desire.

Ajman the perfect getaway...

YOUR GUIDE

2 Editors note

4 Whats on: Dining Diary

Whats happening & where in the local

culinary scene this month

7 Produce Picks: Figs

The nutritious, aromatic, luscious and natural sweetener

9 Best Buys: A BBQ fest

Must-haves to host great grilling & BBQing evenings

11 Helping Hands: On the kitchen shelves

Make space for these white goods

12 Tried-and-tested: Fresh and Light

Your Food Mags editorial rep dines &

reviews Sun&, Palm Jumeriah

YOUR KITCHEN

16 Recipes: Fire up the grill

Delight friends and family at your next

BBQ bash with these recipes

22 Recipes: Cheap and cheerful

Budget-friendly meals for two

26 Global Cuisine: A hearty Brazilian bite

Rich Brazilian recipes and tales from the

kitchenette of Dubai-based Fernanda Troy

31 Quick Cooking: Your 5-minute-meal

Dish up: Lemon Pepper Popcorn

YOUR WORLD

34 Global Event: Edible Luxury

This month smell, taste and buy the white truffles

at The Alba International White Truffle Fair, Italy

36 Interview: Rich meals, shoestring budget

Author Leanne Brown on empowering people to

eat well with a budget as low as $4 a day!

40 Theme Talk: See you in the gardens!

Creating an idyllic picnic setting

42 Travel: Singapore Sojourn

A culinary love story

46 Quick Chat: Real men cook!

Getting to know Michael Kreiling, Executive

Chef, Kempinski Hotel Ajman

48 My life on a plate: Dubai Standard Time

Your Food Mag editor Purva Grover shares her

culinary dilemmas in this monthly column

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Yourfoodmag.com OCTOBER 2015 01

Everybody loves a BBQ. No sooner does the

temperature drop a

little, the air fills up with

aromas of marinades.

October is a call to fire up the grill

and round up friends and family, and

feast. In our BBQ issue, we celebrate

all things BBQ. Skewers, corn on

the cob holders, tongs, and baking

brushes, load your apron pockets

with it all and get ready to roast

and grill, everything from kebabs

to steak to seafood. Plus, try out the

vegetarian friendly grilled dishes,

along with side dishes and the good

ol BBQ sauce. Were thinking of

hosting a BBQ sauce competition at

our bash, what are the fun activities

youve got planned? Do drop us a

line and share images from your

feast, and yes, we recommend you

skip the soda, instead go in for fresh

juices, iced teas or lemonades.

Now, if not a BBQ bash, we suggest

you create a perfect picnic setting,

in the backyard or garden, or at the

beach or even a playground! Its

time to be outdoor and take a break

from the air-conditioning environs.

In the pages, we also bust the myth

that eating on a budget means boring

food, browse through our cheap and

cheerful recipes for two. We also have

an interview with author Leanne

Brown of cookbook Good and Cheap:

Eat Well on $4/Day, where we discover

lip-smacking meals prepared on

shoestring budgets. The free PDF

of the book has been downloaded

over 800,000 times! Right now,

its sitting on our desktops too.

In our quest to see whats cooking

in the kitchens of Dubai, we reach

the kitchenette of Fernanda Troy and

help ourselves to generous portions

of roasted Brazilian meats and lend

an ear to tales from the land.

We also invite you to fly with us

to Singapore and join us we culture

hop on the island. On the menu,

meals that are a blend of Indian

spices, Chinese cooking techniques,

Eurasian aromas and Malayan

ingredients. Our regulars will guide

you to lovely shopping, dining,

travelling and cooking experiences.

We wish you a gorgeous

grilling and BBQing season!

Until we meet again,

Eat well, read more & share widely.

Yourfoodmag.com42 OCTOBER 2015 Yourfoodmag.com OCTOBER 2015 43

Have you eaten? and not How are you? is how one is greeted in Singapore. Presenting a culinary love tale from the island. Here, culture hopping meets gastronomical high.

YOUR WORLD

TRAVEL

ingapore conjures up an image of all things modern and illustrious. Whats missing in this image though is the fact that splendid Singapore is also a melting pot of cultures.

Eurasians, Malays, Chinese and Indians migrated to this island city-state a very long time ago, and their interactions with one another gave rise to what we know as the Singaporean cuisine. Strong influences of the Indian spice box, Chinese cooking techniques, Eurasian aromas and Malayan ingredients and produce makes Singapore a truly food obsessed destination.

Raise a toastIndulging in countless cups of coffee is not new to the

SINGAP ORE SOJOU RN

Clarke Quays picturesque setting with abundant food choices makes the historical riverside quay a must-visit

Words AANANDIKA SOOD

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locals, although it is only recently that many international chains have set shop here. The coffee shop in the neighbourhood has always been the place to engage in conversations with friends for long, uninterrupted hours. No wonder their coffee is strong, and large! Begin your day with a hot kopi (coffee) or teh (tea) with a Kaya toast. The toast is not just a go-to-snack but an ultimate comfort food too. It is prepared with kaya (coconut jam), a topping of sugar, coconut milk and eggs, pandan (a tropical plant used for flavouring), and sometimes margarine or butter. You can choose to have it spread on wafer thin brown bread or traditional toasted crackers. The many coffee shops will remain in your memory bank for a while, not just for the brew but also for their striking names like Kickstart Brewiches, Papa Palheta, Strangers Reunion, The Spiffy Dapper, Carpenter and Cook and Hungry Chimps.

Local flavours If you are itching to get the taste of the local flavours then a visit to one of the many hawker centres is a must. The humble centres are semi-enclosed rows of food stalls that came into being after the government banned street hawking. A visit to the centres are also a very good way to make friends with the locals, for on this land, people greet you with a Have you eaten? instead of a How are you?! When in doubt about picking a place to eat, just look for the longest queue outside a hawkers shop or ask a local friend. Dont be surprised if someone decides to abandon what he/she was doing to escort you to a popular eatery and then wait with you till your turn arrives! Eat the Chilli Crabs here. The authentic and most

enjoyable seafood dish served with freshly baked buns known as mantou. Or if you are a meat person then indulge in juicy satays, grilled meat on skewers with cucumber, pressed rice cakes, sliced onions and served with peanut sauce. Dont leave the place till youve had your share of Singaporean noodles, the stir-fried curried rice noodles with shrimp, pork, and vegetables. Escape the heat by biting into the Ice Kachang, a popular Malaysian dessert.The variety of food available at these centres is

staggering. Think: Black Pepper Crab, Hokkien Mee, BBQ chicken wings, Kway Chap, Lor Mee and Chwee Kueh! Desserts like Cendol and Tau Suan, and the very traditional soya bean curd are also available here. The best bit being that the hawkers stay true to their concept of offering good quality food at really cheap prices.If you eat too much here then dont worry, generally a

shopping complex is located near these hawker centres. What could be better than digesting the food while you explore the lovely items on sale at the many shop counters!

Spice boxLittle India resembles a Tamilian neighbourhood and is known as Tekka in the local Tamil community. Lined up with eateries on both the sides, it houses quite a few of the famous Indian restaurants, serving both North and South Indian cuisine. This is the place you go to for the world renowned Fish Head Curry. This dish of Indian origin dish has no

EDITOR 'S NOTE

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ith no truffle dogs to take the lead, it is impossible to get ones hands on truffles, the prized fungi. Yes, were

it not for these trained dogs sniffing powers the worlds most expensive delicacy would have gone unexplored. No wonder, the 85th edition of the Alba International White Truffle Fair, Alba, Italy has been dedicated to the truffle dog! The festival dates back to the year 1928 when it was conceived as a harvest festival and this year it will be celebrated from October 11 to November 15, 2015. The fair starts with the Palio degli Asini or the donkey race, which sees the jockeys coaxing the donkeys to oblige! A medieval costume parade where people dress up as noblemen, soldiers, knights and more, carrying trumpets and drums is another highlight. Scenes representing the history of the region too are enacted with full fanfare. Truffles are the edible fungi, which

are available only during a couple of months of the year and exclusive to a handful of areas in Italy. The months of October and November see many truffle festivals take place in northern and central Italy but its this large scale fair that truly celebrates the luxurious

mushroom. During the course of the fair, the penetrating, faintly garlicky aroma of white truffles pervade the entire town, especially in the Galleria della Maddalena where buyers from all over the world purchase the white truffles from over 100 stalls that are set up at the Maddalena courtyard. Other prime produces from the region like cheese, sausages, cured meats and honey are also available to buy, touch, smell and taste. The quality of produce is assured by a panel of experts who inspect each truffle before it makes to the market and also remain at hand to answer any visitor queries. The local restaurants dish up a whole range of dishes like pastas, risottos, eggs, veggies and more, all featuring the truffles as a prime ingredient.If you plan to attend the fair, the

visit could be a double whammy as Alba is not only home to the prized white variety of truffles but it is also located at the heart of the scenic Langhe region, which was named as UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014.

FESTIVAL KNOW-HOW

When: October 11- November 15, 2015

Where: Alba, Italy

To know more: fieradeltartufo.org

The Alba International White Truffle Fair, Italy celebrates the white truffles - the king of fungi and one of the worlds most expensive and luxurious foods

Truffles grow on the

roots of truffle oaks, often

less than 30 cm below the

surface. To date, no one

has been able to cultivate

truffles: they grow randomly

in certain regions. The more

truffle oak seedlings are

planted, the more chances

exist for harvesting some.

The size of the truffle varies

considerably ranging from

10 to 100 grams.

The French claim to hunt

for the truffles using pigs

whereas the Italians use

trained dogs to do so.

White truffles arent cooked

as heating ruins their taste.

They are shaved or grated.

Generally, aficionados serve

it in paper thin slices on

risottos, pastas, meats, egg

dishes and cheese fondues.

You can go truffle hunting

only with a certified truffle

hunter and his dog, from

September to January.

Few experts suggest that

truffles should be eaten

within three days of being

procured while others say

that they can be stored in a

glass bottle in a refrigerator

for up to a week.

Truffles are generally used

in goose liver pt, in sauces,

omelettes, scrambled eggs,

compound butters, and

baked in puff pastry.

White truffles are more expensive than black. Other less-valued truffles are grey

(tuber miesentericum) and tuber aestivum (red-grained black truffle). Connoisseurs

consider grey truffles found in North America unworthy of their attention.

The cost of truffles varies like gold. Estimated price varies between 6,000 to 10,000

USD (Dh22,000-37,000) per pound, depending on their availability and quality.

The Associate Press had once reported of a real estate investor and his wife from

Hong Kong having paid 160,406 USD (Dh589,163) for a gigantic Italian White Alba

truffle, which is reportedly the worlds most expensive ever.

KING OF FUNGI

EDIBLE LUXURY

34 OCTOBER 2015 OCTOBER 2015 35

YOUR WORLD

GLOBAL EVENT

TRUFFLE KNOW-HOW

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A HEART Y BRAZILIAN BIT E

Yourfoodmag.comYourfoodmag.com26 OCTOBER 2015 OCTOBER 2015 27

If theyre not brewing coffee, theyre roasting meats, toasting cassava flour or baking banana cake. In Fernanda Troys Brazilian kitchen, were greeted by the richness and variety of cultures that have left a stamp on Brazils culinary map.


Each of the five regions in Brazil is worth a culinary exploration. NORTH Influences: Portuguese and Native Brazilian Indians.Ingredients: Manioc and yam (root vegetables), peanuts, fish and aa berry.Must-eats: Surubim (an Amazon-specific fish, often grilled), Bombom de Cupuau (milk chocolate-covered bonbons made using condensed milk and the creamy superfruit cupuau) and Tacac (soup made from tucupi broth, the liquid that remains after processing manioc for starch).

NORTH-EASTInfluences: Native Brazilian Indians, African and Portuguese.Ingredients: Tropical fruits such as mango, guava, passion fruit, and pineapple, okra, black beans, white rice, coconut, seafood and shellfish.Must-eats: Acaraj (similar to a falafel but made with black-eyed peas), Bob de Camaro (thick and luscious shrimp stew) and Xim Xim de Galinha (a braised-chicken dish made with coconut milk and dried shrimp).

CENTRAL-WESTInfluences: Amerindian, African and Portuguese.Ingredients: Fish, beef and pork, soybean, rice, corn, and manioc.Must-eats: Carne Seca com Banana Verde (sun-dried meat sauted with onions, garlic, and tomatoes), Empado Goiano (savoury pie made with chicken, sausage, cheese, etc.) and Farofa com Banana (sauted bananas and onions mixed with toasted manioc flour).

SOUTHInfluences: Italian and German. Ingredients: Leafy vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, butter, cheese and cornmeal. Must-eats: Arroz de Carreteiro (a fusion between fried rice and risotto), Churrasco and Tainha na Telha (local fish stuffed with small shrimp, onions, etc.)

SOUTHEASTInfluences: Italian, African, Portuguese, Spanish and Arab.Ingredients: Corn, pork, beans, and local soft ripened cheeses.Must-eats: Aipim Frito (French Fries of Brazil, but made with yucca), Coxinha and Pastel de Camaro (empanada made with shrimp).

REGIONAL FLAVOURS

YOUR KITCHEN

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Words PURVA GROVER

n Brazil, Sundays are family days. Its also the day when lunch hopping is looked

upon as an acceptable courteous norm, and hence irrespective of the time you walk into a home for a luncheon abundant warm hugs and delicacies await. Both late comers and unexpected arrivals are welcomed with pleasure on such afternoons. Its a day reserved for family and food, says Fernanda Troy, Families get together and prepare food from scratch. Of course, coffee flows as the dishes get prepared. Its such Sundays that Fernanda misses the most about her home country, Brazil. Fernanda hails from So Paulo, Southeast Brazil and whilst she grew up eating contemporary Brazilian dishes she holds the traditional delicacies close to her heart. No wonder she has sprinkled her love for Brazil on to her work, she prepares and sells traditional Brazilian treats under the name Gula Delights (guladelights.com). As she prepared a fresh batch of savoury and sweet delicacies, I

quizzed her on the Brazilian ways of cooking, eating and serving.

Sunday meals

Tradition has it that Sundays were reserved for large portion of Feijoada, thick black bean stew served with rice, prepared with beef, and a variety of other meats. Its known as our national dish but it was brought to Brazil from the Portuguese and adapted by the African slaves. History suggests that the slaves prepared it with the discarded parts of the animal which they smuggled in from the houses of their masters. These slaves worked under the harsh sun and the ingredients, especially the beans provided them energy for the long hours. These days, whist Feijoada is cooked using sausages, rice, vegetables and of course black beans, other dishes have been added to the Sunday lunch menu, Lasagne, Churrasco and Macarronada Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce are the favourites. Churrasco, the essential Brazilian barbecue, usually happens on

Yourfoodmag.comYourfoodmag.com

t is warm, yet not too sunny. A perfect picnic day. October is the ideal time to gather ones crew of friends and family for

a casual alfresco meal outdoors. Choose a spot on the greenest patch in your backyard or at the beach, park or even playground. Next, create an idyllic picnic ambience. A picnic blanket is a must, the most common being the red and white gingham. Or add a colourful accent with mats, beach towels, bed sheets or foldable and light-weight camping chairs. Create an intimate, relaxed feel by throwing in a bunch of cushions and pillows in cheerful hues. Create a handful of accent

pieces by placing a posy in baskets, tiny pots, glass jars or even coffee mugs. Carry bite-sized nibbles in chic suitcases in colours like pinks, yellows, purples and oranges that complement the bark of the tree, grass or the exposed wood table. A distressed table can hold other picnicking essentials like books, board games and say a Frisbee; or rest a guitar on the tables leg. For an evening picnic, bring out the lanterns and tea-light candles. Pine cones or pebbles in wicker baskets will add a rustic charm to the whole setting. So go ahead and turn a ho-hum weekend into a day full of catching butterflies, loads of laughter and napping in the shade of a tree.

Personalise outdoor spaces with these simple, rustic and colourful picnic dcor ideas

SEE YOU IN T HE GARDENS!

40 OCTOBER 2015 OCTOBER 2015 41

YOUR WORLD

THEME TALK

GET INVOLVED Is there a get-together theme youd like to learn more about? Email us on [email protected] to let us know, and we

may just publish it in an upcoming issue.

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October 2015: A glance at what awaits.

Editor-in-chief Mohammed Ahmed

CEONick Lowe

Managing PartnerFred Dubery

Chief Financial OfficerKim Bacon

AdministratorMaria Nunez

EditorPurva Grover

With thanks to Pauline Francis, Yousef Ara, Apoorva Agrawal, Megha Sharma, Ignacio Urrutia

Published byPhoenix Digital PublishingClover Bay Tower (2nd Floor),Business Bay

P.O. Box 123997,Dubai, United Arab Emiratesyourfoodmag.com

The publisher doesnt

accept any liability for

errors or inaccuracies in

this magazine. All content

is updated to the best of

our knowledge. All the

information contained herein

is general, and readers

are advised to consult a

specialist before acting on

any advice provided here.

Registered with DED

Trade License No: 736432

Purva

Yourfoodmag.com02 OCTOBER 2015


Beautifully bready, salady and meaty dishes! Nandos menu has made space for a selection of brand new, perincredible chicken and vegetarian crisp burgers, wholesome pitas and tangy wraps. Bite into a Chicken Breast Wrap, a generously filled wrap with tender chicken breast, chilli jam, fresh lettuce and a tangy yoghurt sauce. Surprisingly, the chefs have dished up delights for the vegetarians too! Black mushrooms and creamy halloumi are grilled to perfection and served as the toasted Black Mushroom & Halloumi Wrap with tangy yoghurt sauce. Or indulge in the Roasted Veggie Wrap, stuffed with couscous salad, goat cheese, pickled red onions, eggplant and hummus. Whilst waiting for your main to arrive, lick the bowl of the Red Pepper Dip clean. Find a restaurant near you at nandos.ae,

call 600 54 25 25

Golden Week, Chinas biggest annual national holiday, is a popular period of time when the Chinese travel significantly around the world to experience luxury offerings. To mark the occasion, Hakkasan, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai will offer a supreme dim sum platter featuring a Lychee and lobster dumpling, Abalone shu mai with caviar, Alaskan king crab dumpling, and a Golden Chilean seabass dumpling. In addition, the menu will offer guests the exclusive Golden Macaron covered in gold leaf and filled with a honeycomb ganache and a signature drink, the Golden Orchard will also be available. The limited edition menu

is on offer till October 18,

Dh228, 04-3848484

' P E R ' INCREDIBLE DELIGH TS

THE GOLDEN WEEK

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BAR-B-Q PARTYThe BBQ party just got bigger!

Taste the flavours of the finest

Middle Eastern, Turkish and

Tandoori BBQ specialties

accompanied by a selection

of fresh salads, vegetables and

breads at Urban Kitchen, Dusit

Thani, Abu Dhabi. The Urban

Barbecue buffet invites you to

sample authentic flavours and

generation-old recipes from

each region, created by their

star chefs. Dh129, per person,

every Monday, Wednesday,

call 02-698 8888

BEACHSIDE BBQA BBQ evening with the

sound of the ocean waves as

your backdrop awaits at the

family-friendly restaurant Plaj,

Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai.

Enjoy panoramic views of the

Arabian Gulf as you savour in a

starter and dessert from the Ala

carte menu, and choose from

a selection of grilled meats like

Rib Eye and Lamb Chops for

the mains. Dh280, per person,

every Tuesday, Friday,

Saturday (6 pm onwards), call

04-4530444

CHOCOHOLICS ONLY Sanabel, Sheraton Dubai,

Mall of the Emirates Hotel has

brought back its Chocoholic

Brunch. Learn about chocolate

production from the bean to

the gourmet delights before

indulging in bespoke saffron

and cardamom (and more!)

chocolates. Journey into the

Chocolate Room, filled with

chocolate art as connoisseurs

tempt you with the aroma of an

exclusive tea blend topped with

chocolate smoke. For Dh199

onwards, 04-3772353

LAZY LUNCHESSample authentic down-under

dishes and watch Saturday

afternoons drift by as you

experience the Saturday Lazy

Lunch in the Australian-inspired

surroundings at Bushmans

Restaurant & Bar, Anantara

Dubai, The Palm Resort and

Spa. Select outback appetisers

from the 'grazing stations',

enjoy a main course from the

a la carte menu, and then stop

by at the dessert station. For

Dh220 onwards, Saturday

(1-4pm), 04 -5678304

InterContinental Hotels Group has launched its culinary journey promotion. The initiative features signature dishes from its panel of culinary ambassadors offering diners the chance to sample exciting food from renowned and celebrated chefs at restaurants across InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels in Dubai. On the menu is a series of seven bespoke three-

course menus spanning cuisines like Indian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and more. Guests get to choose from a selection of three appetisers, three main courses and three desserts, with options such as Chef Sam Leongs signature Wasabi Prawns, Chef Vikas Khannas Masala Chai Brule and Chef Theo Randalls Fish Stew.On offer till November 15, ihg.com

CHE F ' S S P ECIA L ON L Y !

YOUR GUIDE

WHAT'S ON

Go Healthy with DinnerTime!www.dinnertime.me

I t isnt hard to imagine why, before the days of refined sugar, fig - the plump, tender, pear-shaped luscious fruit, was used as a natural sweetener. This mildly crunchy fruit, native to the Middle East and Mediterranean, emits an irresistible soft honeyed, fragrant aroma. Hundreds of minute edible seeds are held together in its soft, succulent, fibrous reddish-purple flesh lending it a distinctive chewy texture.

With only 74 calories per 100 grams and plenty of health benefiting phyto-nutrients, minerals, soluble fibre, anti-oxidants and vitamins A, E and K, figs are a deliciously healthy choice. In fact, this low cal fruit, with high fibre content, nourishes and tones the intestines and acts as a natural laxative too. They also contain prebiotics, which means the pre-existing good bacteria in the gut is taken care of and you are well on the path to digestive well-being. Due to the fact they have high

potassium content, they can counteract the urinary excretion of calcium caused by high salt diets, reducing the risk of osteoporosis in the long run.

Eat them raw, drizzled with honey or salted and toasted with cream. Pair them with soft goat cheese, mozzarella or blue cheese. The no-fuss fruit can also be roasted, grilled or poached. Enjoy them wrapped in cured meats like bacon and ham or else poach them in fortified grape beverages divine! Make a conserve with spices like cinnamon and cloves to enhance their flavour.

The quickly perishable fruit is often preserved as a nutritious dried snack to be enjoyed all-year-round. Dried figs bring to mind delights such as toffee fig muffins and pies, spiced baked fig cheesecakes and fudgy fig rolls, but you could just snack on them or add them to soup, stews or salads. On a hot day, indulge in marinated figs with raspberry sauce or a scoop of fig ice cream!

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PRODUCE PICKS

OCTOBER 2015 07

Enjoy a tantalizing brunch menu prepared in three open kitchens - one each for wok, grill, and noodles every Friday at The Thai Kitchen.

AED375 per person including soft drinks and extensive house beveragesAED299 per person including soft drinks and selected house beveragesAED240 per person including soft drinks, juices and Thai tea

Every Friday from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm

For more information please call 04 317 2222 or visit restaurants.dubai.hyatt.com

Park Hyatt Dubai, PO Box 2822, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

An extensive menu of authentic Thai dishes prepared by native chefsStriking atmosphere reminiscent of the hustle and bustle of downtown BangkokAl Fresco seating with a stunning backdrop of The Creek

The trademark HYATT, PARK HYATT and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt international Corporation. 2015 Hyatt International Corporation. All rights reserved.

Put on a sunhat, slip into a loose t-shirt and grab an apron with pockets to hold your grilling tools. Lay out the food, family-style, on a big outdoor table and let the fest begin. Here are a few must-haves to host great grilling & BBQing evenings. 1. Crate and Barrels Fall collection for 2015 is a curated

assortment inspired by the cosy lifestyle and warm colours of the season. Add fun, colour and style to your BBQ table with their elegant range of dishes, cutlery, tableware, et al. At Crate and Barrel - City Centre Mirdif and Mall of the Emirates; crateandbarrel.com

2. Infuse your fest with this set of four Pedra coasters from Anna New York. Lovingly hand polished in Brazil, these coasters are crafted from semi-precious agate taken from

ancient lava streams. Vibrantly coloured, they have a rough, uneven edge which exemplifies the material used and no two pieces are the same, making each set truly fabulous; amara.com

3. Get your hands on eating and cooking tools: spoons, knives, measuring spoons, spatula, et al. Marks and Spencers ornate cutlery set with lovely vintage designed handles will add a real sense of style to the evening; marksandspencer.com

4. Styled in soft black cotton, this designer apron from J by Jasper Conran has an adjustable strap and eyelet fastening at the neck, a tie-back at the waist and a single front pocket; debenhams.com

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BEST BUYS

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Malecon presents Chef Aleixis straight out of Cuba.Join us for a culinary trip around Latin America with a

sizzling selection of authentic Cuban dishes andthe best cocktails in town.

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Malecon Advert - New Chef-210x297mm.pdf 1 8/31/15 10:36 AM

ON THE KITCHEN SHELVES

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Small, fast and stylish: Kenwood Multifold Processor, featuring Kenwood's latest, in-bowl drive technology, makes it easier for you to prepare great food, each and every day. For Dh439, awok.com

OCTOBER 2015 1 1

YOUR GUIDE

HELPING HANDS

Make space for these white goods

REVIEW

All in the same bowl! Self-titled King of the Risotto, my boss has bragged many times about his perfect technique when making risotto. I, on the other hand, end up making rice soup! Imagine my delight to be able to test The Multi Chef Rice Cooker from Breville. A kitchen appliance that could (amongst many other things like make tender slow cooked meals and fluffy rice and quinoa all in the same cooking bowl) end my risotto making woes. We decided to put it to the test. One recipe (my boss traditional mushroom risotto) cooked by the boss in an old-fashioned way and the same recipe cooked by me in my slow cooker. For me, it was easy. I took all the ingredients, put them in the bowl of the machine, found the setting using the manual (although its very simple to operate even without the instructions) and voila, I was done. I didnt even need to stir the risotto, the cooker automatically turned off when the risotto was done! My boss, on the other hand had to saut, pour and stir, and pay full attention at all times. The results? My boss risotto was fantastic, there is no denying that, but having tasted both, we both agreed that the Breville cooker had not only made a perfect risotto, it had done it practically all by itself. For Dh539, breville.ae

Goodbye oil: If you love fried food with a healthy twist and less mess, then get home Arshias Turbo Generator Air Fryer. For Dh580, Dari Home, darihome.com

Perfect cuppa: Magimix Debenhams exclusive, the Citiz and Milk coffee machine from Nespresso is easy to use with automatic and programmable water quantity control. It has sliding cup support with a built in Aeroccino for perfect cappuccinos and lattes. For, 220.00 (Dh1254), debenhams.com


In the spotlight: Sun&, The Palm Views West, Palm Jumeriah. Takeaways: Appealing dcor, generous portions, fresh produce and value for money.

Sun & is a relaxed, beautifully decorated multipurpose area. You walk into a modern, rustic, charming bar area with a mix of high tables and chairs, and low slung comfortable sofa style chairs. You can just sit and enjoy the drinks and nibbles with friends here, or can choose to either dine Al fresco with views of few beautiful boats that are moored at the mini marina or stay inside and listen to the happy sounds of people laughing and enjoying their evening. We chose to stay indoors and were seated with a nice view of the open kitchen area, which allows you to marvel as the chefs work their magic!

Once seated and furnished with the menu, we had the impossible task of choosing a few dishes from the 30 plus strong candidates. This Mediterranean style restaurant allows you to share dishes with your dining partners. On this occasion, there were two of us sharing so we thought that five dishes would be plenty.

The first dish that was served was one wed never seen or tried before, Grilled halloumi/mint/strawberries. The long platter was lined up with warm pieces of halloumi and covered with a generous amount of the softest, freshest strawberries wed ever eaten. The finely chopped mint that was sprinkled on the dish both for garnishing and flavour was just the right amount, standing on its own yet not interfering in the flavours of the other two ingredients. It was a fantastic start to our meal. Next on our table was the Local ricotta/heirloom tomato/basil/sesame honey salad, the highlight of this colourful dish were the tomatoes in yellow, red and green. The ricotta melted in the mouth, and the honey played its part of adding a soft sweetness to the preparation. The tomatoes, though slightly acidic, were so fresh and juicy that I would have happily ordered multiple portions of the salad all through the night!

F RESH AND LIGH T

Crispy-skin chicken, plump and juicy

Beef cheek ravioli, incredibly rich

Words KIM BACON

Yourfoodmag.com OCTOBER 2015 1 3

Where: Sun&, The Palm Views West, Palm Jumeriah, Dubai,

04 3759333

Ambience: Casual, simplistic charm

Food: Delicious, generous portions

Service: Friendly, knowledgeable staff

Damage: Meal for two, Dh250.

Verdict: Must-go

NEED TO KNOW

GET INVOLVED Would you like to be our reader restaurant reviewer? Email us on [email protected] to tell us why youd like

to be considered, in 50 words or less.

The appealing, lovely interiors of Sun&

Local ricotta/heirloom tomato salad, a colourful delight

Halloumi/Mint/Strawberries, a lovely combination

YOUR GUIDE

TRIED-AND-TESTED

Kim Bacon, editorial rep, Your Food Mag

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Now that last statement would have been true if wed had not ordered for Lamb cutlets/beetroot dip/fattoush/crisp bread. The lamb nestled in the centre was topped with a fresh fattoush salad and with crispy bread, and rested on a layer of a gorgeous pink beetroot dip. Dont let the labelling of the dish under the medium category fool you into believing it is meant for two people only. The enormous serving with four perfectly cooked lamb cutlets and the accompanying fattoush is enough to feed a small army! My dining partner was amazed at how delicious beetroot could taste when cooked with the aid of spices.

The dishes keep reaching you as they are ready, next we savoured a bowl of Beef cheek ravioli/ sage/mushroom/jus. The beef cheek was soft, moist and incredibly rich. We could taste both the beautiful mushrooms enveloped in beef cheek and served alongside, despite the richness of the meat and sauce. My only little grumble was the ravioli was thick round the edges spoiling the otherwise warm, comforting dish. Our last dish, Crispy-skin chicken/caramelised yoghurt/carrots was a work of art. Bite-size pieces of chicken, tiny pieces of carrot and caramelised onion yoghurt dotted the plate. Billed as crispy-chicken, I was a little let down with the crispy quotient of the skin, though the chicken clearly qualified for one of the tastiest I have had in the city: plump and juicy, it upped our dining experience by a notch.

By this point, I was done. I couldnt really eat another thing, I was comfortably full. All the dishes here use light and fresh produce that it doesnt leave you feeling heavy, and so I sat back and indulged in a few drinks from their reasonably priced grape menu. My dining partner couldnt ignore the Carrot cake/cream cheese/walnut. This portion could easily feed two! A salacious looking piece of cake arrived at the table garnished with a mix of fruit chunks. The crunch of the walnut, the subtle sweetness of cake and the fresh dash of the fruits made for a perfect end to a lovely meal, and further convincing me to return to the venue, soon enough.

YOURKITCHEN

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Serves 2

Ingredients: 180g lamb leg boneless 60g red onion 20g parsley 10g cumin powder 30g red pepper 30g cucumber 2g mint leaves 75g yoghurt 8g salt

Instructions:1 Mince the lamb leg.2 Chop red onion and parsley. 3 Mix the cumin powder, chopped onion and parsley. Season well. 4 Cut red peppers into dices. Arrange in skewers, grill and cook until done. 5 Peel and cut the cucumbers into dices. Chop mint leaves. Mix with yoghurt. Season. 6 Serve along the side of skewers.

Recipes youll love to cook up!

Recipes:Fire up the grillDelight friends and family at your next BBQ bash with these recipes

Recipes:Cheap and cheerful Budget-friendly meals for two

Global Cuisine: A hearty Brazilian biteRich Brazilian recipes and tales from the kitchenette of Dubai-based Fernanda Troy

Quick Cooking:Your 5-minute-mealDish up: Lemon Pepper Popcorn

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22

26

31

Cream of Mushroom Soup with Parmesan toasts More budget-friendly

goodness, Page 22

LAMB KOF TA SKEWERS

OCTOBER 2015 15

F I RE U P T H E GR I LLThe dishes have to be the showstoppers at a BBQ bash whether it is the mains, think steaks and kebabs, or it is the sides like sauces, dips and

salads. Weve got you a few recipes that will turn your BBQ bash into a success. Go ahead, delight your friends and family.


The dishes have to be the showstoppers at a BBQ bash whether it is the mains, think steaks and kebabs, or it is the sides like sauces, dips and

salads. Weve got you a few recipes that will turn your BBQ bash into a success. Go ahead, delight your friends and family.

F I RE U P T H E GR I LL

YOUR KITCHEN

RECIPES


Juicy Beef Burger Makes 8 patties

1kggroundbeef(73percentmeatand27percentfatcontent)

mediumsizedonion,finelychopped

2tbspparsley,finelychopped cuppittedolive,finelychopped 2tspgarlicpaste 4tspsoysauce 2tbspWorcestershireSauce

4 Takethemeatoutofthefridge,divideinto8equalportionsandformroundballs.5 Placethemonfoilandpresswithyourpalmtocreatethepatties.6 Cookfor4-5minoneachsideoruntildesireddonenessisachieved.7 Assembletheburgerinanorderthatfitsyourtaste.TopitwithadrizzleofBBQsauce,cheddar,sourcucumber,lettuce,pickledonions,grilledtomatoesorsausage.

2tspchilipowder 1tspblackpepper 1tspgroundcumin 1tspgroundcoriander 1tspsalt

1 Inabowl,gentlymixalltheingredientsuntilcombined.Dontovermix.2 Sealitandletitrestintherefrigeratorforhour.3 PreparetheBBQandhavefiregoingonasteadyrate.

Chicken KebabsServes 4

4skinless,bonelesschickenbreasthalves,cubed

1medium-sizedzucchini,cutinto2inchpieces

1onion,cutintowedges 1largeredbellpepper,cutinto2inchpieces

1cupbarbequesauce

1 Preheatgrillforhighheat.

2 Threadthechicken,zucchini,onion,andredbellpepperpiecesontoskewersalternately.3 Lightlyoilthegrillgrate.Placekebabsonthepreparedgrill,andbrushwithbarbequesauce.4 Cook,turningandbrushingwithbarbequesaucefrequently,for15minutes,oruntilchickenjuicesrunclear.Replacepepperwithtomato,orzucchiniwithyellowpepperorcucumber,ifyouwish.


Yourfoodmag.com

YOUR KITCHEN

RECIPES Lemon-Garlic Lamb ChopsServes 4

1tbspoliveoil 2tbsplemonjuice tsplemonzest,grated 2tbspfreshoregano 6garliccloves,minced tspsalt tsppepper 8lambchops(Approximately

115geach)

1 Inasmallbowlmixtogetheralltheingredients.2 Pourmarinadeoverchopsandletitsitfor20min-1hour.3 Preheatgrillpanandgrilltodesireddoneness.Youcancookthelambhoweveryouprefer,grillpan,broiler,sautpan,etc.

OCTOBER 2015 19

Lentil SaladServes 4

For the salad: 450ggreenlentils 2scallions,chopped 1cupseedlessgreengrapes,halved

1cupseedlessredgrapes,halved

1cucumber,peeled,seededanddiced

1redbellpepper,seededanddiced

cupskinnedandtoasted

hazelnuts,coarselychopped 2tsplemonzest(fromabout2lemons)

For the vinaigrette: 1/3cupfreshlemonjuice(from1to2lemons)

1/3cupextra-virginoliveoil tspseasalt tspfreshlygroundblackpepper

1 Bringalargepotofsaltedwatertoboiloverhighheat.Addthelentilsandcookuntiltender,stirringoccasionally,

about18to20minutes.Drainandletitcoolfor5minutes.2 Placelentilsandremainingsaladingredientsinalargesaladbowl.3 Forthevinaigrette:Placethelemonjuiceinasmallbowl.Slowlyaddtheoil,whiskingconstantly,untilcombined.Seasonwithsaltandpepper,totaste.4 Pourthevinaigretteoverthesaladandtosswell.Addfruitchunks(cherries,berries,etc.)ifyouwish.

SIDES


Pesto-Corn Grilled PeppersServes 8

cup,plus2tspoliveoil,divided cupgratedparmesan 2cupspackedbasilleaves 2tbspwalnuts 4garliccloves cupsweetredpepper,finelychopped

4cupsfreshorfrozencorn,thawed

4mediumsweetred,yelloworgreenpeppers

cupshreddedparmesancheese,optional

1 Forpesto,combinecupoil,gratedcheese,basil,walnutsandgarlicinablender;coverandprocessuntilblended.2 Inalargeskillet,heatremainingoilovermedium-highheat.Addchoppedredpepper;cookandstiruntiltender.Addcornandpesto;heatthrough.3 Halvepepperslengthwise;removeseeds.Grillpeppers,covered,overmediumheat,cutsidedown,8minutes.4 Turn.Fillwithcornmixture.5 Grill4-6minuteslongeroruntiltender.Ifdesired,sprinklewithshreddedcheese.

VEGETARIAN

BBQ SauceMakes 2cup

1cupketchup cupbrownsugar 3mediumgarliccloves,finelychopped

3tbspcidervinegar 3tbspWorcestershiresauce

1tsppaprika tspblackpepper tspcelerysalt cupwater

1 Combinealltheingredientsinasaucepanovermediumheat.2 Bringtoaboil,stirringuntilingredientsarecompletelyincorporated.3 Reduceheattolowandletitsimmeruntiltheflavoursblendandthesaucethickens.Thiswilltakebetween30-40minutes.4 Removefromheat.Cooltoroomtemperature.

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Grilled SalmonMakes 6

1/3cupoliveoil 3tbspreduced-sodiumsoysauce

2tbspDijonmustardteaspoondriedmincedgarlic6salmonfillets(Approximately140geach)

1 Inabowl,combineoil,soysauce,mustardandgarlic.Pourhalfofmarinadeintoalarge

plasticbag.Addthesalmon;sealbagandturntocoat.Refrigeratefor30minutes.2 Refrigeratetheremainingmarinade.3 Drainfishanddiscardmarinade.Usingtongs,moistenapapertowelwithcookingoilandlightlycoatthegrillrack.4 Grillsalmon,covered,overhighheatfor5-10minutesoruntilfishflakeseasilywithafork.6 Drizzlewithreservedmarinade.Garnishwithredpepper,lemonandgreensofyourchoice.

Yourfoodmag.com

YOUR KITCHEN

RECIPES

OCTOBER 2015 21

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Tuna, chilli and herb Penne with Bruschetta Serves 2 Cooking time: 30 minutes For: Dh34 approx.

For penne 200gpennepasta 1redchillies,finelychopped 1bunchspringonions,finelychopped

1handfulparsley,finelychopped 1handfuldill/fennel,finelychopped 175g(1can)tunafromatin(inwater),drainedandflaked

1tbspoliveoil lemon,zestandjuice 1tbspcapers For the bruschetta and salad crustybread,sliced 1-garlicclove,grated 1tbspoliveoil 1mediumtomato,chopped headoflettuce,chopped Saltandpepper,totaste

1Preheattheovento180C.2 Cookthepastafollowingtheinstructionsonthepacketuntiljusttender.

3 Whilethepastaiscooking.Finelychoptheredchillies,springonions,parsleyanddill.4 Drainandflakethetuna.5 Inalargebowl,take1tbspofoliveoilandaddsaltandpeppertotaste.6 Zestthelemonandsqueezethejuice.7 Nowaddthechoppedchillies,springonions,parsley,dill,capersandtuna.8 Mixwellandkeepaside.9 Cutthecrustybreadintoslices(About2-3perheadormoreifyou

like).10 Gratethegarliccloveinto1tbspofoliveoil.11 Chopthetomatoandaddthoseaswell.Addsaltandpeppertotaste.13 Putageneroushelpingofthetoppingontoeachsliceandgrillforjustabout5-7minutes.14 Meanwhilechopthelettuce.15 Drainthepastaandtossitwiththedressing.16 Servethelemonypastawiththetomatobruschettaandsalad.

CHEAP AND CHEERFUL!Who says deliciously different meals require breaking the bank? If youre cooking on a budget, then try your hands on these low-cost, high on flavour meals.

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YOUR KITCHEN

RECIPESCream of Mushroom Soup with Parmesan toastsServes 2 Cooking time: 30 minutes For: Dh34 approx.

For the soup 1boxwhitemushrooms,sliced onion,chopped 150-200gpotatoes 1tbspbutter 1tbspoliveoil 1cubemushroom/herbsandonionstock,dissolvedin500mlhotwater

50-100mlcream bunchparsley Saltandblackpepper,totaste

For toasts 1packofoystermushrooms,sliced

1wholemealbread,sliced 80gcheddarcheese,grated

1 Preheattheovento200C.2 Slicethewhitemushrooms,choptheonionandpeelandcutthepotatoesintochunks.3Heathalfofthebutterandoilonmediumheatinalargesaucepan.4Addwhitemushrooms,onionsandpotatoesandsautuntilslightlysoftenedandbrowned,about4-5minutes.5Dissolvethestockcubesin500mlhotwaterandadd,soitjustcoversthevegetables(reservetherestifany),bringtoboil,turntheheatdownandsimmeruntilthevegetablearesoft,about10minutes.6Whilethesoupissimmering,slicetheoystermushrooms.

7Heattheremainingoilandbutterinafryingpanandsauttheoystermushroomsuntilnicelybrowned.8Seasonthesoupwithsaltandpeppertotasteandwhizzwithahandheldblenderuntilsmooth. 9 Pourinthecreamandbringjustbacktoboil,thenturnofftheheat.Ifthesoupistoothick,addextrastock.11Sliceandtoastthebreadinahotgriddlepan,gratethecheese.Topwiththeoystermushroomsandcheddarandstickintopreheatedoventomeltthecheese.12 Servethesoupwiththecheddartoasts.Garnishwithparsleyleavesandadrizzleofoliveoil.

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Grilled Salmon with Rainbow Cabbage Salad(PALEO DIET)

Serves 2 Cooking time: 30 minutes For: Dh50 approx.

For the salmon 400gsalmon 1tbspcookingoil Coconutcreamtodrizzle

For the salad 200gredcabbage,grated/slicedthinly

1carrot,peeledandgrated 1mango,finelydiced 1lime,juiced 1bunchofcoriander

1Removethesalmonfromthefridge,cutitintotwopieces,washandsetasidetoallowittocometoroomtemperaturewhileyoupreparethesalad.2 Removeanydamagedleavesfromtheouteredgeofthecabbage,wash,thenslicethinly,discardingthecore.Placeinaverylargeservingbowl.3 Addthecarrotstotheservingbowl.4 Topreparethemango,slice2thickcheeksoffeitherside,scoreeachcheeklengthwaysthentotheside,openitupandthenuseasharpknifetoscrapeoffeachofthepiecesintothebowl.Youcanscrapeoffanyfleshfromthestoneifthereisanyleft.5 Squeezethejuiceofthelimeoverthesalad.6 Wash,shakedrythenroughlychopthefreshcoriander,addingittothesaladalso.7 Topreparethesalmon,heatalargefrypanonmedium-highheatwithcookingoil.Oncehot,placesalmonskinsidedowninthepanandallowtositwithouttouchingforapproximately3-5minutesoruntiltheskiniscrispy,startingtocomeawayfromtheedgeandthebottomsideofthefishisstartingtoturnpink.Flipitonceanddependingonhowwellyoulikeyoursalmoncooked,turnofftheheatandallowtositforacoupleofminutesorleaveuntilcookedallthewaythrough.8 Servesalmononalargebedofsaladandifyoulike,asmalldrizzleofcoconutcreamoverthetop.

YOUR KITCHEN

RECIPES

Citrus Baked Chicken with Potato Mash Serves 2 Cooking Time: 40 minutesFor: Dh34 approx.

500gchickendrumsticks Oliveoiltoglaze 1orange,cutintoquarters 300gpotatoes,peeledandcutintobite-sizepieces

1tbspbutter 2-4tbspcream Wasabipasteorgarlicpowder,optional

1tbsphoney redchili,chopped

or to taste 1-2garliccloves,choppedortotaste

bunchfreshcoriander Saltandblack

pepper to taste 1Preheattheovento200C.

2 Putthechickenintheroastingtray.Glosswithoilandseasonwell.3 Washandcuttheorangeintowedges.Tucktheorangewedgesinbetweenthechickenpieces.Roastfor15-20minutes.4 Meanwhile,makethepotatomash;peelandcutthepotatoesinpiecesandboilinslightlysaltedwateruntilcooked.Drainandletsteamdryforacoupleofminutes.5 Addthebutter,andcream,wasabipaste(aboutateaspoonbutadjusttotaste)orgarlicpowder.6 Mashuntilsmoothwithapotatomasherandaddsalttotaste.Note:useasmuchoraslittlecream(andwater)forthedesired

consistencyeveryonelikestheirmashdifferently!7 After15-20minutesofbaking,takethetrayoutandcarefully(youcanuseafoldedpapertowelastheorangesareveryhot!)squeezethejuicefromoneortwoorangepiecesoverthechicken.Drizzlewithhoney.8 Turntheheatupto230Candbakeforanother15mintocrisptheskin.9 Choptheredchiliandgarlic.5-7minutesbeforetakingthetrayout,decoratetheskinwithchiliandgarlic.10 Addafinalsqueezeofroastedorangeandascatteringofcorianderleaves.11Servethechickenwithwasabiorgarlicmash.





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IYourfoodmag.com OCTOBER 2015 27

If theyre not brewing coffee, theyre roasting meats, toasting cassava flour or baking banana cake. In Fernanda Troys Brazilian kitchen, were greeted by the richness and variety of cultures that have left a stamp on Brazils culinary map.

Each of the five regions in Brazil is worth a culinary exploration. NORTH Influences: Portuguese and Native Brazilian Indians.Ingredients: Manioc and yam (root vegetables), peanuts, fish and aa berry.Must-eats: Surubim (an Amazon-specific fish, often grilled), Bombom de Cupuau (milk chocolate-covered bonbons made using condensed milk and the creamy superfruit cupuau) and Tacac (soup made from tucupi broth, the liquid that remains after processing manioc for starch).

NORTH-EASTInfluences: Native Brazilian Indians, African and Portuguese.Ingredients: Tropical fruits such as mango, guava, passion fruit, and pineapple, okra, black beans, white rice, coconut, seafood and shellfish.Must-eats: Acaraj (similar to a falafel but made with black-eyed peas), Bob de Camaro (thick and luscious shrimp stew) and Xim Xim de Galinha (a braised-chicken dish made with coconut milk and dried shrimp).

CENTRAL-WESTInfluences: Amerindian, African and Portuguese.Ingredients: Fish, beef and pork, soybean, rice, corn, and manioc.Must-eats: Carne Seca com Banana Verde (sun-dried meat sauted with onions, garlic, and tomatoes), Empado Goiano (savoury pie made with chicken, sausage, cheese, etc.) and Farofa com Banana (sauted bananas and onions mixed with toasted manioc flour).

SOUTHInfluences: Italian and German. Ingredients: Leafy vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, butter, cheese and cornmeal. Must-eats: Arroz de Carreteiro (a fusion between fried rice and risotto), Churrasco and Tainha na Telha (local fish stuffed with small shrimp, onions, etc.)

SOUTHEASTInfluences: Italian, African, Portuguese, Spanish and Arab.Ingredients: Corn, pork, beans, and local soft ripened cheeses.Must-eats: Aipim Frito (French Fries of Brazil, but made with yucca), Coxinha and Pastel de Camaro (empanada made with shrimp).

REGIONAL FLAVOURS

YOUR KITCHEN

GLOBAL CUISINE

Words PURVA GROVER

n Brazil, Sundays are family days. Its also the day when lunch hopping is looked

upon as an acceptable courteous norm, and hence irrespective of the time you walk into a home for a luncheon abundant warm hugs and delicacies await. Both late comers and unexpected arrivals are welcomed with pleasure on such afternoons. Its a day reserved for family and food, says Fernanda Troy, Families get together and prepare food from scratch. Of course, coffee flows as the dishes get prepared. Its such Sundays that Fernanda misses the most about her home country, Brazil. Fernanda hails from So Paulo, Southeast Brazil and whilst she grew up eating contemporary Brazilian dishes she holds the traditional delicacies close to her heart. No wonder she has sprinkled her love for Brazil on to her work, she prepares and sells traditional Brazilian treats under the name Gula Delights (guladelights.com). As she prepared a fresh batch of savoury and sweet delicacies, I

quizzed her on the Brazilian ways of cooking, eating and serving.

Sunday meals

Tradition has it that Sundays were reserved for large portion of Feijoada, thick black bean stew served with rice, prepared with beef, and a variety of other meats. Its known as our national dish but it was brought to Brazil from the Portuguese and adapted by the African slaves. History suggests that the slaves prepared it with the discarded parts of the animal which they smuggled in from the houses of their masters. These slaves worked under the harsh sun and the ingredients, especially the beans provided them energy for the long hours. These days, whist Feijoada is cooked using sausages, rice, vegetables and of course black beans, other dishes have been added to the Sunday lunch menu, Lasagne, Churrasco and Macarronada Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce are the favourites. Churrasco, the essential Brazilian barbecue, usually happens on


GET INVOLVED Wed love to know about the traditional dishes of your country! Email your contact details to us alongside a little note on what

makes your cuisine so special to [email protected] and get a chance to be featured in the magazine!

RECI P ES F ROMFERNANDA'S

K I TCHEN

Sunday, late afternoon. Meals are eaten aftert two. The meat is marinated with plain rock salt and includes cuts like top sirloin cap and bottom sirloin, which are served with grilled chicken hearts, homemade salsa, and lots of caipirinha (Brazil's national cocktail, made with cachaa, sugar and lime).

Melting point of cultures, influences

The Portuguese arrived in Brazil in 1500 and brought their tastes and styles of cooking with them. Other than that, the cuisine is a combination of Italian, Arab, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese influences. Pastel, a favourite Brazilian snack was brought there by the Japanese whod adapted the dish from Chinese wontons. These are thin pastry envelopes filled with meat, cheese, chicken or shrimps. They resemble the Indian Samosa or Arab Sambousa. Sugarcane juice, a much enjoyed beverage, again owes its popularity to the Africans.

Brazilian cuisine has struggled for as long as 150 years for an identity, and meals continue to vary with the region. The influences from Amazon hint at the process of preserving meat by smoking and drying it, including that of turtles and crocodiles too. Its only in the last 50 years that the Brazilians have begun to take extreme pride in their food and both cook and talk about it passionately. Banana cake is a typical Brazilian dish. Shrimps are another favourite. Risotto is a popular dish too, Its Brazilian connect lying strictly in its preparation method. Yet, there is enough to go back for! The bounty of fresh juices in Brazil is incomparable, especially in the Northern region. On her trips home, Fernanda packs up Po de Queijo, cheese buns made of corn flour or cassava, often enjoyed as a breakfast item. Theyre chewy and moist inside with a crumbly crust around. And even though she prepares and sells Brigadeiro (Recipe shared in the feature) , she does steal in the Brazilian chocolate bonbons too! These can be prepared with more than 100 flavours. In Brazil, sweets have to be very, very sweet but here it is made with less sugar! We owe our sweet tooth to the Europeans.

Classic Brazilian fare

So what does a typical Brazilian meal look like? A modest meal of toasted French bread, butter, jam, milk and coffee for breakfast. Lunch comprises meat, rice, salad and beans. Feijo beans similar to pinto beans are a huge favourite. No one eats a plain cold sandwich for lunch. Lunches are time reserved for socialising and eating hot meals. Dinner is generally lighter than lunch, and sometimes just consists of snack foods like biscuits, cheese and ham. A fried egg is a must item in the meals, in fact in Brazil if a girl/woman doesnt know how to fry an egg it is considered extremely shameful. The joke being that without this cooking skill a woman cant find a husband. As for Fernanda, she laughs for she did learn to fry an egg, quite early!

Fernanda was 15 when she started assisting her mums friend at a venue for birthday parties. Her job was to look after the kids but soon enough she started looking after administrative work when the bosses were away but most importantly she began to volunteer in the kitchen too. It was my first time at learning, enjoying and experience the whole process of cooking. At 17, whilst she graduated as a nurse, she took jobs in the restaurant and also the aviation industry. It was only two years ago that I started taking a keen interest in planning parties and soon enough began to prepare Brazilian sweets and savouries for friends who were hosting parties. Fernanda loves preparing sweets because it gives her a chance to garnish them! I love making small sweet eats like Brigadeiro and Quindim (a baked coconut dessert) and savoury eats like Coxinha (Recipe facing page) and Risole (deep fried croquettes).

If theres one thing that shed like to bring from the Brazilian cuisine to her UAE home it would be the slow pace of consuming meals. Things slow down during meal times and get extended to coffee time. Yes, small but potent cups of coffee appear post-meals to pep up conversations and to indulge in the pleasure of the company of loved ones. Now isnt that a beautiful way of cooking, eating and sharing meals. Lindo maravilhoso, as they say in Brazilian.

CoxinhasServes 30

For the coxinha filling: 2tbspoliveoil 1smallwhiteonion,finelyminced 4garliccloves,finelyminced 2largetomatoes 1kgchicken,cooked

and finely shredded 1coffeespoonofsalt 3tbspcheesespread 3tbspmincedgreen

onions and parsley

For the coxinha dough: 2cupswater 150gmargarine 2cupschickenstock 1coffeespoonofsalt 2cups,all-purposeflour 500gmashedpotato

For dredging: 2cupsbreadcrumbs

3largeeggs

For frying: Enoughvegetableoilto

fully immerse the coxinhas for deep frying

1 Prepare the filling: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the white onion, garlic, tomatoes, fry it stirring occasionally. Add the finely shredded chicken and mix with all the remaining ingredients from the filling list. Reserve.2 Prepare the coxinha dough: In a large, non-stick saucepan, boil the water with margarine, chicken stock and salt. When the water start to boil, add the sifted flour all at once while stirring very well. Turn off the cooker, add the mashed potato and wait until is cool enough to handle and knead by hand very well, and use your hands to stir until obtaining a uniformly lumpy dough. 3 To fill and shape the coxinhas: Lightly oil your hands and make a small disk with the dough, scoop about 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling onto the centre of each disk. Shape the filled disks into drumsticks by folding the dough up and around the filling into a beggar's purse shape, forming the neck of the coxinha between your encircled index finger and thumb, and gently press the filling down into the centre as you close. Pinch and seal the edges. 4 Dredge coxinhas: Prepare two bowls. One with 3 eggs mixed with 1 teaspoon of water, and the other with breadcrumbs. Pass the fritters through each bowl shaking off any excess. 5 Fry coxinhas: Pour enough vegetable oil into a frying pot. Fry the fritters in batches, around four each time.


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YOUR KITCHEN

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30 OCTOBER 2015 Yourfoodmag.com

Shrimp Bobo Serves 6

For the tapioca pure: 2bags(700geach)

of frozen Tapioca 4cupswater 3spoonsoliveoil 1choppedonion 2choppedgarlicclove 1cupcoconutmilk For the shrimp: 800gcleanshrimps 3cupswater 1coffeespoonofsalt 1choppedgreen

bell pepper cupofoliveoil 1choppedonion 2chopped

garlic cloves 2choppedtomatoes cupofchopped

parsley and green onion (mixed)

For the tapioca pure:1 In a large skillet, let the tapioca boil for around 25/30 minutes. Drain the water.

2 In another saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry onion and garlic. 3 When the tapioca is cool enough to handle, remove any stingy fibrous cores and transfer to a food processor. Add the fried onion and garlic and the coconut milk. Mix until it is a very smooth pure, transfer to a nice bowl.

For the shrimps: 1 Boil the shrimps for around 5 minutes. Drain the water and reserve. 2 Heat the olive oil and fry the garlic and onion. 3 Add tomatoes, green pepper, parsley and green onions to it. 4 Add the shrimps and mix. 5 Pour this mixture on top of the tapioca pure and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with white rice and salad.

Brigadeiro Makes 30 balls

1can(395g),sweetcondensed milk

1can(160g)originalcream 200gdarkchocolate,

broken into pieces 10gmargarine,for

batering your hands 1cup,sprinklesofgrated

chocolate for rolling 30smallpleatedpapercups 1 Put the condensed milk, original cream and broken chocolate in a heavy

bottomed sauce pan over low heat. Mix it with a silicon/ wooden spoon for exactly seven minutes.2 Let it boil, then remove from the heat and immediately transfer it to a dish. Let it cool completely, around40minutes.3 To mould the brigadeiro into balls, take a tea spoon of the mixture and roll between your battered hands. 4 Transfer the ball to the disk with sprinkles and roll. Place the brigadeiro into a paper cup and serve.

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The thought of being left with no popcorn during the course of watching a movie makes Natasha Rocsktrom panic. Natashas love affair with popcorn got spelt out in the Christmas gifts she received from her husband and sister, a popcorn recipe book and a popcorn bowl engraved with her initials, respectively. She lives in Dubai with her Swedish husband, Martin and their 18-month-old daughter, Aria. Her first food memories revolve around simple Indian meals, which she calls soul food. She is the founder of Injoy Giving (injoygiving.com), a portal that seeks to elevate generosity and awaken happiness in everyday lives, By way of small acts of say giving a hug or an intentional act of say gifting a meal or a spa session.

LEMON PEPPER POPCORN 4quarts(16cups)freshlypoppedcorn tablespoonlemonzest 2teaspoonsgroundblackpepper tablespoonsalt 2teaspoonsfreshlysqueezedlemonjuice 2tablespoonsoliveoil

1 Put popcorn in a large clean paper bag. 2 In a small bowl combine the lemon zest,pepperandsalt.Inaseparatebowl whisk the lemon juice and oil.

3 Drizzlethelemonjuicemixtureoverthe popcorn, fold the bag closed and shake until the popcorn is coated.

5 Sprinklethelemonzestmixtureoverthe popcorn, fold the bag closed and shake to coat. Sit back and enjoy.

YOUR 5-MINUTE-MEAL

It can be eaten atItsa4pmorlatenightsnack, both occasions call for popcorn.

I have made it for I make it for family and friends all the time!

A drink that goes well with itA cup of Indian chai (tea) or green tea.

Ill be teaching this special recipe to Ive already taught it to my sister and look forward to passing on my popcorn recipes to my daughter.

Id sell it an eatery forIts a comfort food so Id actually price it out in a pay it forward style give it as a gift to the customer and if they love it ask them to pay something forward!

Ill pitch the dish as Priceless Popcorn.

YOUR KITCHEN

QUICK COOKING

GET INVOLVED A monthly section, where we share our readers favourite quick meals (under 5, 10 and 30 minutes). If you wish to get your dish featured here, drop us a line at [email protected].

OCTOBER2015 31

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The palatial Grand Hotel Tremezzo on the beautiful Lake Como, Italy, is not only an icon of traditional continental history but also of regional gastronomic delights. Under the direction of the founder of modern Italian cuisine, Gualtiero Marchesi, who works together with Executive Chef Osvaldo Presazzi, the hotels restaurants and bars offer an inimitable taste of Italy. Informal, chic and stylish the LEscale Fondue & Wine Bar offers meat and fish lovers the chance to experience grills and fondues accompanied by the best Italian regional grape all set within a classical interior. Pizza lovers can also rejoice as the much loved T Pizza focuses on Italys most famous dish cooked to precision in a wood-

fired oven and is the perfect location for taking a light lunch. T Beach is a destination in itself and not only for the delicious barbecues and snacks available. This is a beach bar quite unlike one youll have been to before, with stunning views of Bellagio and Punta Balbianello; the ultimate spot for hungry sun-worshippers, and yes, there cant be a more enchanting setting than La Terrazza, a large outdoor terrace overlooking the extraordinary spectacle of Lake Como set against a rose-tinted backdrop of the Grigne Mountains! Whether you are an intrigued gourmet or intrepid traveller, you will be smitten by the charm of Italian hospitality. Know more: grandhoteltremezzo.com

ITALIAN GOURMET

Culinary inspiration for the home and beyond

Global Event: Edible LuxuryThis month smell, taste and buy the white truffles at The Alba International White Truffle Fair, Italy

Interview: Rich meals, shoestring budgetAuthor Leanne Brown on empowering people to eat well with a budget as low as $4 a day!

Theme Talk: See you in the gardens!Creating an idyllic picnic setting

Travel: Singapore SojournA culinary love story

Quick Chat: Real men cook!Getting to know Michael Kreiling, Executive Chef, Kempinski Hotel Ajman

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Culture hopping!Food galore in Singapore, Page 42

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ith no truffle dogs to take the lead, it is impossible to get ones hands on truffles, the prized fungi. Yes, were

it not for these trained dogs sniffing powers the worlds most expensive delicacy would have gone unexplored. No wonder, the 85th edition of the Alba International White Truffle Fair, Alba, Italy has been dedicated to the truffle dog! The festival dates back to the year 1928 when it was conceived as a harvest festival and this year it will be celebrated from October 11 to November 15, 2015. The fair starts with the Palio degli Asini or the donkey race, which sees the jockeys coaxing the donkeys to oblige! A medieval costume parade where people dress up as noblemen, soldiers, knights and more, carrying trumpets and drums is another highlight. Scenes representing the history of the region too are enacted with full fanfare.

Truffles are the edible fungi, which are available only during a couple of months of the year and exclusive to a handful of areas in Italy. The months of October and November see many truffle festivals take place in northern and central Italy but its this large scale fair that truly celebrates the luxurious

mushroom. During the course of the fair, the penetrating, faintly garlicky aroma of white truffles pervade the entire town, especially in the Galleria della Maddalena where buyers from all over the world purchase the white truffles from over 100 stalls that are set up at the Maddalena courtyard. Other prime produces from the region like cheese, sausages, cured meats and honey are also available to buy, touch, smell and taste. The quality of produce is assured by a panel of experts who inspect each truffle before it makes to the market and also remain at hand to answer any visitor queries. The local restaurants dish up a whole range of dishes like pastas, risottos, eggs, veggies and more, all featuring the truffles as a prime ingredient.

If you plan to attend the fair, the visit could be a double whammy as Alba is not only home to the prized white variety of truffles but it is also located at the heart of the scenic Langhe region, which was named as UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014.

FESTIVAL KNOW-HOW

When: October 11- November 15, 2015

Where: Alba, Italy

To know more: fieradeltartufo.org

The Alba International White Truffle Fair, Italy celebrates the white truffles the king of fungi and one

of the worlds most expensive and luxurious foods Truffles grow on the roots of truffle oaks, often

less than 30 cm below the

surface. To date, no one

has been able to cultivate

truffles: they grow randomly

in certain regions. The more

truffle oak seedlings are

planted, the more chances

exist for harvesting some.

The size of the truffle varies considerably ranging from

10 to 100 grams.

The French claim to hunt for the truffles using pigs

whereas the Italians use

trained dogs to do so.

White truffles arent cooked as heating ruins their taste.

They are shaved or grated.

Generally, aficionados serve

it in paper thin slices on

risottos, pastas, meats, egg

dishes and cheese fondues.

You can go truffle hunting only with a certified truffle

hunter and his dog, from

September to January.

Few experts suggest that truffles should be eaten

within three days of being

procured while others say

that they can be stored in a

glass bottle in a refrigerator

for up to a week.

Truffles are generally used in goose liver pt, in sauces,

omelettes, scrambled eggs,

compound butters, and

baked in puff pastry.

Whitetrufflesaremoreexpensivethanblack.Otherless-valuedtrufflesaregrey(tuber miesentericum) and tuber aestivum (red-grained black truffle). Connoisseurs

consider grey truffles found in North America unworthy of their attention.

Thecostoftrufflesvarieslikegold.Estimatedpricevariesbetween6,000to10,000USD (Dh22,000-37,000) per pound, depending on their availability and quality.

TheAssociatePresshadoncereportedofarealestateinvestorandhiswifefromHongKonghavingpaid160,406USD(Dh589,163)foragiganticItalianWhiteAlbatruffle, which is reportedly the worlds most expensive ever.

KING OF FUNGI

EDIBLE LUXURY

34 OCTOBER2015

TRUFFLE KNOW-HOW

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Yourfoodmag.com OCTOBER2015 35

YOUR WORLD

GLOBALEVENT


The free PDF version of author Leanne Browns cookbook Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day has been downloaded over 800,000 times! What started

as a humble project for people with low food budget is now a worldwide hit amongst cooking enthusiasts. On a hot, humid day, over a divine cup of

Horchata, author Leanne Brown shares her gastronomic expedition.

n her hometown of Edmonton, Alberta in Cananda, when other kids savoured processed foods, author Leanne Browns lunchbox always had something like 12-grain bread, no-sugar

peanut butter, and jelly. I don't think I had chocolate until I was 7 or 8, says Brown whose cookbook Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day is all the rage on the Internet. At this point, the free PDF of the book that empowers people to make good meals within a low budget, has been downloaded over 800,000 times (leannebrown.com). Her first book From Scratch (which got popular after Good and Cheap) too has been downloaded over 150,000 times.

The first time she tried processed food was Chef Boyardee pasta and Lunchables pre-packaged lunches, thinking they would be the best thing in the world, but found them to be

hugely disappointing. My mom was sort of a '80s hippie and dad was more of a project guy whod do the big pot of chili, make homemade kimchi or tap into birch trees to make syrup. There was a definite health-food-store vibe going on and we ate lots of great, homemade food.

The Book Project

When Brown enrolled in a masters program in Food Studies at New York University a couple of years ago, she found the American food systems food stamps program, (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - SNAP) very fascinating. In Canada, if you dont make much money, you qualify for welfare payments from the government, but theyre just cash; the government leaves it up to you to divide up the budget for food and shelter. In America, instead, food stamp benefits

RICH MEALS, SHOEST RI NG BU DGE T

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are specifically for food; you get a card that can only be used at grocery stores, and only for uncooked foods. For example, grocery stores often sell whole roast chickens for less money than a raw chicken, but you arent allowed to buy the roast chicken; you have to buy it uncooked even though its more expensive that way. However, she felt that the average food budget for a person on SNAP which is about $4 (Dh15 approx.) per person per day, is really low. And American agricultural subsidies especially for corn mean that certain types of unhealthy food are very cheap, while healthier fruits and vegetables are quite pricey. This meant, the system ends up encouraging low-income people to eat really poorly.

Also, in the last couple of generations, people have stopped cooking for themselves as such. I wanted to show that, if you know how to cook, its still possible to make yourself good meals within that very low budget. It sure isnt easy, and it isnt as cheap or as fast as eating processed, subsidised food, but it is possible. I just wanted to give people back that power over their lives. So I wrote Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day to give people some ideas.

Sometimes, even people who can afford to spend more on food are still surprised at how expensive cooking certain recipes can be. That is sometimes a real disincentive to cooking. So nobody minds a recipe that seems like something a nice restaurant would serve but doesnt actually cost much to make! Because of that, a significant proportion of her readers are people who have limited budgets but arent specifically on food stamps.

Global Fusion

Brown settled on recipes that use ingredients that are easy to find, can be used in multiple recipes, and that dont cost much. Non-American cuisines are great for budget cooking because

people in other parts of the world are used to making do with less money, and are used to cooking from scratch. Filipino Adobo for instance is amazingly flavourful and very cheap to prepare. On the other hand, some ingredients from around the world can be hard to find in the US, or are very expensive, especially in small towns. I ended up with quite a few Indian dishes because those spices are pretty easy to find here, and also because Im quite familiar with that cuisine.

There arent many Middle Eastern recipes because some of the ingredients that are cheap in the Middle East, like olive oil or nuts, are pretty

expensive in America. Some others, like sumac, are just too hard to find. I have a lot of recipes with lentils, which are of course very popular in the Middle East. Just like in Middle Eastern cooking, Brown uses a lot of lemon juice. I just love the flavour it gives, and lemons arent that expensive and limes are usually cheaper here. Citrus juice and citrus

zest just give a nice zing to so many dishes.

Inspire Me

Unsurprisingly, Brown has a lot of cookbooks, but she often turns to Mark Bittmans How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for inspiration. The book is a huge tome, an exhaustive reference for how to make almost everything with the right techniques but sans photographs. Although Brown thinks that photographs are critical in a cookbook, she loves this one. Bittman is such a clear writer that you know what youre getting even without photographs. While baking,

she loves Peter Reinharts The Bread Bakers Apprentice, or Tartine, the book from a bakery of the same name in San Francisco, by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson.

She may not be a devoted follower of any specific blogs, but loves looking at tastespotting.com, which aggregates


YOUR WORLD

INTERVIEW

Theres the popular Middle Eastern recipe for hummus

in Good and Cheap, hummus is very fashionable in North America too. However, buying hummus from the store is pretty expensive; its usually about $5 (Dh18 approx.) for a container that you can eat in a day. Since chickpeas are easy to find here, and very cheap, I taught people how to make their own instead!

Leanne Brown

In the book, find recipes of Cold Spicy Asian Noodles (seen below) & Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (on first page) amongst many other budget-friendly choices


YOUR WORLD

INTERVIEW

THE VEG EDGE

At 14, Brown became a vegetarian for mostly environmental reasons, and was pretty

strict about it until a few years ago. Now she eats fish pretty often, and meat very

occasionally. Ive realised that its more valuable if I can convince a large number of

people to eat less meat, and more vegetables, than for me to be a strict vegetarian

myself. Good and Cheap, for example, has a recipe for a whole roast chicken, and a

number of other recipes that contain meat, but in general it celebrates the beauty of

vegetables. That just makes good sense: meat is one of the most expensive things that

people eat! So when Im providing ideas for people who have very limited budgets, it

helps to think of meat as a way to enhance flavour, rather than to be the centre of the

dish as it so often is in American cooking.

GET INVOLVED What are your favourite low budget meals? Share the recipes and images with us at [email protected].

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great dishes from lots of different food blogs. On YouTube, Brown follows the channel Manjulas Kitchen. Manjula taught me how to cook great Indian food, which is a cuisine that took me a long time to crack. Im so glad I found her! As for apps, Ive tried a number of food-related apps but deleted them all; Immaculate Infatuation sticks around because I really trust their restaurant recommendations. They closely match my tastes. Then there is this woman in Austin, Texas who is working on an app called Stretch Recipes that Brown can wait to see Its closely related to the idea of Good and Cheap shes making an app to help people on food stamps shop for good groceries and prepare great meals.

Eating in and out

Brown loves eating, but cooking really relaxes her and makes her feel better. Theres so much satisfaction that comes from making a great meal yourself. Eating a good meal gives you pleasure, but not satisfaction, and for me satisfaction is longer lasting. While her tiny New York apartment doesnt allow her to cook for friends often, Brown takes pride in having encouraged many of her friends to start cooking for themselves. Several of them are in love with my Chana Masala recipe, and they send me pictures whenever they make it. That warms my heart! At restaurants, Brown orders things that seem unusual, rather than crowd-pleasing ones. It almost always means that its the chef s specialty. Im more likely to

learn something new, too! What I dont order are dishes that I can prepare easily at home, at the same quality as a restaurant for example, a bowl of simple pasta.

Brown welcomes more voices into the food movement. The quality of food both restaurant meals and the ingredients that are available in grocery stores has improved tremendously over the last 20 years or so, but the food movement has very much been limited to the middle class. The more people who get involved in food criticism, the more diverse voices we have, and thats fantastic.

Her much-loved cuisine is Indian and she dreams of visiting the region someday. Theres tremendous diversity between the different regions of India as well as neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh that also have amazing food so it would have to be a long trip! If Brown hadnt written cookbooks, shed probably be doing some kind of policy job. Id be glad I was doing the work, but not as happy. On a day like today, she craves a good homemade pizza with lots of fresh tomatoes and garlic in the sauce, a bready crust, and wonderful fresh mozzarella while watching the animated film Ratatouille. The message of that movie is exactly the same thing Im always telling people: anyone can cook, you just have to try!

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Start the weekend in the atmosphere of elegance andsophistication with Giornottes award-winning

Friday brunch.

From freshly shucked oysters to hand-pulled noodles, Giornotte Friday brunch atThe Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal returns in the new season with over 30live cooking stations as well as a dedicated dessert room in Dolce caf. Linger

longer with an after-party at Sorso Bar with a selection of handcrafted beveragesand resident DJ on the decks. Starting at AED 300 ++ per person.

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For more information and reservations, please contact 9712-818-8282 or [email protected].

Yourfoodmag.com

t is warm, yet not too sunny. A perfect picnic day. October is the ideal time to gather ones crew of friends and family for

a casual alfresco meal outdoors. Choose a spot on the greenest patch in your backyard or at the beach, park or even playground. Next, create an idyllic picnic ambience. A picnic blanket is a must, the most common being the red and white gingham. Or add a colourful accent with mats, beach towels, bed sheets or foldable and light-weight camping chairs. Create an intimate, relaxed feel by throwing in a bunch of cushions and pillows in cheerful hues. Create a handful of accent

pieces by placing a posy in baskets, tiny pots, glass jars or even coffee mugs. Carry bite-sized nibbles in chic suitcases in colours like pinks, yellows, purples and oranges that complement the bark of the tree, grass or the exposed wood table. A distressed table can hold other picnicking essentials like books, board games and say a Frisbee; or rest a guitar on the tables leg. For an evening picnic, bring out the lanterns and tea-light candles. Pine cones or pebbles in wicker baskets will add a rustic charm to the whole setting. So go ahead and turn a ho-hum weekend into a day full of catching butterflies, loads of laughter and napping in the shade of a tree.

Personalise outdoor spaces with these simple, rustic and colourful picnic dcor ideas

SEE YOU IN T HE GARDENS!

40 OCTOBER 2015

GET INVOLVED Is there a get-together theme youd like t

your food mag october issue

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