In and out of my kitchen

This white jug was a gift – I love it

Olive oil with a gorgeous invite

Crisps are really healthy I know but we can pretend

My KitchenAid is back – plus I made ice cream

Look out for more fruit pics. Delivered by Fruitful day

The perfect white for drinking in Dubai right now

Beautiful reissue of the classic, timeless Anna del Conte Pasta book

The first of the local, organic veg. Yes, yes, yes

Local entrepreneur helping to save our health and the planet. Love BioD

We’re selling some stuff we no longer need on a local online site. KP says to me “Shall we put those pots and pans on Dubizzle?” All the cheek that one. It’s true that my kitchen has seen less of me of late due to various tempting invites and a life-changing weekend away with friends to Oman (posting soon). However…

In my kitchen….

• … is a white china measuring jug which a friend brought round when she came for supper. It was filled with flowers from her garden and I got a lovely surprise once I had to discard them. I love it.
• … is a bottle of olive oil which came with a beautiful invite to an evening hosted by Noreen of Noni’s Place called Olives and Vines. It’s tonight; follow my Instagram feed for pics.
• … not kidding myself that any crisps are healthy and unprocessed, but these beetroot chips from The Change Initiative make great bases for nibbles. The jalapeno version is good too especially topped with guacamole.
• … my beloved KitchenAid is back from having a long overdue service. I made sour cream ice cream (recipe from Falling Cloudberries) for  thirteen friends who came round for supper. It was super simple to make with the attachment.
• … lots of fruit from my Fruitful day order, delivered once a week. They target businesses to make sure there are healthy options available in the workplace but the small box they sent me as a sample was perfect for our use at home. KP’s ordered one for his office too. They use recycled materials for their packaging, the fruit is mainly sourced in the region and any excess fruit left over at the end of the week is donated to labourers in DIP.
• … fresh, crisp, dry white wine with the salty tang of the sea. Grown on volcanic soil in Santorini with the vines trained into basket shapes to protect them from the wind; I try to keep a couple of bottles of Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko in my wine fridge.
• … a beautiful reissue of a classic book on pasta by the legendary Anna Del Conte. First released in 1976, it’s genuinely timeless. Several recipes in there suitable for vegan teen which have gone down well.
• … local, organic veg is trickling in to the shops. Found stripy round courgettes at the Farmhouse and can’t wait for the farmers’ market which I hope will start again at the end of this month.
• … compostable, biodegradable bags and a funky recyclable stainless steel bottle from BioD – a great local company run by an Emirati entrepreneur dedicated to environmental issue. I bought these from Lamis at the Little Majlis pop up at the Change Initiative.
• … I cooked for thirteen friends. Cocktail sausages and dips in the kitchen, followed by a huge moussaka with a salad. Pud was chocolate hazelnut torte, pears and sour cream ice cream with some chilli honey hazelnuts (recipe from Honey & Co) which were seriously addictive.  Cheese board finale, some lovely wines… and lovely friends.

Melting Pot, Box Park, Dubai

In the shadow of the Burj al Arab. Beach Lounge at Jumeirah Beach Hotel

A feast from Russell Impiazzi at fotodubai2015

Meeta, Dima and Riath from Balqees Honey at fotodubai2015

Qantas economy food at JW Marriot

A Seimei sour at Zuma – The best cocktail I have EVER tasted

Brunch at Zuma – My Custard Pie

Dessert platter for brunch at Zuma – My Custard Pie

Bar at Zuma

BBC Good Food Middle East Editors panel

BBC Good Food Middle East Editors panel

Sophia at Boca wine dinner – My Custard Pie

Boca wine dinner

Delicious tapas style menu at Boca wine dinner

Boca wine dinner –

A glimpse of Gordon Ramsay at Bread Street Kitchen

Excellent Bloody Marys at Bread Street Kitchen

At the fish market in the Fishermans Village Umm Suqeim 1

Chef Stefan Karlsson in action at Jebel Ali Resort

Palate cleansing yuzu granita with a touch of chili by Chef Stefan Karlsson at Jebel Ali Resort

Breakfast spread at The Change Initiative for the launch of the Little Majlis pop up

Aloor Dum cooked by Ishita Unblogged

Homemade Halloween gingerbread for the Trick or Treaters

Out of my kitchen

Eating out events keeping me out of my kitchen this month:

• Can you have fondue without alcohol? The Melting Pot at Box Park is quite good fun with a crowd and they use non-boozey wine in it.
• I love the new look terrace at Bussola complete with olive trees and storm lamps. The Italian Chef Marco makes great pasta and the wood-fired pizza oven means it’s still great for a mixed age group.
• How brave of Qantas to invite us to a 5 star hotel and feed us economy meals in plastic trays. Love their ethos.
• Meeta was back for another successful Foto Dubai with Dima and Russell from Lafayette Gourmet wowed all at the closing dinner…
• …after which I crept off to a new night time beach club in the shadow of the Burj Al Arab called Beach Lounge. Ishita and I felt trendy and swanky; great place to take visitors to watch the sun go down.
• I’m not a fan of huge brunch buffets so loved the option of a limited menu at Zuma where I drank the best cocktail I have ever had… in my life.
• The monthly wine tasting dinner at Boca is a little gem. The theme was Languedoc-Roussillon (South of France) and the tapas style food and friendly atmosphere under expert guidance of Sophia the sommelier make this one to return to.
• I joined the melee for the Bread Street Kitchen party at Atlantis and caught a glimpse of Gordon R who was mobbed. Hard to get a handle on the food but the fish and chips and Bloody Marys stood out.
• Chef Stefan Karlsson is a charming man as well as running a Michelin starred restaurant in Sweden. As he hops over to Jebel Ali Resort once a year to take over the White Orchid kitchen, we were able to taste a delicious seven course Asian-Sweden fusion menu (trust me – it works).

Surf Cafe breakfast

Avocado toast at Baker and Spice Jumeirah

Breakfast at Frioul

Fave day time haunts at the moment are the new Jumeirah branch of Baker & Spice (I could move in) and the Surf Cafe. Tested out eggs Benedict at the charming Marimekko after the Dubai Instameet and at tranquil Frioul – more to follow about that. I also tried Common Grounds – the new Tom and Serg place – where I like the food but not the Mall lighting. Coffee at the Brew Cafe (small and perfectly formed in all senses), A 4 Space at Al Serkal and at the Change Initiative for the new Little Majlis market. Veggie teen is vegan for three months so we tried the new Jones the Grocer vegan menu – only one flaw… all their bread has butter in it so she couldn’t have any with her soup.

I grabbed a juice and a breaded chicken fillet sandwich from the Baker & Spice  stall at the Marina Souk and did a big part of my Christmas shopping from the lovely stalls. Seriously worth visiting – the next one is on 11th November (at the fisherman’s village in Umm Suqeim 1 near DOSC).

P.S. If you read BBC Good Food Magazine ME take a glance at the editorial panel and you’ll find me giving tips on eating out, with Darren Velvick, Tomas Reger and Kate Fisher. Plus this issue of Food E Mag is about which foods from home expats bring back in their suitcase.

Georgian wine day

Juniper Garden at the Croft – My Custard Pie

Making martinis with Belvedere vodka at Catch – My Custard Pie

Michel Chapoutier wine tasting at the Burj al Arab

Michel Chapoutier at the Burj al Arab

The magnum collection by Chapoutier at the Burj al Arab with Le Clos

Digging into dessert at Hakkasan wine tasting panel

Wrapped prawns at Hakkasan wine tasting panel

Dim sum at Hakkasan wine tasting panel

Wine

Steve Webber of De Bortoli at Taj Towers

Wines from dinner at home

And drink-centric events…

• I had to celebrate the first ever Georgian wine day on 4th October – after all they have been making wine continuously for over 8000 years!
• Getting to know the better wines of De Bortoli with winemaker Steve Webber at the lovely Taj Tower Hotel was fun if steamy and I will seek out the Dixons Creek Pinot Noir on menus in future.
• Hakkasan know that matching wine with their Cantonese style menu can be tricky. In fact some food can make good wines taste awful. They do a taste test every single week to ensure new wines and new vintages go well with all their menu. I was lucky to be part of this panel for the second time with the lovely Christine Parkinson, the Group Head of Wine and Olivier Gasselin, Head of Wine ME and Asia.
• The Juniper garden opened at The Croft – a euphemism as we are not allowed to say gin in print here! – and it was like a gin cocktail-making marathon for the bartenders. Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge from Plymouth gin was there and guided me in the art of making the perfect bone dry martini…
• … then next week Clare Smith-Warner from Belvedere showed us how to make a range of vodka martinis at Catch (beautiful interiors, great food, excellent staff). Great fun.
• The jewel in the crown of tasting this month was with Michel Chapoutier himself who led a tasting of wines at the Burj Al Arab. Chapoutier has more 100 Parker point wines than any other winery and we tasted the five 100 pointers from the 2010 vintage and others. Le Clos are selling a unique collection of 2010 six magnums of the 2010 vintage in silent auction.

I feel exhausted looking back on this month! For more… yes there’s more… join me on Instagram… you know my obsession…

If you are wondering what is in other kitchens around the globe, visit Celia’s page and follow the links in her side bar for this monthly event.  You can look back on past goodies in my kitchen here.

What’s in your kitchen this November?