Nicolai

Frugal home dinner tonight........ 1- Yalangi (Vine leaves stuffed with rice - walnuts - Pomegranate Molasses) 2- Ouzi Parcels (stuffed and baked with rice - Lamb - Spices - Almonds - Pine Kernels - Peas) We received this little bouquet of assorted Arabic sweets (19inch round tray - approx 3kg) . But the lady of the house who is travelling tomorrow does not trust me on my own in the house with this treasure. We agreed to offer it to the local charity for their Iftar.

Rotuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuts Xxxxx Meet you half way. I will be in London as of mid June. Just swim across the pond

Warning: This is a verrrrrrrrrrrrrry long post. This is the Ramadan period and invitation for Iftar (breaking the fast) are the order of the daily invites. It is usually a very lavish buffet with many dishes. I have skipped pictures of the Soups station as well as the fresh juices station. I also did not include the Western dishes and desserts as well as the Falafel and whatnot. This will give you a pretty illustrated picture of a typical Ramadan Iftar. Today the invite was at a private house where I was able to take some Iphone pictures. 1- Salads and Starters - Tabouleh - Crab Meat Salad - Aubergine Mutabal - Humos - Armenian Itch - Muhamara Aleppo - Fruits de Mer Salad - Baba Ghanouj - Kebbe Nayeh (Raw Lamb meat with Burghul) - Warak Enab bel Zait (Vine leave vegy) - Loubiah bel Zeit (Green Beans) - Fried Vegs (Aubegine - Cauliflower....etc) - Foul bel Zeit (Fava Beans) - Jajik Yogurt Salad - Bamieh bel Zeit (Okra) - Pickles and Olives 2- Main Dishes - Kibbeh (Meshwieh and Mabrumeh) - Kouusa bel Labam (Courgette meat and Yogurt) - Warak Enab Mehshi (Stuffed Vine Leaves Lamb Meat) - Mashawi (Grills) - Chicken Biryani - Kefta bel Tahineh - Stuffed Aubergine and Tomatoes (meat and cheese) - Ouzi (Lamb) - Sendawat (Stuffed Intestine Bonbons) 3- Sweets and Fruits - Melon - Watermelon - Mixed Fruit salad - Katayef Joz (Wlanuts) - Katayeh Eshta (Clotted Cream) - Katayef Raw (Clotted Cream) - Forgot the name - Knafe bel Jebn (Cheese) - Awamat - Dates Brioche I did gobble two Rennie's as soon as I hit home. I also did not include the Shesha Water pipe after the meal and the coffee and tea ceremonials. I think I will go on a diet as soon as Ramadan is over.

Dinner at the local Indian with their modern and swanky Indian fare...... with their spin on the Indian desserts. 1- Guacamole Pani Poori 2- Onion Bhajia 3- Zaatar Paneer Tikka 4- Tawa Baingan 5- Bhindi Maala 6- Tilwali Aloo 7- Biryani 8- Kebab & Tikka Platter 9- Burrata Butter Chicken 10- Coconut Rasmalai 11- Alphonso Mango Kulfi with Salted Caramel

Wednesday light dinner....... - Brisket (minus two slices as could not resist) - Kale salad with Avocado - Fennel - Pice nuts......and the kitchen sink - Burnt End Baked Beans - Burnt End Fries with Chile Lime sauce Of course back home, no meal is complete without Lady Grey Tea. ....................and a home made Linzer Torte (minus two slices as could not resist)

Breakfast today. - Kaak Purse which is an old typical Levantine sesame type of bread. It is a street treat where the pocket is filled with Zaatar and shaken around before biting into it. It is called Purse Kaak as the handle was large enough for children wrists to carry. - Green Zaatar - Green Onions - Green Olives - Tomatoes - Cucumber - White Cheese - Labneh and Olive oil not in the picture but part of the table. Dessert was typical Aleppian fare with Rose Jam and White Cheese with the Kaak Purse.....we also eat it together with Cucumbers. However the original cheese should have been the Aleppian String Cheese......always a next time. To recap, the Aleppian treat is Rose Jam with flat bread and String Cheese with Cucumbers. I know, I know Jam and cheese and Cucumbers.......but it is divine.

Sure thing. You have an open invitation anytime you choose. Simply load up on your sun shades and sun cream and you'll be good to go...............

What to do on a Sunday for dinner following a very heavy Saturday clubbing with no food!!!! I know, let's have Syrian Food - Saturday damages - Stuffed Vine Leaves - Hummos - Sausages Pomegranate Molasses - Aubergines Baba Ghanouj - Pickles - Olives - Muhamara - Taouk Jirkess (Chicken - Yoghurt - Tehineh) - Kibbeh Kassabieh - Aubergine Kabab .......and for dessert, a slice of Heaven in the Sky. - Kashta bel Festok ( Clotted Cream and Pistachio)

It's the boring Tuesday.......Better liven it up with Pasta and Vino. Penne with Wild Boar smoked ham - Sauce: Garlic - Mushrooms - Truffle Oil - White Wine and Cream. - Dressed with Parmegiano Regiano and chopped fresh flat Parsley. The dessert was Häagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream followed by Espresso and a nap.

After Sunday disaster, I thought I needed to enjoy some proper fare and Tuesday is Crab day. It was quite a feast and very enjoyable specially that the place is split between a restaurant and the Lounge where the atmos is electrically eclectic. We had Blue Crab and Soft Shell Crab and Brown Crab and Kamchatka Crab. - The Crabs porn - The Shellfish Porn - Ravioli Oysters filled with Burrata and Truffle with a Tomato sauce - Soft Crab Champagne sauce (Leeks Garlic and Cream) - Blue Crab Curry sauce (Lemon Grass and Shallots) - Kamchatka Crab White Pepper Sauce which is my favourite (White Pepper - Ginger - Garlic - Butter) - The Damages - The Entertainment (censored by the power that be) That's what I call food for the soul......................

Ohhh. Colin does not eat such rubbish

We get it delivered from a local Gourmet grocer.

Sunday's dog dinner....... So I ordered Short Ribs and the guy asks me how to I like my Ribs cooked......... Ribs are slow cooked and do not come in rare or medium or well done!!!!!!!! And they were disgusting with a load of some sweet molasses sauce......another one bite the dust. Salmon hidden under more gravy????? Steak with potato mash and a a tree decoration????? Another rubbish dinner where I came home to eat a Gouda sandwich with Beurre D'Isigny and Walnuts dressing. Now that was yummy.

Tuesday was French Sushi night......... and just remembered to take the last pic of the Tuna. ...........as too busy getting through the bath tub..........

I was attending an evening Fashion Show and got there earlier than planned. Better have a bite to eat as the canapes won't do it. I ordered a Club Sandwich and this is what I got. Nevermind it is the most expensive Club Sandwich in the world. But a Simpson's on the Strand Club Sandwich it is not. Nevermind that the plate is a signed Versace plate made by Rosenthal. It is still the most awful deconstructed Club Sandwich ever...... Quail eggs.....Pfffft..... Never again.....

Actually, you get full mark for guessing the name. The translation would be the Robin Nest and it is an Arabic sweet composed of vermicelli strands wrapped around pistachios. Delectable.

It's Friday, Friday is Fish day......well sea food day...... to keep things light for the start of the weekend and of course, I refuse to forgo dessert......

Ohhh. You have an open invitation. Now that you mention it, We had another real Carrousel last week as well. It was for the launch of Hermès new opening and they ferried the invites by buggies to a unique bespoke Hermès themed FunFair probably the poshest FunFair ever where you go fully dressed for the night for the full monty such as Hall of Mirrors - Carrousel - Bumper cars......Hot Air Balloon.........the whole enchilada. It was a bit hilarious as the fully dressed waiters with black bowties were circulating with Champagne flutes and Canapes. The food was Food Trucks and the one which grabbed my attention was the Pulled Beef Sliders......and the Dogs......unfortunately not my preferred Chicago Dogs with the Green radioactive relish and hot pepper which I like.......Poppy Seed buns are a must. Today is Beach day.......where everybody gets their ears perforated by the music which does not matter as you'll be completely plastered in the first half hour..

It's Thursday Lebanese Extravaganza....... The idea was for a feeble nimble of a Shawarma Sandwich and ughhhhh the starters followed by the mains and ending with the dessert. Basically a light dinner..... - Nuts - Fresh baked Bread - Cold Starters and Salads - Mejadara - Stuffed Veg - Loubia bel Zait - Banjan bel Zeit - Zahra Me'elieh - Hendbeh bel Zait - Tabbouleh - Salads x 3 - Meat & Chicken Skewers x 1000...... The Dessert was so so........and as one would, I took an executive decision (after the approval of the Powers that be) to have a proper Dessert and we went for the Damascus Clotted Cream Ice Cream as I thought better keep it light for a change. So off we went to the guy pounding the Ice Cream with a big Mallet. Then he rolls the treasure in a bed off Pistachios and off everybody goes to Heaven except your's truly who went to Hell (as admonished by the wife and excommunicated by the lovely MIL).......

Sunday is Fish day. Fried Fish day, Fried Shrimps day........Ughhh, and Fried Magnum White Chocolate day...... The Before The After The In Between The Gluttony Finale

Sorry no can do These are Ceramic Glazed Donuts designed by a talented Korean artist Jae Yong Kim. His work attracted my wife's gaze during a visit to an Art gallery. She would like to adorn the kitchen wall next to the pink Smeg fridge - Paul Bocuse hanging plates....etc She has a very non expensive taste, so says my sweet MOL........

My darling wife asked for some donuts.......... the cheap variety so I could still hove some change left for the fillings.........

The Puffed up Falafels are caused by three essential factors: 1- The Fava Beans should be the peeled type (Makshour). 2- Mixed to "string" consistency by regulating the water content and by allowing the mix to rest for couple of hours so the Bicarb does it's thing. 3- Oil temperature. Importantly: 1.1- The use of non peeled type of Fava beans will result in the color of your Falafels to be dark. 1.2- As for the Puff or Rise It is to be noted that the Bicarb needs an acid such as Lemon juice to create carbon dioxide gas so the dough expands when cooked. This is common culinary knowledge. 1.3- The oil temp and type is preferably used from a previous fry as the oil will not only be flavoured by the previous fry but would have also lost it's viscosity and cook/brown the Falafel faster. In Egypt, the saying is that a good Falafel from the street carts uses car engine oil and the stench is what gives Falafel it's true taste. We don't cook Falafel in house as it so happens that we like the three different types namely: Egyptian - Lebanese and Jordanian and it is a palaver cooking the three types which are readily available at respective Falafel shops.........and we are running short of car engine oil This is a pic of the Egyptian allegedly fancy ones with sesame and French fries. Enjoy your Falafels

It is Saturday. It's time for some delightful Persian cuisine for an early evening before hitting the night spots - Crudités A whole array of veggies and white cheese and hot freshly made Persian bread with a side of a cucumber yogurt Mast-o-Khiar (Cucumber Yoghurt). The star of the show is freshly picked Basil sprigs instead of the ubiquitous Mint sprigs in Levantine restaurants. - Persian Bread - Starters Zertono Gerdo Salad: Walnuts - Garlic - Mint Leaves - Dried Thyme - Pomegrenate Halim Bademjan Eggplant - Onions - Chickpeas - Lentils - Walnuts - Main Course Fesenjoon: Chicken - Walnuts - Pomegrenade Ghormeh Sabzi: Lamb - Leeks - Coriander - Ref Beans - Vegs Tikkeh Masti: (Lamb Fillet Charcoal Grill) - Dessert Here comes the bride, all dressed in white Sweetly, serenely, in soft glowing light. Faloodeh with Bastani Sonnati: Persian ancient frozen vermicelli dessert topped with Persian Saffron Clotted Cream Ice Cream to die for. The Ceremonial comes with two glass Carafe. One filled with Rose Water and the second one with fresh Lemon Juice. These are poured on the Frozen Vermicelli before you mix the whole lot and try to avoid the pesky flying spoons militarized by the powers that be. Just a simple Persian early dinner.