Le Petite Maison food coma.......going to sleep well tonight!

I enjoyed a meal at one of Dubai's most fabulous restaurants this evening, Le Petite Maison in DIFC.  They consistently hit the mark with top notch service, phenomenal quality of food, plus the warm and inviting ambiance.  Everything we ate this evening was delicious, but below I have just listed the highlights.  I recommend anyone living in the UAE try this place at least once. And if you're visiting from out of town, it's a MUST DO!

Haricots de Soisson, Vinaigrette aux Truffes
White Beans with Truffle Vinaigrette 

Grosses Crevettes Grillées 
Grilled Tiger Prawns

 Compliments of the fabulous Chef, this gorgeous Sorbet selection!

One of the BEST desserts in Dubai,

Pain Perdu et sa Glace aux Epices
French Toast with Spice Ice Cream

Claims to be the best Cheesecake in Dubai....

Gâteau au Fromage blanc
Cheesecake

It is pretty darn good:) Check out the website for other reviews plus the extensive menu!

http://www.lpmdubai.ae/

A Slice of History at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi

Currently, there is an exhibition showcasing a 200 year old Kiswah, at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.  A Kiswah is a black brocade cloth that covers the Holy Kaaba in Saudi Arabia.  Having such an important piece of history available for all  to appreciate during Ramadan gives fasting Muslims an additional spiritual boost during this already Holy moth.

This Kiswah is particularly important because, it "once guarded the door of Kaaba in Mecca, commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Selim III, and dates Hijri 1219AD 1804-1805......"

To read more about the Kiswah, follow the link below:

 http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=/data/theuae/2011/August/theuae_August270.xml&section=theuae 

After our grand tour of the Emirates Palace, we worked up quite an appetite and decided we needed to break our fast with their delicious Iftar buffet, complete with a Cold Seafood Selection.

Check out these cute little salad cones.....

They were filled with Curried Chicken Salad, Prawn Cocktail, and Mushroom Mousse.

 My favorite part in all the Iftar buffets I've attended is always the dessert section.  They always do a fantastic job with the display.....eveything from Creme Brulee, to Lemon Meringue, Tiramisu, and those adorable little cones again.  They were used to serve both sweet and savory....so clever!

Do we see a theme running here......more CONES!

They all had different fillings inside, and me being the curious one, I had to try them all!  My favorite would be the chocolate truffle filled one:)

Follow the link below to find more information on Emirates Palace.
http://www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi/Pages/Welcome.aspx

Some more festive Iftars in Dubai....

Our first stop of the evening was at Sloanes in the Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina.

The bread tower (above) was cool, just for display though.  And the array of salads (below) was extensive and colorful.

 

Then I ran into my buddy, Chef Tom Egerton, resident Chef on Studio One!  He served me some delicious Lamb Ouzi...YUMMMMY!

Tonight was a trip down memory lane, next I saw Chef Cesar Ramirez, who participated in a Mystery Bag Challenge on Studio One. Check out that elaborate grill station, what a FEAST!

 Time for dessert....check out these dainty little cupcakes.

 I was also quite fond of these green tea cakes, unusual item for the dessert buffet, but tasty!

Grosvenor House is located at:

Al Sufouh Rd - Dubai

United Arab Emirates
04 399 8888

http://www.grosvenorhouse-dubai.com/en/ramadan

Our next stop of the evening was the Mina A'Salam tent for Suhoor, extravagant and elegant.  This was definitely the place to be!!!

 Check out these beauties:)

 This guy was also pretty cool, he was offering us fresh tamarind juice from the thermos strapped on his back.

Mina A'Salam is located in Madinat Jumeirah.  Reservations are necessary for the tent.  Contact the hotel for more details: 04 366 8888

http://www.jumeirah.com/hotels-and-resorts/Destinations/Dubai/Madinat-Jumeirah/Mina-ASalam-Hotel/

Homesick already:(

Here are a couple of random photos from my recent trip to the States.  I've been back in Dubai for less than a week, but already miss the familiar faces and comforts of home......

This is an example of successful advertising! As I was walking by a mall bakery at the Natick Collection,  I noticed this sign for Banana Cupcakes.  Next thing I knew, I B-lined it inside and purchased that little morsel of heaven.....it was well worth the calories:) 

On the same trip to the mall, my adorable niece Leila demanded Dunkin Donuts munchkins.  Because I refer to her as "my little munchkin" I thought it appropriate to give in to the request:)  

This beautiful Hirame and ahi tartare with tostadas, cucumber, jalapeno-lime vinaigrette, and wasabi tobiko is reminiscent of my San Francisco trip.....

 I've heard of Stevia before, but haven't seen it in this form.  If you were not informed about this little dieters delight, It will change your perception of sweets.  Stevia is a zero calorie sweetener and has been used for 100's of years by tribes in South America to enhance beverages, medicines, and other treats.  Check out the website for more info on Stevia.....

http://www.steviaextractintheraw.com/Our-Products.aspx

Another trend that I came across on the West Coast was a street vendor who sold these colorful Jello molds.  They came in a variety of flavors and textures complete with fruits and nuts.

 I am not fond of the gelatin snack, but thought the colors and display were eye catching!

Here's an interesting article on the new trend.

http://www.sfbg.com/pixel_vision/2011/08/17/sweet-streets-gelatin-dessert

Acquired Taste....

This article was published in this month's Spinney's Food magazine, Issue 41/August 2011.  It is currently on sale at all Spinney's grocery stores in Dubai.

Check it out!!!!

Ice Cream Dreams!!!!

My last night in Boston I spent celebrating my Grandmother's 77th Birthday! We went to Cabot's Ice Cream Parlor, a 1970's style diner and ice cream shop where they do ice cream the old fashioned way.  Cabots is a Wahid family tradition.....

Below, are my two adorable Grandmothers (Birthday Girl is on the left)

 This was my "healthy" sundae, with fat free frozen yogurt.

 This was my cousin's heaping mound of ice cream and they finished every last bite!

 The Birthday Girl with her old fashioned ice cream soda.

Cabot's Ice Cream is located at:

743 Washington Street

MA 02460-1701
(617) 964-9200
http://cabots.com/

Five Leaves Restaurant, Brooklyn NY, In loving Memory of Heath Ledger.....

This restaurant has an interesting story behind it, check out the link below for more on Heath Ledgers involvement with this establishment.......

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/a-new-restaurant-in-heath-ledgers-memory/

Although this entry begins on a sad note, I am happy to report that the grub at the Brooklyn eatery (with an Aussie touch) is top notch!

The Ricotta Pancakes were light and fluffy and decorated nicely with a generous amount of fresh fruit.  

The Ricotta is homemade and is one of their specialties, I enjoyed it with honeycomb, figs, and sea salt.

 The Mussels were cooked in a thai coconut broth served up with some crusty european bread.

The textures and colors on the Hamachi ceviche sandwich really stood out to me, and tasted as good as it looked.....

My trip to Brooklyn wouldn't have been complete without some authentic Italian Ice.  Its fairly new to the neighborhood, and with flavors like Peanut Butter and Jelly and Mojito Ice, I think this one is here to stay!

Union Ice of Williamsburg is located at:

Corner of Union Ave and Grand St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - North Side

San Francisco + San Matteo = Food in-San-ity!!!!

I started my day at the Ferry Building on The Embarcadero in San Francisco.

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

For lunch I enjoyed this beautiful Dunginess Crab Cake. It is a species of crab found on the West Coast of North America.

And for dessert, the newest trend with sweets is to enjoy it with Salt??!!

The perfect balance of sweet and savory.....

They also hold a farmer's market there every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  There were many fresh fruits and vegetables there, but I chose to focus on the beautiful summer tomatoes....

 They are so colorful and there is so much variety in shape, size, flavor, and texture! Below are the king of tomatoes known as the Heirloom tomato.  They don't have a perfect shape or size, but the taste is just right:) 

I also made some friends along the way!

These fun little edible critters were freshly baked at Boudin's Sourdough Bakery, a San Francisco tradition.  According to history, wild yeasts in the Bay Area air had imparted a unique tang to the Boudin family's traditional French bread......

http://www.boudinbakery.com/

Next on the list was a quick drive to San Matteo.

There we enjoyed some authentic Mexican food. I had some Seafood Ceviche amongst other goodies....

But the best part are all the salsas and condiments to accompany the yummy food!

All this loveliness can be enjoyed at Charlie's Taqueria.  This hole in the wall restaurant serves up some mean Mexican.....and the best part is that it won't break the bank!

Located at:

725 S B St

San Mateo, CA 94401

My trip to Napa Valley, California....I think they were expecting me:)

Napa Valley is one of the most stunning places in California with plush rolling greens, amazing food, and some of the most gorgeous vineyards I've ever seen......

After checking out some of Napa Valley's finest, we settled down for lunch, and wouldn't you know....... they were serving up some "Saba"! 

The dressing is ssimmered in copper kettles over an open flame, saba is the sweet reduction of grape must. It's the same must used for balsamic vinegar, except cooked down even more, to about one-third its original volume. Saba is aged for 4 years. With a fruity character, this sweet and syrupy liquid has hints of ripe grapes, sweet plums, and raisins. Drizzle over cheesecake, on ice cream, over panna cotta, or on fresh fruit.

 We enjoyed a number of delicacies for lunch, but this plate was one of my favorites.  It's a Wood Oven Duck, "a L'Orange", so colorful and tasty!

We were also privileged enough to enter this cool wine cave at the Reverie Vineyard, complete with French Oak Barrels as well as a banquet table used for special events, exclusive dinners, and tastings.