Isn’t that such a long title?!
I still like it

So last week Nadia Masood (who also is a great food & travel blogger and wrote about our visit) and I met for breakfast at Yamanote Atelier. The place I’ve been tweeting and instagramming about for quite some time now.

I usually don’t visit a new place until its vibe is less… until the crowds lessen and until they’ve mastered their service.

Yamanote was an exception because I have been waiting for it to open for a long time. The pastries, baked good and service was impeccable from day one!

At first I thought Yamanote was a franchise from Japan and then I came to learn the it was established in Dubai. That made me even more proud!

Five Gourmet Days! Not any gourmet but Lafayette Gourmet!

I have had lots of people ask me where Lafayette Gourmet is?

If you go to Dubai Mall, Make sure you pass by Lafayette Gourmet,  Galeries Lafayette 2nd Floor.

The food festival at Lafayette Gourmet was amazing! Close your eyes and imagine yourself at a French Province “Gourmet” Farmer’s Market minus the greenery!

Although my cousin and I were two hours early, we still enjoyed watching their Lootah Premium Foods crew set up! They had more time to show us around and give us the stories behind their products.

Before the food festival started, Lootah Premium Foods sent me a hamper full of goodies to tease me and keep me on edge!
Last Wednesday when the festival started, I was like a little child in a candy store.

You can’t imagine the range of fruits and vegetables which Lootah Premium Foods carry! They’re beyond awesome!
Golden beets, pineapple heirloom tomatoes, rhubarb, smoked garlic. lots of edible flowers and many more interesting and oh-so-delicious produce.
What I liked about their philosophy is that they choose from the finest suppliers in Europe.

Today started with one of the hardest moments I ever had in my life.
I actually was dreading to face this day for the passed two weeks!

My husband was sent off to one the countries where the UAE is part of the Peace Program there.

I used to feel for families with someone defending countries not their own but never did I realize how hard it is until this morning.

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Many of you might know how diverse the UAE is. It embraces so many nationalities and they melt together until well combined!

If you’re an Emarati you’ll notice a few things… That many expatriate don’t know much about the culture other than their visit to the museum, Mohammed Bin Rashid’s Cultural Understanding Center, the Heritage Village and maybe just maybe from colleagues at work.
A lot of the information they get from these places might not give the full picture.

The Emirati culture isn’t one of the hardest to absorb once you get to know more about it.

There are some expatriates living in the UAE who tend to only mingle with other expatriates. Don’t ask me why! I know we don’t bite!
It’s like a whole other Dubai which we don’t know about!

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During Ramadan, I try to cook or bake something from different cultures more than I actually during regular days.

I do that mainly because everyone gathers during Futoor and then after that everyone wants two or three kinds of dessert.

My mom makes her famous puddings: Rice Pudding (Rice with Milk), Saffron Custard, Rose Milk Sago (Tapioca Pudding), Mastic Pudding, and of course Rice Farni.
Rice Farni is made using rice flour and the outcome is this rich white custard-like pudding.

Ever since I was a child, this was my favorite!

I quickly remove the raisin-walnut-cinnamon-coconut scattered on the pudding and and enjoy every spoon! I even have it for Suhoor!

The day before I made this version, I was telling my mom that I need to learn her recipe for the rice farni because hers is the best and no cookbook can ever beat it (no offense)!
By the time I’m done with the boys and go to the kitchen, she’s already pouring them in the serving bowls!

But today, I managed to get the recipe from my mother and also have two other ways of doing the rice farni!

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Ramadan Mubarak to all of you who are Muslims!

It is indeed the best month of the year.
Family visits, you feel closer to Allah, and of course lots and lots of scrumptious food!

I love the rituals our family has and have had since forever… daily Hrees making and giving out to family, friends and whoever passes by and knows we make it. Giving out daily Iftar meals to people and of course a busy kitchen all day long until the call of Maghrib Prayer (when we break our fast).

All these rituals make you appreciate what you have and feel empathetic to those who don’t live a life as comfortable as yours.

Of course it is something you should appreciate all year round but Ramadan reminds you of it even more.

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“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction”
Winston Churchill

The last time I blogged was back in 2005! That was quite a long time back.

Back then my blog was about my artwork, creative non-fiction writing and poetry.

Here I am, six years later with a totally new life!

Surrealist is still in me but has been reined for a little while and is waiting to be unleashed sometime soon in the body of the partially-new-me La Mère Culinaire!

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Since 2005 I had a few blank years, then in 2008 got married to an extremely awesome man, 2009 gave me my first baby boy and 2010 gave my second boy and 2011 gave me the courage to write and start blogging again! A lot to absorb when you’ve never imagined your life to take this turn so fast! Yes yes… it is fast for me the Surrealist but not for me the Mère Culinaire!

Here I am now, a wife, a mother of two boys. Still loving art but now applying it differently. Now, it’s all about applying the art of parenting and the culinary arts in my daily life. Two things which have become very important aspects of my life.

You’ll soon see me blogging about recipes, parenting, interesting gadgets, and of course Art and Design.

In the meantime, enjoy a flashback of the metamorphosis …