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MAKING THE MOST Healthy winter cooking OF WINTER This month's issue is filled with so many great recipes that are easy, quick and simple – great for me, especially since it's the festive season. Staying in Dubai, we hardly get the chance to go out for a picnic, because of the weather. But now that its winter, the magazine has given me a lot of ideas and simple tips for planning picnics without a big hassle – I'm surprised no other magazine covers this. I aspire to become a pro chef and all your tried-and-tested recipes are a life saver. I have been reading this magazine for a while now and I really appreciate the time and energy you put into each article, since it really helps people like me who like to know more about different food and cuisines. Way to go, BBC Good Food ME magazine! Sana Chowdhary New nutritious meals that will see you through the colder
months. Recipes LucY NEthERtoN Photographs Rob StREEtER
Boost your vit C
Food styling JuLIA AzzARELLo | Styling SuE RowLANDS
Sticky seeded salmon with satsuma salad SERVES 2 PREP 10 MinS COOK 15 MinS Easy Folate
Vit C
Omega-3
2 of 5-a-day
Gluten Free
1 tbsp red wine vinegar 50g bag watercress 250g pack cooked beetroot (not in vinegar), drained and cut into thin wedges
1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan. Brush each salmon fillet with half the agave syrup or honey, sprinkle on some black pepper, then press on the seeds. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for about 15 mins, depending on the thickness of the fish, until the fish is
2 skinless salmon fillets, about 140g each 2 tsp agave syrup or honey 2-3 tbsp mixed seeds FOR THE SALAD 4 satsumas 1 tbsp olive oil
cooked through and the seeds crunchy. 2 Meanwhile, cut the peel from the satsumas and cut into segments, reserving all the juice that comes out for the dressing. Whisk the juice with the olive oil, vinegar and some seasoning in a small bowl. 3 Toss together the watercress, beetroot and satsuma segments with the dressing and divide between plates. Add a piece of salmon to each one.
The winner of the Star Letter gets a Dhs1,000 shopping voucher from Tavola, the leading retailer of European products and essential items for the kitchen. Tavola is a one-stop shop for bake ware, tableware, high quality cookware and premium brands such as Mauviel, Le Creuset, and Zwilling kitchen knives. They have stores in the UAE and Qatar, as well as across the GCC.
PER SERVING 473 kcals, protein 35g, carbs 20g, fat 28g, sat fat 5g, fibre 5g, sugar 18g, salt 0.5g
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HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST There is a reason why food is an important element of any festival – it brings people Deck the halls, Set the table… together. As a food magazine, BBC Good Food ME does wonders for my culinary skills. But what floored me in your December issue was the feature that helped the hostess in me to blossom as well! (Deck the halls, Set the table...) gave me beautiful insights into arranging my home in tune with Colour code your festive table with a distinct style this season. Experts share their tips on perfectly recreating three different table setting looks.
ExpErt panEl
❅ Kai Steffan, Creative Director at Villeroy and Boch
❅ Ryan Dang, Design Director at Indigo Living
❅ Michelle Dinsmore, Head Visual Merchandiser at Home Centre
SHOP THE STYLE Red berry candle ring, Dhs139 at Indigo Living
The red, green and gold colour combination is a classic look for Christmas, and is a great colour scheme if you’re looking to recreate a traditional, homely vibe. But if done wrong, it can make your dining table look gawdy, rather than elegant. The aim is to have the right balance, and keep everything on the table simple, with touches of red, gold and green seen in smaller elements on the table, rather than in the larger centerpieces or dishes, and keeping the base colours muted, while staying in the same family of hues.
❅ “Take a large tree branch from your garden or neighbourhood
Top Tips: park, and use it as a centrepiece
Decorate it with red ribbons, bows, and of course, decorations. Place round red candles in a small vase wrapped with twigs and festive holly, to add warmth and light to the table. If using white dinner plates, place a small welcome gift on each plate which comprises of a red cone filled with chocolates.” - Kai ❅ “A sheer green glass brimming with red berries makes a striking display, and adds to the festive mood.” - Ryan ❅ “Add splashes of red to the table, by placing red bands and serviettes along with dinner plates.” - Michelle
Wreath (24 inch) with poinsettia and red
baubles, Dhs149 at Ace
Red linen
flatware pouch, Dhs15 at Crate and Barrel
Text by NICOLA MONTEATH | Photographs: suPPLIEd, sHuTTERsTOCK.COM
Classic colours
96 BBC Good Food Middle East December 2014
Compiled by NICOLA MONTEATH | Photographs supplied, SHUTTERSTOCK
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Star Letter BAKING BEAUTIES As a keen cook, I always looked forward to the recipes from BBC Good Food ME magazine, and was quite delighted to see the Chocolate orange and cranberry red velvet bombe (Star bakes, December 2014). I tried recreating it in square tins, as I didn't have the hemisphere cake tins, and baked it for my daughter's class Christmas party. I was so pleased when both teachers and students enjoyed it immensely. I will definitely be serving this cake again on Christmas day and at future birthday parties.
Ever since my Star bakes subscription this year with the magazine, I tried out nearly five cakes and the results have been amazing and always highly complimented. The instructions of all your recipes are made so easy to follow. Best wishes to the BBC Good Food ME team! Ruth Cardoz
the festive occasion, without being harsh on my wallet. The top tips will make sure that aesthetics and colour combinations will finally find a way to my table! And as for the food, the cover page beauty 'Chocolate, orange and cranberry red velvet bombe' (Star bakes, December 2014) will feature as my centerpiece for sure! Let me add a line of appreciation for the invaluable advice on super foods (Winter-proof your diet) that will help build my family's immune system this winter. Overall, a keeper of an issue! Neenu Sajin
EMIRATI EVENT T I went along to The Dubai World Hospitality Championship which was a Champions of huge success, and the event Culinary Culture was covered in the December issue of BBC Good Food ME as well! I highly recommend visiting the next edition, as you can watch the best cooking demonstrations, activities and the competitions between amateur and professional chefs. You can also try authentic Emirati cooking. Dounia Taha
From our social media pages ✴ Received my copy today, am going to spend my full evening reading it. I am always very happy the day I receive it, it gives me new ideas and I come to know the opening of new restaurants. Thank you BBC Good Food ME! – Ralph Joudet ✴ The cover looks yum…Can’t wait to try some recipes - Kashiana Williams ✴ Enjoying the latest BBC Good Food ME Christmas edition with a big hot cup of organic cacao drink. You will fall in love with the recipes in this edition! - BiOrganic Store
Chocolate orange & cranberry red velvet bombe
SERVES 15 PREP 1 hR 10 MinS PluS ChillinG COOK 45 MinS More of a challenge unFillED anD un-iCED CaKES Only
175g butter, very soft, plus extra for greasing 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 200g golden caster sugar 4 large eggs 2 tbsp cocoa 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1½ tsp baking powder 75g buttermilk 2 tsp vanilla extract 20g red food colouring 2 tbsp white wine vinegar FOR THE GANACHE AND FILLING 450ml double cream Zest of 2 oranges 100g bar white chocolate, finely chopped 100g bar dark chocolate, finely chopped 200g bar milk chocolate, finely chopped 180g tub cream cheese 3 tbsp icing sugar 50g dried cranberries, plus extra to serve Sprinkles and edible glitter (optional), to decorate
Try our gorgeous new bakes, from a fresh twist on stollen to our glamorous cover star, this festive season! Recipes Cassie BesT Photographs Will HeaP
Make soMe cake truffles
Crumble the unused cake crumbs into a bowl and mix in the leftover chocolate ganache (microwave first if it has set). scoop into balls and roll into small truffles. Dust in cocoa and chill until ready to eat.
1 heat oven to 160C/140C fan. Grease 2 x 16cm hemisphere cake tins, then dust with flour and shake out the excess. Stand the tins on two ramekins placed on a baking tray to hold them steady. Put the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt and whisk together until smooth and evenly coloured bright red. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 45 mins. Remove from the oven, cool in the tins for 10 mins, then tip onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold. 2 Meanwhile, make the chocolate-orange ganache and the filling. Pour the cream into a saucepan, add the orange zest and heat until just steaming. Put half the white chocolate in a bowl, and the dark and milk chocolates in another bowl. Pour 50ml of the hot cream over the white chocolate (strain it if the orange zest is in big
74 BBC Good Food Middle East December 2014
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Visitors got a glimpse of the UAE’s rich roots
Arabic handicrats on display at the heritage village
Ladies cooking Chebab a traditional delicacy
Coffee has been a big part of the Emirati hospitality
Fishermen weaving the threads of Emirati heritage
Local Emirati lady preparing Luqaimat a scrumptious Arabic sweet
The dubai World hospitality championship (dWhc) brought together top-notch experts in the hospitality and culinary industry from around the world, in its second edition last month.
he second edition of the Dubai World Hospitality Championship (DWHC) took place from October 31 to November 1 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, with top chefs and food connoisseurs from around the world showcasing their world-class talents. The three-day event was held under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and organised by the Za’abeel Palace Hospitality, in cooperation with World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) and The Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG). Attracting a strong participation from renowned hospitality and culinary professionals – including not just countries in the GCC region but also countries like Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria – this year’s championship saw over 2,500 entrants participate in four different competitions: an international competition, Gulf products competition, Emirati competition, and finally a photography competition. The Emirati Team bested other regional and international groups of top chefs to grab the International Competition’s top recognition spot. Ahmed bin Hareb, President of Dubai World Hospitality Championship said, “We are pleased with the outcome of this year’s Dubai World Hospitality Championship. It was very inspiring to watch our local, regional and international participants’ creativity, innovation, perseverance and sportsmanship as they competed in each category. Their world-class talents and skills in the fields of hospitality and culinary arts are worth noting. DWHC was also successful in terms of showcasing our local traditions to our international guests.” DWHC’s second cycle also featured a variety of other categories such as the ‘UAE Celebrity Competition’, which saw the gathering of worldrenowned artists, sports and media celebrities along with professional and amateur chefs to celebrate the UAE’s local culinary heritage and hospitality. Participating celebrities were given the title of ‘Ambassadors of Hospitality,’ in recognition of their efforts to increase international awareness on Emirates heritage and hospitality.
Text by Adelle Geronimo | Photographs: AnAs cherur; jAy colinA
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TALK TO US! Email us on feedback@bbcgoodfoodme.com with your thoughts and comments, and send us your photos with your copy of BBC Good Food ME! You can also connect with us on social media! Find us on: @bbcgoodfoodme @bbcgoodfoodmiddleeast Or, you could write to us at: The Editor, BBC Good Food Middle East. Grosvenor Business Tower, Tecom, Office 804 PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE.
January 2015 BBC Good Food Middle East 5
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