Danderma's Blog, page 13

Recipe: Kuwaiti Cardamom Pancakes with Tea Syrup

I woke up on Saturday morning in the mood for pancakes. Its been a while, almost years, since I last woke up on the weekend and bothered to cook something like pancakes. As I shuffled around my kitchen putting together the ingredients I’d need I somehow stumbled upon my “Kuwaiti” ingredients, aka the herbs cardamom and saffron, then one thing led to another and I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

If you’ve been following my blog for quite some time now and you haven’t been to Kuwait before you might remember my talking about a traditional and quite fragrant Kuwaiti cake we call “Qors Oqaily”. Basically its a dense cake made with lots and lots of cardamom and saffron and baked so its topped with plenty of sesame and is the perfect companion for a cup of tea with milk and cardamom for breakfast or strong tea in the afternoon. Since pancakes are actually cakes made in the pan I thought I’d make them with the flavours of qors oqaily and that involves cardamom, saffron, and sesame.

Its better to heat up a pinch of saffron in a little bowl of water, preferably rose water, in the microwave before mixing it in the batter. The batter mix is from Jamie Oliver’s pancake recipe from this post which calls for a cup of milk, a cup of self raising flour -or plain flour with two tablespoons baking powder-, one egg, a pinch of salt, and 10g of melted butter all whisked in. Add whatever flavour you may fancy and in this case I added freshly ground cardamom, sesame, a hint of vanilla, and saffron mixed in with a tad of rose water.

Then using a flat griddle or a flat pancake iron from Tefal, start pouring ladle-fuls of the batter. Yes, its that easy and straightforward! Make sure the pancake pan thingy is hot enough but not too hot, place it on medium heat -around 7 on an electric stove- and keep a close eye on your pancakes. Each pancake should start to bubble up within 30 seconds. When its all bubble shake it a bit and if it slides off the pan its time to flip it.

Sprinkling the pancakes with a pinch of sesame while its cooking won’t hurt either. Another 30 seconds and its all done! Ta-da!

My pancakes weren’t uniform but who wants perfectly round pancakes when you could have messy delicious insanely aromatic ones? They were screaming for some tea to go with, hand in hand. The batter makes around 8 pancakes which should me more than enough for two or three hungry dining persons.

Because its been forever since the last time I made pancakes I didn’t have any maple syrup at home but then who wants boring old maple syrup for those special pancakes? I’ve decided to make me a sort of syrup/frosting to use on top and because Gers oqaily pancakes went so well with tea and cardamom infused milk I thought why not make a tea and cardamom infused milk syrup?

So that’s exactly what I did. I added about 90 ml of milk, one tea bag, and some boiling water in a pan and kept it bubbling on the stove until the milk became frothy and started bubbling. I removed the tea bag, lowered the heat, and then added some cardamom, a pinch of cinnamon, and 3-4 table spoons of sugar plus one tablespoon of low fat Philadelphia cheese. I whisked everything together and kept it bubbling away on the stove on a medium heat while I poured my pancakes.

In about fifteen minutes the sauce had thickened and all the pancakes were ready to be devoured. The aroma of those pancakes exactly matched the aroma of freshly baked qors oqaili cake fresh out of the oven, comfort food at its best.

The tea and milk sauce had thickened up, a tad too thick for my liking but it was still pourable and quite fragrant on its own.

This is how the pot looked after I was done! I wonder if I made caramel and I didn’t know it?

Anyways, please meet the most delicious pancakes ever!

The best thing about them? There is only one egg and 10g of butter in the mix, while the original qors oqaily cake calls for lots of eggs and much more than 10g of oil or butter which makes it a much lighter option. My husband is mildly allergic to eggs and would usually develop a skin rash after eating a slice of cake but he had no problems eating those pancakes.

And the sauce thingy was just the cherry on top! Zoom in and imagine how that tastes, yes, that good!

I cannot wait for Saturday to roll over and be here already! I need me some pancakes, I wonder why I ever stopped making them for breakfast. Then again I hate my current kitchen, its too dim and claustrophobic I barely cook anything there anymore. For those pancakes, I wouldn’t mind cooking in a cave with no electricity!

Do try this pancake recipe and if it works for you, do let me know. Its the perfect taste of Kuwait

What do these characters mean è é ë ê?

In English its almost always easy, the letters of the alphabet always come in one form and always pronounced the same. In Arabic, the letters are also the same but the way you pronounce them can come in four different ways per letter depending on a little mark that is put on top of the letter.

What I do not get is the special characters from other European language. 

I know that when you use é -or was it è?- it somehow means eh… like creme brûlée. I however do not understand the û and why would it differ in pronunciations between brûlée or brulee… to me they look identical sans the fancy letter work.

How does è differ from é, ë, or ê? What about the ñ and õ? Why is it that the e and o and a come with all the different variations while the n only comes in one which is ñ? Why isn’t the t or k or f among those that come in different pronunciations? I know I sound like a toddler who keeps asking why but I’m always intrigued and somehow feel a bit, how do I put it? Ignorant. Yes, whenever I come across a word with such variations I am washed by a wave of how ignorant in foreign languages I am and how at that very moment I am faced with a word I cannot pronounce, which irks me. I’ve never been to a private school in Kuwait, I was in a government school and had to learn English on my own to keep up with my siblings who all went to private schools and all my peers who went to college abroad, but its these little things that remind me all the time of what I’ve missed while teaching myself to take my English to another level. I hate not knowing, plain and simple.

So, do all English speaking people know what these special characters mean? I assume they learn about it in school perhaps or something. Am I wrong?

Eid Lunch and Breakfast at Mado Dubai

Ever since the people of Middle East began their obsession with everything Turkish I was hearing and watching people gushing about one Turkish restaurant in particular: Mado! When I was in Brisbane, Australia I found out a Mado and we had our first proper dinner in Australia there but when I posted pictures of the place on instagram my followers informed me that the Mado I was at wasn’t the authentic real Mado everyone is pining for back in Turkey. After numerous pictures and lots of positive adoring accounts from people, I came to know of Mado’s branch in Dubai Mall and you can understand why we chose it to have our second most important meal of the year: the Eid lunch.

Mado Dubai is located in the Souk District of Dubai Mall. Although I find the Souk a tad too gloomy for my taste, the seating of Mado is located underneath a big skylight with lots of Natural sun rays streaming in and hitting the droplets of water sputtering from a fountain located in the centre of all the tables. Of course I chose a fountain and skylight view table and we were lucky, for most of the fountain tables were either occupied or reserved.

I love fountains, the sound of splashing water provides a calming effect that’s like music to my ears and also drowns out the buzzing conversation of diners around me. I loved the relaxed atmosphere of Mado Dubai so much, I wanted to sit there for as long as it was possible.

Because Eid lunch is very important after 30 days of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, we took our time browsing the menu and deciding on what to order.

Unfortunately my eyes fell on a picture of the Traditional Village breakfast and I was instantly obsessed. I knew I wanted to try that and only that and I wasn’t really craving lunch anyway. For the first visit there, my husband ordered lunch and I ordered Turkish tea and dessert only.

My husband’s order was this dish of grilled kebabs wrapped in thin bread topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese and accompanies by tangy yoghurt. I’m not sure whats it called but he was extremely happy with it.

To accompany it he had Turkish buttermilk ayran drink that arrived in a cold metal flask, like something from an old historical movie prop.

As for me I ordered cheese Kunafa with a side of dondurma. Dondurma is ice cream and yes its the same word as my blog name “Danderma” but mine is spelled the Kuwaiti way.

The Kunafa was awesome! The dondurma was fresh and sweet but its not the most delicious ice cream in the world. However, it complemented the Kunafa perfectly.

Because I was obsessing about the breakfast of Mado, we decided to have our second day of Eid breakfast there and you should have seen me waking up in the morning and almost running through the corridors of Dubai Mall to reach Mado. Of course I ordered the farmers breakfast and it arrived with a basket of freshly baked bread.

Sadly the simeet bread, like a Turkish sesame pretzel, wasn’t available that day. It would have been the cherry on top a very delicious breakfast. Look at this loaded tray!

A tray of different Turkish cheeses, each on its on very delicious, with kaymak -clotted cream- swimming in honey, butter, olives, and the most delicious rose jam I’ve ever tasted. I can still taste the rose jam until this moment and I’m now very hungry for that breakfast. A spot on feast for a post-fasting Eid breakfast indeed.

The breakfast also came with salami slices and an egg that my husband attacked.

We also ordered this dish that I do not recall the name of but it had layers and layers of pastry and tangy herby cheese and is so delicious indeed.

Of course there must be tea, and plenty of Turkish tea for breakfast.

Oh and the tea is refillable with the Farmers breakfast. If I remember correctly you get three refills.

I did order a “Karak” tea, which is a version of a Chai latte with tea, milk, and spices like cardamom and cinnamon and sometimes saffron. I wasn’t impressed though, I’m more content with Turkish tea.

I can see why people are obsessed with Mado. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and you can sit and chat and eat and drink and enjoy the atmosphere. I suppose when you are in Turkey dining with a view of the mountains and the sea its even more enjoyable but if you are in Dubai Mado Dubai Mall would do. Mado Kuwait is about to open soon as well on Al-Seif strip so if you are a fan or if you’ve never tried it before  it will be well worth the wait.

Melange Bakery’s Cookie & Milk Shots

If I’m to board a plane to NYC and suffer through the half a day’s worth of travel time, it would be because of Dominique Ansel’s bakery has to offer that gets people to stand in a sneaking line ever day. First it was the cronut, the donut croissant hybrid that took the world by storm and imitations of are available in Kuwait but I suppose do not live up to the real thing. Next came the cookie shot, a chocolate chip cookie moulded like a shot glass and filled up with vanilla infused cold milk. How delicious does that sound? Endless hours of flight time delicious, in my case anyway.

During the holy month of Ramadan I was fasting and scoring the internet when I came upon a picture of Ansel’s cookie shot and I so wanted to try it I went to the kitchen and baked myself something similar. Then I thought to myself that there might be a bakery around Kuwait that already bakes those cookie shots and I was right. I found two bakeries, Häzelñut House and Mélange, both of which bake delicious goodies and would make excellent cookie shots. The cookie shot made by Hazelnut House looked really large and almost molten cake sized and looked like something you’d rather have while dining in the bakery itself while the ones by Melange came in a box of six with takeaway milk bottles so just before iftar time I passed by Melange and got myself a box of six cookie shots to try.

The moment I opened up the box of cookie shots I was hit by the aroma of freshly baked chocolate chips and cookie dough, is there anything more delicious than a cookie? The box came with six teeny bottles of milk and the idea of course is to pour the milk inside the cookie and drink it, either shot like or take a few sips and nibble at the now-soaked cookie bits then drinking some more.

The amount of milk inside the bottle is enough to fill the cookie twice so if you like to drink the milk after you are all done with the cookie you’d have plenty of sips left in that tiny bottle. The milk is indeed vanilla infused, but you don’t see little vanilla beans swimming by and it tastes a bit weird on its own to be frank with an sharp taste of concentrated vanilla.

The cookie is delicious though, the chocolate glaze inside the cookie shot is strong enough to prevent soggy disasters, and as far as cookie shots go the one by Melange is quite good indeed! It should satisfy my cravings until the day I actually make it to Ansel bakery’s doors in NYC.

Melange Kuwait is located in Sanabel Tower and you can check their details by checking their instagram account (@Melange_KWT).

Book Review: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Out of the blue, I received an email from my dear friend and fellow blogger Intlexpatr asking after me and telling me about an intriguing book she had read with the book club she is running called Americanah by a Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The name rang a bell, so I got up from my sofa where I was reading the email towards my library and found the book, alongside another book by Adichie titled “Half a Yellow Sun” that is a best seller and turned into a movie. I remember picking both books up in Waterstones when I was last in the UK and now my friend in the USA was gushing about the writer’s style. I knew it was the book to read for that week. 

I finished the book last Saturday and I have to say it was a delightful read. I enjoyed the book very much, the writer’s style is witty and flows smoothly throughout the pages. After the first chapter you’ll find yourself gripped by the world you are sunk in, for it provided quite an insight about a part of the world that, until I read the book, was inaccessible to me. Whatever I thought Nigeria, or Africa, in general was, it is no longer the case. I’m also amused, and sometimes alarmed, by the similarities between the Kuwaiti and Nigerian society of Kuwait and Nigeria. A line about a hip Nigerian magazine portraying talentless fashion designers on its hit the spot home. The same happened when I woke up yesterday morning to no electricity which both pissed me off and cracked me up a bit. I fear for the day we would all be housing electricity generators, building a little room next to the house for them like wealthy Nigerians do.

However, I have to say that I both like and despise the main character, ifemelu, a girl who seemingly Karma had forgotten about while struggling to build a life in America only to be hit by the issue of race, prompting her to start her very own blog about the subject. Ifemelu’s childhood sweetheart is Obinze who couldn’t make it to the USA and life tears them apart then brings them back together in Nigeria when they both move back. Americanah is both a love story and the story of how immigrant people who yearn for a better life abroad keep hustling until they are no longer recognisable to being their own.

What I really am bother about is the amount of characters introduced in the novel. Endless faces, endless names, many of which serve little purpose. Because they were too many characters introduced throughout the story and most of their names names aren’t familiar, your head tends to swim trying to remember whose who and who did what and why they were here, they were just too many of them their characters didn’t get to develop much.

Would I recommend Americanah? Totally! It is worth the read and now I’m on to the second book I have by Adichie, half of a yellow sun.

P.S. I now love the song  Yori Yori too !

Searching for THE Dress

Now that the rant regarding the lack of size 16 garments is out of my system, and because I’ve been scoring the stores and online websites looking for the perfect dress for the good part of two months now before realising that with my size I do not have the luxury of a choice to start with and that I am supposed to settle for any dress stocked by a kind enough understanding buyers to fit voluptuous figures like mine and leave it at that. I thought I’d show you what my favourite dresses were, what I’d have worn and chosen had I had the luxury of the choice.

My very first dress crush, one that was actually available online in my size but because I was too lazy to order it the moment I saw it until it was gone forever, was this Lanvin beauty. Picture is from Net-a-porter.

Lovely eh? Well, it was available, and discounted also on Lanvin.com. However, I took my time searching for something else that when I realised I’d better stick to what I found and order it. I went online and it was no longer there! Overnight and it was Poof and I even emailed Lanvin.com asking them about the dress and they said it was no longer available for purchase. Picture from Net-a-porter.

I kick myself till this very moment, if I had only ordered it the moment I saw it all of this nonsense I’ve been through for the past two months wouldn’t have happened. There is a one piece dress available in Lanvin in the Avenues in French size 42 which is equivalent to a 12 UK if anyone is interested. What else? Rosie Assoulin’s entire collection I suppose, check out these beauties that I didn’t find any where! Pictures are from Rosie Assoulin.com 

I really, really, really wanted to wear a Rosie Assoulin, I love her style! Colourful, quirky, and clean cut with just a simple touch here or there that makes it trendy! The only Rosie Assoulin dress I did find and the first dress I’ve tried was this one below, which is gorgeous but wasn’t available in my size. I found it in By Symphony in Dubai Mall and Al-Othman boutique, the one in Al-Othman was a last piece btw and if you fit in it, I suggest you go snap it up! Its a heartbreaker.

Oh I found this gorgeous, gorgeous layered Rosie Assoulin dress in a Moda Operandi trunk show. I could have pre-ordered it in my size but it is from the Resort 2015 collection and won’t ship until November or February which is after the wedding or I’d have snatched it up. Keep an eye out for this one, picture is from Rosie Assoulin.com

Speaking of gorgeous Rosie, another dress that I tried on my first trip to By Symphony Dubai was a wavy number by Roksanda Iclinic, the one on the right.

In fact I’ve tried all the dresses in the window display of By Symhpony, the biggest I could find throughout Dubai were either 12 or 14 UK and I would have gladly worn any of them.

I’ve scored the stores online looking for a Roksada in 16 but I couldn’t find any and all the ones in size 14 disappeared like snowflakes falling on a hot stove. The only one I found in size 16 was the one on the right in the picture below and I found in in Al-Othman boutique but I didn’t like it much on me, it brought too much attention to my upper arms. I’m keeping it as a last resort though.

I also love this one by Roksanda but I couldn’t find it anywhere, picture is from Roksanda.com 

What next? Well, I was in Bottega Venetta in Mall of the Emirates when I was smitten by this metallic dress, picture from BottegaVeneta.com

I so wanted to fit into the dress, but it was only available in Italian 44 which is a UK 12 and wouldn’t zip up. I’ve actually been to Bottega twice to try and squeeze myself into it, but it just wouldn’t zip up. I sadly waved good bye and slept without dinner that night.

I also was smitten by this beauty, which was sold out within minutes from arriving on Net-a-porter by the way, but the size 44 wasn’t big enough for me. The pictures are from Net-a-porter and in reality the dress is breathtaking.

Look at that surprising pink streak in the back!

Speaking of Dubai, I almost cried walking into Oscar De La Renta’s store. I wanted to try on everything, every single dress was gorgeous! However, my absolute favourite ones which of course didn’t come in my size were these, all pictures are from OscarDeLaRenta.com. First, this saffron hued gown.

I wasn’t a big fan of the shape and I doubt I’d purchase it even if it came in my size but the colours are delicious to say the least.

This gold and black one, though I hate wearing black to weddings but I’ve touched and felt this one in Dubai and searched for it online. Oscar De La Renta’s online personal shopper informed me there was one last size US 14 dress available and I was thinking about it seriously.

However it was this gold one, sold out everywhere, that I really wanted. Also not a fan of gold, it was the delicate detailing, the fabric of the dress, that made me want to hug it and take it home in whatever size it came in.

Of course it wasn’t available in my size, but I found its brother in Al-Othman boutique! It was a one piece only in a size 10 or 12 USA and of course it didn’t fit me Gorgeous, no?

Speaking of Al-Othman, which is always my number one destination for party dresses and is the place where my mother got her wedding dress and my sister got her melcha -wedding ceremony- dress, I found this Matthew Williamson.

Now this time around I’ve said I wasn’t going to look at Matthew for I’ve been through a Matthew phase since 2006 and I’ve been to three different weddings wearing Matthew dresses, but the one above melted my resolution at once! I saw it in Al-Othman but it was in a size 10 or 12 UK, I went online everywhere and found only the navy one below in size 16 but it came with a warning to take the next size up if you have a curvy figure. I guess that means I needed an 18 Picture above from MatthewWilliamson.com and below from Net-a-porter.com

Speaking of online shopping, I was this close to ordering this Christian Siriano dress in my size but I waited too long and it was no longer available. Picture from ChristianSiriano.com

I also wanted to buy everything in Monique Lhuillier, I wonder why the stores won’t stock her most gorgeous pieces? I guess they do but they fly off the racks fast. Anyways this is the only one I liked in my size. Picture from Moniquelhuillier.com

Another kick-my-self moment came with this Antonio Berardi dress, though I wasn’t entirely sure of it myself when I first saw it, it was available in both size 16 and 18 on Net-a-porter but when I finally saw myself wearing it to the wedding, I went back and of course, of course, OF COURSE, it was sold out. Please remember: next time you see something you like, stupid girl, BUY IT AT ONCE!

Speaking about online dresses, here is one I really wanted by Mary Katrantzou but couldn’t find anywhere. Picture is from MaryKatrantzou.com

Also this lovely Alberta Fretti golden dress, if I’m not mistaken this I found on ModaOperandi.com It wasn’t available in my size of course and I tried Alberta Fretti boutique in Thuraya mall but they had the long gown version in size Italy 48! I tried it on but it didn’t complement my figure at all, the one below would have been a much flattering fit.

Also what I couldn’t find in my size online is this Lanvin fringy dress! None of the Lanvin stores in Kuwait or Dubai had it also so I’m reduced to dreaming about it. Picture is available in Lanvin.com and I think the biggest size they have is French 42 if you are interested.

The Christopher Kane! This Christopher Kane dress was driving me crazy! Unfortunately I never came upon a website that stocked a larger than a 10 or 12 UK. I think this picture is from BrownsFashion.com

Two more dresses I liked are by Junya Watanabe, both I found on Net-a-porter and either never came in my size or sold out quickly. Pictures are from Net-a-porter.com

I also love this now sold out Michael Van Der Ham, picture also from Net-a-porter.

Oh and this Stella McCartney! I’ve been scoring all the online stores looking for this one in my size but I have to admit that I don’t think it would fit me even if it came in size 16! I cannot stop dreaming about it though and it still didn’t make it to Stella McCartney in Al-Thuraya mall by the way. Picture from Net-a-porter and I think there is one piece size 12 UK left.

Lets talk heartbreakers now, see the below gorgeous feathery Valentino dress? All pictures from Valentino.com

I actually found it in Valentino boutique in Salhiya Mall! In size Italy 46! And it fit, barely but it did fit! A hint of altering and it would have been the dress!

Alas, the leather collar and the feathery sleeves made me too hot! I couldn’t stay in it for more than three minutes, it would have been perfect for an outdoorsy winter wedding, there would be no need for fur to keep you warm. I was this close, this close. The dress behind it was also in Italian 46, the one below but with long sleeves, however I looked like a grandmother wearing it. Not my kind of dress at all.

Now what else? Alessandra Rich. Lacey, peek-a-bo style. Not really my style but her dresses are fashionable and trendy and they come in my size, all three from Net-a-porter. If I’m to wear black, at least a black by Alessandra Rich is better than any other boring black lace dress. Her dresses are anything but boring, all three below are from Net-a-porter and all of them came in my size originally except for the gown-like one with the full skirt.

Oh and I am in love with this Charlotte Olympia heels! I would wear any boring LBD I have in the closet with this and call it a day! How gorgeous! Picture from Net-a-porter.

And with that I hang up my boots and call it quits. I have endless other favourites and pictures, but these are my absolute favourite ones. If you are a size 12 or a 10 and are going to a wedding soon I hope you find what you are looking for. If you are a size 16 like me, then join me in looking at the gorgeous dresses from a far.

Which dress is your favourite?

The Dilemma of the Size 16

I rarely post about fashion, but that doesn’t negate the fact that I am very much interested in the subject itself. Shopping in my ultimate therapy and I love that feeling I get with the first accelerated beat of my heart when my gaze falls upon a piece I like. I have my own unique taste in fashion that doesn’t conform to certain trends or styles and when I decide to dress up I have to dress up in a piece I adore, only the perfect ensemble would do, nothing less. 

All my life, I’ve been an average of size 12 UK yet finding something to dress up in wasn’t always easy. Then in the past 3 years my life went up and down dramatically, because of circumstances that were beyond my control, and with my life, health, and peace of mind went my weight, up and down and through tunnels until I no longer fit into anything in my closet, or on the high street for that matter. I wasn’t chubby or fat anymore, I was obese and as a result, quite depressed.

Earlier this year, 2014, I began piecing my life back together again, the old girl I was once was emerging back, and the first area that I decided to tackle once I was almost human again was my weight, not only because of fashion reasons but more importantly, I needed to be fit and healthy. I began watching what I ate, I worked hard, and my crowning moment came on my birthday last July as I stood over my birthday cake, clad in a beautiful dress in size 16 UK that fit me perfectly when a few months before it didn’t. I blew my candles in happiness, twirled in my dress in joy for I was now the size of the average woman world-wide, which is a 16, and that now I could shop again and be able to wear whatever dress I longed for should the occasion arise.

I’ve never been so wrong in my life.

Fast forwards Eid day, I was in Dubai in a mission to locate the dress of all dresses, for my baby sister’s wedding was upon us in a few weeks time. When I arrived in Dubai near midnight most stores were closed but I walked around the fashion avenue in Dubai mall, window shopping and picking what dress should I try first. I stopped long at By Symphony’s window, gazing at the lovely Roksanda Iclinic’s dresses on display and playing eeny meeny miny moe, hoping my dress size in whatever one I chose was available. Early on Eid morning and right after the long awaited Eid breakfast that I gobbled down impatiently after 30 days of fasting in the scorching summer, I waltzed into by Symphony, and my eyes fell on a gorgeous Rosie Assoulin dress - the very dress worn by Michelle Dockery at the Emmys last week-. I breezily asked if my size was available, a UK 16, and I was informed that the biggest dresses they had came in a size 14 UK and there was only one loose fitting dress in a size 16 that might interest me. It didn’t. The size 12 didn’t fit me of course, and anything in 14 if I was lucky to wriggle into would need to be altered to fit my size 16 frame.

Not to fear, I still had all of Dubai’s store ahead of me, right? I went from store to store, gazing at beautiful dresses, my heart pounding, then asking for a size 16 only to be informed that they do not carry a size 16 and if I was lucky, perhaps there is a 14! In the handful of shops that did indeed have a size 16, the sizes were already snatched up by fellow average-sized women long before my arrival.

I still didn’t give up though, I’ve decided to tackle the shops in Kuwait and search for the the dress. The same story was repeated, I would waltz into a shop, search for that beat of the heart, ask for my size only to be informed that either 1- the store don’t stock a size 16 or a 2- this particular dress never arrived in a 16 or 3- there was indeed a 16 but it was long gone. Needless to say, I began arriving at store asking for a size 16 before browsing the stock and leaving at once if they do not stock it. I was no longer looking for the it dress, I was reduced to looking for a dress, whatever dress, that would fit my elephantine frame that statistics claim is the average size of women around the world.

Needless to say I was depressed by the time I came back home. I was planning on returning from Dubai with the dress, plus a pair of shoes and a killer clutch to match. I came back with a semi empty bag half filled with books. I kept looking however, I went to almost every single shop in Kuwait that stocked evening dresses and only two of which did stock a size 16. I actually found a Roksanda Iclinic’ dress in a 16 at Al-Othman but I didn’t like the dress much and hence kept it as a last resort. I found another dress in size 16 at Lanvin Al-Thuraya mall that I snatched up at once and wore to my sister’s marriage ceremony party -melcha-    and yet here I am, looking for the wedding party dress that I cannot find.

Adding insult to injury, some shopkeepers were really rude to me when informing me of their “lack” of size 16. I can have a series of posts with rude shopkeepers antics to my fat self but let me tell you about only two. Once, there was a designer shop in Prestige district of the Avenues mall that had a gorgeous dress I’d love to wear. The size was 42 which is equivalent to a 12 UK and they said they might have a 44 in the storage but it would take an hour to retrieve. I waited for two hours wandering around the Avenues only to return to the shop and find a second shopkeeper. He sneered, looking me up and down, informing me that a “42″ was more than wide enough and that no, they didn’t have a 44 and no, they don’t stock a size 46 at all. The designer makes dresses up to size 48 by the way.

Another very famous store in the Grand Avenues informed me they don’t stock anything larger than a 14 UK even though their sister shop in the UK stocks all sizes. When my mother told me she bought her dress, a size 16 that was altered by the very same shop to fit her better, I went back, found me a size 16 dress that I didn’t like much but it was a 16, which they said they didn’t stock! The dress was almost perfect, just needed to be widened by a few centimetres at the waist, and the shopkeeper informed me they wouldn’t alter it for me. Their tailor can shorten the dress, but but no they wouldn’t widen it, even though they widened my own mother’s dress less than a week ago and yes the dress can be altered easily it wasn’t that hard. I left, vowing never to set foot in their shop, or any other shop who hire snobs for shopkeepers for that matter.

Now I am scoring online sites, sometimes they stock up to size 18. American department stores are more generous with their sizings and I think I’m ordering something online rather than facing the humiliation of walking into a store, taking the abuse of shopkeepers who think that being fat strips you of the right of wearing a gorgeous dress from their shop, then leaving the store feeling sad and dinosaur big.

Even with online shopping, even if I find a dress, the fact would remain that I would be forced to choose and wear a dress I wouldn’t even look twice in its direction, in a colour that makes me want to weep which is almost always black, not because I like it, not because its beautiful in my eyes, not because it gave me accelerated heartbeat when my gaze fell upon it, not because it was stylish and colourful and awesome, but because it was the only one that fit. I am going to my baby sister’s wedding in a dress I cannot stand, a dress that is not me, just because it came in the right size and just because fashion buyers do not think that a size 16 is desirable and that the very few precious size 16 pieces that stores might stock get snatched up in a heartbeat. Doesn’t that tell you anything at all?

Dear stores around the world, including online, stock more size 16 now, will you please? The average sized woman demands it, we have hearts that long for a beautiful dress as well.

And yes, I’m heartbroken.

Leaping out of Bed in the Morning

I was curled up on my couch yesterday, trying to nurse my end of weekend blues by watching the movie Julie & Julia on DVD, when a line from Julia Child’s role made me complain out loud. She was describing her days in Le Cordon Bleu and how she leapt out of bed when every morning the alarm went off at 6:30 A.M. and I was jealous. Yes, I was jealous of Julia leaping out of bed for she couldn’t wait to start her days and do something she absolutely adored and quite enjoyed. I said it out loud to my husband, I was jealous of Julia and why couldn’t I leap out of bed in the morning every morning too? 

My husband pointed out a very important fact to me, that even though Julia enjoyed cooking she was not much loved by the people of Le Cordon Blue but that didn’t stop her leaping out of bed in joy every morning and working hard at what she loves. My wise man reminded me that I too could be like Julia, take what I am lucky to have and make the most out of it until I actually do leap out of bed in the morning, eager to start my day.

I’m not sure what’s wrong with me these days, but I really cannot muster up the will to do anything. I stare at my new books, shy away from my remote control, cringe at the thought of getting out of the my door, feel a headache when a song I love comes on TV or on my iPod, and just feel sick thinking of all the interactions on social media . I’m exhausted, and emotionally drained, yet people keep asking more and more of me and I feel overstretched and just plain depleted. I hate August, its the worst time of year, and all I want to do is pack my bag and go trekking in some lovely place somewhere far away from here and do nothing but take pretty pictures and eat good food and laugh, god I miss laughing, with people I love.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I hope I’m not falling into a bout of depression or something. In any case, after yesterday’s teeny tiny epiphany I think I’m ready to rejoin the world. You don’t always get dealt what you want in life, it wouldn’t be fair I suppose, but you can always work to get what you want or if you cannot or until you do, you make the most of what you have, find the silver lining and all that mumbo jumbo. My blog was always the highlight of my day and reading my old blog posts from years past always lifts up my spirit, hence its where I will be starting again so stay tuned for some new happy blog posts and a few rants thrown in for a good measure

Persian Iftar from Anaar

For a while now I’ve been hearing a lot of raving reviews about Anaar catering. They’ve been open for about a year and whenever the subject of dishes from Persian cuisine is brought up people ask if I’ve tried Anaar and what was I waiting for? Well, I knew that Anaar is a catering business and not a restaurant and since I have only my vegetarian self and occasionally my husband to feed, it didn’t seem remotely possible to order a buffet just for the two of us. That was until I was browsing a friend’s profile before iftar this past weekend and I came upon a meal by Anaar and one thing led to another and before you know it I was at Anaar’s instagram account salivating over the food pictures. Browsing instagram during your fast is a dangerous thing, dangerous indeed, but it did lead me to the knowledge that sometimes if you call in between 12:30 P.M. and 4:30 P.M. Anaar maybe able to cater for a meal or dish for one or two people from whatever they have available on the menu. I wasted no time calling them up to see if I was that lucky.

And you know what, I was! When I called I asked if there was a possibility to order a meal for one person and they told me they had Kababs (chicken and lamb), different types of rice, and all of the stews. After going over their menu with my husband I called back again to place my order and was asked to come at 6:15 P.M. to pick it up from their branch in Salmiya.

It was a scorching hot day outside and it didn’t help that everyone was rushing somewhere on that Saturday evening. People drive like crazy during normal days, so you can imagine how they’d be driving while fasting all day long in this hot weather. However, all I could think about was the food for iftar and how there was less than an hour to go until I could dig in.

Anaar catering is located in Al-Khaled complex in Salmiya, also known as the once upon a time Aalamiya pizza place and the now trendy Gia Cafe. Al Alamiya is long gone but will never be forgotten, Gia Cafe is expanding into the store next door and is currently closed for construction work. Anaar is right there two stores down from Gia.

A few minutes later and the food was paid for and we were on our way back home, battling the horrid traffic conditions. We made it home in the exact minute the sun had set and as my husband went to pray I opened the packaging and rearranged the dishes. The aroma of the food was so strong that a stray cat somewhere in the street began mewing his head off -the door was open-. He didn’t come by for a bite though.

Now I will start with the dishes in the order of my opening their packaging, all the dishes ordered are one portion for one person only. First things first and I suppose the most important dish, is the lamb kebab or the “Kebab Koubideh”. I was surprised by how tall each Kebab skewer was, almost twice as tall as normal kebabs you’d get anywhere else. You also notice the generous amount of “sumac” powder glistening on top of the grilled kebabs.

Next came the Bagali Polo or Rice with bajela (broad beans) and shbint (dill). I love Bagali Polo, its a favourite dish from my childhood and I’ve always eaten it with yoghurt, its actually on my comfort food list and occasionally I tend to cook it from time to time. In fact, the Bagali Polo is the reason I placed my order in the first place.

At home they make the Bagali Polo with chunks of meat and my husband says they also make it with chicken or hamoor fish therefore he doesn’t mind having kebabs with it. To me I find it absurd to eat it with anything other than yoghurt given that its so flavoursome already and deserves to take centre stage taste-wise but that’s just me I suppose. How did it taste? Exactly exactly like my mother makes it at home. If I hadn’t picked up the order myself I would’ve thought that somehow the dish came from my parents place.

Saying that the Bagali Polo tastes like the one my mom makes is a compliment by the way. Its good, fluffy and herby, and quite light with not so much oil involved. My only complaint would be that it needs a tad more broad beans but it doesn’t affect the taste at all. I’m having it again for iftar today by god’s will with a cup of low fat cool yoghurt. What about the kebab? To me it looked tangy and not that oily, I suspected it was a bit dry, but my husband assured me it was really good and juicy without any extra unnecessary fat and was indeed quite tangy with all the sumac on top. The food tastes indeed like something prepared lovingly at home rather than a restaurant.

Another dish that I was looking forward to trying was the Albaloo Polo ba Gelgeli or to be translated as the “Sour Cherry rice with Meatballs”. When I placed the order I didn’t know it came with meatballs and didn’t notice them until I rearrange the rice into the serving plate. The meatballs were teensy and the almost the same size as the cherries.

No meatballs were going to stand between me and trying that fragrant cherry-loaded rice! If you’ve smelled its aroma, if you’ve seen the shades of pistachio green, saffron yellow, and fuchsia cherries, you wouldn’t let little meatballs stand in your way either. I pushed them away and had the rice and not only it was good, it was worth every morsel of extra calories with every forkful of rice I’ve stuffed my face with even though I was too full to continue. Highly recommended but do keep in mind that this dish is more oily than the other rice dishes.

Last but not least, there came the Zereshk Polo or plain rice with saffron and zereshk. Zereshk being barberries and not as I’ve long thought dried pomegranate. If you have them with rice they are quite the treat, so tart and tiny and if cooked well also juicy.

My husband had the Zereshk rice with a side of Maraq Bamiya or Okra Stew or as its written in the menu “Bamiah Khoresh”. He loved the okra stew and kept raving about how good it was. I think he went back for seconds.

We also ordered the Maast o Khiar or Yoghurt with cucumber, the Persian version of Tzatziki. Anaar’s Maast and Khiar comes with walnuts and rose petals. How was it? Its quite cool and mild tasting, if you don’t like cucumbers you won’t feel their taste much, they didn’t add lemons either so if you like yours tangy like I do you might want to squeeze one on top, but the dried rose petals were really good with the yoghurt and because it was cool and mild tasting the flavour of roses was dominant and simply yum!

And just because the order was for take away didn’t mean it came without the complimentary leafy greens, white cheese, nuts, and Iranian bread with sesame. In my humble opinion the greens with cheese, nuts, and bread are the most exciting thing about dining in a Persian restaurant especially if you have a cup of tea on the side.

It was quite a wholesome iftar we had yesterday and the portions were quite generous! Even though all the portions are for one person they are really enough for four. Total cost? 12 KD which isn’t bad for such a big spread. I can now understand why people are raving about Anaar all the time.

If you are planning an event you might want to check Anaar’s catering dishes, especially the cherry rice which is a heartbreaker. If you want to dine in alone or with a couple of friends you can give Anaar a call and see what they have on offer. In the menu Anaar state they can make vegetarian dishes but I suppose you need to order in catering size for that unless you are lucky of course.

For more information about Anaar you can check their website (link), take a look at their menu and food pictures (link), give them a call at +(965)-25663555 , or follow on Instagram (@AnaarCatering).

My Birthday Weekend

Last weekend was my birthday and because it was on a Thursday I decided to celebrate early by taking Thursday off work and sleeping in, which is one of the most valuable gifts you could give to yourself especially during the smouldering fasting summer hours of the holy month of Ramadan. Then, I decided to distribute gorgeous flowers all around the house. I adore flowers to my life with their beauty and fragrance and if I had the chance I wouldn’t let my home empty of fresh flowers all year-round.

Then at 4:30 P.M. my birthday cake had arrived, insert clapping smily here!

It was the Heartbreaker cake form November Bakery, which one cake I’m quite fond of. Tastes great, comes in a variety of different flavoured layers (chocolate, red velvet, vanilla), and looks awesome when cut down!

See what I mean?

There was tea to accompany the heartbreaker, there is always tea with cake.

What else? Well, my lovely friend Pink Girl always makes a big fuss over her friends on their birthdays. She will definitely drop by to wish you a happy birthday in person and treat you to a surprise. Such a kindred spirit that girl is and that’s why I love her and I think she’s the greatest friend ever :* She did stop by with a Bottega bag and a heart shaped Isphahan cake from Laduree, which I adore and was pining over for a while. Thank you lovely 6ayooba :***

Then when I thought my birthday was over and I was all but forgotten until next year, I woke up on Saturday morning, err OK it was late afternoon, to the sight of this gorgeous flowers arrangement!

The flowers where whimsical exemplified! The beauty of the flowers was simply breathtaking!

All baby roses and big roses and pink roses and different shades of purple roses and so fresh and vibrant you’d think they were just picked from a grassy meadow on a hill in a nearby European city!

If you are wondering, the flowers were by au nom de la rose, which is one of my favourite if not my absolute favourite florists in Kuwait. If you’ve ever received a flower bouquet from me, it would almost certainly be from au nom de la rose.

Who are they from? Well, there was a card on top, also wrapped with a little teensy baby rose, how chic!

And it turns out the flowers were from Ghaliah Technology wishing my a happy birthday!

Thank you Ghaliah Team! I loved the gesture, the flowers are beyond lovely, and I appreciated the handwritten note the most! You truly made my day and the flowers are sitting proudly on the centre of my coffee table.

And now its Sunday, and its not my birthday anymore, but I will be going home with a heart full of love and appreciation to an apartment filled with flowers and a fridge filled with cake. Thank to my family, my friends, and to Ghaliah Technology for spoiling me to make me feel extra special on my birthday. I will be sharing my 30 things birthday post soon by gods will