Danderma's Blog, page 91

Baby Pizza Qaya9ar…

Who doesn’t love pizza Qay9ar? I’ve yet to find one person who can resist it and claim not to like its pillowy like texture and tangy sweet flavor specially if its hot out of the over. If you thought that the retro and reliable culinary delight can resist the test of time, think again, for in 2012 I’ve discovered the existance of the baby pizza qay9ar!

How tiny are those baby pizzas? 100 fils coin tiny! You can order them one hour before pickup and they will be ready. They are perfect for nibblers and appetizers before dinner or in gatherings. You eat one, you feel like you ate an entire big pizza, so the next time you reach for another tiny disc of pizza you don’t feel as guilty but you sure are as satisfied, for the baby pizza tastes remarkably the same as its big mother!

I had a little dinner for a friend last week and I ordered the mini pizzas and mini zaatar pizzas to nibble on before dinner was served. The pizzas were demolished! You pop them like you pop popcorn :p They also make some of their totally yummy Zaatar pizza in baby size too!

I was also told they make all their other fatayer in baby sizes as well and all you have to do is order them one hour before the time you want to pick them up and they will be ready! So cute and very satisfying indeed! Way to go, viva pizza Qay9ar!

New Items in TSC

Its been really a long time since I’ve walked around aimlessly in TSC and checked out their new merchandise. Luckily, being on a nice summer break last week allowed me to do that again which I have truly missed. Now lets see what I found that might be interesting. First, remember my post about Philadelphia and Cadbury Chocolate cheese from London (post)? I found something similar but its not Cadbury chocolate and it has two variaties: white and milk chocolate.

I also found this great selection of balsamic glazes in different flavors: orange, truffles, strawberry, and chocolate! Now these would go amazingly with buffalo mozzarella or burrata cheese and some fresh veggies.

I found this Ketchup without high fructose corn syrup and basic simple ingredients. My husband adds ketchup to everything he eats therefore I took this somewhat healthier Ketchup in an attempt to improve his eating habits.

I also found those interesting instant noodles: instead of the old vegetables, chicken, and beef noodles these come in peanut flavor or coconut ginger. They are microwaveable and they are GLUTEN FREE! Perfect for gluten intolerant dieters who need a quick noodle fix on the spot.

Wolfgang Puck apparently has out a collection of cold bottled lattes in different flavors such as caramel, vanilla, and cafe au lait. Interesting.

Last but not least I found black popcorn kernels or microwaveable pouches with different flavors. On the packet it says that black popcorn kernels yields popcorn with more antioxidants. Worth a try wallah.

I love shopping at TSC! Every time, every branch, there is something different to browse and check out. TSC need to open up a branch in South Surra soon!

My Estekanas from PBF are Here…

Most of you by know have either encountered the lovely designs of “Pieces by Farah” or already purchased them for your homes or Ramadan. After receiving my PBF bowls (post) I waited patiently for my PBF set of esteknas -tea cups- to arrive and they finally did a few days ago.

The moment I’ve seen the estekana’s when I ordered them in the exhibition, I was in love. I fell in love all over again as I unwrapped them from their protective purple paper they arrived in.

I was so happy to see my lime green ones. However, I was surprised to see the yellow. I could have sworn I ordered lime green and fuchsia pink? I looked for the order receipt but I found none so I suppose it was my mind playing tricks on me. Thank god this yellow matches my living room too.

I couldn’t resist to use the new estekanas so I got out my tray and my bowls.

I have lime green and orange bowls. The bowls come with removable wooden bowls so I swapped the wooden ones with silver ones I had and they fit like a glove!

My bowls are so pretty

The bottom of the estekana is embossed by PBF logo.

I’m so happy with my new set. Still can’t get the neon yellow color out of my head though. I will wait as there seems to be more items coming out in the collection to get that neon color. I’ve already had a dinner party in my new tea estekana set’s honor

You can order those gorgeous bowls and more gorgeous items online from Pieces by Farah’s website (link).

Book Review: Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick

When I first learned that a book depicting the adventures of one of the most wanted hackers in the world, Kevin Mitnick, I knew I had to read that book. I got it as soon as it was released yet didn’t get around to reading it until last week on my mini summer break. The book exceeded my expectations.

When you hear the word “Hacker” you immediately think of some bespectacled geek with acne and probably overweight, hunched over his keyboard with the light off with only a lava light in the background illuminating the desk and some Techno music blaring. The hacker would get to push a few buttons and voila, he would have cracked into some highly secured website. The same hacker would also appear in movies, he would approach a workstation or an access pad and when asked for a keyboard, he would simply do his clickety clack thing and moments later he has access to the system.

Fascinated as I am by the people who clickety clack their ways into the protected computer system, I wanted to see exactly how did Mr. Mitnick learn his magical ways. As I read one chapter after another, the exact workings of the world’s most wanted hacker is not some magic clickety clack. Its using the art of “Social Engineering”. In other words, most of the hacks he had done was based on getting confidential access to information systems by actually talking to the people responsible for the access and convincing them he needed a rightful access!

His adventures are amazing! At some point in his life he actually goes on the run and forges another identity (identities) while trying to avoid the FBI by actually hacking on their following of him.You literally cannot put the book down and you don’t need to have a bachelors degree in a computer related field to understand or follow his hacks! I bet you yourself might have divulged some information or another using one of his conning techniques at some point in your life. Now I absolutely understand why its vital for people who work in places with “computer systems” to be very careful with their access and information. A mere name mentioned in public can bring the system down with social engineering. Wow!

A must read for everyone, especially system admins, secretaries, and customer service operators. I promise you, you will not want to put this book down until the very end.

Movie Review: 21 Jump Street

I went to see this movie just to kill some time. I didn’t have any high expectations as I don’t much like either of its stars (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, yes I don’t like Tatum much) and the story seemed exhausted already. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise as I enjoyed the movie very much and laughed until I was close to tears.

The movie is an adaptation of a famous late 80′s series of the same name starring Johnny Depp. Its about two cops who in high school were the geek and the prom king but they ended up becoming best friends in Police Academy and graduated together only to be assigned as undercover high school students to investigate a drug ring at school.

It was very funny indeed. No children were screaming or cat calling since it was 18+ and none were allowed in. It was really funny and we enjoyed it very much. The kind of movie I’d definitely watch again. Tatum wasn’t so bad himself so I didn’t mind him much, he seemed perfect for the role. Sadly I don’t think it will make it to Kuwait’s movie theaters anytime soon and if it did it will be badly cut like a shawerma so you shouldn’t bother. Wait for the DVD release, its worth keeping on your shelf.

Oh and Johnny Depp does appear in a scene! I wonder if it was meant to be his old character in the original series? Never saw that before.

Things to Do in Dubai: Bateel’s Arabian Coffee

Even since I’ve first set foot in Dubai mall, I’ve cast long sad glances at the bottom of its spectacular fountains and wished I could sit as close to the fountain’s pool as I could. Sadly, the only two restaurants with tables overlooking that area were Entercoute and Bateel.

I don’t eat at entercoute as I am a vegetarian and I always thought Bateel as a place with dates only that I should overlook. That I was until I heard about their supposedly must try heavenly Arabian coffee.

Again, I’m not a fan of dates or Arabian coffee because I have yet to find someone who brews it without “mismar” and makes it taste good. But we were tired that day after a long day walking around Dubai Mall and we wanted something light and quick so we thought why not? Lets give it a try and see if it lives up to the hype.

The dallah of Arabic coffee arrives with a small plate of three dates. We also order some more dates to go with the coffee that come with a side of frothy buttermilk like thing.

As we pour the coffee its delicious smell fills out nostrils, making us feel like we are snug at home during Ramadan. We hoped it tasted as good as it smelled.

And what do you know, it tasted divine! We literally drank up the entire dallah between us two! It had a tangy taste that didn’t come from the mismar and plenty of cardamom. We opened up the dallah head and peeked inside.

I think they have added chopped ginger to the brewed coffee instead of the mesmar. Which resulted in the tangy heat after taste but none of that disgusting machboos like taste in your throat. I loved it.

Did I mention that my husband went gaga over the little buttermilk like jug infused with what seems to be vanilla and cardamom? He loved it too.

Bateel’s Arabian coffee was amazing. Sipping it while sitting next to the fountain’s pool and enjoying the soothing sound of the waterfall was a lovely relaxing break. I’m sorry I never stopped there before. I sure will every time I’m in Dubai insha2 Allah.

Bateel is located at the lower ground level of Dubai Mall. Follow the fountain’s sound and you will be there. Enjoy

Review: Tidy Tilt iPhone Cover

About two weeks ago I received an email from a home business selling what they call “Tidy Tilt” iPhone covers. I wasn’t really interested until I googled it and realized its not your basic boring old sparkly cover.

The Tidy Tilt iPhone cover is basically a magnetic metal frame with a very light bendable cover, something almost identical to the iPad’s colored covers from Apple. As I had no patience for the iPhone cover to arrive all the way from the USA I whatsapp’d the Kuwaiti sellers to purchase one and they sent it to me on the very same day. I chose my favorite color: lime green.

Basically the Tidy Tilt provides three functions: a wrap around for the iPhone’s earbuds, mounts the iPhone to metal surfaces, and propping up the iPhone at an angle you can use to play games or watch movies without having to tilt it and hold on to it all the time.

Anyway my Tidy Tilt cover arrived on the same day and so far I’ve liked it a LOT! I don’t need it to wrap my Earbuds cause I barely use them but I sure used the Tidy Tilt to stick my iPhone to my fridge and play some music while I was in the kitchen. I knew it was safe and sound tucked away from the kitchen surface.

Plus, it relieved me from the headache of having to hold the iPhone with both hands while playing, my current favorite Angry Birds Space -which is awesome by the way- or browsing the internet.

 

For more information regarding Tidy Tilt you can check their website (link) and to get yours you can whatsapp the guys who sell it in Kuwait via 94019832 and they will have it ASAP.

Book Review: Desperate in Dubai by Ameera Al Hakawati

The reputation of this book has made it all the way to Kuwait. The books name has always been in the back of my mind for some reason, only when news of it being banned earlier this year did I really cement its title in my brain and I started to pay attention. A book, written about and banned in the UAE? Then re-banned? And sold out b3d? Say a book is banned and I have to read it. I just have to see for myself if my mind is able to take it or not.

Finally, I got my hands on the book this past weekend while in Dubai. The book is indeed in every corner you look, in every chart and shelf. Its in fact the first thing I did when I went into Dubai: Check into the hotel, head down to Virgin mega store, and buy the book. I spent my weekend in Dubai reading it and there is no better way to read it than being in Dubai for you can totally relate to your surroundings.

On the cover, Time Out Dubai states that the book is ‘UAE’s answer to Desperate Housewives.’ but I beg to differ. Its more like UAE’s answer to SATC! The writing is very good indeed masha2 Allah but I was surprised at the content: it is quite naughty! Not suitable for sensitive readers who would be for sure extra sensitive towards its content if they are Arabs or Khaleejis given that we all live in the bubble of 3aib and refuse to believe that there is anything happening outside that bubble.

I liked the story line, I liked the twists, I liked the quite unlikely coincidences, yet I literally couldn’t put it down and finished it at 3 AM this morning. Its like sitting in a room with a girlfriend and listening to her describing scandalous affairs of the society. You want to know if Leila bags the man catch, if Lady Luxe adventures are uncovered, if Nadia can patch it up with her cheating husband, and what the hell is Sugar’s secret? Writing the naughty details in this book and sounding out the frank perspective of society towards its different inhabitants must have taken a lot of guts indeed.

The best thing about the book? It originated from a series of posts on a blog, Desperate in Dubai! I love blogs that turn into books and very successful ones indeed! I have a soft spot in my heart for every book that originates from blog posts, I cannot help it being a blogger myself. Those kinds of books almost always are successes with a fan base of people already willing to re read its content all over again. Way to go, Ameera

The things I didn’t like about the book? There were no footnotes for the Arabic and Indian dialog and that annoyed me. There weren’t many of them though and thank god I speak Arabic. I want to know what the Indian ones meant though. Another thing, I hated the name Sugar. Really hated the name Sugar. It grated on my ears every time I read it especially when she was in the religious mood. Her name only makes me think of a stripper out of the club. I couldn’t relate to her.

Writing that book was very brave, and again it is not suitable for sensitive readers. I don’t expect to see it landing in Kuwait’s libraries anytime soon though, its too explicit for our censorship. Plus, I can understand why many think of it as offensive given that the characters voice out their thoughts generally. In addition, for some reason in the gulf we always think that the stories written in books are an exact word to word re-tale of something that actually happened that is often scandalous, and nothing can be imagined at all. If you approach the book from that angle and expect that you are reading a 100% true tale, you may not like its content at all and be quite outraged.

However, it is definitely staying on my shelf and I’m looking forward to more books by the writer with the nom de plume, Ameera Al Hakawati. I wonder how fellow Emarati readers feel about it though?

P.S. Its nothing Like Banat Al-Riyadh.

Picture of the Week: The Plunge

Have you ever gazed upon those statues in the fountain of Dubai mall and envied them? They seem so fit, daring, brave, and carefree as they plunge down the waterfall towards the water pool, suspended in motion for eternity. I see them and I wish I can pause the perfect moments of my life to keep them there forever with me, while at the same time staying still and feeling like stone whenever hardships come in my way. Am I making any sense? Madry wallah.

Yours truly missed blogging in the week she had been away. Now I’m back with lots of pictures and posts to share

Took time off work last week, slept until the afternoon and watched movies -X-men- until the wee hours of the morning. Then had a mini weekend trip to the fabulous Dubai. A change of scenery was something I desperately needed and where better than Dubai can you lose yourself among the crowd and deliberately act as of you are an Alien to planet earth? Spent an entire morning and part of an afternoon lost in a huge bookstore, dined out and walked and laughed and enjoyed my company to the max.

It was a lovely week off, and now its time to pick myself up and take the plunge back to reality. I hope I feel stronger than before. I thank you all for your lovely comments, here or in person, and for trying to cheer me up. Much obliged, truly and from all my heart, much obliged

On Hiatus…

I’m very very tired, mentally and physically, to the point that all I want is to hide under the covers and stuff my face while watching friends over and over. I will be gone for a while, perhaps take a trip some place until I feel a little bit better, I will be back soon insha2 Allah.

See you around…