"MASTERCHEF DOHA" : Thai cooking class

25°17'12N 51°31'60E   T. 35°- 42 °C

It's cooking time!!! Yes, you got it right, today I attended a Thai cooking class at Alfardan's Tower.
Can you imagine me among stove, appliances and exotic ingredients trying to perform a great chef??
(For people who don't know, I'm definitely not good at cooking anything).
Fortunately, I was only asked to wrap a simple springroll...no big deal uh? Because after that, it was getting more and more difficult to deal with Tom Yum Soup and Pad Thai (especially considering that normally I can barely cook a scrambled egg!!!).
Anyway, the most interesting part was definitely the lunch!! Who do you believe ate all that stuff??? ;-)
I got home full to the bursting point....
I don't know if I will be able to recreate the recipes by myself  (the challenge would be also finding all those ingredients)....but, apart from that, I collected another story to tell, didn't I?

Guys, if you're interested in, here's one of the Thai recipes (with some personal suggestions).

Phad Thai

Phad Thai sauce
5 tbsp  tamarind sauce (dissolve 1tbsp tamarind thick paste in 1/4 cup water). Never heard of before but seems to be essential....
3 tbsp soysauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp chili powder, or to taste

Phad Thai
115 gr rice sticks, thin. Kind of rice noodles..
3-4 tbsp oil
1 garlic clove, large, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup tofu, firm, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup tofu, soft, crumbled
3/4 head baby bok choy or other cabbage, roughly chopped. I suggest you spinach...
3-4 tbsp peanuts, roughly ground, divided
3 cups bean sprouts, divided
1 spring onion, thinly sliced.

Garnish
1/2 cup coriander, chopped. If I were you I would avoid it...it tastes like soap :-/
Lime wedges
Strips of red pepper

Boil rice noodles for 4-5 minutes and drain them well. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients of the sauce together. Heat oil ia a wok (or large frying pan) until it is just about to smoke, then add garlic and shallots and stir, letting it cook for about 30 seconds.
Add firm tofu, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes and push tofu to side. Add the bok choy and stir until it becomes bright green and softened, then push it to side of the pan.
Break soft tofu into the wok, let it fry for 1-2 minutes and add drained noodles, giving them a quick fold, stir-frying for 1 minute from the bottom up.
Add tamarind sauce and about 2/3 of the ground peanuts and stir. At last add 2/3 of the bean sprouts, all the green onions and take off heat.
Transfer noodles to a serving dish and top with the rest of the peanuts, the rest of the sprouts and some strips of red pepper. Stick a couple of lime wedges on the side and serve immediately.

Personal hint: that's a vegetarian dish. I'd rather add some meat or fish (like prawns for instance) to give it a more "mediterranean" taste.

Cooking evidences

Whatever open-hearth.

THE GREEN DOOR (Ghassan's) - olds and antiques

25°17'12N 51°31'60E   T. 34°- 43 °C

A "secret" place hidden somewhere near the C Ring...No panels, no sign, no lights...you'll recognize it as soon as you'll see the small green door...
I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to have his apartment furnished in a very particular way..
Actually it is a shop that sells handmade furniture, handicrafts and carpets, many antique, coming from Syria, Malaysia, India, Singapore and wherever...
The owner is from Lebanon and he's a very kind person who will explain you everything about the origin and the history of all the antiques you may find in.
And after your shopping he will suggest you to have lunch at Al Majlees, his favourite Lebanese Restaurant in Doha....and why don't trust him after all??

To me, discovering this place and the restaurant was totally worth the adventure of being lost in Doha.

The Green Door Shop

Whatever open-hearth.

FANAR's Coming soon: ISLAM IN KATARA - 1st July 2011

25°17'12N 51°31'60E   T. 34°- 41 °C


FANAR, Qatar Islamic Cultural Centre, is a charitable organization that works on motivating Non-Muslims to become more informed about Islam, by diffusing Islamic culture through multiple styles and means. It undertakes many activities to care for new convert’s affairs; enlightening non-Arab Muslims about all matters in relation to their faith and teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers. The Charity enjoys an independent administrative and financial organizational structure and assumes its own functions under the direct umbrella of H.E the Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs.
Fanar is now proud to announce a new partnership with Katara cultural village. It will be planned several meetings in this beautiful ground to explain certain aspects of the Islamic way of life, in an informative, educational, interactive manner. The programme is designed to take in some parts of the amazing grounds of Katara, followed by a discussion about Islam in the mosque.

VISIT PROGRAMME - 1st July 2011
This new programme, entitled " Islam in Katara " is an interactive visit that explains the role of Islam and the mosque within the daily lives of the Muslim community. The tour starts in Fanar at 2:45 pm and it will continue at Katara cultural village. There, visitors will have a 30 minute introduction to the village of Katara, followed by an explanation of the mosque. Finally the return to Fanar to watch the live prayer and partake in a light meal.


It does worth it, doesn't it? It would be an oppurtunity to learn more about local culture and lifestyle and,
why not, my first time wearing abaya... like a real muslim woman.
But just for one day, uh? ;-)

I'll get back to you soon after with an amusing report of that rum experience, I promise!!

Whatever open-hearth.

JELLO-SHOT: US ritual before BBQ

25°17'12N 51°31'60E   T. 32°- 39 °C


Every friday night it's barbecue time at Tower 31 ... Anyone can come and bring meat, drinks or whatever just to have some good time together... And yesterday I was introduced to something I've never heard of before: the US "ritual" of Jello-shots.
Just before eating, everyone swallow this delicious one-shot jelly drink I definitely want to bring back to Italy.... and here's the recipe!!

How to make it:

One of the more creative ways to serve alcohol at a party is to work it into gelatin, and serve the gelatin in small cups, making what most people will recognize as Jello shots. It's pretty much like making regular Jello, except with some alcohol added instead of cold water.

To make Jello shots, you'll need a six-ounce package of your favorite jello-flavor (I went with strawberry), a cup and a quarter of liquor (vanilla vodka for instance), 3/4 cup cold water and 2 cups of boiling water.
Mix the Jello and boiling water and stir until the gelatin granules have dissolved; then add alcohol and cold water, and stir. Pour the mix into plastic or paper cups and put them in the refrigerator.
While the recipe's only a few steps, plan it in advance since the shots need almost four hours to refrigerate.

Jello Shots

And after dinner what's better than a dive all together in the swimming pool??


I think I kinda like Doha...;-)




Whatever open-hearth.

Doha's Angsana Spa - Love Ayurveda!!

25°17'12N 51°31'60E   T. 32°- 38 °C

Today I went to get my birthday present: a DAY-SPA treatments and massages at Grand Regency's Angsana Spa in Doha with Monique and Crystal.
Not that I was so stressed  as to feel the extreme need of it...but it's so damned beautiful to feel some peace of mind in an exotic relaxing atmosphere!!
And in Doha is even less expensive because, if you happen to join a spa-group of ladies, you'll get a 50% discount!! So...what else??? Just go in and leave outside all the rest!!

I chose the SUMMER SPLENDOUR package which included:

* Body Ayurvedic Massage (60-minute)
* Hydrotherapy Experience (60-minute)
* Steam and Sauna (15 minutes)
* Red Mud Scrub (20 minutes)
* Refreshment and Relaxation (30-minute)

And after all that, I swear, I was glowing and I smelt like an oriental mix of sensual fragrances... ;-)

Ayurvedic Massage

Angsana Philosophy 

The Angsana is a statuesque tree found in the tropical rainforest of Asia. It is best noted for its crown of flowers that burst into a fragrant shower of golden-yellow blooms unexpectedly. The glorious Angsana beholds the maxim to live life and savour time as it passes inexorably.
Angsana Spa places special emphasis on the use of aromatherapy and the sense of touch to pamper the body, mind and soul. Angsana Spa is conceptualised, developed and managed by the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa and promises to deliver standards of excellence that have become synonymous with the Banyan Tree brand. Angsana Spa embraces the contemporary, holistic and non-clinical tropical garden spa concept.
Designed for the outgoing spa enthusiast who believes in living life to the fullest, Angsana Spa presents a contemporary image with its vibrant look and refreshing hues of lime green, tangerine, yellow and red. The artistic décor and inspiring colours reflect and complement Angsana's vivacious outlook on life. Guest can enjoy their treatments in serene open-air pavilions or in the cool air-conditioned comfort of indoor treatment rooms. Each location features individual treatment rooms or pavilions so that guests can enjoy complete privacy and personal service.
So, just be delighted by the range of sensory treats delivered by the intuitive touch of Angsana Spa therapists who were formally trained at Spa Academies in Bintan in Indonesia, Phuket and Bangkok in Thailand and Lijiang in China.

 
 Whatever open-hearth.













 

Saturday at DOHA GOLF CLUB

25°17'12N 51°31'60E   T. 37°- 44 °C


Who thinks that playing Golf is boring? Me for instance....until I tried this afternoon!!
I made up a kind of typical uniform picking out something from my closet and I was ready to challenge this new sport and, above all, the burning sun, the 44° degrees and the strong wind...
I didn't know how it could be possible to grow such a wide playground of real grass in a desert area like that, but it was true and I couldn't believe my eyes: I was surrounded by hectars of real green lawn!!
So, the outift was pretty good, except for the fact that I definitely needed a cap to prevent my head from burning up...Then, I found a little cap passing by the Golf Shop and I bought it immediately. It was white (perfect to block the heat), with a peak and a little black logo on the front; a T. and  a W. crossed together in a square.... mmmmm....Oooops, I had just bought the TIGER WOODS' collection cap!!! Now I had a responsability: I couldn't making ass of myself while wearing the name of the Golf World Champion!!!! Shame that I never held a club and I hardly knew the difference between drivers and fairway woods or irons and putters....but basically, what I was really interested in, was just enjoying it and so I did.

Morale: non c'ho capito una "mazza" (ah-ah) di come funziona...ma mi sono davvero divertita. Da rifare!! :-D

"Carol Woods"

ABOUT DOHA GOLF CLUB
Doha Golf Club boasts an 18 hole Championship Course, a 9 hole Academy Course, an enourmous driving range and putting green, 8 artificial lakes, graceful landscaping and a beautiful clubhouse designed in old traditional Arabic style, which has been located at one of the highest points on the course giving it a magnificent prominence.
The Championship Course is a tough course from the back tees and offers many strategic and heroic holes where the scratch golfer can test his skills. The course has been designed with two starting and finishing holes which maximises playing flexibility and the number of daily rounds. The unusual 150 hectare site has been enhanced by emphasizing the natural attributes and features. We have created lakes which will double as obstacles and aesthetic features. We have planted about 5000 shrubs, 6000 trees, 10 000 cacti imported from Arizona which will emphasize the nature of the rugged surroundings.
The Academy Course is less demanding and can be played by beginners, ladies and those who want to play a quick nine holes. The fairways are larger, the holes are shorter with less hazards and generally the course will allow the not-so proficient golfer to enjoy the game and the good golfer will have the opportunity to have an enjoyable round during a short break from the office.

Whatever open-hearth.  

"SHOP THE WORLD", DOHA TRADE FAIR 4-13 June 2011

25°17'12N 51°31'60E   T. 37°- 44 °C


Anche in Qatar è arrivata la Fiera dell'Artigianato!! Così è un po come essere a tra i padiglioni di Rho con l'atmosfera natalizia, il calore della gente e le prelibatezze nostrane e non...
Solo che qui il calore non arriva dalla gente...ne tanto meno dal cibo, che non fa parte della merce esposta, ma direttamente da fuori l'Exhibition Center, dove oggi si registrano all'incirca 43°...
Meglio rifugiarsi dentro al fresco (20° scarsi) e fare shopping di artigianato africano, tunisino, koreano e chi più ne ha più ne metta!!

Oriental extra softening body balms

SHOP THE WORLD

With its new theme, “Shop the World,” the Doha Trade Fair will offer a premium shopping experience for all visitors. More than 550 renowned exhibitors from 31 different countries will be showcasing and selling the latest exclusive and traditional products from around the globe.

Participating countries include Bangladesh, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, KSA, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, the United States, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

Families and children will enjoy the exciting entertainment in the specially built ‘Fun Zone’ which will feature activities from inflatable rides to fun games to daily parades.

A main highlight of the 2011 Doha Trade Fair is the attempt to beat the current world record, for the largest board game, MONOPOLY. Q.media events will attempt to set the new world record after completing a fun-filled, life-size game of MONOPOLY that will kick off with a roll of the dice from 4pm onwards in the ‘Fun Zone’.

After the attempt at breaking the world record, the board game will be open to active Facebook fans to try their expertise at becoming the ultimate property landlord. Teams of two will compete against each other on the exclusive MONOPOLY board to gain as many MONOPOLY points as possible.  The team with the most points at the end of the competition will win the grand prize:  a brand new car.

The ten-day event, organized by Qatar Tourism Authority in collaboration with q.media events, is held under the patronage of H.E Sheikh Khalifa Bin Jassim Bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry (QCCI).

Whatever open-hearth.