Monthly Archives: February 2012

Dairy-free strawberry mousse cake

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Someone special’s favorite cake is the strawberry charlotte cake but since that person can’t have any dairy products,  I had to substitute the dairy product ingredients with non-dairy options.

I used this recipe for reference and substituted the milk with rice milk and the whipping cream with a vegan whipping cream, both found in Sultan Center and selective Co-Ops. The sponge cake turned out light and airy. The whipping cream does taste a little different from regular dairy whipping cream but it whipped beautifully.

Oh and I didn’t really make a make charlotte cake because I almost never eat the ladyfingers. I opted for a strawberry mousse cake instead, which is exactly the same as the charlotte cake but without the soaked ladyfingers.

I think I want to experiment with other dairy-free cakes so stay tuned!

Ligne Roset: the cups, the pots and the decanters

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So now that I’m free, I have more time to explore and check out new places and stores, or places that I’ve always wanted to go to but never have. One of these store is Ligne Roset at the Creative Design Center, formerly known as the Seven Zones, in Shuwaikh. (Click here for map)

Nestled in a quiet corner in the center, Ligne Roset, who I thought only made furniture,  surprises you with a full home-ware selection from decorative accessories, lighting, rugs, textiles and of course their furniture collection. They are also quite known for their artful collaborations with both established and up-and-coming talents in contemporary design.

What caught my attention, besides the beautiful furniture and super cool lightings, is their dining and kitchen accessories. To do this place justice, I’ve divided this post into 3 different parts. There’s also a surprise my lovely readers at the end of this post, so scroll down.

Today, I’ll show you a glimpse of their cups, mugs, pots and the lovely decanters/jugs collection.

Continue reading →

Midnight snacking – the baked potato

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The other night, I tried to fool myself by convincing myself that a frozen yogurt parfait will be my dinner. By 9:30, I was hungry.

So I gave in and was about to make roasted veggies but remembered that I still have sour cream in the fridge, and this is when I decided I’m baking a potato! This dish, if you even can call it a dish, brings back childhood memories with my sisters. We used to have it a lot as kids and I loved it.

All you need to do is preheat an oven to 200 degrees Celsuis. Meanwhile, if you’re potato is extra large like mine, cut in half and pierce the cut side, and place on a baking tray. If you are using small potatoes, just pierce with a fork all over and place as is on the baking tray.

Bake the potato for 30 -45 minutes, or until you can easily pierce with a fork. In a bowl mix half a tub of sour cream (125 ml) with salt and pepper, chopped fresh herbs (I used thyme from my aerogarden) and cubed cheese of your preference.

Scoop out the potato flesh and mash with a fork and mix in the sour cream. Scoop it back in the hollowed potato skin and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until cheese has melted.

Gadgets: the sharky tea infuser

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Another cool gadget that I think I must have. This time an award-winning tea infuser, by Argentian designer Pablo Matteoda

Look how the blood, I mean the tea infuses with the water. 

To buy this and other designer gadgets, go to donkey-products.com

vía Pablo Matteoda

I’m going to show you my collection of tea infusers soon!

Daydreaming: Frangipane apple cake

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One of the cakes I used to make for BDesserts. I stopped making this a long time which is a shame. It’s such a great high noon tea cake. I’ll remake and post the recipe soon.

@Tatami_Kuwait introduces Brunch with a Japanese twist

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All of last week, I was impatiently waiting for Friday morning to arrive to go to the launch of Tatami’s new breakfast and brunch weekend menu. Now I know what you might be thinking, a Japanese restaurant that serves breakfast? How?

Well let me tell you, the menu consists of traditional breakfast items with Japanese-inspired ingredients. The only Japanese item they have on the menu is the okonomiyaki, and I highly recommend you give it a try.

We arrived at Tatami at around 10:30 in the morning, and I quickly noticed the beautifully arranged flowers in tin mugs decorating the restaurant.

Aren’t they beautiful! The leaves of one of the flowers look like lettuce leaves which was so appropriate. The entire arrangement looks like a salad and I just want to eat it up.  Continue reading →

Lamb Biryani – southern style

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My new role as unemployed is to be the house’s cook, and I am loving it!

Yesterday, I made lamb biryani, southern Indian style. The difference between this biryani and the Northern biryani, which is what we are usually accustomed to in Kuwait, is the use of shredded coconut in the base mixture.

The base for the biryani is super aromatic with lots of sautéed onions, chopped mint and parsley, a myriad of spices, yogurt and what sets this is apart from the other biryanis,  the shredded coconut.

Below is an image of the base slowly simmering, perfuming the entire kitchen.

To get this recipe, and if you’re a fan of Southern Indian cooking, I highly suggest you a get a copy of Savoring the Spice Coast of India by Maya Kaimal.