A Perfect Face for Radio....

Many amazing things have occurred in the past six months since the launch of ARABIAN DREAMS the book.
I had given up on the idea of a return to writing cookbooks. But at 40 it became a reality and a very great source of pride when a little concept and discussion with my Executive Chef  gave rise to the book that has since gone on to become The BEST ARABIC TITLE IN THE WORLD..
One other thing I had given up on at 42 was a return to Television and publicity in general. ARABIAN DREAMS has, however brought me out of hiding for a further 15 minutes of fame, or infamy.

http://vod.dmi.ae/media/video/15990/Episode_102


The above link should take you to DUBAI ONE television episode 102. If it does, be patient and let it download and watch.  My stint on the programme is between 15:56 to 24:56!!!! FYI.. If it does not automatically download then please cut and past into your address URL and click on it there.The show is great and the hosts Tom and Saba Wahid are absolutely amazing people. We will hopefully meet one day again soon. For all you others, see for yourself, and be kind on your words...please !!
PR and television became necessary for one reason only, ARABIAN DREAMS has made an impact, book sales are higher than we had imagined and the positive feedback by those already cooking from the book has been nothing but positive.
A return to Dubai is imminent, if not know, then definately as we spiral toward completion of the next book. (photography is finished by the way!!!)
Adeiu !! Bon Voyage and of course Bon Appetite !! x

One More Date and Another Tart !!!!!!!!! oh...and a GATEAU VOYAGE!

ONE MORE DATE.............

I was asked recently to do an international dinner for a chefs association outside of my current country. In considering the honor, I wanted to showcase ARABIAN DREAMS , the book, and give the diners for the event a sampling of what I am trying to get the world to see....." That the traditions of the Middle East are amazing and yet they can be turned into NEW AGE masterpieces quite simply."
 LA DATTE ARABIA is perfection in presentation to my humble beliefs. It serves dates, the Middle East's abundant fruit of an honorable past, in a manner few would expect.  At the same time it gives so many variations of it in one dessert. Date and thyme gellee, date cake, date mousse, date ganache and date glaze. So much date, and for most people an horrific concept, having never eaten dates outside of Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce.
Arabian Dreams was born from a desire to prove chefs can create from the ground up in everything they do. That we are more than one dimensional cooking robots. That our skills, talent and artistry can produce more than plates of 5 minute organliptic pleasure. An idea can blossum one summer ,and by the winters end, it can be turned into an award winning book title. I have never been so inspired nor so proud of anything, as I was ARABIAN DREAMS. OF course that is closely followed every day when the inspiration to cook, makes me proud of the creations we produce, the taste buds we set on fire and the memories of amazing desserts, my diners, patrons and guests will have many moons from now.
The greatest honor a pastry chef can ever be granted would be to hear, a decade from now," I still remember the sensations of dining on that most memorable of dessert you created."

LA DATTE ARABIA - PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE
(White chocolate filled with date mousse, date cake, Umbread
and glazed with Date glaze. Served with date and thyme gellee
date ganache.)

AND ANOTHER TART.............

My dear friend and blog teacher , Anita Menon (Check out her amazing blog) asked me to describe what ,"a day in the life of a Pastrychef" actually entails. Well certain difficulties stand before me in doing that. None of which I wish to share.

Some, within the realm of where I work, believe that all we do as chef's, is sit, chat and drink coffee, and that is about it. Few realise that during the sitting and the chatting, myself and colleagues could be discussing what it is we see before us, which we desire to achieve in reality and some how take dreams and turn them into plated edible perfection.

As a writer, I remember a quote, from I know not who, which stated some thing like," The novel I desire is already written before me. I see the words, they need just be plucked from the air floating before me and scribed upon the page in the order in which they fall."

For us as chefs, it is the same. "I see the finished dish before me, the only thing standing in my way is to place the order, chopped the fruit, bake the cake and organise the parts into that which my minds eye, has already begun to devour."

As a chef and a writer I find many similarities. And much of both worlds collided back in 1987 when Gary Rhodes OBE stated , "Simplicity need not mean sloppy. Done to perfection, the simplest dish can bring you a Michelin Star".

Simplicity in writing is the key. Too big an idea means thousands of pages of explanation. I adore the 800 word essay, where beginning, middle and end; concept, evolution and finality must all collide within a set number of words, be fun to read, or instructive and make sense on a singular published page.

Cooking is much the same. 

You do not have to make every single dish a monolithic enterprise to achieve greatness. Some of the simplest dishes truly are the most memorable.

For me, tarts always seemed too simplistic. Today I hold them high and shout from the highest of mountain tops, that tarts can be magnificent.  A tart shell baked perfectly, a filing not too sweet, not too dry, a simplistic topping of meringue, nuts, or glaze and you have perfection.

A day in the life of a pastry chef can be summed up as a day of tarts. I may sometimes sit and chat a little longer than most. I may sometimes have a few too many cups of coffee. But those who fear that laziness has crept within the soul of this pastry chef need look no further than the photos below. A day in the life of a Tart maker. All made, all prepared, all executed to perfection on a singular day. And yes....others sampled them, some of them twice. Some asked for slices to take home and others where shared among my staff. Simplicity does not mean un-creative either. These gorgeous entities will remain with me now for years and shall sooner or later become the basis of another morphed creation, simplicity will one day have its chance at complicated and stunning. For now, taste speaks for itself; simple, stunning, sexy.

Bakewell tart

Candied Chestnut tartlets 

Chestnut, vanilla creme brulee and fresh fig tart. 

Maple Syrup meringue tartlets

Fresh pear and baked Mascarpone tart 

Tarte tatin

 oh....AND A GATEAU VOYAGE!!!......
Again simplicity wins the day.
Playing for a day with chestnut paste to extend the conceptual range for a European client I did not stop at the perfect chestnut tartlets with Italian meringue nor at the Chestnut, Vanilla Brulee and Fresh Fig tart, but continued on to this gorgeously moist Gateau Voyage Marron. It speaks for itself and so I shall stop.

Gateau Voyage MARRON (white fondant glaze with candied chestnuts and gold leaf)



"LOVE ALL, SERVE ALL" as the famous words of Hard Rock Cafe state. Let the kitchen be the world's true UN. We are all united by the food that we eat, we all deserve a meal and therefore we all must take social responsibilities in the protection of the earth on which we live. No food, No us, No blogs. Oh what a shame!!!

Bellouet Conseil - Perhaps The Worlds Best Cooking School For Pastry Chefs

I have studied in Paris many times now.

I have also studied at the Bellouet Conseil before.

But this year I appreciated it more than ever.

Perhaps it was my mood, perhaps it was the "spring of discontent" at home, that made anywhere but the Middle East seem so much more inviting than ever before. But it was really an amazing time. More amazing than usual.

Many people wonder why I still return to Paris to school myself in pastry, after a 30 year career in the business.

The reason , simple; I believe you can never know enough?

Those who believe that after 30 years that they are the best, well, I wish them all the best.

For me, I see that in the everyday existence in our kitchens, while we push ourselves to try and do the best, occasionally we also do certain things out of speed and necessity, rather than because it’s the right way to do something.

My schooling is not about new recipes.

I have enough of those already, thanks

What it is about is skill, memory and reminding myself of the little details that you tend to forget or dismiss, throughout a busy work day, week, month and year,  which can truly make all the difference to an end product.

Thankfully too, yes, there are new recipes, new skills and new concepts and ideas which come up in this industry all the time.

Another reason I go is to remind myself of something few people ever have the courtesy to tell others.

I remind myself that,"I’m not doing a bad job!"

I have said it for many years , but will repeat it once again.

Being French - does not mean that you are the best at everything.

When I was young I was told being a pastry chef was a waste of time. Australia had no need for local pastry chefs. If the country needed Pastry chefs or Patissier’s then they would import them from France.

Fair enough. That was then and this is now.

It is nice to go and work among French pastry chefs to see how brilliant 'some' are, and just like ever other country on earth, how bad some are as well.

In the category of the best and most amazing, let me return to the subject of Bellouet Conseil. While I have been to other schools, I return here for two reasons. Location – its in the heart of Paris  and secondly because the amazing “professeurs” or teachers.

Jean Michel Perruchon an MOF now runs the school originally founded by Joel Bellouet, who it must be said still turns up to see the finished products at the end of the courses. Something greatly admired, that even in semi-retirement he still cares about the education of those who attend the school which bares his name.

This year I did 2 courses. Tartes Nouvelles Et Gouters with Laurent Moreno and Petits Gateaux Nouvelles Tendances with Chef Julien

Two great courses and two amazing teachers. These guys truly have raised the bar in quality and efficiency and skill level among Pastry Chefs.

All I can say, is look at some of the photos for yourself, let the quality be the true example of precision for these guys.

Bellouet Conseil on Rue Lecourbe , Paris, is the school I adore to go.

Friendly, talented and well run, and at the forefront of modern Patisserie.

Thank you to Jean Michel and his talented team for always making me feel welcome, among fellow colleagues of an amazing global industry.

Another "ONE", bites the dust........!!

The beauty of written words, is that you can delete them.

But some words do not deserve to be deleted.

Their existence can be an important reminder.

A reminder to stay on track, to stay the course and be true to ourselves, a reminder of weakness or a reminder of the amazing things we have seen and done.

I have lost count at how many people have commented on my blog about “The One”.

Is She truly the One? Who is THE ONE? Is the ONE the ONE to get a ring?

Well let me put it to you all, this way.

Sometimes the ONE needs to be clarified.

The ONE that got away! or The last ONE! Or the ONE that broke my heart ! or just another ONE in a long line of ONEs!

Locks on the Bridge,"Pont Des Arts", Paris, prove ones undying commitment for the "ONE"

I could of course simply tell a “fib” and say the ONE was the perfect ONE and that me and ONE are living happily ever after? Or I could delete reference to the ONE all together and never have anyone ask me again about the experience ever again?

But why , that is life afterall?

“That which does not kill us, simply makes us stronger”…so said someone else!!

And I am a strong believer that to have loved the ONE for a fleeting moment in time ..... to have felt the loving embrace and warmth of returned affection even for a moment, is better than to have never felt it throughout a lifetime.

I am lucky that in my lifetime I have had the pleasure of many ONEs.

Perfect ONEs at the time until our relationship hot its 'expiration date", and they just became...the last ONE.

The ONE may be gone, but soon she will be replace by another ONE, who in turn will undoubtedly be replace by ONE more.

I am a transient person living a transient lifestyle.

I travel often and my heart travels with me, hence where ever I go,  I find some ONE to fill the current void.

It may be horrific to consider for some. Some people have found their ONE, a ONE AND ONLY  but for me I have not been so lucky.

No ONE ever stays forever.

One day I might be so lucky, till then, Next ONE please??

Who really needs some "ONE" when we all have PARIS!!!!!!
The real "One and Only"

Paris, Tu J’adore !!!!

I came to Paris to do many things.

Work, study, eat  for sure but work on one of several novels, foremost on my mind.

The thing is, the beauty of Paris , washes my mind clean of the rigors of life which are the cornerstones to a novels depths.

The disillusionment, the difficulties the injustices one sees on a daily basis living “at home”, which give rise to so many concepts for a writer, are just melted away amid the beauty of Paris.

(by the way I wrote all that with a box of Pierre Herme macarons sitting half empty beside me, and this is just the first day!!!)

LOCKS ON MY FAVORITE BRIDGE........PUT YOUR LOCK HERE AND YOU WILL ONE DAY MARRY TO ONE YOU LOVE and RETURN TO PARIS.

FRESH HERBS ON THE SIDEWALK

TAKES A STRONG MAN TO SIT IN PUBLIC WEARING BRIGHT RED GLASSES AND PURPLE SCARF, A BERET AND SMOKE A CIGAR.........BUT IN FRANCE ITS NORMAL....YOU JUST HAVE TO LOVE THIS PLACE

THE NEWEST AND MOST AMAZING CHOCOLATE SHOP ON EARTH...MAISON GEORGES LARNICOL on BLVD ST GERMAIN

ONE SUNDAY IN PARIS.........JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM LARNICOL IS THIS AMAZING CONCEPT STORE COMBINING SEVEN SHOPS IN ONE..........SPEND A SUNDAY AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF.

I wanted to sit at my usual coffee shop (I’ve been coming to Paris for 23 years now, the past ten I have always drunk coffee at the same store on the first day of my arrival), and write, but American tourists are everywhere. My quiet café bloated with English language, enough to kill the writing mood in anyone.

A baguette for lunch of “fromage et jambon” may seem quite banal for a chef to enjoy but consider the fact that “jambon” is not readily available in the Middle East makes this is a treat “par excellence”.

I do intend this trip to enjoy numerous restaurants and bistro. It’s my job anyway, to eat the world dry!!!

(I knew I should have bought the bigger box of macaron- six little delicacies left-which one is it going to be…)

Anyway, I learnt today (well not really learnt today per sae!! ) but it all came together today. That for many years (remember 42 single, never married, no kids) I have sought the beauty of women in the incorrect manner.

I may be overweight, but failing that little 30kg hiccup, I’m a pretty good catch . Stable, reliable, sweet as sugar and with emotions in tact. The problem is that I have sought youth and beauty when I have dated. And walking the streets of Paris I have realised that ,"One can not live with youth and beauty alone."

Eventually one seeks “relations” of a different nature- of the mind!!!

Stimulation of the brain. Someone to make you feel alive, someone who can make you feel worthy of their love, worthy of being in a relationship, someone who’s face literally lights up when you walk into the room because they have something mentally stimulating to share with you - along with a kiss. I’m tired of forced half conversations with people barely able to remember the English language and who have no idea that there was ever a world war? 

Give me a scholared brain that has a depth to their character through experience. These are all qualities I have failed to seek or even consider…..until now.

But believe I have met ….THE ONE!!

Life throws us curve balls not straight hitters. 

Alone with the ‘Package” comes pain, comes reality and baggage!!

For 28 years, (don’t do the math-it was a different world back then) I can safely say I would have run from pain, reality and baggage. In fact I’ve run several times around the planet away from partners. But this time I stand true. I claim the ground under which my love stands this time.

I have met “The One”, (LFAO) and if we can transport the relationship through the chasms of anguish we are sure to face together, then life will be everything that the movies portray of romance in its enth degree.

Some say that love is blind. 

In this, it is not blind but a choice not to look too hard into it, that may keep the relationship living.

I accept imperfection, I accept that a persons past is their own.

Why shouldn’t I, she will have to do the same. I am far from perfect and come with baggage too. A relationship must accept the past and move forward bringing a better result for the future for both parties. Why dwell on things you can never change nor had any hand in, in the beginning.

I have waited long. The road is narrowing up ahead though and soon my stop at the station of “perfect relationship” will arrive.

The only question remaining is who will be the first to press the buzzer for the next stop?

Who will it be that gets off first? Or do we both actually have the nerve to take the trip to the end of the line together, nerves in check, to travel the road of obstacles that we know are out there.

Arriving together, at the end, happiness intact.

One hopes we do. Stay tuned.

Stepping Back Into The Fray

Wow what a day.  March 12th 2011

I stepped away from the glitz of publishing for more than a decade and today was my first foray back .Thanks to the success of Arabian Dreams cookbook, not because I truly wanted to step back in.

I’m just not media hungry like I was at 20 years old.

Still. . .There I was sitting in the Green Room before the ALLURE OF THE EAST - FOOD PANEL went on stage at the Emirates Airlines Dubai Literary Festival, it was hard not to remember the days when I traveled to many of these events back between publishing books one to fourteen, somewhere in the 90’s. Today I’m definitely the outsider. Not the oldest, quite young compared to other authors, but definitely still the outsider. One book in ten years and I am sitting in the same room as the amazing Margaret Attwood and truly accomplished best selling Madhur Jaffrey…wow…out of my depth.

It was an honor to have been asked to speak at the Emirates Airlines Dubai Literary Festival and the subject matter really does appeal to me…What is the ALLURE OF THE MIDDLE EAST when it comes to food?…for me it’s the traditions and simplicity of some of the dishes. So simple that they are easy to mess up? How can this be! Well as a chef we over complicate matters by thinking rigidly. We think of skills and methods taught us through schooling and our own practices. The truth of the matter is, we often need to set them aside and remember that many Arabic mothers and grand mothers still to this day do not have modern machinery in their homes with which to cook with. It is that “touch of the hand” that my fellow panelists Madhur Jaffrey, Susan Husseini and Ariana Bundy(wow! now there is a great and amazing looking fellow pastry chef) all spoke so eloquently about. The “touch of the hand” is the truth of the Arabic food secret....."If you feel the food, love the food and have passion for the food, the food will be successful and tasty, no matter how simple or complex your recipe."

I agree. Some chefs I have worked with just don't have the touch of the hand and you can see it immediately. It's the difference between cooking being a JOB and cooking being a CAREER.

Book signings after the panel finished up, was a humbling session especially sitting beside Madhur Jaffrey. She can outsign anyone. About ten books to one.

Lunch after the event was with my publisher at Jamies Italian in Festival City. Wanted to try this as rumors are that Jamie Olivers Italian restaurant will soon be for our shores of Bahrain.

Honestly I went with the attitude that I did not want to like it. Truth is I loved it. Glad I did not pay, as it was pricey, but seriously nice food. I just hope the waitresses they have in Dubai, come to our shores.

My friends and I will be regulars for sure if that’s the case.

Discussed future book titles today, so please stay posted and by the way, book sales are better than even the author could have imagined, so please tell everyone about ARABIAN DREAMS cookbook, inside and outside of the Middle East, Book Sales are testament that this book has legs , as it is walking out of the bookstores everywhere.

Reprint is a word I love, and we are awfully close my friends so please keep the numbers ticking over. (And a huge thank you to those who have supported the belief that Middle Eastern Desserts deserved their own book.)

To top off a most amazing day I picked up a copy of the BBC Food Middle East Magazine and found that there list of top ten food trends list ARABIAN DREAMS as number 8 beating Gordon Ramsey’s Chefs Table at Verre Dubai, which came in at ten.

Last week we received BEST ARABIC TITLE IN THE WORLD, this book is just about the proudest achievement in this 42 year olds life.

Anyway, a great day done, I flew to Bahrain , touching down for just 5 hours to change the luggage and then run back to the Bahrain International Airport once again ….next stop…. Paris.

Will post pics soon to anyone following these screeds.
But the ones of Dubai, the ALLURE OF THE EAST and the Book Signing in Dubai will have to wait (sorry, forgot the right cables for the wrong camera!!!)

Remember “Love All-Serve All” , not my words, but from the palace of musical history, Hard Rock Café, since 1971, but truer by the day the world over.

MARCH, MARCH, MARCH…. I LOVE MARCH

Wow, what a month. I love March.

First of all thanks to those who have already congratulated me on the big win of the year. And for those who do not know, ARABIAN DREAMS, our teams little book made here in the tiny nation island of Bahrain, had been awarded BEST ARABIC TITLE COOKBOOK IN THE WORLD….. yes IN THE WORLD...by the Gourmand Cookbook Awards at the Cookbook Fair in Paris on March 3rd.

BEST ARABIC TITLE COOKBOOK...........IN THE WORLD

My team are thrilled with the win, for it truly justifies in ourselves anyway the time and effort we spent on testing the recipes, baking for the pictures and most important …EATING.. all the dishes that went into this amazing achievement of a book.

As I have written before, this was book 15 for me, but truly this baby was my proudest. Amazing that when you dream up a concept, believe in it 1000% and then carry it through financially and all, what an amazing labor of love can really create.

Now lets try and find someone who will print ARABIAN DREAMS in ARABIC so the real people we produced this for, can truly enjoy it.

On March 6^th A very dear friend of mine had a birthday and even I must say, I was shocked at the beauty of the birthday gift received.

On March 11^th I’ll be flying to Dubai to appear at the Emirates Literary Festival and signing copies of ARABIAN DREAMS…..did I mention it was also crowned ONE OF THE TOP 57 COOKBOOKS IN THE WORLD.

Following my  showing up and signing copies for avid readers, ( I do pray someone turns up) I’m then off to Paris. My favorite city on the planet, unashamedly from a pastry perspective. I’ll be working during my time there. Firstly being a student myself at the Bellouet Conseil and then visiting my favorite equipment, literary and ingredient haunts and bringing all that goodness back with me.

I’ll be returning at the end of the month , but let me state that On March 27^th I’ll be turning 42 years of age.

Proud 42 year old chef with his teams cookbook ARABIAN DREAMS (wait till you see our next book- if you think this was amazing......)

So you can see why I love March so badly. Its going to be a party month for me.

I’ll be posting photos from Dubai, Paris and of the birthday so please stay tuned and I hope I can tempt you into the kitchen with some of the amazing photos.

Remember people, in the words of Hard Rock café, “LOVE ALL-SERVE ALL”  

Chocolate and Pistachio tart...mmmh mmmh mmmmmmm

CUBE DUBAI...chocolate chocolate and more chocolate...YUM