Beef Masterclass at Gaucho

"Can you bring me a cow?"

We're in the kitchen of Gaucho Dubai, in the heart of Dubai's International Financial Center, or DIFC. It's an area rich in contemporary restaurants, art galleries and urban architecture. In Gaucho's kitchen, preparations for the popular business lunch are in full swing, but one station has been set up for a beef masterclass.

The volunteering chef bends over with a grin on his face, as London-based executive chef Michael Reid - in Dubai for a week - places his hands on the guy's back, about to explain the location of various beef cuts, from ribeye to rump. The meat masterclass is in progress.

Seven Cuts of Steak
All beef served at Gaucho comes from Angus, Hereford, or Shorthorn cattle raised on the grasslands of Argentina: the pampas, where cattle not only finds a varied grass diet, but also plenty exercise. Seven cuts of beef are used in the Gaucho kitchens: Lomo (fillet), Chorizo (sirloin), Ancho (ribeye), and Cuadril (rumpsteak). In addition, Gaucho uses Entrana (thin skirt), Vacio (flank steak) and Picanha (top rump). We get to unwrap, clean and divide the lomo and the ancho. I'll take you through it.

Lomo 
The Lomo is the fillet or the tenderloin. The tenderloin is not a weight-bearing muscle: it does very little work, which makes it a very tender piece of meat. Quite the opposite, all fat and sinew (connective tissue) around the tenderloin are hard and tough, and will not cook away.

lomo ready to be unwrapped, trimmed and cut. The onion, red pepper, parsley and condiments are for the chimichurri, a tangy Argentinian sauce great with grilled meat

The lomo we unwrap is already trimmed of most of its hard fat, sinew and its "chain"*. It just needs a final trim. A cleaned, deep red meaty tenderloin ready on the cutting board, Chef Mike shows us how to cut the lomo into different steaks:

From the fillet "head", chef cuts the lomo churrasco. The churrasco is a spiral cut which will be marinated for up to 48 hours, grilled and sliced to serve 1 or 2 (depending on the carnivorous appetite). From thickest to smallest part, the lomo is next divided into:

• chateaubriand (averaging 400 gr, a chateaubriand is grilled whole, rested and sliced to serve two)
• Bife de Lomo (fillet steak or tournedos)
• Medallions (if cut as one steak, this would be the filet mignon)

tenderloin tail folded to form a steak

As for the tail end of the tenderloin, the tip that is so uneven in thickness: the chef scores it in three places, just deep enough to fold and form one full-sized steak. Now, you can cook this uneven piece of meat evenly!

One thing the chef stresses throughout the masterclass: handle the meat gently. Don't turn it over and over, touch it as little as you can. Every touch and turn means you're bruising the meat.

*the chain is the meaty "string" of connective tissue. Usually, your tenderloin is already trimmed of it. When it isn't, don't throw it away. It may be a lot of work to clean the beef chain of all sinew and hard fat, but it's tasty meat and makes for great fajita steak, for instance!

notice how the chef holds the knife blade between thumb and index finger, balancing the handle with remaining three fingers? It allows him better control over the blade as it cuts through the meat

Ancho
The Ancho is the ribeye. Nestled in the upper rib cage, the ribeye is marbled with good fat. It's called the "meat lovers' steak": a juicy steak with lots of flavor.

From the ancho, chef cuts a thick-cut ribeye steak. He then proceeds (he is showing us some great knife work) to cut a tira de ancho, or a "belt" of ribeye steak. It is grilled slowly and brushed with chimichurri towards the end. Same style but smaller is the tapa de ancho: the top of the ribeye.

the Gaucho grill with V-bars at a slight angle, so meat doesn't steam or stew in its own juices

And now, it is time to light the grill! Grilling a good steak is all about timing: when to season your steak, when to turn it, when to take it off, and how long to rest it.

In general terms, a marbled steak will need slow grilling. Fat takes long to cook, and undercooked fat is NOT pleasant. Tenderloin, on the other hand, wants its natural velvety tenderness preserved: the longer a tenderloin cooks, the grainier (drier) it becomes. All grilled meat needs proper resting before serving.

no fingers poking in food in
chef Mike's kitchen:
tasting spoon ready
(he has one in his back pocket too)!

Here is how Gaucho grills its ancho cuts:

• the steak is placed unseasoned on the grill, presentation side down.
• a generous amount (I'm talking heaps) of coarse salt is sprinkled all over, and left to cook on the meat
• the meat is turned only when it comes away from the grill bars without tearing. 
• also note: the meat is turned only once, cooking time divided roughly into 70% first, 30% after turning
• when it is turned over, most salt will fall off, having seasoned the beef as it slowly cooked on the grill
• experience will tell if the meat is done to your liking. Otherwise, use a meat thermometer. Chef doesn't like fingers poking in food to check for doneness but it is a good indicator: doneness ranges from much resistance (well-done) to little resistance (rare). 

a knockout side: twice cooked sweet potato steak fries. Drizzled with honey, lemon confit and capers

Black quinoa tamales: the black quinoa is prepared like a risotto and bursting with flavor. 

Back to the roots
Gauchos Grill Restaurant originated in the Netherlands in 1976. The first restaurant was called Los Gauchos Argentinian Grill Restaurant and was opened in Amsterdam. The concept proved a success and soon after more Gauchos Grill Restaurants opened throughout the Netherlands, before making the jump to the UK. To finance the expansion, Gauchos was listed on the London Stock Exchange for a brief period of time. Soon after, Gauchos split into the Dutch Gauchos Grill and UK Gaucho. 

The menu
The Gaucho menu offers flavors of South America. Group Executive Chef Michael Reid was telling us that Gaucho UK now is adopting a seasonal menu, and the Dubai restaurant will follow suit. Question then, which season will that be for Gaucho Dubai? Europe or South America? Gaucho Menu here

Final remark: cooking, or in this case eating without waste

A grilled steak is gorgeous (to a meat lover, of course). However, portions in many a steakhouse are often absurdly huge. I've said it in previous posts, and I will say it again: abundance is only great if nothing is wasted. One way to be (meat) prudent: don't order or buy more than you can chew! By the way, at Gaucho beef scraps -perfectly good meat that is cut away when meat is trimmed of sinew and hard fat - are used to make burgers. As Chef Mike put it: "this is expensive meat, and you do not want to waste a scrap of it." 

ps. I was invited for this meat masterclass, courtesy of Gaucho Dubai. For more information on Gaucho Dubai's (Beef) Masterclass (as well as an interesting range of wine masterclasses): here

How do YOU like your steak?

G is for.... GOURMET!

What do heirloom beets, Balqees honey and artisan goat cheese have in common? They found their way into my shopping basket at Lafayette Gourmet. My favorite gourmet shop in Dubai* ran a 5-day food festival, with tastings galore. In this post, I focus on some of the things I got to cook a fine dinner at home.

Heirloom beets
I think my eyes dropped out of their sockets when I saw the selection of beets alone. Beautiful heirloom beets including the tapered Crapaudine beets and "marbled red" Bassano beets. And oh, there were golden beets. The section actually held a lot more fine food surprises: edible flowers, fresh horseradish root, watermelon radish, fresh laurel leaves on the branch, smoked garlic, and that gorgeous tuber with a texture of water chestnut and a taste of artichoke: jerusalem artichokes (also called sunchoke, sunroot, earth apple or topinambour).

The section is supplied by Lootah Premium Foods who import directly from Rungis, the world's largest wholesale market located close to Paris. Rungis is actually more like a town than a market, with exits to "viande" (meat), "poisson" (fish), "legumes" (vegetables), "fruits" (fruits), well, you get the idea. I visited years ago and my mind still boggles over the staggering supply of foods and produce from all over France and far beyond, not to mention the dizzying whirlwind of activity at this ginormous "market".

From the Premium Foods section I got some beets, including yellow beetroot, a bunch of fresh laurel leaves, and a bag of jerusalem artichokes.

Balquees Honey
There is a row of ten or so big round glass bowls filled with the viscous nectar of flowers and herbs growing in remote regions of Yemen. Dark to light hues of amber, these beautiful bowls contain Yemeni raw honey, brought to the UAE by Balqees. Their "liquid gold" ranges from the priced and unique Sidr honey to infusions with saffron, nigella seeds, or cinnamon and sesame seeds.

I am taken on a tasting by the very "honey man" himself: Riath Hamed is founder and owner of Balqees. Yemeni raw honey is thick and lush like caramel. It is a honey to savour on your palate before allowing it to slide down slowly. The taste is simply stunning, its texture almost chewy like a delicate toffee, and each and every Balqees honey is rich with layers of flavor. It comes at a price, for sure, but a price well worth it.

Loving them all, I ultimately decided on a jar of wildflower honey. Even if the saffron infused honey was tempting my tastebuds to take it home and spoon it over a grilled lobster tail. I might do that soon, in fact.

Al Fumo, a traditional and artisan smokehouse located in Dubai sells its smoked Atlantic salmon at Lafayette Gourmet.

The entire floor of Lafayette Gourmet is dedicated to fine food. There are cooking stations and deli counters, including a tapas bar, and seating areas for coffee, lunch or dinner. All in addition to the various fresh food sections for cheese, meat, fish, produce, pastries, breads, and more.

Unifrutti the Green League has a stand packed with organic fruits and vegetables from across the world. I took home some apples, kiwi, and banana for a fruit salad (which I spiked with a dash of my homemade limoncello).

The butcher has free-range grass fed beef from Alberta, as well as milk fed veal from Quebec. No piles of pre-cut and pre-packed meats here. There is only a small selection on display with a butcher present to help you get your order. From this butcher, I got two beautiful pale pink veal chops.

The cheese section has over 240 different cheeses available, from either cow, goat, or ewe milk. Dictated by the wildflower honey, I was after a single cheese this time, a creamy goat cheese. The choice fell on Clacbitou, a cylindrical raw milk artisan goat cheese from Burgundy. It is a soft and creamy handmade cheese with a natural rind and noble (= edible) mould.

With ingredients like this, cooking a gourmet dinner has never been easier. I use the combination of Clacbitou and Balqees twice, and I tell you: I could have had it for every course!

My Menu

salad of roasted beets, crumbled clacbitou and balqees wildflower honey

grilled veal chops, laurel-infused cream sauce, topinambour mash and sauteed organic spinach**  

clacbitou goat cheese, raw yemeni wildflower honey, walnut & raisin toast

unifrutti fruit salad (spiked with limoncello)

Beetroot, Goat Cheese, and Honey Salad

• the beets are roasted whole and unpeeled for about 45 minutes in a hot oven (200C)
• leave to cool completely before peeling, then slice thin (use a mandolin or slicer)
• toss the sliced beet with a little good quality olive oil and a squirt of fresh lemon juice (if you are using different colored beets, do not mix until on the plate: the colors will run)
• arrange on a plate, add a gentle sprinkling of salt flakes, crumble the goat cheese all over, and finish with a drizzle of the honey. Now, raw honey has a much thicker consistency. Drizzling may not be so easy, but be patient. Alternatively, scoop it on a spoon and hold the spoon over the steam of boiling water. It heats up the honey gently (without destroying the precious enzymes) and makes it easier to drizzle. 

Fresh Laurel 

Fresh laurel has a refreshing herbal zing and is gentler, milder than dried laurel (bay) leaf. Here are some of the things I did or will do with the fresh laurel I got on a bunch:

• laurel-infused cream sauce: simmer a fresh laurel leaf briefly in 250 ml cream (as it reduces, the cream thickens and takes up the laurel flavor. Add the roasting juices of the veal after resting, season to taste, and your sauce is done! 
• fresh laurel and lemon polenta: it is great with grilled lamb chops
• add a tiny fresh laurel leave to organic carrots as they caramelized in a little butter and Balqees wildflower honey
• skewer pieces of chicken and halloumi with fresh laurel to make kebabs for the BBQ. 
• the fresh leaves came attached to woody twigs. I am drying those at the moment to see what I can do with them. The wood smells fragrant: maybe we can chip it once dried and use it as smoke chips. Any ideas anybody?

Le Topinambour

I do know that more commonly in English this root vegetable is called sunchoke or Jerusalem artichoke, but I like topinambour. It reminds me of the very first time I had them in a tiny bistro in Paris, years and years ago. Surprised at the taste of artichoke in the creamy mash, I found out later it was a root vegetable called topinambour (in French). Topinambour has a nutty taste hinting of artichoke. It is also great raw: it has a delicious crunchy texture similar to water chestnut.

Piemontese topinambur at the Salone del Gusto: sliced raw to dip in Bagna Cauda. Life is good in the food lane.

Peel this root vegetable as you would potatoes. Wash them, cover with slightly salted water and bring to a boil. Yes very similar to cooking potatoes: drain them when soft, add a little lump of butter and a splash of cream, mash as fine or coarse as you like, season to taste, et voila: topinambour mash. I add very little other than salt, as I adore the pure taste of the topinambour.

The veal chops I pan-grilled and reserved the juices (that come out after you properly rest meat before serving). Added to the thickened cream infused with fresh laurel, it is the easiest cream sauce to make. I love spinach sauteed quickly with a little crushed garlic and salt flakes.

cheese dessert: soft and creamy artisan goat cheese from Burgundy with raw wildflower honey from Yemen and walnut and raisin toast

Visit Balqees website for detailed information on their honey, including nutritional value of raw honey

Lafayette Gourmet Catering offers some stunning food, see a previous post here

*Markets & Platters in the Dubai Marina area is another favorite gourmet shop, particularly for fresh seafood including a wide variety of shellfish such as oysters, periwinkles, and clams 

** if you wonder why the organic spinach was not on the "shopping list": I already had it (it was in my Greenheart UAE local veggie box, website here). The carrots mentioned under "fresh laurel" also came from this box, but I did spot some fine looking carrots at Unifrutti as well as beautiful long, thin yellow carrots at the Lootah Premium Foods stand.

The Nordic Food Lab

Last October, I attended a taste workshop by the Nordic Food Lab at Slow Food's Salone del Gusto. The Nordic Food Lab is the research lab associated with Copenhagen's top-ranked Noma restaurant. Noma was the number one on the list of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants but this year had to make way for El Celler de Can Roca. The new number one restaurant resides just a little further south from where El Bulli held that number one position for years on end. 

Have you seen the documentary El Bulli Cooking in Progress? It is a documentary about Ferran Adria and his dedication to gastronomic research: the film starts as the restaurant prepares to close for the season. All kitchen stuff is packed up and moved to the lab in Barcelona, where they spend the next six months doing research. This is how El Bulli operated for years until it closed its doors for good, two years ago in July. Ferran Adria since focused to establish the El Bulli Foundation: a six-million euro project to preserve and built on the legacy of El Bulli. A center for culinary creativity dedicated to the innovation of gastronomy, it is set to open in 2014.
North to the lands of long dark winters and midnight summer sun, the Nordic Food Lab has its focus on the Nordic region.

Established in 2008 by Noma's head chef Rene Redzepi and gastronomic entrepeneur Claus Meyer, the Nordic Food Lab was set up to explore "the building blocks of Nordic cuisine". In pursuit of new flavors and textures, Redzepi calls it the science of deliciousness. In a nutshell, all things brewing at the Nordic Food Lab are aimed to innovate Nordic cuisine while building on what their regional nature has to offer. The lab operates from a houseboat in the Copenhagen harbor.  

Noma (from the book): a New Nordic Cuisine

"Salt, fat and sweet. Those are the tastes ingrained on the Nordic food palate. From birth! We try to innovate on that, add to the traditional flavor spectrum towards a new Nordic cuisine." Speaking is Michael Bom Frøst. He is the director of the Nordic Food Lab. Together with Ben Reade, head of culinary research, he has come to Slow Food's Salone del Gusto to present the Nordic Food Lab in a taste workshop. 

at the Nordic Salone del Gusto 2012 stands: herring in brine, and stockfish (salted, dried cod)

What are some of those "building blocks of Nordic cuisine"? A classic to preserve fish is to bury it in the sand above the high tide level; gutted, covered and weighed down with stones and rocks, time and pressure drain the fluids from the fish as it rots in the sand. Gravlax (literally grave salmon: buried salmon) used to be made like this, but the modern version is cured under salt and herbs. There is Rakfisk (Norwegian dish of fermented trout or char), Surströmming (a Swedish dish of fermented Baltic herring), Hákarl (Greenland's putrefied shark). And Lutefisk: salted, dried whitefish that is soaked in cold water and lye (to which it owes its name: lye fish). Meats are traditionally cured, smoked, or preserved in fermented whey. Sounds good? How about brunost? It is a brown, fatty cheese made from boiled, caramelized goat's milk whey. Earlier this year, a truck-load of brunost exploded in a tunnel, causing a fire that raged for 5 days: the fat content in the cheese is that high!

Nordic cuisine at first glance is not for the weak, it seems. Strong, pungent flavors and smells, brought on by fermenting, brining, smoking and even rotting... am I ready to taste the results of lab investigations based on these "building blocks of Nordic cuisine"?

At the workshop we find plates with all sorts of bags, pipettes, and vials. The sage-green powder is samphire. It tastes grassy, almost like a salty green tea. The sachet with dried leaves that smells vaguely of vanilla is mellilotis, or sweet clover. It contains high levels of coumarin, a fragrant, but toxic chemical compound. If not dried properly before use, it can cause internal hemorrhaging. Otherwise, a lovely aromatic herb! There is a slice of hefty solid sourdough whole grain rye bread with artisan butter that is creamy and acidic as sour cream. The pipette holds a quince vinegar. It is richly refreshing with a fruity acidity. 

The dried, fermented and incredibly potent kelp crisps in the little plastic cup are almost like salt flakes. A result of the lab's "algal cuisine", the kelp crisps are part of the search for Nordic umami. 
Fermented pulses come in various forms. There is a bowl of caramel-brown, soft and tender barley. Through a fermentation process, the barley developed a flavor heading towards dried raisins with a definite saltiness to them. 

And then there is peaso. Savory and appetizing, peaso is miso made of peas, and is another "new Nordic source of umami".
It brings me to a discussion I remember from watching an interview with Rene Redzepi by HardTalk's Stephen Sackur. Redzepi hands Sackur "a grain mould inoculation that has been fermenting to create a liquid". The grains used are dried, local yellow peas. It tastes just like Japanese soy sauce, and Sackur remarks: "a cynic would say: why not just go to the supermarket and buy a bottle of Japanese soy sauce?" The answer, in short, is: because it is a new product, and it is made with what was found in their own region.

In fact, building a "database" of wild plants and herbs, roots and barks, mushrooms, seaweeds, and other materials found in Nordic nature is part of the "gastronomic mission" of the Nordic Food Lab. Ben Reade (head of culinary research) gets even more enthusiastic as he paints a picture of himself bearing wind or rain, in search of new "raw materials". On one of these "hunts", clouds gather for a big thunderstorm. He hides under the trees and sees how lightening strikes in a spruce tree close to him, and the resin is oozing out. He collects it straight away, and calls it "struck-by-lightening spruce resin". We taste it in combination with an iced sheep's yogurt. When asked about the culinary impact of lightening on the resin, he admits it is poetic only. 

At the workshop, they save the best for last (a matter of opinion, as it turns out). It is a vial with a liquid that is salty and pungent like an Asian fish sauce. Only, it isn't fish. 

The vial is filled with a "fish sauce" made of.... grasshopper. 

It is part of yet another direction taken by the Nordic Food Lab: to explore the edibility of what is seemingly inedible. Such as insects.

In the hands of Rene Redzepi in Noma's restaurant kitchen, the final products developed in the food lab are transformed into stunning pieces of culinary art, bringing out their ultimate deliciousness. New Nordic cuisine comes full circle. 

Noma (from the book): Nordic nature explored to create deliciousness

Some links:

Musings on Molecular Gastronomy: http://www.lifeinthefoodlane.com/2012/06/musings-on-molecular-gastronomy.html

The Nordic Food Lab Research Blog: http://nordicfoodlab.org/research/

Salone del Gusto/Terra Madre 2012: http://salonedelgustoterramadre.slowfood.com/

The Slow Lobster

In the winter of 1953, spring tide and a storm surge caused by winds of hurricane force 10 swept the North Sea water high and powerful all across the low-lying lands of coastal Netherlands. It was a horrific flooding disaster claiming the lives of 1836 people. Over 100,000 people lost their homes and possessions, and a staggering number of livestock was lost. Once the water receded, fear remained: how can we prevent it from happening again.

The Netherlands are lowlands. The correct percentage varies, but anywhere between 20-55% of the country is below sea level. Only marginally protected by natural dunes and man-made dikes, the country has always been vulnerable to flooding. As tragic as the 1953 disaster was, a positive thing came from it: in the fight against water, a plan was designed that became known as The Delta Works. The Delta Works is a complex coastal engineering project of strategically placed dams, sluices, dikes, flood gates, and storm surge barriers.

Storm Surge Barrier and National Park
The Eastern Scheldt (Oosterschelde) is an estuary in the south-west province of Zeeland. In 1953, it was one of the areas most badly affected. Closing off the estuary by way of a dam or barrier would protect the land from the sea. Rich in marine life, the Eastern Scheldt is also home to the country's main mussel and oyster beds. A closed dam or barrier would have devastating consequences for marine life.

It took years of protest and discussion, but finally the decision was a storm surge barrier that remains open to allow for tidal flow, yet can be closed off in the event of a storm surge. The Oosterscheldekering or Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier was opened in 1986. Two dams built earlier nearer the mouth of the river Scheldt considerably reduced the freshwater influx, and the estuary is now predominantly seawater. The Eastern Scheldt today has abundant sea life, including seals and porpoises. Its mud flats and salt marshes offer a wealth of edible sea plants and shell fish, including oysters, cockles, periwinkles and razor clams. Large parts of the coastal plains were "returned to nature" and birds abound.

The Eastern Scheldt was declared a National Park in 2002.

Eastern Scheldt Lobster: A Slow Food Presidium
One marine creature that flourished since the completion of the Delta Works in its region, is the Eastern Scheldt Lobster.

The Eastern Scheldt lobster belongs to the homarus gammarus, the common or European lobster. It is a blackish-blue clawed lobster that turns bright red when cooked. First spotted some 130 years ago on a mudflat in the Eastern Scheldt, it had to fight all odds to survive. High influx of freshwater coming in from the Scheldt river, dramatic overfishing, and harsh winters nearly killed off the lobster in the Eastern Scheldt. The survivors developed a slightly different DNA, and the Eastern Scheldt lobster evolved into a unique species.

Slow to reproduce, the lobster is protected by low impact fishing regulations. Only lobsters of at least 24 centimeters (indicating a reproductive age) are allowed to be caught. Smaller lobsters and females with eggs must be released back into the water. Another protective measure is the very short lobster season. It runs strictly from the 28th of March to the 15th of July. And only professional fishermen with a permit are allowed to catch the lobster. With its unique features and the sustainable fishing regulations, the Eastern Scheldt lobster is a Slow Food Presidium.


Sustainable Seafood Restaurant
I visited the Eastern Scheldt early April, mere days after the official start of the Eastern Scheldt lobster season. Alas, winter had decided to show its freezing face just one more time, and the lobster refused to come out of hibernation in the estuary's deep, sheltered rocky holes. Nature rules, and tasting would have to wait. I will try again before the season closes mid July.

One of the restaurants I booked had drawn my attention for more than "just" its lobster menu. It was a restaurant dedicated to sustainable food, with a focus on local and organic. A side story: their seafood supplier is a fisherman who made headlines last year catching a 45-year-old lobster, entering it for charity auction. The 4.9 kg heavy lobster raised over 15,000 euros, fisherman Jumelet himself being the highest bidder. He released the lobster back into the waters where he found it, named and tagged so it would be left alone.

Restaurant De Vluchthaven was named after the little inlet it looks out on. A vluchthaven is a safe haven, an inlet or port to take shelter. The sun is out (but not the lobster: it really is winter cold) and the water is clear and calm. Everything here breathes fresh seafood, from the fishing vessels in the harbor to the hanging culture mussels in the little inlet.

view from restaurant De Vluchthaven

The Food Verdict
In restaurant De Vluchthaven, organic and sustainable translate into excellent food. It is honest, delicious, well-prepared beautiful food. It is a bright restaurant with a great seaside ambiance, weathered wood, large windows and an open terrace. The menu is kept small to allow for daily specials. The restaurant is open only six months of the year (end of March to end of October).

The chef's signature dish is a combination of various clams, each cooked in a special way. Cockles with chermoula, clams with tomatoes and basil, and razor clams lightly barbecued and served with a refreshing red shallot vinaigrette. Cleaned and prepared to perfection, that dish alone is worth coming back for. It is part of their Eastern Scheldt Lobster menu!

At our table also a beautiful bouillabaisse, rich with local fish and seafood. The rouille was homemade and tasting so authentic, that closing my eyes I believed I was in Marseille. A platter of oysters - including the prized local flat oyster - and the special of the day( (a big and beautiful local brill) completed something that was perfect from the start.

• The Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier is the largest of all 13 Delta Works. It stretches for 9 kilometers, crossing the former construction base and man-made island Neeltje Jans mid-way. Functioning also as a long bridge across the water, the barrier has huge sluice-gate doors that remain open to allow for tidal flow. In the event of a storm surge, the huge steel doors close to seal off the estuary from the open sea. Neeltje Jans now also houses the interactive Delta Works center, including an opportunity to enter the storm surge barrier for an up close and very personal experience: www.neeltjejans.nl/index.php/en/home
• Slow Food is a food organisation involved in safeguarding a sustainable food future. It has projects on many levels, both national (Italy) and international. Slow Food Presidia is aimed to defend (agro) biodiversity: it is a growing list (or catalogue if you will) of products around the globe that for a multitude of reasons need protecting. A previous post highlighting a Slow Food Presidium is Sarawak's Indigenous Food Treasures. Or check out my Slow Food page (here)
• During the short Eastern Scheldt lobster season, a selection of associated restaurants offer a unique prix fix lobster menu set at 59,50 EUR (map here/in Dutch) 
• De Vluchthaven (http://devluchthaven.nl/, website in Dutch only) is located in the small town of Bruinisse (map). A stone's throw away (relatively speaking) is Zeeland's unique winery De Kleine Schorre (translated: the little salt marsh). Grape varietals include pinot gris and pinot blanc.
• De Eastern Scheldt National Park is a beautiful holiday destination, with ample biking and hiking trails, beaches, nature walks and excursions, and numerous water sports, including sailing and diving. Make sure to visit its many historic towns and cities.

		Schiphol, The Netherlands
		1 hour 33 mins

Oosterschelde

135.3 km

The Fjords of Musandam

Pristine. The word echoes in my head the entire weekend. Wherever I look, I see pristine beauty. The rugged, rocky coastline. The sea and its shimmering shades of blue and green. Hidden bays and inlets, coves and overhanging rocks. Remote villages beneath sheer cliffs, the intense blue sky.

The drive from Dubai to Khasab takes about three hours, more depending on border formalities. Once you've passed the Omani border, the road becomes increasingly scenic as it serpents past soaring high cliffs of barren rock set against the bluest of seas. We pass through a traditional village. It is early Friday morning, and everything is quiet. A buffalo is taking all the time in the world to cross the road. I see a donkey by a tree, a goat on top of the garbage bin. A couple of kids are playing in the street, a group of men sit together just outside a tiny kebab place.

The road continues and we pass a cliff so steep that it dizzies me as I look up through the sun roof. On a beach in the curve of the road, fishermen are pulling in their nets by long ropes, bare feet dug deep in the sand, backs bent as they give it all of their strength. When we pass the village of Mukhi, the phone rings. It's the dhow company, hoping we are near as the midday hour approaches. Soon after, we arrive in the harbor of Khasab.



We climb aboard a bright blue dhow, in excited anticipation. We sit down on the cushions along the railing. Trays of bananas and apples, hot sweet tea, cardamom scented coffee, and a box of beautiful sticky dates come around as the dhow leaves the harbor. The dates in particular are popular. They are from the owner's own date palm grove, and have a sweet sticky chewiness as good as toffee made with caramel and butter.

We get to meet the owner later that evening around the campfire, and enjoy his stories of how he started his company years and years ago. "I am a fisherman, and I started with my fishing boat, taking people around the fjords." Combining forces with likeminded local individuals, it grew into the successful sea adventures and tours company it is today (website below). We talk about his date palm grove, and he explains how he makes date syrup: ripe dates are gathered in cloth bags and suspended over earthenware pots. The weight of the dates presses the syrup out. "You must come to my house and taste our homemade date honey," he invites us.

The captain with his weathered face looks completely in his element, as he steers his dhow through the waters of Musandam. We are relaxed in the cushions, looking out over the water to the rocks and cliffs. Suddenly, the captain points into the water and starts to whistle. We rush to the side. A humpback dolphin caught up with our boat and playfully swims along. Its large grey shape is easily spotted just below the surface. Every now and then it comes up for a dive, seems to smile at us and then disappears under the boat to come up again on the other side. It happens again and again, and we never tire of these beautiful creatures.

We anchor in a small inlet for lunch and a swim. We are not alone: shoals of colorful fish swim around us. The refreshing dip whets our appetite for lunch on board. It is a healthy lunch. Spiced rice with a vegetable curry, grilled chicken, mixed Arabic salad, hummus, and pita bread. Kept warm in double-walled pots, it tastes magnificent on deck of this dhow gently bobbing in the quiet bay under the rocks.

When we sail into a secluded bay, we spot a camp set up with tents, and a long table and chairs, right underneath a steep cliff. It is ours for the night, and excited we jump ship. Literally: I land feet first in the water as it laps at the sandy beach. Dinner is grilled freshly-caught fish and squid on the BBQ, as well as some mighty juicy marinated chicken legs. We sit by the camp fire for a long time. The clear dark night sky is sprinkled with stars, the moon shines in the calm bay water. What a beauty!

The silence of the clear morning is breathtaking. The sun is still behind the cliffs, and there is a crisp chill in the air. The sea is perfectly calm and pale blue in the early morning sunlight. A couple of brave ones in our group decide to go for an early morning dip, claiming the water is "not at all cold", but their clenched teeth suggest otherwise. And then the first rays of sun drop over the cliff. We leave the campsite after a basic breakfast of fruits, bread, boiled eggs, jams, and cream cheese, and climb back aboard the Dhow for a full day sailing along the coast to pass by the remote village of Kumzar. Located on the Strait of Hormuz, this most northerly inhabited village in Oman has been there for over 500 years, accessible only by boat.

When we anchor for lunch, we spot a fishing boat a little further down the bay. Pearl divers. One of them remains in the boat, the other one goes down with snorkel and mask. He does bring up a couple of large shells, but we cannot see any pearls from our distance. We simply enjoy this bonus bit of couleur locale from the comforts of our cushions.

Back in the harbor, the owner is waiting for us. He hasn't forgotten his promise, and asks us to follow him to his date palm grove first, and his home after. It is an absolute privilege, and an extremely pleasant one at that. His wife has made us cakes and legaimat, served with homemade date syrup. The ladies in our group are invited to meet her in the kitchen, where she shows us how to fry the delicious legaimat : you "pinch" thumb and first two fingers together, dip into the dough to pick up a dollop, and drop it in the hot oil to fry. Back in the house majlis we sit on the cushions around the carpets, enjoy hot karwa (Omani coffee spiced with cardamom and cloves), and exchange stories with our host. It is the most wonderful conclusion of an unforgettable weekend.

		Dubai - United Arab Emirates
		2 hours 30 mins

Khasab, Oman

183.4 km

• Khasab is a harbor town in the northernmost province of Oman. It is the jumping point for boat tours of the Musandam fjords (Dibba al Fujairah is another). Khasab is reached by direct road from Dubai in 2.5 hrs, barring traffic and border formalities. It takes you through three more Emirates: Sharjah, Umm al Quwain, and Ras al Khaima, before you reach the border with Oman. If you drive your own car, make sure you carry your car license with you! The border is an adventure in itself: you park the car, get inside, and wait in line to get your passport stamped. This is to exit the UAE. You drive through the border control, show the stamp, and then park again to repeat the process, this time to enter Oman. It is the same procedure on the way back. (map taken from Google Maps)
• Musandam Sea Adventures Travel & Tourism (www.msaoman.com) is a Musandam based companies specialized in tours of the Musandam fjords. They are outfitted with several dhows with onboard equipment for snorkeling, diving, fishing (depending on what tour you book), their private campsite is very well setup and complete with tents, bedding, toilet tent, seating (dining, campfire & majlis). Ours was a private overnight camping trip with our own group. 
• Legaimat are crunchy fried little dough balls, served with a sweet dipping sauce often flavored with spice, saffron, and lemon. It is an Arab dessert popular throughout the Gulf countries. Legaimat comes in different spellings (I have also seen gaimat and lgemat, for instance), as well as different pronunciations. Our host pronounced it "lokamah", and served them with homemade date syrup.
• The majlis is an Arabic term for "sitting area", and in the private home is a room (usually separate for male and female) where you entertain your guests.

I appreciate your feedback. Leave a comment, or drop me an email: franfoodlane@gmail.com

Poetry On A Plate: Desert Stanzas

I saw you fondling the frying pan

I distinctly saw you fondling the frying pan

My frying pan.

Finally, at mid dawn

In the half light,

While waiting in the cool shadows beneath the sink

I saw you making love with the gas cooker

I distinctly saw you making love with the gas cooker

My gas cooker.

My mistake was to leap upon you crying,

Monica, spare the saucers.

For now I am alone,

You having left me for someone with a bigger kitchen."

('Liverpool's Poet Laureate' Roger McGough reciting under the stars in the desert. A food blogger cannot resist opening with this quote)

marhaba: welcome to the desert

A mere distance from Dubai's city lights is Al Awir, a traditional village at the edge of the desert. Just past the shops into the sands is Gulf Venture's Bedouin desert camp. Scattered on cushions and carpets, we have come to hear poets recite on this moonless night in the desert.

"Barefoot poetry. Did you notice how Ben Okri was tapping his right foot to the rhythm of his verse?"asks host Paul Blezard, author, poet, and currently director of the Firebird Poetry Prizes. I share his emotions. Magical it is, this night.

We listen to Emirati writer and poet Adel Khozam, his voice resounding natural and beautiful in the desert night.

Adel Khozam in the heart of the desert camp

When poet, librettist and writer Sjon shows us his native Iceland through words of poetry, he celebrates his frequent collaboration with singer Bjork with us: right there under the Arabian sky, a mezzo-soprano performs one of Bjork's songs. Just how more magical can this night get?

Roger McGough whisks us away to his Summer with Monica. Kerala-born poet Jeet Thayil keeps a beat on urban India. Opening with a nursery melody that went on a while as the poet simply stood in that circle of carpets under the stars, Yorkshire poet and writer Simon Armitage has us all laughing as he recites "Aviators". In a dry, understated voice, he brings to life an airport scene that is frighteningly familiar to many a traveler. 

Ben Okri, oh Ben Okri. His warm voice and rolling "r". The rich imagery and emotional depth in his verse. In "My mother is Sleeping" he remembers his mother (who sadly passed away) in his childhood years. 

"The remembrance rouses in me dreams of strength, and dreams of fear. I watch over her as she gently sleeps. The soft dreams flutter her eyelids. Her quiet breathing and blessedness of kindly eyes that are shut tight, and the parted lips, soothe my anxious soul."

"My Mother is Sleeping" moved me deeply. For its words, its meaning, the images and thoughts it evokes. Yet this evening it is also because I am there, feeling the warm sand under my bare feet, listening to the beauty of the poetic words sounded out into the balmy desert night air.

These feelings are to linger as one of Emirati foremost poets today takes the stage. With her beautiful clear and calm voice, Nujoom Al Ghanem recites her captivating, emotive poetry. She ends with a poem that was inspire by fears of war in the region:

"We only recognised that sea laden 
with our mothers’ fear after it raised
its head high and ate the feet of our homelands . . .
It crashed near our homes,
cast onto us  
its waves heavy with black tar
and took our fish . . .
They said the war was coming.
It did not come with its soldiers
but sent us its ammunition.
We knew the battle could have killed us
without coming to our land.
The grandmothers prayed that the oil would vanish
and the world prayed to God that He wouldn’t answer their prayers."

(all Arabic poetry was translated and the English version performed by a lady whose name I didn't catch, but her voice rang crystal clear in the desert night).

I feel proud also watching my son listening to the Arabic, his face lighting up when he recognizes a word, or even a phrase or two. It is one of these enriching benefits of living in the UAE: Arabic in school. He's had four (I kid you not) shawarma sandwiches, and is flat out on the floor cushions listening intently to Nujoom Al Ghanem.  

the lovely fine tunes of an oud filled the Arabian night air

As we listen to the last stanzas of the night, smells from the Arabic buffet start to permeate the desert air. Grilled kebabs, shawarma, baba ganoush, hummus, tabouleh, fattoush, chicken makhbous and breads.

The camp fire is lit, and the camels are getting restless. During the poetry readings, they had been remarkably calm as if, like us, they were under the spell of poetry. Or as Icelandic poet Sjon describes it a few days later on Dubai Eye Radio: "there were camels lying (or sitting) behind us. You could hear their snorts and sighs and yawns as if to show their appreciation whenever poetry was read."

Adel Khozam and Nujoom al Ghanem on the website of Banipal (UK) Magazine for Modern Arab Literature (click names)

Other relevant websites:

Roger McGough (www.uktouring.org.uk/rogermcgough)

Simon Armitage (www.simonarmitage.co.uk)

Jeet Thayil on Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeet_Thayil)

The Ben Okri Biography (www.l3.ulg.ac.be/okri/index.html)

A well-crafted, creative dish can be poetry on a plate. When a chef cooks with poetic cadence, a diner can be lost for words upon tasting a ballade of bites with a beat. And then there is the food factor in poetry and prose alike At the Emirates Literary Festival 2013, food shines in many sessions, from literary lunches to foodie debates. This post is the second one in "Poetry On A Plate". 

You may also like Poetry on a Plate: Reflets Literary Lunch

The Emirates Festival of Literature continues over the weekend. For a full program, click link here.


I appreciate your feedback. Leave me a comment, or drop me an email: franfoodlane@gmail.com