24 Cupcakes

It was my eldest son’s birthday a few days ago. He turned 15, and at 5’9” is now taller then his dad. Yes, there are a few well earned silver strands mingling with my otherwise raven locks, but I have not broken out the Clairol yet. I know it is just a matter of time that I will - or won’t.

We had given H a choice of having a party or getting something he couldn't live without, and I am delighted to say that my gregarious and ever sociable son chose his friends. His invitation list initially consisted of 25 of his closest friends, but we whittled it down to 15.

We had reserved 3 lanes at the Markaz Qatar Al Bolinj / Qatar Bowling Center. The bowling alley here is about the same as back home, except it is immaculately clean, with a VIP sitting room and waiters in black and white uniforms who deliver snacks in hefty proportions while you bowl. Security is plenty and is strictly enforced. The rules are similar as well, with the exception of this one, by far my favorite:

No bowling is allowed while wearing an abaya or thobe.

We had requested everyone not to bring gifts. We wanted it to be a simple and casual affair, for the boys to get together and have a good time. We also did not want H to receive expensive gifts, such as IPhones & IPods (which is not unheard of by the way). But Arabs are extremely generous, with the Qatari’s being high on the list. So a few did come bearing gifts. I am left pondering how we will reciprocate.

We had a great time. I met all of H’s friends who were there, and they are a great group of kids, albeit a bit shy in front of mom. The gathering truly represented a mini United Nations. N and I had slaved all afternoon making cupcakes - with a little help from Ms. Betty Crocker. We made over 30, and had taken 24 with us, which disappeared within minutes. Afterwards K and I allowed him to go to Johnny Rocket’s with his buddies for his favorite meal of burgers, fries and shakes. Qatar is a much safer place to live and we give our children a greater amount of freedom that we otherwise would have. In case you're wondering, that's when the real party began!

I have previously mentioned in a former post our main purpose for moving to Qatar. But another greatly important reason was that we wanted our children to grow up with a greater sense of awareness and respect for other people and cultures.

I have lived in the US for the majority of my life, but have been fortunate to have lived in other parts of the world as well. I have also been blessed with many opportunities to travel. I can honestly say we Americans, no matter how the bad economy gets, compared to the rest of the world, still have got it good. But we often tend to be myopic, barely noticing what goes on beyond our back yards.

We don’t need to drive gas guzzling SUV’s, and we don’t need to fill our homes with inexpensive items manufactured in foreign countries under dire conditions. We are a nation of immigrants, therfore we must educate ourselves to a greater degree in order to prevent the evils stemming from xenophobia. And having such a profound influence on the rest of the world, we need to choose our leaders wisely. I am proud to say, this year we did.

But having said all this I must also point out that we citizens are by far the most generous of all developed nations, giving twice as much to charitable causes; benefiting not only our own communities, but wherever the need is greatest.

Therefore, I did not want my children to grow up to be the epitome of the old and often unjust cliché the ‘ugly American’. Here they are experiencing another way of life, different from what they are accustomed to, but wonderful nonetheless. They are interacting with people of various demographics, from distinct cultures, societies and economic levels. Through our frequent travels they have been able to observe other parts of the world at a closer range. And they are developing a keen sense of awareness, along with a greater appreciation and respect for others. They also know how good they have it.

And so ya ibni, my sweet boy, may you carry this knowledge with you throughout your life, when you return home, or wherever you choose to live. And may you convey this more so through your actions than with words.

Indulging My Sweet Tooth

Since the preceding Eid is considered the ‘Sweet Eid’ (as opposed to the ‘Savory Eid’ – more on that later), I thought it would be appropriate to post something along these lines.

I once used to say I haven’t met a cheesecake I did not like, but since moving to Qatar my mantra has long been silenced. Cheesecakes here are often eggy and intensely sweet, or are the gelatin based no-bake variety - a sacrilege in my opinion. With the exception of the occasional Sara Lee from Mega Mart, I had mostly given up on them.

Anyways, back to my original rambling. Nowadays when my sweet tooth beckons I occasionally indulge it with one of my most cherished and non-form flattering discoveries. Every now and then I will purchase mithai, a sweet or a type of dessert originating from Southeast Asia.

Sweet/mithai shops abound here; not only due to a large expat community, but Qatari’s also adore anything and everything sweet. For me however, just any mithai won’t do, since I find most varieties cloying and overwhelmingly sweet.

No no, I definitely do not covet the golden brown orbs dripping in rose and cardamom infused syrup called gulab jamun. Nor do I yearn for the milky sweet fudge redolent with coconut, pistachios, almonds or cashews - named barfi. And I certainly do not dream of the delicate pretzel like vermilion squiggles; crispy, crunchy on the outside, soft and filled with syrup in the insides, known as jalebi. I can go on since I have a PhD in desserts. And just because I don’t delight in these particular sweets does not mean I can’t wax poetics.

So occasionally when I do get a longing for something sweet, only a trip to a Bengali mithai shop will do. The main reason for this is – you guessed it – these desserts are not cloying and overwhelmingly sweet. They are mostly milk based and are exceptionally delicate with a very short shelf life.

The shop which I frequent is called Madhuban, and is considered the best in Doha. Getting there is part of the adventure, much to K’s chagrin. He is never happy to venture into busy, crowded places. But he is married to someone who does - and in order to keep the harmony at home, he reluctantly obliges. We never go on a Friday, since this is a day off for most people, and the entire area is thronging with single men (about 50% of the expat community here comprises of single men).

It is located in a part of town quite far from where we live, in an area predominantly populated by expats from the Indian subcontinent. You will feel as if you have been transported to India/Pakistan/Bangladesh/Sri Lanka/Nepal, all rolled in one. Finding parking is a nightmare, like anywhere else in Doha I suppose.

The neighborhood comprises of just a few street blocks, but it is packed with stores selling everything from loose material along with tailor shops, saris and other ready made clothes – both traditional and western, jewelry and watch stores, electrical items, hardware & software (often pirated), cell phones and their paraphernalia, music and video’s (also pirated), a variety of household goods, religious items - both Islamic and non, books in many languages, exotic and often confusing vegetables & fruits along with many other food items. I am sure I am leaving quite a few things out.

But most importantly, for me are the small hole in the wall restaurants that abound everywhere. They serve food from all the countries I mentioned above. The aromas wafting from these eateries can be detected from afar. So on any occasion we might get, a heavenly beryani, paratha’s, samosa’s & pakora’s etc. from the Pakistani restaurant, or savory dosa’s and delectable sweet-sour-spicy chaat's from the Indian ones. I have not tried any Nepali or Sri Lankan restaurants yet – but one of these days I will. I don’t enter these establishments, since 100% of the clients are male. So we usually get these items to-go and eat them in the comfort of our home, or weather permitting, in a nearby family park.

But the sweet shop is an exception I make. This is the only establishment I do enter, since I want to see all the different and colorful varieties of sweets, from which I pick and choose. Often I make the clientele a bit nervous, since women usually don’t enter these establishments. But, wrapped in an abaya, I always garner respect. I quickly pick my items and go out while K pay’s for them.

Two of my favorites sweets are a milky, melt in your mouth, fudge like squares called sundesh ('good news' in Bengali – very aptly named I think), and mishti dhoi – a caramel flavored sweet yogurt. These satiate my craving for at least a few months.

Things are looking up in the cheesecake department. I have recently found a marvelous cheesecake at a bakery called Opera. But I will continue to frequent my newfound epicurean destination, since, for me at least, new habits as delectable as these, die hard as well.


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Mishti Dhoi

1 quart milk
1 ½ cups sugar
2-3 tablespoons water
½ cup plain yogurt

Boil the milk gently until it is reduced by half. Add 1 cup sugar.
Caramelize the remaining ½ cup sugar until brown and caramelized; be careful not to scorch it. Carefully add the water and add this to the milk sugar mixture.
Allow to cool until warm then add yogurt.
Place in a container and cover with lid. Place in a warm, dark place until set about 8 hours. Or you can use a yogurt maker. Traditionally it is made in terra cotta pots, which imparts its earthen flavor into the yogurt.

Serve chilled & enjoy!

Fatayer for Breakfast

One of my favorite things to eat, I have discovered is fatayer (often pronounced feteer or fata-er). Fatayer literally means pastry in Arabic. They are savory pockets of dough and are usually filled with a variety of things, the most popular of all being spinach (sabanekh). Other fillings include cheese (jubn) such as feta or halloumi, chicken (djaaj), meat - usually ground beef or lamb (laham), potato (batata) and a mixture of soft fresh Arabic cheese made from yogurt called labneh, and za'atar. Za'atar is an Arabic herb and spice blend, which can include thyme, fennel, cumin, sumac and sesame seeds, all which are ground together. Other herbs and spices can be included according to different geographic regions.

These turnovers can be baked or fried, the baked ones more commonly available here. Here in the Middle East they are usually eaten as a snack or light lunch, though I prefer them for breakfast. My personal favorite is the egg and cheese (bil jubn wa baydh) fatayer. They remind me of the breakfast egg and cheese bagels one can get in many coffee shops in New York. They are also relatively inexpensive, costing about 3 riyals apiece.

The origin of the fatayer are a bit cloudy, with the Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and Egyptians all claiming it to have originated from them. Since I usually purchase them from Turkish restaurants they must have Turkish roots as well. They may also be a distant cousin of the Greek spinach turnovers called spanakopita.

Fatayer are very light yet filling. If made properly they are delicious, though in the beginning I ate a few which were just awful; bland, doughy and tasteless. I had given up on them for a while, but I spotted them on the menu at a small and insanely popular Turkish restaurant called Turkey Central. There are many Turkish establishments here; their kebabs are arguably the best I have eaten, and since they are inexpensive and extremely child friendly we frequent them often. Upon noticing them I thought, if all the other items on the menu are so good, let’s give the fatayer another chance.

They came unceremoniously on a plastic tray. The soft pillowy dough was baked until golden. Their tops were brushed with clarified butter (ghee) and sprinkled with sesame seeds. I had ordered a variety of fillings, cheese, eggs, lightly spiced chicken and lamb, and not one disappointed. I had found fatayer nirvana; they were doubtlessly the best I had eaten. There was plenty left over, so I had a few for breakfast the next morning. Now I sometimes purchase them solely for this, my infrequent indulgence.



The following is a recipe for spinach fatayer. Though the recipe gives instructions on how to make the dough, pre-made purchased bread dough, fresh or frozen, also works well.

Spinach Fatayer

For dough:
2 pounds (6 cups) all-purpose flour
1 envelope yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water with 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup warmed milk
1 cup warm water

For filling:
4 bunches spinach, washed and chopped
Salt, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 onion, finely grated
1 tablespoon sumac (available at Middle Eastern stores), optional

Instructions:
To make dough: Combine ingredients in a food processor until a stiff dough results. Add more warm water if needed. Let rise in a covered bowl for about 2 hours. Punch down dough and let rest for another hour until it rises again. Cut dough into 2-inch pieces and roll into balls. Place on an oiled pan and cover with a towel. Let dough rest for another 30 minutes.

To make filling: Wash and chop spinach. Sprinkle with salt to cause wilting. Squeeze water from spinach with your hands. Add oil, lemon, salt, onion and sumac if using.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a flat circle. Place 1 tablespoon spinach filling in the center. Pinch ends to meet in the middle to create a triangular shape. Let pies rest 15 minutes. Coat pan with oil and bake pies for 15 minutes or until browned.

Can be served warm or at room temperature. Makes 24.
Recipe courtesy of Blanche and Vera Araj from the San Jose Mercury News

Sugar Rush

The newest kid on the junk food block here is Krispy Kreme donuts. The franchise recently opened its first outlet in Doha at the Villagio mall. Here is the article pertaining to this newsworthy item in the local English newspaper, the Gulf Times.

Krispy Kreme is an American franchise, whose claim to fame is their hot, freshly made donuts. All stores have a glass enclosed, built in donut making equipment, so you can see your donut being made on the premises. The donuts are also made from a special secret recipe; hence they are much softer & lighter than the competitors.

The company had aggressively begun advertising weeks before the opening date. A week before they were set to open, K bought a box from work, courtesy of Krispy Kreme. Apparently every employee had received a box. Makes you wonder what their marketing budget was.

The opening date and time were Feb. 1st at 5 pm. The first 25 customers were to receive one dozen donuts free for a week for 1 year. People actually began lining up from 2 am. By 5 pm there was a huge mob. Sanity prevailed and we decided to pass on this great event. We eventually did purchase a box a few days later. Compared to the United States (where you can get a dozen for 6-7 dollars), they are extremely expensive here, 55 riyals for a box of a dozen original glazed donuts. This actually turns out to be a blessing in disguise; we won’t be buying them that often.

Meanwhile, the Krispy Kreme franchise is not doing well in the United States. New store openings are scarce, and its stock prices are plunging. You can, of course, blame Dr. Atkins for this.


The following are the nutritional facts for 1 Original Glazed Donut:

Serving size: 52 gm
Calories: 200
Calories from fat: 100
Total fat: 12 gm
% daily value: 18
Saturated fat: 6 gm
% daily value: 29
Trans fat: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 5 mg
% daily value: 1
Sodium: 95 mg
% daily value: 4
Carbohydrates: 22 gm
% daily value: 7
Dietary fiber: <1
% daily value: vitamin a=0; vitamin c=2; calcium=6; iron=4

(Facts courtesy of Krispy Kreme website: http://www.krispykreme.com/)

You want fries with that?

I recently saw the Academy Award nominated documentary ‘Super Size Me’ by Morgan Spurlock. Though this film had been released in 2004, I did not get a chance to view it until recently. In this film Spurlock documents his life as he eats three meals a day for thirty days at McDonalds. All daily calories consumed by him (which are about 5000) must be purchased solely at McDonalds. Whenever an employee requests to ‘super size’ his meal ( in which one receives a much larger soft drink and french fries for a few extra cents), he must accept. He must also try everything on the menu at least once.

Throughout this ‘experiment’ Spurlock is frequently monitored by his doctors and nutritionist, who greatly advise him against it. This film documents the effect this diet has on him, both physically and psychologically. After the release of this film, the practice of ‘super sizing’ a meal has been discontinued at McDonalds, and more healthy alternatives have been added to the menu. Though this movie targets McDonalds and focuses on Americans and their appalling eating habits, the detrimental addiction of over-indulging in fast food is rapidly becoming an international predicament.

After viewing this film I felt compelled to write this entry, since this dilemma is pertinent here as well. Eating out is one of the national pastimes, and over the years, fast food chains have become exceedingly popular. So much so, that when a franchise opens a branch in a new location, it is announced in every major newspaper. Besides McDonalds, most of the fast food giants such as Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins have firmly established themselves here and are hugely popular. At food courts in malls, lines for these restaurants tend to be the longest.

Unfortunately, obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic here as well, among both the Qatari’s and expats. Sadly children are the fastest growing group. Diabetes has become the national disease. The traditional Qatari diet, however, is parallel to the so-called Mediterranean Diet, consisting of mainly fruits, vegetables, grains and lentils, while dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in moderate amounts.

Fortunately we also have many healthy alternatives, including numerous shwarma & falafel joints, freshly grilled kebabs and row upon row of glistening mahogany rotisserie chicken eateries, both which are served with khubz (unleavened Arabic flat bread), salad and small cups of plain yogurt. Also popular are the much beloved juice stalls found in almost every street in every neighborhood, where one can get an assortment of just-prepared, comparatively healthier, sandwiches and fresh squeezed juices from a large variety of seasonal fruits (just remember to tell them to hold the sugar!), all at a fraction of the price you would pay elsewhere. My personal favorite is the club sandwich with layers of chicken, cheese, egg and fresh vegetables, along with refreshing pomegranate juice in the winter months and luscious mango in summer.

I would recommend this film/documentary to anyone who has an addiction for fast food or knows someone who has. With the exception of a few scenes, it is also appropriate to watch with older children. It has definitely been an eye opener.

The following are select web sites for further reference:

Super Size Me web site
Fast food facts from the Super Size Me web site
Qatar Diabetes Association
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
Recent article on childhood obesity in the Penisula newapaper
US Food and Drug Administration
Information on the Mediterranean diet

The Friday Ritual

Here in Doha, the weekend comprises of Friday and Saturday. Friday is the Muslim Sabbath, a day when Muslim’s go to a distinct afternoon prayer called Jumaa (which literally means Friday) at their local Mosque (or Masjid in Arabic). Though it is recommended that every able bodied man attend all 5 daily prayers at the Masjid, there is a great significance for the Jumaa prayers. These payers start with a Khutbah (or sermon), which lasts about 20-30 minutes. After this the traditional prayer takes place. The topic of the Khutbah can range from many diverse subjects, though they always adhere to strict Islamic guidelines. We regularly go to the Qatar Center for the Presentation of Islam, also known as the FANAR center, since the Khutbah’s are in English.

Prayers end at about 12:30 pm. Afterwards we frequently go to a Friday lunch/brunch buffet, held at many hotels & restaurants. We have gone to many places, but our perpetual favorite is called the Caravan. It is mainly an Indian restaurant but they also serve a few Chinese, Thai, Filipino & Japanese dishes. The food is good, but we go there mainly because it is extremely family friendly, with a comfortable dining room and exceptional service. Someone spill something? No problem, always cleaned up with a smile. A wants more bread after the bill is paid? A fresh basket appears. With 3 kids, these things are very important to us. Like many restaurants here, they also have a separate dining room designated for families only. The clientele is diverse, and the prices are reasonable.

We don’t eat much breakfast on Fridays since we want to do justice to the buffet. When we get there, H makes a beeline to the dessert table. Ever since coming here, he has developed a tremendous sweet tooth for Indian desserts. His preference is the perennial favorite, the Gulab Jamun, of which the Caravan provides him with a copious supply. Due to its excessive sweetness, I personally can not eat more then one.

I start with the soup, chicken-corn which I spice up with the chili/vinegar mixture present at the table. Then I progress my way towards the appetizers and main dishes. The buffet itself is extensive, with various soups, salads, appetizers and a wide variety of curry’s, both vegetarian and non vegetarian. There are also, as aforementioned, many Southeast Asian dishes as well. In order to please all palates, the food is not terribly spicy. My favorite items are the chicken curries such as Kashmiri Chicken cooked in a mild cream sauce and lentils called Daal Makhani. Fresh baked Naan continues to be replenished at the table. A, who is on a minimalist diet these days, is content with bread and plain white rice. But since his older brother was eating dessert, he also expressed is desire to try “Pulam Jamoo”. After taking one bite he said “that’s enough”. After lunch we usually go straight home. K and I then fall into a food induced coma, while the kids occupy themselves with their various electronic games or watch TV. In the evening we may go out, sometimes to see friends or just window shop in one of Doha’s many colorful and diverse neighborhoods.

These days however, our Friday routine is in hiatus. H has joined baseball and the games start right after the prayers. But when baseball season ends, we shall resume our ritual with great gusto.

Ramadan Kareem & Greetings from Doha

I have finally have gotten around to starting a blog. Not due to laziness (of course some may beg to differ), but we finally have DSL. We are also more settled into our new home. Things tend to move at a much slower pace here than what we are used to, but after being stuck in the rat race for too many years, I can live with this. I will mainly be writing about experiences pertaining to living in Qatar, though I may also occasionally wander off towards some travel and food writing, always remaining faithful to this region.

Ramadan is almost over. This Ramadan was quite different for me then last years, more peaceful in many ways. Things run a little differently here this month. Schools and most offices start later and end earlier, so it's a much shorter work day. We also get a 1 week break for Eid. There is no public eating or drinking throughout the month, from dawn until dusk. Grocery stores are open, and they are unusually busy at all times. Sometimes we can't find certain items, they are usually sold out. But the workers do their best to keep everything well stocked. Restaurants are closed during the day and open at Iftar time. Most stay open until Suhur. There are many Iftar and Suhur specials at most of the hotels, clubs and restaurants. Some also set up elaborately decorated tents, which allow everyone the opportunity to enjoy traditional Ramadan foods and night time celebrations.

A few days ago we went to a Suhur tent, called Layali Al Qamar, at the Intercontinental hotel. It was literally a large tent set up on the beach, and was beautifully decorated in true Arabian style. We were greeted at the door by a traditionally garbed attendant, while another took us to our table. One of the things I greatly appreciate in Qatar is the exceptional customer service we receive from the wait staff. This is true in most establishments, whether it is a fast food restaurant or a 5 star hotel. Most employees are from the Philippines, but there are many from the Indian subcontinent and other Arab countries. I guess after being associated with a customer related business for so long, I truly appreciate these things.

After being seated, we were served Arabic coffee called gahwa (mixed with cardamom and sometimes saffron). We then started the meal with mezze, which were brought to our table. There must have been at least 15 different items, accompanied with hot pita bread. My favorite one was made with feta cheese and tomatoes. I will try to duplicate it at home and if I am successful I will post the recipe here. Having foolishly somewhat filled ourselves with the mezze (they were that good!), we then pecked our way through the buffet which, to say the least, was extensive. The foods served at these venues are mainly Ramadan favorites. Some of the items were being prepared fresh in front of us, such as fatteer meshaltet (a flat bread), shawarma and fatteh hummus (a chickpea dish layered with fried bread). There were kebabs aplenty, along with rice dishes such as kabsat al lahm (lamb with rice). The best however were the dessert tables. Lucky (or unlucky) me, Arabs have a sweet tooth. These tables were literally groaning, being laden with both western and Arabian style pastries and desserts (umm Ali anyone?) as well as a variety of fruit. Throughout the meal we were also offered traditional Ramadan drinks such as karkadeh (made of hibiscus flowers), jallab (dates) and Qamar El-Din (apricot).

We had taken the kids with us - bad idea. H was bored throughout the evening, though he was happy that his favorite food (steak) was in ample supply. N promptly went to sleep, curled up on 2 chairs. A refused to eat anything, but generously insisted on accompanying everyone on their trips to the buffet table. Many people were smoking, mostly shisha, and a live band was playing with an Arab singer. As the evening progressed, more people started to come and the place became more lively and inviting. Unfortunately, it was also becoming too loud and smoky for the kids. Being the responsible parents we are (or at least pretend to be), we left around 10 pm, a little earlier than we would have liked to. Next year we will try another tent. This time without the kids.