Author | FooDiva

• Are healthy fries possible? FooDiva tests Philips’ AirFryer

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  Dubai; When it comes to kitchen products, FooDiva's a sucker for gadgets with gimmicks, and I guess that's how I ended up testing the relatively new-kid-on-the-block, Philips AirFryer. Well that, and Philips' PR machine. Philips AirFryerI sliced my potatoes lengthwise into 1.5cm strips leaving the skin on (800g for four servings), and tossed them in my concoction of olive oil (just one teeny tablespoon), plus some ground pepper, chilli and curry spices - making sure to coat them. I then scooped them into the AirFryer basket which had been plugged in, pre-heating for three minutes at 180C. Turned the dial to 22 minutes, letting them cook, whilst turning occasionally. Now the gizmo's technology is based on diffusing hot air with a grill component to fry the chips, as opposed to sinful amounts of oil.

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• Lunch with Pierre Gagnaire next week at Reflets?

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  Dubai; Guess who’s coming to town next week? Well it has to be food related, n’est-ce pas? None other than, Michelin star chef (11 in total) Pierre Gagnaire, the culinary genius behind Inter-Continental Dubai Festival City’s Reflets French restaurant and ten other restaurants around the world. Now FooDiva’s always been a fan of this true […]

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• The new buzz, Bumble Box sows its local, organic seed in Dubai

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  Dubai; On the odd occasion that FooDiva eats in, I try where possible to buy local produce, and when I say local I mean from the U.A.E, not the wider Middle East and North Africa region. The Farmers’ Market at Souk Al Bahar was a forerunner in the drive to bring farm to table – […]

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• Hashi at Armani Dubai – a Japanese treat?

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  Dubai; Hashi at Dubai’s Armani hotel has been on FooDiva’s ever-growing wish list for a while, so as I try my utmost to support all things Japanese right now, friend and I turned up for a mid-week reservation. Hashi translates to chopsticks by the way. I do love a restaurant that confirms your telephone reservation […]

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• FooDiva’s London Gastro Guide

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  I promised you an English capital restaurant round-up, so here’s FooDiva’s gastro guide to all things munchy in London - best distinguished by the times of day you get those tummy cravings. So go on, plan your summer holiday. [caption id="attachment_2179" align="alignright" width="300" caption="London's Millennium Bridge leading to St. Paul's Cathedral"][/caption] Lunch The Providores and Tapa Room - smack bang on my favourite London street for cafe society and shopping; Marylebone High Street. The brainchild of two New Zealand chefs Peter Gordon and Michael McGrath of Sugar Club fame, the ground floor houses the casual cafe and bar, Tapa Room - not a typo, just takes its name from the huge, traditional Rarotongan Tapa wall cloth hanging. But they do serve Spanish tapas-like dishes. Up the creeky stairs sits The Providores, for formal white linen tablecloth dining. If you're in London on a weekend go for brunch; try the hot smoked salmon with two poached eggs and spinach on walnut toast with yuzu hollandaise. And a serving of grilled chorizo on the side. On a Sunday, potter along to the Farmers' Market just behind Waitrose on the high street.

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• Four more weeks to go and…The Ivy Dubai opens

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  Dubai; It’s official! The Ivy Dubai opens in exactly four weeks on June 9th at Jumeirah’s Emirates Towers Boulevard. Over the last few weeks, FooDiva’s been lucky enough to taste a number of dishes from the Ivy menu (well there have to be some perks to the job), described as “empire food at its best”. […]

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• Honyaki opens at Madinat Jumeirah

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  Dubai; Hurrah – finally a licenced sushi joint arrives in new Dubai! Honyaki (translates to the sharpest of all Japanese knife blades by the way), has opened at Madinat Jumeirah Souk replacing Caviar & Prunier. So FooDiva and fellow foodie The Hedonista grabbed lunch by the window overlooking Madinat’s amphitheatre and meandering canals. It’s teeny, […]

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• Do Great White Knives cut it for FooDiva? Plus a giveaway up for grabs

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  Dubai; Now it’s been said that ‘a good craftsman never blames his tools’. But anyone with a remote interest in cooking; amateur or professional, will recognise the need for a good set of sharp knives. If it makes cooking more enjoyable, easier and efficient, then why not? So when FooDiva was asked to test Great […]

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• FooDiva checks into Euro foodie zone

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  There’s not much I miss from my past life in Europe, but one thing’s for sure, café society when the sun’s shining is hard to beat. So if you’re heading to Continental Europe this summer, read on. Calling on Dusseldorf, Cologne, Maastricht, Brussels and Knokke in six days, here’s FooDiva’s take on their local foodie […]

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