FROM US. FOR US. JUNE - JULY 2014 www.gulfgourmet.net gulfgourmet THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR CHEFS volume 9, issue 6 SUSTAINABLE KITCHENS Special report on Unilever’s push to ensure better livelihood for 500,000 smallholder farmers DEVELOPING EXPERIENCES The growing influence of chefs in the restaurant design process for healthier profits CULINARIAN EXTRAORDINAIRE Meet Executive Chef Majed Al Sabagh, arguably Sharjah’s best import from Syria.... SWEET GOLDEN EMIRATI TOOTH CROWNE CUISINE Deepu Kurup of the Crowne Plaza SZR Talal Al Jaradat is JW Marriott Marquis takes up the Nestle steering the Bikers is our Pastry Chef of Professional Golden Café kitchen with an the month Chef’s Hat challenge Emirati touch UFS186_Gulf Gourment_A4_Ad_2_OL.pdf 1 4/16/14 3:06 PM June - July 2014 Gulf Gourmet TATION S president’sstation email [email protected] President’s Dear fellow chefs, ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the June-July issue of our Gulf Gourmet, the last before Ramadan and summer vacation. On this stage I would like to wish everyone Ramadan Kareem and good healthy fasting period. Hope that you all have some time to spend with your families and friends. I am sure everyone is ready for the East Coast Competition. I have seen some of the competitors working very hard. Chef Prasad and his team are ready to welcome everyone in Fujairah. This will soon be followed by our next event on June 14-15, which is a hands-on training at the Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek. We will experience the underutilised cuts of US Beef like flank, rump or hanging tender. The event is sponsored again by the US Meat Export Federation. On June 16, we will have our monthly meeting; the date is changed due to the East Coast Competition on the 2nd Monday. On the same day we will have the mini plated competition. This is a great opportunity to train as there is no entry fee and the US Meat Export Federation is taking care of all the expenses plus invites everyone for a small celebration that evening. Please register with Mrs. Josephine for the competition and/or the evening cocktail in order to plan the catering. I wish everyone the very best for Fujairah and mini plated competitions. I am very pleased to let you know that our team for Stavanger comprises 31 WORLD ASSOCIATION members. I am sure that we will be O F CHEFS S OCIETIES one of the biggest delegations at the Congress. Chef Achala Weeransinghe and Rahil Rathod are in full training for The Global Pastry Chef and the Hans can be in contact with over 4000 chefs And finally, a big thank you to Chef Bueschens finals respectively. across the globe. Akshay Nayyar and his team at Melia Dubai for hosting the May meeting. I urge all members to go onto the Guild Please do not miss the company profile website to see what is happening on the of our corporate members, the long-time Culinary Regards, calendar at emiratesculinaryGuild.net supporters who have renewed their and also to visit the WACS Young Chefs membership, as well the new ones. We Uwe Micheel Facebook page on facebook.com/#!/ really do appreciate your support. Also, President of Emirates Culinary Guild wacsyoungchefs and encourage your do look at the Friends of the Guild pages Director of Kitchens young chefs to join that page so they to check all our supporters. Radisson Blu Hotel Deira Creek 3 June - July 2014 Gulf Gourmet CONTENTS ggcontents Editor’s Note 09 Our Editor monthly take on all things F&B in the region 10 Friends of the Guild Brands that support the Emirates Culinary Guild News Bites 14 A quick round-up of what’s happening in the Chef community Emirati Cuisine 18 A traditional Emirati breakfast 20 awaits those who want to take a fun-filled gastronomic ride on two wheels Pastry Power 22 Chef Deepu Kurup of the JW Marriott Marquis hotel in Dubai can turn the staunchest of sugar-haters into dessert lovers Cover Story 26 Meet Executive Chef Majed Al Sabagh, arguably Sharjah’s best import from Syria.... Young Chefs 32 The boys from Crowne Plaza Dubai are this month’s participants at the Nestle Professional Golden Chef’s Hat Competition 36 Sustainable Kitchens We find out how Unilever is ensuring better livelihood for smallholder farmers Special Report 40 The growing influence of chefs in the process of designing the complete restaurant experience Events 44 Images from around the 32 region related to the industry 4 Did you know… Competing side-by-side with their European counterparts, American cheese makers consistently win top accolades at international competitions. The United States won 72 medals at the World Cheese Awards (London-2013) and 181 medals at World Championship Cheese Contest (Madison, WI-2014). Enhance your culinary creations… with cheese from the United States U.S. Soft Farmers Cheese and Fire-Roasted Leeks Ingredients: Procedure: 10 leeks, white part only Grill leeks until outer layer is charred. Gather leeks to- Honey, to taste gether tightly in aluminum foil, and keep warm for 30 100 ml balsamic vinegar minutes or until tender. Peel leeks and discard burnt 50 ml extra virgin olive oil layers. Prepare vinaigrette, mixing the honey, balsamic 150 g soft, U.S. farmers cheese vinegar and olive oil. Cover the leeks with vinaigrette, 3 mint leaves, julienned and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Mash the U.S. Cumin powder, to taste farmers cheese with mint, cumin and cinnamon until Cinnamon powder, to taste homogeneous (if necessary add a little cream). Place Heavy whipping cream, if needed cheese mixture in piping bag and refrigerate. To serve, Cherry tomatoes, dill and mesclun pipe the cheese mixture around the leeks and garnish leaves, as garnish with cherry tomatoes, dill and mesclun. U.S. cheese is already available in your market, check today with your local importer/distributor or contact USDEC for a list of local suppliers: USDEC Middle East (AMFI) • Beirut, Lebanon • Email: [email protected] • Phone: (961-1) 74378, 741223 The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) is a free resource to help you find additional information on U.S. cheese applications and distribution channels. We are a non-profit, indepen- dent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. June - July 2014 Gulf Gourmet CONTENTS 36 40 44 49 Rules & 58 Members 62 Funny Side Up Regulations Directory A monthly column by Bikram Full listing of the rules A listing of all leading Vohra with a liberal dose and regulations for the food and kitchen supplies of humour and a dash of upcoming East Coast companies for this region. attitude Culinary competition 61 Social Media New Members Superstar 54 Meet the new and renewed Our monthly focus on one members of the Emirates of Gulf Gourmet’s fans on Culinary Guild Facebook 6 June - July 2014 Gulf Gourmet OTE N DITOR'S E editor’snote email [email protected] e all know how CREDITS important first impressions are THE EMIRATES President Uwe Micheel to ensuring a CULINARY GUILD Phone +971 4 340 3128 Wsuccessful restaurant business. Fax +971 4 347 3742 Email [email protected] Most people make up their mind about the quality of a restaurant EDITORIAL Editor & Publisher Aquin George long before they have had the Phone +971 50 504 5033 opportunity to taste the food. Email [email protected] The food must be laid out on Associate Publisher Amaresh Bhaskaran a beautiful plate, which must Phone +971 50 456 8161 Email [email protected] be placed on a classy table accompanied by comfortable CREATIVE Seeing Things Photography seating and all of this must blend Phone +971 50 547 2477 seamlessly with the interior décor www.seeingthings.ae that emphasises the theme of the Amro Fahed Al Yassin restaurant which in turn must be linked to the taste of the food that CONTRIBUTORS Lincy Varghese is placed on the table. Olivia Atkinson Ruqya Khan Content-Farm.com Not an easy task. ADVERTISING Sales & Mktg. Andrew Williams If you get all the nuances right, the Phone +971 4 368 6450 restaurant will be a guaranteed Email [email protected] success. Skimp on any one aspect and you are already on slippery DESIGN Art Director PeeCee Graphic Designer Natalie King slope. Also in this issue is Unilever’s sustained push towards ensuring PRODUCTION Masar Printing & Publishing This is why Chefs are now part better livelihood for 500,000 of the decision making process smallholder farmers. Full report on LICENSED BY National Media Council more than ever before. Gone are page 36. the days when business owners PUBLISHED BY SMARTCAST GROUP FZ-LLC designed the restaurant and asked As we head into the summers PO Box 34891, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates chefs to prepare just the menu to and most of our readers head fit the outlet’s theme. out for their annual vacation, COPYRIGHT All material appearing in Gulf Gourmet here’s wishing everyone a safe is copyright unless otherwise stated Today, the top tier restaurants are journey. On your return we will or it may rest with the provider of built around the Chef, and we are have the full coverage of the East the supplied material. Gulf Gourmet not just talking about celebrity Coast Culinary competition in the magazine takes all care to ensure chefs like Marco Pierre White and August-September issue. information is correct at time of Sanjeev Kapoor. Executive Chefs printing, but the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for the accuracy and Sous chefs are involved in the Until next time, enjoy the read and of any information contained in the text restaurant design from scratch.