Negentien

Recipe Time!!!

Damn, I love a good looking sandwich.

"Not Your Mom's Tuna Melt"
Serving: 1 Sandwich
Time: 15-20 Minutes

Tuna Mix
1 Can, 4 oz. Yellowfin Tuna
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
1/2 Teaspoon Whole Grain Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice, fresh
2 oz. Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 Teaspoon Mint, torn
1 Teaspoon Dill, torn
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 slices, Whole Wheat Bread, cut thick
2 Teaspoon, Butter
3 Tablespoon Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Toppings
***These are the toppings I chose based on what was in my fridge, add whatever is in yours!***
Sliced Tomato
Raw Spinach
-If I wasn't in a Muslim country, I would have without a doubt added 2 slices of bacon to the recipe :)

Method
1. In a medium size bowl combine all ingredients, excluding the bread, butter & cheese. Use a fork to shred to tuna and combine all ingredients evenly.

2. Taste to ensure that your mix is seasoned to how your taste buds like it!

3. Set the tuna mix aside for about 10 minutes in the refrigerator, allow the flavors to mingle a bit.

4. I suggest toasting your bread in a pan or a griddle, with a tablespoon of butter on each side.

5. Add shredded cheddar cheese to one of the slices, while still in the pan & allow it to melt (approx. 2-3 minutes).

6. Once your desired meltiness is achieved, set the toast aside.

7. Pile your tuna on the slice of bread with the melted cheese. Arrange toppings on top of the tuna and cover the sandwich with the other slice of toast.

8. I enjoyed my toasted bundle of love along side some spicy pickled veggies, chips also go great with this sandwich!

xo
Find "bacon, if it's legal in your country" Food

Eighteen

I have recently found 2 hidden gems in Kuwait over the past week...

The 1st is my amazing new friend, Lisa, she was visiting Kuwait for 2 weeks on a business trip and this girl was down was anything & everything! It was awesome meeting her and she accompanied me to my other recent finding, "Q Cafe". I will apologize in advance for the quality of these pics, the lighting in the restaurant was really dim. Apologies!

When walking in you almost feel as though you've made a wrong turn into your 16-year old sister's bedroom. This chic cafe in Kuwait City is decorated with the girliest of girly items like neon lights, pastel colors, cupboards dripping in costume jewelry, and knit-knacks galore! The venue is quite cute, and has great charm. Lisa & I were on a hunt for some cool desserts and the dessert case is illuminated with an example of every item on the dessert menu, immediately caught our eye. Q was the perfect way to end our evening the city. By then end of our 3-hour sweet venture we were asking for prices of their retail items and ending up sharing 3 treats!

My Americano was just what it needed to keep me entertained by all of the fabulousness of the 15-seat, yet cozy venue.  It arrived in a tall porcelain mug which is honestly, just how I like it. If your coffee is not a double, it's not worth it! On the saucer the server had placed a small chocolate chip cookie which was a cute, subtle addition. My partner in crime decided to try their Chocolate Cookie Shake, she was quite content with the icy beverage. Although, when I fathom any type of shake my mind wanders on to enjoying something creamy & rich, this shake was not, it literally was watered down, chocolate blended with ice.

While conversing, Lisa & I could not help but to  stare at all the magical details of the venue. There were so many "things" occupying the modern-day Barbie cafe. I was sipping on my coffee I noticed that at the pastry counter, our hospitable server was garnishing off our sweets with a shower of coco powder, VERY CUTE!

Fried Oreo Sundae

I love an interactive restaurant and that simple touch literally made me blush.

Within minutes, course one had arrived, a beautifully layered cheesecake. The base was a rich fudge brownie, followed by a thick center of smooth cheesecake, and topped off with distinctive layer of pink raspberry mousse. I was DELICIOUS! The dense brownie was the perfect contrast between between the airy mousse, and and the tart cheesecake. Every bite was well balanced with flavor and sweetness. In between the our second round of taste, taste pass, the sundae had arrived. I ordered this artery-clogging American-Street Food and was damn excited to try it! Like, I had imagined, it was the bomb! The fried- batter surrounding each cookie (there were 3) was crispy and moist. The ice cream was simple and none other than vanilla. The mound of goodness was garnished with a drizzle of gooey caramel. With my boyfriend being approximately 7,000+ miles away, this sensation was as close to orgasmic as I was going to get! For an obvious lack of a better word, it was fucking good!

Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake

The last of our sugary experience was the Chocolate Bread Pudding. When ordering our server had made us aware that the bread pudding, takes some time and would be served lasted. No problem, we need the gap of time in between
If your interested in dining here for food, it seems that the menu is a combo- of Middle Eastern and American cuisine!

We ordered...

*Cafe Americano

*Chocolate Cookie Shake

*Raspberry Brownie Cheesecake

*Chocolate Bread Pudding

*Fried Oreo Sundae

xo
Find "Artery-Clogging" Food!

Cafe Americano

How "Q" says Goodbye!

Q Cafe
Jaber Al-Mubarak St, Kuwait City+965 2249 50677AM-11PM, Daily
***For all my Kuwaiti readers, they're on Talabat***
Talbat Link: http://www.talabat.com/kw/en/menu/20/89/q-cafe-abdullah-alsalem
Instagram: @qcafe_
Website: qcafe.com.kw

سترہ

Hi food finders!

So tonight I had the pleasure of enjoying a Thai dinner with great company & conversation. First off, let me make it known that you come to a restaurant like this, ONLY for the amazing food. I've heard about the restaurant since moving to Kuwait over a year ago and I was very excited to finally try it out.

The restaurant itself is relatively small, and has some private sections in the back, which was nice. Although the venue doesn't have much of an ambiance.
The server asked my host and I, if we knew how to write our orders, slid us a sheet of paper and walked off LOL. That's Kuwait for you! It actually wasn't a big deal, and my companion didn't seem surprised, (he has eaten here before) as he scribbled the numbers which correlate with each dish we desired. From the scents that expel from the kitchen into the dining room, you can easily detect that someone's Thai Grandma is in the back going to work!!!

The deeds...
Phuket Thai
Maiden Hallway, Kuwait (across the street from the Ewan Buildings)
Off of Bagdad Street

Try the Kom Tom Soup, Red Curry-Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Thai Iced Tea w/Lemon

xo
Find Food, Find Grandma in the Back!

Sexton

When Life Gives you Ice Cream...Make Ice Cream Sandwiches

I am a subscriber of Food and Wine Magazine's daily recipe emails that they send out. Usually the recipes inspire me to create dishes of my own and other times I simply foen in middle of America before getting published and signed off by Food & Wine.  This cookie recipe happens to be one of those. The web post was a a Oatmeal Cardamom Cookie, the combo of a hearty whole-grain cookie and perfume-y cardamom I was intrigued to try these bad boys out for myself. I mean any reason to eat ice cream in 110 degree weather is reason enough!

  

Last week I posted my favorite ice cream joint in Kuwait (Ice Cream World) hence, I purchased my cool, creamy filling from them. I used pistachio (a Middle Eastern staple flavor), and Almond (my personal favorite) for these delightful treats. 

If you ever stop by the creatively decorated "hole-in-the-wall" I highly recommend the Chocolate, Almond, Coconut, and Black Currant flavors!

Find Food Note:

The recipe states to use the drop-cookie method before baking. If you are going to freeze these cookies & enjoy them cold, then I agree with this technique. Although if you wish to eat some of these at room temperature I recommend gently pressing the dough before baking to get a more crispy consistency. Without pressing them they are a bit spongy/biscuit like oppose to having a crunchy edges and a soft center.

Recipe is courtesy of Food&WineMagazine.com

Fünfzehn

Best ice cream I've had so far in Kuwait, get you some!

Ice Cream World
Off of Bagdad Street, Salmiya
Kuwait

*They're on Talabat* :)

xo Find Food, Find Your Guilty Pleasure

十三番目 (jū san banme)

This is officially my 14th post on FMWFI and I am very excited that I've actually been able to keep up with this blog! When you decide to dedicate energy to a task that may not reward you immediately, it's difficult to know whether your dedication will wither or remain in tact. Therefore, I am super excited to maintain it this far :)

And in that regard, I just wanted to take some time out to say THANK YOU! I appreciate every, single person that devotes a little bit of time, during their day, to read about what's going down in my life! Whether my readers are my family members, friends, co-workers, or neither I need you to know that your virtual presence is valued and I hope that you enjoy what I contribute to the world wide web.

Recently my boyfriend and I got over a minor challenge in our relationship. I was feeling insecure and needed some reassurance. As apart of his makeup tactic, Troy decided to show some love through the blog and comment on a few posts. His efforts made me realize how honestly important it is,  to make the people around you know that you care, and that they are
relevant.

xo

Find Food, Find Appreciation

สิบสอง (S̄ib s̄xng)

When you become a proud citizen to the world of hospitality, it is not far fetched to constantly be asked,
"So what made you decide to cook?, or "How did you end up here?". It's interesting because both of my parents are blue collar, professionals. My mom is the administrator for a global law firm and my dad is the CEO of a construction company in N.Y.
At the tender age of 15, when I decided to get my hands dirty in the kitchen; I'm sure they hoped that my passion was just going to be a phase. To be honest I always knew this life was meant for me and in hind sight, I realized how it actually saved me! A few years ago I was so shy and reserved, I went through an awkward adolescent stage, like most. But the kitchen made me get out of my own head. It made me focus on exactly what I was doing, instead of others. Speaking to strangers in dining rooms created a more sociable and sometimes funny Jamila. I never in a million years would think that I would be living in foreign country, managing a very diverse team who could easily double my number years in the industry. But, here I am! I remember only 6 years ago, I started working at an up and coming contemporary-American restaurant in Yonkers. Own and ran by Westchester's own, Iron Chef winner, Peter Kelly.

It was dinner service. I was shadowing an unkept, and quite frantic to be honest, JWU grad. He was here, he was there, he was everywhere! When you step into a kitchen for the first time you feel these vibes, whether it's a controlled chaos or a shit show, you can feel it. In this kitchen everyone was in rhythmic control, except for Mike! But it was all good, this was an opportunity to learn from all of his  unfortunate mistakes.

As he plated the watermelon salad, I WATCHED. I mean, like a fucking hawk, I watched his every move. I knew it was going to be my turn next and I didn't have the time or patience to mess up. He plated the irregular shaped watermelon on to a round plate. He used a small Global paring knife to trim the edges and it was beautiful. He completed a vibrant circle of yellow and red melon. After, he topped his creation off with crumbled goat cheese and pepitas. I thought to myself, "okay, I can do that". And all of a sudden he shouted, "Thai Shrimp!" to the opposite end of the line. I stepped back from my station, unsure of what exactly was about to happen.

Within minutes, 3 jumbo-sized shrimp arrived in the pass, Mike urgently arranged the main components on to the salad. Each shrimp was glazed with a honey brown sauce that dripped down the crustaceans, to the base of melon, it looked like money! "Thai basil" he said, "Thai basil!" he projected again. "Oh shit", I didn't realize that he was talking at me. I looked up and delicately placed the purple finishings, in the center. He glanced at me like I wasn't moving quick enough. I threw the dish in the window, and out the swinging door, it went.

That adrenaline rush was amazing, like nothing I've ever felt. Just the thought of our masterpiece going out into the world, and being devoured, was incredible. I wanted to shriek as it went into the dining room "I helped make that!" I was ready for the next ticket. "Here we go, 'member the Caesar?", my mentor asked. "Yupp!" and I began. I knew every dish on the station at this point except for the Spinach Salad. It was only needed with the raw tuna dish, and no one ever ordered it. Next ticket, read "2 Thai Sal". I was in my own rookie world as I quickly worked, "watermelon slices...then cheese, okay...pumpkin seeds, oh shit the shrimp!" I politely called out to the grill "Thai Shrimp, please". The guy on Sauté just looked at me. "Gotta be louder, hun!" Oh, damn it, I thought. Alright,  I barked, "2 Thai Shrimp!!!".
"There it is! Sauté replied and winked at me.
I smiled back and set the basil garnish aside, ready for the shrimp to arrive in the pass.

Xo
Find Food, Find Memories

Elf

M A N C R U S H M O N D A Y

This week I decided to present my first #mcm to the site. He is a great friend, and a culinary mastermind. Faisal grew up in London, England and is a very proud natural born Kuwaiti. When deciding a career path he ventured out to the States to study film & photography. Years later he ended up in the vibrant city of Miami and discovered his love for the professional kitchen. Failsal has made a great influence when it comes to the food industry in Kuwait by creating eye-opening concepts and hosting refined dinners that this desert land would of even fathomed 10 years ago. Apparently, here in Kuwait, chef is the NEW sexy!

FindFood: I always like to introduce my crush in 3 words or less. How would you describe your personal style in 3 words.


Zuba: Street, Urban, Modern

FindFood: You've been involved in a few culinary concepts in here Kuwait, describe your most recent endeavor.

Zuba: The most recent was experimental eatery. It's a concept that I came up with, introducing a new type of cuisine or really new type of food to Kuwait. In the sense of serving food without my guests knowing what it is. There things like tongue, beef cheeks, duck. And I mean duck as been around for ages but for Kuwaitis it's something new! They are used to the basics, fried food, beef, lamb, and chicken halas.  I even had a guest that had never tried lamb before, so...haha. Introducing different techniques and ingredients made the dinner about not only the food, but also the atmosphere. We introduced art installations to the dining settings, have artists come and help design the plate-ups, do live demonstrations, music installations. I was trying to make people aware that dining is just not about food, going out to eat is not just about eating, but that there are levels to it. That's what The Experimental Eatery is all about.

Modern vs. Tradition Harees

Find Food: That's awesome. The art scene here is really booming. I've found that there are a lot of really great artists!

Zuba: Yeah, a lot!

Find Food: So, we've all had them! Especially, being in culinary school or new kitchens. It's a cut throat industry and the nerves are always an aspect when trying to do your best. What has been your most embarrassing moment in the kitchen?

Zuba: Okay! When I first came to Kuwait from the States I was working at The Sheraton Hotel. The head chef was German and you know Germans don't joke around!

Find Food: Yes, they're very serious.

Zuba: So, I remember I was preparing the fish dish for our buffet. I was bringing the chafing dish with the whole dish in it, to the fridge. And I slipped! The whole thing flew all over the place, fish EVERYWHERE. And face, I'm white so I was so red, literally. I remember when it happened the chef wasn't there but, after I started cleaning so fast! The rest of the staff are not used to having a Kuwaiti in the kitchen, so they are like trying to help me, "Oh we'll clean in". And I'm like "no, no I'll clean it as long as this German guy doesn't see what I just did".

Find Food: Omg, that's so funny! Well you touched on something very important, actually. As you mentioned, being a cook or doing laborious work is not a typical for Kuwaitis. Explain a little bit about your experiences while having this type of position in Kuwait.

Zuba: For me, I'm kind of lucky because I got into the culinary game a little later in life. I say this because I know Kuwaiti's who are chefs, completed their degrees and are out working. One guy I know, was proposed to be married and got rejected because of his line of work. It's really bad, that society keeps looking down on people! Although, recently the food market has been booming, and Kuwaiti's are a lot more interested now. So instead of looking down on people the culture is beginning to look up to chefs, all within about a year. Now it's like, "the guy that cooks, is apparently sexy!" But the thing is that in Kuwait there are levels of respect between nationalities. For example Western expats are feared by Kuwaiti's. And people from poorer countries are feared by Kuwaitis. What I always do whenever I'm in a new kitchen is let all the staff know, "listen, guys before I start, I'm a chef. I am working as you work. I am getting paid like you are getting paid. Everyone respects each other mutually.  If something is bad, tell me it's bad. If something is good, tell me it's good." I always want a positive relationships with the chefs.


The Experimental Eatery Teaser from Zubaneen on Vimeo.

Find Food: For sure! As foodies, and as professionals in the hospitality industry. There are times where we go out of our way to experience the best restaurants, to taste cream of the crop food. What has been your best restaurant experience so far?

Zuba: I don't want to tell my best experience, but I will speak about the restaurant that has changed my view on food. It's not even that expensive! The 4 years that I spent in Miami, is when I was introduced to street food and fusions. I'm a huge fan of American-Asian fusion cuisine, I love the heavy flavors of American and the refined flavors of Asian. Gigi's is a restaurant in...

Find Food: Oh! That's one of my favorite's in Miami!

Zuba: Yeah! It's the best restaurant. I remember going to Gigi's for the first time and on that menu they were serving chicken skins. "I was with Kuwaiti friends and you know how Kuwaiti's are, they don't want to try anything haha"! So I had to postpone it until the next time,  I was blown away. Week after week I my friends and I would go to Gigi's, and it was great because they don't close until 3 AM. They have no limits or barriers to what type of cuisine they are. And the new items that they want to serve, they introduced it that day, simple as that! It tastes good, the plat-up is good they sell it!

Find Food: It's a great spot, I can never go to Gigi's without finishing with a mini ice cream cone, I just can't do it!

Zuba: Oh yes! I love the pistachio.

Find Food: Maple is my favorite!

So get your creative juices flowing. Because I want you to create an imaginary dish using Kaffir lime leaves, Captain Crunch, & feta cheese. I'll give you a few minutes...I should time this, huh?!

Zuba: Okay, I think I got it! I've used cereal in a salad before so I feel confident. I'm going to stick to the same idea. I would do a Tamarind Captain Crunch Salad with coriander, pickled onions, and pomegranate. I'd use the feta cheese with captain crunch breading, fried. Kaffir lime leaves would be used in the dressing with the pickling liquid, tamarind, and honey.

Find Food: Nice, sounds good!

^Zubabar's Lamb Bun w/ Coriander Mint Chutney^

Find Food: Over the years, I have found that chefs have a well rounded aura about them. They are very knowledgable, humorous, detailed, and up to date. They are also very personable and passionate, because in the kitchen you give your heart & soul. What chef has impacted and helped mold you along your journey?

Zuba: So I have a daily habitat of reading a lot books and watching You Tube videos on almost any chef I hear about. That is how I gain more knowledge and recently I have researched David Chang. He's a New York based chef, creator of Momofuku, and the Lucky Peach brand. I read his book, Momofuku, and I started to acknowledge and understand his mentality on food. In his book he describes how he wasn't an A-star student in culinary school. He was the one getting left behind and that he would have never expected to be where he is today. Cusine wise, David Chang has a very similar style as myself. I really look up to him, and the way he perceives food. Because from ramen noodles to a 2-Michelin star restaurant, you have to respect that. I'm in Kuwait and he's in New York and I'm discussing him with you, like thats crazy, he's brilliant!

Find Food: Haha, yeah! I was at Momofuku about 2 years ago with my sister. His Kim Chi was simply amazing, and Milk Bar is a cool concept too!

****Check out Chef Faisal's Newest Concept Coming to Kuwait City this Fall 2014****

For more of Failsal's amazing videos, and culinary photos check out @experimentaleatery & @zubabar on Instagram!

Dokuz

I have returned from my journey in Istanbul & it was AMAZING! :)
Naturally, I dove into their cuisine feet first and I truly fell in love. Many people often ask me what my favorite food, or cuisine is. I usually respond by explaining how much I enjoy the cuisines of the Mediterranean. Which in my opinion, include Italian, Spanish, Greek, Arabic.

After my trip I came to the conclusion that if Greece and Lebanon had a food baby it would probably be Turkish cuisine! And I indulged in every second it! I easily appreciate simple, clean, food with genuine flavors and that is exactly what the foods of Istanbul provided. The markets introduced local variety, the cherries were the best I have ever tasted, hands down! The vegetables were rich in flavor, especially the tomatoes. The meat selection was abundant in lamb and beef. Turkey is considered a Muslim country, and since  pigs are not indigenous to the area there were solemn times that it was offered. The desserts are very traditional in the region, and were always readily available! Almost every corner sold Turkish delights filled with roasted nuts in every flavor. The baklava was light and crispy, soaked in a diluted simple syrup instead of honey which, made the treat less than overwhelming and very enjoyable. Despite the fact that it was Ramadan, bars were open, local beer flowed and the national drink "Raki", a star anise based liquor, (very similar to Sambuca) was enjoyed during most of my meals!

I was traveling solo during this trip so I had planned a few historic tours to occupy my time. The final tour I attended was a Culinary Backstreets Food Tour I found on Trip Advisor and it was well worth it. The guide took us throughout the isolated as well as very popular areas that have cultivated the food scene in Istanbul. I was throughly impressed with the 5 hour walking tour & I highly recommend it. The majority of the pics below are thanks to that tour, enjoy!

xo Find "Cultured" Food