.: Baba Ghanouj :.

"Baba Ghanouj"; in Arabic, the name of this dish means "spoiled old daddy". As the story goes, the woman who first prepared "Baba Ghanouj" made it to pamper her old and toothless father. On second thought, i should rename this post "Ya Habibi Ghanouj" portraying my attempt (or shall i say quest?) to pamper my beloved hubby, living in this distant land.

Living everyday life in Dubai is like writing a cookbook. You wake up everyday thinking of what you will serve on the table, just like making up your own recipe for your cookbook. Fruitful experience, indeed. Challenging as it might be, as you're trying very hard to sugar coat the bittersweet of life. Reality is, it bites! You can never runaway from over/under-cooked meal, melting desserts,  weird yet acquired taste of dishes and countless frustrations.

But that doesn't stop me from pushing further. Initially, i have always assumed cooking as an obligation; as though i have signed a contract with my husband to assume the role of "bibik" with an ambitious motto of "your wish is my command" and "cooking" being one of the job purpose written on my position description. But i came to realize that, it wasn't it, afterall. My husband may sometimes be away in Iraq, and i'm home alone in Dubai, the fact is, it didn't stop me from cooking, experimenting, may still be failing but i kept on trying...

I realized, as i start to cook from the heart, i am enjoying the renaissance of cooking in the heart of our home. Telling myself everytime that cooking is a form of art, the kitchen is my studio, the pots and pans are my canvas, the utensils are my brushes, the numerous attempts are sketches on a paper, crumpled and thrown away, even if it meant making a mess, and eventually all this, will pin down to food that brought comfort and joy to our hearts. This gave me the confidence to cook with no fear, even though my attempts weren't always successful.

A big salute as i took off my "toque blanche" to my dearest hubby, who tirelessly worked with me and put up with my endless whining and tweaking of recipes, "forcefully" ready to taste and critique my food, and gave me a pat on the head, along the way. Thank you love, for the encouragement, you are the reason why i cook with love. Not to forget, i am also constantly driven by my mother's cooking, which i long for; my mother's touch.

Admiring the legendary hospitality of the Arabs , who love to host such wonderful feast. Reminiscing those days, untold centuries ago, where the Bedouins, in their desert tents, have served their honoured guests with such lavish meals. I am also inspired to showcase diverse cuisine and fortunate enough  to have met so many food-loving families, friends and guests whom have graced my own table with such enthusiasm.

The wonders of food traditions fascinates me, i have learned so much about culture, i have explored and exchanged many recipes and simply savoured good times in the culinary world. This has been a delectable adventure, creating memory provoking aromas and charisma that will simply put a smile on anyone's face.

I shall always be reminded of the dishes i cook in Arabian nights, which will always take me back to the era of rich fragrance of spices, poetry and romance. I am no Sinbad, but the magic of being in this wonderful land will linger for a long time to come, and always bringing to mind the joy of cooking :-)

Glossary:

Baba ghanouj - Arabic word for Roasted Eggplant Puree

Ya Habibi - Arabic phrase for My beloved

Bibik - Indonesian word for maid

Toque blanche - French word for white hat worn by chefs 

.: typo :.

Some words could come out so wrong.

It ain't like a typographical error where you made some mistakes in typing and you can hit the delete button and start all over again.

But there are things you said can't be undone,

things you've done can't be outrun,

These are the things you really don't want to jot it down,

You'd rather forget, tuck away and never think about it again.

Is it worth to dwell on these things?

Do you really want to unleash the demons within?

Turn your life around, savouring sweet moments from sour,

even stressed can be spelled as desserts if we maneuver.

Ugly truth will always haunt you, but don't beat yourself to the ground,

Try to recite something positive, to calm yourself down.

This is when you look at the mirror and tell yourself; " You so rock! "

And whenever you feel frail inside, you may repeat (as needed).

*Note: as illustrated in the photo, positive words & self talk can help keep us grounded. remember the wonderful things about life. capture the words and reiterate it in our mind. it will do us a big favour. go ahead, love & respect yourself.

.: retreat :.

No doubt, 2012 has been a slow beginning. I have a list of things that i want to accomplish, but i guess when you have always been caught up in mad rush and chaotic life all the while, sometimes you just forget to pause, take a breather and devote your attention entirely to what's best for your life. i hope i have done myself a favour. The whole world could be in a state of upheaval, but as long as you can escape to your safe place, it's all gonna be OK. i hope. i pray. everyday.

The pictures capture the awesomeness of our retreat to somewhere unfamiliar-dubai. After one and a half year living apart, no matter where, as long as we're together, we lit the candles of hope, praying that it'll brighten up our life. making the best out of it. Our fate is still faded resembled by our pictures covered in sand dust. However, as the background portrays, even the creepiest place in the world, in the middle of nowhere, could have a glimmer of hope. The tree, resembling living things could survive. Branching out, building lives. I guess, that's the path i'm heading to. Dune bashing is going to be a bumpy ride. But hopefully it'll be an amazing, thrilling journey.

Dubai, Habibi, here i come!!! :-)

Arabic glossary:

marhaba - hello

kull sana wa anta toyeb - best wishes for the year

Habibi - my beloved

Dune bashing -adrenaline pumping ride through the sand dunes in the dessert

.: it's not ok, but... :.

Life is not all sunshine and cupcakes. After submerging for a while, i was flying high in 2010 when i was finally united with my other half, like some dream come true. I love him beyond belief. But life was too good to be true. We don't live in a fairytale. The reality is, the wheel of life is continually turning. The sweet is nothing without the sour. We've all been through a lot at one time or another. I guess, these were my learning experiences, my major life lessons....

These collection of montages were my outlet...this phase was rather silent, emotional and visual...there was happiness...there was loss...there was suffering...a lot of regrets but there's still a glimpse of hope...

Good bye, my ugly past...i'm praying for a better tomorrow...'hijrah itu pengorbanan' ;-)