Sweet treats
Sometimes we want just a bite of something decadent and don't want to be consumed with calorific guilt. That's when we at M get a mini cupcake or a mini fruit tart - or a dozen of them to share - from Bon Appetit coffee shop, a convenient stone's throw away from us on Muroor Road. While the patisserie offers a full line of baked goods, and the coffee shop side of it boasts shisha for those who indulge, it's the cunning little treats - white or dark cake topped with various icings, or lemony custards adorned with glazed fruits - that keep us coming back for more. At only Dh3 or Dh3.5 each, they're certainly affordable. And yes, we must admit: sometimes we take two, they are very small.
Bon Appetit, Muroor Road between 15th Street and Delma Street, 02 443 9432, bon.appt www.gourmetabudhabi.ae
A recipe for the perfect culinary extravaganza
Mix together a good measure of Abu Dhabi's finest restaurants, add a sprinkle of international master chefs and pâtissiers, throw in a fantastic celebrity guest line-up and blend well. Indulge and enjoy. Gourmet Abu Dhabi is back for the third year running to tickle the capital's taste buds. From February 2-17, the food festival promises plenty of culinary masterclasses, celebrity dinners and opportunities to taste some of the best international cuisine.
Bookings for Gourmet Abu Dhabi can be made by e-mailing info a laid-back lounge best suited to a light lunch or afternoon tea, and the restaurant specialising in grilled prime cuts and seafood. The low-key décor belies an elaborate menu with a modern international edge; think Australian slow-cooked salt bush lamb with glazed pumpkin (Dh260), Kobe beef sirloin (Dh440) and grade seven Australian wagyu sirloin (Dh450). Time to start dropping hints to your loved one in time for Valentine's Day, we reckon.
At.mosphere, Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai, 04 888 3828, www.atmosphereburjkhalifa.com
Keeping up with the Joneses
Fans of the Australian brand Jones the Grocer can rejoice as three more stores are planned for the UAE. Since Jones opened in Abu Dhabi in 2009, those of us in the capital have thoroughly enjoyed indulging in their large dining area and bringing home goodies from their delicatessen, bakery, fromagerie and grocery. The first new store opening will take place on Wednesday in Khalidiya. That will soon be followed by another Jones in Raha Gardens and Dubai's first store, on Sheikh Zayed Road, later this spring.
www.jonesthegrocer.com
Food for thought
This Gourmet Abu Dhabi we're going to feed not only ourselves but also the children of the world, simply by getting this "Feed" teddy from The One. The bear is made from organic cotton and burlap and raises funds for malnourished children around the world and for the production of "Plumpy'nut", a nutritious therapeutic paste used in famine relief. The booklet hanging on the bear's ear tells a children's story about the idea behind "Feed".
Dh149, The One, Zayed The First Street, 02 681 6500; Jumeirah Beach Road, 04 345 6687 and elsewhere
An egg-citing start to the day
Whether you are a dab hand in the kitchen or a novice chef, there is perhaps no simpler dish than a boiled egg. Prepare one in style with these fabulous character egg cups and you will impress your family and friends.
Ritzenhoff Friends Ceramic Egg Cups with Egg Cosy, Dh118, Harvest Home, Jumeirah Centre, 04 324 0225
Take a stand
Imagine the kitchen scene: sticky fingers, and flour, sugar and sauces everywhere. Don't you just hate it when your cookery book gets covered in food mess before the dish even hits the oven? Now here's a good idea, a cookery book holder that has a see-through cover so you can protect your favourite recipes from the splashes and smudges of your food preparation. You could even use it for Marco Pierre White's recipe on page 41.
Cookery book stand, Dh119, available from Crate and Barrel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, 04 399 0125
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
