Drinking to excess...

Like most ex-pats in Dubai, I probably drink too much. There's something about this place, the heat, the expense of everything, flower prints and the large numbers of bored housewives... that makes it feel a bit like 1955. Now there are no photos of me on Facebook with my dress up around my knickers, and I'm not a danger to myself or others, but its become something of a regular habit.
I've got this delicious bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream sitting on top of my fridge, about 16 bottles of wine (DH went to Italy 3x in December) plus vodka and beer. So maybe I'll start cooking with it, just to use some up...
Most cake recipes that call for Bailey's involve substituting it for the water in a yellow cake mix, which I suppose is inappropriate for a five year old's birthday party (coming up soon...). I could add it to a cheesecake or make truffles out of it, have to think about this....
Wine is easier, can start adding red to anything with tomato in it... Ground beef cooked with garlic and onions and a generous splash of red wine can be used for all kinds of things, especially good mixed with anchovy and spooned on french bread slices..
White wine mixed with stock and savories is good for poaching fish and chicken.
And a shot of vodka can be added to pink sauce to give it a little bite... click for recipe...
Suppose I wont be having too many Muslim friends over to dinner for a while...

Its too disgustingly humid to eat...

99% humidity folks. All night long. Not supposed to actually rain until tomorrow mid-day. My wrists are sticking to the keyboard. Ick.

Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier is the most delicious thing to drink in this weather. I wonder how long you could live off it? At least until it rains??

I suppose you could pour it over vanilla ice cream for calcium and you'd be good to go...

Especially satisfying while sitting in front of the tv watching 'America's Next Top Model'- how's that for a vice?

Coffee anyone?

Moving to Arabia, one assumes good coffee will be everywhere, but like everything else in Dubai, your morning cup of joe is not a simple matter. The most basic local-type coffee, Cafe Najjar, isn't local, its Columbian Coffee. It comes ground in a fine powder which is suitable for turkish pots or for blasting hot grainy coffee water all over your kitchen from a Bodum French Press. You can't use this in a regular brewer or an esspresso machine either, its that fine.

The other coffee issue which is a really serious one for me is the addition of cardamom to the coffee. To my unrefined palate, this is both highly unnecessary and deeply annoying. Cardamom is a strong flavor, coffee is a strong flavor, when they get in a pot together they just go to war with each other. I'm sure the addition of cardamom hides a myriad of sins (nut hulls, bug parts etc.,) but its not working for me. I had an experience which nearly made me cry. I ordered a sorely needed latte in a fancy and quite pricey cafe and what came to my table looked beautiful and tasted terrible. Like coffee with cardamom cough medicine added to it!!

My final complaint, which I think is a much more serious one for some of my countryfolk than me is the coffee creamer problem. I'm ok with unsweetened condensed milk in coffee and sweetened condensed milk in iced coffee. Its pleasant enough. But there is no half & half to be had in this country. For a country with such superior dairy products, and an alleged fondness for coffee, it is suprising to be unable to find it. You can get single and double creams from Europe for a small fortune in Dirhams, but no half&half.

Still, maybe like everything else, we are getting there. We like Douwe Egberts coffee both regular and decaf (actually a Sara Lee brand, of all things!) and my condensed milk of choice is Rainbow brand, mostly because its everywhere. We broke the French Press so we're using the hotels brewer, which makes a passable cup.

Still my morning coffee may actually be the one thing from home I miss most.

Teas, Tisanes, juice and stuff...

I've never been a big fan of iced tea- too sweet. My mom drinks the nestle powdered stuff, which, very very cold with a wedge of very juicy fresh lemon is pretty good. I think this is only because it reminds me of my mom. I really dislike southern sweet tea, I cant think of anything less refreshing.

Anyway, I've been toying around with iced teas and tisanes for two reasons. One it is hot and muggy and the kids are wanting to drink way too much juice. Also, I'm not doing much by way of actual cooking lately at all (dinner was mac & cheese, a broiled chicken breast, some steamed green beans & a salad).

So here's a list of some drinks to cool you off:

6oz iced coffee

2oz chocolate soy milk

1oz half & half

blend with ice cubes made from coffee

6oz strong spiced tea (I like the yogi spiced tea or celestial seasonings chai)

3oz half & half

blend with ice cubes made from tea

Brew four or five fruit-flavored tea bags (Celestial seasonings fruit tea sampler is good for this)

This should give you about 40oz of tea you can add another 20 - 25 oz of water once it is cooled

add a handful of mint and some chopped fruit. this is good sparkled up with gingerale and the kids think its a big treat...

I'm waiting on a digital camera, when it gets here maybe I'll start making photos of these swanky drinks. They look very satisfying in the glass all sweaty on the patio table.