Hue Boat Cruise

This time last year, I was winding down from an epic month-long trip to Vietnam, the country of my birth and one which I left shortly afterwards for the United States.

Traveling with my mom, Grandmother and a few Aunties, I relished all the nostalgic family stories that they would retell. For nearly a month, I became acquainted with the land and people of my birthplace and all the while learning about my family’s history from our origins in China , to my grandparents’ migration to Vietnam and the new life they created, and to my parents’ harrowing boat escape out of Vietnam to America.

Pho Vendor on Auntie’s Street

I stayed mostly in Saigon with my Auntie’s family during last year’s trip but also took some time to visit Hanoi, Halong Bay Hue, Hoi An (with a bit of scuba diving), and the Mekong Delta (including a family homestay experience).

Nha Hang Ngon – a must visit eatery in Saigon

The travel was amazing and so was THE FOOD! I had some great culinary experiences – eating, gawking, as well as wandering in and out of local markets.

Bang Trang “Tacos” – street food in Saigon

What I didn’t blog about last year were the two days I spent in China immediately following my Vietnam trip. It was the first time I had ever visited China and since mom and I had an insanely long layover in Guangzhou, China on our way back to Dubai from Saigon, we took the opportunity to stay in Guangzhou for a few days to visit family friends and for mom to take me to see our ancestral home (all in ruins now).

Next week, I am traveling back to China and basing myself in Beijing with my sister Diana who has been living and working there nearly as long as Scotch and I have been living in Dubai.

This time, I will for sure blog about that experience as well as revisit last year’s initial encounter in China.

Stay tuned!

Wee Scotch Enjoying His First Taste of Haggis

I have been blogging for nearly 6 years but this week marks the 2nd blogaversary for Ginger and Scotch.

I know I am supposed to reflect about the past year and today’s overcast and rainy weather (a rare treat for Dubai!) should be highly conducive for introspection.

But my absence from blogging for all of April is still affecting my will to blog today and so I will leave you with a round-up of all seven scrumptious (if I do say so myself) recipes from Ginger and Scotch inaugural week.

In terms of blogging “work,” managing to post these seven recipes was the hardest thing I had ever done for this blog. I normally *try* to post once a week and to post one recipe for seven days in a row (including all the cooking, shooting, writing, editing…) kept me up quite late each night but I was very happy with the results.

I really do love all of these seven recipes and except for the haggis one, I actually make these dishes quite often and refer to the recipes on my own blog.

Day 1 - Ginger and Scotch Inaugural Post – Whisky Chicken Soup

This Chinese chicken soup with whisky is great for sick days and is also traditionally prepared for new moms during their first postpartum month because of its nourishing properties.

Since I’m feeling very under the weather and with the gloomy weather, I’m actually making a large pot as I type.

Whisky Chicken Soup

Day 2 - Ginger and Scotch Chicken Wings

Sweet, sticky, smoky and gingery, these chicken wings with Ardbeg whisky is one of my favorite ways to bake up a batch of wings. Of course, we don’t always have Ardbeg whisky in the house which lends its signature smoky peatiness to the flavor of the wings but we always have some kind of Scotch.

Ginger and Scotch Chicken Wings

Day 3 - Ginger and Scotch Pork Ribs

Making this recipe changed the way I prepared ribs forever. A little bit of love and attention the last few minutes of baking/broiling made such a huge difference in taste and texture. These ribs come out beautifully caramelized and so “tender and gooey, and just gorgeous.”

Ginger and Scotch Pork Ribs

Day 4 - Ginger and Scotch Haggis with Whisky Mushroom Sauce

Haggis? Yes, this recipe is an ode to my Scottish husband.

I first had haggis in Scotland when I was backpacking Europe in 1995. I didn’t know what all the negative fuss was – I liked it at first taste and have certainly eaten stranger foods being Chinese.

I paired this dish with the traditional accompaniments of buttery turnips and potatoes and my own addition of a mushroom cream sauce spiked with whisky – delish!

Ginger and Scotch Haggis

Day 5 - Ginger and Scotch Chilli Prawns

I can’t believe how much I gushed over my love of seafood in this post! And I even threw in a little trivia on the differences between shrimps and prawns – do you know the difference?

I wish I could eat the picture of this dish right now! Succulent chilli’d prawns over a bed of jasmine rice to soak up all the sauce goodness – might have to whip up another batch of this and soon.

Ginger and Scotch Chilli Prawns

Day 6 - Ginger and Scotch Chilli Martini

I still remember my first chilli martini at Okku in Dubai. I think I had four that night and even convinced a few random bar patrons around me to order the cocktail just so I could watch the barman in action and take copious notes on the ingredients and preparation.

In this recipe, Scotch is mixed with ginger ale and flavored with pineapple, red chilli, and, of course, ginger. Perfect for those hot Dubai summers (and spring…and autumn).

Ginger and Scotch Chilli Martini

Day 7 - Ginger and Scotch Ice Cream

This was my first attempt at making ice cream and I couldn’t believe how easy it was!

I did not have an ice cream maker but it was not difficult to use an electric whisk every few hours to stir the ice cream mixture. And the final result was so amazingly good that I have since whipped up a few batches to gift to friends.

Ginger and Scotch Ice Cream

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Happy May everyone and here’s to many more blogaversaries to come!

camp dunes

About an hour’s drive from Dubai, towards the direction of Hatta, the desert sand turns from this pale tan hue to a beautiful burnt orange that just mesmerizes.

Of course, it would mesmerize me all the more if I hadn’t been the one driving towards our camp site since Scotch ended up working that weekend.

Nevertheless, the sight of this color change never ceases to fill me with a sense of peace and wonder at the beauty of the desert. For this camping excursion, my friends and I opted to go inland instead of camping by the sea like we have done in the past in Jebel Ali, Dibba and Fujeirah.

setting up camp

As we turned off well-paved Al Khail road, my friend’s husband K announced that it was time to put the SUVs into 4WD mode so that we could drive onto the soft sand. I was instantly excited to be using 4WD for the first time, but first it was imperative that I ask K a very important question.

“How do I turn on 4WD mode?”

“Oh my god,” was K’s response. He came over to the passenger side to show me which was great because it meant I didn’t have to pull out my Land Rover’s user manual.

After engaging 4WD mode (and checking to see if I needed to deflate my tires which I didn’t) and getting used to the loud revving noise of the engine, I followed K into the heart of the desert as he scouted the area and picked a suitable camping spot for us. He showed off a few fancy dune bashing moves which I dared not imitate (he once moonlighted as a desert safari tour guide and is quite adept at dune bashing which he treated us to after we set up camp).

Happy Camping Kids

The kids loved running up and over the sand dunes and I was glad there weren’t any other campers around us because the constant sound of my voice screaming after them to come back was sure to be annoying.

Here’s a few tips I picked up for camping with small children – or at least children around my son’s age of three:

1. Play Area - set up a mini play area for the kids. We had a large straw mat for the kids toys, each had their own chair, and we had brought along sand toys like spades, buckets, sifters. Kids tend to misplace their things all the time and the sand makes it even easier to lose things so it also helps if there is a designated box or bucket (we used a vinyl Ikea bag) to toss all their things into throughout the day.
2. Hydration - make sure they each have their own special water bottle and encourage them to drink. Ours all happened to have Thermos Funtainers which keep liquids cold well-chilled even in the desert sun and also keeps the dirt out (for the most part). We had this fold-up table with four cup-holes were the perfect size for the Funtainers.
3. Designated Food Container – the kids were too busy running around and playing to sit down and eat so I told Wee Scotch that his food was in a special plastic container (with hinged lid) that he could access anytime he was hungry. This way, I could toss food into his container as it came off the grill and keep track of how much food he was eating.
4. Glow Sticks and Flashlights - children love glowing things. I picked up some sh*tty glow necklaces from Geant Hypermarket that leaked as soon as we touched them but luckily the glow sticks from Daiso in the shape of dolphins, pumpkins, and stars fared much better. The children each had their own mini flashlights.
5. Warm Clothing and Blankets - when the sun goes down, it can get quite cold in the desert so bring extra layers of clothes. The kids (and adults) went from T-shirts and barefeet to sweaters and socks and eventually were wrapped up in fleece blankets. Since we were car camping, it was easy to bring an extra set of everything so that at bed time, I could change my son out of his sandy socks and pants into sand-free clothes so that his bed and sleeping bag weren’t filled with sand. Yes, I am anal that way.
6. GPS Identification System - when will technology advance so that we can track our children by a chip embedded within their bodies? When the sun set, the only lighting we had were a few headlamps and lanterns. The children were running around freely and sometimes it was hard to remember who was watching over who. Wee Scotch was easily spotted by the headlamp he was wearing around his head. Which made me think that next time, each kid is going to have a specific colored glow necklace/bracelet/whatever affixed to them in some way so as to make them easily spot-table.

If you have young children and have any other camping tips to share – I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me about them by leaving a blog comment below.

K getting the camp fire started

Wee Scotch commandeered my favorite headlamp for the entire evening which I didn’t mind because it meant I always knew where he was by the big bright light on his forehead.

camping lights

It was breezy when we arrived which made setting up the tents a little challenging. But I’m glad that the wind died down by dinner time as it’s never any fun to eat BBQ food cooked on an open grill with a mandatory side order of sandy grit.

Camp Dinner

K is checking on his BBQ whole chickens that he proudly marinated all by himself (a first says his wife!) with a secret blend of bezar, turmeric, yogurt  and other spices. After spending some time in tin foil, the chickens were then transferred to a large pot to continue cooking – the resulting meat was so flavorful and so tender – just amazing.

K’s bbq chicken

Camp Kebabs

This was my BBQ contribution – chicken thighs marinated in lemon juice and homemade bezar as part of my Emirati “Cooking Local” project (post coming soon).

Emirati Chicken Recipe

After all the food was devoured, K brewed us a big old pot of hot tea as we sat around the fire, toasted marshmallows, smoked shisha, and enjoyed the chilly desert evening.

Camp Tea Around the Fire

I can’t remember how cold it got that night (it was pretty chilly) but I was warm and toasty in my goose down North Face sleeping bag rated to 15ºF (-9.5ºC). Overkill perhaps but the only sleeping bag I own and it has never let me down.

The next morning, the kids were treated to a parade of camels from a nearby camel farm.

Camping camels

Parade of camels

If my photos haven’t given you a sense of the beauty of the desert, check out this YouTube video from Sheban Naim Imaging:

And click here for more of our previous camping adventures.

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Emirates Park Zoo – Abu Dhabi

Scotch and I are always thinking of things to do to keep our energetic toddler busy on the weekends instead of staying at home and watching TV or preoccupying ourselves with the computer.

This week, we spent a few days on the beach in Abu Dhabi and on the way back to Dubai, we stopped at the Emirates Park Zoo to check out the wildlife.

Turtle Exhibit

The Emirates Park zoo is a small private zoo and the animal enclosures are not as generous as in the Al Ain Zoo but much better than the conditions at the Dubai zoo.

We didn’t linger too long at any particular animal exhibit and were able to do a complete tour of the zoo including the Ocean Park (which is an indoor aquarium exhibit) in under two hours.

We did not go to the seal show which is an extra 20 dhs per person.

White Camel

Giraffe Exhibit

Peacock

Something we did not know when we visited is that you can stay at the Zoo overnight. The hotel rooms look pretty nice on-line and seem to overlook the giraffe exhibit – you can check it out for yourself by clicking this link for the Emirates Park Resort.

There is a Cobone discount at the moment for 399 dhs which includes one overnight stay in one of the chalets.

photo credit: http://emiratesparkresort.com

photo credit: http://emiratesparkresort.com

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PRACTICAL INFO:

Please always check the Emirates Park Zoo website for up-to-date information.

Getting there:  From Dubai Marina, it took us about 30 minutes. Check the zoo website for directions and a location map.

Opening Hours:  Sunday – Wednesday: 9:30am – 8:00pm; Thursday – Saturday & Public Holidays: 9:30am – 9:00pm.

Admission Fee: Adult – Dhs 25; Children under 5 years old: Dhs 10; Under 2 years old: FREE. Sea Lion Show: 20 Dhs per person, Children 3 Years old and under free.

Emirates Park Zoo

Papa Rara with Wee Scotch

Scotch’s parents are back for their annual visit to Dubai and we have been cooking and eating up a storm but I don’t have many food photos to share as I have been eschewing my DSLR lately for just quick and convenient iPhone photos.

Wee Scotch calls them “Papa” and “Rara” and we have been frequenting the beaches and pools.

Papa and Rara took a cooking class at Blue Flame in Jumeirah Creekside hotel where they made sea bream with hollandaise sauce served with sides of sauteed wild mushrooms and white and green asparagus (from Holland). I ate Chef Dannet’s portion that was left behind and thoroughly enjoyed the fish with perfectly crispy-salty skin and absolutely loved the flavors of the wild mushroom plus the crispness of the asparagus.

Wee Scotch has been spoiled rotten by all the gifts (and love!) they’ve showered upon him – between Octonauts and transforming dinosaurs and lots of lovely new bedtime books, he’s an extra  happy little boy who enjoys taking his grandparents to all his favorite play parks.

Papa and Rara in Dubai

Hopefully I will be back in the kitchen next month with my camera!