THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017

Maura Judkis The Washington Post

First there was latte art, then Cronuts, ramen burgers, sushi burritos, rainbow food and rolled ice cream. Now, the lat-est hyper-visual Frankenfood to take over your Instagram account: Sushi doughnuts.

"I'm aware that it's not the most practical way to eat sushi," says Sam Murphy, 24. The Melbourne-based vegan cookbook author says she invented the dish last summer, just playing around with a doughnut mold. But in the past week, it's gone viral in the United States, with several restaurants attempting the dish. Expect it to rapidly surpass the sushi burrito in Instagrammability.

There's Project Poke Co. in Fountain Valley, Cal-ifornia, which tops them with salmon, cucumber and cabbage. A South Carolina restaurant, Oktopi, has a similar recipe. Combining two trends, California Sushi Donuts is a pop-up project that dyes the sushi rice rainbow colours. Square Fish in Toronto calls it "Doshi."

But before all of those places caught on, there was apparently Murphy, whose initial version of the dish was vegan.

"I take it as a bit of flattery," she said. "Of course, I can't expect everyone in the food world to credit me."

She makes hers by chilling three cups of cooked sushi rice, then pressing it firmly into a silicone dough-nut mold that has been greased with coconut oil. She lets the rice set for a few minutes, and then carefully pops it out of the mold and decorates it with sliced avocado, wasabi, vegan mayonnaise, pickled ginger and other vegetables.

Non-vegans typically top them with fish, and Project Poke Co. innovated further by presenting them on sheets of nori, which makes them easier to eat. The bright colours and multiple textures of the dish - not to mention the round shape - make it very appealing to photograph.

Sushi doughnuts are not really a big thing in Aus-tralia yet. But Murphy isn't surprised that they took off in America first. Just look at all of the other silly, made-for-Instagram foods that preceded them.

"I call them fun foods," said Murphy, which is very generous of her, considering other people have called them "stupid" and "not food." "I think those trends catch on with you guys well over there."

They do. And whether you think that foods invented expressly for how pretty they look on Insta-gram are a fun way to express one's creativity or a cancer on social media, they are here to stay.

"Some of the things I created" - like edible glitter galaxy doughnuts - "are extremely outlandish and not the most practical. I like to be adventurous and create visually appealing food that also tastes good," she said.

Because, really, anything can be a doughnut when you think about it, right?

"I'm pretty sure you could turn lasagna into a doughnut," said Murphy. "It's just working with shapes. It's like art for me."

Except - hey now - isn't that also a bagel shape? And since sesame seeds and fish are also things that are typically found on bagels, why, oh why, didn't Murphy call this a sushi bagel?

"It's quite a controversial topic," said Murphy. "A lot of people are like, 'No, that's a bagel.'"

The official ruling?"Well, they're in doughnut molds," she said.

Made-for-Instagram food: Sushi doughnuts

F D THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMohammed Salim Mohamed

ADVERTISING MANAGERAli Wahba

CHAIRMANSheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi

DESIGNAbraham Augusthy

SUPPLEMENT EDITOR Pramod Prabhakaran

PRODUCTIONViswanath Sarma

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Rocela Bautista

The 8th Qatar International Food Festival is much bigger this year with the theme "A Different

Side of Food". Hundreds of food enthusiasts are expected to throng the venue to sample mouth-watering cuisines offered by some of the best restaurants and cafes in the country.

Key Points* Accompanied by live

entertainment shows, flavours from numerous countries will be available with their stalls at the Cultural Zone.

* Divided in to zones, there will be 130 restaurants, hotels and food carts participating this year. Main zones will also include live cooking theatre, health zone bringing food-related awarness, Hotel zone will offer 4- and 5-star culinary experiences.

* Also participating will be food trolleys and trucks that gained popularity during the Shop Qatar festival.

* Daily fireworks display at 8pm and outdoor screenings of food-related movies from 9pm.

* Live Cooking, Dinner in the Sky, garden picnic (inclusive of food basket and blanket), high tea and fine dining pavilion are special festive experiences this year.

* Apart from Children's food zone, there will be a edutainment in the form of daily screenings of Siraj.

* Also book lovers could explore cook books and food-related literature at QIFF library.

* Chef's Table will offer diners an opportunity to join international chefs for an interactive cooking and dining experience at the participating 5-star hotels. The charges vary from QR280 to QR1,500. You can book the table online through QIFF website.

Chef Andrew BozokiHe served Japanese Cuisine

at Nobu Doha on March 29:. The dinner was priced at QR 1,250 per person.

Originally from Germany, Chef Bozoki began his culinary career in the country’s southwestern region of Baden-Württemberg. Leading the largest Nobu in the world, Chef Andrew Bozoki has over 15 years of international five-star hotel operations and restaurant experience. Bozoki joined Four

Seasons Hotel Doha in December 2014 from the One & Only Reethi Rah Resort in the Maldives, where he served as chef de cuisine at the resort’s popular Japanese restaurant Tapasake. Prior to the Maldives, he served as sous chef at acclaimed Nobu Dubai.

Chef Julien Al KhalOn March 30: He will serve

Pan-Arab Cuisine at Marsa Malaz Kempinski. The dinner is priced at QR995

“Unbeknown to him, Julien Al Khal started his career under the nurturing care of his talented grandmother. Realizing his love and passion for the culinary world, Julien enrolled to The Swiss Business School for Hotel & Tourism Management. After passing with Distinctions Julien began his journey to success, applying his passion and knowledge to every opportunity that was presented to him. Starting his culinary journey at Cuisine Et Vin in Lebanon, Chef Julien has had the opportunity to work in well-known establishments such as: Louis Phatheon Beach Club Hotel in Cyprus, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts Dubai, Crowne Plaza Kuwait, Sheraton Park Tower Hotel London, Spice Management Group Lebanon, Blends Management Company Lebanon and to present at Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl – Doha.

“I want to create a memory for my diners, a picture may be worth a million words but a flavour can be associated with a feeling of warmth, nostalgia and love. The dishes I create should entice your taste buds and remind you of that moment you shared with a loved one, colleague or friend!””

Chef Sanjeev KapoorOn April 1: He will serve

Indian Cuisine at Melia Doha. The dinner is priced at QR1,500.

Sanjeev Kapoor’s is more than a chef. He is one of the most famous faces on Indian show-business. His show has run for more than 18 years, a record that has not been broken yet. He was also part of the “Master Chef India” jury panel, on Seasons 3 and 4; and his books are bestsellers with more than 200 titles, translated into 7 languages.

His popularity and

contribution to Indian cuisine granted him the “Best Chef of India” National Award. Today, he’s ranked 73rd on the Forbes list of top 100 Indian celebrities.

In addition to these achievements, he was invited to the Rachel Ray’s cooking show, representing India as “Food Ambassador”. Recently, he was one of the speakers at “Worlds of Flavour” at Graystone, California; an international festival organized by the Culinary Institute of America.

Chef Xudong ZhengOn April 4: He will serve

Chinese at Marriott Doha. The dinner is priced at QR280.

Xudong Zheng, a chef hailing from China boasts a decade’s worth of experience. Having worked in big cities like Lahore, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Zheng currently is a chef at the Asia Live Restaurant which is located in the Doha Marriott Hotel and has been working here for almost 3 years.

Due to his experience in different cities, he has an idea of the taste preferences of different countries. Apart from all this, some of his achievements from his glittering career is winning

the “Manager of the 2nd quarter” at the Doha Marriott in 2016.

Adding to this, his article “Chef has own recipe for success in Pakistan” was published in the Chinese newspaper, China Daily in the year 2013. He has numerous experience in different types of restaurants. His valuable knowledge in the Chinese cuisine will definitely be a treat for Chinese food lovers.

Chef Manal Al AlemOn April 4: She will serve

Arab Cuisine at Sheraton Doha. The dinner is priced at QR1,000.

Chef Manal Al Alem has a wide experience in cooking and recipe preparation. She spent 30 years working with recipe testing, tasting, and teaching in order to produce recipes with guaranteed nutrition, mouth-watering taste, and look.

Since 1983, she has played a major role in producing new dishes and enhancing existing merchandise items for big F&B manufacturers. She participated in advertising food products, and in judging cooking competitions in the Arab world. Additionally, she contributed in many cooking related festivals, interviews, forums, meetings, and conventions.

Chef Ali ZafarOn April 5: He will serve

Indian cuisine at Marriott Doha. The dinner is priced at QR280.

Born in India, Ali Zafar has over a decade’s worth of experience in the field of Kitchen Management. Ali specializes in Indian Cuisine; Awadhi, Rajasthani, Kashmiri, Gujrati, Kebabs, Biryani and much more.

Apart from working in India, he has also worked in Thailand, The Lux Resort in Maldives and is currently working at the Doha Marriott Hotel at the Taj Rasoi Restaurant.

Working with Indian cuisine does bring in the prospect of some mouth-watering food which will satisfy the tastebuds of those who will be tasting it.

Chef Erhan AfacanOn April 8: He will serve

steakhouse specials at Marriott Doha. The dinner is priced at QR480.

Erhan Afacan, a Turkish born chef boasts a really good career with bags of experience under his name. He is an ambitious and hardworking chef and is always on the lookout for challenges and opportunities.

He has worked in Kazakhstan, UAE, Russia and his

home country Turkey and has cooked amazing food wherever he went. However, one of his achievements was in Sochi in 2014 where he was catering for the mountain venues of the Games in which he made a daily VIP buffet for sportsmen and journalists. He has won the “Best opening of the best signature restaurant “and due to this he appeared in the Timeout magazine.

Chef Fawaz Al OmaimOn April 6: He will serve his

specialities for QR1,500 at Sharq Village and Spa.

Chef Fawaz Al Omaim boasts an experience of more than 9 years in dining operations. During this time, he has provided operational consultancy to numerous restaurants in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Having stayed in the USA for almost a decade, Fawaz developed his cooking talent in a multi-cultural environment. has also contributed in most of the Gulf-based festivals, including the Qatar International Food Festival. Recently, he was involved in contributing to the cooking for charity initiatives in the Syrian refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan.

When: From March 29, the 8th QIFF will be on for 11 days till April 8 Timings: 2pm to 10 pm on weekdays, and till 11pm on weekendWhere: Hotel Park overlooking Doha CornichePrice: Food would be available in the range of QR5 to 35. Dinner in the Sky is priced at QR500.Parking: Hotel park has four levels of underground parking with over 2,500 spots.

Top from left: Chef Manal Al Alem, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef Xudong Zheng and Chef Erhan AfacanBelow from left: Chef Andrew Bozoki, Chef Fawaz Al Omaim, Chef Julien Al Khal and Chef Ali Zafar.

Things to do at QIFF

F D THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017

We call omelette in Thailand “Kai Chiao”. It’s a very common dish that we can have it for any meal not only for breakfast.

Kai Chiao can be served just as it is or as an accompaniment for other dishes such as Hot & Sour soup or Chilli & Shrimp Paste Sambal.

In Kai Chiao you can add a variety of ingre-dients like shrimp, white onion, shallot, spring onion, chili, basil etc.

Ingredients:Fresh egg: 2-3 noWhite onion: 10 gTomato: 10 gSpring onion: 10 g

Chili as neededShrimp: 20 gFish sauce: 1 tbspVegetable oil: 3 tbsp

MethodChop all vegetablesCut shrimp into small dice sizeBeat the eggAdd shrimp and cut vegetables to the eggSeason with fish sauceHeat pan and oil at medium heatAdd the egg mixture into the pan, fry it until

both sides are done.

Jr Sous Chef Wethida Trancharoen of Crowne Plaza Doha - The Business Park shares a very easy to make recipe from her Thailand, her home.

Thai Omelette: Kai Chiao

Chef's Corner

Costa Coffee launches Old Paradise Street No.19 in Qatar: First in the series of Limited Edition Roasts

There is much more to coffee making than stirring everything together. It's and art and craft to be mastered over time with much hardwork and ded-ication. This was proved by master

Barista Arjem Prado of Costa Coffee recently when he demonstrated his skills at special ses-sion hosted by Costa Coffee at their outlet at Medina Centrale – The Pearl in Qatar.

Costa Coffee shared the secrets and tech-niques to making distinctive coffee at a masterclass held for Qatari media, social media influencers and coffee lovers hosted by Prado.

The masterclass comes as Costa Coffee intro-duces the first in a series of limited edition roasts under the name Old Paradise Street, available in small batches for a limited time. Prado, a Qatar based barista, won Costa Coffee’s “Barista of the Year 2016 Championship in the Middle East” which established him as one of the most skilled coffee connoisseurs in the region, and amongst the top Costa Coffee baristas globally.

Named after the street in Lambeth, London, where Costa coffee has been roasted since the brand’s incarnation in 1971, every bean is slow roasted under the meticulous eye of Costa’s Mas-ter Roaster, Gennaro Pelliccia, to ensure nothing less than perfection in every batch. The first guest roast, Old Paradise Street No.19, is a sin-gle origin from Papua New Guinea and is known for its distinctive, clean fruity taste combined with delicate caramel notes. Launched for the first time in Qatar it is expected to entice coffee lovers with an irresistibly unique taste in all of their favorite coffees.

Mags Dixon, Head of Marketing at Costa International commented on the event saying, “Consumers in Qatar have always shown that they understand coffee and have a high appre-ciation for coffee that is made with care. For this reason, we wanted to make sure that our latest

limited edition roast, Old Paradise Street No.19, is accompanied by a masterclass that showcases Costa Coffee’s unique and hand-crafted approach to making coffee. We also developed an exclusive fragrance under the same name that is inspired by the roast itself and brings to life its unique aromatic characteristics.”

“Coffee drinking is an important part of the region’s heritage and is an industry that is grow-ing at a very high speed,” said Hassan Jawad, Divisional Manager Costa Coffee Jawad Busi-ness Group –Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Saudi.

“We are proud to launch the Old Paradise Street No.19 in Qatar because it is a market that understands coffee and deserves the best cof-fee delivered by the best baristas in the region.”

Coffee lovers in Qatar can enjoy the limited-edition roast in Costa Coffee stores across Qatar.

Costa Coffee hosts masterclass for coffee connoisseur in Doha

Dorie Greenspan The Washington Post

Q: A recipe for Cappuccino Madeleines calls for whisking together the sugar and eggs "energetically." Does it make a difference if a handheld electric beater is used or should it be strictly whisked by hand?

A: Feel free to use an electric beater for the egg and sugar mixture. I'm lazy when it comes to washing up, so I try to keep it simple by using a whisk. No matter what you use, you want to whisk (beat) enough to have the mixture turn pale and thicken a bit.

Q: I've heard that some use the spice mace instead of nut-meg in recipes for enhanced flavor. I've done this with cookie recipes and liked the results. Do you use mace in place of nut-meg? Are there specific recipes that work with this substitution?

A: Mace is such a lovely spice and you don't see it used often. It's the lacy outer coating of the nut-meg and its flavor is like nutmeg, but more delicate. You can find whole mace (labeled as mace blades), but the easiest way to buy it is ground. It's good in a mix of spices for pump-kin pie and often found in Indian dishes. I think it could be nice in egg and rice dishes.

Q: Is it best to level a cake and then freeze it? Or freeze it, let it defrost a little and then level?

A:You'll find it easier to cut the cake when you freeze it first - fewer crumbs and a better chance of shaving off irregularities.

Q: What are some desserts that freeze well?

A: Most butter cakes freeze well; so do Bundt cakes and cheesecakes.

Q: For years I have thought when you are making cookies, you need to get your butter to room temperature so that it creams nicely with sugar. But lately I've seen some cookie recipes that do not call for using softened but-ter. Could I have been skipping this step all along? Can you skip it for some types of cook-ies but not others?

A: It's more important to have soft butter for cakes than for cookies. With cakes, you want to be able to really get the sugar into the butter and to beat air into the mixture. You don't want air in your cookies and so you can start with cooler, but not cold butter.

Q: Do you use a gas or electric oven when baking? Have you tried both? And if you have, is there any difference to the fin-ished products (baked goods or pastries)?

A: I have both gas and electric ovens - each has a convection option, but I don't use it - and I haven't found major differences between the two. However, elec-

tric ovens are sealed tighter than gas ovens and so I find that, depending on what I'm baking, moisture builds up. I'll open the door of the elec-tric oven during baking if I don't want all that moisture. (I'll also stand away from the oven when I do!)

Q: Whenever I make a 9-by-13-inch cake, the corners don't rise the way the center does - any suggestions?

A: Since things bake from the outside in, it sounds as though your edges are baking and set-ting too far in advance of the rest of the cake. I'd check the oven temperature with a thermome-ter. You could also try putting the cake pan on a baking sheet to help even out the heat. Another thing might be to slow down the baking - try lowering the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

QA