Food • Photography • Life
Found a new cool spot – Katara. Cultural village, arts center, beach and seaside promenade, and soon to be shopping destination.
Expect a proper photo crawl soon, and I’m going to be hard pressed to not plunk down some change on the stunning bold graphic work I saw today.
A small snippet of what we saw:
This side was inspired by some of the new spices I’ve encountered in my new home. Plus, it’s a great shade – so that’s hard to resist.
Gluten-free, vegetarian
Beet & Potato Mash with Pistachios
2 small potatoes
1 small roasted beet
1/2 cup creme fraiche or cream cheese or crema
3 Tbsp. zaatar
1/4 cup pistachio meat
3 – 4 tsp. dry lemon powder or sumac or some preserved lemon
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt & pepper to taste
Peel your potatoes and chop into small pieces. Boil 8 – 10 minutes (or until soft) in a pot of salted water.
While the potatoes are working, chop the beet fairly finely and add to a large bowl with half the creme fraiche, the butter, a hit of salt and pepper, and half the spices.
Drain and mash the potatoes when they’re ready. Add to the bowl and mash – taste – add the other half of the creme fraiche and spices. Taste, salt & pepper and adjust to your taste.
In a dry pan, brown your pistachios. Chop and add to the top of the potato beet mixture.
Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch
This burger comes together quickly, and brings a hint of Thai flavors to dress up what can otherwise be a boring weeknight staple meal.
Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, keto
Thai Chicken Burgers
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 green onion
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (Red Boat is Whole30 compliant)
1 Tbsp. coconut aminos or soy (coconut aminos are Whole30 compliant)
1 tsp. lime juice
1/2 inch fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. sambal olek (spicy garlic sauce – check your labels of Whole30 or keto!)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 an avocado per person
Fat of choice
Salt & pepper to taste
Mince your green onions, garlic and ginger. Add to a large bowl with everything but the avocado and fat of choice. Mix, form into 4 burger patties. Hit with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the fat in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry your burgers about 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Serve over sliced avocado.
Makes enough for 4 burgers
Couch textures
I recently had the opportunity to join a bunch of fellow Doha bloggers on a fantastic sunset dinner dhow boat cruise from The Pearl, past the Katara cultural village, the stunning skyscrapers downtown, West Bay and almost to the Museum of Islamic Art at Doha Port.
This trip was sponsored by the only dhow boat cruise operating out of The Pearl – National Cruise and coordinated by the woman who runs a really cool and useful blog I’ve used as a resource time and time again – New In Doha.
The boat we were on was stunning – if I remember correctly, the gentleman that gave the safety rundown said it was hand made out of Teak and can be configured pretty much however you want with a few hours’ notice. The cabin is also air conditioned, which was really appreciated since the day was warmer than most of us had prepared for. We were also treated to a buffet catered by the Four Seasons, and all the fresh juices and water we needed to stay hydrated and happy.
The A/C was great and all, but we spent sunset lounging on the upper level deck, which was decked out in fine carpets and textiles in a relaxed seating lounge area.
Apparently I’m also a photog failure and took exactly zero pictures of this gorgeous boat. The wood grain was beautiful, and the sweeping lines were really charming. Plus, it’s been outfitted with completely modern electronics and all the safety bells and whistles – something pearl divers of old would probably have appreciated a bunch.
Also on the “I’m a failure as a photog” front – I was starving and took no pics of the food … and too busy eating to try and capture the skyline at night. Looks like I have an excuse to book another cruise with the DH. 🙂
I had a fantastic time getting to know my fellow local bloggers, learn a bit from a really talented local photographer (shoutout to Najla Nabil Photography), and partake in a really cool “only in Doha” experience that I can’t wait to share with friends and family!
Took my Nan and my Mom with me today as I walked into a well-established women’s group (luckily with a friend) to hear a super cool photo journalist speak about his passions and philosophies surrounding picture taking.
I felt welcomed, nourished, and reinvigorated to go out and practice a craft I love.
Hold please for some photo essays – one coming shortly that’s been shot and processed; one following I have yet to shoot but will make sure to bring my big daddy camera to this weekend.
#thebestcameraistheoneonyouinanygivenmoment
My lifeline since my phone decided it wanted to go home to Apple and has been dying like nobody’s business.
Ummmmm …
