If battling crowds and waking up early to scope out a spot to watch the National Day parade isn’t your cup of tea, you can still celebrate with a party of your own. Stock up on Qatar-themed decorations from Al Rawnaq, fire up the grill and invite friends over for a National Day barbecue celebration at home.Who can resist succulent, flame-grilled meats, juicy kebabs and delectable dips? The humble barbecue is a regional pastime, and these recipes are inspired by the classic flavours and spices of Qatar and the Middle East. Bite-sized veggies, mini burgers and fruity treats are fun, family-friendly and…
Author: Kim Wyatt
Mums, stop here! Hand this over to your kids (or husbands if your kids need help with reading).Kids, are you paying attention? All year round, your mum does her best to make sure you are happy, healthy and loved. This Mother’s Day don’t you think she deserves a little pampering in return? Made with lots of vitamin-powered fruit and a few simple ingredients, these home-made gifts are a perfect way to show your appreciation and are sure to put a smile on mum’s face.These kid-friendly recipes are easy to make and don’t require any stove or oven cooking, so your…
Discussing food with friends—or strangers—is one of my passions. What people eat at home provides a fascinating glimpse into a person’s identity. In this brand new home cooking series, I will nose around Doha mums’ kitchens to find out about their cooking style and techniques, and share some of their go-to recipes and secrets. To start off this series and celebrate Doha Family Magazine’s fifth birthday, I joined Doha Family Magazine Editor Rachel Henriquez for a special one-to-one cooking class in her home. So what does a busy editor, mother (and my boss) cook at home?What did you eat as a child?I…
Priyanka Mally is a Bollywood dance instructor based in Doha. Upon entering her colourful abode, it is obvious that she has a true passion for food and culture. Filled with vibrant art and trinkets from her home country, Priyanka’s kitchen cupboards are stocked with deliciously classic Indian ingredients such as rice, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. There is often a pot of dal gently simmering on the stove top filling the kitchen with an enticing, fragrant smell of fresh coconut and spice.Originally from Bangalore, Priyanka has lived in Doha for almost seven years with her husband and three-year-old daughter.…
Four years ago, Polly Byles took a chance and followed her heart from London to the Middle East.The founder of luxury lifestyle blog Follow Your Sunshine packed her bags and headed halfway across the world for a new beginning with her husband-to-be, Richard. Now the couple is happily married and proud parents of a bubbly, feisty 18-month-old daughter, Sophia Molly. It’s obvious from Polly’s blog that the subject of food is important to her. A whole section is filled with brunch photos, enticing restaurant reviews and inspiring dining adventures from around the globe. But what about at home? “I love…
Food and travel go hand-in-hand for Anna Rodriguez. A former airline employee married to a pilot, this globetrotting couple and their children regularly travel to exotic hotspots such as Jamaica and Bali—where culinary inspiration is only a passport page away. “We’re very lucky,” Anna says. “Travelling allows us to experience food we may not necessarily get in Doha, including street-side snacks and fine restaurant cuisines.” Travelling also inspires Anna’s cooking at home and provides a great opportunity for stocking her kitchen cupboards with spices and products from the countries they visit.It helps to have children who are adventurous eaters. “Luckily…
For Marina Bryl, growing up behind the Iron Curtain was a simple, uncomplicated life where the motto “waste not, want not” held true. Looking back, Marina believes those formative years in the former Soviet Union gave her a solid foundation and a strong, disciplined work ethic, something that she hopes to impart to her three young boys: 11-year-old Nikolai, five-year-old Marco and baby Maximus. Making the best of thingsWhile media images of long store queues and empty shelves were published around the globe, for Marina the reality was quite different. “It was a very stable life. Nobody was concerned about…
Aussie father and businessman, David Burton, is a self-taught cook—learning mostly from books and TV shows such as Iron Chef and Chopped. David is the first to admit that his own mother and father weren’t big on cooking but “mum could open a great can of beans and dad was a master of scrambled eggs.” Growing up on the Gold Coast of Australia, with year-round sunshine and outdoor life, gave David a love of fresh ingredients and clean, vibrant flavours but it’s his love for travel that has influenced his cooking style the most. “Living in Doha gives ordinary people extraordinary…
It may not be as exciting as playing Fortnite, but if you’re willing to put in the time and have a little patience, gardening can be a fun and rewarding experience. It’s great for the environment, good exercise and at the end, you can eat the fruits of your labour! Container gardening is a perfect way for you to start gardening at home—it doesn’t require a lot of space and is portable, budget-friendly and low maintenance. In other words, it’s a great way to get growing.1. Pick your plantsChoose the types of plants you want to grow. Growing from seeds…
There’s no doubt that home baking is popular in Qatar. From bespoke birthday cakes to apple pies and crumbles, there’s an increasing network of online communities sharing their posts of lusciously sweet treats and confections. For Anne Vernadette Apag, baking is a true passion. “It’s where my heart is. I cook for love and I bake for a living.” Born in Manila, the Philippines, Anne moved to Qatar in 2006 where she met her husband-to-be, Joseph. Fast forward twelve years and the happy couple now have a five-year-old daughter, Francheska Noelle, and the whole family calls Qatar their second home.You’ll often…