Fennel, I love fennel! It is one of my favorite vegetable especially when baked with some cheese. Lately fennel has become a fashion food ingredient appearing also in desserts and ice creams. Fennel sorbet has a very fine taste. I was given a small pot of Fennel Honey from Australia, thought about how to use it best if not for a dessert. I therefore marinated fresh fennel with some extra virgin olive oil and fennel honey with black pepper and slow roasted in the oven.

Sourdough bread, Brussel Pate, Fennel, Prosciutto

After arranging the fennel on a platter I sprinkled some mild cheddar and gratinated in a hot oven. Fennel served on Sourdough bread with Brussel Pate, cherry tomato and Prosciutto ham, lots of black pepper and sea salt makes a perfect lunch.

Australian Fennel Honey

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by most botanists). It is a member of the family Apiaceae (formerly the Umbelliferae). It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is generally considered indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean, but has become widely naturalised elsewhere (particularly, it seems, areas colonized by the Romans, and may now be found growing wild in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on river-banks.

It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses, and is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. Florence fennel or finocchio is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable.

Fennel is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Mouse Moth and the Anise Swallowtail.

An afternoon studio work at home. Natural light was almost not available due to rain here in Dubai!

All pictures where made with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, in Black!

The biggest event in Dubai’s calendar must be the Dubai World Cup! Catering for this even is a nightmare but very much doable as I experienced with the right approach and lots of planning. 5000 people need to be looked after, High Tea, Snacks, Buffets and more is the order of the day.

Month before the event planning was in full speed; equipment, logistic and ordering of food had to be finalized together with scheduling  manning. When it rains in Dubai, it rains! And it did before and during the World Cup, adding havoc to our logistic with some interruptions. Fears of a heavy storm where disappearing by the end of the night with some showers only.

High Tea Service

We started the production of cakes and pastries a week prior the event, producing each day huge amounts which we could hold in our freezer space. The day before all food had to be loaded and transported with trucks onto the race course where all had to be unloaded into chillers on site. Since different tents had their requirements all logistic had to be carefully planned in order to distribute the right amount and right food items. Of course during such an event there are always last minute changes, that’s unavoidable.

Mis en place

For each tent we had build up mobile kitchens to cater for all the guests; running water, power and air conditionings. The set up of each kitchen and the build up of all the “mise en place” was according to the sequence of service and timings.

Unloading & checking for rain!

From the actual horse race I did not see much since all of us where busy in our respective areas. However some of the fireworks where right in front of us, therefore an added bonus!

Nad Al Sheiba

And this is from the actual horse race:

Dubai: After a start-to-finish affair in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free (Group 1), the Emirati trainer and jockey combination of Mubarak Bin Shafya and Ahmad Ajtebi registered a last-to-first win on Eastern Anthem in the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic to complete a memorable double of the world’s two richest turf races.

Ajtebi, who blew a kiss to the crowd before waving at the finish of the DDF, did, however, have to spend a few agonising moments before Eastern Anthem got the judge’s vote by the narrowest of margins.

The jockey brought Eastern Anthem from the outside and even as the two Moons (Spanish Moon and Purple Moon) battled it out, the Emirati brought his horse into the fight and they all finished in a line.

Then the photo-finish was flashed on the large screen and almost everyone was on their feet cheering Ajtebi and the man who saddled Eastern Anthem – Bin Shafya.

The Sheema Classic now has 11 trainers who have won the race over the last 11 runs, and the sheer quality of runners who were beaten by Eastern Anthem – Spanish Moon, Purple Moon and the globe-trotting Youmzain in fourth – confirmed what a great victory was achieved by the sensational pair of Bin Shafya and Ajtebi.

Winning owner Dubai Crown Prince Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum was all smiles while His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai – the man who spotted Ajtebi when he was a camel jockey and made him switch to flat-racing – lifted his hand in triumph!

“He (Ajtebi) is a very good jockey when he has the right horse,” Shaikh Mohammad told Dubai Racing Channel, commenting on Ajtebi’s feat.

The Emirati jockey, who did not want to comment until the judges’ verdict was out, was ecstatic.

“I am speechless. I used the whip with the left hand towards the end of the race [and it worked]. I got him in his stride. Everybody was seeing the race from the side [so I don't know whether it could be seen that I won], but from my side I think it was clear I won. But I just waited,” said Ajtebi, who turned professional midway through the current season.

“I am happy for all those who supported me and special thanks to Bin Shafya,” Ajtebi added.

The legendary Sir Michael Stoute, trainer of the second-placed Spanish Moon said,
“We’ve had our successes here, but we haven’t been here for a few years so it was nice to be back. He’s a very progressive horse and I was hoping for him to be in the running.”

Race 6. Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1)

Sponsored by Nakheel
Thoroughbreds
Purse: $5,000,000
Distance: 2,400m (12f)

1. EASTERN ANTHEM (trained by Mubarak Bin Shafya) ridden by Ahmad Ajtebi
2. SPANISH MOON (Sir Michael Stoute) Ryan Moore
3. PURPLE MOON (Luca Cumani) Jamie Spencer
4. YOUMZAIN (Mick Channon) Richard Hills.

Also ran: Deem, Doctor Dino, Front House, King Of Rome, Kirklees, Lady Marian, Macarthur, Marsh Side, Quijano, Red Rocks, The Bogberry, Youmzain

Distances: Nose, Short Head, 2.25L
Time: 2min 31.84 secs.
Winner owned by Dubai Crown Prince Shaikh Haman Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and trained in Dubai.

Dubai Mall; the largest mall in the world. As many shops they have got, many restaurantsand food outlets open every day for business. Some well known; some others with a less known name or wacky concept. One of those is Vapiano on the ground floor, an Italian joint with some nice and airy design.

Vapiano

By entering the restaurant, one notices the self service feel and to my surprise it was! Except I did not understand the entire concept. I got a menu and a swipe card, almost like a credit card and was told to choose from the menu, proceed to the station and swipe the card. By telling the chef your order he or she will prepare it accordingly. Then get a service tray and with it you get your food and drinks. On leaving the restaurant I had to give my card and was charged for the consumption. Complicated!

My pasta filleto was over cooked without any taste. It looked more like a mix from the fridge and the more I think about it the more upset I get with the whole experience.

Well, that was a plunch into a new concept and I am sure that will be my last.

Vapiano, Mall of Dubai