Antonio Carluccio, the famous Italian Chef and food expert opened his restaurant on the Boardwalk, Dubai Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I love his BBC shows as he cooks from the heart; simple Italian food! S and I went to check out his Cafe slash Food store slash restaurant and I was very much surprised of its fitting design; modern but cosy and inviting. We had a browse through the shop part and discovered some real good imported ingredients from Italy. Rather to take them home we decided to sit near the window where we had a brilliant view on the Burj Dubai and fountain. The Spaghetti with mussels and Penne with beef ragout where both excellent, though the Spaghetti slightly over cooked. Service spot on with the manager from More Cafe across the road no wonder! Even the coffee was perfect; I wonder if Carluccio selected that from his London Supplier or was it from back home in Italy?

Spaghetti & Mussels

Penne Picante

Antonio Carluccio, (born 1937 in Vietri sul Mare, Salerno, Italy) is an Italian chef, restaurateur and food expert, based in London.

Carluccio was born in south Italy, but his father was a stationmaster, and he moved with his father’s job when he was young and grew up in Piedmont. He moved to Vienna at age 21 to study languages. He lived in Germany from 1962 to 1975, working as wine merchant in Hamburg. He came to the United Kingdom in 1975 to work as a wine merchant, importing Italian wines. He became the manager of Terence Conran’s Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden in 1981, and became its owner in 1989. He and his wife Priscilla (Conran’s younger sister) opened an Italian food shop, named “Carluccio’s”, in 1991, and a wholesale business in 1994. The first “Carluccio’s Caffè” was opened in 1999 and a chain has expanded, initially across southeast England, and subsequently across the UK. After ten years of developing Carluccio’s Caffés, Antonio has now stepped down from being a consultant to concentrate on new projects and ventures.

He has written several books on Italian cuisine and appeared on television in the BBC’s Food and Drink Programme, and in his own series Antonio Carluccio’s Italian Feasts in 1996. He was given the national honour of Commendatore dell’ Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana by the Italian government in 1998 for his contribution to the Italian food industry and in 2007 he was awarded an OBE.

British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver began his professional career at the Neal Street Restaurant which Antonio owned with his wife until the restaurant closed in 2006.

Carluccio’s

Lower Ground Floor, Boardwalk, Dubai Mall

Telephone: 04 434 1320

Water; it occurred to me that water is a huge business and no wonder why. We use it every day and without water there would be no life! Ancient Egyptians and with it the Pyramid construction disappeared one of a sudden due to massive droughts, entire civilizations disappeared and only now we get to know why; Water!

When living in Tokyo, Japan I used to buy every now and then a special mineral water called “Finé”, luxury mineral water from Shuzenji, Japan. This was one of the best waters I have tasted and therefore had always some bottles at home. Not knowing that a few years later this water was breaking the international market, I searched a few weeks ago the internet if I could buy “Finé” here in Dubai. To by surprise and luck I found a website in Holland who where specialized in distributing bottled waters from all over the world including “Finé”. I placed right away an order of seven different bottled waters online and had it air freighted by Eric Vellinga of Squiby Foods in Hoofddrop, Holland.

Please visit my SugarHead Unplugged , the technical part of realizing this posting of Water!

My introduction to you are waters from Finland, Denmark, England, South Africa, Japan, USA and Argentinia.

Stars & Rockstars of Bottled Water

Bling H2O-United States of America
Bling H2O is the inspiration of Kevin G. Boyd, Hollywood writer-producer. While working on various studio lots where image is of the utmost importance he noticed that you could tell a lot about a person by the bottled water they carried.

In Hollywood it seemed as if people flaunted their bottled water like it was part of their presentation. Whether the bottles had a cool shape or came from an exotic island, none truly made that defining statement. Bling H2O was fashioned to make that defining statement. The mission was to offer a product with an exquisite face to match exquisite taste. The product is strategically positioned to target the expanding super-luxury consumer market. Initially introduced to hand-selected athletes and actors, Bling H2O is now excitedly expanding it’s availability. Bling H2O has been featured at many recent celebrity events including the MTV Video Music Awards and television’s biggest event, The Emmys.

Bling H2O is pop-culture in a bottle. But it’s not for everyone, just those that Bling.

Region:  Tennessee
Place Name:  Chestnut Hill, Dandridge
Established:   2005
Company:   Bling H2O
Phone:   310 277 1111
Email:  info@blingh2o.com

Elsenham-England
The water of Elsenham is exceptionally pure. The source is hidden underneath a thick chalk layer and perfectly protected from the outside environment. The unique design of the bottle reflects the purity of the water. The water has a fresh flavour and a hint of minerals, including 86 mg of calcium per litre. Elsenham is among others served at El Bulli, the multi-Michelin-starred Catalan restaurant regarded as the worlds finest.

Water Circle, Elsenham Estate
Elsenham Herts CM22 6DR  England
Phone: +44 (0)1279 816655
Fax: +44 (0)1279 817135
Email: info@elsenhamwater.com

Veen-Finland
VEEN smooth spring water originates from Konisaajo spring area in Northern Finland. VEEN Water’s free flowing spring was found in the 1950′s in an area which is one of the least populated in Europe. The water filters through hills and sandy terrain. The water is bottled at its source and it is lifted from the spring at 3-4 degrees centigrade.

VEEN Smooth Spring Waters come in broad variety of products from smooth Velvet to intensely sparkling Bold. VEEN Velvet is bottled in an extra flint “Wave 66″ bottle and all sparkling VEEN waters come in “Round 69″ bottles. All VEEN waters are bottled containing only the water’s natural minerals, just like VEEN Emonen, Mother of the Water it intended.

Region:  Northern Finland
Place Name:  Konisaajo
Established:   2007
Company:   VEEN Waters Finland Ltd.
Phone:   358 50 365 71 69
Email:  tomi.gronfors@veenwaters.com

Lauquen-Argentinia
Patagonia the source of Lauquen Natural Artesian Mineral Water is one of the southern most regions in the world. The source of the artesian water is the permanent ice and rain purified by the Andes Mountains. From the 1.500 ft deep aquifer the water for Lauquen emerges at a constant temperature of 39 degree Farhenheit and with a unique composition of minerals. Lauquen is bottled at its source, in Patagonia, in a quiet hollow surrounded by 20 acres forest and mountains. By bottling at the source, Lauquen is never exposed to air ensuring its freshness and purity.

Region:  Andes Mountains
Place Name:  Patagonia
Established:   2005
Company:   Lauquen Artesian Mineral Water
Phone:   +54 11 4773 0156
Fax:   +54 11 4773 0156
Email:  contact@lauquenwater.com

Karoo-South Africa
Cape Karoo is an award winning water from South Africa in a stunning glass bottle. The medium mineral content water has a very favorable pH and comes from a pristine source with low Nitrate levels. Karoo Natural Mineral Water is sourced and bottled at Paardeberg, near Paarl, on the Weltevrede Estate.

Region:  Paarl
Place Name:  Weltevrede Estate
Established:   
Company:   Karoo Spring Water (Pty) Ltd.
Phone:   27-21-551 6270
Fax:   27-21-551 6271
Email:  Christoph@Karoo.co.za

Finé-Japan
Only after tens of thousands of years filtering naturally through 600 meters of ancient volcanic rock does water attain the mineral-rich, pollutant-free purity it needs to be deemed Eau Finé.

Procured from its pristine aquifer located deep beneath the Fuji volcanic belt, Finé has a distinctive yet subtle flavor and a soft mouth feel. Due to its ancient origins, Finé water bottled today will never come in contact with man-made pollutants that can easily affect the mineral waters of much shallower springs.

Since its international debut in 2005, Finé has quietly blossomed into a brand that is synonymous with elegance, luxury, and sophistication. It is cherished by enthusiasts and known for its dedication to providing customers with the highest level of exclusivity, taste, quality, and design.

Region:  Izu Peninsula
Place Name:  Shuzenji
Established:   1998
Company:   Eau Finé
Phone:   +81 3 5456 5472
Email:  customer.service@eau-fine.com

Iskilde-Denmark
”Iskilde” means ”cold spring” in Danish. The artesian spring was discovered in the Mossø Conservation area in a remote part of the Danish lake highlands in 2001 by a retired insurance broker and his wife.

The aquifer from which the spring flows is lies 150 -180 ft below the surface and it is covered by alternating layers of quartz-sand and hard clay. The exact age of the water is not known, but it is believed to be rather old, possibly dating back to the latest ice-age according to a geologist familiar with the area. With a temperature of below 8 degrees, the spring is unusually cold spring.

Region:  Mossø Reservation
Place Name:  Iskilde
Established:   2005
Company:   Iskilde ApS
Phone:   45 86 84 48 48
Fax:   45 98 51 00 30
Email:  info@iskilde.dk

A Big Thank you to following people:

Sandra Buffing of Springwater  in Amstelveen, Holland

Eric Vellinga of Squiby Foods BV in Hoofddorb, Holland

Rao of Chef!!! Middle East, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Sebastiaan Hoogewerf of Pastry-Network, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Bob’s Quiche Burger

Remember the good old days of the 1950’s when the jukebox played your favorite song, when life was slower and the food tastier? Some of you do, some of you don’t, but all of you now have the chance to experience the authentic American diner experience. Welcome to a restaurant where you can rock around the clock with great fun and tasty food. Welcome to Bob’s Easy Diner.

Step inside and prepare for takeoff: Bob’s is a time machine that carries you back…back to the neon lights and flashy architecture of the fabulous 1950s’…to the comfort of mouth-watering food cooked from scratch with pride and care….to a time when Elvis is playing on the jukebox.

Quality casual dining is what you can expect. This is not fast food served at a counter. Nobody will rush you, and all products are freshly made rather than frozen. The easygoing, feel-good ambience leaves you both relaxed and energized. Once you slip into those red booths, designed in the tradition of old diners, Bob – your fantasy host, owner, and chef – greets you from the menu. The menu is comprehensive, encompassing starters, salads, pastas, burgers, sandwiches.

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Bob’s Diner just opened ahother outlet in Dubai at Marina Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence. After much delay and waiting I finally visited the Diner and felt imidiately transported into another world even though it was hard to imagine that only Filipinos where working in the 50′s, greeting Elvis and its kind. Service was speedy and friendly.

Bob’s Easy Diner

Marina Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence