Cuisine Couture Kuwait: Machboos

This past Tuesday proved a special day. For starters, it marked exactly three weeks since I arrived in Kuwait. In addition, I moved out of the hotel and into my very own apartment! I feel especially accomplished because I procured it on my own; although the company had originally planned to find me one, their busy schedule and the competitive Kuwaiti real estate market prevented them from helping me immediately. I then took matters into my own hands: browsing internet listings, locating a real estate broker, and convincing my driver to take me on some renegade apartment showings. I wound up with a fully furnished apartment in a beautiful neighborhood that I adore.

As I attempt to adopt a routine and settle into this new chapter of my life, I’ve also been fortunate enough to make a few friends. I made one back in JFK airport, a Kuwaiti girl a few years older than me. She helped me navigate through cancelled flights and prepared me for the new locale on the flight over. We traded contact information and on Monday, my day off, we met back up. She took me to the souk, or local market, for some authentic Kuwaiti street food and an afternoon of bargaining and shopping.

The market is a throwback to Kuwait’s older days. While hotels and malls dominate the landscape, this small corner still contains old eclectic shops and artisans. It holds numerous “restaurants,” or small booths and counters lining the side of the market. Offerings were endless; a wide range of cuisines and nationalities were represented. My friend guided me to one that she called authentic Kuwaiti food. We sat at plastic tables covered with a saran tablecloth. Although humble, the set-up is highly functional. The idea is that the garbage can be gathered and the saran can be removed and replaced after each party finishes eating.

My friend selected foods that she felt best represented traditional Kuwaiti cuisine. She ordered some mezze, including hummus with meat and tabbouleh. I marveled at the hummus. Compared to Lebanese hummus or other versions of the spread I have encountered, Kuwaiti hummus seem slight and airy. The tabbouleh was also interesting because it contained no grains, only herbs and vegetables. My friend said that this is not true of all tabbouleh in Kuwait, but that some restaurants prefer to make it in this alternative way.

For my main dish, she ordered me “Machboos dejaj.” I knew that dejaj translates to chicken, but was unfamiliar with machboos. I have heard the term tossed around though, and I asked her to explain her choice. It turns out that machboos refers to a way of cooking rice. It is common to Kuwaiti households and eaten multiple times throughout the week. A family will often make a large batch and eat it for the next several days.

“I chose this because it’s the main dish in every Kuwaiti household,” she explained.

Machboos can be made with pretty much any protein (except pork since it’s not allowed here!) Common variations include lamb, shrimp, and chicken. First, the rice is soaked in water for about a half hour. Then, the cook prepares a pot with a blend of spices. The spices vary in each household with families passing down their own blends, but they generally contain cumin, cinnamon, dried lime, cardamom, mustard seed, black pepper, star anise, and bay leaf.

“You pretty much can toss in every hard spice you can think of,” my friend laughed.

Then, the meat is added to the pot. In the case of chicken, the protein simmers for about 45 minutes to an hour, until it is “cooked through and fragrant.” Once this has been achieved, the meat and spices are removed from the pot. Next, the rice is put back in the water which at this point is infused with flavor. It remains there until the water has evaporated to the top of the rice and then simmers for about 20 minutes more.

“The rice should be fully cooked, fluffy, and flavored,” my friend relayed.

My plate of machboos dejaj was exceptional. I am not usually one to gravitate toward rice as I find the texture ambiguous. This, however, was cooked perfectly. It was solid enough to retain its shape; it was substantive and thankfully identifiable in my mouth. At the same time, it was soft and cooked through. The spiciness imparted a subtle dynamic touch. It was not overt and overwhelming, but balanced, consistent, and harmonious. The restaurant served it with a tomato “sauce,” although the sauce was not thick like American or Italian sauces. It was more of a tomato broth with small wedges of potato and okra. My friend instructed me to pour small amounts on the rice and mix it together. I loved the effect of the tomato on the rice and spices.

The chicken, too, proved delicious. Although described as “fried” on the menu, the actual preparation was not. The chicken is sautéed in a pot on the stovetop to give it a crispy skin and then cooked through in the oven. The skin had an orange tint and I detected notes of citrus. Sometimes an orange hue comes from saffron or curry, but I did not notice that on my tongue. I think that the color came from orange juice, an interesting touch that also added a level of acidity to the spiciness in the rice.

As we finished our lunch, the Kuwaiti sun faded back behind us and into the horizon. My clock read 4:30, as meal schedules are much later in the Middle East. Even something as minor as this eating time reminded me of the completely new land around me. I have journeyed somewhere totally different: new food, people, schedules, and routines. At times it feels downright intimidating (and even- dare I admit- lonely). Yet I am slowly finding my stride. Tonight I will go “home”- not to a hotel, but to my own “flat” in the heart of the city.

Cuisine Couture: Reflections on Boston

Although Cuisine Couture is predominantly a culinary blog, I would like to digress slightly and discuss what I have seen transpiring in Boston over the last week. Witnessing news coverage from a different country, one in the Middle East at that, has offered a very interesting vantage point.

First and foremost, I want to say how much my heart goes out to everyone affected by the tragedy: those injured, families in upheaval, Boston residents, and Americans at large. I am so grateful that the friends and family I have that were there on that day returned unharmed and wish that everyone had been so lucky. And I am sure I join many others when I thank the EMTs, police, and other special forces who helped respond on that day and ultimately track down the suspects.

I first heard about the marathon on Monday at the hotel. I rode the shoddy interwebs and watched European CNN to try to gain insight into what was unfolding. On Tuesday morning I picked up my copy of The Arab Times, the English newspaper here, expecting a full front page explanation of what had occurred. To my surprise, there was only a short article in the upper left hand corner devoted to the events. More space was devoted to recent suicide bombings in Baghdad; over 30 lives had been claimed in blasts across the country in anticipation of upcoming elections. That reminded me that the Middle East frequently encounters such upheaval and tragedy. At the risk of making light of such horrors, it almost seems as if bombings are commonplace- or more so than back home.

Then there was the embarrassment when I picked up The Arab Times this morning, Saturday. A large article announced that the remaining suspect had been captured, but the headline stated that the “turn” in the suspects’ origins “shocked” investigators. The ever-so-reliable New York Post had sounded the alarm that the perpetrator was a Saudi nationalist. I understand that September 11 forever altered the relationship between the United States and the Middle East, but at the same time it seems that we are quick to cast blame on this part of the world. Islamist extremists are a small minority, as Christian extremists and Zionists too constitute only a small portion of their respective groups. To stereotype a culture or religion based on a violent, outlying faction is a travesty. And to quickly allocate blame to one group of people amid a sea of suspects in deplorable.

Today in the car on the way here, my driver said, “They caught the last suspect, no?” “Yes,” I said. “Why they bomb?” he asked. “Why does anyone bomb?” I replied. “Bomb, bomb, bomb. Too much bomb. In India, they bomb. Problems, they bomb,” he muttered before fading back into silence.
Why do people bomb? Why do they shoot? Why do we stereotype? Violence is not unique to one culture, time period, or place. It is a problem that we all face and, quite frankly, I wonder where we go from here.

Cuisine Couture Kuwait: 2 Weeks!

Hello, everyone! Since last I posted, I made it to the Iraqi border and back. Since the chef is leaving, our driver thought it would be fun to take us there so that we could say we’d seen it. We definitely turned around several hundred feet before it, but at least now I can say I’ve laid eyes on Iraq. Ironically, as we were driving there, we were listening to the local news report which gave updates about a suicide bombing that had unfolded in Iraq that morning. It’s easy to forget about the political terrain as I’m working in a US franchised restaurant in Western shopping mall, but that served as an abrupt reminder. It’s also hard to believe that Kuwait was under occupation two short decades ago in the face of the opulence and modernity.

Yesterday was my first day off since I’ve been here. (I don’t think that my bout with illness that kept me out of work for ½ a day counts as bona fide off time). The corporate boss invited the two chefs and I to a traditional lunch as a farewell to the chef and we decided to take the rest of the day away from the restaurant. The break from the shopping mall and confined restaurant helped remind me why it is I love the Middle East and sought out the chance to come here to begin with. I loved experiencing the architecture, climate (I got outdoors!), and the culture.

We began the day at the “souk,” or Arabic market. It’s probably one of the only sections of Kuwait that has managed to retain a culture and not get consumed by Westernization. From a culinary perspective, it was highly interesting. It had the huge whole butchered meets dangling from wooden stalls. I also found myself walking through a fish market with rare and exotic types of fish. (I think I would have considered that far more enjoyable had I NOT been wearing flip flops, however.) The souk also had an impressive selection of knock offs. I scored a pretty awesome pink bedazzled “Chanel” scarf that I pray makes it through customs upon my return .

Next, we went to lunch. As mentioned previously, schedules are much different in Kuwait and the Middle East at large. For one thing, the invitation was for 2:00 pm. The earliest portion of the lunch wave takes place in what we would consider the afternoon. Moreover, 2:00 really means 2:30 or 3. We arrived at 2:20 to be joined by our boss and the other chef around 2:45. Finally, lunches can last an incredibly long time. There are epic amounts of food and the ordeal can last hours. We did not finish eating until after 4:30 and the hookah did not commence until after 6.

The food was INCREDIBLE and as many of you read cuisine couture for the culinary content, I would love to enlighten you about the feast that unfolded. We met the boss at one of his other restaurants, Leila’s, a Lebanese place. While franchised, it is still small in that there are only a few locations and very authentic in terms of the cuisine served. The restaurant wanted to impress the boss and show him the latest appetizers they’d created for the new menu. As a result, they brought at least 20 mezzes, or Middle Eastern appetizers. Those in and of themselves could have constituted a meal, and I had I known all that was to come I probably would have held back slightly (although I did want to try everything and would not have taken that back). They were served with three types of pitas: fluffy ones made in house, crispy ones, and a few regular ones purchased and brought in. Mezze highlights included:
1. Kibbe- Not fried as per the usual preparation, but baked in a delicious pomegranate sauce. Kibbe is like meat balls- ground beef mixed with spices (curries, etc) and pine nuts- usually fried on the outside, but not this time.
2. Beet Baba ganoush- My personal fave! I LOVE baba ganoush, which is like hummus but made out of eggplant. The beet added a touch of sweetness and flavor and also made the mix pink- a color I most definitely condone.
3. Lentils Agro dolce
4. Truffles in lamb fat- The chefs bugged out over this one more than I did, but it was admittedly good. I found it incredibly rich and decadent, which is very much the point, but in terms of sitting down with something to eat I would go for one of the spreads.
5. Pomegranate baba ganoush
6. Hummus

The main event, however, came after the mezzes has been cleared. Our boss’s sisters had cooked authentic Kuwaiti seafood that they transported to the restaurant. There were two giant platters that could have easily served 10 people each. The platters consisted of a huge pile of authentically cooked up rice with seafood on top. One platter had three enormous stuffed filets of pomfret, the most expensive fish in Kuwait. The other had spicy shrimp. They also presented us with a bowl of fish stew: mackerel, spices, tomato, etc. We received several pickled condiments as well like mango, pomegranate, and extremely spicy peppers. (The boss warned me about the peppers, but I assured him I had high tolerance for heat. He was quite impressed with my spice threshold.)

So how does one go about eating this? Well, my boss started by slapping down the smallest of the three whole fish on my plate. A WHOLE fish- probably 12 ounces of meat at the minimum. One mixes the rice up with the stew and pickled goodies and eats that by the spoon. It’s one giant mash up of spice and flavor by the spoon. The pickled peppers really completed the meal. I left some of the rice, but I confess to eating the entire fish. It was perfectly salted, cooked, spiced, and stuffed with spinach and other green herbs.

Afterward, our boss left us and the chefs and I stayed at the restaurant to partake in the hookah, arguably my favorite Middle Eastern pastime. Leila’s sits in a small shopping alcove and contains an outside patio (truly outside as compared to the “outside” section of Figs in the mall.) The tables lie beside a fountain and downtown Kuwait rises above. The afternoon was sunny and warm, but we remained slightly sheltered in the shade. As I said earlier, I was reminded of what drew me to the Middle East in my younger years. We passed the hours talking, resting, and enjoying the “scenery” around us. The server came to refill our coals periodically. It was a wonderful afternoon and a nice departure from the restaurant.

We had planned to go to the border that evening, but by that time darkness had set in and our driver was hesitant to make the trip at night. We agreed to go in the morning and walked along the “boardwalk” instead. The Kuwaiti beaches are reminiscent of Puerto Rican beaches after hours: the humidity, groups of (Philippino/Latino) people congregating, and the eighties-esque colorblocked benches and chairs. Although the low tide smelled putrid and it was hard to see the beach after dark, the walk afforded us a beautiful view of downtown Kuwait illuminated at night.

I have tried to place pictures into this post, but Kuwait’s interwebs have proven tempermental to say the least. Numerous people are attempting to log on at once and uploading pictures has been near impossible. Fortunately, I was able to load several of them onto photobucket. The link is below and many of the photos supplement the descriptions I have provided in this post.

http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/demb8510/library/

Although I am enjoying this new chapter, I miss all of you and think of home often. Please keep me updates on what you are up to via email, facebook, or any other means of communication you have!

Cuisine Couture Kuwait: An Inside Look

After some consideration, I decided that my latest Cuisine Couture adventures should take the form of a more candid, personal blog rather than more formal reviews. My last post was more analytic; I took an observation, crafted a thesis, and came up with reasons to explain it. However, there is nothing analytic about the way this experience has unfolded! I took the job on a whim and have found myself on the other side of the world. It would be more fun for me- and more fun for you- if I honor that spontaneity and keep you updated on day to day occurences.

Admittedly, the restaurant is keeping me extremely busy! My usual day consists of a wake-up call around 10:30 so I can fit in a brief stint at the teeny hotel “gym.” The car picks us up for the restaurant between 12 and 1 pm. Then, it’s pretty much nonstop action. With the exception of Sundays, the equivalent to Monday in the US (first day of the workweek and school) the crowd converges right at lunchtime, roughly 2pm. It lasts steadily with a brief lull in the afternoon, which in Kuwait is between 6:30 and 8. At 8 dinner hits and doesn’t let up until 11pm. Our driver picks us up at 11 or 11:30pm and we’re back at the hotel around 12am. By the time I get ready for the next day, prepare for bed, and get caught up on my emails and Skyping, it’s about 2am. All things considered, I do not know how frequent my blog will be. However, I aspire to keep you posted at least once a week. I have not had any days off yet and may not for some time, but when I do that should give me more flexibility. (The restaurant is still in its opening stages and it is important that all of the managers be present each day in the weeks t come until we know it can function completely on its own.)

So what is Figs Kuwait all about? If you’ve been to the Figs in Boston, this Figs would probably take you by surprise. The décor stands in staunch contrast. While the Boston figs feels intimate, cozy, and snug, the Kuwait Figs in the Avenues mall proves large, sleek, and sexy. The restaurant name glows in purple neon lights against a backdrop of black textured walls. Inside round leather chairs surround dark wooden tables. The dim mood lighting is reminiscent of modern New York clubs. An “outdoor patio” overlooks the mall below. The formidable mall boasts large palm trees, dangling lights, and a format made to look like city streets.

The food mantains signature Todd English elements. The Kuwait location has the same types of offerings as the original: starters, pizzas, pastas, and mains. Many of the staples are present such as the Oliver’s pizza, Bronx Bomber, and Isabella’s. By name, many of the dishes overlap. At the same time, the cuisine diverges from the American plates in important ways. For one thing, Figs Kuwait has created several new dishes to cater to a Middle Eastern clientele like zaatar vinaigrette and a mezze platter. In addition, the Kuwait kitchen has to factor in limitations imposed by the country. Alchohol must be omitted entirely. It is not used in the cooking and the restaurant has an extensive list of “mocktails” in leiu of a beverage list. Pork cannot be included either. The famous “Fig and Prosciutto Pizza” has been replaced with the “Fig and Bresola,” another type of cured meat.

Most evident, however, is the difference in overall preparation and flavors. The Middle Eastern palate favors extremes: extreme creaminess, sweetness, and richness. Copious amounts of honey are added to agrodolces and sauces. Pastas are saturated in thick, heavy sauces. Also, meat almost always is prepared well done. I have seen numerous dishes that would have been considered a beautiful medium sent back to the kitchen as rare. I ordered a burger medium rare and the chef on duty almost had a heart attack. I would not want to pass judgment on another culture’s taste, but I will say that the difference has been a little bit of a shock to my system. I have become accustomed to a careful balance of flavors and this milieu seems to take the direct opposite approach.

I have an interesting role within the restaurant itself. There were two other Americans here when I arrived. They came as part of an “opening team” appointed by Todd English and scheduled to stay for a shorter time frame, about a month. I, on the other hand, have signed with the Middle Eastern restaurant group that partnered with Todd English to produce the franchise. I work closely with the Americans and share their resources for now, but I will stay on for months to come. The man whose position I filled, Guests Relations manager, already left and the American chef is leaving within the week. Then, I will be on my own!

I alluded to my title: Guest Relations Manager. This is a title they created for me and my exact duties are ambiguous, flexible, and evolving. My American counterpart first explained my job to me as the “American ambassador.” The company benefits from an American face promoting the restaurant, welcoming guests, and checking in on them to heighten their dining experiences. I have some mixed opinions about this in some respects. On the other hand, it puts me in the unique position to place myself in every part of the restaurant. I am on the floor all the time so I get to observe everything that goes on around me. I check in with the guests in the front, organize the servers on the floor, and communicate with the kitchen crew in the back. As a manager, I also have access to the upstairs office and get to see the restaurant logistical operations unfold. Since this is my first official restaurant gig, I am enjoying this vantage point. Had I been tasked with a more intense, specialized position I would not get to be everywhere at once.

My role gives me an opportunity for constant growth as well. The corporation knows that my goal is to learn as much as possible and challenge myself. The restaurant is still in its early stages, but as it grows I am gaining more responsibilities. For example, today I got organize and implement the entire waiting list. To an outsider it may seem like a meaningless feat. In reality, I was keeping track of a slew of things at once. I felt challenged. It was such a surge of adrenaline and the feeling of success w
when the hours of work were over proved exhilarating.

Another major perk is that I get to observe and learn from experienced, talented individuals around me. The American chef appreciates my culinary passions and has been trying to let me see as much as possible. He has taught me several important lessons like the importance of tasting everything. Even if you try a dish one day, you should check back on it a few days later to make sure the kitchen is still executing it correctly. And a taste doesn’t mean finishing it; a single bite as it comes off the line can make or break a guest’s experience. He also reminds me to “walk not run.” As passionate as I am, I need to respect the seasoned professionals around me. I can learn more from standing back and watching them than trying to jump in prematurely.

I have tried many items on the menu and will give you more specific culinary notes in subsequent entries. For now, that is a rundown on the world I have found myself in!

Go FIGure!

Kuwaiti Kouture 1: Change for the Better?

Marhaba!
Or “welcome!” Welcome to the Kuwaiti version of Cuisine Couture . I can’t believe it’s already Saturday! Between jet lag, long restaurant shifts, and a new meal schedule I seem to have lost all sense of time and space.

This new adventure is turning out to be incredibly exciting. The shift to the restaurant business would be a huge transition and great learning experience under regular conditions, but the fact that this is all taking place in the Middle East adds an additional component. There are new sets of customs, expectations, and rules governing everything from social interaction to business to dining.

In the United States it is not uncommon to see “no substitutions” enblazened across the tops of menus. Even if it is not explicitly announced, waiters’ eye-rolls and sighs serve as deterrents for making menu changes. I even encounter resistance when I ask for alterations based on my food sensitivities.
Such limitations would be considered ludicrous in Kuwait. Customer requests are frequent and sometimes call for significant changes. From the first day, I was informed that the goal is always to accommodate them. The chefs continuously adjust the food; they substitute sauces, types of pasta, and side dishes. If a guest complains that the way a dish is prepared does not suit them, it will be returned even if the kitchen considers it perfectly cooked. The appeasements even extend to the seating. Tables will be pushed together and even carried from one part of the restaurant to another depending on where the clients want to sit.
I have pondered why the mentalities prove so different. I think that several factors contribute to the contrast between the US and here. First, competition here is fierce, especially in the mall. Restaurants are literally wall to wall and on top of one another. Without alcohol and an entertainment scene, dining is the main event and restaurants truly are everywhere. If a restaurant is unwilling to meet all of a guest’s demands they will simply go next door. In New York City, a restaurant change may require a walk or a trip on the subway.

Next, the dishes served are more static and formulaic. All of the ingredients have to be imported so one once a menu is established there tends to be little change. As a result, the chefs have memorized the make-up of each plate is pretty much engrained in a chef’s head. In New England, on the other hand, offerings come and go with the seasons. Vegetables are on constant rotations and proteins depend on what meat looked best on the market. Therefore, there is less time to thoroughly learn a dish. If a chef is less familiar with a dish or has had less practice with it, it might be harder to make additional amendments to it.

Furthermore, the United States dining scene is comprised of people from all classes and walks of life. While I hate to admit it, I have seen restaurants take incredible care of “high rollers” while leaving more ordinary diners to fend for themselves. In some establishments a wealthy or frequent patron will have their requests catered to while a more humble guest may be overlooked. In Kuwait, however, pretty much all guests are “high rollers.” By the time one is out at the largest shopping mall perusing dining options, it is assumed that they are “someone.” Patrons tend to be members of the “elite” and it is in a restaurant’s best interest to provide exceptional service.

Finally, while alterations may be rampant here, they are not as meticulous as they are at home. I feel bad for the level of detail involved in my requests. When I ask for no dairy, the chef may have to change the preparation entirely or leave out several ingredients (milk, butter, cheese) to accommodate my single request. That’s only the tip of the iceberg. Don’t forget about other needs: gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. Here, I have yet to see sensitivities and specialized diets. Substitutions involve substitutions or omissions rather than technical transformation.

Thus concludes my first culinary-cultural analysis. I have yet to formulate an opinion on the matter; both systems have their pros and cons. These are merely my humble observations and interpretations on what I have observed so far. Take them as you will… more to come .