Layered Party Dip Video Recipe

The joys of a newborn are immense to say the least. But then there are the sleepless nights, which are maybe not as joyous... So a very sleepy D is posting yet another video which was aired yesterday. 

I absolutely love this dip, and it reminds me of my soul mate Alex. We grew up together in Paris and NYC, and every time we had people over I would cook and she would make this fabulous dip. I added a few tweaks and perks to the recipe so I don't know how much it resembles your original one Alexi, but one thing is for sure; it always, always reminds me of you ;)

How ironic - we used to have crazy nights with this dip, parties until the wee hours of the morning. Now I'm posting this recipe with a completely different reason for my sleepless nights! Oh my how times have changed ;) xx

The complete recipe is on: http://www.daliaskitchen.com/2012/02/layered-party-dip.html

A New Life & Dainty Yoghurt Crumble Muffins

I seem to always have a reason why I haven’t posted a recent recipe these days or updated the blog. But I do not think there could be a better reason for my silence than this :)

Last Saturday the familia and I had lunch at one of our regular spots, and somehow, Phiras, my niece and I got food poisoned. So last week, the food bug got the best of me. It would not have been such an issue, had it not prompted me to give birth to my little munchkin earlier than expected. 

I just returned home from City Hospital, and finally had my beautiful daughter, Joanna, on Monday May 6th. Hamdellah.

She is such a cutie, so tiny… I actually forgot how small newborns were. She is significantly smaller than her brother was when he was born, which makes me that much more protective over her.

Baby Joujou, as we call her, carries my sister's name. Since we were little girls we had made a promise to each other that if we ever had daughters one day, we would name them after one another. Joujou, my sister did call her daughter Dalia, and so now I did the same. The name has so much meaning to me, as my sister truly is my other half. I hope one day, my little Joujou can be just like her auntie, a strong, independent and beautiful woman who can take on the world, no matter what comes her way. InshAllah always.

It’s a funny feeling being a mommy for the second time. Phares is my life, and for some kind of reason I thought I would take a little time to get close to baby Joujou. But in an instant, I had this overwhelming connection. It’s not due to the love I felt that moment, but more because I already know what crazy love is coming my way. This little bundle of joy will be my entire life. No matter how cheesy this sounds, but I cannot help but say that the love you feel for your child is such a beautiful, intense and ever growing addiction.

Yes, I am obviously extremely emotional and utterly in love with my new baby girl, what can I say. But it seems Phiras has fallen even harder than me, he is already head over heels for his little lady. Just look at the snapshot of them hours after she was born.

May God bless you inshAllah. My darlings Baby Joujou, big brother Phares and Daddy Phiras, I love you all so incredibly much.

To give this post some food blog value, I will leave you with the latest episode from my cooking web series. Divine Yoghurt Muffins (in Arabic but subtitled in English as always)

Much love,

D xx

For the complete recipe visit: http://www.daliaskitchen.com/2011/09/blueberry-yoghurt-crumble-muffins.html

Getting ready for the new chapter in our life and a beautifully, creamy Butter Chicken

My last few posts have been a little different from my usual recipe plus image ones. Even though  I have a ton of recipes on hand, I somehow have been feeling the urge to share in a different manner these days...

The birth of my second child is just around the corner inshAllah, and so I'm going through the so-called "nesting" phase. A very strong one I may add! I'm planning a month's menu for my little family, knowing I won't be up and running by the stove too soon, going through an OCD phase which means the house is suffering through multiple changes & spring cleanings a week. For some reason, I still haven't had time to set up my baby's nursery which is making me feel super guilty, so I'm getting a little anxious to say the least.

I admit. I'm nervous about having a second child, managing my bigger family and home, trying to find time to spend time with my beloved friends (who probably hate me by now as I'm not calling back, or even seeing anyone these days), plus launching a cookbook, running a chain of bakeries, writing a blog and shooting all at once are really making me feel an odd load of pressure. With my hormones going into overdrive, I haven't been this bipolar ever. Excited. Scared. Nervous. Happy. Tired. Energetic. Sad. Ecstatic. That is me right now pretty much every single day...

But all I can do is just take it one day at a time. I do remember this feeling when I gave birth to Phares, however, not as strongly. Then again, there was just one baby, no book and fewer bakeries, so I guess it all makes sense. Hamdellah, it's all a blessing, but I don't shy away from sharing when things seem to get a little tougher around the edges. After all, this blog is as personal as could be, and things are not always as they appear, so I don't mind sharing that ;)

On a lighter note, this is the latest video of my new cooking series :) I shot these episodes when I was four months pregnant, and am glad I did as I love watching them now. I also love this dish, and am sure you would too, so have a try. It's delectable!

Much love, 

D xx

For the complete recipe visit: http://www.daliaskitchen.com/2011/12/ds-butter-chicken.html

An unexpected turn of events (literally), the book launch and a Carrot & Ginger Soup ;)

Just a few weeks left before my little munchkin arrives, and so I'm handing over things at the bakery while preparing for the book's release at the same time. My days are oh so exciting and exhausting at once! Yes, I'm having a baby and my cookbook is launching in parallel, which was not really planned, but then again, timing and I have always had a funny little relationship ;)

To add to the matter, my birth plan isn't turning out to be what it was meant to be, as I'm most likely going in for a C-section because little one is in breech position. I won't go into details, as this is a food blog after all, but as you know, it's also my online journal most of the time, so a little venting is in order with this unexpected turn of events.

I must say though that the excitement of the upcoming release is the highlight these days. I cannot wait to share the book with you, and hope you love it as much as I do. I will be dedicating a full post on the "making of" when I get the chance.

In the mean time, I will leave you with some fun stuff to watch! My new web cooking series :) 

Tune in ever Saturday during April, May and June for simple yet delicious everyday recipes. I will be posting them here or you can catch them on mydubaimycity.com. One week the episode runs in Arabic, and the following week in English. Both version are subtitled and they are different recipes so do make sure you get a glimpse of both ;) Much love, D xx

For the complete recipe visit: http://www.daliaskitchen.com/2011/11/carrot-ginger-soup.html

Conchiglie Pasta with Sausage & Tender Broccoli

Image by Sukaina Rajabali

The excitement of launching the book and the raging hormones of the start of month 8 of pregnancy are like the wrong sauce with the wrong dish. Emotions and tantrums are all over the place these days..

I'm extremely joyful, then nervous, then frantic, then indecisive and then the whole thing starts all over again. But one thing is for sure.. I cannot wait to hold my little munchkins face, and a copy of that book ;)

I must apologize for the absence, and especially for the delayed Arabic posts on the blog, but there really is just that much I can do these days.. Add to that a husband who feels he has been neglected these past 4 months (I admit Phiras did mainly dine on cold dishes or leftovers from the book's shoot), and a son who now is demanding all of Mami's attention, life has been beautifully demanding of me these days. Hamdellah.

I also have been somewhat under a rock these past few months, not really having the time or energy to be out and about, and so I miss my friends terribly. I've made it a point to take it a tad slower these next few months and enjoy the last 2 months before munchkin #2 arrives, and the cookbook launches set off!

Very exciting stuff indeed. In the mean time I will leave you with gorgeous pasta full of yummy greens and flavoursome sausage.. 

Much love,

D xx

Serves 4

Prep & Cook Time: ~40 minutes

·      1 onion, finely chopped

·      2 garlic cloves, minced

·      2 tbsp. tomato paste

·      ½ tsp. dried oregano

·      3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

·      12 sausages of your choice, casings removed

Or 12 Lebanese sausages (Makanek), casings removed

·      2 cups chicken stock

·      1 cup cooking cream

·      3 cups tender broccoli, cut off stems

·      500g conchiglie pasta or similar

·      Salt & cracked pepper to taste

·      Parmesan to taste

·      ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

1. In a pan, heat a generous amount of olive oil. Sauté the onions until translucent, add the garlic and cook until slightly golden.
2. Add tomato paste, oregano, half the parsley and cook for a minute before adding the sausages.
3. Break up the sausages into bite sized pieces, cooking them for a few minutes.
4. Add stock, cream and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
5. In the mean time cook the broccoli in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes until tender but firm. Drain and set aside.
6. Cook the pasta as per instructions on the pack to al dente.
7. Once sauce is ready, check for seasoning and add a little Parmesan to taste. Add the cooked pasta then the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes to warm through.
8. Sprinkle with remaining parsley, pine nuts and serve with Parmesan on the side. Enjoy!