cocomint

I went out in Muscat for the first time this weekend. It's a nightclub called Cocomint, and is upstairs in the same place as the sushi. I had already had quite a bit of the bubbly when I got there, but it definitely was a good time. They have two room, one techno dance and one hip hop. The techno room wasn't over packed, but it was full enough that there was none of that awkward don't-want-to-be-the-only-one-dancing thing.

Hey, it was a Gulf nightclub. No competition for Chicago, but if you go with the right people, it can be one kicking time:)

Jade Garden

For Sushi in Muscat that isn't as good as Tokyo Taro (in al Falaj Hotel) but still pretty darn good, and cheaper, you can hit up the Jade Garden on a Thursday for their buffet. It's in the Qurum Resort next to Shatti al Qurum. Lots of sushi and shashimi, what's not to like?

Trio Cafe

The Trio Cafe is in Al Masa Mall (next to A'Sarooj Center and al Fair).
It was a tasty corner cafe, the food was good and the prices reasonable. I had the haloumi and tomato sandwich and a balsamic vinaigrette salad. Everything was made fresh. Recommend it. Plus free wireless.

B+F Roadside Diner

In the shopping/apartment complex across from the Beach Hotel in Qurum (by Jawharat A-Shati)you'll find the B+F Roadside Diner. By its name you might hope to find a home-style diner with big burgers, comfy booth seats, bar options and complementary French fries.
No such luck. While it wasn't bad, per se, it was disappointing to say the least. It's more of a gourmet boutique diner. It offers an extensive and interesting menu (all sorts of burgers and sandwiches and intriguing appetizers). However, the portions are minuscule and are served decoratively on massive white plates. Sure, my pesto chicken sandwich on ciabatta was tasty, and my husband's roast beef wrap was good (once they took it back and grilled it properly), but the serving size and price to go along was less than inspiring. And no fries!

Go...if you want a tasty but expensive tiny sandwich in an attractive but very un-diner-esque atmosphere.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This is a super tasty "in between" bread to make. Not a sweet loaf bread, but too sweet to go with dinner.

Start with half milk-half water. Heat it (too hot to leave your finger in it, but cool enough to touch) and add the yeast (1 Tb) and a few Tbs of sugar. Add about a cup of whole wheat flour, salt about 2 tsp of cinnamon and stir until you can see it become stretchy. At this point, add the raisins (amount up to you).

Add as many oats as you like. (I put about 3/4 cup). Continue to stir in more w.w. flour until it is ready to knead.

Knead in more flour until it is not too sticky, but not too firm. This bread tastes better if it is a little less dense.

Let it rise (about an hour or more, until doubled). Punch it down and roll out the width of your loaf pan. Generously sprinkle cinnamon (and a little sugar if you want it sweeter) over the whole surface. Roll it up and stick it in the pan. Let rise again, and then bake at high heat until done....who knows when that will be with the Omani ovens! (about 20 minutes).

Enjoy! Great for breakfast toast with butter.

Wine Update

Because there are only 2 of us, popping a bottle of wine isn't practical when you just want a glass with dinner. So we buy boxes as well as bottles. (Not very romantic, but there are some decent ones out there).

Coolabah is not one of them. The first box we got of Coolabah white was pretty good, but the quality dropped dramatically next time, for both their dry white and red.

Drostey-Hoff and Stanley both trump Coolabah in quality.

Entertain Like an Expat

Well, I don't think all expats quite make it to the level of our friends in Muscat. They are la creme de la creme of generous entertaining. Whether it's Indian curry take-out, beautifully organized for 15 people, or home-made spinach/avocado salad with chicken risotto, they are expat-entertaining knock outs.

They camp equally well. On our weekend trip to the east coast beaches of Oman, they kepy pulling out the tasty food for everyone. Chicken salads, pre-cooked baked potatoes to warm in the fire, hummus, chopped veggies, cake, grenadine cocktails and champagne. It's a new kind of five-star camping.

I have taken notes and perhaps one day will attain the same level of gourmet camp-outs. Nevertheless, I have to say that sometimes I do enjoy just kicking back with a beer, grilled hot dogs and cookies and not worrying about the details.

Only they don't seem to worry about it....

Rustaq's One Worthy Restaurant

To anybody passing through Rustaq (whether you live here or are visiting Oman) there is really only one good place to grab a bite to eat. There are the ubiquitous Pakistani restaurants where the one dish served is decent but not remarkable by any means. Also, if you are a woman, even in a herd of male friends, it's still a somewhat annoying experience.
So, if you're passing by, go to Turkish Star (an-najm at-turki). It's tasty, authentically staffed by Turkish men, and very relaxed. It, in fact, the one place in Rustaq where I feel 100% comfortable and not stared at. The attitude of the Turkish owner and staff (not to idealize Turkish men!) is refreshingly indifferent to how I am dressed or how I sit, or the fact that I am the only woman there.

They are friendly and serve some amazing freshly baked Turkish bread that is too hot to eat when they put it on the table!

Snack 2

Try an afternoon snack of plain yogurt, honey, wheat germ, and dried cranberries.
It's tasty and especially good for women's health!

Snack of the Day

The past two weeks have been crazy, and I haven't done much cooking, or eating of meals! I've just been grazing....a lot!

This had led to me developing some snacking habits that I'll share, and perhaps start sharing regularly.

Snack of the Day 1:

Super simple and tasty. I've started running lately and bananas have potassium, which you need to replenish after working-out. I love peanut butter, and it's got good protein too, so I just put the together. Slice a little river down your banana and fill it up with peanut butter.

Simple, satisfing, deliciously childish, and healthy!