Recipes for Success: Chef Hadi Saroufim offers advice, shares a recipe for orange cake

Recipes for Success: Chef Hadi Saroufim offers advice, shares a recipe for orange cake
Hadi Saroufim is the executive chef at Dubai’s Beirut-import Bar Du Port. (Supplied)
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Updated 26 July 2024
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Recipes for Success: Chef Hadi Saroufim offers advice, shares a recipe for orange cake

Recipes for Success: Chef Hadi Saroufim offers advice, shares a recipe for orange cake

DUBAI: Hadi Saroufim, executive chef at Dubai’s Beirut-import Bar Du Port, has been cooking since the age of 10, but he truly fell in love with the culinary world once he began training in professional kitchens. 

“The more I worked in the industry, the more I loved it. I feel lucky to do what I do — it just feels right,” he tells Arab News. 

“One of my earliest food memories is modernizing a traditional Lebanese dish, kibbeh, from my village, Zgharta, in Lebanon. I turned it into a kibbeh roll with ice-cream yogurt, cucumber jelly, and dry ice,” he says. 




Bar Du Port. (Supplied)

His current favorite dish from the Bar Du Port menu is the grilled octopus with dried chorizo, tomato tartare, and smoky bell pepper coulis. “It uses simple ingredients but packs a punch,” he says. “This dish captures the essence of Mediterranean cuisine —fresh, bold, and delicious.” 

Here, Saroufim discusses burned onions, annoying customer habits, and the magic of vinegar. 

When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made? 

I often burned onions and garlic during preparation. In a professional kitchen, even if you’re assigned to a specific section, you have to multitask and work under tight time constraints. The pressure to juggle various tasks simultaneously can be overwhelming, especially for a new chef. Balancing the preparation of different components while keeping an eye on cooking times and techniques is a skill that takes time to develop. Those early days were tough — but essential for learning how to manage everything. 

What is your top tip for amateurs? 

Always use the best fresh produce available. Quality ingredients can elevate a dish from ordinary to extraordinary. When you start with fresh, high-end produce, the natural flavors shine through. I’ve always admired how Chef Alain Ducasse emphasizes “naturalité” in his cuisine, focusing on the purity of ingredients and letting their natural qualities speak for themselves. This philosophy has influenced my approach as well. Whether you’re cooking a simple meal or an elaborate dish, the quality of your ingredients will always make a significant difference. 




Thinly sliced yellowtail with burnt orange, passion fruit sauce. (Supplied)

What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish? 

Vinegar, such as Xeres vinegar, instantly enhances any dish by adding a burst of flavor. Just a splash can elevate the dish and bring out its best qualities, making it a must-have in any kitchen. I particularly recommend it for risotto or salad dressing. 

When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?  

I definitely pay attention to the food, but I try not to be too critical. One thing I often notice is an overuse of sauces. While sauces can enhance a dish, too much can overpower the main produce and mask the natural flavors.  

What’s your favorite cuisine? 

I particularly enjoy French and Japanese cuisines. I also admire the craftsmanship behind quality beef dishes, like the carpaccio at Nobu, which inspires our own menu innovations. 




Green lentil salad with rainbow cherry tomatoes, pomegranate, and yoghurt sumac dressing. (Supplied)

What customer behavior or request most annoys you? 

I love innovating and being creative — it’s all part of the craft. For example, our avocado mash has a unique twist compared to a traditional guacamole recipe, and that once sparked a ‘friendly debate’ with a guest about its preparation. While I always value guest feedback, it can be annoying when customers insist on dishes matching their exact home recipes, leaving little room for creativity. 

What’s your favorite dish to cook? 

I’m passionate about cooking fish because of its delicate nature and the precision it demands. Getting the timing just right is crucial to preserve its freshness and flavors. One dish I particularly enjoy preparing is butterflied sea bass. I love how simple yet elegant it is — seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and served with a refreshing courgette tartare. It’s a dish that showcases the beauty of fresh ingredients and allows me to express my creativity. 




Burrata with kalamata olives, heirloom tomatoes, grilled zucchini, and basil pesto. (Supplied)

What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right? 

One of the most challenging dishes for me is the traditional French foie-gras terrine — a classic of French cuisine. It demands meticulous technique, especially in layering the foie gras correctly. Precision is key; a slight misstep can cause the layers to blend together, compromising both the dish’s texture and presentation. Mastering the terrine requires careful attention to detail and a deep understanding of ingredients, making it technically demanding yet highly rewarding. 

As a head chef, what are you like? Do you shout a lot? Or are you more laidback? 

My focus is on maintaining calm and organization in the kitchen. On our busiest nights, we can serve up to 1,200 covers in our relatively small kitchen, so it’s important that everyone follows the rules. With a team of 15, discipline is crucial, but I avoid shouting, as it’s counterproductive.  

Chef Hadi’s orange cake recipe




(Supplied)

INGREDIENTS 

For the orange cake: 

340g eggs; 470g sugar; 360g flour; 10g baking powder; 230ml whipping cream; 160g butter (melted); 70g orange juice; 7g orange zest 

For the orange syrup:  

60g orange juice; 30g water; 30g sugar 

For the meringue: 

3 egg whites (100g); 200g sugar  

Additional: 

50g orange 

INSTRUCTIONS  

(Note: A bain-marie is required) 

For the orange cake: 

1. Preheat oven to 160C. 

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Add the eggs and beat well. 

3. Add the orange juice and whipping cream. Mix thoroughly. 

4. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix until there are no clumps. 

5. Add the melted butter and mix well. 

6. Pour the batter into a cake tray. Draw a straight line of melted butter on top. 

7. Bake for 55 minutes. 

8. Remove from the oven and pour the orange syrup over the cake. Allow it to cool. 

For the orange syrup:  

1. In a small saucepan, over very low heat, combine the orange juice, water, and sugar. 

2. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. 

3. Remove from heat. 

For the meringue: 

1. In a bain-marie, heat the egg whites to 65C. 

2. Transfer the egg whites to a mixer. 

3. Gradually add the sugar while whisking until stiff peaks form. 

Assembly: 

1. Once the cake has cooled and absorbed the syrup, serve slices with a dollop of meringue and (optional) garnish with fresh orange slices and a scoop of orange ice cream. 


Celebrated art curator champions vision of climate action, public engagement at Lahore Biennale

Celebrated art curator champions vision of climate action, public engagement at Lahore Biennale
Updated 13 October 2024
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Celebrated art curator champions vision of climate action, public engagement at Lahore Biennale

Celebrated art curator champions vision of climate action, public engagement at Lahore Biennale
  • John Tain’s career has spanned several countries where he digitally archived art before arriving in Pakistan
  • He shunned ‘museums and elite spaces’ and used public places for art installations to attract wider audience

LAHORE: A widely acclaimed art curator has transformed the third edition of the Lahore Biennale into an artistic engagement with ecology and the environment, selecting historic public spaces across Lahore for art installations to attract a wider audience and spark conversations about sustainable living.
Originally from Hong Kong, John Tain’s career has spanned several countries, including the United States, Taiwan, and India, where he digitally archived art before taking over curatorial duties in Pakistan.
The Lahore Biennale Foundation has been working since 2014 to preserve the city’s rich legacy of arts and culture, a heritage that stretches back thousands of years. This year’s theme, “Of Mountains and Seas,” reflects the pressing concern of how the Global South is disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.
Pakistan itself has witnessed a series of catastrophic floods, heatwaves and droughts that have claimed countless lives, caused massive financial damage and raised concerns about food security.
This is despite the fact that the country contributes less than one percent of global carbon emissions, yet remains one of the most severely affected by the impacts of climate change.
“[This year’s event] looks at the themes of ecologies and sustainable futures, but not from the perspective of the problems that we’re all facing, but really from thinking about what are the possible solutions,” Tain said while speaking to Arab News on Friday.
“Specifically, what are the solutions that we can find in a place like Lahore, Pakistan, and thinking about what resources are available locally and in the indigenous culture,” he added.
The event, which kicked off on October 5, will culminate in a Climate Congress next month, featuring international scholars, academics and artists, coinciding with the notorious smog season in the city.
Tain maintained that Lahore was the ideal location to carry out the biennale since it had been significantly impacted by the worsening climate.
“Working with 61 artists who come from over 30 countries, it’s really not about importing answers and knowledge from elsewhere,” he said. “It’s really about looking together for resources and what we can do together to find solutions for sustainability.”
Pointing to the paintings lining the walls of the Shalimar Garden, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1641, he highlighted works on melting glaciers and fossil fuels by artists like Hamra Abbas and Niamat Nigar.
“Lahore Biennale as a project is not located in art museums or elite spaces,” he said. “We’re really in the city. So, here we are at Shalimar Gardens, where families are playing football and taking strolls.”
Tain mentioned that art installations had also been placed at other public locations, such as the Orange Line metro system, which people use daily.
“So, it’s really meant to bring art to the people, rather than make people come to the art,” he added.
Asked about the Climate Congress at the end of the biennale, he said a lot of research on the environment had been done by experts and researchers, though it had not been properly communicated to the general public.
“The biennale is trying to think about how art and exhibitions can be vehicles for communicating these kinds of messages,” he continued, suggesting that the Climate Congress would be a continuation of the same effort.
While it has only been a week since the biennale installations were opened to the public, Tain said he was happy with the response.
“I think there was a good attendance on both of the opening days [of the inauguration],” he said, encouraging people to attend the event, which is open until November 8.


Logina Salah says Miss Universe Egypt 2024 win is a step towards greater inclusivity

Logina Salah says Miss Universe Egypt 2024 win is a step towards greater inclusivity
Updated 13 October 2024
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Logina Salah says Miss Universe Egypt 2024 win is a step towards greater inclusivity

Logina Salah says Miss Universe Egypt 2024 win is a step towards greater inclusivity

DUBAI: Egyptian model Logina Salah was recently crowned Miss Universe Egypt 2024, a victory that she believes signifies progress toward greater inclusivity in the world.

The 34-year-old makeup artist, model, body positivity advocate and single mother — who faced childhood bullying due to her vitiligo, a skin condition — triumphed over 12 finalists to win the title at an event in Cairo.

“I feel like the world is getting closer to including everybody. It wasn’t allowed for moms to participate, or any woman above 30, and I didn’t like participating in ‘moms pageantry’; I do not like labeling,” Salah, who is based in Dubai, said of the rules that changed in 2023.

She added: “When those restrictions were lifted, I saw it as the perfect opportunity. Pageantry was always on my mind, but I always said, ‘let me keep it for my daughter, maybe she would be interested’. I used to dream about it, but now the dream came back to life. I applied, and, thank God, I made it to Miss Universe!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Logina Salah (@loginasalah)

When Salah was announced as the winner, the first thought that crossed her mind was, “I want to have a crown that never falls.”

She said: “Being a queen is wonderful and fulfilling, but my ultimate purpose is to be the queen of hearts.”

Reflecting on her journey with vitiligo, Salah highlighted the power of living as an example. “I do not come every day and talk about vitiligo on my platform, but living my life fearlessly and unapologetically is a message to people,” she said.

“When someone comes across my profile and they see me living fearlessly, this is an inspiration. So, I do both. I like to go out and inspire, not only for people with vitiligo, but for all young girls and women.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Pao Caniamo (@paoocaniamo)

The model will now represent Egypt at the global Miss Universe competition, to be held in Mexico this year from Nov. 14-16. The competition will see contestants from more than 130 countries compete.

As Salah prepares for the event, she explained her approach to the journey ahead: “I have never tied my dreams to a goal or a target. I always tie it to a mission and a purpose. With goals, when they end, that is it, it ends. I have a mission and a purpose to leave this world better than I found it. I have a mission and a purpose to inspire others and overcome adversity.”

The model also urged fans to show their support early on, not just after a victory. “We have this habit of supporting people only once they’ve won. I want people to vote now, to support now, to give everything they have now, because I am representing my country and the region. It truly lifts our spirits,” she said.


Hollywood star Andrew Garfield speaks up for Gaza

Hollywood star Andrew Garfield speaks up for Gaza
Updated 13 October 2024
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Hollywood star Andrew Garfield speaks up for Gaza

Hollywood star Andrew Garfield speaks up for Gaza

DUBAI: In a clip that went viral over the weekend, Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield spoke up for Palestinians on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast.

Garfield, currently promoting his romantic drama “We Live in Time” alongside Florence Pugh, had an extensive conversation with Horowitz at New York’s 92nd Street Y.

During Thursday’s podcast interview, Horowitz posed an open-ended question asking if Garfield had any personal needs.

Garfield replied by urging people to focus on the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, saying that his personal happiness is more than sufficient.

“You know what, out of everyone in the world, I don’t need — I’m so happy,” Garfield said. “Like, we should be putting our energy toward something that actually matters, you know? Yeah, maybe the lives of, I don’t know, Palestinians in Gaza right now. Maybe that’s where we put our hearts and our energy.”

The actor continued: “And anyone suffering, anyone oppressed — anyone that is suffering under the weight of the horrors of our world right now. Anyone who doesn’t have a choice in, you know, living lives of dignity. Yeah — that’s where our energy should be going right now.”

With his stance on Palestine, Garfield joins the ranks of celebrities who have spoken out against Israel’s continuing onslaught in Gaza for the past year, including Palestinian American models and sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid, Marvel actor Mark Ruffalo, “Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan, and “Wednesday” actress Jenna Ortega.


 


Morocco’s tribeswomen see facial tattoo tradition fade

Morocco’s tribeswomen see facial tattoo tradition fade
Updated 13 October 2024
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Morocco’s tribeswomen see facial tattoo tradition fade

Morocco’s tribeswomen see facial tattoo tradition fade
  • Many attribute the near-disappearance of facial tattoos to Morocco’s changing religious attitudes in recent decades
  • The markings vary in design between the minority’s tribes and were used to signify the wearer’s origin while offering beauty and protection

IMILCHIL, Morocco: As a young girl growing up in the Atlas mountains, Hannou Mouloud’s family took her to have her chin tattooed with the cherished lines that generations of Moroccan Amazigh tribeswomen wore.
“When I was six, they told me tattoos were pretty adornments,” recalled the 67-year-old from Imilchil village of the once-common practice among women in North Africa’s Amazigh groups.
Long referred to as Befcerbers, many tribespeople from the area prefer to be called Amazigh, or Imazighen, which means “free people.”
Today, like in many of the Indigenous cultures across the world where facial tattoos were long prevalent, the practice has largely faded.
Many attribute the near-disappearance of facial tattoos to Morocco’s changing religious attitudes in recent decades, with interpretations of Islam where inked skin and other body modifications like piercings are prohibited taking hold.
“We would use charcoal to draw the designs on our faces, then a woman would prick the drawing with a needle until blood came out,” Mouloud told AFP, adding that they would rub the wound daily with a chewed green herb to deepen the tattoo’s color.
The markings vary in design between the minority’s tribes and were used to signify the wearer’s origin while offering beauty and protection.
Being tattooed would hurt, said Hannou Ait Mjane, 71, and “we couldn’t hold back our tears” but it “remains a tradition that our ancestors passed down to us.”

Amazigh women show their tattooed chin in the village of Imilchil in central Morocco's High Atlas Mountains on September on August 19, 2024. Many attribute the near-disappearance of facial tattoos to Morocco's changing religious attitudes in recent decades, with interpretations of Islam where inked skin and other body modifications like piercings are prohibited taking hold. (AFP)


Morocco has the largest Amazigh population in North Africa, with Tamazight, the community’s language, recognized as an official language alongside Arabic.
According to the most recent census in 2014, more than a quarter of Morocco’s 35 million inhabitants speak at least one dialect — Tarifit, Tamazight or Tachelhit.
Abdelouahed Finigue, a geography teacher and researcher from Imilchil, told AFP that women often had their chins, foreheads or hands tattooed.
“Some women had intimate areas tattooed as a wedding gift, expressing their love for their husband,” he added.
The designs held different meanings to the different communities.
“The woman, through her tattoos, expresses her beauty and her value as an individual independent of the man,” he said, explaining what the different shapes can mean.
“The circle, for example, represents the universe and beauty, just like the moon and the sun which occupied an important place in local rites,” he said.
But changing religious trends means fewer women are getting inked.
“In recent years, this custom has been tainted by preconceived ideas from Salafist currents,” he added, referring to a Sunni Islamist movement that seeks to return to the practices and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
Bassou Oujabbour, member of local development association AKHIAM, said women with the markings have faced social pressure.
“Fundamentalists sometimes describe tattooing as the devil’s book or as the first thing to be burned on the human body,” he said.
“Some women even removed the tattoos long after getting them for fear of punishment after death.”
 


Headlining designers announced for Riyadh Fashion Week

Headlining designers announced for Riyadh Fashion Week
Updated 12 October 2024
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Headlining designers announced for Riyadh Fashion Week

Headlining designers announced for Riyadh Fashion Week

DUBAI: Saudi fashion labels Adnan Akbar, Dar Alhanouf, Tima Abid, and Honayda will headline the upcoming second edition of Riyadh Fashion Week, which runs from Oct. 17-21.

Set to take place in three venues — Tuwaiq Palace, Digital City, and JAX District — the event will feature a series of runway shows, brand presentations, and a designer showroom.

The Saudi Fashion Commission-organized event will feature more than 30 Saudi designers, with Adnan Akbar, Dar Alhanouf, Tima Abid, and celebrity-loved Honayda among the headlining shows.

Other highlights include Waad AlOqaili, Khawla Alaiban, Atelier Hekayat and Yaha Albashiri, among others.

Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Fashion Commission, stated: “Riyadh Fashion Week stands at the forefront of positioning Saudi Arabia as a dynamic center for fashion and creativity. This event is a gateway for fostering homegrown talent, igniting new opportunities in fashion and retail, and driving both local and international engagement. By creating a platform for cultural exchange, we are celebrating the diversity and innovation of Saudi designers while elevating their impact on the global fashion stage.