When Gourmet Abu Dhabi kicks off this Friday, we can expect an embarrassment of edible riches - exquisite steak, delicate foie gras, briny sea food and ... yes, vegetables, courtesy of one of France's most famous chefs, Alain Passard, who will be making his second appearance at the capital's food extravaganza. "I had an amazing time there last time," he says. "It's one of my most fantastic memories, and I am looking forward to returning."
Passard's restaurant L'Arpège, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, is in the unique position of being the only three-star Michelin restaurant that not only celebrates vegetables, but puts them centre-stage - a concept that still remains a culinary challenge to most of Passard's peers.
It is still possible to enjoy the finest French haute cuisine without setting eyes on a vegetable. This is a country where foie gras and meats with rich sauces are often prized over the humble legume. A reader of a restaurant review wrote to me after a visit to a highly recommended Parisian bistro where, when asked what was available for vegetarians, received the brusque but symptomatic Parisian reply: "hospitals".
Vegetarian restaurants and menu options in the French capital generally lag behind their European neighbours, with only a few overtly healthy would-be bohemian outposts.
In fact, Alain Passard is not a vegetarian, and does not even care for the term, believing that "the real malady and unhappiness of vegetables has always been the vegetarian restaurant". His own establishment serves meat and fish too, but it is the poetic qualities of vegetables that are the focus, a love affair that is integral to his lifelong passion for cooking, which was inspired by his grandmother Louise, whose picture hangs in the restaurant.
However the crucial change in his style of cooking came in 2000 when the chef tired of preparing meat. "I think I had gone a long way in the preparation of poultry and red meat," Passard says, in his kitchen at L'Arpège. "I aspire today to respond to another desire, which is to explore the vegetable. I drew a line without regret under 12 great classic dishes of the restaurant; it was a genuine moment of calling everything into question. I have the sentiment of a fantastic adventure which goes right to the heart of my passion."
The menu at his restaurant reflects this new direction, where meat is sidelined in favour of an exciting range of vegetable creations. Passard's passion extends to the organic cultivation of a wide range of forgotten varieties, and to this end he has set up three kitchen gardens in different regions of France, which supply L'Arpège with all of its vegetables. This means that produce can have a genuine stamp of its area: sand in the Sarthe for carrots, asparagus and leeks; clay in the Eure for celeriac and brassicas, and alluvia in the Manche for herbs and spices.
This approach equally applies to the fish and meat used in the restaurant, which comes from liked-minded professionals for whom sustainable, organic production, taste and quality take priority. Passard recognises that the change in his cooking style coincided with the BSE outbreak in Europe and a growing awareness that vegetables should play a more central role in our diets.
Passard does not speak much, but his expressions and gestures say everything. I am invited into his kitchen to see what his food is really about. Later he reproaches me for my questions: "You've seen me cooking, you've spent the morning with me in the kitchen. What more could I tell you in an interview?"
It is always thrilling to see a great French kitchen in action and some 15 young chefs are busily at work when I arrive at L'Arpège to meet Passard. Bowls of colourful root vegetables, including varieties you are unlikely to find outside chef Passard's gardens, look glorious in their freshness. Shelves of beetroot are hidden under a thick blanket of coarse sea salt prior to a gentle two-hour roast after which the crust is broken to reveal the very essence of the vegetable. Brightly coloured purées sit in steaming bowls of water ready to be piped into delicate tartlets as an aperitif nibble. A young apprentice has the seemingly impossible task of rolling strips of peppery turnip into spirals around discs of the root vegetable, magically interleaved with truffles, taken from a brimming bowlful of the fragrant black diamonds.
Unpeeled shallots simmer in butter with bay leaves to form a pod of exquisite purée, perhaps to accompany the gleaming Dover sole that is being filleted with medical precision, next to wriggling Breton lobsters. The attention paid to sourcing meat and fish shows that L'Arpège is not a vegetarian restaurant and has no axe to grind: it is simply a question of accent and Passard puts that accent on his beloved vegetables.
Downstairs the patisserie is hard at work preparing the chef's most famous recent creation la taste bouquet de roses: an exquisitely beautiful dessert, in which strips of apple are delicately teased into forming opening roses over a fruit purée. Our photographer was forbidden from taking pictures of this closely guarded secret preparation.
A few hours into the service and activity in the kitchen is reaching a peak when Passard makes his entrance, exercising an eagle eye for any detail that does not meet with his approval, keeping his staff concentrated and attentive to even the smallest misjudgement.
An overloaded tartlet is pointed out - "Hold on, that won't feel good in the mouth, it's too bulky" - a critical eye cast over the catch of the day, and an exhortation to "broaden horizons" galvanises his team into working with seemingly effortless co-ordination.
He turns to a selection of vegetables, arranged like a still-life painting, behind his kitchen range and holds up particular varieties in wonderment at their loveliness. With great care and infinite respect, he prepares some violet carrots, gently simmering them to encourage them to bleed their essence and colour into a tiny quantity of concentrated liquor. It is a gentle and loving style of cooking, a long way from the violent jets of charring flames more often seen in a restaurant kitchen. "You must always treat vegetables gently," remarks chef Passard, as the lunchtime service begins.
An invitation to lunch with Passard is guaranteed to bring a smile to any food critic's lips. There ensues a series of dishes whose colour, perfume and luminosity are balanced with the art of a master chef, accompanied by sublime, crusty, country-style wholemeal bread and the best salted butter I have ever tasted. Highlights include a startlingly fresh carpaccio of scallops, an extraordinary sweet and sour chicory salad with a praline dressing, colourful vegetable gnocchi and, perhaps most indicative of the chef's fertile imagination, a risotto in which rice plays no part (instead, celery is transformed into lookalike grains of the cereal, gloriously finished with a rich herb sauce and a generous sprinkling of black truffles).
Two giant truckles, a mature Comte and a young crumbly Salers, make a spectacular cheese course, before a seemingly traditional baba tops off the meal. Originality is brought to this classic French dessert by a sprinkling of delicate dice of crystallised vegetables - sweet and perfectly appropriate.
The secret of Passard's success becomes apparent when the chef comes out of the kitchen to join his guests, seated contentedly in the sleek dining room. A smile for some, a gentle squeeze of the arm for others, an exchange of news with regulars, and some loving attention for a solitary Japanese cafe - this is not the traditional atmosphere of a three-star Parisian restaurant, where rigid formality often leaves little opportunity for small talk, and puts a heavy responsibility on the cafe to match the grandeur of the establishment.
To eat at L'Arpège is more like being invited to the house of a sublimely gifted friend; an impression seconded by the staff who, despite their professionalism, remain friendly, helpful and never intimidating. Passard does not ape the celebrity dining experience practised by some. The restaurant has no valet parking and no excessive branded marketing - the chef is driven by a love of cooking, rather than a love of glitz.
As the restaurant begins to empty, Passard settles down to enjoy lunch with friends, and an invitation to pull up a chair and join them allows me an insight into the private world of Passard - his love of the countryside and his future plans. Ordering dishes from his staff, just like any other cafe, albeit with a cheeky smile, Passard's choice is simple: pan-fried fish, topped with a grating of fresh horseradish - an excellent tip for adding character to the dish.
His love of music particularly that of John Coltrane, is well known, and accounts for the name of his restaurant (arpeggio in English). Relaxing with a cigar, another of his passions, Passard spoke with unbridled enthusiasm of his future trip to Abu Dhabi. "You can't imagine the choice in the fish market - incredibly fresh, fantastic," he says. Below he shares one of the favourite recipes of the restaurant, the legendary oeuf - egg, cream, sherry vinegar, and maple syrup all served in the shell. "Are you going to publish my recipe in Abu Dhabi?" he asks. "That will be great."
Alain Passard will be hosting Epicurean Promotions at the Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat al Beri, from February 16-19. Visit www.gourmetabudhabi.ae.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Background: Chemical Weapons
Racecard
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The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: AF Senad, Nathan Crosse (jockey), Kareem Ramadan (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ashjaan, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Amirah, Conner Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yaasoob, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Manhunter, Ryan Curatolo, Mujeeb Rahman.
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The%20specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
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