Saturday, June 03, 2006

Talking Dates ... again ...













I have discovered dates ... not the hard, compressed bricks that we are used to - but fresh, sweet and succulent. There are many different types of dates - depending on the country they are from. ("Experts" tell me the best are from Syria or Lebanon). Here they are served plain as an appetiser to stave off hunger, raw, stuffed with nuts and various other stuffings, in cold food, in hot food, as a syrup (VERY yummy! Try it!!), as a flavouring for milk (not bad) and as ingredients in many sweets and desserts. We even had date tea at the Emirates Palace Hotel - As a total tea hater, it converted me - YUMMMMMY. I am sure if the country was not so anti-alcoholic, they would find a way to make date wine .... now THAT sounds good!!

This time of the year the date palms are again pregnant with the promise of a bountiful crop of gold. (Wow! How's that for waxing lyrical....!!)

And, now I have discovered the ultimate date ... frozen. These delicious little bombs of ice cold sweetness are so addictive, someone is bound to ban them soon - so try them if you ever see them - and remember, you heard it HERE first!!

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