Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
I PROMISED the good lady a romantic night out - candlelit dinner for two - the works. And I even threw caution to the wind and suggested she nip into one of the malls to pick up a 'closing down' sale bargain to wear. Now, does that not display a husband with a heart?
Perhaps this generous gesture could help make amends for all those Mother's Day cards I have forgotten to buy (important reminder, it's this Sunday for us Brits - don't forget your mother or the mother of your children) ... and there was another good reason, we would be doing our bit to save the world!
Kathryn was not convinced. Would it be safe on the roads?
It's a dilemma facing all expats at the moment. Is it better to stay home, or pop to the Dilly or the Rugby Club? The irritating waft of tear gas 24 hours earlier as we joined friends at a pool party at their compound near Saar didn't help inspire confidence.
But this week I was determined to launch our Bahrain's Back in Business campaign and it was important to lead from the front ... otherwise we might not have any great restaurants and cafes in Juffair and Adliya left open, let alone stores.
The roads on Saturday evening were disturbingly clear. It took around 15 minutes to cruise from Janabiya to Juffair - a journey before the unrest which could sometimes take an hour.
I never thought I would miss those lane-hopping visitors from across the causeway that frequented the highways every weekend. Come back, all is forgiven.
We arrived at the Marriott Executive Apartments shortly before the exterior lighting of the twin-tower building was switched off between 8.30 pm to 9.30pm in support of Global Earth Hour 2011.
The Earth Hour was a global initiative where cities and towns around the world switched off their lights for an hour to send a powerful message that it is time to take action on global warming and make a long-term commitment to do more for our planet.
Candles lit up the lobby and its restaurant Skyw@lk Cafe staged a special candle-lit dinner, allowing guests to enjoy the evening and the same time reduce energy consumption.
A special buffet had been orchestrated by Sous Chef Hari Sharan Budhatoki the culinary master who creates the venue's much-talked about Tuesday evening Italian buffet, which at BD8.5++ and a soft drink, is one of the most popular eating out events on the island.
Chef Hari put all his talents to the test for the Earth Hour celebrations with a rich array of international cuisine, alongside Asian delicacies and Arabic favourites.
With 15 years experience, the Nepali learned his trade at the Shangri-La Hotel in his home country before spending eight years in Kuwait with Radisson and Rotana hotel groups before joining the launch team at Marriott Executive Apartments three years ago.
The rich array of dishes included a sensational herb-crusted hamour, shrimp newberg, grilled chicken, grilled steak in mushroom sauce and stir-fried Chinese.
But his crme-de-le-crme was the pudding. Alongside the Arabic sweets dishes and selection of fresh fruit was the most-mouth-watering home-made cheese cake ever to melt in my mouth. Yummmm.
As soon as it slivered down my throat the lights came on ... the moment was lost (until I went up for seconds).
Bahrain is definitely back in business. The group celebrating a birthday with real candles on the table as well as on the cake, and a young dad taking his son for a meal straight after karate class can vouch for that ... we can taste it!
Chef Hari's Veal Osso Buco
Ingredients:
Veal shanks 2 pounds
All-purpose flour 1/4 cup
Butter 1/4 cup
Garlic, crushed 2 cloves
Onion, chopped 1large
Carrot, chopped 1 large
Dry white wine 2/3 cup
Beef stock 2/3 cup
Can diced tomatoes 1 (14.5 ounce)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fine chopped (Rosemary and thyme) 2 grams each
Chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup
Garlic, minced 1 clove
Grated lemon zest 2 teaspoons
Procedure:
Dust the veal shanks lightly with flour. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the veal, and cook until browned on the outside. Remove to a bowl, and keep warm. Add two cloves of crushed garlic and onion to the skillet; cook and stir until onion is tender. Return the veal to the pan and mix in the carrot and wine. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour in the tomatoes and beef stock, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 1 and-a-half- hours, basting the veal every 15 minutes or so. The meat should be tender, but not falling off the bone.
In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, one clove of garlic and lemon zest. Mix into the veal just before serving.
Osso Buco can be served with any kind of pasta, rice, or polenta.
