Thursday, October 8, 2009

Persian Nougat...

sweet n nutty...


Salaam,

Another popular Iranian sweet is Gaz, a traditional name for Persian nougat. It originated from the province of Isfahan, in central Iran.

It is usually associated with gaz-angebin or “sap of angebin” a desert plant native to the Zagros mountain range, belonging to the Tamarisk plant family.

Iranian nougat is traditionally handmade. Ingredients used include pistachio or almond, rosewater, saffron, honey and egg white. Its distinctive flavor makes it unique when compared to other nougats from Europe or other countries.

One of a ‘must buy’ list for any visitors to Iran to bring home, I reckon. Nowadays they are available in many different flavor, shapes and attractive packaging. Popular brands include the Ashrafi Gaz, Antique Gaz, Atiq, Shervin, Kerman and Assari.

Wassalam.


sekkeh gaz

specially-packed for Isfahan ascension as the cultural
capital of the Islamic world, 2006

one of our favorite choices...atiq

another variation of atiq gaz

antique gaz round shape

sekkeh...chocolate-coated

best of the antique line...

bountiful choices...


one of our favorite confectioneries on shariati st.

friendly and warm service...

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Summer Break 2009...(3)

Salaam,
Friday, June 26: Left Cardiff early morning in our rented car for a day trip to Swindon, Wiltshire, arriving there in a mere hour and a half. Swindon designer outlet is conveniently located just off junction 16 of the M4 motorway, near to Swindon town city centre.
Open seven days a week, I would describe the outlet as one of the best examples of retail regeneration in the UK. Set in a splendidly-restored Victorian buildings of the Great Western Railway works, the centre is adorned with original memorabilia and rare collection of overhead cranes and locomotives, in keeping with the heritage of the site and its uniqueness.
A few steps away from the outlet, there is the STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway, but we were simply ran out of time to even drop by.
The outlet offers a fabulous selection of stores (lost count, perhaps over 105 in all) with almost all the labels and big names, including Polo RL, Next, Hugo Boss, Jaeger, Gap, Ted Baker, Timberland, LK Bennett and many more. While the department stores offer a wide variety of home furnishings, crystalware and kitchenware shops such as Christy and Waterford Wedgewood.
To compliment our day, once again we had another 'fish n chips' lunch at the famed Harry Ramsdens located in the outlet's large central food court.
At Swindon Designer Outlet, without doubt you'll find everything you could always want, befitting its name - the home of Guilt-Free shopping...
Wassalam.


road sign to the outlet centre

billboard of famous names...

free designated parking and free meal vouchers for drivers

guilt-free shopping for guilt-free shoppers...

splendidly-restored Victorian buildings...

beautifully restored railway works...

heritage of the site

the old days...

up to date commercial adverts...

original memorabilia

accessibility information...

mesmerised by the beauty of the site...

originality

a rare collection of crane

another memorable record of antiquity

the world famous Harry Ramsden's fish n chips

heading back home to Cardiff

Monday, October 5, 2009

SummerBreak 2009...(2)

Salaam,
Thursday, June 25: Spent the rest of our second day in Cardiff sightseeing and touring around the city centre and its famed landmark, the Cardiff Castle. Been craving for the English 'fish n chips' for so long, so had our quick lunch at Debenham in the city centre. Weather was just perfect, though it got a little bit chilly towards the evening. A fine day to drive around and observe the beauty of the capital city and its green suburbs.
Wassalam.


a happy country indeed...

a major tourist attraction in the heart
of the city...

tourist bus...

Castle's main entrance


one of the city centre's shopping malls...





old church within the city square





Sunday, October 4, 2009

Raya @ the Aghaies...


Salaam,
Last night we were treated to our first Hari Raya 'open house' by the Aghaie family at Shariati Street, Tehran, since the beginning of Eid in Iran two weeks ago. It was our first real taste of the festive air though. Although some guests regretted for not being able to make it, it was indeed an evening to remember...at least in the company of our Bruneian compatriot and her very pleasant, amiable and humble husband and host. Foods were abundant, and the highlight of the menu is the Aghaie's famed chelow kebab...which I strongly recommeded if you are an ardent meatlover...and especially so after a long while not seeing one since the beginning of the fasting month. Apart from Bruneian cuisines, there were also a great variety of other Persian favorites including ghormeh sabze and the different condiments and mixtures of Iranian green salads.
Thank you so much to our kind host and hostess, Eyde-Fetr mubarak from us to you all.
Wassalam.
the main menu of the evening...

our great host n hostess...


from the host's own grill n recipe...

grilled chicken n tomatoes

aromatic saffron rice...

very tempting indeed...

udang masak pedas...Bruneian style

kentucky style fried chicken

a good balancer for the meat...

Iranian salads...

queue-up


among the desserts...


cornflake biscuits...

and Gaz...