Weekend links.

Starting with the Lotsa Lazy Cake from Cloud Restaurants on Sunday afternoon, it was an excellent week for home deliveries.  Sometimes you just need a little treat, and these cakes deliver a lot of taste in a small package.  My favorite part?  The crunchy biscuit bits.  I also got to test out Food Nation Go, which offers surprisingly affordable and delicious deliveries.  As all dishes are under AED30 and easy to freeze, I’m thinking this would be a good option for a busy week.

New Zealand Naturally sent me a batch of their produce and food, which is available at Spinneys. Casinetto sent me the ingredients for squid pasta, which I will do my best to recreate this weekend. And yes, you can still use my affiliate link, or ATOZ to save 10%. Finally, I was sent a new product from local baker Varak, who has (smartly) created a tasting platter of some of their best cakes. Why choose one, when you can have all the goodness?

With book club a constantly moving target (in reality, we just have too many successful women with hectic schedules), I decided to take Hubs out to Seven Sisters, which was our first visit. I’m happy to say it felt like a real date night. Was there an overabundance of truffle oil for my taste in a few of the dishes? Perhaps. Was it still an enjoyable night to dine al fresco? It most definitely was.

I finished the week at Missippi (the American in me cringes at the spelling), to enjoy dining outside and the outdoor rooftop vibes. I’ll admit that I went in with limited expectations, but overall, the music, service, and food were all above average.

Links?

• Saveur’s Top 100 (give yourself some time to get through this list). Saveur
• Long live the room service club sandwich. Eater
• Things chefs do that you should not do. Taste Cooking
• An interesting look at how people are spending money on food in 2020 (US specific). The Kitchn
• Yes, to this gin advent calendar. The Spirit Co
• Top food trends for 2021 (from Whole Foods). The Kitchn 
• I welcomed a guest contributor this week if you’d like to read up on Gaia. A to Za’atar
• The Tasting Class is holding a Vine Festival in Dubai? Sign us up! What’s On Dubai
• Another ‘oh, Dubai’ dish = gold duck at Hakkasan. Time Out Dubai  
• What is the future of Michelin in the States? Grub Street
• Cheese and candy pairings (ahead of Halloween). Food52
• How many tacos could eat in one sitting? Is the answer 41? The Takeout
• Thinking ahead for the holidays? Both Reform Social & Grill and Publique will be offering a free package to the organizer of groups of 10 or more on bookings made between now and Friday 25th November (tables will be compliant with all local social distancing rules). Gates Hospitality
• Going out for dinner soon? Make use of Groupon Coupon Codes for discounts on restaurants.

Next week, I am delighted that I’ll be hosting the Evolution of Pastry event, managed by Sopexa and The Cream Lab.  Last year, I learned so much moderating their Women in Pastry event, so I am very much looking forward to this event, including meeting the talented Claire Heitzler. In addition, I’ll be popping back to BOCA to sample the Bethany Kehdy/International Sherry Week menu ahead of its launch at the restaurant, and we’re crazy for dalmatians at K9 Friends.