What Was New: August 2007

1 August

Off the Cookshelf

"The book takes us through the introduction to the cuisine, the philosophy of Indian cooking, and a discussion about the origin of 'curry' itself. Next it talks us through the use of spices and various techniques, such as thickening agents and the correct use of chillies – the latter being 'vital' if you want to make a gourmet curry, apparently. It gives hints and shortcuts and describes which ingredients are used mainly for taste or for aroma. This fascinating background information takes up about a quarter of the book before you even get to any recipes." Kay kicks off our new series of cook book reviews with a curry classic!
50 Great Curries of India

4 August

Delights of Domino

"Once up the stairs you'll find yourself in a comfortable, warmly-lit (but air-conditioned) bar. Peter (Swiss) and Dew (Thai) have been running Domino since 1982, and after more than 25 years they certainly know how to make guests feel welcome!" We review our favourite place to stay when in Bangkok:
Domino Pub & Restaurant

5 August

Off the Cookshelf

"I use this book a lot for two main purposes. If I'm hungry and can't be bothered spending time in the kitchen it's easy to pick a recipe from here and knock up a delicious meal in 20 minutes or so. Other times I'll flip through it to find a new idea and put the ingredients on the weekly shopping list. The variety is quite astonishing and includes many cuisines." Kay dives into one of her favourite sources for quick 'n' tasty ideas.
Ainsley Harriott's Gourmet Express

6 August

Pic of the Week

A scuba diver off the coast of Thailand smooches at the camera.
Super Duper Scuba Smoocher!

8 August

Animal magic!

"Gozo SPCA is the only charity in Gozo (that's the small island next to Malta!) looking after the protection and care of all animals. Its centre, in Victoria, acts as a busy strays and rehoming centre." Find out how you can help the volunteers at the Gozo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – founded by expats in 1976.
Gozo SPCA

12 August

"The Kids Are All Right...."

Child psychologist Ruth Coppard of HelpMeHelpMyChild.com is back with more advice for parents with child-related worries. This time: helping children cope with a best friend's death; children whose interests don't match their parents'; and dealing with cross-cultural friendships.
Help Me Help My Child

13 August

Pic of the Week

A woman in a red sari walks past a brightly coloured Kathmandu shop front.
Colours of Kathmandu

14 August

Off the Cookshelf

"The premise of the book is that, as food fashion has changed, some dishes have been 'loved and lost'. In many cases this is a good thing – Brown Windsor Soup, anyone? But some dishes are inherently Good and, despite going out of fashion, remain popular to this day. 'Everybody, but everybody, loves Prawn Cocktail'." Kay indulges in a bit of culinary nostalgia with Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham.
The Prawn Cocktail Years

19 August

Land of the Black Mountain

We've got a whole new section in Expat World, dedicated to Europe's newest nation state – Montenegro. Find out more about it with retired expat Ernst Stogmuller's four-part account of his experiences since moving there in January 2005:
Retiring to Montenegro

20 August

Pic of the Week

Members of a Dutch battle re-enactment club dressed in the uniforms of a 1939 bicycle regiment.
To battle by bike

21 August

Off the Cookshelf

"In this book [Hay] takes a commonsense approach, with plenty of 'how to' advice. This, accompanied with stunning photos not only of the finished dishes, but also of the method in some cases, makes this an indispensable reference guide and source of ideas in the kitchen." Kay reviews a cookbook by Australia's best-selling food writer that's rapidly becoming one of her favourites.
Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 1

27 August

Pic of the Week

Two speed-crazed Thai youths brawl while anxious bystanders look on.
"Ya Ba" speed demons