Waffling About

I have a confession to make. I have begun to hoard things. This came about after yet another shortage of a particular food item. This time it is waffles. Now I am one who can live without many things, but a recently turned 4 year old cannot.

Like clockwork, it has been A’s morning ritual since we moved to Doha to have a waffle for breakfast every single morning. I sometimes wonder when he might get tired of them, but until then I have to indulge in his little idiosyncrasies. Back home, it was de-crusted Nutella sandwiches and, I kid you not, shwarma strips. But in the land of shwarmas, he won’t touch them with a 10 foot pole.

Eggo brand waffles are not easily available here. I once purchased them from my regular grocery store called the Family Food Center, but they have now discontinued carrying them. My next option was a store called Mega Mart where many western expats go to purchase their groceries. Mega Mart contains many comfort foods from back home (think Cheese Wiz, Oscar Meyer, Marmite for the Brits …). They also charge about 50% more than what one would usually pay, but this is a small price to pay for items that will bring comfort and retain sanity, namely mine.

There were once 2 Mega Mart stores, but the one closest to my home recently closed to make way for a brand new Carrefour. Carrefour can be best described as the French version of Walmart. Very nice, especially if you are in the mood for items such as soupe des poisons, gateau Breton, crème fraiche etc, but they do not carry many items that we are used to. So now expats flock to the lone Mega Mart in Doha. This also means that there’s a fat chance one will find the items they are searching for. After 2 fruitless trips however, we did get lucky. There in the freezer section sat a giant industrial sized box of, you guessed it, Eggo waffles. We grabbed it before anyone else could lay their hands on them.

My freezer is now half full of waffles, and every morning I take out one precious piece. I lightly toast it, butter it with some sublime French butter bought at Carrefour, and drizzle a small amount of Aunt Jemima syrup on top, also purchased at Mega Mart. I then cut it into small bite size pieces and place it on a Batman plate, since in the morning only Batman will do. Now my next project is either to wean A off waffles, or buy a waffle iron. I would bet on the latter.

The Friday Ritual

Here in Doha, the weekend comprises of Friday and Saturday. Friday is the Muslim Sabbath, a day when Muslim’s go to a distinct afternoon prayer called Jumaa (which literally means Friday) at their local Mosque (or Masjid in Arabic). Though it is recommended that every able bodied man attend all 5 daily prayers at the Masjid, there is a great significance for the Jumaa prayers. These payers start with a Khutbah (or sermon), which lasts about 20-30 minutes. After this the traditional prayer takes place. The topic of the Khutbah can range from many diverse subjects, though they always adhere to strict Islamic guidelines. We regularly go to the Qatar Center for the Presentation of Islam, also known as the FANAR center, since the Khutbah’s are in English.

Prayers end at about 12:30 pm. Afterwards we frequently go to a Friday lunch/brunch buffet, held at many hotels & restaurants. We have gone to many places, but our perpetual favorite is called the Caravan. It is mainly an Indian restaurant but they also serve a few Chinese, Thai, Filipino & Japanese dishes. The food is good, but we go there mainly because it is extremely family friendly, with a comfortable dining room and exceptional service. Someone spill something? No problem, always cleaned up with a smile. A wants more bread after the bill is paid? A fresh basket appears. With 3 kids, these things are very important to us. Like many restaurants here, they also have a separate dining room designated for families only. The clientele is diverse, and the prices are reasonable.

We don’t eat much breakfast on Fridays since we want to do justice to the buffet. When we get there, H makes a beeline to the dessert table. Ever since coming here, he has developed a tremendous sweet tooth for Indian desserts. His preference is the perennial favorite, the Gulab Jamun, of which the Caravan provides him with a copious supply. Due to its excessive sweetness, I personally can not eat more then one.

I start with the soup, chicken-corn which I spice up with the chili/vinegar mixture present at the table. Then I progress my way towards the appetizers and main dishes. The buffet itself is extensive, with various soups, salads, appetizers and a wide variety of curry’s, both vegetarian and non vegetarian. There are also, as aforementioned, many Southeast Asian dishes as well. In order to please all palates, the food is not terribly spicy. My favorite items are the chicken curries such as Kashmiri Chicken cooked in a mild cream sauce and lentils called Daal Makhani. Fresh baked Naan continues to be replenished at the table. A, who is on a minimalist diet these days, is content with bread and plain white rice. But since his older brother was eating dessert, he also expressed is desire to try “Pulam Jamoo”. After taking one bite he said “that’s enough”. After lunch we usually go straight home. K and I then fall into a food induced coma, while the kids occupy themselves with their various electronic games or watch TV. In the evening we may go out, sometimes to see friends or just window shop in one of Doha’s many colorful and diverse neighborhoods.

These days however, our Friday routine is in hiatus. H has joined baseball and the games start right after the prayers. But when baseball season ends, we shall resume our ritual with great gusto.