MASTERMIND PR

Dalia Dogmoch Soubra, Founder of one of the region’s most popular food blogs, DaliasKitchen.com, will be launching her debut cookbook titled ‘Food, Love & Life from Dalia’s Kitchen’ at Bloomingdale’s Home - Dubai, The Dubai Mall, later this week.

A culinary nomad born in London, raised in Paris and having lived many years in New York City, Dalia moved to Beirut when she founded Kitsch Bakery & Café, which today spans locations across the Middle East region.  Her diverse background have led to an eclectic cuisine, with recipes ranging from East to West as well as fusing flavors from both parts of the world in one dish.

“This book takes you through an exciting culinary journey. Today food has broken barriers of cultures in so many ways. There is an ever-growing interest to learn about dishes from other parts of the world. Being Syrian, but having grown up in France, the US and now living in Dubai has driven me to concoct a book which takes you through different and exciting flavor profiles. I am not one who can enjoy French cuisine all the time, nor do I cook Arabic dishes on a daily basis. I need a little bit of everything, so in this book you get the best of both worlds,” reveals Dalia.

Food, Love and Life is a melting pot of over 120 everyday recipes ranging from Arabic delicacies like Za'atar Chicken to German Baked Cheese Spaeztle, French Steak Tartare, Indian Lentil Dal, all the way to homemade Italian Pizza, all with a delicious twist.

In addition, there are tips on how to make your own staples at home, like Mint Labneh, Pickles and Peanut Butter as well as easy entertaining ideas for family and friends. “It’s gratifying to make your own jam at home, it just tastes that much better when you have made it yourself,” says Dalia.

The book is also supported by one of Dalia’s favorite cookware brands, Mauviel. Mauviel has been manufacturing the highest quality of copper cookware for professional and commercial markets since 1830. Mauviel offers cookware manufactured in copper, stainless steel and aluminum that is unsurpassed in quality and design - praised by professional chefs and household cooks.

“Throughout the world, our products are used by many famous chefs and professionals and we are delighted to be working with Dalia as we believe she is a wonderful talent and a great ambassador for the brand,” states, Valérie Gilbert, President, Mauviel.

“I have been a fan of Mauviel pots ever since I was growing up in Paris and seeing them hang from famous kitchen ceilings. I couldn’t be happier to represent a brand that has so much culinary history,” adds Dalia.

The 248 pages book which will be available in English and Arabic is published by CPI, the publishers of BBC Good Food Middle East. It will be priced at AED 155 and will be available at all major bookstores across the UAE just in time for Ramadan!

The book will also be available online through Amazon.com and can be shipped worldwide. 

The French are taught to appreciate fine food and take great pride in their nation's culinary reputation. They have a well-deserved notoriety for producing some of the best food in the world. Apéritif à la française, a warm and friendly celebration where people who appreciate French art de vivre and those curious to learn more about it come together to discover a wide range of French food and beverages, will be held in Dubai next month.

This annual event is organized by the International Food & Lifestyle Marketing Group, SOPEXA, and is supported by the French Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to promote the French gastronomy and Art de vivre in the UAE.

“Each year, France strengthens its major role in supplying high quality standards food & beverage products to the UAE. In 2012, France witnessed a growth in exports by more than 15% vs. 2011 and by more than 50% vs. 2010. This remarkable achievement will set the trend for many years to come,” reveals Yassine Rami, Managing Director of Sopexa Middle East.

“Apéritif à la française is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to bring together public and private sector players, brands and trade organizations of France's food and beverage industry,” explains Edwina Salvatori, Marketing Manager, SOPEXA Middle East.

This year, the Apéritif à la française will be marking its 10th anniversary across the word in Berlin, Copenhagen, Dubai, Hong-Kong, Milan, Montreal, New-York, Paris, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. “We will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Apéritif à la française this year, immersing you in typical French Aperitif scenes, an event not to be missed,” reveals Salvatori.

Since the French are also very engaged with the aesthetics of their food, expect an artistic and large mouth-watering display of dairy products, breads, fruits, chocolates, biscuits, seafood, meat, fine groceries, syrups as well as a wide selection of beverages including tea, bottled water, syrups, lemonades and more in very authentic French atmosphere.

The event will offer you the opportunity to try a selection of the best French products available in the market:

You can excite your taste buds with the new VALRHONA’s Dulcey, the world’s first blond chocolate. You will also be able to try a wide range of MARGUERITE macaroons and sip on a delicious latte made of ELLE & VIRE organic Milk. You will also be one of the first to try PURE, the first natural and organic Soda.

Go for luxury with the ultimate ELIXIA Lemonade made of 24 carats gold flakes or even for the exotic passion fruit flavored TEISSEIRE syrup. Spice up your dish with MAILLE Dijonaise, the subtle combination of mayonnaise and mustard or cook delicious recipes made of REGILAIT, the only fat free milk available in the market that will help you eliminate those unwanted calories. Tickle your palate with BADOIT, the naturally sparking water which can be the perfect complement for your dining experience.

Apéritif à la française will be held on the 10th of June 2013 at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and is set to attract hospitality professionals, Chefs, F&B managers, sommeliers, restaurant chains, catering companies, airline catering and food lovers from all across the region.

For further information, please visit http://www.aperitif2013dubai.sopexame.com

O-Concept, one of Dubai’s most unique fashion destinations and the brainchild of Emarati Entrepreneur Omar Bin Khediya, is offering young and talented Designers the opportunity to showcase their designs just in time for the festive season. Over 30 designers from different nationalities will be showcasing their designs at O-Concept throughout the festive season and until the 31st of January 2013.

Designers and Artists from the UAE, France, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Australia, Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Afghanistan will come together to showcase the best in art and fashion. “We wanted to give young talented Designers the opportunity to showcase their designs in a retail environment and we thought this festive season would be the ideal time,” explains Annalisa Trentadue, Store Manager and Buyer, O-Concept.

If you are looking for a perfect gift for him or her this Christmas or New Year, O-Concept is the place to visit. The variety of styles and designs will certainly help you find something unique. From shirts, dresses, casual clothing, leggings, jewelry and turbans to unique pieces of art and furniture, expect to see a unique combination of art and fashion at its best.

 “We also have a number of initiatives in the pipeline aimed at supporting young talent. You will hear a lot more about this in the near future,” reveals Annalisa.

O-Concept is located along the Jumeirah Beach Road in Dubai. For further information, please contact 04-345 5557 or e-mail oconceptdxb@gmail.com

Welcome to The "M" Perspective! This is where we will be sharing with you our perspective on different topics, our latest news as well as our Client's news.

After working for a number of PR agencies in the United Arab Emirates and managing brands across different industries and sectors including FMCG, Consumer & Lifestyle, F&B, Information Technology, Education & Finance, I decided to move to the Client side where I gained valuable experience working as a Communications professional for one of the largest FMCG companies around the world today.

Four years later, I decided to join our well-established family business MasterMind Business Consultancy and start a dedicated function for PR & Communications consultancy services. MasterMind PR & Communication's vision is to deliver communications excellene. We like to keep the way we work simple yet we take a highly professional approach.

One of the areas we specialize in is Brand Journalism, which is a new form of communications for business that is rapidly emerging as the digital revolution continues to evolve. This is where we help brands tell their own stories and differentiate themselves from the rest. You will hear a lot more about this area of communications from me in the near future.

We also offer Strategic Internal and External Communications consultancy services. We have experience in developing effective internal communications programs and strategies for organizations. We can also help brands build their corporate image with external audiences. We also offer issues and crisis management services where we can help brands deal with difficult times through a calm and professional approach.

The third area we specialize in is Public Relations and Digital Media Management. We have established relationships with key English, Arabic & Asian print and broadcast media across the region. We also work very closely with the region's top bloggers. We help brands to be heard and seen and work closely with brands to help them achieve their business objectives. Our Digital Media Management services would help you build your brand presence online where we aim to create dialogue with your consumers to better understand their needs.Finally, we also have the in-house experience to plan and manage events that perfectly fit with your budgets.

I thought I would utilize our first blog post to introduce our services and tell you a little about us. If you have any questions realted to our services or if you would like to contact us about any specific topic, please feel free to get in touch as we'd love to hear from you!

Moustafa Mahdi
Strategic PR & Communications Consultant