06 March 2004
Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, the upscale lifestyle resort, has extended its facilities with the addition of Chef on Demand. The “couture cuisine” service is available for all Club guests, who can choose their menus, as well as their place of dining.
 
Chef Andrew Stansbie is prepared to cook anything the guest wants, wherever the recipe comes from. Here are some of his tips and facts gathered from trips around the world.
 
COOKING TIPS OF THE MONTH : BAKING CAKES
  • When baking with fruits and nuts, they often sink to the bottom of the cake. To stop this happening, mix a little flour in with the fruit or nuts and bake them in the oven for a short time, before adding to the cake mix as normal. 
     
  • Always wait until a cake is cool before icing it. 
     
  • When icing a cake, try adding a pinch of baking soda to the icing mix to keep it moist and prevent it cracking.
INGREDIENT OF THE MONTH: PARSLEY
  • Parsley is also used as a medicinal herb. 
     
  • It is a natural diuretic and is good for the liver and stomach. Parsley contains the essential oil apiole, which helps stimulate the kidneys. 
     
  • Chew fresh parsley after eating garlic to help reduce bad breath.  So, next time you eat in a restaurant, remember that the parsley isn’t just to be used as a garnish! 
     
  • Parsley is high in vitamin C and potassium. 
     
  • Always use parsley raw as cooking destroys its vitamins and minerals and takes away the flavor.
DID YOU KNOW … ?  
  • The world’s rarest coffee, Kopi Luwak, comes from Indonesia and costs $660 a kilogram. 
     
  • Each American eats approximately 10kg of tomatoes a year, of which more than half is in the form of tomato ketchup and pickles. 
     
  • Balsamic vinegar can cost more than $200 an ounce, and can be aged for up to 100 years. It was once considered so valuable that it was included in the dowries of young noblewomen, and was specifically mentioned in wills. 
     
  • There are more than 15,000 varieties of rice. 
     
  • Butter is one of the oldest foods known to man. 
     
  • Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries. 
     
  • Cocoa was first used as a spice for meat: which makes chocolate-covered insects seem less of a strange delicacy! 
     
  • Ancient Egyptians believed that mushrooms were the plant of immortality. The Pharaohs decreed that mushrooms should only be eaten by the royal family. Meanwhile, other civilizations throughout the world, including Russia, China, Greece, Mexico and Latin America, believed that mushrooms had properties that could produce superhuman strength. 
     
  • The 'French' in French fries refers to the method of cutting the potatoes: to 'french' means to slice into thin strips. Both France and Belgium claim they invented French fried. The concept didn’t reach American until the 1880s. 
     
  • The most popular drink in the world is tea, with beer in second place. However, this position is reversed in England and Ireland. 
     
  • The French writer Alexandre Dumas, author of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, loved melons so much that he offered to sell any of his published work to the city council of Cavaillon for 12 melons a year for life. 
     
  • Mint is said to be an effective deterrent against mice. 
     
  • It takes an experienced saffron picker 26 days to pick the 1,750,000 flower heads needed to produce a kilo of saffron. At a retail cost of up to $4,400 a kilogram, it is one of the world’s most expensive ingredients. 
     
  • Brazil nuts are only grown in rainforests. 
     
  • In ancient Egypt, citizens paid their taxes with honey, and it was used in hundreds of medical remedies. Honey contains 18 more calories per tablespoon than refined sugar. It takes about 4.5 million flower visits by honeybees to produce 1 kg of honey.
-Ends-
 
Note to editors: 
 London-based Le Méridien is a global hotel group with a portfolio of 130 luxury and upscale hotels (34,000 rooms) in 56 countries worldwide.  The majority of its properties are located in the world’s top cities and resorts throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. The company also enjoys a strategic alliance with JAL-owned Nikko Hotels, providing loyal guests access to an additional 44 properties around the world.  www.lemeridien.com
 
Further information
Kirstie Hepburn / Susan Furness
Strategic Solutions for
Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
Tel +971 4 391 5390,
e-mail media@strategicsolutionsonline.com
 
Julie Bonollo
PR manager,
Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
Tel: +971 4 3993333;
email julie.bonollo@lemeridien-minaseyahi.com
 
Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
www.lemeridien-minaseyahi.com
For Le Meridien reservations, telephone +971 4 331 3555,
www.lemeridien.com

© Press Release 2004