What A Flavourful World!

It's not very often that we get to meet other expats, not fellow Filipinos, who willingly share their passion to The Pink Tarha. One lady who has been more than gracious enough to share her passion for cooking and baking is Sadia Aleem, a mother of 3 who moved to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan a few years ago. 

Being invited to her family's modern villa in Olaya with a living room decked and decorated with IKEA stuff is a new yet fun experience for me. Stepping inside the living room is like entering a food haven. I could already smell the delicious food being cooked and heated in the kitchen. But even before I could focus on the delicious aroma, squeals of delight coming from a baby stole my attention. The very, very cute Aaminah, daughter of Sadia, was friendly and welcoming like her mother. Of course she wails time and again when she loses sight of her mom but she is so very cute and her huge smile brightens up the room effortlessly (not that the room is not bright as is, haha!). 

Cooking and baking books are lined up on a book shelf in the dining area and I can see novels of Paulo Coelho and John Grisham edged in between the racks. Sadia is very much fond of cooking and she has just started her cooking classes two months ago. She's had a successful run so far. She holds them mostly Thursdays, twice a month, and only accepts 5 students per class to focus on her students and the subject at hand. She conducts the class in her inviting kitchen and lays down tools and finished products in her dining table.

These decorative plates make eating all the more fun!

What I was about to devour!

That dish right there was beckoning!

When I sat down in her table, decorative and colorful plates tantalize me and she comes in placing platters and bowls of food. Good thing she warned me not to eat dinner before visiting her place because boy was I full when I stood up from that table! Haha. I honestly thought she's going to prepare Pakistani dishes and I was preparing my palate for an Arabic taste (which until now, I admit, am not really accustomed to) but lo and behold, the chicken dish and mixed garlic rice tasted like they came from a Chinese restaurant, only better! I love how fresh and stringy the chicken is and the sauce was lovely; savory punctuated by sweetness and spiciness (just a teeny tiny bit). It complements the viand.

Garlic rice and chicken and veggies

I think I ate half of what's in that plate though I was leaving some space for two more dishes: one is a chicken dish that is of Pakistan origins and pasta, a simple spaghetti that's soft and cheesy. I liked the chicken handi because it has a slight spiciness in its creamy sauce that you won't notice at first but gradually kicks in when you've had a mouthful. I truly enjoyed this dinner, especially with the conversation with the lovely Sadia who is very well versed with any topic under the sun (or moon since it's night time, haha!).

Chicken handi <3

The cheesy, creamy chicken casserole

Their villa has a nice little porch at the back which opens up to the compound's amenities area. I love that they have a lawn and a walking path where we took little Aaminah for a stroll in her, literally, stroller. We enjoyed her brownies with cups of tea. And what can I say about the brownies? I'm smitten; it's almost magical. It has a crispy, crunchy outside but a chewy inside. The more I chew, the chewier and stickier it gets. It's not too sweet also. So you might be wondering where the clear pictures of the brownies were. Here's what happened: I got to take home a small platter with the brownies in it. Because I arrived home late, I placed the brownies in our table thinking that no one would open and eat it since all the family members have retired to their rooms for the night. I decided to take the photos the following day. When I woke up in the morning, the brownies are gone. The guys of the house ate them already for breakfast. I stared at the empty plate hopelessly and my brother just quipped, "Well, if you must know, they're really good with coffee." Wow, thank you very much for that information. But I need photos!!! Hahaha. (I apologize, Sadia, for the lack of photos of your delectable brownies). 

Isn't she lovely?

My kind of flowers! Sweet!

I also got to take home a chocolate cake. Good thing they didn't touch this. They must have seen it was too beautiful to be sliced. I brought this at the office so that the other ladies can taste it. The delicate blossoms are carefully crafted by Sadia. I especially loved the carnation and I can imagine how much work and love she put into this cake. Before slicing the edges, I apologized to the cake saying, "I know you are too delicate and beautiful to be eaten and my heart is breaking because I'm supposed to eat you. But I promise to savor every bite and keep the flowers if I must." Haha! The chiffon crumbled under the knife ushering crumbs of soft chocolate morsels into the gold platter where the cake was standing. The chiffon was light. The semi dark chocolate was not too sweet, not too bitter. While you might find the cake too loose, Sadia has a version that is moist and denser. I look forward to it.

Chrysanthemum, calla lily and carnation

So sorry I have to cut you.

Sadia named her little business Flavours, which if I think about it, really speaks volumes about what she's doing. She infuses different flavors into her dishes and shares how she does it. Now, that's one woman who's passionate about her culinary craft! See more of her finished products and goodies in this album. I have to warn you though, you'll drool and wish you're in her house partaking in their dinner and dessert tonight.

If you want to learn cooking and baking techniques and whipping some delicious dishes (which you can share with The Pink Tarha, if you like, haha!), visit Flavours' Facebook page for schedules. If you want to sample her wonderful cooking and baking, visit her website for her menu of Spice Corner and Sweet Treats. ~ Sundrenched

Sadia Aleem

Flavours Cooking and Baking Class

Flavours Menu for Orders

Olaya St., Riyadh, KSA

F: www.facebook.com/Flavours.Saudia

W: http://sadiaaleem.wix.com/flavours#!home/mainPage

PS. Again, I'd like to say my heartfelt thanks to the lovely Sadia and her gorgeous family for welcoming me into the house, and in their table. Thank you! :)