I finally got around to hosting an event for our Home Concerts meetup, and what a party it was! My apartment was filled with nearly twice as many people as I have ever hosted at the same time, who I was able to accommodate only through creative furniture-moving. We had a bunch of guitarists, a couple of keyboard/piano players, and a conversation-stopping cellist (who, by the way, will be among the local musicians playing at The Courtyard Playhouse during the 4B street arts night later this month). And, of course, many fellow listeners to chip in, chime in and applaud the talent and guts of those who played and/or sang in my makeshift Xmas-light-delineated stage corner.
To sweeten the deal, I baked a belated seasonal treat: pumpkin pie. A very simple one too. I prepared a quick crust by mixing 240g cooled melted butter with two tablespoons each of vegetable oil and sugar and a half teaspoon of salt, then folding in 340g flour to make the dough.
After pressing the dough evenly into the baking tin (I used a large tart tin; the recipe quantities should be halved if using a regular pie tin) and chilling it for half an hour, I poured in the filling, which was comprised of a mixture of 850g canned pumpkin purée, 850g canned sweetened condensed milk, 4 eggs, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, half a teaspoon of ground cloves, and a teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and salt.
Baking it at 180C for about an hour, I let it cool before serving. Unfortunately, the whipped cream slipped my mind, though, yes, I would strongly recommend having it on hand. The pie was summarily annihilated nonetheless, and it was a pleasure seeing everyone enjoy it.
This weekend, I dropped by a live music gig by Stefan Malinowski, who's been playing for a while at Aloft Hotel, Abu Dhabi, at the poolside Mai Cafe on the rooftop. The first time I came here was for a Les Fils de Teuhpu concert, a long time ago. It's one of the W group of hotels, and its quirky design and decor make it worth a visit on those counts alone.
Apart from being a fellow improv actor and professional techie, Malinowski is also a talented multi-instrumental musician and singer. He is also well-acquainted with the region, having lived in the GCC for many years. I quite enjoyed his electronically-augmented mixed keyboard/guitar sets and his strong singing voice. He played many rock and pop genres, including alt rock, punk rock and what he called "pseudo jazz", and was happy to take requests.
His improv hobby occasionally spills into his performances, as he throws his own lines into songs from time to time. While he claims to not be a comedian, some of these are rather funny. If you're in Abu Dhabi on Thursday nights or late Friday afternoons, and are in a mood for a reasonably-priced buffet with some good live music, head over to Mai Cafe at the Aloft and check his act out.
Official website: http://www.stefanm.co.uk/
