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Nicky the explorer (Komal's Korner's resident travel correspondent) recently visited the city of Düsseldorf loacted in western Germany. It is a city with has history with churches dating back to the 13th century and is also boutique lined streets for the fashion conscious.  Nicky visited Düsseldorf at one of the best times, during the annual Christmas market. So if you find yourself in Düsseldorf for a weekend during this time of the year make sure you grab a pretzel and try out some hot dogs while enjoying the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  Scroll down for a photo walk through the Christmas market    

I was invited for a fun cheese workshop focused on European cheeses in general and French in particular one afternoon. I learnt about the fragrance and texture that goes along with the taste of a cheese to help combine it with various ingredients. Our teacher for the day was Cheesemonger (yes that is a profession) François Robin, who won this title at prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France competition, a process that takes years and culminates in a lifetime designation of Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (Best French Craftsman). I could translate the flavour of cheese into words but when it comes to pairing you really have to go with your taste buds. We used simple and easily available ingredients like dates, sesame, apricots, zaattar, almonds and pistachios and came up with some interesting treats. Look at the picture below to see my creations. Instead of telling you about cheese I want to share a cheese glossary with you today, which you can book mark and come back to at

Belgian chocolatier Godiva, the premier maker of the world's most elegant, hand-crafted chocolate since 1926, has the perfect presents for everyone on your list – from small delicious holiday treats to blissful grand gestures and charming keepsakes. The Godiva Holiday Collection features six new products including a Christmas Ballotin 4-piece box, 20-piece gift box with two limited edition milk and dark chocolate pieces, a 12-piece truffle box, as well as an Advent calendar and holiday Gold Ballotin 24 and 34-piece gift boxes.                                                                         I was invited to view this amazing collection and sample a number of treats. Heavenly is the word to describe some of the decadent chocolates I tried, from dark to milk and caramel to nuts, Godiva has them all. Also try out their dark hot chocolate while in store, its 'ahmazing!' and Not to forget their chocolate dipped strawberries, which I had the pleasure of  making u

Versace Fine Jewellery recently unveil the new concept of its first worldwide flagship boutique in The Dubai Mall.  The ring on the left has a 3  carat diamond, in-case you were wondering. The new store concept has been designed by artistic director Donatella Versace, to capture the new spirit of Versace Fine Jewellery. Everything is the ultimate in luxury and innovation, reflecting the craftsmanship and traditions of haute jewellery combined with the innovation of Versace today. The curved surface store is decorated with innovative architectural finishing and exclusive pieces from Versace Home. Jewels appear as if floating while Versace’s style permeates the space.  I was invited to explore this dedicated lounge to discover the most exclusive and limited edition jewellery sets. This was one of my favourite piece in the store The 255 square meters store will offer the latest collections of Versace Fine Jewellery, along with Versace’s classic lines such as

LUMAS Gallery, which opened today at the world’s largest shopping mall – The Dubai Mall, promises to change the way people in the Middle East think about buying art.   Founded in Germany in 2004, LUMAS has 40 galleries around the world, and adds a fresh perspective to the UAE’s art landscape, bridging the gap between high-end pieces and framed reproductions. “The UAE has an incredibly diverse population with a keen interest in acquiring affordable and original photography and contemporary art.  The LUMAS concept fills the gap in the market by targeting the ‘middle ground’ between fine-art pieces and mass-produced prints, liberating art from the constraints of exorbitant price tags, while delivering high quality, collectible works,” said Paul Marks, General Manager, LUMAS Middle East.    “Our passion for delivering extremely high resolution art photography marks a departure from buying off-the-self highly duplicated art. It gives our guests an opportunity to own a unique l

Tribeca is one of those places you can have a fun night out with great music and a relaxed atmosphere partnered with healthy yet delicious food. I was invited there for a review and I was glad to take it up after seeing the health and organic quotient its menu boasted. We went there on a Thursday night and yet the service was super quick.  The food was served faster than I could be distracted by a notification my phone, which is phenomenal! We started out our first course with the burrata which came sun dried tomatoes, mixed greens and orange concasse. It's not a hidden fact that I in fact am a cheese lover and I loved the burrata here. This was followed by the bruschetta sampler. The bruschetta was made with quinoa bread and had various flavour like mushrooms, walnuts and tomato, which made it quite a healthy treat.  For salads we went with the super food salad that had kale, goji berries, avocado and so much more. Its a common misconception if you mix a lot of good

CREO, a unique homegrown marketplace concept, has officially launched in the UAE. To mark the launch, CREO held a fashionably hip event connecting the online world to the indoors. Setting up shop at Argo Tea Arabia City Walk Dubai, the event showcased the brand’s urban, street vibe. CREO’s aim is to revolutionize the world of online fashion. Using the latest technologies, product and printing innovations, CREO manufactures its customers’ ideas into customized designs. By providing a canvas of high quality apparel and merchandise, customers can design, wear and carry their favorite pieces; words, ideas, music and so on, and turn them into wearable, useable art. Based in Dubai, the brand was created by a diverse group of young minds that shared the passion of building a Create-It-Yourself portal. With quirky designs, the brand speaks to people who have a 'now' state of mind; what is trending now, living in the now, making a statement now. CREO feeds on creativity and b

In a further sign of the significant role Abu Dhabi has played in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment hub has confirmed the Emirate will play host to the Middle East premiere of the film on December 16 at Emirates Palace. Commenting on the announcement, twofour54’s CEO Noura Al Kaabi said “Having Star Wars: The Force Awakens screen in Abu Dhabi prior to its general release is a real validation for how successful the filming was whilst the production was here. To date, all of the trailers and TV spots for the film have included scenes from Abu Dhabi, which have generated unprecedented excitement around the globe. We are very proud of our achievements and excited for audiences around the world to experience Abu Dhabi on the big screen”. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Abu Dhabi plays Jakku, “a frontier desert planet in a remote section of the Outer Rim Territories” according to StarWars.com.  With assistance from twofour54 and the