Recipes for success: Chef Robert Stirrup, culinary director of The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, offers advice and a seabass and salad recipe 

Recipes for success: Chef Robert Stirrup, culinary director of The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, offers advice and a seabass and salad recipe 
Chef Robert Stirrup is the culinary director of The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh. (Supplied)
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Updated 27 June 2024
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Recipes for success: Chef Robert Stirrup, culinary director of The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, offers advice and a seabass and salad recipe 

Recipes for success: Chef Robert Stirrup, culinary director of The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, offers advice and a seabass and salad recipe 

RIYADH: Robert Stirrup’s culinary journey began in his family home just outside of London. In the bustling kitchen, he would carry out basic tasks to help prepare meals on the weekends, and this sparked a lifelong passion for cooking.  

Now, with more than two decades of experience behind him, including stints at five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, Stirrup is the director of culinary arts at The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh.  




Al Orjouan at The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh offers an international buffet service in an elevated setting. (Supplied)

Here, he discusses his favorite dish and his top tips for amateur chefs. He also shares his recipe for roasted seabass with etuvée of vegetables and herb salad. 

When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?  

Probably one of the biggest was to keep trying to add flavors. When you’re not really sure of the different flavors and the complexity of ingredients, you keep adding things. Over time, you start to realize what will work with what. One of the big things that one of my chefs taught me, when I was 19 or 20 years old, was to actually smell and eat all the different herbs and understand what the flavors were and what you could actually pair them with. 

What’s your top tip for amateur chefs? 

Planning. If you don’t have a plan for what the dish is going to look like or be presented as, then you miss out on making a list and realizing that a lot can be done in advance. If you do a lot of the things in advance, then at the end you’re just doing the finishing touches of cooking the meat, cooking the fish, finishing the vegetables or reheating the sauces. Then you don’t put all the pressure on yourself at the last minute and panic and make a mess of it. 

What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish? 

Citrus. It can elevate so many different dishes, and there are so many different ways that you can use it. It’s not just a case of using lemon, either. You can use different herbs that have a citrus base. You can use limes. You can use yuzu. There are lots of different ways that you can revitalize a dish or bring back the freshness of a dish by adding citrus. 

What’s the most common mistake that you find in other restaurants?  

I always check how big the menu is. If I see a big menu, I always think that either the food can’t be fresh, or the team can’t be experts at making that many dishes. For me, having a smaller menu means the team is more focused, and the ingredients will be fresher because they'll rotate them properly. I also prefer restaurants that serve a particular style of cuisine, rather than trying to do everything for everyone. Also, I think you can tell a good restaurant before you go in by how busy it is. If a restaurant’s empty, I’m not going there.  

Also, from a service perspective, I always like to ask the team what they would eat. It’s so important to have a well-trained team. And it’s so difficult to find good people. But train the team so that when they’re talking to guests and explaining the menu they’re really confident with it. I went somewhere recently where they presented the dishes and didn’t explain them at all. They just said, ‘Enjoy’ and walked off. And that changed the whole experience — rather than them sharing a bit of their knowledge and their enjoyment of being there and of what they’re serving.  

What’s your favorite cuisine? 

I like the simplicity of Japanese food. You can’t hide behind anything when you’re cooking Japanese food, because it's so simple. It’s the quality of the ingredients that make the dish. 

What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home? 

I tend to just open the fridge and see what’s there. It’s something that always drives my wife mad. I don’t like to do big shopping trips, I prefer to buy ingredients on a regular basis, and then just see what there is. I don’t really think you need to put more than three or four ingredients together to make a dish, especially at home.  

But I think something easy that everyone enjoys is probably pasta. There are so many different dishes that you can do.  

What customer behavior most annoys you? 

I think it’s just being impolite. Everyone’s busy, everyone’s rushing, but the person who is cooking for you or greeting you or serving you? They’re also humans. It’s doesn’t cost anything to have good manners and to be polite to people. And I think you’ll have a much more enjoyable experience and they’ll have a much more enjoyable experience. Even if something’s not going right and you want to talk about it with someone, you can still be polite (about it). People suddenly become very aggressive sometimes, and I think it’s very unfair on the team who are trying their best to cook for you or to serve you. 

What’s your favorite dish to cook and why? 

I like to cook fish. It’s so versatile, whether it is sea bass, cod, snapper… anything really. Find a great piece of fish and some fresh vegetables, put them together and add some different seasoning. I always think it’s a sign of good cook if someone can cook fish well, because it’s very easy to overcook it and get it wrong. And, like I said, the less ingredients, the better.  

As a head chef, what are you like? 

I’m fairly laidback. I’m used to having very big teams; I have nearly 150 people in the team. At my last place, I had nearly 300. So, I’m a team player, an organizer who understands people. I find that to be much more effective than screaming and shouting. Occasionally, yes, you have to raise your voice to make everyone stop and listen, but very rarely. 

RECIPE

Chef Robert’s roasted seabass with etuvée of vegetables and herb salad  

Serves two 

For the seabass 

INGREDIENTS: 2 seabass fillets (180g each); 7g cumin seeds; 5g sumac; 10g dried oregano; 10g sesame seeds; salt and pepper to taste (approx. 5g each)  

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan until aromatic. Transfer to a mortar and grind with sumac, oregano, sesame seeds, salt and pepper to make a fine powder. Set aside extra for future use.  

2. Roast the seabass fillets seasoned with the spice blend until cooked through and golden.  

For the etuvée of vegetables: 

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 large fennel bulb or 8 pieces of baby fennel, shaved or finely sliced; 1 carrot or 4 baby carrots, shaved or finely sliced; 4 baby artichokes (optional), shaved or finely sliced; 2 banana shallots, finely sliced; 2 cloves of garlic, crushed; 10 basil leaves; 4 sprigs of thyme; 100ml vegetable stock; juice of 2 lemons; 50ml extra virgin olive oil; salt and pepper to taste  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Sweat the shallots in olive oil until translucent. Add the crushed garlic and cook gently.  

2. Incorporate the carrots and artichokes (if using), then add the remaining olive oil, herbs and vegetable stock.  

3. Cook slowly at medium heat, covered with a lid or cling film, for 10 minutes. Then stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning.  

For the herb salad: 

Combine seasonal salad greens with 2g fresh dill, 2g fresh basil, and 2g fresh sorrel. 

ASSEMBLY: 

Plate the seabass on a bed of the etuvée vegetables. Garnish with green vegetables of your choice, such as asparagus or green beans. Accompany with your fresh herb salad.  


Qatar exhibition explores relationship between AI and humanity

Qatar exhibition explores relationship between AI and humanity
Updated 21 January 2025
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Qatar exhibition explores relationship between AI and humanity

Qatar exhibition explores relationship between AI and humanity

DOHA: The Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern University in Qatar launched “Ai or Nay? Artificial vs. Intelligent,” a thought-provoking exhibition exploring humanity’s evolving relationship with machine learning. 

Running until May 15, the exhibition brings together over 20 works by international and regional artists.

Directed by Alfredo Cramerotti, the exhibition emphasizes interdisciplinary dialogue, he said. “For me, it’s important as a curator to combine arts with something else and have a foot in art and a foot in something like technology or media,” Cramerotti told Arab News.

Alfredo Cramerotti (L) is the director of the exhibition and Jack Taylor (R) is the curator. (Supplied)

“We’re embedded in an environment of communication, technology, and media and (in this exhibition) we bring in artistic elements… to tackle themes that are relevant for society now.”

On display are installations from international creatives such as Jan Zuiderveld (Netherlands), Patrick Tresset (France/Belgium), and Adnan Ayub Aga (UAE/Portugal), alongside interactive and visual works by Amr Alngmah (Yemen/Egypt), Farjana Salahuddin (Bangladesh), graphic designer Hind Al-Saad (Qatar), Hadeer Omar (Egypt) and Bilge Emir (Turkey/Germany).

“We thought, let’s bring in in different voices — from the region and internationally, from different sectors of society and cultures — to help us understand the different pinch points of AI to make the general public more aware of certain issues,” explained Cramerotti.

The exhibition brings together over 20 works by international and regional artists.(Supplied)

The exhibition also addresses the tension between digital and physical experiences, he added: “This hybridity is central to the show. It’s about being aware of how AI and information flows shape our identities and impact our lives.”

As an example, Cramerotti highlighted the work of Al-Saad and Omar, which features screen walls offering a glimpse into how AI works in our everyday lives.

“The idea of how computers see us is actually quite central, but it’s completely invisible — like facial recognition,” he said. “It is integrated in your life flow. You don’t notice it. But there is an incredible amount of ‘bio-politics’ behind it.”


Tiffany Trump stuns in Zuhair Murad gown during inauguration week

Tiffany Trump stuns in Zuhair Murad gown during inauguration week
Updated 21 January 2025
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Tiffany Trump stuns in Zuhair Murad gown during inauguration week

Tiffany Trump stuns in Zuhair Murad gown during inauguration week
  • Tiffany is married to Lebanon-born Michael Boulos
  • Married in 2022, they are expecting their first child

DUBAI: Tiffany Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, turned heads this week in a dress by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad at the Inaugural Candlelight Dinner, hosted at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

Traditionally held on the eve of a US presidential inauguration, the black-tie event honors the incoming administration with an evening of celebration and speeches.

For the occasion, Tiffany, who is expecting her first child with husband Michael Boulos, chose a custom, chocolate-brown chiffon gown with an asymmetric one-shoulder neckline, and a cape-like sleeve that flowed dramatically.

The dress was cinched at the waist and highlighted by intricate draped detailing on the bodice.

On Monday morning, Tiffany and Boulos attended services at St. John’s Church in Washington, D.C., a longstanding tradition for incoming presidents and family members.

Later in the day, she joined her family at the swearing-in ceremony, which was held indoors at the Capitol Rotunda due to extreme cold weather.

She also attended the inaugural parade at the Capital One Arena and the inaugural balls that evening.

For the day’s events, she wore a velvet navy-blue coat cinched at the waist, accessorized with minimal jewelry and leather point-toed stiletto boots.

She wore a velvet navy-blue coat cinched at the waist, accessorized with minimal jewelry and leather point-toed stiletto boots. (Getty Images)

Tiffany and Boulos tied the knot in 2022. For her special day, the bride wore a custom-made Grecian-style gown by Lebanese designer-to-the-stars Elie Saab.

Tiffany chose her wedding dress as a nod to Boulos’ heritage. “It’s a Lebanese-American wedding, so we were so happy to have Elie Saab create the magic,” said mother of the bride Marla Maples at the time, according to People magazine.

Boulos is of Lebanese and French descent and grew up in Lagos where his father, Massad, runs Boulos Enterprises and is the CEO of SCOA Nigeria.

The family is also linked to the world of Hollywood through Michael’s brother Fares, who is an actor and appeared in a 2017 episode of “The Crown.”

Boulos and Tiffany were engaged in January 2021, the day before Trump left office following defeat in the 2020 election.


Camila Alves McConaughey shines in Elie Saab at Riyadh event

Camila Alves McConaughey shines in Elie Saab at Riyadh event
Updated 20 January 2025
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Camila Alves McConaughey shines in Elie Saab at Riyadh event

Camila Alves McConaughey shines in Elie Saab at Riyadh event

DUBAI: Lebanese couturier to the stars Elie Saab took to Instagram to give a shoutout to model Camila Alves McConaughey, who wore the label to the recent concert “Life is a Dream,” led by Hollywood giant Anthony Hopkins in Riyadh.

“@camilamcconaughey attended the ‘Life Is A Dream’ concert composed by Sir Anthony Hopkins with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra alongside her husband Matthew in an ELIE SAAB Spring Summer 2025 look,” the label captioned the Instagram post.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)

Alves McConaughey, who attended the event with her actor husband Matthew McConaughey, wore a striking yellow gown to the event, with flowing caped sleeves and a plunging neckline.

Meanwhile, US pop sensation Christina Aguilera, who performed at the Joy Awards ceremony over the weekend in Riyadh, also opted for an Elie Saab creation for the first part of her performance.

Aguilera took to the stage in a dramatic burgundy gown from Elie Saab’s Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2024 collection. The glittering gown saw Aguilera channeling old-school 1920s Hollywood glamour. The dress flowed into a feathered train, and she completed the look with a chiffon scarf, draped over her head and shoulders.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)

The same event saw Alves McConaughey opt for another yellow gown, this time from Oscar de la Renta.

As for the symphony concert, in a captivating blend of art and humanity, Hollywood icon Hopkins graced the Bakr Al-Shaddi Theater in Boulevard City, Riyadh, with a performance titled “Life is a Dream” as part of the Riyadh Season festivities.

Introduced by fellow actor Morgan Freeman, Hopkins opened his speech with the Arabic greeting, “As Salaam o Alaikum,” setting a tone of cultural respect and unity.

Hopkins shared his reflections on life and art, drawing from the words of Edgar Allan Poe: “I have always believed that all we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

Reflecting on his life, he described the path from “the son of a simple baker” in South Wales to a world-renowned composer and actor.

“My life, to me, is a profound mystery,” he said. “It’s impossible to understand or take credit for the blessings I’ve been given. That’s why I believe life is a dream, and this piece, ‘Life is a Dream,’ was inspired by my dreamy childhood in South Wales, my wonderfully supportive mother and my father, who was larger than life and worked tirelessly throughout his life.”


Italian sculptress Ariana Palmieri contemplates world’s cyclicity at Tuwaiq Sculpture 

Italian sculptress Ariana Palmieri contemplates world’s cyclicity at Tuwaiq Sculpture 
Updated 20 January 2025
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Italian sculptress Ariana Palmieri contemplates world’s cyclicity at Tuwaiq Sculpture 

Italian sculptress Ariana Palmieri contemplates world’s cyclicity at Tuwaiq Sculpture 

RIYADH: With the theme “Then and Now: Joy in the Struggle of Making,” the sixth edition of the Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium has brought together 30 sculpture artists from around the world.

Among them is Italian artist Ariana Palmieri, whose piece “Motion of Revolution” was inspired by the movement of the solar system around the sun. Depicting the inevitable cycles of birth and death, the work contemplates the notion that birth is conditioned by assured fatality. 

Adriana Palmieri at her Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium booth. (Instagram)

“It’s all about the circularity of life — you are born, you are a child, then you are an adolescent, then you grow older, and then you die. But your life will continue after this, and we give life to other things. So it’s more about how everything is connected and a circularity of life; as humans move within the planets, the planets are moving around the sun,” Palmieri told Arab News. 

Originally from Milan, Palmieri moved to Carrara, a town known worldwide for its white marble, to study sculpting. She graduated in 2023 and the 26-year-old is one of the youngest artists amongst the group at the symposium.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by (@palmieri.sculpture)

She says it is an opportunity to learn and grow as an artist. 

“It’s like a dream. I didn't think they would choose me because I am so young,” she said. “The last edition was more about people that had experience. This edition, they tried to concentrate more (on) the artwork and the background of the artist,” she said. 

The finished works will be exhibited from Feb. 12-24 and moved to various locations across the city as part of Riyadh Art’s initiative to beautify the capital.

“Public art is the main thing that our sculptures can achieve because you can do big stuff and they will be like a journal in some way. I’m really, really happy that I can do something so big that will stay there so much longer than me,” she said. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by (@palmieri.sculpture)

Palmieri’s work is not merely a reflection of planetary movement but contemplates the existence of the human race and its role within a larger picture. Her work itself is a representation of this thought: As every human diminishes, remnants of them and their work on earth will be set in stone — waiting to be discovered by another. 

“I thought about nature a lot, and all of humanity. I hope at least that my art can get through this idea, to connect all the people,” she said.


Review: ‘A Man on the Inside’ – comedy series on Netflix

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Updated 19 January 2025
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Review: ‘A Man on the Inside’ – comedy series on Netflix

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  • Dressed in impeccably pressed suits and armed with plenty of trivia about architecture, he saunters in, shyly at first, then begins to find his footing

“A Man on the Inside” is an eight-episode comedy series that premiered on Netflix in 2024, blending humor, heartfelt storytelling and a touch of mystery.

After retired professor and widower Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson of “The Good Place”) speaks to his concerned only daughter, Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), he decides to make a change. A year after her mother’s death, Emily encourages her father to find a new purpose; to take a class or try a new hobby.

With a love of newspaper cutouts (he would often clip and mail interesting articles to Emily), Charles finds an intriguing yet vague job listing in the classified section.

He is soon recruited by Julie, a private investigator (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), who reluctantly enlists his help to uncover the whereabouts of a stolen necklace in a local San Francisco retirement community.

At its heart, the series explores the evolving father-daughter relationship between Charles and Emily, along with her husband and three teenage sons.

It also shows Charles making friends and trying out new things at an age and stage in his life when he thought life ended with his wife’s death.

Dressed in impeccably pressed suits and armed with plenty of trivia about architecture, he saunters in, shyly at first, then begins to find his footing.

“He’s like if a podcast wore a suit,” one staff member aptly describes him.

Then another valuable item is stolen from the community. Then another.

Stephanie Beatriz (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) co-stars as Didi, the sharp and determined managing director of the retirement community, bringing her trademark wit and charm to the role.

The whodunit-style show examines coping with grief, lost love, and the excitement of new beginnings from the perspective of seniors.

Whether you’re here for the mystery, the comedy, or its effortless charm, the series delivers a family-friendly binge-worthy viewing experience.