As a true foodie, one of the best things about the UAE is, without a doubt, the amazing variety of cuisine on offer. However, when I am not dining out, I unfortunately tend to revert back to my old university cooking days of pasta and pesto (and this, of course, doesn’t always go down too well with dinner guests). So naturally, when Explorer asked if I wanted to improve my culinary skills, I jumped at the chance. With so many great restaurants and chefs in Dubai, there is a wealth of experience to appreciate. My journey first took me to Jumeriah Beach Hotel, where I had the privilege of taking part in a cooking demonstration with Chef Artemisia at Carnevale Ristorante. Having ‘supervised’ Chef Artemisia making a great starter of zucchini flower, I offered to taste test – just to make sure it was up to my high standards! It was here that I also learnt the finer art of making real pasta (my dinner guests will be pleased – and surprised). Starting off with flour and eggs, I somehow ended up with flat strips of pasta ready to be filled, rolled, cooked and then eaten. Finally, the most famous of Italian desserts: Tiramisu. Watching Chef Artemisia work her magic, I was amazed at how easy she made it look. In all, I learnt how to make some very nice and traditional Italian foods and desserts – delizioso.

However, my journey was by no means over – I’m a lifelong learner after all! With the Belgian Beer Café in Souk Madinat Jumeirah offering a tasty new menu, I soon found myself in the kitchen with head chef, Yves Bas. The cafe’s new menu has many great, traditional dishes, and we focused on making three simple but really tasty plates. The asparagus and egg starter was something I wouldn’t have normally chosen but, after eating it, I would definitely order it next time I’m at the BBC. To follow, we prepared a nice salmon and mash potato dish, with a unique hollandaise sauce that included Hoegaarden beer in its recipe. I am not normally a real fish fan, but this was so tasty I didn’t mind munching away.

Finally, to finish the three courses, Yves demonstrated how to make a simple yet scrumptious cream, ice-cream and chocolate sauce dessert – the bowl was licked clean.

I am happy to report that my meals at home are improving, but there’s no substitute to what these chefs can whip up.

Is there anything you want to see me review? Would love to hear from you! Tweet me at @Tim_JohansenUAE. Until next time!

For more information, visit Carnevale Ristorante at jumeirah.com and the Belgian Beer Café Madinat Jumeirah at belgianbeercafe.com.