The introduction of Chivas Regal whiskey into the Egyptian market recently has spawned a more educated approach to whiskey drinking and appreciation. Owned by spirit giant Perno and Ricard, Chivas Regal was given a fine introduction in Egypt last week by Ken Lindsey, a brand ambassador who for the past 20 years, has traveled to …

The heat and rising temperature of Cairo is getting to the irritation of even the most hardened resident. The pollution, crowds, dust and noise is a constant reminder of the city we love; but the heat of early summer is starting to break our good humor. You need, indeed you deserve, a break. Somewhere where …

Beatles legend and famous vegetarian Paul McCartney was joined by John Lennon s widow Yoko Ono Monday to launch an appeal in Britain for meat-free Mondays. McCartney said going vegetarian, even for just one day a week, was good for the environment because of research suggesting it cuts greenhouse gas emissions from the world s …

A stroll through Mounaya, one of Cairo’s most beautiful boutiques, is a relaxing experience. The brainchild of sisters-daughter team Ghada and Rufayda Abdel Hak and Rufayda’s daughter Rudayna, Mounaya offers beautiful jewelry, bags, home wares and novelties designed and produced locally. Best of all, there’s always an Orientalist twist to the products. As the boutique …

The Four Seasons First Residence had the brilliant idea of creating a weekly full-fledged chocolate buffet ala Willy Wonka; to an extent. The visual sight of so much chocolate arranged in cakes, tarts, and mousses layered in glasses like trifle made me giggle like a little girl. A chocolate fountain freely bubbling and flowing made …

Zapping away abnormal, precancerous cells in the throat may lower the risk of later developing esophageal cancer, the first major study to test this technique finds. In a study of 127 people suffering from a heartburn-related problem known as Barrett s esophagus, only about 1 percent who had a procedure that uses heat to burn …

As one of many Arab women fascinated by the invasion of Turkish soap operas, I couldn’t disregard an invitation to a jewelry show by a Turkish designer. Away from soap operas, Turks are known for their fine jewelry and intricate designs and Zeynep Hanif’s show featured just that: exquisite designs made with a variety of …

I’m good with it all unless they put cucumbers on my eyes, I wrote my editor in an email, as I contemplated my first ever spa treatment at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza. “I never let vegetables near my eyes. “Don’t worry about cucumbers, she wrote back, somewhat ominously. As I took a taxi down …

When you win a national fashion design competition at age 16, and you’re judged by Dame Vivienne Westwood to have the most creative designs among thousands of entries, you’re on the right track to the world of fashion. Lady Kinvara Balfour grew up in London as one of four fashion conscious girls with an ever …

What does one get when two best friends, both mothers of toddlers, having an avid passion for baking, and a mind frame for eating consciously healthy food, come together? Ginger and Lace: a bakery for artisan bespoke cookies with the finest ingredients sourced from Egypt. Basma Hamdy and Nora Abdel Salam Hussein are two young …

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, a forthright and tenacious negotiator, loved to communicate her mood and intentions in a more subtle way – through the brooches she wore. Now New York s Museum of Arts & Design is presenting the first ever exhibition of her pin collection, featuring some 200 of her favorites including …

A meal at Da Mario is like a home-cooked meal that warms your stomach and heart through and through. The cuisine is Italian, and unlike many restaurants in town that claim to be authentic, it was my lunch at Da Mario that made me feel nostalgic for a trip to Rome I took last spring …

More people today are considering contemporary tastes and ideas in home decoration and renovation, a departure from the ubiquitous gilded French style that peppered every self-respecting Egyptian’s home. Off with the old, and on with the new is the attitude de jour. There’s a new-found emphasis on comfortable living to be complimented by home accessories …