Ancient herbal remedies got the science right, say experts CAIRO: Natural foods and medicines are all the rage in many European and North American cities, but, according to author Lise Manniche, the pharaohs were way ahead of the trend. The Internet overflows with resources for an all-natural lifestyle, and any visit to your favorite search …

Surprisingly conservative Cairo is full of opportunities to meet your soul mate CAIRO: While Cairo may not be the Paris of the Middle East, fashionable Beirut seems to have won that title, it is a city obsessed with love. Lately it seems a large number of single Cairenes are complaining about where to meet that …

North Coast and Red Sea resorts this year s top Eid vacation destinations CAIRO: The short Eid vacation has led many to opt for local holiday destinations, with Porto Marina in the North Coast and El-Gouna on the Red Sea proving to be the top favorites. Local destinations are not just attracting Egyptian travelers; this …

Recipes to delight family and friends during the Eid CAIRO: If you think the continuous cooking that is the trademark of Ramadan is about to end, think again. The Eid is also about invitations and exchanging visits between families. While a dish of khak and other traditional Egyptian cookies might work for some visitors, others …

What counts and what doesn’t in the local digital camera market CAIRO: Being analogue, film records everything. It records all the gray shades between the 256 computer grayscales and all the colors between your computer’s 32 million-strong palette. People still use film cameras and there might always be a place for them. In order to …

Surprisingly conservative Cairo is full of opportunities to meet your soul mate CAIRO: While Cairo may not be the Paris of the Middle East, fashionable Beirut seems to have won that title, it is a city obsessed with love. Lately it seems a large number of single Cairenes are complaining about where to meet that …

TOKYO: Japan s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will Tuesday treat ambassadors from Islamic nations to sushi and teriyaki chicken in a fast-breaking dinner for the holy month of Ramadan. Forty-four envoys from Islamic nations including Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan have been invited to the iftar, a dinner which Muslims eat during Ramadan to break their …

Where do we drop it, and why are we dragging it anyway? CAIRO: Whether you will die for your Macintosh, or can’t wait to get a new dual-core processor for your PC; we must all give a bow to the software that makes trillions of electrons all stand to attention at the stroke of a …

Add variety to your table using local ingredients CAIRO: For fabulous versatile vegetables you don’t have to look farther than your local market. Artichokes, eggplants and lentils offer a cornucopia of possibilities that have their origins in Egyptian cuisine. Many simple recipes make use of these locally grown ingredients and yield healthy and tasty results! …

Simple measures to guard against pickpockets Alexandria: As Egypt mark the last 10 days of Ramadan, it is customary for mosques to be filled with worshippers seeking divine guidance and mercy on what is called the night of power, known in Arabic as laylat El-Qadr. In Islamic tradition, the night of power is the night …

Live music and charming patio make the difference CAIRO: Pasqua Café sits a stone’s throw from Mohandiseen’s chaotic Lebanon Square, where bright billboards look down over honking cars as they twirl around the circle’s dusty highway fly-over. The scene in the square is typical Cairo, but the café down the street, on Lebanon Street, is …

Great food and tasty shisha, good music and hot people watching, but stop at the bank first CAIRO: When visiting Sangria, make sure to have a well-filled wallet or generous friend, a big appetite, and a craving for shisha and good tunes. Located in the heart of Cairo with a magnificent Nile view, Sangria is …

The VerandaConcorde El Salam Hotel, 65 Abdel Hamid Badawi Street, Heliopolis Tel: 622 6000Hours: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (lunch)Iftar: 7 p.m. to 12. a.m. (dinner) The environment at The Veranda is lovely, in the subtly lit courtyard of the beautiful Concorde El-Salam Hotel in Heliopolis. The evening entertainment is better than that at most …

CAIRO: The norm in Ramadan is that the more complicated the recipe, the better the meal; the stranger the ingredients and their combination together, the better the cook. Cooks all around the Muslim world are going crazy, trying to find new and unusual dishes for Ramadan, trying out dishes that they haven t prepared for …

The trick to losing weight in Ramadan isn t just exercise, but smart exercising CAIRO: Too much food makes you fat. This is a fact that cannot be argued. But, what exactly is too much? Foremost on everybody’s mind during the month of Ramadan is, “Why do I gain weight, I barely eat anything. Well, …

CAIRO: “Vegetarian? the stallholder or restaurant owner says, looking a little surprised. “You don’t eat meat at all? Well, we do have chicken. No? Not even chicken? Well, how about some fish, then. As any vegetarian in Egypt knows, this kind of incredulity is the norm when you out yourself as a herbivore. I can …

While riveted into home cinema, multimedia just went portable CAIRO: In Egypt these days, as elsewhere in the world, many people are obsessed with buying plasma screens, assuming they’re going to suddenly have an amazing viewing experience. What’s wrong with this assumption is that it’s high-definition television, not plasma, which promises a sharper picture. Yet …

CAIRO: No one can tell you how much tastes vary as someone preparing a meal for a Ramadan iftar. With a usually extended list of guests, the person preparing the meal has to keep in mind the different tastes that span everything between favoring the traditional local dishes to opting to try a new recipe …

CAIRO: It is said that Cairo is a city of coffee shops. Of these, the overwhelming majority are familiar neighbourhood ahwas, complete with sawdust-strewn floors and old men sucking on battered shishas. Over the last few years, Cairo’s wealthier neighborhoods have seen a sharp rise in the number of chic cafés, both foreign and locally …

Create a festive atmosphere in your home CAIRO: Gathering around the table with friends and family during iftar (breaking of the fast) is an essential part of Ramadan. But to further enjoy reliving the traditional elements of Ramadan, there are some simple ideas to incorporate some of these traditions to create a festive atmosphere at …

Vortex Healing workshops targets mental energy CAIRO: Linda Noorlander has always known that she had a special gift. “Even as a child, I was able to sense energies that other people couldn’t. I always knew that I would end up helping people one day with this ability that I have. What she didn’t always know, …

Google are driving Internet adoption through language, price-point and keeping their ear to the ground New media companies aren’t just winning the hearts and minds of the people; they’re also putting the power in your hands, right here in Egypt. Available Internet access is growing in the region, as is awareness and local content. Take …

ALEXANDRIA: Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar is a month Muslims await from year to year. In keeping with Islamic traditions, Egypt witnesses an increase in good deeds throughout the day and full mosques during the night. People all over Egypt anticipate the arrival of the month of Ramadan. Many people embrace the …

The ultimate, “no-excuses guide to deciphering men CAIRO: Are you considering asking him out? Do you spend too much time waiting for him to call? Is he avoiding making a commitment? Well, whether you re dating, divorced, or in any state open for relationships, there’s one phrase that will prevent you from enduring disappointment, heartache …

CAIRO: For a smoker, the plain view of the cigarette is always too tempting to pass. Heavy smokers, who think the idea of attempting to quit is simply ridiculous, have convinced themselves that their regular fix of nicotine and tobacco is actually good for them – it helps them concentrate, soothes them when they are …

Dreamland s Spa offers a range of treatments Serene would be the best word to describe my first impression of Dreamland s Spa and Wellness Center. The moment you enter, you seem to escape from the chaotic city and the angst-ridden roads and highway you travel through to get to the spa at the Dreamland …

The re-evolution of the online gaming community and the subsequent rise in electronic games CAIRO: Before there was MSN Messenger, Google Talk or MySpace.com, there was Doom. In less than 20 years, the basic game evolved into a world of interactive visual realties, online board and card games, an array of differently themed online and …

The colors, styles and the must haves of the upcoming season CAIRO: Sadly, the summer is pretty much over, and it’s almost time to pack minis, bikinis, sandals and string tops and put them back into storage. Although Egypt doesn’t have such distinct four seasons, it is still important to know what the fall season …

NORTH COAST, Alexandria: For many outsiders, it s a secluded place shrouded in myth. Elite women, hidden away from society, congregate and suddenly emerge as sensual beings in an orgiastic experience. Some say it is a place for women ashamed of their bodies and who just can t bear to compete with the pseudo-models of …

L Aubergine serves a selection of vegetarian exotic creations L Aubergine5 Sayed El Bakry St., off 26th of July Street, ZamalekPhone: 738 00 80 CAIRO: Tucked away in a leafy side-street just off 26th of July Street in Zamalek, the unassuming L Aubergine is reputedly Cairo s only vegetarian restaurant, and as such will surely …