The chocolaty color of coffee, palm trees, clear blue skies and translucent sea, skyscrapers contrasting with arched balconies and engraved walls; with her page The Urban Stories, Aline immerses us into the beauties of Jeddah, her city of adoption.
Her page started as a foodie blog, The Urban Apron, with healthy, easy, comforting recipes, like gluten-free bread with homemade almond butter, pear, apple, banana, topped with cinnamon and agave syrup. Aline now shares her lifestyle stories, introducing us to restaurants and local shops, taking us from historic sites, to modern art exhibits across her travels. ‘With motherhood taking a lot of my energy I decided to turn to lifestyle topics and shifted to The Urban Stories. It is about women of my generation, always on the go who sometimes need a good take-out, easy recipe or a reminder of what she is capable of.’ Through her eyes we escape to the ancient Al Ula oasis, stroll in the bustling Al Balad in Jeddah celebrating traditional culture and modern 3D installations, and hop from restaurants to cafes, all the while preparing Aline’s seeds and nuts choco crunch cookie, or strawberries and spinach salad with crushed pecans. Her key ingredient? ‘I always need my fresh herbs or even dried ones on hand: rosemary, thyme, basil, mint.’ In Saudi, she discovered different types of spices, ‘especially the Saudi coffee known for its special mix with cardamom and saffron (and sometimes also ginger).’
Aline tells us her foodie journey started in her early 20s; when she was watching French chef Cyril Lignac on television and got a Jamie Oliver cookbook recipe from the Virgin store in downtown Beirut. She decided to start cooking for her family and friends. The young woman quickly became a food enthusiast and while she was trying new restaurants, she asked herself, why not have restaurant quality dishes made at home? At first, she was too busy with her corporate job, until she took a gap year and decided to work in her kitchen, exploring her dual culture French and Lebanese, with some fusion dishes; starting with a simple Labneh tarte. When she moved to Jeddah in 2015, she wanted to share her love of food. During her gap year, she attended culinary workshops, and her blog theurbanapron.com was born along with an Instagram page to share recipes ‘that celebrate traditional food with a modern twist.’ Goat cheese quiche, waffles or veggie noodles, along with artichoke stew or coussa mehche (stuffed zucchini), we find ‘a bit of everything’ from healthy to simplified traditional dishes. We ask Aline what is the local recipe she has perfected while in Jeddah; ‘Shatta,’ she says, ‘the sauce that comes with the Kabsa (chicken and rice), it goes very well with rice based dishes.’She is now about to move to Riyadh, and we are ready to follow along the ride on The Urban Stories, to explore the city with her.
Before moving on to her new adventure, Aline shared with us some of her go-to spots in Jeddah:
What’s your go to breakfast spot in Jeddah?
- Sorrel by Pleo – a breakfast and brunch hidden gem located in a residential area
What is the place in Jeddah or outside the city where you choose to unwind and relax?
- I head to Obhur Beach, a 40min drive from the city to a private beach resort, you will bathe in turquoise water and relax on the sandy beach. Or I have a jog on the corniche in Jeddah, by the sea, when the weather is good.
What is your coffee spot in the city?
- I like Brew 92, however since covid pandemic I ended up becoming my own barista. I also like Moon Shell, a vegan spot known for their smoothie bowls and coffee.
What is your ultimate comfort food restaurant in Jeddah?
- My favorite restaurant is Kuuru, it is not your typical comfort food, it is a peruvian Japanese fusion that is out of this world. Nigiri’s are my fav and you don’t need any soya sauce to dip the sushi – just mouthwatering!
