The formerly wonky-toothed among us will remember with a shudder the trials and tribulations of brace-faced teenage years, which is why we welcome the news of the British Orthodontic Association’s new brace-friendly recipes with teary-eyed nostalgia. Each recipe is specially tailored with nutritional advice for dental patients and can be downloaded free from www.bos.org.uk or www.nowsmile.org.

Moving on to less tooth-friendly territory, we love Baker & Spice’s new marshmallows. They don’t look too appetising, but taste one and you’ll find their natural fruity flavour is something special. What’s more, marshmallows are the discerning sweet-tooth’s snack of choice for 2012 – ‘the new macaroons’, we’re told.

One food that, as far as we’re concerned, will never go out of fashion is fish and chips – something we’ve been eating a lot of after a jolly on the town. Bob’s Fish & Chips in Dubai Marina appears to be enjoying a roaring late-night trade thanks to its vicinity to the Byblos Hotel (perfect stumbling distance for revellers in Nell Gwynn) and does a mean portion of chips and curry sauce at a fraction of the price charged by nearby rivals. Budget favourite The Chalet in Jumeirah has recently added fish and chips to its already eclectic menu, and the dish is surprisingly tasty considering the restaurant specialises in biryani and mixed grill.

Now for some marginally more high-end restaurant news: we’re excited that renowned Indian chef Atul Kochhar (the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star, no less), will be gracing us with his presence at this year’s Taste of Dubai on March 15-17, as will Aarti Sequeira. Following in Atul’s footsteps, Aarti is the next big thing on the contemporary Indian dining scene after she won the Food Network’s originally named The Next Food Network Star. She is now the host of her own, more inventively named show, Aarti Party. Nonsensical rhyming aside, her presence should prove a hit for Taste of Dubai fans.

To conclude on an environmentally upbeat note, as Dubai switches off its lights for Earth Day on Saturday March 31 (a token gesture, admittedly), The Address Montgomerie restaurant Nineteen will take advantage of the blackout by hosting its latest ‘Dine in the Dark’ event – perhaps the most environmentally friendly meal you’ll eat in Dubai. And with that, we bid you adieu and bon appétit.