Delicious Morocco: A Recap of Our Culinary Getaway

Hello, 2013!

I can't wait for all of the cookery and food adventures that are ahead of us. 2012 was a busy, amazing year (I even got to be on TV!), and it ended on a beautiful high note -- a culinary tour of Morocco.

Essaouira Rooftops.

Below is a recap of the food highlights from that trip. It's hard to explain everything we experienced--but the cuisine is a good start. We ate like kings. Imagine if you will, an array of oranges, olives, loaves of fire-baked bread, food-grade argan oil, and golden honey. And that's just the precursor to breakfast, where you'll be treated to fresh-squeezed orange juice and stacks of chewy, smoky Berber crepes, along with baskets of luscious pastries -- a nod to the French influence that prevails throughout Morocco. At lunchtime, the air is scented with the smells of tagines cooking over a charcoal fire--a hint of cinnamon, cumin, ras el hanout (a special mix of 35 spices), paprika, tumeric, and/or saffron in the cool breeze, and maybe the smell of fresh, grilled fish if you're by the ocean. At dinner, bowls are filled to the brim with warm vegetable salads that you scoop up with dense slices of bread, couscous piled high with organic vegetables, bright and flavorful. And, several times a day you stop for a glass of steaming tea steeped with mint, sage, marjoram, or absinthe... and let's not forget the joy of tasting plump dates and walnuts picked right off the trees during a mountain hike. We had five cooking classes during our trip, and learning to cook traditional Moroccan dishes in the kitchens of quaint riads and regal kasbahs was pretty awesome. (And tasty, too.)

It's hard to choose a favorite food moment. Maybe it was at lunch at Port de Peche where we sucked down oysters the size of my fist, or the pigeon pastilla and lamb tagine at the charming restaurant Mounia, both in Casablanca.  Or, maybe it was choosing a crab at the fish stalls in Essaouira that was immediately grilled over hot coals while I waited, and served with wedges of lemon and hunks of crusty bread, seawater still in its claws. Or, a romantic dinner at the quirky and chic restaurant Elizir, in the middle of the Essaouira medina. Walking through olive groves with a trusty donkey to a Monday Berber market in the High Atlas Mountains, where we bought carrots, eggplant, tomatoes, fava beans, and freshly butchered beef for our dinner was also pretty magical, complete with a tentative sampling of sticky, pungent cow's hoof stew with chickpeas (a delicacy, so they say). Or, making our own pastilla (a dish usually reserved for weddings) on Christmas Eve, while the evening prayer call echoed in the night air. And, nothing compares to the sensory overload of the chaos and excitement of the food stalls in Marrakech's Jamaa el Fna square. Morocco was a magical place, and Chris and I were lucky to spend ten days there. Here are some of the great food moments. Enjoy.

Hello, Morocco
Casablanca was the first and also the last stop on our trip, thanks to the convenience of a direct flight to/from JFK. We didn't spend a lot of time there, but the tour of the Hassan II mosque (the third-largest and the tallest religious monument in the world), lunch at the pier and cocktails at Rick's Cafe are not to be missed. We had our first full Moroccan meal at Mounia, complete with tagine, couscous, pastilla and harira soup. It is a gorgeous little restaurant with a huge weeping willow tree in front and jewel-toned zellige (tilework) throughout. The food was delicious and we're still talking about the charming waiters who treated us like family. Highly recommended.

Casablanca, Morocco.

Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca.

Lunch spot in Casablanca, and our first meal in Morocco.
We tried giant oysters on the half shell, grilled sardines, a flaky St. Pierre fillet and more.

City by the Sea
Essaouira is a laid-back seaside town with a bustling medina filled with colorful baskets, carpets, scarves, silver jewelry, and other handicrafts. Fish stalls piled high with fresh seafood line the port and quaint cafes in the square are perfect for people-watching and espresso sipping. And, the sunset views are like no other. It is normally very windy in Essaouira this time of year, but we had sunshine every day and only a light breeze. Our first cooking class was here in our riad's commercial kitchen, and Chris and I learned to prepare a simple but delightful fish tagine and a cool, crisp Moroccan salad. It was one of my favorite meals. On a side note, there were a ton of cats in Essaouria (and Morocco in general), which was pretty fun. We turned a corner one afternoon to the sight of a satisfied kitty finishing off a fish head, and across the way, a snoozing puss on a colorful pile of Berber carpets. Happy cats for sure. Just like us.

Essaouira, Morocco. 

The port at Essaouira.
Boats bring in hauls of sardines, crab, dorado, eel, shark, St. Pierre, etc. twice a day.

Fish tagine with tomatoes, carrots, peppers, potatoes
and a delicious Chermoula marinade. From Cooking Class #1.

Moroccan Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and onion and seasoned with cumin and lemon juice.
From Cooking Class #1.

The High Atlas Mountains

Off to the High Atlas Mountains, and the Berber people of the Ourika Valley. This part of Morocco is more conservative, and the women do most of the work here. They are super tough and super sweet. Olive, orange and lemon trees line the roads, and we made use of the gorgeous produce we purchased at the weekly market. We cooked a lot during this part of the trip -- and, we totally rocked the kasbah! We were fortunate to learn how to make pastilla, a savory/sweet poultry and sugared almond-filled pastry usually reserved for wedding celebrations. And of course we made hearty, restorative harira soup and the national dish: couscous -- which is not treated as a side dish but as the main event, often served on Fridays after prayer and shared by the whole family. We learned that the secret to a great couscous is in steaming it at least three times over the heat of a bubbling pot filled with spices, herbs, water, peppers, carrots, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, and hunks of meat on the bone. The flavorful sauce from this is then strained and poured over the couscous and contents of the pot. (You judge your couscous on how good the sauce is.) And the warm Moroccan salads, zaalouk (eggplant salad) and taktouka (roasted pepper salad), are ones I'll be adding to my repertoire for sure. We even woke early on Christmas Day to make Berber crepes -- and ate them hot off the stove, smeared with honey, marmalade and amlou (a mixture of honey, almonds and argan oil).

We drank lots and lots of mint tea (a.k.a Moroccan Whiskey) during our entire visit, and we were invited to a local family's home to have tea when we were in the mountains. The tea is a base of green tea, flavored with heaps of sugar (Moroccans love sugar) and usually mint, although we had versions with sage, marjoram, absinthe, and lemon verbena. The boiling hot tea is poured ceremoniously from a high distance into small glasses, to both aerate and cool it. It was very sugary -- and I preferred the versions that were more floral than sweet. But, when in Rome, er, Morocco...

The High Atlas Mountains, Ourika Valley, Morocco.

The meat market.

Spices galore!

L'oranges.

Fava beans (left) and green beans (right).

Piles and piles of fruits and veggies at the market.

The Donkey Parking Lot at the market.

Cow's Hoof Stew with Chickpeas from a stall in the market.

Zaalouk (Eggplant salad). From Cooking Class #2.

Taktouka (Roasted pepper salad). From Cooking Class #2.

Chicken Pastilla (topped with toasted almonds and honey).
From Cooking Class #2.

Making Berber Crepes. From Cooking Class #3.

Harira Soup. From Cooking Class #4.

Preparing the couscous. From Cooking Class #4.

Couscous with Beef and Vegetables. From Cooking Class #4.

Berber woman making mint tea.

The makings of mint tea -- green tea, mint, and LOTS of sugar.

Marrakech Madness

The last leg of our trip was a visit to Marrakech -- Morocco's "Red City." If any place in Morocco is like New York City, Marrakech is it.  Everywhere you look there's something to see, smell, touch, hear, or taste. Your senses are assaulted all at once: the bright colors of Berber carpets and babouches (slippers), the heat from a glass of mint tea and the chill in the morning air, the haunting tune played by a snake charmer mixed with a prayer call and shouts from the vendors at the food stalls and souks ("Come see! Take a look! Want to buy?"), plus honking and bells from mopeds, bicycles and even donkeys, as they try to sneak through the crowded, tight medina walkways. And, taste: cafes on the square, stalls piled high with dried fruits and nuts, mountains of oranges, bowls overflowing with snails, plus the smells of grilled kabobs, and sacks and sacks of spices. Anything you want is in Marrakech, but you have to be willing to haggle for it. There are no prices, but nothing is free. We used our NYC/NJ attitudes to get a few deals, but the guys in the souks are hardcore. It's tradition, I guess, but it also took some of the fun out of buying our souvenirs. I also had a hard time taking pictures here since most people wanted to be paid for the photos I took. So, most of the shots from Marrakech are blurry or taken from afar. Craziness! Back at the peace of our beautiful riad, we spent our last night in Morocco cooking and eating up a storm. Chicken tagine with olives and lemon, beef tagine with almonds and prunes, four cooked salads, crusty bread and even a bottle of Moroccan sparkling wine! It was a feast that ended with a gorgeous bowl of sliced fruit tossed with orange-blossom water.  A perfect way to end an amazing adventure, for sure.

Spices and herbs in a Marrakech drugstore.

Dried fruits and nuts in the square at night.

Jamaa el Fna square, Marrakech, at night.

Spice square, Marrakech.

A stall in the spice market.

Tagines on the stove.

Chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives. From Cooking Class #5.

Beef tagine with toasted almonds and prunes. From Cooking Class #5.

Shredded carrot with cumin and cilantro. From Cooking Class #5.

Roasted tomatoes with peppers (layered). From Cooking Class #5.

Baby zucchini with lemon and paprika. From Cooking Class #5.

Zaalouk made with roasted eggplant. From Cooking Class #5.

The colorful sights, amazing smells, warm flavors, and lovely people are something I'll not soon forget. Morocco, you were delicious.

Au revoir, 2012. Bonjour, 2013!

xoxo

Fridge and Pantry Treasures

There are treasures hidden in the kitchen, you just have to get creative.

I feel like I'm always buying groceries, so I've been trying to use only the items in my pantry and fridge when cooking this week (no special trips to the store, no last minute stop at the bakery) and it's been easier than I thought.  Here are two meals I've made so far for the two of us with the food I already have in the house.

1)  Peppercorn Pork Loin with Lemon Couscous, Crispy Kale and Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 18-20 oz. Pork Loin (I had a peppercorn-marinated one from Hormel)

4 servings Couscous (large kernel size)

Vegetable stock

1  Lemon

1 bunch Parsley

1.5 lb kale leaves (washed, stems removed and leaves ripped into bite-sized pieces)

Walnut Oil
1 head broccoli (washed and florets separated from main stem)

Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic (peeled/smashed)

Garlic powder (to taste)

Kosher salt (to taste)

To Do:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place pork loin in a shallow pan. Roast pork for about 30-40 minutes, or until juices run clear.  I like mine a little pink, so usually take it out at the 30-minute mark and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. I also added some roughly chopped carrots and onions to the roasting dish to add flavor.
• In the meantime, toss your kale with some walnut oil, salt and garlic powder and place in even layer on a baking sheet.  Roast for 30 minutes or until leaves are crispy, but still chewy.
• Toss the broccoli florets and 3 garlic cloves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in a shallow pan and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes. 
• Note: I put all three dishes in the oven together--and while the pork rested for a few minutes, I cranked up the oven to 450 so the broccoli and kale had a chance to caramelize a bit more.
• Cook your couscous per the directions on the package, but use vegetable stock instead of water and add a garlic clove and 1/2 a lemon to the liquid.  When couscous is tender and ready to serve, remove garlic clove and lemon, then mix in a handful of chopped parsley, kosher salt, a tsp of butter, a few tsps of lemon juice and garlic powder to taste.
• Slice pork and serve with a heaping portion of kale and broccoli and a mound of couscous.
• Yum.

This next dish put the leftover couscous to use. No pics because Chris and I literally stood in the kitchen and ate it all gone.  (Spicy and creamy and oh-so-good!)

2) Pretty Peas Curry with Couscous

Ingredients:

1 TBS Butter

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Kosher salt (plus more to taste)

1 TBS Curry powder

1 TBS Garlic powder

1 TBS Brown Sugar

2 TBS Tikka Paste

2 TBS tomato paste
1 15 oz. can chick peas (drained)

1 cup frozen or fresh green peas

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup Crème fraîche (Alouette has a 7 oz. tub that's easy to find in the dairy section)

1 cup Leftover couscous

Rice/Naan for serving

To Do:

• In a large pot, melt butter and stir in cinnamon, salt, curry powder, garlic powder, brown sugar and the Tikka and tomato pastes. Cook until fragrant.  
• Stir in the chick peas and mix into spices.
• Add stock and stir in the green peas. Heat to boiling, then lower heat immediately.
• Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until peas are thawed/cooked, add the cooked couscous. 
• Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of crème fraîche.
• Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. If too spicy, add more crème fraîche.
• Serve over rice, or scoop up with toasted Naan.  Great with cubed chicken or tofu as well. 
• Delish!

What tasty treasures are waiting in your pantry/fridge?

xoxo

Feisty Chick Stew (Chickpea and Couscous Stew)

I'm a feisty chick.

Some days, I can be super witty and sassy and sharp as a tack. Other days, I am cool as a cucumber and relatively low-key. But, no matter what, I like to keep things light and fun.  Kind of like this stew I threw together last night in about 30 minutes. It has some color and spice, but cilantro adds light notes as well. It's comforting, yet bold and bright -- the perfect thing for a foggy, winter weeknight. (Although, I'm told we should really have had pizza last night, since Chris said it was "National Pie Day." How did I miss that?)

Feisty Chick Stew 
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2  teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of curry powder
1-2 teaspoons garam masala (optional, but if you leave it out, you're missing out)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then diced (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, strained)
1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken stock or broth
12.5 oz can of chicken, drained (or 1 cup shredded, cooked chicken breast)
Kosher salt
1 heaping TBS chopped cilantro (fresh)
1 cup cooked couscous
1/2 cup diced carrots (see note)
To Do:

• Lightly coat the bottom of a large soup pot with olive oil spray, then turn stove on medium-high heat.
• Add the garlic, tomato paste and seasonings, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and chicken and cook for another minute or so. (Stir gently)
• Pour in the broth and stir to combine. Add salt to taste, and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• In the meantime, cook your couscous according to directions, except add 1/2 cup of diced carrots to the water before you bring it to a boil.  
• When the couscous/carrot mixture is done, gently stir it into the stew.
• Adjust seasonings if needed and stir in the cilantro.
• Ladle into bowls and serve with pita bread or a few slices of cheese. This stew is so filling (and good for you, too!) you won't need much on the side. You can even make it without chicken and with vegetable broth if you want a more vegetarian-type dish. A great light dessert of mandarin oranges tossed with fresh chopped mint rounds out the meal.

I mean, really. Who needs pizza?
Yum!
xoxoxo

Carrot Soufflé and Yogurt-Marinated Leg of Lamb With Cardamom and Orange

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child

Chris and I didn't have any plans for the weekend, but somehow we ended up hosting a lovely, last-minute get together with friends for Easter Sunday.

I think the fact that our new dining table arrived on Saturday put us in the mood to start entertaining again -- even if we don't have proper chairs yet and won't have a sofa for 12 weeks.  (Ah, the joys of moving/buying new furniture!)  

Our friends were taking care of the ham and deviled eggs, so I decided to do a roast lamb.  I had seen a great recipe in the New York Times from one of my favorite food writers -- Mark Bittman, so I decided to buy a leg of lamb and try it out.  And, since it was Easter, and all things bunny, I thought a carrot soufflé would be a nice accompaniment to both the ham and the lamb.  

Both dishes were relatively easy to make -- with minimal effort and outstanding results!  The lamb was moist and flavorful, and the varying thickness of the leg offered rare, medium-rare, and medium-well done pieces of meat, so there was something for everyone. The soufflé was creamy, fluffy, and pudding-like, with a hint of sweet and a touch of spice.  Yum.  

At the last minute (literally), I decided to make some couscous with ground coriander, garlic, butter, parsley and raisins (just toss the raisins in with the boiling water and they will plum up) and also steamed some asparagus and drizzled it with walnut oil and a sherry vinegar glaze.  My mom sent us some homemade rolls, so those were added to the menu as well. (Thanks, Mom!) The ham was terrific, too, by the way (it had roasted for 6 hours!) and I think I ate at least 4 deviled eggs before I even sat down to the table...what a nice table, it was, too!  ;)

Carrot Soufflé

2 pounds carrots, peeled

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg

1/3 teaspoon of orange zest (optional)

3 eggs, beaten

Brown sugar and cinnamon (for topping) 

To Do:

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees
• Lay carrots on a roasting pan with a bit of water in the bottom of it and roast in the oven for 20 minutes until they start to bubble and soften, then remove from oven and chop coarsely.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until very tender, about 5-10 minutes. Drain.
• Place carrots and the butter in food processor and process until smooth (no chunks!).
• Add the sugars, flour, baking powder, vanilla and spices and pulse until mixed.
• Add in the eggs one at a time and process until incorporated and batter is smooth.
• Pour into a casserole dish (or into ramekins for individual servings).
• Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and bake for about 45-60 minutes, until it has puffed and browned.
• Serve immediately, or reheat before serving so it puffs back up.
• Enjoy!

The recipe for Mark Bittman's Yogurt-Marinated Leg of Lamb With Cardamom and Orange can be found here.  But, basically, it involves removing excess fat from a 5-7 pound leg of lamb/shank (the fat is what gives it a strong mutton-y odor/flavor) then marinating it at room temperature for about an hour with whole milk yogurt, orange zest, chopped mint, salt, pepper and the star of the show: freshly ground cardamom.  The recipe doesn't say how to ground cardamom (I had the whole pods), so I just did the obvious. I cracked the pods open with the back of a wooden spoon then separated the seeds from the pods. 

Then, for added flavor, I toasted them for a few minutes on the stove and then ground them into a powder using my mortar and pestle (on a side note, my pestle went missing soon after and I have yet to find it...).  The smell of fresh ground cardamom makes me swoon.  Lovely!  Now, imagine that on lamb. Terrific!!  

After the lamb marinated, I put it in a 425F degree oven for 30 minutes and then, since the meat was starting to brown a bit too quickly, I reduced the heat to 375F degrees and cooked for about another 45 minutes, until the thickest part of the meat registered in the 130F degrees mark.  I removed it from the oven, let it rest, then carved it up and served it with more freshly chopped mint.  Mark Bittman suggested serving it whit Harissa on the side, which is a lovely, spicy, red pepper paste/condiment.  I must say, the man knows what he's talking about. Divine.

Anyway, it was a lovely meal, with lovely people and a great way to christen our new table. Cheers!

xoxoxo