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tuscany
morocco
sicily
elba thailand
amalfi
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. . . to dine on sensual flavors,
shop for fine fabrics in the souk, and take midnight swims
by candlelight. Put the finishing touches on your magic carpet,
my friend, and get ready to fly. Morocco is waiting for you! |

Our first day began with the staple
of Moroccan cooking: couscous. An outdoor kitchen had been set
up in the late morning shade of a courtyard. Our teacher was a
young woman named Bahija; her dark hair tied up in a white kerchief.
She seemed shy, but melted into earnest expressiveness the moment
she began to speak.
"
You have to work the couscous ... make sure it doesn't form lumps," she
explained, spreading the dry granules on to a round platter and
moistening them with fistfuls of water and a splash of vegetable
oil. Her hands moved quickly over the plate, rubbing the granules
lightly between flat palms as if as each one needed to be gently
coaxed into action.
In
between tossing chunks of aubergine, pumpkin and courgette
into the couscoussier,
Bahija taught us how
to make
two of the traditional accompaniments: tfaya, a
sweet onion and raisin confit spiced with pepper and ground ginger;
and a brilliantly
fiery harissa made with home-grown chillies, garlic, paprika,
caraway and cumin.
We became
Bahija's faithful acolytes, watching her every move in awe,
and
scribbling down notes.
Click
here to read the
rest of the article online |
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morocco
Recipes
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Recipes from The Spice of Life article, (More magazine, Feb. 2008)
Recipe sheet 1 (pdf)
Recipe sheet 2 (pdf)
Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Cinnamon
3 T olive oil
2 1/2 lbs. lamb (off the shoulder)
1 cup finely sliced onions
1 t salt
1 t ground ginger
1 t tumeric
a grind of course black pepper
1 t ground cinnamon
3 whole cinnamon sticks
a few strands of saffron, soaked in wine
1 lb. prunes
3 T honey
water
1 T toasted sesame seeds
Peel and slice onion. In a tagine or casserole, combine
onions, meat, cinnamon, cinnamon stick, tumeric, ginger,
saffron, olive oil and salt.
Traditionally, all ingredients are put in the tagine and left to simmer for
1–1/2 hours.
It can be varied by browning the meat slightly and setting
aside. Then sauté the onions with the spices and set
aside. Assemble by putting in the meat, onions, and cinnamon
sticks. Add enough water to almost cover the meat. Let simmer
for 1 to 1–1/2 hours, partially covered. Add prunes,
honey and cinnamon and let simmer another 15–20 minutes until
the meat is nice and tender.
To toast sesame seeds, use a dry skillet and toss a few
times until the aroma of sesame hits your nose. Sprinkle
on top. Serve the tagine at the table. If using a casserole,
transfer to a platter.
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