FFFB: Olga of Mango & Tomato

Posted by marocmama on Jan 27, 2012 in Favorite Female Food Bloggers | 2 comments

 
Today I am so happy to share an interview with one of my favorite people.  Olga is a blogging friend who I have had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know in person.  Last May at Eat, Write, Retreat we got to know each other and have been chatting ever since.  I love her website because it’s a great mix of unique recipes and local info on Washington DC.  It’s kind of like a little trip down memory lane.  Oh and it’s loaded with really gorgeous pictures – she is such a talented photographer!  Meet Olga!
 

Tell me a little bit about your blog and what you write about.

 
My blog documents my passion for food. It covers my original recipes, eating out adventures and culinary travels. I love sharing my creations with readers and be able to advise them where they would have an excellent meal out. It’s basically my food diary (but not the one where I write how many calories I’ve eaten!).
 

Why did you start blogging?

 
I started blogging to share anything and everything food related in my life with my family and friends. And then the readers came!
 

What is your earliest memory in the kitchen?

 
That’s a hard one. Not necessarily a true memory, but the story my parents have told me is that when I was really little, I would tell everyone who would listen how to make candy. Supposedly, I would say that all you need was water: stir it till you’ll have candy. I must have been 2 or 3 years old. A woman who overheard me on a bus asked my mom if this was true! Can you believe that?
 

Who or what influences you in the kitchen today?

 
Both my parents and grandparents cook. They hardly ever use recipes: instead, they use their imagination and what’s available. That’s exactly how I cook.
 

What is your favorite ingredient?

 
You can’t possibly make me choose just one. The things I always have around are garlic, onions, olive oil, and spices.
 

Everyone has a favorite recipe that we just can’t re-create the same way as our mom, grandma etc. Which recipe is
this for you?

 
My mom makes amazing split pea soup. I tried recreating it a few times by memory and with her advise, but it just did not work. Luckily, Aviva shared her recipe for split soup and, amazingly, it was spot on!
 

Who is your favorite “famous/celebrity” chef and why?

 
I would love to have a meal with Ina Garten. I love that she makes accessible food in a very calm manner. You can tell she really loves what she does.
 

Which of your recipes is your favorite?

 
I typically don’t make the same thing more than once, but there are a few exceptions. One is the recipe I made while I was in Daring Bakers: flourless chocolate cake. Another is Shakshuka: it’s an egg and tomato dish. The best thing about the dish is that not only is it quick and filling, but you can vary it by adding different spices and extra vegetables.
 

What was your least successful recipe attempt?

 
I just made beef stroganoff for the first time ever with a few friends: it was so good. How can you go wrong with beef, mushrooms, shallots and sour cream served over egg noodles?
 

Which kitchen tool couldn’t you live without?

 
My chef’s knife is the one kitchen tool I use all the time. But I also love my microplane.
 

Last meal. What would yours be?

 
Let’s see: there would be a TON of food: Russian potato salad , sushi, steak, watermelon, dark chocolate, tomatoes, mangoes, pickled vegetables, smoked salmon…obviously I have a hard time narrowing down my choices.
 

Anything else you’d like to add/share

 
Thank you so much for choosing to interview me! If your readers would like more information, they can find me on my website Mango & Tomato, on Twitter (@mangotomato), Pinterest (mangotomato) or Facebook.

Passport to Africa Party!

Posted by marocmama on Jan 26, 2012 in Advocacy | 0 comments

It’s no secret that I have a huge soft spot in my heart for Africa and African causes (how could I not I have two half-African kids!) In the last few months I was introduced to Hartlyn Kids books and my boys love them!  I was so delighted when they contacted me earlier this month to see if I wanted to co-host a Twitter party with them and some other fabulous bloggers.  Of course I did!  I hope that you all can join us on January 31st from 9-10:30 EST to learn more about Africa, multicultural families and help raise money for Hartlyn Kids new book all about Africa!
 
Here are the details:
 
Join Us for a Passport to Africa Twitter Party with Hartlyn Kids!
 
 Hartlyn Kids invites you to a ‘Passport to Africa Twitter Party’ to help them raise funds for a NEW children’s book about a country in Africa!  The upcoming book will be the third in a series that travels the globe, one book at a time, through unique stories from people who live and create in the countries that are represented in their books!
 
HartlynKids believes that everyone should have the opportunity to tell their story in their own words.  Their books empower writers and illustrators abroad, while putting diverse and culturally sensitive stories into the hands of young readers world wide.  Now, that’s something to celebrate!
 
Hartlyn Kids readers and supporters now have the chance to help this dream to become a reality!
 
Join us for some fun trivia about Africa, lively discussion and excellent prizes during this LIVE event on Twitter!  We’ll be talking multicultural life, travel and more, all while raising money for a great new project from Hartlyn Kids!  See you there!
 
Stay tuned during the Twitter party for special announcements about how you can help make the new Hartlyn Kids Africa book a reality!
 
 
 
PARTY DETAILS:
 
HOST: @mculturalfam

CO-HOSTS:

@HartlynKids

@MarocMama

@BiculturalMama

@WorldTravelMom

(Make sure to follow us all before the party starts!)
 
When: Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
 
What Time: From 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM EST
 
Where:Tweetgrid.com,Tweetchat.com,Twitter.com
 
Hashtag: #HKAfricaBook
 
RSVP:twtvite.com/HKAfricaBook
 
PRIZES:

• One (1) $50 Amazon Gift Card from @HartlynKids
• Three (3) Africa sticker book collection from @PutumayoMusic
• One (1)The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent by Jessica B. Harris
• One (1) World Travel Mom – E-book: “Mom’s Guide To Travel With Young Kids”
• One (1)Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering from @shikokusue
• One (1) @HartlynKids gift basket (Featuring India book, Philippines books & Hartlyn Kids passport)

*For a chance to win, you must RSVP, follow host/co-hosts and respond to giveaway questions.

 
 
LEARN MORE:
 
For more information visit: http://bit.ly/yUlesU
 
Donate to Hartlyn Kids’ IndieGoGo Fund!  http://bit.ly/vuzOQj
 

Gluten Free Moroccan Cooking {Harcha}

Posted by marocmama on Jan 24, 2012 in Guest Posts, Moroccan Food | 3 comments

I want to give you a little heads up.  Right now I am studying to take the LSAT exam.  I’ve finally decided to make my law school dream a reality and am preparing myself for this first step.  The test is for the middle of February so I am cramming!  I don’t want to take a long break from writing however I know I will not have the time to make new meals or put together long posts.  I’ve asked some of my readers, friends and followers to help me out by sharing some of their stories to keep you interested while I’m chained to my desk.  
 
Stephanie is the founder and co-editor of InCultureParent.com, a magazine for parents raising little global citizens.  She has two Moroccan American daughters (ages 3 and 5), whom she is raising, together with her husband, bilingual in Arabic and English. After many moves worldwide, she currently lives in Berkeley, California.  I was so happy that Stephanie agreed to share this post because it’s really important for me!  Last week we received news from MarocBaba’s physician that he has celiac disease.  We had been experimenting with gluten (or the absence of it) in his diet to see if it would help with issues he was having.  We were correct.  Stephanie’s post is a great example of how hard gluten-free life can be for lovers of Moroccan food (and Moroccans themselves!) But never fear – it can be done!
 
Gluten free and Moroccan cooking are not the best of friends. The idea of eating gluten free is pure craziness to most Moroccans. Many have told me point blank they would rather suffer the repercussions than be forced to give up gluten. My sister-in-law is case in point. While she has many of the symptoms associated with those who have an intolerance to gluten (frequent stomach pain, bloating, gas constipation, headaches), and each trip to Morocco I talk to her about what I believe is her gluten intolerance just like my daughter’s, she has been unwilling and incapable in her own mind, of forgoing bread for even just one day. You see every meal and snack in Morocco revolves around bread. Bread goes beyond being a simple staple—it is also the primary utensil you use to eat with, replacing forks and spoons.
 
The last time we went to Morocco, I was able to arm myself with an arsenal of gluten-free breads, pastas and cereals to take with us. It still didn’t do much good because when the whole family was enjoying just off the stove, flaky pieces of msemsen—a fried Moroccan bread that is sheer heaven— and you hand my daughter a dry, gluten free roll out of plastic, you can guess how that went down.
 
We weather Morocco with a lot of Miralax and do our best to limit bread as much as possible (usually this involves eating breakfast with Jasmin before everyone else to ensure she eats gluten free and is full by the time the real breakfast is served). But at home, it’s a different story. Our household is largely gluten free, except my husband who can’t survive without bread. Breakfast for him is a baguette with olive oil for dipping. He’s never really tempted by any of my weekend breakfasts—pancakes, waffles, Brazilian cheese bread, and instead always opts for white bread with olive oil and maybe jam if he’s getting crazy and really mixing things up (sarcasm).
 
For a time, even after we knew Jasmin should eat gluten free, it was hard to give up certain Moroccan food routines, like my husband’s Friday night couscous or Sunday morning harsha (also written harcha–a type of flat bread). Both are made of semolina flour. Often times, direct gluten-free substitutes don’t end up tasting as good. But more and more, I have been experimenting and improvising to turn traditional Moroccan meals into gluten-free ones. I started with something easy: harsha. Harsha, a pan-fried flat bread, is like a Moroccan pancake except much firmer. It’s sort of like a patty and you eat it always fresh out of the frying pan, then smeared in jelly or dipped in honey.
 
I make my gluten-free harsha with corn flour (masa harina) and it’s a distant cousin of the Colombian arepa, but using a Moroccan recipe all the way.
 
Gluten-free Harsha

• 3 cups corn flour*
• 1 T baking powder
• 4 T sugar
• 1 t salt
• 4 T butter (melted)
• 1/2-3/4 cup warm milk until the batter is wet enough to form patties in your hand

 
Directions

Mix the dry ingredients and add in the butter then milk. Add the milk slowly to make sure the dough is not too wet. Mix dough with your hands as it will be stiff. Form into hamburger-like patties and cook in butter over medium-low heat. They take a little bit to cook fully through on both sides (approximately 6-9 minutes per side).
 
Serve with honey or jam. Better yet, you can make a true Moroccan side by mixing together warm butter and honey, in equal proportions, for dipping sauce. Bet you can’t eat just one!
 
*If you want the real deal, then you would use semolina flour instead of corn flour to make authentic gluten-filled harsha.

Traditional Harcha with Semolina

Thank you so much Stephanie for sharing this story and post.  I know that as we continue down the road of gluten-free living there will be so many issues like this that come up!!  If you’d like to follow Stephanie you can find her at IncultureParent.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Get Real: Food Inc.

Posted by marocmama on Jan 22, 2012 in Food for Change | 2 comments

 
This week’s challenge from Once A Month Moms’ Get Real Challenge was to get out of your kitchen and – watch a movie!  But not just any movie.  The suggestion was to watch Food Inc.  I’ve seen this movie a few times.  It seems to be played with some regularity on PBS and can also be live streamed from Netflix.  This is also one of the movies that I watched with my husband and changed his mind on the foods we ate.
 
Growing up in a state where agriculture and farming is really important I have to point out not ALL farmers are in with “the man.”  There are a lot of farm families who struggle to hold onto their land and earn a profit.  It’s also REALLY hard work.  Unfortunately one thing you will learn from this movie is how commercialized and industrialized the food industry has become.  This makes it difficult if not impossible for family farms to stay afloat.  Government subsidies drive what is or isn’t grown.  I read a good article in Harper’s about a year ago titled, “The food bubble: How Wall Street starved millions and got away with it.”  It’s not available online but well worth the read.  There’s another piece on the Huffington Post Politics page that has similar material.  The economics of food is really interesting (and scary) – worth a read!
 
Some other  movies on this issue that I’ve watched and enjoyed;

• The Future of Food
• Food Matters
• The Botany of Desire
• Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
• Forks Over Knives

 
This week the challenge is to watch Food Inc.  You can visit the Once A Month Mom page and leave your comments or join them tonight on a live chat at 9 EST.
 
If you’ve seen this movie I’d love to know your thoughts too!!

FFFB: Shulie of Food Wanderings

Posted by marocmama on Jan 20, 2012 in Favorite Female Food Bloggers | 4 comments

 
It’s Friday so you know what that means.  It’s time for my favorite female food bloggers series!  Today’s interview is with Shulie Madnick of Food Wanderings.  Shulie describes herself as Indian-Jewish.  She grew up in Israel and has lived in the US for the last two decades. After we left Washington DC three years ago I found and met online, so many fun bloggers from that area!  I can’t tell you how much I wish we were still living in DC and I could get together with these fabulous ladies!  Shulie has a really great style, she’s a good storyteller and she has this lovely sense about her that makes me smile. Her photos are gorgeous and her recipes are always something I never would have thought of.  The combinations that she creates are mouthwatering but rarely ingredients I would have considered together.  I think you’ll love her style and recipes as much as me!
 

Meet Shulie!

Tell me a little bit about your blog and what you write about.

Food Wanderings is a reflection of who I am and my background as an Indian, Israeli Jewess living in the US now more than half my life. I ‘spin’ (weave) stories as one dear friend & food blogger Deeba of Passionate about Baking put it.  The ‘spin’ was taken out of context, you got to see one of of Deeba’s comments to understand what she meant.
 

Why did you start blogging?

 
Throughout many years of dinners and holiday parties my friends, my son & husband urged me to write a cookbook intertwined with my food, cultural and childhood memories, I shared with them. Though not a cookbook but as my son was off to college I felt an urgency to document thoughts, stories and recipes for generations to come through launching Food Wanderings.
 

Everyone has a favorite recipe that we just can’t re-create the same way as our mom, grandma etc.  Which recipe is this for you?

 
There are tricks to this puren poli, rolled out flat bread filled with sweetened chickpeas paste. My mom’s filling of sweetened chickpea paste never cracked through the rolled out dough. I’ve seen many and rolled out many but my mom always and still makes them to perfection. It tasted same whether cracked or not though.
 

Who is your favorite “famous/celebrity” chef and why?

 
I enjoy so many. Just recents: rooted for Chef Zakarian as my favorite chef on The Next Iron Chef. Had a really good meal in Boston couple weeks back at Russel House Tavern in Cambridge, MA Food was seasoned well.

Which of your recipes is your favorite?

 
I always make red lentil daal/dal/dahl. It is super healthy, low fat, super flavorful, packed with nutrients such as protein and dietary fibers. It is also super quick to make, could be frozen in batches and appropriate for every meal or just as a healthy snack it you get hungry but trying to avoid junk food.
 

Which kitchen tool couldn’t you live without?

 
My spatulas. Funnily enough.