Guest Post: Food Building Cultural Bridges

Posted by marocmama on Jul 19, 2011 in Food for Change, Guest Posts | 0 comments

Today’s guest post comes from Olivia of Trying to Conceive.   Olivia stays at home with her two children and blogs about female health and fertility at Trying To Conceive. If you are hoping for a visit from the stork, her free ovulation calendar helps you determine your most fertile days. This post is a great look into the world of international relationships and the role food plays in them! 

I will never forget how my Korean boyfriend tried to eat spaghetti with only a spoon, and looked puzzled and embarrassed when he was unable to successfully lift them to his mouth. We were on holiday in London, England together and our friendly hotel receptionist managed to get us into a fancy, full-till-the-end-of-the-year, Italian restaurant. It was one of these places with a few, carefully selected, dishes on the menu. I chose a beautiful vegetarian risotto and my boyfriend, accepting the waiter’s recommendation, ordered this spaghetti which he had no idea how to eat!

We laughed together as I showed him how Italians eat spaghetti, using a spoon to wrap the pasta around their fork. Then, I showed him that it is also possible to cut the spaghetti into smaller pieces and then eat them with knife and fork. As a committed foodie, bonding over expensive, beautiful food certainly was nothing new to me. And a year before the spaghetti incident, I was the embarrassed one as my boyfriend introduced me to Korean food and how to eat it. Unlike Chinese people, Koreans use a spoon to eat rice. And their chop sticks are made of metal, making it very hard for a western newcomer like myself to use them.

They say for a reason that the bedroom is the best way to learn a language. It was certainly an effective way for me to learn Korean! But if a relationship with a native speaker is the best way to acquire a new tongue, food is the easiest way to get an introduction to a new culture. Now, more than a decade later (and after graduating from a Korean university!), I am married to a Serb. We also bonded over dinners, but Serbian food, like the cuisine of my own country of origin (the Netherlands), is nowhere near as exciting as Korean food. I still regularly cook Korean dishes, which are more friendly to vegetarians like us, for my husband and my two children.

When I was suffering from the most pleasing of pregnancy signs – food cravings – it was kimchi and bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables, fried in a boiling hot stone bowl) that I craved. I remembered how my Korean boyfriend’s mother taught me how to make kimchi, and because Korean spices and ingredients are not available where we live now, I ordered them off the internet. I made most dishes completely from scratch, and I am convinced that it is because of my pregnancy eating habits that my five year-old daughter “steals” gochujang, an authentically Korean hot chilly sauce, from the fridge and eats it straight out of the red plastic box when she gets a chance!

Food, indeed, builds cultural bridges and brings us closer together. Foods from all over the globe help us get to know new cultures, and makes us global citizens. It is because of the food that I cook, and not because of the language I speak or the degree I got, that I still consider myself somewhat of a Korean even now. It is because of the food I cook that my European, blond-haired and blue-eyed children know all about Korea, that far-away country where their mother once bonded to a wonderful culture with a rich history over kimchi and kimbap (Korean sushi).

I’d love to know your stories – have you experienced something similar?  What role has food played in your relationship(s)?

Guest Post: Mango & Tomatoes’ Moroccan Chicken

Posted by marocmama on Jul 12, 2011 in Moroccan Food | 2 comments

Today’s guest post comes from Olga at Mango & Tomato.  I had the pleasure of meeting Olga at Eat Write Retreat in May.  I had so much fun getting to know her. I really love her great eye for photography and fabulous recipes.  I’m so happy she was willing to share this recipe!  Please make sure to stop by her website for more fantastic recipes and good eats in Washington DC.  You can also follow her on Twitter @mangotomato 
 
This recipe for Moroccan chicken came about partially because my mom made it in Seattle, and my sister and my dad liked it. There is nothing strange about my sister and mom liking Moroccan chicken. But the fact that my dad liked a dish with spices other than your typical salt/pepper/garlic/parsley, is really saying something!
 
Last weekend I decided to have a few of my friends over for dinner and to make chili and cornbread. One pot dishes are my favorites: little work is required, and yet you have quite a bit of flavor. What does this have to do with Moroccan chicken, you might be wondering. Well, my twin, Anna, told me that she thought making chili for a dinner get together was rather boring and uninspiring. She suggested I make Moroccan chicken. And since Anna is older than me (by 30 minutes!), I listened.
 
I used some of the ingredients from the recipe my mom recited over the phone {she found it in a Costco magazine} and some of the spices from a recipe I’ve made for Robyn, and a few random additions of my own.
 
Moroccan Chicken (this is enough for 6-10 people)
 
Ingredients

• olive oil
• 6 skinless & boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 onions, thinly sliced (I used 1 red and 1 white)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pinch cayenne
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 green peppers cut into 1″ chunks
• 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 15 ounce cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• parsley, chopped
• 1/2  cup slivered almonds, toasted
• cous cous, cooked

 
Directions
1. Heat a bit of oil in a large soup pot. In several batches cook the chicken for a few minutes. There is no need to brown it. You just want to make sure it’s not pink on the outside. Remove the chicken from the pot.

2. Add a bit more oil if necessary. Add onions and garlic to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes.

3. Add spices and cook for 2 more minutes. I had to add a bit of water at this point (you can also add more oil if you want).
4. Add carrots and peppers and cook for 5 more minutes.

5. Add crushed tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Bring everything to a boil. Add the chicken back to the pot. Also drop in the golden raisins. If there isn’t enough liquid to cover the chicken, add a bit of water. I had to add about a cup. No big deal: you can also add more tomatoes if you have them, wine or even chicken broth. It’s not neuroscience: it’s cooking! Don’t be scared and have fun.

6. Bring everything to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 30 minutes. Make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through.
 
Note: I toasted the slivered almonds in a little cast iron skillet. You can toast them in the oven on a cookie sheet or even in a microwave. 

 
Serve the Moroccan chicken over cous cous and top with almonds and parsley.

 
This dish turned out to be quite a party pleaser, which made me really happy.

 
Variations:

• Use thighs instead of chicken breasts.
• Add dried apricots instead of (or with) golden raisins.
• Feel free to add other vegetables such as zucchini or thinly sliced potatoes.
• You can also serve this as a stew without cous cous or serve it over mashed potatoes or rice.

Guest Post: Sweets of Serbia

Posted by marocmama on Jun 7, 2011 in International Food | 5 comments

Today’s guest post is from Lana of Bibberche.  She is a total sweetheart and I’ve long admired her from seeing her tweets.  I was so shy to even ask her if she would want to do a guest post because she is so talented and I thought she would scoff at my request.  Lucky for me (and for you!) she agreed to do a post on Serbian desserts.  You’re really in for a treat.

 
I was one of the people who scorned technology and dismissed the computers as a way of communication when I was in college. But I have retracted my opinions a long time ago, and cannot imagine my life without the Internet. I keep in touch with my family scattered all over the world, I connect with old friends, and I make new ones. Amanda was one of the first people I met on Twitter. I realized from reading her blog that we have a lot in common (having married men from foreign countries being only the most obvious connection). I am grateful for our virtual friendship and enjoyed tremendously writing this guest post. Thank you, Amanda, for your hospitality!

The town was a mix of Christians and Muslims with early 10^th century solid rock churches on the outskirts looking over the slender minarets in the center. Four centuries of Turkish Ottoman rule left a significant imprint on the area changing forever the religious and cultural milieu of the land. The Turks rode back east in the late nineteenth century, but a big part of their culture stayed behind.
 
We moved to central Serbia when I was a baby, and went back to Novi Pazar only occasionally to visit relatives and friends. I was always fascinated by this town which reminded me of 1001 Nights with its mosques, narrow cobble-stoned streets, small shops selling hand-made copper dishes and filigree gold, the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans, the high brick and mortar walls with gates facing the street, men in red fezes smoking unfiltered cigarettes and drinking tea for hours, the busy markets crowded with haggling shoppers, and people with strange sounding names.
 
We looked forward to these weekend two-hour trips by car, feeling as if we were going not only away in space, but back in time. The language had a different rhythm, the pace was slower, the sounds exotic, and the smells coming out of the kitchens unusual and romantic. The breads were flatter, the meat was definitely lamb, and thick yogurt accompanied many restaurant dishes.
 
Around noon, housewives would leave their chores at home and venture out into the streets, the yards of silk undulating around their legs, long, curly locks hidden behind a colorful scarf. They would visit each other, spending a leisurely hour drinking freshly ground and brewed Turkish coffee and spreading the neighborhood news whispered in confidence over the walls separating the houses.
 
Turkish coffee is strong, and wise women knew many tricks to prepare the gullet for enjoying it. Sometimes there were only sugar cubes to dunk into a small fildzan of hot, dark liquid. Sometimes there was rose or bergamot flavored rahat-lokum* on a saucer with an accompanying glass of water served as a refreshment before the coffee. Sometimes the hostess would offer her latest homemade fruit preserves, watching with hawk-like attention for her friends’ reactions.
 
And sometimes there would be desserts cut into small squares and drowned in sweet, lemony syrup. As kids, we learned quickly which houses promised the best feast and ran behind mothers, aunts, friends, and neighbors, eagerly anticipating the flavorful, exotic sugar rush.
 
Every time I go back to Serbia, I try to go to Novi Pazar to visit my relatives. The town has joined the 21^st century with power lines swooping overhead and cell phones at every other ear, but if you squint, you can imagine yourself embraced by a sleepy, romantic air of bygone days, filled with smells and sounds reminiscent of the East.  To bring that feeling to my family in America, I try to introduce all my friends to the wonderful ritual of drinking Turkish coffee. I offer sugar cubes, rahat-lokum my parents regularly send from Serbia, and home-made fruit preserves. And sometimes I even make the sweet, simple desserts, covered in lemony syrup.
 
*rahat-lokum is known in English as Turkish Delight, a candy made of powdered sugar, starch, and aromatics, often containing nuts.

HURMAŠICE (BRDARICE)

(“Hurma” is a Turkish word for a date; these cookies are shaped to resemble dates. “Brdo” is a wiry part of a loom; when they are formed, the cookies were rolled against a loom, or later a grater to get the ubiquitous marks.)

Ingredients:

For Cookies:

• I stick (115g) unsalted butter, melted
• 9 Tbsp (125ml) sunflower oil
• 2 egg yolks
• ¾ cup (150g) plain yogurt
• 400g all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• zest of 1 lemon

For the syrup:

• 500gr (1lb) sugar
• 500ml (2 cups) water
• 1 lemon cut into circles

Directions:

Mix butter, oil, egg yolks, and yogurt until smooth. Separately sift flour and baking powder, and add lemon zest. Pour the liquid into the flour and mix to combine. The dough should not be too dense, but it should easily come away from the walls of the bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350F.
 
Take a walnut-sized piece of dough, flatten it a bit, and roll against the side of the grater with small squares, forming it into an elliptical shape resembling a shell, or a date, with the sides coming together in the middle with a seem. Lay it on cookie sheet (no need to grease it) and continue with the rest of the dough, leaving some space between the cookies.
 

Bake for 30 minutes, until just barely golden.

In the meantime prepare the syrup. Heat the sugar and water until sugar dissolves, add the lemon slices, and continue simmering on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour hot syrup over cooled cookies and let them sit to absorb it for several hours.
 

 

 

TUFAHIJE

Ingredients:

• 6 medium-sized apples (choose firmer apples that do not fall apart under heat)
• 400ml (1 ½ cups) water
• 400gr (15 oz) granulated sugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 150gr (5 oz) ground walnuts
• 250ml (1cup) heavy whipping cream
• 1-2 Tbsp sugar

Directions:
 
Peel and core the apples (make the hole 1 inch in diameter) and lay them in a pot. Cover with water, sugar, and lemon juice, and cook for 15-20 minutes until softened, but still holding their shape. Take the apples out of the liquid and place them in a serving dish with walls at least 2 inches high. Continue simmering the liquid until it slightly thickens, another 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, fill the holes in cooked apples with ground walnuts. Pour the hot liquid over the apples and nuts. Add more nuts if necessary. Chill in the refrigerator. Whip the heavy whipping cream until the soft peaks form, add the sugar, and serve on top of the apples.
 

 

 
So which one would be your favorite?  Stop by Bibberche for more great recipes and pictures!

Guest Post: Memories of Marrakech

Posted by marocmama on May 24, 2011 in Culture | 0 comments

Today’s guest post is from Holly Warah of Arabic Zeal.  Holly has been a friend on Twitter (@dubai_words) for sometime now.  She is originally from Seattle but is currently an expat in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with her family and is an up and coming blogger.  I highly suggest you stop by her site for great writing and great images with a unique peek into everyday life in Dubai. From Holly;

I dreamed of going to Morocco when I was 19. Alas, it was not meant to be.

Several decades later, as a mother of three, I saw a tiny ad in a British travel magazine: “Photography Holidays in Italy and Morocco.” I immediately went to the website and looked at the photos. I thought: That’s it. I’m going. I was headed to Morocco!

It was a nine-day Photography Holiday with a dozen Brits & three photography tutors. We spent our time in Marrakesh with a few days in a Berber Village in the Atlas Mountains. A typical morning started with a photography lesson & an assignment. The bulk of the day was spent on excursions and taking photographs. It was such a meaningful way to see the sights. In the evening, we shared our photos and exchanged critiques.

We stayed in a riad, a traditional Moroccan house in the Medina. We visited all the main sites of Marrakesh, and explored some amazing restaurants. It was a wonderful adventure. I learned to use my camera, and the quality of my photos improved tenfold.

This trip was organized by a London-based company called Frui. They also have Cooking Holidays and Painting Holidays in Marrakesh and other places. The photos I’m sharing were taken inside the walled Medina, in the alleys of the souk and in Djemaa al-Fna.

We’d love to know – have you ever taken a photography holiday?  Where to?  What was your experience?

Guest Post: Ifrane-Retreat in the Atlas Mountains

Posted by marocmama on May 10, 2011 in Culture | 4 comments

Today’s guest post comes from Nicole and Gary Winchester of CultureAddict/HistoryNerd a most awesome blog from the Toronto couple.  You can also find them on Twitter @addict_nerd.  They are sharing about their trip to Ifrane in northern Morocco. Thanks so much for sharing this with my readers Nicole and Gary!

Even after being in Morocco for less than 10 hours, we could tell Ifrane was different.  Our first clue was the peaceful stretch of the otherwise mildly terrifying hour-and-a-half ‘grand-taxi’ drive that took us through the National Reserve just east of town.  It was cool, leafy green, rocky and reminded me of Highway 7 on the way to Ottawa, on a section just before the turnoff to my old cottage in Marmora.  I miss it, so when we weren’t cursing the lack of seatbelts and holding on to the ‘holy s**t’ handles made of nylon straps, I was just taking in the scenery.

Ifrane is generally unexpectedly leafy and green; in summer, refreshingly cool compared to the rest of Morocco; in winter, there’s sometimes snow and there’s skiing just outside of town.  That’s what might have inspired its French architects to make it look rather like a village in the Alps – or if you’ve never been to one, what you imagine one might look like.

Back to School

It’s also a college town, home to Al-Akhawayn University (http://www.aui.ma/), founded by King Hassan II and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.  Our friend – the reason we were in Morocco, and frankly, the only reason we’d come to Ifrane in the first place – is a professor at the school, one of many foreigners from around the world hired to teach the best and brightest of the country.  Obviously, a tour of the school was on the list.  From the rather upscale cars of the students to the pseudo-Swiss-style buildings neatly laid our with tiled walkways between, Al-Akhawayn gives the impression of a small, prestigious, and pricey private university with a student body that fits accordingly – and that’s pretty much what it is.

Given that travelers rarely have the time or the excuse to access places of learning, it was pretty excellent that we were able to visit.  Staff and students welcomed us warmly, and we got a tour of Volubilis from a professor with over 30 years experience in the region – not bad!  We were also fortunate enough to be welcomed into the university’s mosque, which is a replica of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech.  The assistant Imam was happy to show us around the spacious, peaceful rooms with intricate carvings.  Some people used the tranquility of the space to study, which made sense to me – besides, I’ve had a few exams that only divine intervention might have helped me pass.  Anyway, we were grateful to get an idea of what the larger mosque might be like.  Al-Akhawayn also helped Gary out when he got heat stroke – even in the mountains, that sun is no joke, you guys – and we’re also eternally grateful for that!

Stone Lion, Swampy Pond

Pretty much every Moroccan that’s been to Ifrane has a picture with this lion, so you should definitely stop by and get yours.  A prisoner carved the statue when Ifrane was used as a POW camp in World War II, commemorating the last wild Atlas lion, shot in the 1920s.  Kind of a sad story all around.  I wonder if someone’s made a movie of it.

Just a short walk from the lion and the main town square area, there’s a man-made pond called ‘Lac du Ifrane’, with walking paths around it – but there’s some issues with drainage, so the view is nice, but the smell is a little swampy.  You’ve been warned.

Food and Drink

As we were staying with our friend and his wife, we were treated to excellent Berber hospitality while at home, and generally good service when out in the restaurants.  Our friend Connell’s favorite place was Cafe la Paix (Av. de la Marché Verte, Ifrane), a large cafe with well-dressed waiters and a varied menu of soups, salads, pizzas, pastas and tagines.  We went there for a few lunches and had the pizzas and salads, finding both the service and food good for such a small town.

We also went out the Hotel des Perce Neige (Rue des Asphodeles, Ifrane) for a dinner with friends, and though the company was good and the restaurant was well-recommended, we had some difficulties and weren’t impressed.  Being vegetarian, I particularly had issues with getting something without meat or fish on it – even a salad.  If you’re heading there and have dietary needs, it would be ideal for you to speak French or Arabic to do the explaining yourself.  We did, however, try some of the excellent wines grown in the region.  Morocco does produce wine, and it’s not bad! I suggest checking some out.

Other Diversions

While we were in Ifrane, there were only a few souvenir shops, convenience stores, a pharmacy, a few other restaurants in the main town square area.  However, there’s also now a very well-reviewed luxury spa resort near the university – Hotel Michlifen Ifrane Suites & Spa.  That’s certain to appeal to wealthy day-trippers and parents off to visit their son or daughter for the weekend.  From the photos and the reviews, we’d love to visit ourselves – but the $230+ CDN/per night pricetag puts it a little beyond our reach.

A side trip we weren’t able to take was the short drive to Azrou to visit a local Berber carpet market about 1.5 km outside of town, held on Tuesdays.  We’d hoped to go carpet shopping in the hills and will make a point of doing so next time.

Ifrane is definitely quiet and off the beaten track, but doesn’t come more cheaply for all of that.  It’s worth seeing how Moroccans spend their vacations – if you can afford the time and money from yours to do so.

2009 Costs:
Grand Taxi from Meknes to Ifrane: $50 Dirham
Accommodations: Stayed w/friends
Average meal: $20-30 Dirhams per person

Have you been to Ifrane?  Would you like to visit?

Guest Post: Desert Camping in Morocco

Posted by marocmama on May 3, 2011 in Culture | 4 comments

Our guest post today is from a friend who had the good fortune to spend several weeks in Morocco last fall including a visit to MarocBaba’s mom’s house for a home-cooked Moroccan meal!  Shelley Gable is an instructional designer who dabbles in freelance writing, including travel writing. She arranged the desert excursion through Journey Beyond Travel. You can find additional articles she has written about Morocco in the company’s Morocco Travel Guide.

Trekking among the Sahara’s Dunes

The idea of camping in the Sahara Desert conjured up exotic yet vague images of nylon zip-up tents with toasty sleeping bags, a glowing fire, bowls of couscous, and a guide telling stories in the middle of an open desert. For some reason, I took memories of camping in the woods of Wisconsin and plopped them against the backdrop of a generic desert scene, probably inspired by episodes of the Road Runner.

My husband and I spent three weeks in Morocco as a belated honeymoon over our first wedding anniversary. Though we explored much of the country independently, we treated ourselves to a private desert excursion for five days of our visit, which included one night under the stars among the Erg Chebbi sand dunes.

When we arrived at the desert’s edge by car, the guide who accompanied us for much of the excursion introduced us to our desert guide for that evening, Mohammad. They supervised as we eagerly mounted our single-humped camels. After securing our few overnight supplies, Mohammad grasped the cord connected to the lead camel’s nose and began walking our rope-linked caravan – my camel, my husband’s camel, and a supply-carrying camel – toward the dunes.

The airbrushed sand dunes against the evening sun and the desert’s enormity created an almost hypnotic effect. That is, until the camel broke the trance with a few jarring clomps down the first slope of the journey. Which corrected another of my misconceptions: riding a camel is not like riding a horse.

Riding a camel down a dune feels a little like the unexpected jolt of accidentally squeezing the front break on a bike…repeatedly. Even on level ground, a camel’s unsteady gait causes constant swaying. Despite that, the novelty of sitting perched atop a tall hump while easing into the Sahara makes the discomfort easy to ignore.

We reached our destination after 30 minutes of riding, and Mohammad immediately shooed us away to explore so that he could prepare the site and start dinner.

The cinnamon-and-sugar grains crunched under our shoes as we headed toward a nearby dune. If you’ve ever meandered across a beach, you know that the sand makes you work harder for each step. A sand dune taunts similarly, pushing the struggling climber’s foot a partial step back with each upward stride.

Fortunately, the panoramic views from the dune’s plateau made the ascent worthwhile. My husband and I gazed in all directions, admiring the expansiveness of our surroundings. Our campsite below, protected by two towering dunes, formed a U-shape with Bedouin-style tents. Like the nomadic tribe, we would sleep under the shelter of heavy wool fabric propped up by eight-foot beams.

The encroaching darkness eventually lured us down to the candlelit table in the middle of the campsite. Dinner turned out to be much more than the imagined bowl of couscous. Mohammad served a distinctly traditional spread of salad and tajine, followed by whole fruits for dessert. Overhead, the stars sparkled across the sky like a spilled crate of glitter. The moon rose much later, after it became sufficiently dark for a dramatic entrance.

The night was chilly and still. Though Mohammad told us that the desert hosts several camps every evening, some with nearly 100 travelers, we didn’t hear anyone else. Not even the pattering of a distant road runner.

This is MarocMama getting on a camel near Erg Chabbi

This is the part that is so not like riding a horse

Whew made it - check out those dunes!

Guest Post: Flourishing My Family with Organic Eating

Posted by marocmama on Apr 12, 2011 in Food for Change | 0 comments

Today’s guest post comes from Sally at Eat Breathe Blog. (You can also find her on Twitter @eatbreatheblog) Sally is a loving mother and wife. She loves blogging about her various hobbies including running, health, wellness, fashion and some other various subjects. She’s an elementary school teacher in a Chicago suburb. She loves spending time with her family above all else.  Sally is sharing her story about organic eating.  I’m a huge advocate for eating organic/whole foods (see my series on Whole Food living) and hope that Sally’s story might click with you too!

My baby was the first person in our family to eat organic food. I had decided to make his baby food myself, because I didn’t want all those preservatives in his little body. When I got to the grocery store I realized that if I was going to take that step, I should also get him organic fruits and vegetables. There was no sense in sparing him preservatives but then subjecting him to pesticides and added hormones.

So I started buying organic bananas and pears, then apples. Then I ventured into buying him some organic baby yogurt because I found some online coupons. Being curious to see how my creations were turning out, I frequently tasted his purees and found them to be delicious! I also noticed the color of them was brighter than I expected.

I started buying more and more organic produce for the whole family. When preparing steamed vegetables and fresh salads for my husband, I again marveled at the color of the produce. It was like the vitamins were just itching to jump into our bodies!

My husband used to think the ‘organic’ label was a scam, so I didn’t tell him I was experimenting with our produce purchases. He almost immediately noticed the difference, though. He would remark on how well something tasted and would ask where I got it. Now that I’ve come clean, he’s a believer in organic as well!

A few times I’ve had to make quick runs to a store that doesn’t carry a lot of organic produce, and now I can tell a huge difference between organic and non-organic. The non-organic stuff now seems fake and waxy.

One way it has certainly changed my life is that it gives me peace of mind. Before I started eating organic produce, I never really thought about the pesticides and other additives in our fruits and vegetables. But now that I’ve seen and tasted the difference, it makes me cringe to think of all the unnecessary and potentially dangerous food I’ve served my family. Now I can serve them healthy food without worrying about what someone else has put on it and in it. It’s a huge load off my mind.

It’s been such a huge blessing to my family, we’ve started venturing into organic dairy and eggs. There’s a nearby farm that provides us with fresh, local organic milk and eggs on a weekly basis, and the difference is night and day! The milk is so much fresher and the eggs are so much more robust.

This summer, when farmer’s markets start up again, I plan on looking into local, organic beef and chicken. There are a few farms locally that produce organic meat, but I want to talk to the farmers and ask a few questions.

I think the best way eating organic food has flourished my family is that is has sparked an interest in us to know more about our food and its origin. Before, I was happy to simply buy whatever food was offered at the grocery store. Now I’m reading labels and asking questions, and that is sure to make my family healthier and more educated in the long run!

Have you made the switch?  Why or why not?

Guest Post: Hand Rolled Couscous

Posted by marocmama on Mar 29, 2011 in Moroccan Food | 4 comments

If there is anyone that knows Moroccan food it’s Paula Wolfert.  She truly is the queen, the Julia Child’s of Moroccan food in America.  I adore her cookbooks and she is truly such a very kind and wonderful person.  I hope that I have the honor of meeting her very soon.  This is her recipe for hand rolled couscous – a project that I think would be incredibly fun to give a shot.  Paula has assured me that in her new cookbook coming out this fall (inshallah) there will be an updated version of this recipe.  I have two of her cookbooks; Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco and Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Shareand both are fabulous.  The new cookbook is all about Moroccan food and  having seen a few bits and pieces, trust me you are going to want it as soon as it’s published!  If you’re looking for a couscous steamer and don’t want to get a couscousierre, check out these beautiful steamers that double as strainers from Clay Coyote.  
 
From Paula;

I know! Just the thought of making your own couscous gives you a headache, but in fact it’s easier than making your own pasta or bread and delivers the same satisfaction: superior taste and a sense of wonder at the magic of it all.
I don’t know why it took me so long to start teaching homemade couscous. Once I did, putting on a show costumed in my printed blue and white pantaloons and sitting on the floor the way North African women do, I remembered how much fun it was and how astonishing the results. Now, spurred on by terrific feedback from my students, I demonstrate couscous making whenever I get the chance. I’ve taught the staff at chez Panisse and at the Napa Valley Culinary Institute of America. I like to think that there are chefs across the country who are ‘rolling their own’—couscous, that is.
 
When making couscous you’ll need two horsehair, wire, or plastic sieves of different calibers through which to shake the rolled beads of semolina. You’ll also need a couscous cooker or deep kettle with a colander that will sit snugly on top. And, of course, you’ll need some fresh coarse semolina and fine semolina flour purchased by mail-order or from a good Middle Eastern store. With these items in hand, you’ll be able to make enough fine-grain couscous to serve eight in literally 1 hour.
 
When making your own couscous, you must use coarse semolina, not couscous, as the “magnet” for fine semolina flour.
 
This recipe can be halved to serve 4.
Hand-Rolled Couscous
Serves 4 to 6

• 1 cup coarse semolina
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup cold water (approximately)
• 1 cup fine semolina flour
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup cold water (approximately) for “raking” the couscous
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• 1 cup strained broth

 
1. Spread the coarse semolina on a large, preferably round tray.Sprinkle a few tablespoons of salted cold water over the coarse semolina and, at the same time rotate the palm and fingers of one hand in wide circles (in one direction only) to create tiny spheres.
 
2. After two or three rotations, begin to sprinkle the semolina.flour and about 1/4 cup cold water alternately on the spheres while continuing to rotate. As the spheres absorb the flour and water they will turn into tiny couscous “beads” more or less the same size. You may need another 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
 
3. Shake or lightly press the couscous “beads” through an everyday wire or plastic 12-mesh strainer in order to standardize their size. Place in a finer sieve to shake and remove excess flour. Makes about 4 cups uncooked fine couscous. (You may discard or use the flour, as North Africans do, to start the next batch.)
 
4. Bring plenty of water to a boil in the bottom of a deep kettle or couscous cooker. Pile the freshly rolled couscous into a lightly oiled colander or top container. Fit the top onto the bottom, checking for a tight seal. Partially cover and steam 15 minutes.
 
5. Dump couscous onto a tray and break up lumps with a large fork or whisk. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup salted water and rake the grains to keep them separate. Mix in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Gradually add another 1/2 cup water while raking the couscous. When the couscous has absorbed all the water repeat the steaming for 15 minutes.
 
6. Dump couscous onto a tray, gradually work in another cup cold water, and rake the grains to keep them separate. Allow to rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff up the couscous and loosely cover with a damp towel. Up to this point the couscous can be prepared a few hours in advance.
 
7. Thirty minutes before serving, bring water back to a boil. Return the couscous to the colander or top container and steam, uncovered, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Couscous lightens in color when fully cooked.
 
8. Dump couscous onto a wide shallow serving dish and toss with oil or butter and moisten with 1 cup strained broth. Let stand,covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently fluff the couscous, pile ina mound, and decorate with meat or fish and vegetables.
© Paula Wolfert, 1998, 2005
 
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