So you want to learn how to cook…

Posted by marocmama on Aug 31, 2010 in All other posts | 3 comments

I’ve decided to host a live cooking event on MarocMama.  I’ve scheduled it for September 13th at 8pm Central.  If you’d like to attend please make sure to RSVP on Facebook.  To participate is simple.  Did you see the new toolbar at the bottom of the page?  Well there’s a chat option there.  Just click on the video chat option and I will be right there cooking!  I will be making rghaif (msemmen stuffed with ground beef and onion).  I may also make another dish but haven’t worked out how much time that might take.  I plan to keep things around one hour for this test run.  If all goes well I plan to make it a regular feature. 
A few other interesting happenings that I’ve wanted to point out. 

• Did you notice that I’ve started a Recipe Index?  This will serve as another method of organization for the recipes I share.
• I recently helped a friend in an article she was writing about Women’s Travel in Morocco.  I think she did a fantastic job!  Stop by Journey to Travel and check it out.
• Have you visited Talk Morocco yet?  This fantastic website is dedicated to Moroccan issues and focuses on a new topic every month.  This month’s feature is on bureaucracy and the plight of many of us who have tried to navigate the complexities that are Moroccan bureaucracy.  My Chasing Papers essay details how horrendous encounters with trying to register our marriage and son’s birth.  I’d love for you to stop by.  It really is a great site with so many fantastic essayists.  
• The  MarocMama Market now has all three spice mixes listed individually for purchase.    I plan to add more items in the next few weeks as my husband returns from Morocco with more goodies for the market!
• Speaking of spices, two of the lovely ladies that offered to review the mixes posted their reviews.   Stop by their blogs for some honest opinions about the mixes.  Special thanks to them for offering to be testers!
• Cheryl at Madhouse Family Reviews posted her review here.
• Angharad at Edible Glitter shared her review here.
• Please stop by and visit these lovely ladies who were so kind! 

I feel like I’ve been neglecting you lately but in all honesty I just haven’t been cooking!  I’ve had a hard time getting motivated to cook for just me.  But don’t worry my family will be returning in 14 days (but who’s counting…) and then rest assured I will be cooking up a storm again!!

Travel Tuesday: Gearing Up!

Posted by marocmama on Aug 2, 2010 in All other posts | 4 comments

I have finally gotten around to sharing the latest chaos in our lives.  My husband and kids have left me.    Well not for good but for a vacation in Morocco!  It’s safe to say that our oldest was very excited for the trip.  He was able to grasp the concept of where he was going and we were able to do things beforehand to get him prepared and looking forward to the experiences he would have.  I’ve got a lot more time to myself for a few weeks and I’m trying to use it to get a lot of work done around the house and on here. 
Now, getting ready to go on vacation is not fun.  Especially when you’re not the one going.  Packing for three boys who like to voice their preferences but have no desire to help in the packing process = not fun.  So let’s see…..

Here we have the start of the big suitcases.  You might notice bags of candy for my nieces and nephews and to the right is my children’s stockpile.  I know, I know that I am all about whole foods, good foods, healthy food for my kids – I am.  Most of what they will be exposed to food wise in Morocco they have seen because we eat it at home.  But kids are finicky and so I felt I had to send some back-up items for my husband just in case they freaked out.  So there’s some oatmeal, nesquik, velvetta (mac and cheese), and some cookies.  Not healthy, not whole foods – but comfort foods.  So far they have used them but are getting more used to regular foods.

The suitcases and more chaos.  Our room looked like a tornado and I literally had to pack everything in one night because it looked like our closet threw up.  I guess we could have slept on the couch..but who wants to do that?

Departure Day.  So you saw the suitcases, we had 5 of them + 3 backpacks+ an overnight bag for me+ a stroller + 2 adults + 2 kids in booster seats…..in our car….a hatchback Versa.  For 5 hours.  My kids are thankfully excellent travelers.  But I knew it was a stretch for them.  Once at the airport there were more issues, but they were sorted out and I was even able to get a gate pass to take the kids to the gate and wait until they boarded the flight.  The report I got back was that upon takeoff both boys magically fell asleep until dinner was served.  The rest of the flight was smooth.  I won’t bore you with details of immigration, but let’s just say Spain is not a country we’ll be flying through again anytime soon. 
Heading to Morocco? 
The only direct flight is from Royal Air Maroc from JFK to Casablanca.
Flights with a Stop:
Into Casablanca- Air France, Iberia, TAP, Alitalia, Lufthansa, KLM, Brussels Airlines, Royal Air Maroc
Into Marrakech – Royal Air Maroc, Iberia, Air Europa, Atlas-blue, Ryanair, easyJet, TAP, SwissAir, and several more discount carriers based out of Europe.
Into Fes- Royal Air Maroc, Ryanair, Transavia.com, Jet4you, Atlas-blue
Traveling around Morocco?  If you plan on going long distances in Morocco (say Marrakech to Tangier) and don’t have a lot of time.  Check out Royal Air Maroc flights.  They fly all around the country and tickets can often be had for a decent price.  This is a great option when you really have limited time in country and don’t want transportation eating up a lot of it!
Reviews
I have flown a lot of airlines into Morocco and around Morocco.  My favorite was British Air but they no longer are flying into Morocco.  I also really like Air France.  I’ve had very few problems flying with them (with children) and when there was an issue they always resolved it quickly and easily (even when my sister missed her flight home and every single flight was booked solid at the end of summer…she got home).  My sister in law uses Alitalia and says that they are very good to fly with also.  I’ve always loved SwissAir and Lufthansa so I would say they are a safe bet as well.
Now onto my naughty list.  Iberia.  Iberia.  Iberia.  *wringing of hands*  They lost all 5 of those bags I so diligently packed and have yet made no monetary concession for them being lost for over three days.  Also there was a huge hiccup in the airport in which my husband was not allowed onto a connecting in-Spain flight because he didn’t have a Spanish visa…resulting in a 9 hour layover and no refund for the cancelled flight.  Bad, bad customer service.  Royal Air Maroc, as much as I don’t mind using you as transportation in country for short-haul flights, I try to avoid the long haul flight.  Yes it’s direct into the US but I’ve never been happy with the service or the flight. 
I have really been wanting to fly TAP, as I’ve heard good things AND they mentioned me in their in-flight magazine this spring!!  (Thank you Mr. Freire!).  Uhh and a layover in Lisbon? – yes! 
If you’re traveling from
the US to Morocco and might attempt to link up with a low cost carrier once hitting European soil, move forward with caution.  Make sure you read and understand the baggage allowances that are given to you and the airport locations.  Often the baggage allowances are less than on a trans-Atlantic flight and airports are less trafficked (think flying out of Midway instead of O’hare).
Have some more transport tips into Morocco?  Do Share!

Travel Tuesday: Chicago Pizza

Posted by marocmama on Jul 6, 2010 in All other posts | 3 comments

Travel Tuesday: Marrakech Must-do

Posted by marocmama on Jun 7, 2010 in All other posts | 1 comment

If you have been reading for awhile you know that my in-laws make their home in Marrakech.  It’s my husbands’ birth city and where I have spent the majority of my time in Morocco.  And, I love it dearly.  Today I will tell you why.

                 Horse drawn carriages?  Yes it is out of a fairy tale!

  I love sitting on the roof and seeing the mountains set against the sea of sand (and satellite dishes…)

              Sipping tea in a patisserie and choosing from thousands of bite sized tasty cookies  and pots of sweet mint tea.

            A beautiful sunset against the magnificent Khotubia mosque.

         Smoky d’jem al fna at night, crowded and noisy and filled with scents

Won’t you visit and see what makes Marrakech so magical?


pssst…have you joined me on Facebook?  I’d love to hear who you are and what you’d love to see on MarocMama!  

Travel Tuesday: Henna

Posted by marocmama on May 25, 2010 in All other posts | 5 comments

If anyone follows Twitter Tuesday’s popular hashtag is #traveltuesday.  I decided to incorporate this into my posting schedule and dedicate Tuesday’s to all about Morocco day.  I’m going to start the ball rolling today with a post about henna.  From my first visit having henna done was something that I began to associate with Morocco.  Usually visits coincided with a celebration (the normal reason for having henna done) but even if there was no celebration I always had it done before coming back to the States.  It’s really very relaxing and I’m stuck waiting for it to dry sitting down – no getting up or wiggling fingers.  (Like a mini vacation for me!)

So here I am with my hands done.  This was for my husband and my wedding party in Morocco.  This time there was a lot more henna in a very intricate design.  Different designs have different meanings and different regions have different designs.  There are also three colors of henna, a black version, a dark brown version and a red version.  I’ve been told there is an additive of some sort mixed into henna sometimes to make the color last longer.  Word to my light skinned friends who might have this done in Morocco- make sure there’s no additive.  It really penetrates into light skin and can take much much longer to wear off. 

Here you can see on my right hand some henna that I had done on my first visit to Morocco.  (ps that’s the husband next to me ).  Not a great pic but it’s all I’ve got!  This was done by a local woman in djem al fna for about $10 USD (in 2004).  

Did I mention it’s usually both hands and feet that are decorated.  This time it was for my engagement party.  A very nice floral and leaves pattern.  This up close photo makes it easier to see.  The paste is green when it goes on and a thick paste.  You have to sit still and let it dry – usually about 2 hours but the longer you can leave it the better.  This night my feet and hands were wrapped and in the morning, the dry part of the paste was scraped off.  The longer you leave the paste on the darker the design will be and the longer it will stay.  

This design was VERY elaborate and took a long time to put on and to try.  But it was beautiful!  As you can see it went all the way up to the middle of my calves!  

If you’re headed to Morocco and want to get henna here are some tips:

• Locals know best – seriously.  There are women in the community who families hire to do henna for their parties.  That’s who you want to do your henna.  They know what they are doing and are good and fast!  If you’re staying in a riad ask the owners if they can get someone to do the henna for you.  If you’re staying in a hotel ask the concierge.  
• If you feel like you paid a good price you did.  Just like with any purchase in a bargaining economy, don’t feel cheated if you find out someone had henna done cheaper than you.  If you feel you paid a fair price for the work – you did. 
• If you don’t have any connections to have henna done, ask at an herbalist in the markets.  Herbalists sell traditional medicine and can help find you someone to do henna for you. 

Have you ever had henna done?  Do you have other tips to share?  I would love to hear about it!!

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