Meat
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Continue readingPastilla is for sure one of the most popular dish of Moroccan cuisine. It’s a beloved classic, reserved for special occasions like weddings, births, or eids. In Morocco the pastilla is generally served as a starter at the beginning of special meals. And of course, you can serve it as a main dish with a simple green salad. There are two main versions of pastilla, one with poultry and one with seafood. Where does the pastilla / bastilla come from ? Pastilla which is pronounced “bastilla” in Morocco, because the letter « p » doesn’t exist in Arabic alphabet. According to Anny Gaul (American historian of food specialist in the Arabic-speaking world): “If you look at the written records and…
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Continue readingThis dish is from « Jerusalem » Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi cookbook, and it’s effortless. All what you need is to make the marinade, which takes 15 minutes then the oven does the rest. The combination of saffron and whole lemon slices goes exceptionally well with the nutty earthiness of the Jerusalem artichokes, it’s an explosion of flavours. It was an instant love at first bite, I’m really speechless, I can’t tell you how much the sauce is delicious, I can’t wait to make it again. What is Jerusalem artichokes ? Jerusalem artichokes also called sunchoke, are native to North America. It’s…
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Continue readingOnce again a success with this ottolenghi recipe. I don’t remember in which article I said, that I discovered a new way of cooking, thanks to this excellent chef. Now I use his books all the time, “Jerusalem – with Sami Tamimi”, “Simple” and “Falastin” are my favorites ones. Since I discovered him, I have never been disappointed with any of his recipes. The recipe may look complicated to make, don’t be fooled by appearances. It’s as easy and straightforward as preparing a dish of pasta with bolognese. Trust me, this stuffed aubergine is an easy recipe. So how to…
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Continue readingThe tagine, at its base, is a terracotta kitchen utensil, topped with a cone-shaped lid. It allows food to be stewed, thus preserving its flavors and benefits. In Morocco the tagine is a family sharing style dish, which is eaten with homemade bread. You can prepare all kinds of tagines: with meat (chicken, beef, lamb and goat in certain regions of Morocco). With fish, most often marinated in a kind of sauce made from fresh herbs (coriander and parsley) and spices called “chermoula”. Or quite simply a vegetarian tagine, there are often seasonal vegetables. Today I’m sharing with you a tagine that…
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Continue readingLondon or in my opinion “the amazing city of London”, is a city that I adored for several reasons, its vibe, architecture, history and its diversity, and I would like to return there as soon as possible, especially the summer. Last year we spent two weeks there, it was mid October, it was a bit cold, at least for us not for the Londoners who were walking around in t-shirts. But we were delighted, considering that in Dubai it’s hot most of the year. The first Sunday we decided to go to Saint James park, but first direction to brick lane…
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Continue readingI have always said that cuisine reflects the culture, traditions and even history of each country. And while preparing this article, I myself learned new things about the history of my country. Throughout its history, Morocco has been a crossroads of civilizations: Berber, Arab-Andalusian, Jewish, European, Ottoman. Pastilla, for example, which is pronounced “bastilla” in Morocco, is a dish very popular especially at weddings and special events . According to Anny Gaul (American historian of food specialist in the Arabic-speaking world): “If you look at the written records and the recipes that we have from Al-Andalus, you find that there were dishes very similar to…
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Continue readingAfter the books “Jerusalem” and “Simple” it’s now the turn of “Falastin” the latest book by Sami Tamimi (co-author of Jerusalem with Yotam Ottolenghi) to find a place in my bookshelf (actually I’ll always find a place for their books). What appeals to me the most about their recipes is that these two exceptional chefs are inspired by their childhoods and the traditions of the ME to deliver recipes with a twist of daring and modern creativity. First of all, know that the recipe that I’m sharing with you today is effortless. I recommend you prepare your chicken ahead of time…