Preserved lemons are one of the unique flavors of Moroccan cuisine — you find them in tagines, stews, sauces, and simply served on the side as a garnish. I finally got around to making a batch of my own and have since been sampling them in whatever strikes my fancy. In this case, I wanted [...]
One day a pot of simmered and marinated vegetables, the next day a cold gazpacho soup, then finally a luscious pizza topping…it’s just a few days in the life of a leftover. It’s like kitchen magic!
Remember the Moroccan caponata? I’d made such a big batch that I wound up freezing a bowl of it. When [...]
Caponata is an Italian dish consisting of marinated eggplants and other chopped vegetables served with a healthy wedge of bread. Moroccans, too, present vegetables in a variety of ways–from stews to relishes to tagines–and they often include flatbread for dipping. Why not combine the two cuisines? And while we’re at it, let’s top the dish [...]
Fusion cuisine is a wonderful, wonderful thing–it allows us to enjoy the flavors from several different cultures all on one plate…and discover new taste adventures along the way! For this dish, I used the idea of the Mexican quesadilla to provide a platform for Moroccan flavors. The spice mixture–za’atar–is a simple mix of sesame seeds, [...]
Like ginger, turmeric is a root. It is native to India and is used for cosmetic and dyeing purposes along with culinary ones. It is also an important part of Indian wedding rituals and religious ceremonies. Often times, turmeric is used instead of the much-more-expensive saffron to lend a yellow color to food. Though not [...]
Though little-known in American cuisine today, coriander has enjoyed a rich past. It was named as an aphrodisiac in 1,001 Arabian Nights, it was treasured in China during the Han dynasty (207 B.C.E.-220 A.C.E.), and it is one of the bitter herbs of Passover. Coriander seeds have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Romans used [...]
