Moroccan Cuisine Flavor And Fire

 Morocco is a fascinating country, best known from the classic movie "Casablanca." Yet it's so much more than that. It has tagines, and spices along with flavorful desserts and drinks.

Morocco is a mix of different cultures and people, The same can be said for it's cuisine.There is influence from m the southernmost Spanish province along with Berber, the indgenous culture of North africa. Arab and Mediterrenean influences are also there.It has the most in common with Middle Eastern cuisine than any other North African country. It's history is ancient , with dishes first coming about doring the Seventh Century CE. The Moroccans usually cook with beef, mutton goat and  and lamb along with chicken and seafood. Dishes are usually served with rice or flabread to scoop up meats and gravies. lemon picled or preserved lemons along with fermented butter or smen flavor foods. Of course there are the rich and fragrant spices.Dishes  are rich with cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, ginger and paprika to name a few. There is also  saffron, mace , fenugreek,cayenne, black pepper, anise and fenel. Sesame seeds also figure into recipes too. The Moroccans also love using mint,verbena, sage, bay laurel, parsley and peppermint.

Any home chef can easily replicate Moroccan cooking. Tagine, is cooking in a special clay pot which you can get on Amazon for $29.95 . etsy, williams and Soniomoa along with Milk Street also sell them at higher prices ranging from $35 on etsy to $71.25 on Milk Street. Tagine is a sweet and savory blend of spices that can also be cooked in an open skillet. Apopular one is made with chicken , honey, olives,lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Chopped onions and minced garlic are also added along with a mix of spices, namely, paprika, cumon, coriander, and ginger. This can be served with couscous or even a flat bread like pita to sop up the sauce. The breakfast dish  of the moment shakshuka is also big in such cities as Fez and Rabat. This is a breakfast dish tat can easily be cooked for any brunch. It's poached eggs cooked in a tomato sauce with peppers, garlic  onions and spices such as paparika, coriander, cumin and cayenne. A sweet and savory pastry called briouat is also popular. They can be filled with lamb beef or chicken for a quick snack or sweet filled with almond paste and cinnamon and coated in warm honey and orange flower water.

Try  Moroccan cuisinetoday. Enjoy the fragrant blend of spices as they grace both sweet and savory recipes. The recipes are a wonderful escape to the exotic.

 You can contact the International Red Cross  if you want to donate or help those affected by the Moroccan earthquake.

Celebrating Turkey

 Turkey has alwasy been an interesting country with an interesting cuisine. The food is a remnant of the Ottoman Empire, an amagam of Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. It's a comforting array of recipes that reflect centuries of home cooking and local ingredients.

Our thoughts are with the Turks and Syrians who suffered from that massive earthquake today. Both countries have always have been known for their excellent home cooking and feasts. Turkish cuisine,itself varies across the country which straddles both Europe and Asia.  The recipes of Istanbul, Bursa , Izmer and the rest of the Anatolia (Asia Minor) inhetrited many aspects of Ottoman court cuisine. There was a moderate use of spices and a preference of rice over  bulgur, a kind of cracked wheat and koftes or meatballs. Other recipes like dolmades and eggplant  may also have dericed from the Greek influence and occupation of the  area. The Black Sea region has fish primarily in their dishes.especially the Black Sea anchovy or hamsi and many maize or corn dishes. A popular street food is batter  fried hamsi but the anchovies cna also be pickled or baked too. Turkey's southeast cuisine, from Urfa, Gazientep, Adiyanman and Adana are famous for their kebabas and mezes or appetizer plates. There is even an Eastern Asian influence thanks to the Mongols. There is steamed buns or manti , a regular staple of Chinese and even Korean cuisine.

Yes, the Turks have many desserts but Turkish taffy isn't one of them. That was created by the Bonomo family in the 1920's. The family was Turkish but lived in Coney Island where it became a big Boardwalk treat. Real Turkish delights are baklava and  even rice pudding, Baklava is a heavenly layering of phylo dough , brushed with melted butter and then filled with a cinnamon spiced chopped pistachio or walnut mix. I'ts then soaked in a fragrant syrup consisting of rose water, cinnamon and lemon. Every family however, puts their own special spin on this dessert.Their rice pudding is thicker in texture than the American version. the top is also slightly burned, sort of like creme brule. One of the all time favorite sweets is Turkish delight, These are little squares  also called lokum and they're made with sugar and starch. They're often flavored with nuts, fruits and rose water. The most common is the pink rose water kind, filled with pistacchios and walnuts. There are only four ingredients, from cornstarch and citric acid to water and sugar. You could add a small splash of lemon or orange juice for a fruitier flavor.

Turkish cuisine is an interesting marriage of East and West. Hopefully very soon, they will get back to their normal cooking and baking. Our thoughts and prayers for better times ahead are with then.

Disaster Strikes Beware!

Today we had a really unusual event today - an earthquake here in New Jersey.It started in Mineral, Virginia and radiated out up here to the Manhattan area. It seems that we're not immune to any natural disasters whether the rare earthquake or more common hurricane. This means one thing - be prepared. Always.

The one thing everyone should always stock up on is water. Remember that water and gas lines are the first hit and usually rupture.This means a lack of drinking water. If you have do have water, be careful about drinking it. Boil it first if you do if there is a warning (usually the TV news warn about it as do social media such as Facebook and Twitter).Also pack Gatorade or any energy drink that's chock full of electrolytes in case the weather is hot and humid. This is helps in staunching any dehydration that may occur.

What about food? Thnk camping when you prepare for a diaster. Energy bars should be the number one food item. They last the longest and give you the protein and energy you need. Beef jekry or any dried food is good to pack up too. It lasts a few days and can provide with some nutrition. You can also buy ready to pack meals. These are small cups of nutrition packed meals , mostly pasta based with different meats. These are so vacuum packed that they can last up to five years. These are usually bought on line and a case is just seventy dollars.

Distaster strikes - anywhere. Never take your situation for granted. Be prepared always!