In the world Kitchen! Morocco!

In Marrakech, we decided to partake in a Moroccan Masterchef experience and cook our own chicken tagine. We met our chef and headed off into the souqs to source ingredients for the feast. First stop was Lenards, where our live chickens were selected and prepared. Not really wanting to think too much into the process, we concentrated on the selection of fresh vegetables and spices on offer.

The prep kitchen was on the terrace of of a local riad. A sunny location where we sat at a long table and chopped and dices to the direction of our expert. Many laughs were had whilst prepping and sipping mint tea as the tagine simmered on the flames.

End result, if we must say so ourselves, was a very delicious Moroccan delight!

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  Place the chicken in Tajine; squeeze the fresh lemon juice on the chicken. Add preserved lemon (not the skin). Chop

  onions, parsley and coriander nely and add to the chicken. Add garlic, spices and oil and cook for 10 min. Add

  water and cook for another 10 min. Then add olives, the skin of the preserved lemon and chili and cook for 40 min.

  All together cooking time is 1 hour.

  BEST. DAY. EVER

  recipe card

  500 grams chicken

  ¼ fresh lemon

  ¼ preserved lemon

  1 small onion

  Fresh parsley

  Fresh coriander

  2 cloves garlic

  1 tsp pepper

  1 tsp ginger

  ¼ tsp saron powder

  1 pscg saron color

  ¼ tsp salt

  1 tsp cumin (to taste)

  4 tbs olive oil

  1 cup of water

  Chilli (to taste)

  Olives

  Chicken Tajine

  Peel tomato, deseed it. Roast the capsicum on open ame and put it in a plastic bag for 5 min. Take the skin o.

  Chop tomato, capsicum, onion, parsley and coriander. Squeeze the lemon juice, add spices and mix with olive oil.

  1 tomato

  1 capsicum

  ½ an onion

  Fresh parsley

  Fresh coriander

  Cracked pepper

  Cumin

  Salt

  2 tbs olive oil

  ½ fresh lemon

  Moroccan salad

  marrakech

  Chicken dishes

  Ginger

  Saron

  Pepper

  Cumin

  Lamb & beef

  Prunes

  Apricot

  Cinnamon

  Fish

  Paprika

  Pepper

  Cumin

  Saron

  Moroccan spices
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  Today, Morocco’s famous mint tea – green tea steeped with lots of spearmint – has become symbolic not only of

  Moroccan cuisine, but also of Moroccan hospitality and culture. Many families serve the markedly sweet beverage

  several times a day with or without food, and both drop-in and invited company can expect to be oered tea as

  a welcoming gesture. While the Moroccan tradition of honoring the guest may be rooted in Islamic etiquette,

  Moroccans are renowned for elevating that standard of hospitality to an exceptional level. As such, even new

  acquaintances and unexpected guests will be encouraged to drink glass after glass of tea (to avoid oending the

  host, it’s wise to oblige!), and then pressed to stay on for a full meal.

  Tea is cooked in a stainless steel teapot that can be put directly on top of the stove. Moroccans typically use the

  Chinese gunpowder green tea. About 2 table spoons to a litre of water.

  •

  Put the tea in the pot and pour over about a glass of boiling water. Let it rest for few minutes and pour out the water

  in a glass. Don’t swirl around the water in the pot, just pour it straight into a glass. Leave the clear liquid for later.

  • Add another glass of boiling water to the tea leaves and once again let it rest for few minutes. This time swirl

  around the water in the teapot and pour it out. That will wash the tea leaves.

  • Now that the tea leaves are washed pour boiling water over them (about two thirds of the pot) and add the rst

  glass of tea you set aside for later use. Place the pot on a medium high heat.

  • Once you see rst bubbles forming add the fresh mint and sugar (to taste) to the pot.

  • Let it boil till you see the mint leaves on the top of the pot and tea has become bubbly and foamy.

  • Instead of stirring the tea Moroccans usually mix it by pouring the tea in a glass and then pouring it back in the pot.

  Repeat that four or ve times.

  • Once the tea has been mixed it is ready to be served. Try to pour holding the teapot about an arms length above

  the glass- this way you will get nice foam on top of the tea glass.

  • Sit back and enjoy!

  BEST. DAY. EVER

  Moroccan mint tea

  Chicken- Djaj

  Onion - Basla

  Lemon - Hamed

  Preserved lemon - Msyer

  Tomato - Matisha

  Green pepper - Fela

  Coriander - Kosbor

  Parsley - Moadnous

  Garlic - Toma

  Salad - Chlada

  Tea - Tay

  Mint - Lekama

  Sugar- Sokar

  Olive oil - Ziit

  Olives - Zitoun

  Water- Elma

  Pepper - Lebzar

  Cumin - Kamoun

  Ginger - Skinjber

  Salt - Melha

  Saron - Zaafron

  Cinnamon - Qarfa

  Chilli - Harra

  Paprika - Tahmira

  Food items in Arabic

  tajine cookery

  class

  take this tour!

  Starts daily at 9am

  Duration 4 hrs

  From USD $70

Wanderings through Morocco 1

White walls awash with blue and green, as we traversed the medinas. Mules laiden with toil, share their journey with bright-eyed children returning from school. Social gatherings emerge from the community Hammams and business transactions occur in the alleyways of light.

We zig-zag through alleyways designed by a maze master, pass the oldest university in the world and numerous Mosques, where the call to prayer beckons.  Nougat and almond cookies tempt our taste buds as we observe mosaic jigsaws being assembled, artisians of silver, bronze and textiles at work. With sprigs of mint under our nose and watery eyes, we observed the tannery  come to a pungent life.  Here torsos immersed in vats of colour and urine, churn the hide into leather.  Whispered voices offered Moroccan chocolate (hashish)  as we strolled through souqs and walled cities. Transfixed by the circus that coralled in front of us, we sat in the main square of cities, sipped mint tea and scrunitized as snake chamers, monkey and ostrich handlers tout their business.

The cities of Casablanca, Rabat, Moulay Idriss, Volubilis, Fez, Chefchaouen and Marrakech cough up postcard opportunities ad nauseam.  Hassan ll Mosque stands like a lighthouse framed by the mighty Alantic ocean, whilst Hassan ll tower and Mausoleum stand in a courtyard where Romam columns of varying sizes erupt from the ground and  guards stand to attention in full parade uniform as we view the crypt of King Hassan ll. Mighty walls shroud us in protection and the archaelogical site of Volubilis shows us how far the tentacles of the Roman Empire stretched and the influence they had on the shaping of modern civilisations.

As we explore the magic of Morocco, the reason we travel becomes obvious. A buzz resonates through us, repugnant smells attack and a cacophony of alien sounds surround us. We accept that we will get lost, things will take us out of our comfort zone and events occur that of which we have no control. Experience makes memories. Memories make for a life fulfilled!

A postcard from Casablanca!

As time goes by, we find our senses engulfed with a cacophony of horns, call to prayer and haggling.  Our wanderings take us through the medina, past Mosques, pray mats, fruit stalls and Rick's Cafe, here we catch a glimpse of life in the 'white house' - Casablanca.

A extremely pushy  taxi driver did not judge his prey well, when he met with the alpha female of our duo. Haggling led to doors being opened in a moving taxi and a hike in fares!  However, it also led us to the awe-inspiring 'Mosque Hassan ll'.  This modern wonder stands on its own peninsula from land reclaimed from the mighty Atlantic.  10,000 craftmen blended traditional Moorish architecture with 20th Century innovation to construct this masterpiece over seven years as a tribute to the King of Morocco.

As our first taste of Moroccan life, we tip our hat to you and utter those immortal lines - 'Here's looking at you kid.'

A Postcard from Gilbratar!

It is a outlandish sight, seeing a minature England connected to mainland Spain.  This peculiarity arose as a result of the War of Spanish Succession in 1704.  Archduke Charles III from Austria, believed he should be the rightful heir to the throne of Spain and like a good episode of Games of Thrones, with its skullduggery and strategic alliances, his Anglo-Dutch mates joined together and took Gilbratar. The grand alliance failed in its objective of placing Charles on the throne, but in peace negotiations, Gibraltar was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1713 and here it has stayed as the last Bastille of  colonialism ever since. In fact, in the Brexit referendum in 2016, 96% of the citizens of Gibraltar voted to exit the European Union and if eveything goes to plan they will get their wish in 100 days.

It is the Rock that people come to see, a sentinel that has dominated the skyline for centuries.  Rising 412 metres above the sea, it provides stunninng panoramic views of the port and city skyline. It is also home to Europe's only colony of wild monkeys  - the Barbary Macaques. The award goes to Gibraltar for the most feeble attempt to cash in on the Star War franchise anywhere, 'the Skywalk', is four panels of glass that jut out from the rock, of which you can walk along. One panel, obviously is not a Star Wars fan as it has already cracked from embarrassment.

 The 13th century, intrepid Moors were first to see the strategic value of the Rock and the Moorish castle ruin still dominates the skyline today. The Rock is synonymous with sieges and a series of tunnels were gouged through the limestone in response to the Spanish and French siege that occurred between 1779 and 1783 . The mighty Rock also became a major strategic post for the allied forces during WWII and an addition 52 kilometres of tunnels were gouged. Finally, the Rock is also home to the magnificent St Michael's Cave complex that winds through the internal workings of the Rock.

Gibraltar is certainly steeped in history based upon conquest and strategic intentions.  The question beckons, is it time that it gained its own identity?

In the world kitchen! Irsael!

Jesus fed the masses with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. Or so the story goes. The carb element of this miracle has certainly lasted the centuries.

Most traditional Israeli dishes incorporate bread of some description.  Pita,  kubaneh, challah and laffa are some are the varieties on offer. A lunch time favourite is either: falafel, made from fava beans and chickpeas and fried into delicious ball shapes. These are served with trimmings of hummis, pickled turnips and salad in a pita bread pocket. Or shawarma a middle Eastern orignal version of the doner kabab.

Tahini is the core to many traditional meals in Israel. It can be used as a dressing, sauce or a basis for sweets. Very popular just as a dip with freshly made, hot pita bread. Yummo!

In Nazareth, we went to an Arabric restaurant called Teshreen. Here we ordered from their wood stove menu: haloumi with tomatoes, mushrooms stuffed with garlic, cheese and lemon sauce and whole roasted aubergine with cheese and  pesto. Devine!

Halva and baklava, not traditionally Israeli but definitely  a Middle Eastern favourite.

Buna saghir!