Cooking at the Kasbah : Recipes from My Moroccan Kitchen
Kitty Morse (Photographs by Laurie Smith) Publ: Chronicle Books San Francisco ISBN: 081181503X
Each of us has a different way of browsing cookbooks. I often
grab the stack of pages in my left hand and flip through quickly, pausing
when a word or picture catches my eye.
I'm really glad I began on the very first page of the book this time
because I was captivated by the brilliant photos and vivid text. I guarantee
you will have the same reaction.
The brief preface describes Kitty Morse's connection to Morocco and
Dar
Zitoun (House of the Olive), her family's home "in Azemmour, inside
the ramparts of the kasbah--the ancient walled quarter of the city," and
how it was once a cooking school. She also speaks of her British
father and French mother and how they came to this ancient country. She
then gives a short history of the region.
The "Introduction" contains pages and pages of mesmerizing photos
of the region--of people in gorgeous costumes and bedecked in all manner
of jewelry; of the mountains and desert; of camels and the souk
(pronounced SHOOK), the open-air market where everything is bought, sold
or bartered; and of food and cooking vessels. Interspersed among
these fascinating things is a history of the land and its rich culinary
heritage.
It is as if Ms. Morse is by your side, guiding you through the crowded,
narrow streets, lined with vendors on either side of you. You can
almost reach out and touch the newly harvested produce and inhale the aroma
of shish kabobs grilling close by. You sense the immediacy of the
moment, surrounded by women as they quickly move from stall to stall to
make their purchases for the day's meals.
The author goes on to describe an incredible wedding feast she attended,
called a diffa. There is even a photograph of the bride's
hands, "decorated with elaborate henna designs." When Ms. Morse first arrives,
she sees barefoot guests sitting at low, round tables, sipping mint tea.
Following the traditional hand-washing ceremony, mountains of the most
exquisite foods you could imagine were served. Not only is the hand-washing
ceremony beautiful to behold, but it is performed for sanitary reasons
because almost everything is served in communal dishes eaten without utensils.
And when you're sure you can't eat another bite, more irresistible food
is placed before you.
The book contains sections on Moroccan hospitality, dining etiquette,
a description of the typical Moroccan kitchen, commonly used ingredients,
and cooking techniques. These are followed by some basic recipes,
items which are used in the preparation of other recipes or served as accompaniments:
preserved lemons, smen (aged butter), harissa (a spicy sauce
used as a condiment), ras el hanout (a spice blend), zitoun meslalla
(preserved cracked green olives), and matisha mieb'sa (sun-dried
tomatoes).
The rest of the recipes begin on page 38 of the book and are divided
into soups and salads; savory pastries and breads; meats, poultry, fish
and vegetable dishes; couscous; and beverages and desserts. The final
portion of the book offers eight suggested menus, mail-order sources and
a table of equivalents (for those who do not use American measures).
While this is clearly a Moroccan cookbook, the author has inserted
several Sephardic Jewish recipes as an extension of this cuisine, including
chorba
del fool treh (Passover Fava Bean Soup with Fresh Coriander), dafina
(Sabbath
stew), l'hass b'limmoun wa Tmar (hearts of romaine, orange, and
date salad), tmar b'looz (dates with almond paste filling), and
kteffa
(phyllo pastries with orange-flower custard and fresh berries).
When I review a cookbook, I usually seek out those recipes which
are to my personal taste. I select several, prepare them and proceed
with my report. It was very difficult narrowing down all the wonderful
choices this time.
Here are the ones I chose:
The chorba b'hodra (Saffron-Vegetable Soup) was an excellent
way to begin a meal. The tiny cubes of lamb resting in the aromatic
saffron broth (seasoned with sweet paprika, fresh parsley and cilantro)
with the vegetables (celery, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and zucchini),
lentils and fine pasta pieces or couscous (I used couscous) could be a
meal in itself when served with the cumin bread (also in this book).
The salad I tried was the hezzu b'limmoun (finely diced carrots
with cinnamon-orange dressing). Between the cinnamon and the orange-flower
water in the dressing, I felt as though I had been transported to the region.
The djej m'kalli b'l'hamd markad (tagine of chicken with preserved
lemons and artichoke hearts) is a variation of a recipe I have used for
several years. I will probably make this version from now on because
I find Ms. Morse's refined techniques and use of ingredients yield a much
better flavor. For instance, sprigs of cilantro and Italian parsley
are tied up with string and used to flavor the dish, but removed later.
And while most recipes for this dish call for preserved lemon, this one
instructs you to use fresh lemon juice, preserved lemon pulp, -and- thin
strips of preserved lemon rind, which is more than worth the extra effort.
The tagine bil hoot (tagine of fish) is not only gorgeous
to see, but is full of flavor.
Mrouziya
(honey-spiced lamb)* can only be described as heaven on earth.
Using smen and ras el hanout, your tastebuds will be dancing
with each mouthful.
The k'seksoo b'kemroon (couscous timbales with shrimp) is
as unusual in its presentation as it is appealing to the taste. The
timbales are prepared with seasoned couscous and shrimp, then unmolded,
surrounded by a red bell pepper coulis and garnished with diced red pepper
and cilantro leaves. Included in the couscous section is also a recipe
for seffa (sweet cinnamon couscous with dried fruit), a dessert
couscous "reserved for special occasions," which Ms. Morse admits she often
serves with roasted meat.
Among the dessert offerings is haloua tpolo (chocolate sesame
cones). Small cones are made with a sesame-flour dough, moistened with
orange-flower water, fried, then dipped in boiling honey. The cooled
cones are then filled with a chocolate-almond cream.
In many of her recipes, this author specifies the number of saffron
threads to be added, indicating eight here or ten there, toasted in a non-stick
skillet for several minutes. Saffron is an intensely aromatic spice,
but how could there be so much difference between one or two threads?
According to Ms. Morse, great care must be taken not to use too many
threads or it will impart a bitter taste. She also cautions against
buying powdered saffron as it "is more easily adulterated with less-expensive
spices," and warns us about the possibility that we may be tricked into
buying safflower threads, which often look like saffron.
I adore Middle Eastern food, and Cooking at the Kasbah packs
the flavor of Moroccan culture into the storehouse of the recipes put forth.
The book is printed on heavy slick stock, the recipe format is easy to
read, and the instructions are simple to follow, with everything explained
carefully, down to the last detail.
Ms. Morse has done an excellent job of providing both classical and
contemporary Moroccan recipes which are so simple, even modest cooks will
not be scared off. Whether you're looking for recipes or a cultural resource,
I highly recommend this book.
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