MOROCCAN ITEMS FOR SALE LINK

These seals at Oceanside Harbor have the right idea: Wake me up when COVID is over…
MUSINGS
The Kasbah Chronicles
Les Chroniques de la Kasbah
In English and en français
Musings
Notes on my next cookbook
A new twist on a Moroccan classic
Links of interest
News of Morocco and beyond
Improve your spoken French!
Moroccan items for sale
Musings:
In this, the ninth month of the COVID pandemic, I am at a loss for words. I cannot complain, since our Vista Kasbah is the best place for me to be sequestered—but boy, am I getting itchy feet. Yet, the idea of getting on an airplane still does not appeal to me.
Actually, the pandemic has served an exciting purpose: I have been hard at work on my next book, Bitter Sweet: legacy from my Alsatian ancestors (working title). Beautiful food photography included too!
I received an email blast from the High Atlas Foundation, a most worthy NGO in Morocco :
https://mailchi.mp/highatlasfoundation/article-reviving-a-monastery-for-community-development?e=4GUbJ49kBE. Unpublished article on Tioumliline by Lamia Radi, Rabat, Morocco.
Toumliline remains a magical name in my mind. Toum as we all called it, was a refuge for Catholic nuns in the Middle Atlas Mountains. It was a popular destination and Catholic retreat for many of my Catholic friends, especially at Easter:
“On part a Toum….” they would announce… each year.
Those among you who accompanied me to Morocco will remember the longest day of the trip as we crossed the Atlas Mountains from Fez to the oasis of Tinehrir. Half way up, Tioum hides among the forest of cedar trees not far from the snow slopes of the Mishliffen. Macaques on the way to Toum…
The very first avocado from our very own tree..
Let’s head to the kitchen
new twist on egg tagine with lox
Morocco meets Brooklyn
(variations in Cooking at the Kasbah, The Vegetarian Table: North Africa and Mint Tea and Minarets.)
do you get the idea I love this egg dish?!!
Egg Tagine with Olives and lox
Serves 4
Make the tomato chermoula sauce ahead of time:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, very finely diced
1 (14¼-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
10 green or purple olives, rinsed, pitted, and coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
¼ cup minced cilantro
In a tagine or medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar, olives, garlic, and bay leaf. Mash lightly with a fork. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatoes thicken somewhat, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Add cilantro.
Adapted from Mint Tea and Minarets: a banquet of Moroccan memories.
For ONE person:
One egg, beaten
1 or 2 slices of lox, diced
Pour the egg in a small oiled skillet. Swirl around as for an omelet. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with 2 tablespoons of the chermoula, and diced salmon.
Copyright Kitty Morse 2020
More: The French are crazy about “crumbles” savory or sweet. Who knew that “crumbles” (and biscuits d’Halloween) would make such an impact?
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring the oil to medium heat in a pan or skillet. Saute the zucchini slices until soft. Drain and set aside.
For the crumble, combine the flour, bread crumbs, parmesan, and salt. Add the softened butter and mix with your fingertips. Alternate layers of zucchini, and ham (if using) in a medium baking dish. Top with the crumble mixture and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
My friend Stephenie Coug
hlin, owner of Seabreeze Farm in Del Mar (CA) a mere 2 or 3 miles from the ocean, grows and delivers her own GORGEOUS produce. Heck her out!
https://csa.farmigo.com/store/seabreezed
News of Morocco, France, and beyond:
Casablanca is undergoing a renewal, and hopefully a getting a good coat of paint. We lived on Avenue Hassan II, across from the park, one the city’s main arteries. This is what our building looked like in the earl 1920s…a beautiful Moorish art deco structure. it needs a new coat of paint in this century. Local casablancais have finally realized what an architectural treasure they have in downtown Casablanca..
https://aujourdhui.ma/culture/un-programme-de-mise-a-niveau-du-centre-ville-historique-de-casablanca-voit-le-jourIl+s’articule+autour+de+quatre+projets+Dans+le+cadre+du+plan+de+sauvegarde+et+de+valorisation+du+patrimoine+de+Casablanca,+la+Société+de+développement+local+Cas :
MOROCCAN ITEMS FOR SALE:
PLEASE VIEW DEDICATED PAGE ON THIS WEBSITE
Bellows, camel leather, copper and wood. ABout 48 years old.. Works fine.
All these will appear on my dedicated page.
These lithographs were produced by he same printer who printed my first book, Come with me to the Kasbah. Printer and publishing house are long gone
I am asking USD70 a piece. Shipped in a tube. About 23.5 by 15. 5 inches.
,
Our most Excellent Cuba Adventure (Fall 2020)
Morocco’s Kasbah Trail (Spring 2020), my favorite itinerary in Morocco
Barcelona’s La Boqueria Market (2020)
http://online.anyflip.com/dmdy/tzrk/mobile/index.html#p=105
A Vietnamese paradise for foodies: the ancient city of Hoi An: Discovering Argentina issue, p. 236
http://anyflip.com/bookcase/duev
The ongoing confinement and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests brought to mind the “Long Hot Summer of 1967” race riots when America was once before in turmoil. I was confined to my apartment with my roommate for 4 days, while the inner cities of Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit were going up in flames. This was my first introduction to political unrest in the US, and it was an eye-opener.
The past weeks brought a sense of heartbreaking déjà vu at this turning point in our nation’s history. I remain a (grateful immigrant) optimist.
Memories of a 1967 confinement:
One outcome of my 1967 confinement: we avoided hunger pangs with cans of tuna fish (my cooking career evolved long after the riots!) Thanks to my wonderful American roommate, Ann, I discovered the subtle “delights” of tuna casserole: a basic white sauce, a can of tuna and a few frozen peas and voilà: a great topping for boiled rice! What a taste discovery! After 4 days confined to our first-floor walk-up, the casserole attained the rank of comfort food for me, although it will never top couscous in the style of Casablanca, or my French grandmother’s purée de pomes de terre (mashed potatoes)!
The present confinement reactivated my culinary juices. I finally put pen to paper with an idea that I had been harboring for some time: a cookbook combining family history with recipes from Alsace Lorraine, my mother’s birthplace (much like The Scent of Orange Blossoms, which featured my North African ancestry). Among the French documents I inherited, I uncovered the journal of my great grand-father, a French army doctor who served during WWI, and hand written recipes from his wife, my great-grandmother, who died at the hands of the Nazis just before the end of WWII. So what is a cookbook author to do? Immerse myself in cuisine bourgeoise de famille, and test and cook. Cook and test.
NO title yet…STAY TUNED!
Le confinement me pousse à cuisiner–très à propos car parmi les papiers de famille de ma mère, j’ai retrouvé des documents relatifs à ses grand-parents alsaciens–qui malheureusement ont disparu sous l’occupation nazie. J’ai donc hérité de photos, de documents de famille–et d’une centaine de recettes écrites à la main par mon arrière grandmère, typiques du Grand Est–en particulier de Châlons sur Marne maintenant appelée Châlons en Champagne, ville natale de ma mère. Que faire de ce trésor familial sinon écrire un livre en leur souvenir? choucroute, baekhopf, bredele (Alsatian cookies) et bien plus. Plus de détails à venir…
Mon but ce mois ci est d’écouler les bottes de chou friséMy present challenge is to cook with the bunches and bunches of kale and chard obtained from April Viles at SandnStraw Farm in Vista (CA). The farm stand is opened 2 days a week. Check out their website www.sandnstraw.com
Here are two recipes I developed:
Chard and Garbanzo Bean Hummus (Hummus au chou frisé et pois chiches):
1 (14-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup COOKED and chopped chard
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
A squeeze of lemon juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Sun dried tomatoes optional)
Blend all ingredients together, and voilà, chard hummus
Kitty’s Curried Chard and Zucchini Soup
Velouté de Courgettes au curry et chou frisé
Serves 4
I serve this hot or cold, depending on the season.
Prepare this a few hours ahead of time, and refrigerate.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced (or leeks)
4 small zucchini, peeled and diced (courgettes)
1 cup COOKED, drained, and chopped CHARD and Kale!!!
1 small potato, peeled and diced
1 teaspoons mild curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
Chopped parsley or cilantro, for garnish
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, zucchini, chard, and potato. Sprinkle with the curry powder. Lightly brown the vegetables, stirring occasionally. Turn heat down to medium low. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft. Adjust curry powder and salt. Let cool.
Place half the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Add half the broth and half the yogurt. Blend until very smooth. Repeat the process until all the vegetables are used. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. Sprinkle with herbs, and serve.
Feedback: Thank you!
Hi Kitty,
I thought you would like to know that I tried your husband Owen’s recipe. I love Costco’s scallops…always a good quick meal. And, of course, I sear them. So I cut them up (frozen) into about 6 pieces each, sauteed them in butter, added lemon juice and white wine, salt and pepper, let them caramelize, and put them on top of a large salad (with avocados). (Steak salad without the steak:) It was delicious! Owen rocks!. . .
Best regards,
Janet
Just for you, a tall glass of freshly squeezed blood orange juice from our very own blood orange tree: Un verre de jus de sanguine?
Kitty in the media: PODCAST a new experience for me:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/990508
My host, Jessica, explained:
“I wanted this episode (the very first!) to be about Sephardic food in North Africa and to get to know you better (and your love of cilantro!) Jessica, A Jewish Convert Talks To A Global Community in her new blog..This is the link to my website, specifically the post about your wonderful cookbook, it was one of my first posts: https://newjewkitchen.com/the-scent-of-orange-blossoms/ I
Kitty’s recent published articles:
Staying put while roaming the globe before confinement:
California’s Historic Highway 395, along the eastern sierras.
https://www.creators.com/read/travel-and-adventure/06/20/us-highway-395-leads-back-into-california-history
My oyster binge in L’Ampolla, Spain
https://www.creators.com/read/travel-and-adventure/06/20/catalonias-hidden-gem-the-delta-del-ebre
COMING UP:
Trinidad, Cuba
A night on the Queen Mary in Long Beach (CA)
Classes: ZOOM in on A virtual cooking class!
JOIN ME for this Fun event:
Sunday, August 2, 4PM Pacific
www.spiceitupwithdeb.com. Please open the link to view the menu.
I will chat alongside my energetic friend Debbie Kornberg, on
Spice It Up with Deb: A Live Cooking Experience.
Included in the class price is a copy of Edible Flowers: A Kitchen Companion
Reader Feedback:
“Hi Kitty,
I got the books (Edible Flowers) today. They are beautiful. I really love them more than I expected and I had very high expectations. They are beyond beautiful and wonderful. So I put another check in the mail to you for two more books. . .” Carole
Links of interest en français et en anglais:
site bilingue pour les français aux USA.
Frenchly.us and French Books
Frenchly is the premier website for Francophiles in the US and abroad, covering news, arts, culture, style, and all things French. Check out their French books:
https://frenchly.us/20-books-that-have-changed-french-lives/
Voyages en France tout en restant chez soi:
How about touring France from the comfort of home?
https://france-amerique.com/fr/the-best-virtual-tours-for-cooped-up-francophiles/?ct=t(France-Amerique-newsletter-28-june-2018_COPY_01)
Moroccan cookies anyone?
In time for the upcoming Feast of the Lamb (Aid el Fitr) or any celebration:
For the best mail order Moroccan cookies visit https://www.meskasweets.com. Made in New Jersey and shipped to you fresh. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
From their website: “Our cookies are available in traditional variety as well as fusions with the trendiest flavors… As such we offer a Gluten Free Moroccan Macaron line with Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea, Coffee… All of our treats are freshly made in NJ using the finest ingredients, have no preservatives and no GMO products. In addition to being delicious, our treats are Kosher (OU) Pareve.
Kitty still has copies of:
Shameless plug: If you have read any of the books, in English or en français, a review on the Amazon book site is always appreciated….
Min Tea and Minarets
https://www.amazon.com/Mint-Tea-Minarets-Moroccan-Memories/dp/0985216441/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=
Le Riad au Bord de l’Oued
https://www.amazon.com/Riad-Bord-lOued-souvenirs-saveurs-ebook/dp/B07YYLJX2K/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1
and Edible Flowers: A Kitchen Companion
https://www.amazon.com/Edible-Flowers-Companion-Kitty-Morse/dp/098521645X/ref=sr_1_1?dc
ALL downloadable on Amazon.com
Yes, even the Pope liked A Biblical Feast (via Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, CA) …the book is out of print. Downloadable, however
Morocco is (almost) out of the woods. Moroccans are allowed to travel to England but we are not! One reason perhaps: Even Moroccan buses wear masks….
and in the words of WOODY ALLEN
à la française: MAY 1, 2020
WE NEED SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE
IN THIS TIME OF COVID-19
at a social distance!
BONNE FETE DU MUGUET!
American-style MOTHER’s DAY:
From May 1 to May, 10th, 2020 Kitty will ship signed copies of her book, Edible Flowers: a Kitchen Companion for more than 50% OFF list price(details below).
RAMADAN started on April 25. Time to make Ramadan pastries. Ramadan Mubarak!
WHAT IS LA FETE DU MUGUET ?
In France, it is customary to give a sprig of lily of the valley on May 1st. The day doubles as a celebration of springtime as well as Fête du Travail to honor workers of the world
Origins of Fete du Muguet in France
« . . l’origine de la fête du muguet remonte à l’époque romaine, en latin, le 1ier mai : maius mensis, mois de la déesse Maïa, on célébrait sa fête le 1ier mai, en plantant des arbres de Mai, symbole du réveil printanier de la nature (cf Grand Larousse Encyclopédique de 1962 tome 6 page 997) »
“…the origins of the Fete du Muguet harks back to Roman times, in Latin the month of May translates as: maius mensis, month of the Goddess Maia, whose feast was celebrated on May 1, in planting Trees of May, to symbolize nature’s rebirth. . . “
IN HONOR OF MOTHER’S DAY!
Do edible flowers grow in your garden (without the use of pesticides). It might be rosemary, thyme, parsley, or cilantro (my favorite!), or even roses. You will find a recipe for these blossoms in the book.
SPRINKLE FOWERS ON YOUR PLATE (OR YOUR FRIEND’S PLATE) Edible Flowers: A Kitchen Companion, is a lovely seasonal gift for a mother, grandmother, sister, or a gardening friend.
From May 1 to May 10th, 2020, purchase a copy of Edible Flowers: A Kitchen Companion for over 50% OFF the list price
Book: $7.50
Shipping in the US only: $3.00 ( I will bundle books if you purchase more than one)
TOTAL for ONE copy: $10.50 includes shipping in the US.
I will personally sign each book per your instructions. Send me a message with a shipping address.
Note: The book is also available through amazon.com (LINK) as a hard copy and for download.