It’s funny how our tastebuds change as we age.  Not too long ago, eggplant was on my shortlist of foods I didn’t like, now it seems I can’t get enough of it. One day I looked at the plate of baba ganoush my friend had ordered and it just clicked, “I’m going to like eggplant now!” The same thing happened with onions, black licorice, and avocados. One minute I hated it, the next I suddenly can’t get enough of it. There’s no gray area either, I don’t ease these new ‘likes’ into my diet, I go whole hog. The first time I ate raw onions I didn’t just squirrel them into a salad, no, I made an onion sandwich! Crazy, I know.

Now that eggplant is on my radar I find that I’m consistently searching for new, unique ways to prepare and satiate my addiction. I recently discovered this delicious Moorish dish, Badenjan – a creamy smokey dip with deep notes of saffron balanced by fresh mint – and in two weeks I’ve made it twice. Both times I’ve prepared it as a condiment of sorts to our main dish. The first time, to accompany aromatic lamb meatballs (filled with garlic, onions and mint), the second time an addition to a Moroccan-style grilled chicken.  The perfect addition to both meals. I’m telling you, this is some serious eggplant goodness.

Click below for the recipe:

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Categories:	Cooking tips • North African • Vegetarian • Veggies	Leave a Comment
Tags:	appetizer • condiment • dip • eggplant • moorish • north afri • side dish

I believe food reflects a culture just as much as its religion or language.  Tradition, landscape, climate and history all play a part in creating what is known as a culture’s ethnic food. Most of the holidays I celebrate revolve around some food tradition.  A giant roast turkey that has been cooking for hours, cream cheese and fruit blintzes made from scratch on Christmas morning or creamy deviled eggs for Easter.

In a couple days it will be the beginning of Ramadan. Though I don’t celebrate Ramadan, I am fascinated by the traditional dishes as well as the important role that food plays during this time. Gathering with family and friends after fasting from sun up to sun down, I can only imagine how delicious the food must taste.

Planning ahead for Ramadan? Here area a couple ideas taken from our online vault of recipes.

Some other great links to blogger’s Ramadan recipes:

Chef Zadi

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Categories:	African • Holiday • Middle Eastern • Moroccan • North African • Uncategorized	1 Comment
Tags:	Ramadan

If you like hot and spicy foods, then you’d love harissa; an oh-my-hell-it’s-hot! North African chili paste, most commonly found in Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan cuisine. It’s often used as a condiment, but is also added to meat dishes, stews, couscous or sauces.

A little bit of this delicious chili paste goes a long way. Too much can turn your hair red and melt the lips right off your face! There are a lot of subtle variations in harissa recipes; some of which would alert the fire department two blocks from my house, while others appeared to be on the slightly milder side. Some contain tomatoes, some don’t. I grabbed elements from a few different sources and gave it a whirl.

Harissa

10 dried red chili peppers
1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Over a gas flame or on the barbecue, roast a red bell pepper until black. Put it in a paper bag and close up the top. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, or until you can easily slide the skin off. Remove the top and seeds, then dice.

Heat a heavy skillet until very hot. Add the dried chilies and toast them 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add just enough water to cover the chilies. Cover and let sit 30-45 minutes (or until soft). Take out of the water, and remove the stems and seeds. I recommend wearing gloves when handling extra hot chilies!

In the skillet, toast the coriander, caraway and cumin until fragrant. Then, combine spices with all the remaining ingredients in a food processor, and blend to a smooth paste. Add water if necessary.

Store in airtight container. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top to keep fresh.

Note: For a less fire-hot harissa consider using a milder chili, such as ancho.

Try these delicious sounding Mini Lamb Sliders with Harissa Sauce from Ms. Glaze’s Pommes d’Amour. Yum!

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Moroccan • North African • Sauces • Seasoning & Spices	8 Comments
Tags:	algeria • chili paste • Chili Peppers • Food • foodista • harissa • morocco • North African • tunisia

Dukkah, or duqqa, (DOO-ka) is an Egyptian mixture of toasted and ground nuts, seeds and spices into which olive oil-dabbed bread is dipped.

Apparently dukkah is all the rage Down Under, and reading about it inspired me to whip up a batch myself. Boy, am I glad I did! As I toasted the ingredients the aromas burst open, filled my kitchen with nutty perfume and transported me back to Egypt. My mother and I visited Egypt in the late 80’s and dukkah reminded me of how it smelled: fragrant, earthy and bold.

This tasty mixture makes me want to blacken my eyes with kohl, smudge perfumed oil behind my ears and dance to percussions and lutes on the banks of the Nile!

Dukkah
Use the following recipe as a starting point. You may find, as I did, that you want more or less of a particular spice. I added a bit more mint.

1/2 C hazelnuts
3 T sesame seeds
1/4 C coriander seeds
2 T cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 T black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt

In a very hot skillet (or in a 375 degree oven) dry-toast hazelnuts until golden. Wrap the hot nuts in a kitchen towel and let cool for a few minutes. When they have cooled slightly, rub the nuts vigorously in the towel to loosen and remove the skins. Place peeled nuts in a bowl and allow to further cool.

Put sesame seeds into the skillet and over medium heat toast until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add seeds to the hazelnuts.

In the same pan, toast coriander, cumin and fennel seeds until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add all the above ingredients to a food processor (or mortar if you are going to hand grind) and let cool completely. When the mixture has cooled, add the black peppercorns, salt and mint, and pulse (or grind in mortar) until the mixture is coarse.

Serve with olive oil and bread.

Store in a tightly sealed container for up to a month.

Other dukkah uses to inspire you:

• Drizzle a little olive oil over feta and sprinkle with dukkah
• Use as a rub on lamb, chicken or steak
• How about with a little honey on a toasted English muffin?

Check out Stonesoup for her hazelnut macadamia version of dukkah. She also offers a number of wonderful uses for dukkah.

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Categories:	North African • Seasoning & Spices	2 Comments
Tags:	appetizer • caraway • cumin • dukkah • duqqa • egypt • egyptian • fennel • Food • foodista • hazelnuts • hors d'oeuvres • mint • olive oil • salt • sesame • spices

Do you ever get tired of having rice, potatoes or pasta as your side dish? Why not try couscous? The “rice” of North Africa, couscous is used in many delicious dishes and prepared in a variety of ways. Most refer to it as Moroccan, but it is equally a staple in Lebanese, Libyan, Algerian and Tunisian cuisines, among others. While often associated with the grain family, it’s actually a coarse semolina pasta.

Couscous is so versatile you can flavor it with fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, herbs, spices or a combination of any of these. Think of succulent turmeric stewed lamb; currents, mint and pistachios; herbs, almonds and preserved lemons. Makes me want to ride a camel to a tented oasis in the desert at sunset, have my hands washed in tepid rose petal water and eat sweet, earthy, aromatic delights with my fingers. Heavenly! (Though maybe I could leave the camel there and take a cab back? Somehow bouncing around with a full belly on a camel ruins the whole romantic Lawrence of Arabia thing).

To go with our chicken tagine last night I made couscous with red pepper, almonds, Italian parsley and preserved lemons. For about 3-4 side servings:

1 large red pepper, julienned
1/4 C toasted sliced almonds
1 small preserved lemon, sliced thin then in half
1/2 C Italian flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon zest for garnish

Sauté red pepper in a small amount of olive oil until soft. Add 1 cup chicken broth and bring to a boil. To keep the couscous moist, add 1 small pat of butter or a quick drizzle of olive oil to the stock. Add almonds, preserved lemons, couscous and stir. Turn off heat and cover for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, tossing in parsley. Garnish with fresh lemon zest.

Janet Is Hungry has a lovely fresh recipe for Couscous Salad with feta. Yum! (I hope she got her dishwasher fixed!)

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Categories:	Moroccan • North African • Pasta & Grains	2 Comments
Tags:	African • algeria • cooking • Couscous • eating • Food • foodista • lawrence of arabia • libya • Moroccan • morocco • North African • preserved lemons • tunisia