okay all you food junkies: I am promoting a great new cookbook, out today. The book is available in all the usual places. If you are a member of the media and would like a review copy, contact me. In the meantime feast your taste buds on these sample recipes. When we think of Morocco most of us think of rich, warm spices, kebabs, fresh vegetables warm off the vine, and exotic tagines. In Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours (Greenleaf Book Group; October 2014/Hardcover; $29.95), author Ruth Barnes, known as The Petite Gourmande, brings the rich culinary history of her homeland to life, while making her recipes easy and accessible for any home cook. As a busy wife, mother and business woman, Ruth has taken the delicious and nutritious recipes that have been handed down in her family and simplified them for today’s busy home cooks. Sharing Morocco is filled with 111 recipes, easy-to-follow ingredient lists and instructions, beautiful food photography, tips and techniques, and plenty of information on Moroccan cuisine, culture and history. Recipes range from Salads & Soups, Tagines, and Main Courses, to Street Foods, Sides, Drinks and Desserts. Ruth has also provided a chapter on where to buy ingredients and information on the spices of Morocco. Some of the delicious recipes in the book include: - Baked Eggplant Salad - Spicy Carrot Soup with Ginger - Marrakech Fish Tagine with Olives and Chickpeas - Kefta Kebabs - Beef Tagine with Eggplant and Tomatoes - Slow Cooker Moroccan Brisket with Apricots and Prunes - Lamb and Chicken Kebabs with Vegetables and Sauces - Artichokes Stuffed with Lamb - Roasted Leg of Lamb with Quince - Chicken and Rice Roulade with Apricot Sauce and Couscous - Duck Tagine with Figs and Port Sauce - Almond Cookies - Baklava with Pistachios and Orange Blossom Water - Stuffed Figs with Goat Cheese, Pistachios, and Honey “Sharing Morocco is a reflection of my family heritage — a collection of authentic Moroccan recipes that I grew up eating and still cannot get enough of, such as chocolate baklava, savory tagines and couscous,” Ruth says. “Some are my own and some are family recipes passed down through generations. I can’t wait for you to try them, and my greatest joy would come from home cooks making these recipes a part of their family tradition, too. I hope you enjoy them.” Sharing Morocco is the perfect cookbook for those of us who love to try new foods and tastes. Take a culinary journey to Morocco without leaving the kitchen! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ruth Barnes, The Petite Gourmande, grew up in Israel in a large culinary Moroccan family on a farm filled with fresh and colorful food rich with the flavors and traditions of the world. She learned to cook from the women in her family who regularly prepared meals for her large immediate and extended family, neighbors, and community members. For Ruth, cooking, creating, and designing are a passion, and she has made it her life’s work. Beginning as a child, Ruth learned the art of Moroccan cooking from her Mom and sisters on a daily basis. She absorbed not only the particulars of Moroccan cooking, but also the decorating and designing which is a classic element of the Moroccan table. Throughout her life, she has prepared beautiful tables for both everyday meals and festive holiday events. Ruth is constantly creating new recipes from favorites and putting her own unique spin on a multitude of appetizers, main courses, salads, side dishes, and desserts, focusing on fresh and healthy ingredients in all her recipes. Ruth’s creativity lead her to own two flower shops in addition to teaching arts and crafts and taking up painting. She loves to travel the world tasting and experiencing different cuisines in order to continue expanding her culinary horizons and teach what she has learned. In 2014 Ruth realized her dream by publishing Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours. She and her husband live in Los Angeles. This fall try these delicious recipes from Sharing Morocco: Recipes may be reprinted with the following credit: Recipes from Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours by Ruth Barnes Greenleaf Book Group/October 2014 Dates Stuffed with Almond Paste (Tamar B’looz) Serves 8 This is one of the most beautiful of the Moroccan desserts. Succulent sweet dates are stuffed with a smooth almond paste infused with the flowery citrus flavor of orange blossom water. Pink and green, these dessert treats lend color and variety to any dessert tray. Ingredients 1 cup ground blanched almonds ¼ cup sugar 4 tablespoons orange blossom water 4 drops of green food coloring 4 drops of pink food coloring 16 large dates A few edible flowers for garnish Directions 1. In a large bowl, mix the ground almonds, sugar, and orange blossom water into a paste. 2. Divide the paste into equal halves. Mix one half with the green food coloring and the other half with the pink food coloring. Mix well to avoid streaks of color. 3. Cut the dates in half lengthwise, remove the pits, and place a teaspoon of green paste in the middle of each of 8 dates and a teaspoon of pink paste in the middle of each of the remaining 8 dates. 4. Garnish with edible flowers. Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Prunes (Tagine del Kebsch bil M’shmash ul Birkok) Serves 4 to 6 This sweet and savory dish pairs wonderfully with dried fruit and nuts, such as apricots, prunes, and walnuts. Dried fruit is frequently used in Moroccan cooking; look for fruit that is still somewhat moist and not too dry. Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon cumin ½ bunch cilantro, chopped 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 1½ cups low-sodium beef broth 3 tablespoons honey 1 cup dried apricots 1 cup dried, pitted prunes 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish ½ cup walnut halves, for garnish Directions 1. In a cooking tagine or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove the lamb to a platter. 2. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Return the meat to the pan and add the cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes. 3. Add the beef broth. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes. 4. Stir in the honey, apricots, and prunes, and cook for a further 15 minutes. 5. Remove the lamb and fruit from the tagine and place on a serving tagine or platter. Spoon the sauce over the meat and fruit. 6. Garnish with the walnut halves and sesame seeds.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 19:33:05 +0000
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