Nike Shox NZ si The Moroccan Pantry and Summer Sal

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On a hot summer night, a small group gathered to prepare a sumptuous Moroccan menu with Csullog-Fernandez and her talented sous-chef Laura Gildemeester who demo'd the techniques before the group started cooking. Everything was tasted first, which was wise given it was dinner time and everyone was hungry. The meal began with a refreshing asparagus, tomato and preserved lemon salad (recipe below), a wedge of impressive looking chicken bisteeya and finished off with a lovely orange and date salad with a hint of orange blossom water. Pretty cups of Moroccan mint tea accompanied the repast.
Couscous- Made using the same flour that goes into pasta, couscous grains are made by rolling and coating durum (hard wheat semolina) grains in fine wheat flour. Often consumed with spiced stews of vegetables and/or meat and chicken.
Harissa – A North African hot paste- often served with couscous- made of chilies, garlic, cumin, coriander, mint and oil.
Ingredients:1 bunch asparagus4 ripe tomatoes (coarsely chopped)½ red onion (thinly sliced)¼ preserved lemon, finely chopped (peel Only)1 tbsp sherry wine vinegar¼ cup extra virgin olive oil- Spanish preferably1 tsp Dijon mustard¼ tsp ground cumin¼ tsp Spanish, non-smoked sweet PaprikaMethod:Cut 1 bunch asparagus into 3-4 cm pieces and blanch in light salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Refresh under cold water and drain.Toss aspa
There are few things lovelier than intimate, one-on-one cooking classes where you can ask all the questions you like and the teacher actually has the time to answer them! Such is the case with the well-thought out classes and menus at Lola Csullog-Fernandez’s Pimenton Spanish & Mediterranean Fine Foods.
Asparagus, Tomato & Preserved Lemon Salad Recipe- courtesy of Lola Cscullog-Fernandez
Almonds- used in sweet or savoury dishes, especially those with an Arabic culinary provenance. You’ll usually find sweet almonds in most Canadian grocery stores- but note that in Morocco [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], bitter almonds can be bought and are used to flavour extracts and liqueurs.
Other Moroccan Pantry Staples, according to Lola include:
One of the more intriguing ingredients used that night were Moroccan preserved lemons which are preserved in a salt-lemon juice mixture. Pimenton brings them in from North Africa and they add a certain brightness and fresh flavour to chicken [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], pigeon and salad dishes that’s unmistakable.
Filo Pastry (in Morocco this is called Warka)- Thin sheets of pastry that are popular in sweets and savoury dishes including the Bisteeya made that night with Lola.
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Moroccan Spice & Garden Vegetable Couscous
Recipe for Spicy Moroccan Marinade Chermoula
Ras el hanout- A Moroccan spice blend that can contain up to 100 different spices. Used in couscous, rice, meat and vegetable dishes. The blend will be dependent on the maker- much like Indian Garam Masala. Generally, you’ll find mace, nutmeg, ginger, cayenne, or cardamom.
The Moroccan Menu
Csullog-Fernandez’s grandparents had a home in Casa Blanca, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s got a Masters in the Mediterranean Diet from the University of Barcelona either. Her recipes are always delicious and accessible [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], her classes well worth the time and effort. At the end, each person took home several servings of each dish- including a whole Chicken Bisteeya to impress guests with later on!