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Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours Cookbook Review

January 13, 2015 by Renee

Lamb Tagine

Welcome to January! Hope you have all had a nice long break and are ready to start the new year. I spent most of my break going room to room in my house emptying closets and drawers, making bags for donation and bags for garbage. I purged quite a bit and still feel I could make one or two more rounds and will probably spend a few more weekends doing so. It’s amazing how much you accumulate!

In purging, I also culled my cookbook collection down to a mere 206 books. But of course, this leaves several emptyish shelves which I am sure will be filled again as so many terrific books came out last year that I am still in the process of acquiring. (But, I am trying to purge a few more in the process as well. Must keep a balance you know!)

One book that arrived recently is Ruth Barnes’ Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours.  The title is was what drew me in. I love Moroccan food and hoped that this book would guide me in making traditional fare at home.  Like so many home cooks, the author, Ruth Barnes,  is a busy spouse, parent, and professional who cannot spend all day in the kitchen preparing complicated meals. Her goal was to make the cuisine accessible to the home cook. In the book she shares tips and techniques for preparing Moroccan classics like bastilla, lamb with apricots and prunes (my re-creation above), and chicken with preserved lemons, as well as more familiar dishes like baba-ganoush, baklava, and kebabs.

The recipes have been quite simplified and she identifies several common ingredient substitutes and breaks down the complex spice combinations so often found in Moroccan cuisine into manageable formulas. What is left are such easy recipes that anyone can make these dishes in their own home.

I made the Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Prunes. It’s a fairly quick “stew” that doesn’t require a lot of preparation but figure about 2 hours and 15 minutes total cooking time-so it’s better for a weekend dinner than a midweek meal.  I hardly expected the kids to like the flavors but was pleasantly surprised when they all did- even my pickiest eater. While not so pretty to photograph, the dish tasted very good and I would make it again. I served it with a side of Israeli Couscous that was cooked in beef broth with sauteed onion.

Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Prunes
 
Print
Cook time
2 hours 15 mins
Total time
2 hours 15 mins
 
Author: Ruth Barnes in Sharing Morocco
Cuisine: Moroccan
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 3 tbs. olive oil
  • 3 lbs boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1½ cups low sodium beef broth
  • 3 tbs honey
  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 1 cup dried, pitted prunes
  • 1 tbs sesame seeds, for garnish
  • ½ cup walnut halves, for garnish
Method
  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. Saute 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 2 minutes.
  3. Add the beef broth. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in the honey, apricots, and prunes and cook for a further 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the lamb ad 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.
3.2.2885

I would consider this book to be a good entry level experience to the flavors of Morocco and one that would fit any home cook just learning about Moroccan foods.  You can buy it here on Amazon:

Ruth Barnes Sharing Morocco

 

Disclosure: Thank you so much to the Lisa Ekus Group for sending me this copy of  Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours by Ruth Barnes. Recipe reprinted with permission. 

Filed Under: Eat, Cookbooks, Meats Tagged With: Cookbook Review, Lamb, Moroccan

Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos Recipe from Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook

January 23, 2014 by Renee

Dan Whalen, dubbed the mad scientist of all things comfort food and the man behind the wildly popular blog, The Food In My Beard ,released his debut book, Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook this month.  It is unlike any comfort food recipe collection I have come across.  This book features recipes for pumped up comfort foods that have all have been stuffed and transformed into new and different, and ultimately better, versions of their former selves.

I’ve teamed up with several bloggers on a Book Recipe Tour for Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook to recreate one of the ultimate stuffed recipes found in the book. Be sure to keep an eye out for the other blogs below to find a fabulous version of a stuffed recipe from now through mid- February.

The book is divided into 5 main chapters, split up by what is being stuffed- Stuffed Breads, Stuffed Pasta and Rice, Stuffed Veggies and Fruit, Stuffed Meats, and Stuffed Sweets. Some of the mouthwatering 112 recipes include Lobster Stuffed Fried Mac and Cheese Balls, Cheeseburger Ravioli Burger, Chicken Tikka Masala Ravioli, Cheesesteak Stuffed Soft Pretzel Calzones, Lamb Vindaloo Stuffed Onions, Avocado Eclairs, and a Giant Peanut Butter Cup.

Each recipe features a heat number and pig-out number. The pig-out number is a fun measure for your “stuffed” gluttony (vs. a calorie counter!) and the  heat number tells you just how hot the peppers and spices are- so you can prepare for what you can handle. There are fun photos throughout along with clear instructions for each recipe.

Tonight we made the Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos. Traditionally, rellenos are stuffed with cheese, but Dan thought to actually stuff them with Mac and Cheese for this brilliant twist on an old favorite. They were just the right amount of heat combined with gooey cheesy goodness and I could see these being very addictive! Serve these up at your next party with a pint of beer and you’ll have some happy guests! I’d make more than this recipe calls for and slice in half so everyone can see the filling.  They are a bit time consuming, but each step makes the end result well worth the effort!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos Recipe from Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook
 
Print
Makes: 8 stuffed peppers Heat: 5.5 Pig-Out Scale: 7.9
Author: Dan Whalen
Ingredients
Mac and Cheese
  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¼ cup (35 g) pickled nacho jalapenos
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cherry peppers, diced
  • ½ pound (225 g) elbow macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
  • 1 ½ tablespoons (21 g) flour
  • 1 ½ cups (355 ml) milk
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 5 ounces (140 g) Cheddar cheese
  • 5 ounces (140 g) Monterey Jack cheese
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt
Peppers
  • 8 poblano peppers
  • 2 cups (240 g) flour
  • 2 cups (230 g) breadcrumbs
  • 3 eggs, beaten
Method
  1. Make the Mac and Cheese: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Chop the bacon into ½-inch (1.3-cm) squares. Mince the garlic. Roughly chop the jalapeños and tomatoes.
  2. In a Dutch oven with just a splash of olive oil, cook the bacon until crispy, about 7 minutes, and remove it from the pot. Let drain on paper towels. In the remaining bacon fat, cook the onion and peppers for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown. While the veggies cook, be sure to continually scrape the bottom of the pot to keep the browned bits incorporated with the food and not stuck to the pot. This would be a good time to get your pasta cooking. Add the minced garlic and butter to the onions and peppers and cook for about 2 minutes, until the butter is melted. Mix in the flour and cook, stirring often, until the roux is slightly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Pour in the milk, whisking until smooth, and bring to a light simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard powder. Strain the pasta and put it directly into the milk mixture. Slowly add the cheeses and stir well until melted. Add the tomatoes, bacon and jalapeños and stir. Cool the pasta down to at least room temperature before stuffing the peppers.
  3. Prepare the Peppers: Turn your broiler to high heat and position the oven rack right below it. Lightly oil and salt the poblano peppers and place them on a sheet pan. Broil on all sides until the skin is lightly charred and blistered. Put the peppers into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, set up your breading station by putting the flour, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs into 3 separate shallow bowls. Take the poblanos out of the bowl and gently peel them. Remove the tops and scrape the insides out with a fork.
  4. Stuff It!: Stuff the peppers with the cooled pasta mixture. We want extra breading on the peppers to help hold them together, so we are going to do a triple layer. Start by coating the pepper in the flour and shaking the excess off. Then dip it into the egg and again let the excess drip off. Repeat these steps in the flour and the egg 2 more times. Finally, coat very well in the breadcrumbs.
  5. Cook It: Shallow-fry the peppers in 1 inch (2.5 cm) of vegetable oil to brown on all sides.
Notes
Recipe from Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook by Dan Whalen, Page Street Publishing; August 2013, Printed with permission.
3.2.1275

 

Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos-6485

Click the cover or the title to get your copy of Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook today!

Stuffed Book

Be sure to check out some of the other recipes and blogs on this deliciously Stuffed tour-

January:

22  http://www.mangotomato.com/– Tuna Nicoise Stuffed Olives

24  http://www.realthekitchenandbeyond.com/ – Fried Dough Mozzarella Bites

27 http://www.macheesmo.com –  Cheeseburger Slider Steamed Bun

28  http://megan-deliciousdishings.blogspot.com/ – Meatball Wellington

29  http://gigglesgobblesandgulps.com  – Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos

30  http://pastrychefonline.com – Cuban Empanada

31 http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com – Cheeseburger Ravioli Burger

February:

3  http://soufflebombay.blogspot.com – Giant Peanut Butter Cup

4  http://asianinamericamag.com – Korean Burritos

5  http://www.karenskitchenstories.com – Chorizo Kale and Chicken Stuffed Poblanos

6 http://www.confessionsofachocoholic.com – Cherry Pie Stuffed Chocolate Cake

7 http://girlinthelittleredkitchen.com – Chicken Pretzington

17 http://www.thisamericanbite.com/ – Caprese Summer Rolls

 

Disclosure: I was asked to join the blog tour and recreate a recipe from Dan Whalen’s book and will receive a review copy for my efforts. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains links to my Amazon store- so if you purchase the book through my site, I’ll also make a little something from the sale and will be forever thankful!

 

Filed Under: Eat, Kitchen Sink, Appetizers, Cookbooks Tagged With: Chile, Cookbook Review, Dan Whalen, Mac and Cheese, Rellenos, Stuffed

One Soufflé at a Time and The Paris Gourmet- Book Reviews

November 25, 2013 by Renee

As a lover of all things French, I was happy to receive these books on my doorstep last week. One, a memoir of a life fulfilled dream featuring a  move to Paris and running a culinary school, the other a guide to many restaurants, shops and even some recipes and travel tips to enjoy around Paris and to prepare you for your next visit.

One Soufflé at a Time: A Memoir of Food and France by Anne Willan with Amy Friedman

Founder of the world famous La Varenne Cooking School—originally located in Paris and then later in Burgundy, Ms. Willan has trained chefs, food writers and home cooks alike.

One Soufflé at a Time is the life story of Ms. Willan as well as the story of her interactions with some of the food-world’s best—including Julia Child, James Beard, and many others. She writes from her English girl roots in Yorkshire to her move to France, and how she overcame the male dominated world of French cuisine to start and run her own culinary school in the late 1970’s.  Willan’s warm and funny personality shines through and shows a different, more approachable side of traditional French cuisine.

This lovely book, although mostly memoir also features fifty of Ms. Willan’s favorite recipes, from Coquille St. Jacques to Chocolate Snowballs and includes some of my favorites, Gratin Dauphinois and Pistou. You will often earmark pages to return to just so you can keep reading her narrative.

Ms. Willan shows her tremendous courage, her downfalls and her resounding strength all the while making this memoir truly fascinating, entertaining and authentic right from the first page. She has certainly led a life full of food and adventures and her unique and lively voice resonates through her writing style.

I quite enjoyed this book and I think you might too. Now I have to go back and cook some of the recipes I marked!

One Souffle at a Time

 

The Paris Gourment by Trish Deseine

This guide book will lead you from arrondissement to arrondissement where Ms. Deseine notes all of her favorite foodie spots in Paris.  From restaurants, hotels, and bakeries to markets and even places to purchase kitchen wares, she shows the readers “her Paris” in this lively round up.  This is a fun, lighthearted book featuring the characteristic Flammarion graphics- trendy, bold and colorful.

Although I think Ms. Deseine left out some major spots in her listings, (the Marché de la Bastille for instance only appears as a side note with a list of places open on Sunday and not at all in the section of Markets), I do think she covered a great deal and I know you can’t possibly list every wonderful place in Paris. There really are too many!

It’s certainly a pleasurable read and perfect for anyone visiting Paris for the first time or the tenth time. It’s chock full of tips and information, sure to make any food lover happy.

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Disclosure: I received a copy of  each of these books to review. As always, the thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links to my Amazon Store.  So if you buy the books, I’ll make a few pennies. 

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink, Cookbooks Tagged With: Anne Willan, Cookbook Review, NaBloPoMo, Trish Deseine

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