My Moroccan grandmother was an excellent baker, but I didn't realize until I was older that the dinners she prepared were quite basic, but tasty nonetheless. Cooking a lunch for 20-25 people on Shabbat was a big job, and she still managed to put together several different choices. In additon to a few tapas (carrots, peppers, and the mandatory challah), she prepared: salad with lemon juice and olive oil dressing; meatballs and potatoes (we soaked up the broth/oil with challah); chicken in a brown sauce, and; cous-cous with chickpeas that we ate with cinnamon and sugar.
It wasn't until after my grandmother passed away that I ventured into a Moroccan restaurant and learned more about how those flavours can mix together. It was a Boujadi that I first tried a meatball tajine and I was blown away. There were familiar flavours and much more. Unfortunately, Boujadi no longer exists, but I'll always remember my first taste of Moroccan food that wasn't my grandmother's.
Recipe:
Meatball (Kefta) Tajine
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ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteHi Dan - those meatballs look AMAZING! It's barely breakfast time here, and they've got me salivating and dreaming about dinner already. I definitely have to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing the story of your grandmother and the lunches she used to share - such occasions, even though they may be simply prepared, really shape our future palates I believe.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing this at "Making it with ... Mondays" - challenge saffron.
PS: Next week we're going to be cooking with vanilla - hope you'll join in :-)
Sue