The casbah is starting to rock. Morocco, with its azure skies and sultry palms, steamy souks thronging with hashish dealers and fortune tellers, has lured travellers throughout the ages. But what was once an offbeat destination attracting the curious and the unconventional is now a mecca for stars and trend setters.
Brad Pitt, Kate Moss and Mick Jagger are enthusiasts. Oliver Stone will shoot his latest opus, Alexander the Great,there this fall. Whether it's leather ottomans or filigreed glass, Morocco has it all.
And foodies the world over are turning their attentions to the delights of couscous and lamb, of olives and saffron and lemons. In fact, Bon Appetit magazine recently declared it the cuisine of the year and Trish Magwood, owner of Toronto's Dish Cooking Studio, says North African cooking classes are among the most popular with her clients.
"I think people are interested in the culture behind the cuisine, and Moroccan cuisine talks to all the senses -- touch, feel, smell, sight and taste," she says. "It's an armchair journey."
If the closest you'll get to North Africa this summer is an evening watching Casablanca for the umpteenth time, why not bring the tastes and textures of the casbah alive by inviting friends over for a Moroccan dinner? This is a perfect excuse to slip into that YSL- inspired leopard-print caftan, turn on the ceiling fan, dig out your Ali Farka Toure CDs, and transform your deck with pillows, candles and scatterings of rose petals.
Merla McMenomy, who runs her own catering business, Art of Food, and who teaches a course at Dish called Moroccan Flavours, attributes the current Moroccan trend to the fact that the cuisine's signature spices and ingredients such as saffron and couscous are now readily available.
The centrepiece of any Moroccan feast, McMenomy says, is the tagine, an aromatic, highly spiced stew named for the traditional earthenware pot it is cooked in. The tagine has a distinctive conical lid that traps steam from the stew cooking in the pot, preventing it from drying out. Tagines come in a variety of bright colours and sizes, from single serving to two feet across. McMenomy suggests serving a tagine of chicken or lamb (or if you really want to impress your guests, use guinea hen) with a couscous salad, baked eggplant and, for dessert, fresh figs grilled and drizzled with honey.
An added touch that is available at many liquor stores is Mahya (Arak), a Moroccan vodka made from figs that Charles Obadia, owner and chef of Toronto's Boujadi restaurant, says makes a fine apéritif or a digestif for your dinner party. Serve it neat in tiny glasses with roasted almonds and raisins. And to finish, mint tea served in delicate tinted Moroccan or Turkish glasses.
But it's not just the flavours that seduce. It's also Moroccan hospitality and the vivid shades and intricate textures characteristic of the region. To make your party very Marrakesh, Mala Germanovich, a designer at Fleuriste Folle Avoine in Montreal, suggests complementing the strong flavours of Moroccan food with bold colour. Table settings and décor should include blues, saffrons, reds and greens.
Seat your guests on boldly patterned cushions at low tables. Urban Outfitters in Toronto carries velvet pillows in rust, olive, aubergine and blue for $38. Ikea sells bright red Lack coffee tables that work well for only $14.95. And don't forget the finger bowls. Hand-washing before and after meals is a Moroccan ritual. Fill irridescent dishes with scented water and rose petals. "Whatever you do," Germanovich advises, "make it festive. That's the duty of the host in Moroccan culture. It's all for the moment." A little night music Greg Davis of Soundscapes in Toronto shares his favourite North African discs:
Pirates Choice: Orchestra Baobab (World Circuit). "It's an Afro-Latin classic whose gently rolling rumba rhythms are pure magic," Davis says.
Talking Timbuktu,Ali Farka Toure(World Circuit). "The blues of the Mississippi Delta are fused with the musical traditions of West Africa. This Grammy-winning collaboration with Ry Cooder is a World Music classic."
Moffou, Salif Keita (Universal). "The singing styles of Mali are set to a blend of traditional West African music, jazz and pop by Salif Keita. MOJO magazine recently named it as an essential World Music release and a serious contender for album of the year, in any genre."
N'ssi N'ssi, Cheb Khaled (Mango). "The most prominent musical style in Northwest Africa is rai. The king of rai is Cheb Khaled and on this album, his voice rides a wave of Arabic funk, backed by an Egyptian string orchestra."
Couscous and other stories Jennifer Grange of The Cookbook Store in Toronto says that in the past couple of years interest has been switching from the more familiar Northern Mediterranean cuisines such as Italian and Greek to Moroccan and North African food. Here are her cookbook recommendations:
Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco,by Paula Wolfert (HarperCollins) $27.50. The author is obsessive-compulsive about authenticity and includes much history on the subject of Moroccan fare.
The Moroccan Collection,by Hilaire Walden (Soma), $38,95. This book takes a visually appealing, simple approach to cooking.
Moroccan Café,by Elisa Vergne (Silverback Books), $22.95. The layout is straightforward and user-friendly.
Scent of the Orange Blossoms,by Kitty Morse (Ten Speed Press), $39.95. This delightful text focuses on Jewish Moroccan cuisine. Sources Dish Cooking Studio. 390 Dupont St., Toronto. 416-920-5559 http://www.dishcookingstudio.com
Merla McMenomy. 416-975-5088
Soundscapes. 572 College St., Toronto. 416-537-1620 The Cookbook Store. 850 Yonge St., Toronto. 416-920-2665 Fleuriste Folle Avoine. 16 rue Maguire, Montreal. 514-270-8609 Teatro Verde. Hazelton Lanes, Toronto. 416-966-2227 Boujadi Moroccan restaurant. 999 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto. 416-440-0258. Moroccan menu MOROCCAN CHICKEN
FromMerla McMenomy's kitchen. Bake this in a traditional tagine if you have one, but a heavy, cast-iron baking dish will do just as well.
1 3½-pound chicken, cut into small serving pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large leek, washed and thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tumeric
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 cinnamon sticks, broken into large pieces
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock, or just enough to cover
3 ounces green and black olives
1 ounce capers
2 ounces dried apricots
2 ounces dried dates
1 ounce currants
Salt and pepper
Brown poultry pieces in olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet. Remove the seared chicken pieces to a plate and cover.
Add more oil to skillet and sweat onions, leeks and garlic over low heat until soft and transparent. Add bay leaves, tumeric, cardamom, coriander and cinnamon sticks. Stir with a wooden spoon for about five minutes until the spices cook and release their fragrance.
Add wine and cook mixture for about four minutes until the alcohol burns off. Add the stock, olives, capers, apricots, dates, currants and salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Add chicken and stir well.
Cover the stew with wax paper to prevent meat from drying out (or place in a tagine) and put the lid on the pot. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the meat is tender. Remove chicken from the stew and keep warm. Adjust the thickness of the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the sauce and serve. Serves 6.
Note: A tablespoon of curry paste will make the stew spicier and a little less sweet.
GREEN COUSCOUS
This recipe and the baked eggplant below are from The Moroccan Collection, by Hilaire Walden, published by Soma Books.
1¼ cups olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
2½ cups cooked couscous
2 bunches green onions, chopped
4 ounces arugula, chopped
1 cucumber, halved, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
Whisk or shake together the oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tip the couscous into a warmed serving dish. Stir in the green onions, arugula, cucumber and oil and lemon juice dressing and serve. Serves 6.
BAKED EGGPLANT
2 eggplants, cut into ½-inch slices
Olive oil
Thyme leaves, for sprinkling
Pepper
2 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
2 tablespoons sliced almonds or pine nuts
Torn mint leaves, for garnish
Put the eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Brush generously with oil and sprinkle over thyme and pepper. Add the bell pepper quarters to the baking sheet.
Bake vegetables in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes. Toss the nuts in olive oil and add to the baking sheet. Bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.
Transfer the vegetables and nuts to a serving dish and sprinkle with mint and more pepper. Serve warm or leave in a cool place (not the refrigerator) to allow flavours to develop overnight. Serves 2 to 4.