Newest Challenge - Paula Wolfert's Moroccan Cooking
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Just launched our newest challenge, so start your tagines! We're cooking from Paula Wolfert's two Moroccan cookbooks, easily available from bookstores, used bookstores and libraries (especially her older title).
As usual, we have six weeks and cookbook prizes to offer. I am going to cheat and buy preserved lemons at a local store... but I do have a small jar of Ras El Hanout I have been saving for a special occasion!
Here's a link to several recipes from her new book: http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/paula-wolferts-moroccan-recipes -
Great news.....I'm looking forward to this challenge. I put up my lemons a month ago so they're ready to be used now.
If any other Canadians are participating, President's Choice Black Label Collection, introduced into the Loblaws chain of grocery stores before Christmas, includes a few of the ingredients you may need - Argan oil, saffron threads (not powder) and a Harissa spice blend were ones that I noticed. -
Hurrah! My lemons are just about ready too....
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This will be so fun. My kids agreed that the best way to celebrate was to immediately try one of the desserts... (semolina cookies) ... they were so unusual and so good, an excellent omen.
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Nice article in the New York Times on preserved lemons, you can access it here. How timely, and thanks to Burning_Brother for telling me about it.
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I'm so glad that most of these recipes can be made on the stove top - my oven just died! Such a bummer.
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There are some recipes that seem identical to me in both cookbooks. I would like to have a record that I cooked that recipe for each book, but I don't want it to count as double reviews. Should I wait until after the contest to post in the other book? Or should I preferentially post in the newer book, since that is what most people have? (This may have been addressed in the Moosewood Challenge, if so, I apologize.)
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Apparently the newer book is a rewrite and update of quite a bit of the older book, so there will be some overlap. I think your idea to wait until after the contest to post in one of the books is a good one, and posting in the most common book would make sense.
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Thank you for yet another challenge - just cooked a recipe from Couscous and Other Good Food, and it was lovely.
But isn't it a bit weird to have the cookbooks we will be cooking from as prizes? -
A quick look in Amazon showed me that Paula Wolfert has 9 other cookbooks in print. They are most Meditteranean, but she does have one on rustic French cuisine.
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I'm always open to alternate suggestions for relevant prizes, but it does look like there are quite a few Wolfert titles available to choose from. Glad the recipes are proving to be interesting on this one!
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OK, then I misunderstood, I thought it was just these two as prizes. Thanks for clarifying!
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Steamed couscous - have any of you tried that yet? I cannot quite wrap my head around the instructions...
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Queezle Sister, I just saw your question so I may be too late, but I tried it a few days ago. I've never played with my food so much!
I used instant couscous and followed the directions on p202-203. There seemed to be info missing in step2 so I don't know if I did it correctly.
Step 2 - After a 1 minute soak in 2 cups water (1 used 1 lb couscous), you're told to pour off excess liquid......I had none. I rubbed and raked it and then let it sit for 5 min (I borrowed this direction from the hand-rolled couscous instructions).
Step 3 - I steamed it, uncovered, in a tea towel lined colander that fit tightly over 1 of my pots for 20 min.
Step 4 & 5 - Returned the couscous to the pan, drizzled with water, salt and oil and played with it again. Let it sit for 10 minutes then steamed 20 min in the colander, returned it to the pan and repeated step 4 with water only.
Step 6 - I steamed it 1 last time in the colander for 10 min, tossed it with broth (~3/4cup) and butter and let stand 10 min before serving with additional garnishes.
I couldn't believe how much it expanded! And the texture was so light and fluffy compared to the quick cook way. Still not something I would do often....if ever again : )
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Zosia - thanks for such great instructions. I think I'll just have to plow ahead, but on a day when I've got a lot of time. Thanks again, QS
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Paula Wolfert's Food of Morocco has been nominated for a James Beard Foundation award in the International category. The results will be in May 4.
I think it's a great book and I wish her luck! -
It is a fun, interesting, and very different sort of book, and I, too, wish her luck. Do you know when the winners are to be announced?
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QS, the winners are to be announced May 4.
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I've never before looked at the whole lineup of James Beard Foundation awards. It was much more diverse - so many categories - and very interesting.
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Information is here for anyone interested: http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards
You do have to download a PDF however, to see the whole list of nominees. -
Fellow Morrocan cookbookers, I enjoyed this link to a story about a visit to a Berber village which involved eating bread.
http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2011/11/24/morocco-mountain-berber-village/
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Great photos and story......thank you for the link Peckish Sister.
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So beautiful! I went to a Berber village in Morocco and was served a lovely tagine meal. The adjacent room housed goats, fairly primitive, but people seemed really happy. It was in the foothills of the Atlas mountains, and the major mode of transportation was by mule. This story rekindled those fond memories, thanks sis!
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Lovely photos in that piece, Peckish Sister. And an interesting blog...thanks!
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Hey everyone - finally I'm announcing the winners of the challenge. Sorry for the delay on this one - normally I'm a bit faster at the end of a challenge.
Winners are: the sisters Queezle and Peckish and Kaye16. I'll be emailing the three of you about the cookbooks shortly.
Congratulations, and thanks everyone for participating! -
Congratulations everyone! This was a thoroughly enjoyable and very challenging Challenge for me and I'm looking forward to the next one.
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Congrats to all the winners. Enjoy your new cookbooks.
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Thank you all - I learn so much from these challenges! And I'm still wow'd by Zosia's efforts ;) These challenges have changed the way I cook, and we all just love it.
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The James Beard award winners have been announced and Food of Morocco won in its category.
Here's a link to the list of winners:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501368_162-57428475/winners-of-the-2012-james-beard-media-awards/
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It looks like you are not alone, Andrew, as I cannot find Modernist Cuisine even registered on this site. I do love Super Natural Every Day, and was happy to see Heidi win this award.
As I looked back over the winners, I was interested in the radio shows and podcasts - do any of you regularly tune in to any of these? "Fear of Frying", an audio show available as a podcast, won one of the broadcast media awards, but I've never even heard of it. So many interesting written titles, too!
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