and the winner is......

And the winner of the beautiful cobalt blue tagine is DOROTHY ERICKSON!

Thanks to everyone for participating. And as a thank you gift to everyone who participated, here's one of my favorite recipe for a tagine. Yes, we will most definitely be making it during my class in Marrakech in October.

Enjoy and again congratulations Dorothy!

LAMB TAGINE WITH ARTICHOKES, PRESERVED LEMONS AND OLIVES

2 pounds lean lamb stew meat, cut from the leg or shoulder, trimmed
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons vegetable, safflower, sunflower or corn salad oil
1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup lemon juice
12 small artichokes or 4 medium artichokes
2 preserved lemons
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
Fresh cilantro sprigs as a garnish

Place the lamb, parsley, garlic, onion, oil, paprika, cumin, saffron, salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover with 4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the meat is very tender and the sauce has reduced to a thick gravy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or Add water, if necessary, during the cooking time if the sauce gets too thick. Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

To prepare the artichokes, cut off the top half of the leaves. Tear off the outside dark and medium green leaves until you get to the light green tender leaves. Trim the torn edges. Trim the stem end. Cut each artichoke in half from top to bottom. If you are using small or baby artichokes they are ready. For medium or large artichokes, using a spoon, scoop out the furry light green choke from the center of the artichoke. Cut into quarters. Place in a large bowl of cold water with 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice.

When the lamb is tender, place the artichokes on top of the lamb. Rinse the preserve lemons and dice. Place on top of the artichokes. Cover and cook until the artichokes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the olives and sprinkle the stew with the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Simmer 2 minutes.

To serve, remove the cover and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 6

couscous recipe

When I think of Morocco I think of one single word,-- sensuous and I mean that with every sense of the word. This place seduced all 5 of my senses,- the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and even the touch. Yeah, that happened in India and Thailand, two other places that crept into my soul, but Morocco grabbed at my very core like no other.

An invitation for dinner in Marrakech, where hospitality is king, is a coveted one so dare I miss the chance. When I arrived, a tall, slender man with dark features wearing a djallabah, the traditional long cream-colored robe, meet my car. He guides me, with a gas lantern, down a long dark alley leading to Mohammed's home, tucked into the labyrinth of the old medina or historical center of town.

As the door opens, exotic music of flute and drum and the warm light of a thousand candles poured into the alley. The central courtyard opens to the clear night sky and gentle breeze stirred the date, palm and olive trees that grew towards the night stars and a million stars. And the fountain, the centerpiece of the courtyard, splash with the sound of water. Bouquets of roses, dwarf lemon trees dripping with fruit, and incense scent the air. Brightly painted iron work frame the windows, while the walls, floors and ceilings are ablaze with vibrant colored mosaic tiles. Arches open onto adjoining rooms filled with low, luxuriously colored bolsters, and ottomans covered with woven tapestries are scattered around, highly burnished brass trays balanced on carved wooden tripods.

It's here, that for the next several hours Mohammed and I share a traditional Moroccan feast including the most wonderful couscous I've ever eaten in my life.

COUSCOUS WITH SIX VEGETABLES AND SPICED HARISSA

1 cup dry chick-peas
4 cups couscous
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed, about 3 to 3 1/2 lb.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large pinches saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
4 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
15 sprigs cilantro, tied together with kitchen string
4 cinnamon sticks
5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch lengths
1 pound turnip, scrubbed, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded removed and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, halved
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Harissa Sauce

Sort through the chick-peas and discard any stones or debris. Place in a bowl, cover with plenty of water and soak overnight. The next day, drain, place the chick-peas in a large saucepan, cover with water and cook over medium heat uncovered until tender, 1 hour. Drain.

COUSCOUS STEP # 1 Place the couscous in a strainer and wash thoroughly with cold water. Spread the couscous in a large shallow roasting pan and let dry 10 minutes. With your fingertips, break up any lumps.

In the bottom of a couscousiere, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 pinches of the saffron, turmeric, cumin, onions, garlic, cilantro, cinnamon sticks and tomatoes. Stir to mix. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add the chick-peas and 6 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add the carrots and turnip and continue to simmer 30 minutes.

COUSCOUS STEP # 2 Place 2 pieces of cheesecloth on top of the couscousiere so that it comes up over sides. Place the couscous in the steamer and steam 20 minutes partially covered.

COUSCOUS STEP # 3 After 20 minutes, dump the couscous into a large shallow roasting pan and spread it out. Mix 3/4 cup cold water and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt together until the salt melts. Sprinkle this mixture over the couscous. Break up the lumps and allow it to dry 10 minutes.

COUSCOUS STEP # 4 Twenty-five minutes before serving, bring the broth to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the butternut squash and jalapeno and simmer 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and stir gently. Add the couscous back into steamer and steam the couscous 20 minutes.

Mash 3 tablespoons of the remaining butter and the remaining 2 pinches saffron together. To serve, spread couscous on a large platter. Dot with butter and fluff with a fork to mix. Make a well in center and place vegetables and chicken in the center. Moisten the couscous with a few ladles of broth and garnish with chopped herbs. Serve immediately with the remaining broth and harissa sauce.

Serves 10

HARISSA SAUCE

2 cups broth from the couscous pot
1 to 2 teaspoons prepared harissa
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a small saucepan combine all of the above ingredients. Over high heat, heat until the mixture is hot.

Makes about 2 cups

cinco de mayo cocktail recipe

For some of you, the Prado might conjure up images of Goya, El Greco and Bermejo, paintings that are part of the art collection housed at the largest art gallery in the world,- The Prado in Madrid. I remember one of my first trips to Spain, flying all night with not a wink of sleep and arriving dead tired. I insisted on going to the Prado that first morning and I walked nearly all day and still didn't see the entire collection. I was so tired by the end that I thought I was going to keel over.

Prado has another meaning. In Spanish, a prado is a grassy "meadow" or "field."

For me, the Prado is also a cocktail, and one of my favorites in my Tequila book. It seems to be my go-to cocktail of late. It's kind of a jazzy margarita, all jazzed up with maraschino and egg white. When you shake it up, you get this lightly tart, soft green, aromatic cocktail. Once you wade through the heavenly frothy foam cap, you're down for an airy, light treat.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

THE PRADO

2 ounces blanco tequila
1 once freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 ounce agave nectar
1 ounce maraschino liqueur
1 egg white
Lime peel as a garnish

Combine all of the ingredients except the garnish is a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Using a whisk or a spring from the cocktail shaker, whisk the drink to create a lot of foam. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with lime peel.

Serves one happy tequila lover

warm olive recipe

I don't even know where I first tasted warm olives. Did I have them on one of my culinary journeys in Italy or Provence? Or was it when I worked at Chez Panisse? Did I make this recipe up?

I'm not sure but what I do know is that they're my go-to dish when I'm having company. The two reasons,- (1) I always have olives in my fridg. When I'm perusing the olive bar, I usually take a combination of Picholine, Casalvetrano, Kalamata and Nicoise. Sometimes I even add a few of those big, meaty, jumbo black olives, each about the size of a baseball. They're huge. OK I'm exaggerating. Maybe not a baseball but at least a large walnut. I like to add a few of those too. More than that and those suckers will overflow the bowl. (2) They're easy!

They I grab a few herbs from my garden, use a vegetable peeler for a few slices of lemon or orange peel, add a pinch of crushed red pepper, maybe some sliced garlic and even some blanched fennel. Throw the lot into a frying pan with a little of your best extra virgin olive oil and warm them up on low heat for 2 or 3 minutes.

THREE WARNINGS!

1- Yes, the olives have pits.

2- Don't heat the olives too long on a hot flame or the pits will get exceedingly hot.

3- Be careful, they're addictive.


The other night I had my neighbors for dinner. They'd never had them before so I got some oooohs and aaaahs from the warm olive virgins. Let me know what you think.

WARM OLIVES WITH FENNEL, GARLIC AND ORANGE

1 small bulb fennel, trimmed
2 oranges or lemons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Sprigs of rosemary, oregano and thyme
3 ounces Nicoise olives
3 ounces green Picholine olives
3 ounces Casalvetrano olives
3 ounces Kalamata black olives

Cut the fennel into thin strips from top to bottom. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fennel and simmer until the fennel is tender but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.

With a vegetable peeler, remove 8 strips of orange peel, 2-inches long. With a paring knife, remove any white pith from the back of the peel.

Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the fennel, orange peel, garlic, red pepper flakes and herbs until they begin to sizzle, 1 minute. Add the olives and warm 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the olives on a small platter. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the oil.

Serve immediately.

Serves 6

happy easter

You don't even have to color your Easter eggs when you have a basket of Araucana eggs!
Happy Easter to everyone!

not your mother's deviled egg recipe

When I was a kid, I remember my mother had this gaudy platter with oval indentations she used specifically for serving her deviled eggs? I have to say, when I was young, I thought the whole deviled egg thing was a bit tacky, especially that platter. It seemed like an awful lot a calories to consume before starting a meal. And taking them on a picnic? As soon as that plastic container was opened, we'd all kind of laugh and snicker and look around to see who was guilty. But I also must admit, my mother's deviled eggs were pretty damn delicious.T

Then for a long time, deviled eggs were uncool. Recently though, they've became cool again. Funny how food does that! And suddenly I'm reading about deviled eggs everywhere,- food magazines, newspapers and on restaurant menus. And I find myself ordering them because I'm loving how devilish chefs and writers are becoming with their variations on a theme these days.

Years ago, I wrote a series of cookbooks called Seasonal Celebrations for Williams Sonoma. In the Spring volume, in celebration of Easter, the editor asked me to include a recipe for deviled eggs. I remember thinking how embarrassing. What if someone I worked with at Chez Panisse sees that recipe? Deviled eggs weren't exactly in my repertoire then but I said yes and included a recipe in the book. I distinctly remember tasting the deviled egg recipe I tested for the book and was so pleasantly surprised. They were comforting, nostalgic and hey, they tasted really good. I include that recipe here.

SPICY DEVILED EGGS

6 large eggs
2 tablespoons homemade or prepared mayonnaise
2 tablespoons non-fat yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 green onions, finely diced
1/4 small red bell pepper, roasted, 1/4" dice
1 very small pinch saffron threads
2 teaspoons boiling water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions as a garnish

With a pin or a tack, puncture a hole in the round end of the egg. This releases pressure inside of the egg, so the shell won't crack. Fill a large saucepan 3/4ths full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low so it is barely simmering. Add the eggs and boil 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Let the eggs cool for 10 minutes. One by one, remove the eggs from the water and crack them slightly. Place them back in the bowl of ice water. (This will help facilitate peeling them.

In the meantime, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, green onions and red pepper. Place the saffron in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over the saffron threads to moisten them. Add the saffron and water to the mayonnaise mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel the eggs and cut each egg in half from top to bottom. Place the yolks in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the yolks to the mayonnaise mixture and stir to combine. Reserve the whites. Spoon the yolk mixture into the cavities of the egg white distributing evenly. Sprinkle with green onions.

Serves 6

salmon and fennel chowder with fennel pollen creme fraiche recipe

I remember the first time I saw fresh fennel in the grocery story. I was living in Cambridge and fennel was definitely a rarity. What the heck is it, I thought! I bought a couple bulbs and brought them home but I had absolutely no clue what to do with them. I remember cutting the tops off and all I could think about was those ropes of black licorice we ate as kids and I so despised.

Those bulbs sat in my refrigerator for a few days. Every time I opened the refrigerator to get milk or butter , they stared me in the face. I couldn't let them go to waste but I didn't know what to do with them either. I had a few cookbooks and read everything I could about fennel.

OK, I'll make a soup. I sauteed some onions in olive oil, added the diced fennel and chicken stock to cover. I simmered until the fennel was soft, let it cool and then pureed the soup in the blender. A dash of salt and a few drops of lemon juice were just what it needed to bring my fennel soup to life. The soup was delicious and much more delicate than I thought. And it definitely didn't taste like a piece of black licorice.

Later when I cooked at Chez Panisse, we added fennel to lots of dishes,- braised meats, thinly sliced and tossed fresh and crunchy into salads and poached on an aioli plate. This past weekend when I was at the Farmer's Market, there were piles and piles of fennel. It's definitely the season, I thought. But I also couldn't help thinking of my days in Cambridge so I bought a few bulbs for old times sake.

SALMON AND FENNEL CHOWDER WITH FENNEL POLLEN CRÈME FRAICHE

3 bulbs of fennel with stalks and greens
3 leeks, white and 1-inch of the green, coarsely chopped
3 1 /2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bottled clam juice
2 cups water
¾ cup crème fraiche
Large pinch of fennel pollen
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 ounces salmon fillet, skin and bone removed, 1/2-inch pieces

Remove the green fennel tops. Chop coarsely and reserve. Cut the ends off the fennel and remove any outside leaves that are damaged. Chop the coarsely. Wash the chopped leeks and drain well.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add the fennel and leeks and sauté until the leeks are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clam juice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the fennel is soft, 20 minutes.

In the meantime, in a bowl, combine the crème fraiche, fennel pollen, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon reserved fennel tops. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Place the soup back in the soup pot and heat over medium heat. Add the salmon and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve the soup, warm over medium heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the crème fraiche and fennel greens. Serve immediately.

Serves 6