morocco continued & 20 tagine recipes

I'm a cooking teacher and anyone who has taken a class with me will be surprised to know that I relinquished that duty for a whole week when I was in Morocco. Was it intimidation or just a need for a vacation? Maybe a little of both.

When I arrived, Bahija, the chef and cooking teacher at Jnane Tamsna, met me wearing her chef's jacket, white apron and white head scarf . Full of enthusiasm and English words mixed with Berber and French, she apologized again and again for her English. I was the one who should be apologizing. My French is beyond rusty. Just getting off a week of teaching in Spain and my classes last year in Italy and Provence, my French had turned into a combination of languages I call Sfritalian.

Immediately I warmed to Bahija. How could I not? As she and I talked about the week, I knew we would end up being be friends.
"Class #1 will be chicken tagine," she said. The word tagine has two meanings,-- an aromatic stew and the conical terracotta vessel used for cooking the stew. I was excited.

For the next few hours as I unpacked and settled into my room that looked like a harem (and I say that in a good way), taxis stirred up dust in the driveway unloading my students and their luggage.

After everyone was settled into their rooms, we had an early dinner. It was a little different than my classes and the meals that I share with my students in Spain, Provence or Italy which can sometimes turn into a party. In a Muslim country like Morocco, though they make wine, wine and alcohol aren't so much of a focus. And you know, sometimes it's kind of nice to go to bed early and wake up the next day feeling good.

That next morning, after a breakfast of fresh mint tea, luscious fruit, fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice, and homemade wheat flatbread called khboz, we headed to the kitchen for our first cooking class.

Bahija was already in the kitchen with everything set out on a big marble table,--cutting boards, tons of spices, vegetables, dried fruit, almonds and a husky knife for everyone. And ofr the next couple hours, we concentrated on tagine basics, everyone making their own.
It was fun and the assortment of tagines, both sweet and savory were amazing. I stood back and let Bahija do the teaching. BTW there were no recipes. I decided the best thing I could do was to hand scratch the recipes with pen and paper and later transfer them to my iPad. Then we could print them for everyone.

It was tough for me though, I wanted to teach. I'm so used to it! A few times I bit my tongue when I wanted to teach a technique or trick. Can't I just show them how to peel ginger with the tip of a spoon or mince garlic with the back of a knife? It was everything I could do to keep my mouth shut. Instead I wrote...

When everyone had finished assembling their tagines, we brought them outside where we cooked them over individual braziers.


They didn't take long to cook. Maybe 30 minutes or so. When we brought them to the table and removed the covers, the aroma was intoxicating. One of my favorites was this one with grapes and raisins. Imagine the sweetness against the ginger, black pepper, saffron and turmeric.


Here is the recipe I wrote for the 20 or so tagines we made. And if you don't have a terracotta tagine, try using a stainless pot with a lid. It won't be same but when you smell the aromas of the tagine cooking in your kitchen, I promise you, the romance will take over and you'll think you're in Morocco.

CHICKEN TAGINE BASICS

2 pieces of chicken with the skin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of saffron
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced

In the tagine, place the chicken. Sprinkle with ginger, pepper, saffron, turmeric, olive oil and onion. Rub it into the chicken.

SAVORY TAGINE WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

1/4 preserved lemon
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 clove garlic

Separate the skin from the flesh of the lemon. Chop the insides and thinly slice the peel. Top the chicken with the chopped flesh.

Mash the garlic and cilantro in a mortar and pestle. Top the chicken with the cilantro and garlic.

Finish with the various optional ingredients. Here are a few options.

Fennel
Sunchokes
Green beans
Carrots
Olives
Cherry tomatoes
Zucchini

Variations

1- Fennel and sunchokes

2- Green beans, carrots and oil-cured olives (optional but boil first)

3- Cherry tomatoes and baby zucchini

4-Tomato, quartered, peeled, carrots, green beans and zucchini

5-Artichokes with English peas

6- Fennel, artichokes and cherry tomatoes

7- Green beans, carrots, fennel, peas and cherry tomatoes

8- Carrots and sliced apples

9- Onions and tomatoes

10- Peppers, fennel, artichokes and carrots

Add 1 cup water, cover and cook on medium low heat until the chicken can be easily skewered.

Garnish with preserved lemons before serving.

SWEET TAGINE WITH HONEY

1 teaspoon ras el hanout
Pinch cinnamon

Optional ingredients;

Dried apricots
Golden raisins
Almonds
Walnuts
Tomatoes
Sliced Red onions
Sliced Dates pitted and stuffed with almonds
1 pear, peeled and quartered
Pineapple, peeled, quartered, 3/4- inch slice

Rub the cinnamon and ras el hanout onto the chicken.

Finish with various optional ingredients. Here are a few options:

1- Dried apricots and sultana raisins, toasted almonds and walnuts

2- Sliced tomatoes and sliced onions

3-Pitted dates stuffed with almonds, soaked sultana raisins, almonds and peeled and quartered pears

4- Pineapple 4 slices and dried apricots

5- Pear and apricot

6- Peeled and quartered apples and almonds

7- Apricots and prunes

8- Apricots and Walnuts

9- Dates stuffed with almonds and raisins

10- (Believe it or not, a Bahija invention) Bananas and dates

11- Raisins and grapes(I love this one)

Drizzle with honey just before serving.

Serves 1

moroccan dreams

Magical Morocco is all I can think about, talk about and write about!

I got off the plane mid-October and it was sultry hot. As we rode in the van, first through the old part of Marrakech and past the medina and La Mamounia Hotel, I recalled my last trip here in the early '90's when I stayed at la Mamounia for nearly a week. Had Marrakech changed I thought? But when I saw the camels with the Berber blankets strapped to their backs, I thought, NOPE! Nothing ever really changes... Thank Allah!

Jnane Tamsna, which means the gardens of Tamsna, was to be my oasis for the next couple of weeks. Surrounded by olive and orange trees, blooming jasmine and palms, I once again fell in love. Yes, I'm back in Morocco and it's just as I left it, both physically and in my mind and heart.

The last time I left Marrakech, I promised myself I'd be back and here I was again. I pinched myself a few times to see if (1) I was really here and (2) to make sure it wasn't a dream. Yes, I was really here and it made me smile.

For me Morocco is magical... It's about the sounds, the smells, the flavors, the sights. It brushes with all of my senses and touches my soul.

"A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice?"

"Sure, I'd love that!" I said as I dissolved into an outdoor divan soaking it all up. And just then there was a call to prayer, that eerie music that becomes so familiar 5 times a day. I'm home!

And I hadn't been on the ground for but an hour....

Stay tuned for lots of recipes, cooking classes with Chef Bahija and walks through the old medina with guide Abdoul. You're in for a treat, as was I.

Yup, it's true... Can you believe it?

Big news... Can you believe I am actually going to do this?????
I've been talking about a new restaurant for years. And yes folks, the word on the street is true. I'm excited and nervous!

come with me!

I'm heading to La Rioja, Spain and Marrakech, Morocco for my cooking classes. If you want to come along, follow me on Facebook and Twitter @joanneweir1. You'll have a fantastic time and you won't even have to pack your suitcase!

my favorite recipe from my new tv series

I've been to Sardinia and loved the dish for fregola with clams but never made it. And then I had it again at my favorite Sardinian restaurant, La Ciccia, here in San Francisco. Again, it was delicious and I fell instantly in love again. I can make that I thought.

Fregola is Sardinian pasta. But it's not your classic pasta. It's not like fusilli, penne, pappardelle or rigatoni. Instead it is little pellets of lusciousness. It looks like couscous, kind of the cousin to Israeli couscous but the flavor and texture of Israeli couscous can't compete with fregola. It's made of semolina and the little pellets vary in color. Some are white, some are golden and some are light brown due to toasting. In the end, it tastes nutty and wheaty and slightly toasted. It cooks quickly and is is the best comfort food.

I am so excited about this recipe. Enjoy it and please tell me what you think? Send me a picture. I'm eager to hear.

© Photo by Tim Bellan

For more fregola recipe...

http://chocolateandzucchini.com

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

FREGOLA, CLAMS AND TOMATOES

3 pounds fresh Manilla clams, scrubbed and rinsed well
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fregola, about 16 ounces
2 peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
Pinch of crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 cups chicken stock
Kosher sea and freshly ground black pepper

Place the clams and the water in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Cover the pan and cook until the shells open, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the clams with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Let the clams cool 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Shuck all but 10 clams and reserve. Discard the shells and reserve the steaming liquid.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is light golden, 1 minute. Add the fregola to the pan and stir to coat the grains well with the olive oil, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, chicken stock and reserved clam juice. Stir together. Simmer slowly until the fregola is double in size and firm to the bite but cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Just before serving, add the clams and stir together. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the fregola to a deep serving platter. Garnish with the reserved clams in their shells and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley on top. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

the hardest thing i do

The hardest thing I do but the thing I love the most... I just finished shooting 39, yes I repeat, 39 new cooking shows for PBS. This is more than ever! And can you believe we did it all in 19 days? It was grueling and exhausting, but most of all exhilarating.

You've seen Joanne Weir's Cooking Class? This is a similar format as before but this time it's called Joanne Weir's Cooking Confidence. Many have told me they like the name and I have my friend Charlotte to thank for that. When I was in LA a few months before filming, we were talking about the show. She said that what most people lack is confidence in the kitchen. Fuel for thought... In every show, I have a real live student next to me and I'm teaching him or her how to cook.

We had a few tried-and-true students from the last series like Ron the fireman, Cheryl, Geoff, my tenant and Kyle. But we also had some new faces like Joan Boada and Pascal Molat, both principal dancers for the San Francisco ballet. I taught them to cook but on the show Pascal teaches me some moves I'll never forget. You're just going to have to watch!

Also you're going to love my student Stella, the 12-year old daughter of an LA friend. Pig tales, dimples and adorable. On the show, I asked her to tell me what spice was in the crostini. When she said cumin and was correct, I almost fell over.

My producer, Paul Swensen, was the dream of the team and the glue of the crew. And everyone on the crew was incredible too! Thank you to Sally, who went above and beyond the call of duty, Amy, Chris, Andrea, Karen, the incomparable camera man Tim Bellan, Alan and Steve. And of course we couldn't have done it without Nicole, Dean and Aurielle.

I was in make-up by 7:30 and on the set as close to 8:30 as possible. It wasn't a tough commute though. The whole series was shot in my kitchen. We usually wrapped it up by 7:00 PM. That makes for a long day. Some days we shot 2 shows but most days we shot three.

This would be fine if I could have walked out the door and returned the next morning but it didn't happen that way. This series, like the previous two, was shot in my kitchen. Talk about chaos! Everything including the dining room table and chairs were moved out. Hence, I had no where to go... I found my escape in the bathtub every night with 3 pounds of Epsom salts!

About a third of the way through the shooting, when I was so exhausted and wasn't sure if I had enough life in me left to do the remaining 26 shows, I thought of telling Paul that I'd hit the wall, that I couldn't go on. But somehow the next morning, once I got behind the camera with my chef's knife in hand, pungent garlic in front of me and my student next to me, I knew I was in the right place.

We made it through. We did it! "It's a wrap!" was one of the happiest moments of my life! Champagne corks popped and suddenly it was a memory.

A few days after the shoot was over, Tim, one of the cameramen, asked me if I like doing television. I had to think long and hard... I like it, I do, but honestly, it's the toughest thing I do!

Stay tuned! My next post will be my favorite recipe from the show.

best fig i ever tasted recipe

I was so nervous! I had a map of France on my lap and my eyes glued to the road. There I was driving a little red Puegeot by myself from one side of France to the other. Full of foie gras, duck confit and cassoulet, I'd just finished teaching a week of classes at La Combe in the Perigord and planned to stop and see my friend, Frances, who was living for the summer in Provence. This was a good stopping point before heading east to teach my next set of classes at La Foresteria Serego Alghieri outside Verona in Italy. And though I travel all over the world, and a lot of the time alone, I hated driving alone.

Frances was living in this huge winery estate working for Philipe Bieler, the owner of Chateau Routas. After a few wrong turns and lots of direction asking, I finally pulled into the driveway. No sooner had I parked my car when Frances and Philipe came bounding from the door.

"Do you want to taste the absolute best fig you've ever tasted in your life? Philipe asked.

Before I could get the words out of my mouth that a glass of water and loo were more to my liking, I was in the back seat of Philipe's 1950's open-air jeep heading down a dirt road and hanging on to the roll bar for dear life. Up and down hills, over horrendous bumps, I thought I might lose a kidney. Is this worth it for a fig, I thought?

"Here we are!" he said, as he parked the car on what seemed like the edge of a cliff, one of the wheels not even touching the ground.

I felt exactly like that precarious water glass balancing on a waiters tray,- that one person leaving the jeep just might throw the jeep down the ravine.

We scrambled down the hill and up another, over a fence and up another hill steeper than the last. And there on the precipice, was a lone fig tree that teetered over the edge.

“There’s the tree!” Philipe yelled out..

Dear God, how do we get to it, I thought. As I leaned over the cliff hanging onto a tree limb, I spotted three figs, one for each of us. I managed to pick them one by one and carefully pass them back to Frances and Philipe.

These figs were someplace between fresh and starting to shrivel, dry and crack. I took a bite of my fig, all warm from the sun, and realized that it was all worth it. This was the absolute best fig I’d ever eaten in my life.

Stay tuned for what happened that night!

Read more about figs:
www.thekitchen.com Grilled Figs with Honeyed Mascarpone
www.chezpim.com The Best Fig Tart, ever

WARM SALAD OF GRILLED FIGS AND GRAPES

12 figs, halved, about 1 1/4 pounds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups small grapes, if they are large, cut them in half
1 bunch frisee
1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced
½ small head radicchio, torn into 2-inch pieces

Heat an outdoor charcoal grill. Brush the cut-side of the figs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and set aside, cut-side up.

In a bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the frisee, fennel and radicchio in a bowl.

Place the figs a hot grill and grill until warmed and light golden, 3 to 4 minutes.

To serve, toss the salad greens with the dressing and grapes. Place on a large platter and scatter the figs onto the top.

Serves 6