Guest Post: Sam in Morocco

My sister's boyfriend, Sam Albetta, just spent the past six months in Morocco and Egypt.  While he was there, obviously, he enjoyed a totally different cuisine than anything he was used to eating here in the States. So, when I asked if he would be interested in posting about some of his food experiences, he kindly obliged. Thanks, Sam, and I hope you guys enjoy this post as much as I did!

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Hey everyone, I'm Sam.  

 

 My recent time in Morocco was quite a new culinary experience, not just because of the subtleties of Moroccan food, but also because it made me more aware of the intricacies of how food is obtained, prepared, and enjoyed in another part of the world.  There are a lot of things that just work differently in Fez, which is where I spent most of my time.  Hopefully I can convey some sense of that in this post.

                 

The first thing you should know about eating in Morocco is that it really helps to be adventurous.  In addition to there being some food items to which Westerners aren’t accustomed, there is also often no semblance of a health code.  You should use common sense, but if you are overly-cautious you probably won’t have as much fun. 

                 

There are many different types of restaurants found in the Medina (older part of the city.)  Some are larger, more tourist-oriented restaurants that are clustered around the main entrance.  These can often be best described as “rip offs.”  The food is comparatively expensive and often isn’t as good or authentic as what one can find a little further in to the city.  At some point, one needs to decide if they want to be served tourist-safe food by a guy wearing boisterously exaggerated garb in a prop-laden restaurant, or food that Moroccans actually eat, prepared by a guy in jeans standing behind a bloody meat counter with a flat-top.  If you think you might prefer the former, the rest of this post may not interest you.

                 

flat top at a meat counter

It was just this kind of meat counter restaurant that ended up being one of my favorites.  This type of operation is really more of a stall than a restaurant, but they do cook up some great food.  There are fresh whole animals being broken down, hung, sometimes ground, and displayed, often including cuts of chicken, beef, lamb, liver, pancreas, and other various offerings of offal.   

meat counter proteins

Walking up and choosing an ingredient is your first move.  My favorites ended up being chicken, liver, and a large, reddish piece of charcuterie the locals called “pasterma” (like I said, be adventurous.)  Your counter man will then take that item and throw it on the flat-top with some onions, chopped olives, seasoning (chili and turmeric plus some others) and lots of oil.  You can also get a fried egg thrown into the mix (highly recommended.)  It’s then served in a piece of bread that’s pretty similar to pita.  The result can be had for a mere 15 dirham (a little less than $2) and you won’t be hungry afterward.  

sandwich

 

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 Another type of restaurant in the Medina is the soup-kitchen type.  Here you’ll find huge boiling pots of either harira, or a white bean soup called “bisura” or “baysr.”  These are often accompanied by fried eggs, a salsa-like sauce, and these delicious little potato fritters that are constantly being fried.  The spread at one of these places will only cost around 10 dirham ($1.25.)  

 soup counter

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 While both of the types of restaurants mentioned above serve great food, it certainly isn’t the food for which Morocco is best known.  The tagine is undoubtedly the most recognizable dish from the Moroccan milieu, and while it tends to be a little more expensive than the aforementioned bargains, it is definitely something that travelers shouldn’t miss.  While acceptable tagines can be obtained in many restaurants, the best tagine is the one made at home, preferably the home of a Moroccan whom you have befriended.  

tagine

Tagine is actually the name of the vessel in which the meal is cooked; it is a heavy stoneware dish that has a flat bottom and a tall conical lid.  This heavy stone basin is usually brought to the table, ensuring that the communal serving stays hot throughout the meal.  A couple of times we were brought tagines that were still at an active boil even after they had been brought out because of how much heat the vessel retained.  Varieties of tagines might include any combination of potatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, tomatoes, beef, chicken, lamb, liver, or eggs.  Ingredients are sautéed and then simmered together with a little broth or water while the heavy lid holds pressure inside.  The result is a rich and tender meal that will heat the diner well after the food is gone.  Forks are lunged across the table and rips of bread mop up steaming broth.  Alcohol is rare to come by in Morocco, so a meal like this will often be preceded by tea, or “shai,” which in Morocco is usually just mint leaves, boiling water, and a staggering amount of sugar.

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Lastly, I’m including a recipe for a dish that I made for guests in my home while I was in Fez.  This dish was the result of my own interpretation of some of the Moroccan flavors and ingredients that I encountered while I was there.  If you can’t make it to Morocco anytime soon, maybe you can bring a little bit of Morocco to your own kitchen.  Have fun!   

                

Moroccan Braise

4-5 pound cut of beef

turmeric

cumin

fennel seed

cinnamon

salt

garlic cloves     

2 large fennel bulbs, quartered

2 onions, quartered  

5-6 sweet tangerines or other citrus, zest reserved

Thoroughly rub the beef with the spices.  Embed some cloves of garlic in the meat, cutting small slits if necessary.  If desired, let the beef sit with the rub overnight.

Brown the meat on all sides and transfer to a large lidded pot.  Add the onions and fennel bulb to the pot.  For the braising liquid, peel the tangerines and crush them in your hand over the pot.  Fit the lid on the pot and put it in the oven.  The temperature and timing of the braise can vary depending on the size and thickness of the meat.  For a larger, thicker piece, 3 - 4 hours at around 185 degrees should be about right.  For a thinner piece, 2 - 2.5 hours at around 200 should do it.  an expedited preparation of this dish can also be done in a pressure cooker in about half the time.  When using a pressure cooker, set the pot over a low to medium burner and maintain a low simmer.

 After cooking, plate the meat with the fennel and onions on a large platter and spoon some braising liquid over the top.  For a garnish, make a quick gremolata combining the saved tangerine zest, some chopped garlic, and parsley.  Sprinkle on top.

A Trip to Chapel Hill

Last week, I went on another fun trip to the triangle area.  The main reason for going to was to take the intro level sommelier exam in Raleigh through the Court of Master Sommeliers.  My friend, Morgan, who works at McCrady's, also took the test.  It involved a pretty intensive two-day seminar prior to the exam, and I was happy to have a friend there with me.  There was a lot of information to absorb, and I think I might have felt a bit more overwhelmed had I gone by myself.

Morgan and I just before taking the exam

I couldn't help but to be a little nervous about the exam, even though I was overall fairly confident about it. Much to our relief, however, we both passed!

So that was pretty exciting. I've been pretty stressed out about the whole thing, and I'm glad to have one less thing looming over my head right now.

~

The other purpose of the trip was to celebrate my birthday!  Tuesday was my actual birthday, but I didn't want to party too hard because the wine exam was the next day.  But, you better believe, on Wednesday after I found out I passed, it was on. 

We finally had dinner at Lantern, after having drinks there my last two visits.  My sister and I asked the bartender to just pick dinner for us because, truly, I would have been happy with any single item on the menu.  He happily obliged us, and I loved every bite.

To start, I got Chaat, which is kind of like a warm salad with roasted chickpeas and cauliflower, crispy potatoes, pickled red onion and a nice, refreshing herbed/minty chutney.  I absolutely adore both chickpeas and cauliflower, and I thought this dish was delicious and certainly unique, with lots of fun texture.

For dinner, I had the steamed wild striped bass, which was served with lots of herbs, crispy ginger, a fermented black bean-type broth, baby bok choy, and rice.  This was excellent as well, along with Margaret's lacquered pork tenderloin lettuce wraps, and Sam's crispy duck noodle soup.  Gotta say, though, I did enjoy mine the best.

The dessert was rave-worthy.  Roasted banana ice-cream with peanut brittle, caramel, and whipped cream. To.die.for.  And I'm really not even the kind of person who just raves over dessert.

Here's one of the sis and me at Lantern.  Sissy bought me the dress for my birthday :)

And one of the sis and her hunky boyfriend, Sam, whom I got to officially meet.

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So that's about all I have to share with you, except for a couple gem photos from our hungover trip to the Maple View Dairy Ice Cream Store in Carrboro the next day.

*mmm...*

Don't be jealous of the fact that I ate really delicious ice cream two days in a row.

A Rare Visit from the Parents and the Resulting Foodie Weekend

 At McCrady's Saturday for Dad's bday celebration

So, the parents came in town this past weekend for my dad's big 6-0, and we all enjoyed a tightly scheduled food-and-drink oriented weekend in honor of the occasion.  The last time they managed to escape to Chucktown from our quiet little hometown of Morganton, NC  was for their 30th anniversary, over a year and a half ago, so we (rightfully) made a big occasion out of it.

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The first night they were in town, I buckled to my mother's gentle but persistent urgings to cook for them, and went with a fun, regionally-inspired theme.

To start, I made fried green tomatoes with a ginger-peach relish.  For the relish, I simmered some skinless, chopped peaches with ginger, sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, red onion, and jalapenos.  I let that bubble for about an hour, until it reduced a good bit, then let it chill in the refrigerator.

For the green tomatoes, I sliced them up and breaded them with flour, egg wash, and a mixture of panko and breadcrumbs.

 Heated some oil in a skillet and pan-seared them until they were nice and brown.

 Topped them off with the peach relish and some sliced green onions.  They turned out remarkably well! I was really pleased with the flavor of the peach relish against the slightly tart green tomatoes.

For the shrimp & grits, I started by making a shrimp stock with the fish fume I made a couple weeks ago.  By using the fume instead of tap water in the stock, I was really able to build a nice flavor base.  I've been freezing shrimp and crab shells, so I tossed them in, along with some onions, tomatoes, celery, parsley, and a couple bay leaves.  I let that simmer for a bit, then strained it a few times.

The stock turned out nice and rich, with a mildly sweet flavor from the shrimp.  Next, I gathered the ingredients for the saute.  I used the stock, leeks, garlic, concassed tomatoes, andouille sausage, and local shrimp.

While I was getting my chopping done, I put the grits on to start cooking.  I like to start with 1 part grits, 2 parts water, and 1 part chicken stock. Once it gets boiling, I add more chicken stock and cream alternately, much like a risotto.  This can cook for a long time, like an hour, at a low simmer.  Just let them get all lovely and creamy.

After the grits were on, I browned the andouille sausage.

For the saute, start by cooking the leeks and garlic in a little oil until they are soft and translucent.

Then, add the shrimp stock, the tomatoes, and a splash of white wine to taste.  Let simmer until slightly reduced.

When the sauce is reduced to your liking, add the shrimp, sausage, and a touch of cream.

Cook the shrimp until it is no longer translucent.  Serve the whole mixture over a bowl of grits, and top with scallions.

 

I was really happy with the way this dish turned out!  Nice and rich and full of flavor.  After dinner, we headed out to see a Brazilian jazz show at the Cistern, and really enjoyed it.

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Saturday, we hit up the farmer's market, the beach, and finished it all off with a decadent meal at McCrady's. We had an amazing time and were all collectively blown away by Chef Brock's tasting menu.

Before the parents left town, we hit up High Cotton.  The boys in the kitchen really outdid themselves, and we were stuffed before we even ordered.

Overall, all three of us had an amazing weekend.  The only thing that could have made it any better was if my sister, Margaret, could have made it down. She stays pretty busy, though. Next week, I'll be traveling up to Chapel Hill to visit her and to take my first level sommelier test.  Kinda nervous about that. I'll keep you posted.

Guest Post: Margaret's Mexico Trip

For this post, I'm going to let my little sister, Margaret, take the reins.  She recently got back from a trip to Mexico, and I thought it'd be fun to give her a chance to share some photos with you guys.  So, without further ado, take it away Margs!

 ~

Hola amigos!  I'm Margaret, Dani's little sister.

You might remember me from the Margaret's 21st birthday trip post.  After sampling some delicious treats on my recent trip to la Ciudad de Mexico (the city of Mexico), Dani has kindly invited me to be her first guest blogger.  So here I am- how could I resist such an offer?

I went to Mexico City over my spring break with a class called "Mass Communication in Mexico" that I'm currently taking at UNC Chapel Hill.  Now, if you know anything about the Craig family, you know that we plan entire vacations around our eating schedules.  Naturally, my mouth started watering weeks before my journey.  Unfortunately, the nature of the trip didn't allow me to seek out all the fabulous eateries I'm sure exist in Mexico City, but I did make a simpler mission for myself: eat some dope street tacos, get a hot churro, and drink some good Mexican tequila.

On the first day of the trip, we ventured out to the Teotihuacan pyramids, which are some of the largest pyramids in the Americas.  This was probably my favorite day of the trip; the ruins were absolutely mind-blowing and there's not much better than exploring all day in the warm sun.

 This is the Sun Pyramid, the largest of the group.  The pyramids seemed to go on for miles!

After checking out the pyramids all day, the whole group (all 12 of us!) went to a traditional Mexican restaurant for lunch.  Thank goodness we had a few locals and a fluent girl (hey Marlene!) with us, because ordering was a chore!  We all started with tortilla soup, which is a tomato based soup topped with crumbled homemade tortilla chips, fresh avocado, queso fresco, and some sort of delicious cream sauce.  Even though it was a hot day, this soup was amazing!  We tried a few other tortilla soups later that week, but none beat this one.

tortilla soup

I also had some taquitos, which are rolled up corn tortillas filled with either cheese or some sort of meat and then fried.  These were yummy, but I really just wanted another bowl of that soup!

 Everything was served with the best avocados EVER.  We were, however, advised against eating fresh fruits and veggies that don't have a natural peel because they were washed in the water.  Thank GOD for avocados having peels!

Later that night, a few of us decided to get some dinner at a place called Samborn's.  I don't think there is an American equivalent to this place, but its kind of like a department store combined with a restaurant, a bakery, and a pharmacy.  Kind of like an upscale Wal-mart, but with no clothes.  Anyway, I had my first taste of tequila in the form of a margarita there - fab!

 That's Marlene's pina colada in the background, which she said was fabulous.

The second day we did a bunch of touring in the city, including Chapultepec Park which has Maximilien's castle and a TON of roadside tiendas (shops).  After seeing the castle, we were famished and decided to stop at a taqueria.  Hooray!

 Here is the sign for the taqueria we stopped at.  5 tacos for 15 pesos!

By the way, 13 pesos roughly equals 1 dollar.  CHEAP FOOD.  I ordered 5 tacos and told 'em to give me 5 different kinds of meat.

I was too hungry to figure out exactly what I was eating before I devoured every single one!

The sign has things like tripa (tripe), ojos (eyes), tacos de cabeza (tacos of the head), longaniza (sausage) and some others which don't have a clear translation, like campechano (hearty?) and birria (rubbish?).  I could have ended up with some interesting things, but it was all tasty.  Oh, AND mission one...complete!

That night, after getting back from touring all day, I couldn't resist stopping in at another taqueria because I was starving.  These weren't as cheap, but they came with a soda.

 All the sodas came in glass bottles and were much sweeter than the American stuff because they are made with real sugar.

These condiments were pretty typical of any eatery: salsa fresca, lime wedges, and 2 types of hot sauce.

And the tacos! I had chorizo and steak.  The chorizo was so good I ordered 2 more!

My buddy Brian and I searched fruitlessly for some churros.  Apparently, you have to specifically ask for the churro that you eat because, after asking about 50 different vendors and getting dirty looks from Mexicans all day, one guy was kind enough to let us know that churro is also slang for marijuana in Spanish.  No bueno.  Anyway, we finally found a place, and Marlene bought one for Brian and I.

Good pic.  Mission 2: completed

The only thing left: tequila!  I know, I know, I already had a margarita, but that hardly counts.  So, Brian, Zakiya, and I went out drinking one night.

 The bar special read something like taza por 84 pesos. We thought taza meant "pitcher"... turns out, it just meant GIANT mug of beer.

The beer was called El Sol.  It came light and dark, and I became pretty partial to both kinds in just one week.

 El Sol claro (on a different night)

To celebrate finishing the huge beer, we had tequila shots!

The tequila was strong, but I'm not really used to drinking it. They chase tequila with clamato juice, which I was skeptical about, but it was actually pretty successful.  Mission 3: success!

I ate a lot of great food.  I wish I would have taken more foodie pictures including the amazing gelato Brian and I got one night (I had cookies and cream and coconut, he had queso and chocolate) after we had tacos at another taqueria.  I had tacos de lengua (tongue!).  So weird seeing a huge tongue being sliced in front of you, knowing you're about to eat it, but it was actually really delicious.

So, thanks for letting me borrow Dani Dishes for a little while!  Hope you enjoyed my post.  Eat well, friends!  Viva la Mexico!

-Margaret

Chapel Hill: Margaret's 21st Birthday!

 The birthday girl and me

I thought it would be appropriate to make my first post about my recent trip to Chapel Hill for my sister's 21st birthday. Every time I visit the Triangle area I'm impressed by their food scene. We enjoyed several great meals while I was in town.

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We went to Bonne Soirée for Margaret's big birthday celebration dinner. It is a really traditional French restaurant in downtown Chapel Hill- no web site, no Open Table, and a handwritten menu that changes daily. It's a tiny little place, run by a husband and wife team, with the wife, Tina Vaughn, keeping up the front of house and the husband, Chip Smith, as executive chef in the back. Ms. Vaughn was extremely knowledgeable about wine, so we were happy to let her assign wine pairings for each course. Sean, who took care of us, assumed a maître d’ role- he was the only server, with a couple of server assistants to back him up.

After much debate, we decided what we wanted to order. First, we shared the Chef's Featured Terrine and the evening's Fresh Pasta selection. We thought the terrine, a traditional-style Country Pâté, was lovely. The mustards that were served with it were nicely spicy and made a great accompaniment. It was paired with a German Riesling, which offset the spiciness of the mustard and richness of the pork in a great way. The pasta was amazing. It was a little nest of angel hair pasta, with a sunny side up local egg lovingly snuggled inside, topped with a sprinkling of black truffle shavings. Oh God, it was good. I wish we could have taken pictures of the food, but we (rather gingerly) respected the restaurant's no photography rule so as not to disturb the other guests. I can't remember exactly which Italian white was paired with the pasta, but it was dry and crisp. Cut nicely through that rich yolk.

Okay, second course. Probably my favorite course of the evening. It was this gorgeous local goat cheese soufflé. I'm always curious to see different restaurants' presentations of savory soufflés. This was heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Makes me happy to think about it now. It was paired with a nice little Vouvray, which happens to be one of my favorite whites.

For entrées, Margaret chose the scallops, which were served with a summer vegetable sauté, proscuitto, and a garlic cream. I swear, the scallops took a back seat to those vegetables. There were sugar snap peas, pearl onions, and mushrooms, and they were all so perfectly crisp-tender I was in awe. Her dish was paired with a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which I thought was a really fun little wine. I think it was mostly Roussanne, which always kind of reminds me of a full-bodied Chardonnay, and it worked really well with the cream sauce. I had the lamb special, which was a duo of preparations. There was a breaded chop and some pulled, braised, shoulder, served with a fried polenta cake. I didn't really think the chop needed to be breaded, but it was still delicious and flavorful. The pairing was some sort of Grenache and Syrah blend, maybe a Côtes du Rhône.

Finally, we shared a light, creative little play on peach Jell-o for dessert. The chef suspended a half of a (poached?) peach in a peach gelatin. It was so pretty, again, I wish I had a picture I could display. It was just right after such a great meal- I don't think I could have mustered up the energy for a heavy chocolate dessert. It was paired with a sparkling dessert wine, which cut through the gelatin texture perfectly. Overall, one of the most amazing dinners I have ever had.

After an amazing birthday dinner at Bonne Soiree

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After dinner, we had a cocktail at Lantern, which was the runner-up of dinner choices. I had their Hibiscus Petal, which was a concoction of Hibiscus-infused vodka, lime juice, and Thai basil. I love anything with basil in it, so I enjoyed it. Margaret had the Late Blossom, which combined Luksosowa vodka, Lillet Blanc, lychee juice, and orange flower water. She didn't really love the lychee flavor, which she had never tried before. Overall though, I really liked the bar atmosphere, which was dimly lit, with crimson walls and black bar furniture. Next time I'm in town, I'm going there for dinner.

Hibiscus Petal and Late Blossom cocktails at Lantern
 
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Right before I left, we grabbed lunch at Allen & Son barbecue, which I have been wanting to do the last couple times I visited the area. It was kind of in the middle of nowhere, and there was a line out the door at 1:30 pm. Good sign.

Allen & Son Barbecue 

It was not the mustard-based BBQ I've grown used to here in SC, but rather, a vinegar-based sauce, which was spicy, tart, and delicious. The portions were huge and the food was cheap. The slaw was great, too- I don't like too much mayonnaise, and it was just the right amount. For dessert, the peanut butter pie was to-die-for. I will definitely go back.

Loaded BBQ plate with slaw and hushpuppies at Allen & Son

So, that about sums up the foodie highlights of my trip. I had so much fun! Happy birthday Margaret!