Carols and baking. Two of my favorite things about the holiday season. Before we moved to Rabat, I used to spend every weekend in December baking dozens upon dozens of cookies to package up and share with friends, colleagues, and family. Last year I took a break from the tradition but this year, I’m baaaaaacck! Baking in Rabat is not an easy task. First, my oven. There's no thermostat, so the oven temperature fluctuates like crazy. This means I stand like a hawk with a flashlight into the ...
Morocco
The Fes Medina – An Assault on the Senses
We recently took a last minute weekend trip to Fes, the Moroccan city that is (or should be) on the “must-see” list for every tourist to Morocco. Although Casablanca has name recognition, Fes, the third largest city in Morocco is--well, an experience not to be missed. Our first trip to Fes was last summer, but we spent our time in the new part of the city because Omar was there for work and I tagged along for fun. This time, the Medina (the old city) was our focus. The Fes Medina is a ...
Marrakech Adventures & Lentils and Rice at Home
We spent this past weekend in Marrakech and even though it was HOT (allegedly up to 45 C or 113 F) we had a wonderful time. Omar and I stayed at an intimate riad in the Marrakech medina. What is the riad? Since this is neither an architectural blog nor a true travel blog, I’ll be brief. A riad is a traditional Moroccan palace or home. Central to the structure is an interior, open-air courtyard, usually with a water feature in the center. The rooms of the riad are situated around the ...
As the romance wears off, I present Cabbage Slaw – 2 Ways
I'm about to share a great recipe for a cabbage that works well as a salad and as a cooked side dish for a leftovers redux. Consistent with my efforts to prepare daily meals for lunch and dinner, we had the cabbage slaw for lunch with soup and then I cooked it as a side dish with chicken for dinner the next day. It was my husbander's idea to sauté the cabbage for dinner and it was a great way to re-purpose the leftovers. Before we get to the recipe, it's time to admit that the romance of ...
My First Moroccan Harira
We made it! It's been two weeks since my last post and I'm guilt laden for not getting a post up sooner, but it turns out, moving overseas is no small task. My regular computer and command center for blogging isn't set up yet, so this post comes from my netbook on a small dining table from our apartment in Rabat. Just the same, I've got pictures and my first Moroccan recipe to share! Since we arrived last Thursday, I've shopped our local produce stand, butcher, wine shop, and small grocery ...