[Moroccan Tagine Cooking]

These were doing business a couple of years ago.

Mediterranean market, on the corner of Colorado and San Fernando Road in Los Angeles. (east of the I-5)

Kabul on Reseda Blvd., in Reseda, in the Valley. She thinks it is close to Sherman Way. And Islamic Meat market is on Sherman way close to Reseda Blvd., in Reseda.

Fez Market on Vernon, between Crenshaw and Arlington, a few blocks east of the La Brea area.

See if you can get the phone numbers and call first to make sure they are still open.

And ask if they carry tagines.  They may have to order them or you can buy online.

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Thanks for the info. I'll check these places out and report back...

Stephen

[Moroccan Tagine Cooking]

In another post, I mentioned that I was planning a Moroccan dinner for 8. Do I need to use several Tagines to prepare enough food? Or must I use a large modern pan and transfer to serving Tagine(s)?

Also, does anyone know of a Moroccan store in LA where I can find spices and tagines? I know someonline sites...

Thanks.

Stephen

PS Any idea about Moroccan coffee??

[Moroccan Dinner]

I'm planning a dinner for 8.  I'd like to use a Moroccan theme.  I'm sorry for the barrage of questions, never having cooked Moroccan before.

3) I'd like to make pastiya (sp?).  Would that serve as an appetizer?  I could make single serving pastiyas, or serve pieces baklava style...

Do you perhaps mean B'stilla ? This recipe looks pretty much like what I've made in the past. Yum.

I've never made it as an appetizer, just main course.

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Yes, spellings do vary. Thanks for pointing me to that recipe. That's a great help.

As far as individual portions are concerned, for appetizer I could cut the B'stilla casserole into diamonds ala baklava...

Thanks again.

Stephen

[Moroccan Dinner]

I've done Moroccan dinners several times--they're good for a dinner party b/c most things can be prepared ahead of time and the flavors are relatively accessible.

Courses:

1) Mezze: Spiced Olives and Spiced Moroccan Nuts

I also server Ginger Pomegranite Champagne cocktails because the ginger and the pomegranite seemed to "fit" with the theme

2) Appetizers: Spicy Wrapped Meatballs with Harissa, Moroccan Cigars w/Charmoula, and Moroccan Chicken Wings with Preserved Lemons

3) Salad: Moroccan Orange Salad (oranges, cantalope, shredded carrots, mint, and spinach)

4) Individual B'stillas

The recipe I used called for rolling them up like burritos, but I wish I had been more creative/less timid and done them in small tart pans for individual servings--they would have been much more attractive.  However, they do work great as individual servings--and there are a ton of recipes on the web with tons of variations.  I picked my favorite ideas from several different ones to come up with my spin on them.  Definitely include them in your menu, though, b/c they're wonderful and people really like the flavor combinations.

5) Moroccan Mint Tea Granita

6) Mrouzia (North African Sweet Lamb Stew) w/Glazed Carrots and Mezgaldi of Onions (basically a spiced confit) and, of course, Couscous (in timbales w/Moroccan spices)

I didn't use a tagine for my lamb stew--just my big stew pot--and it turned out very well (probably not completely authentic, but passable).  It was very rich and very yummy.

7) Dessert: Mint Tea, Moroccan Oranges (peeled, sliced, and macerated in cinnamon/ginger simple syrup and a little Grand Mariner), and Baklava

Good luck!  I had a ton of fun with my dinner and I know my guests (11 of my dearest girlfriends) enjoyed themselves as well.  Wish I had pictures, but then, given the amount of port we drank at the end of the night, they'd probably be incriminating...  

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Thanks so much for posting your menu. That's what I had in mind.

I've seen recipes for individual B'Stillas that are folded (freehand) into small flower-shaped pockets. That sounds nice.

I'd like to try the tagine route, if I can figure out how to cook for 8 - in one, two?

I hadn't thought about cocktails, yet. But I had heard that there are some decent Moroccan wines (red).

I was also wondering about coffee. I know other middle-eastern/Arab countries have special coffees...

Thanks again for sharing.

Stephen

[Moroccan Dinner]

I'm planning a dinner for 8. I'd like to use a Moroccan theme. I'm sorry for the barrage of questions, never having cooked Moroccan before.

1) I've seen traditional cooking tagines available up to about 13". This doesn't seem large enough for 8. Am I wrong? Are there larger tagines around? Should I get two?

2) Are there traditional courses? Something like:

Appetizer

Soup (Harira)

Salad of some sort

Main Course (Lamb Tagine and vegetables)

Dessert (I thought about a cake called "La Russe" and maybe "the Snake")

3) I'd like to make pastiya (sp?). Would that serve as an appetizer? I could make single serving pastiyas, or serve pieces baklava style...

4) Is there a Moroccan coffee? Is there a special coffee pot? I know about mint tea...

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Stephen