Moroccan Tagine Cooking

[peanutgirl]

Andie... could you please pot a picure of you tagine collection (used or not ) ?

On second thought, maybe don't. I might order someting else .

In all seriousness... please do. Is there such a thing as "Tagine Porn"? Only on eGullet !

[andiesenji]

As soon as the new one arrives I will get them out and take some photos.

[silentmeow]

Andie... could you please pot a picure of you tagine collection (used or not  ) ?

On second thought, maybe don't. I might order someting else  .

In all seriousness... please do. Is there such a thing as "Tagine Porn"? Only on eGullet    !

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Oh peanutgirl, Coffee's on the monitor, thanks for the laugh. Tagine porn or pot porn! We seem to like variety here (tagines, waffle makers, tangias...).

[silentmeow]

I finally got into tagines.com and ordered the brazier! Do I season it like the tagine? EVOO and ash? I'm so excited, spring is here and I have the perfect spot to cook outside over coals!

[peanutgirl]

Andie... still waiting for the tagine pix .

Silentmeow... did you cure the brazier? I'm still waiting for mine. I ordered it when I placed that last order.

Lots of talk and no action here, so I started a lamb tagine. It's one from Couscous and Other Good Food From Moroco. I only cooked it partially since it's my plan for tomorrow's dinner. I still need to add olives, preserved lemon and the other last minute ingredients. I think it will re-heat well. Twas mighty tasty already though!

Ta-Da... drum roll please for : LAMB TAGINE with CARROTS and CELERY

Edited May 22, 2006 by peanutgirl (log)

[fou de Bassan]

Peanutgirl,

YUM!

What a delicious looking Photo. Thanks!!

[Abra]

Very pretty, peanutgirl! My rifi still hasn't come after 7 weeks. Maybe I should hold my breath until I turn blue?

[Smithy]

Peanutgirl, that looks wonderful!

Abra, have you checked with Tagines.com to see what's going on? That's a disappointingly long time to have to wait!

My latest batch of preserved Meyers is good to go. Now, I just have to have some time home to cook.

[peanutgirl]

Thanks for the compliments everyone .

Abra, it will come. Breathe.... breathe... and behold:

Lamb Tagine Finishing Cooking

Served over Whole Wheat Couscous

With this as a condiment

I ended up adding peas because I just can't leave well enough alone

Delicious .

[majkeli]

Tagines.com must be side project for the owner, their voicemail is frequently full and they don't answer email consistantly. I received a cracked rifi tagine from them (this thread inspired me to order one) and dealing with them has been requiring a little too much faith. I hope they don't let me down!

I've got lemons pickling and I can hardly wait to try some recipes out.

[Abra]

The tracking system shows that my order was received, but not shipped. I've sent them an email, but majkeli's post is discouraging me. My lemons have been done for ages - fortunately, they're delicious in other things.

[Wolfert]

I just got off the phone with Tagines.com. The NY Times piece on tagines caused a tidal wave of purchases.

A new shipment is in port and customs is expected to pass on it this week. If all goes well the tagines will be shipped out next week.

I received a cracked rifi tagine from them (this thread inspired me to order one) and dealing with them has been requiring a little too much faith. I hope they don't let me down!

Is it a natural crack in the clay? If so, that can be sealed by curing and keeping the crack oiled. If it is broken, they will replace it for you.

[hathor]

How do you cure a crack? (that sounds like a bizzare question... )

[Wolfert]

Hathor,

Good question. You'll find detailed instructions for curing the Moroccan unglazed tagines upthread. The final rubbing with oil will fill the pores and any hairline cracks.

[Abra]

Oh, thanks for checking up for us, Paula! A splendid dish in your honor will be forthcoming, as soon as the rifi arrives.

[peanutgirl]

Thanks for the info Paula. I checked the website and the smaller tagras are now listed as in stock as is the brazier I ordered awhile ago. My cc has been charged and although I have no tracking order, I do have faith that I will receive my bounty soon <crossing fingers>.

I have found tagines.com to be a little slow to deliver, and inconsistent with regards to responding to emails. Overall though, I haven't had a problem with the quality of goods. Nothing has been damaged in transit.

[majkeli]

Yes, unfortunately my tagine is cracked through on the bottom piece, definitely not a natural crack in the clay but a stress crack from shipping.

My remarks stem from several attempts to contact them by phone, and an email that claimed they'd get back to me the next day about a replacement and then no other correspondence, even after 2 additional emails from me asking for a response. I'm waiting patiently but I wish they would be more scrupulous about returning messages and clearing out their voicemail.

[Wolfert]

Samy of tagines.com told me he was completely sold out due to the NY Times piece by Florence Fabricant earlier this year. Ah, the power of the press!

Majkeli: have you spoken to anyone about the damaged tagine? There is a phone number on the site.

About the brazier: You don't need to cure it.

[silentmeow]

I seasoned the brazier, it looked too new for the tagine! It's sitting on the stove top where I can see it and occasionally life the lid and "huff it". Smells like heaven and earth! Husband just rolls his eyes, shakes his head, mutters,"first huffing cats now tagines" and walks away. Some men simply don't understand!

[Smithy]

I seasoned the brazier, it looked too new for the tagine! It's sitting on the stove top where I can see it and occasionally life the lid and "huff it".  Smells like heaven and earth!  Husband just rolls his eyes, shakes his head, mutters,"first huffing cats now tagines" and walks away.  Some men simply don't understand!

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Your man will understand with the first taste!

[Smithy]

Majkeli, I don't have the personal relationship with tagines.com that Wolfert does, but I'm still surprised at the lack of response from them. When I inquired about some surface cracks on my new tagine and sent them a photo asking about it, they responded promptly. (For the record, they said first, it was cosmetic and natural and second, to go ahead and use it - and if it broke or got worse they'd replace it.) That was over a year ago and I've been very happy with my tagine.

That said, I too would be irked if I'd been treated the way you seem to be. I wonder if there's something going on there in addition to being sold out. Did their earlier email suggest that they'd just send you a replacement? In that case, maybe they're waiting for the shipment before they say any more.

Can you tell that I like to cut people a lot of slack? This company seems like a really nice one. Nonetheless, if you think it's time to escalate things you have a couple of options. Was yours a credit card order? If so, you can notify tagines.com that you're going to dispute the charges unless you get a replacement. Can you email them a photo of what you're talking about so they're clear on the unusability of the tagine? Could this be shipping damage?

I once actually resorted to the Better Business Bureau, and that got remarkable results from one company. But that was after nearly a year of being jerked around, no doubt because they thought I'd give up and go away. I enjoyed winning that one.

[hathor]

Thanks Paula. At first I thought wading thru 12 pages would be a chore, but the wealth of information in this thread is amazing.

I just want to be sure I'm correct in my thinking that if a crack occurs in an old faithful earthenware pot, that a good soaking, olive-oiling, and low bake temp will somewhat seal the crack?

I've only had this occur on some of my older Italian pots, but its heartbreaking when a trusted pot starts to crack!

Thanks again.

[Smithy]

Hathor, you asked Paula but I'll dip my oar in anyway. If it's an all-the-way-through crack I think I'd try simmering it in milk instead; I think that would do a better job of penetrating the entire crack with a sealant than soaking in water then oiling and ashing and baking. The olive oil cure Paula referred to was something for hairline cracks and pores, and my sense of it is that it makes more of a filler than a binder/strengthener. Somewhere, either upthread here or on another thread, there was a discussion about using a milk soak and simmer to cure cracks in claypots. We were trying to figure out why that would work, and Fifi made the connection that milk contains caseine, which is a principal ingredient of Elmer's Glue.

If I can find that thread, or that series of posts in this thread, I'll edit this to add a link.

Edited to add this link about how to fix a developing clay pot crack

[hathor]

Excellent info Smithy!! Thanks!!

p.s. low fat or skim milk??

[Wolfert]

Here is one way you might try for dealing with a cracked pot. I've tried it and it works! "sumberge the dish in milk in a wide pan, bring slowly to a boil, and simmer for l hour. The crack welds itself together, and the dish is as strong as new."