Ras El Hanout and Dates Hotdish

/
Ras El Hanout and Dates Hotdish

Can you believe I spent the first 20 years of my life in Brussels, Belgium and never stepped a foot in Bruges, Belgium? I know, shocking! To remedy this upsetting situation Zayd and I spent a few days in Bruges last week and oh my God, we loved it! The heart of the city is entwined with small and super romantic canals and bridges. The whole town has a kind of medieval architectural look that makes you feel like you’re taking a walk in the past, alongside Robin Hood and his friends, the Merry Men. Of course, we loaded up our bellies with chocolate from BbyB aka my new favourite Belgian chocolate, speculoos and moules + frites. I also had the pleasure to reunite with my favourite childhood pastry: carré à la crème. It’s a perfectly laminated square shaped puff pastry filled with crème patissière. A beautiful morning always meant a carré à la crème for breakfast. So yes, it was a great trip.

Read More

Kalinte

/
Kalinte

Kalinte, kalentica, karane, etc., so many ways to call this dish! All these appellations refer to the Spanish word “caliente” - which means warm - for the simple reason that this silky and smooth chickpea pie is meant to be enjoyed warm. In a way, we could all save time and just agree to call it "caliente", what do you think? I should petition to make this happen.

Read More

Turkey, Cranberry and Chestnut Tagine

/
Turkey, Cranberry and Chestnut Tagine

This year, I really don’t feel like roasting my turkey. Do you?

I am not saying that because my secret mission is to “tagine” everything, I am saying that because sometimes it’s nice to do things differently and also because surprising your guests with unexpected meals always makes you feel *cool*.

Read More

Merguez, walnuts and raisins stuffing

/
Merguez, walnuts and raisins stuffing

Merguez is a kind of spicy North African sausage.

When I moved out of my parents place, one of the things I had to accept was the sad fact that merguez won’t be part of my life anymore. I have to say that I was also sad about other things like daily cooked meals and clean laundry, but merguez was a bigger deal because a good merguez is a serious thing. It’s not just cased minced meat mixed with North African spices. It’s a real treat. Merguez is so good, you can basically enjoy it with nothing else but good bread and be the happiest person on earth.

Read More

Quick Fish Tagine with Chermoula + a Video

/
Quick Fish Tagine with Chermoula + a Video

We all have a go-to weeknight recipe, rather it’s something simple such as pasta or a quick stir fry, we always go back to it because it’s easy and satisfying. My typical go-to midweek meal is this quick fish tagine served with vegetables and couscous.

A traditional Moroccan fish tagine is usually prepared with a large whole fish - a sea bream - cooked under sliced potatoes and vegetables. This means that the cooking time is quite long which makes this traditional dish pretty challenging to cook on a weekday after work and between FaceTime sessions and laundry chores.

Read More

Chocolate Layer Cake with Ras El Hanout Buttercream + Poached Pears

/
Chocolate Layer Cake with Ras El Hanout Buttercream + Poached Pears

It's been a while! A few things have happened since my last post.

  • I discovered that I could survive without my laptop and phone for 2 days. Next challenge: 3 days.
  • Other discovery: Westonbirt arboretum in the Cotswolds. This place is magnificent, it will make you fall in love with autumn all over again. I’ve seen the prettiest trees with bright golden and neon red leafs while I was there. 
  • The US elections! (!!!)
  • I had a brownie made out of cricket flour. I think it tasted nice but I couldn’t stop picturing tiny crickets everywhere while I was chewing it. I had about 4 spoons, not bad no? Maybe insect flour is just not my thing.
Read More

Amlou Warm Goats Cheese Salad

/
Amlou Warm Goats Cheese Salad

When you have an addiction to a specific food you keep adding it to everything even when it doesn’t make sense, right? Well in my case it always makes sense because my addiction of the moment (aka amlou) is so versatile, it literally works with everything. Yes! And it’s not only uber delicious, it’s also super healthy and easy to make because all you need are these 3 ingredients:

Read More

Figs, Dates and Harissa Chutney

/
Figs, Dates and Harissa Chutney

I just came back from Marrakech where I had the best time! I was there as a guest chef to launch Salt Marrakech’s autumn menu. How cool is that?

The restaurant is based in this magnificent riad called Dar Les Cigognes. Everything about this place is charming and makes you feel so special. The menu is a 6 course-meal focusing on Moroccan seasonal food and modern cuisine.

Read More

Krachel - Aniseed and Sesame Seed Sweet Buns

/
Krachel - Aniseed and Sesame Seed Sweet Buns

So??? Are your streets fully covered with beautiful golden leaves yet? I can’t wait!

I made these krachel a few weeks ago and all I’ve been trying to do lately is find the time to bake them again! Krachel are Moroccan aniseed and sesame seed sweet buns. They are prefect in the sense that they are not too sweet to be enjoyed with savoury things but fragrant and rich enough to be enjoyed on their own. I love my krachel warm with butter, salted butter ideally. But I also love them with cheese! Cheese + krachel is really a match made in heaven, believe me.

Read More

How we cook and what we ate this summer – Morocco edition + 3 non recipes

/
How we cook and what we ate this summer – Morocco edition + 3 non recipes

You know I love Moroccan food but for me Moroccan food means much more than the recipes I share, all the tagines and even more than the tastiest bastilas! Moroccan food, for me is also the food I ate while growing up. I spent a good two weeks in Morocco this summer and while I was so happy to be reunited with my family, I was also very pleased to be reunited with the sweetest tomatoes, freshest seafood and juiciest fruits!

Read More

Buttermilk and Almond Basbousa with Orange and Cardamom Syrup

/
Buttermilk and Almond Basbousa with Orange and Cardamom Syrup

My basbousa is finally online! Let’s all celebrate by making basbousa?!

I am back to London where the weather is kind of “moody” which made me very nostalgic of my trips to Morocco and Ibiza. Summer is officially over for me! Being home also meant I had to deal with my least favourite back-from-holiday task: sorting out all the pictures. It took a while this time. I needed 3 folders! A regular one, a food one and a baby one!

Read More