Tagjine and Coffee
HELLOOOOO and welcome back!
Did you guys have as much fun at RenFaire as I did?!? Thanks again to everyone that came out to see Cora, Tia, and I at the henna tent. With your help it was the most successful Renaissance Festival yet! I can’t believe our little operation has grown to support THREE artists! Every year I am lucky enough to spend the first two weekends of May catching up with SO many of you that come back for your henna year after year -and I sincerely mean it when I say that is what makes this job so magickal and rewarding. Thank you from the bottom of my overflowing heart!
If you did see us there, or even if you’ve come in for a massage with me recently, you probably heard me talking EVEN MORE about Morocco… yes… still… How can I NOT?! Just as my freshly imported Moroccan wares make themselves at home among my other belongings here in Nebraska- BOOM. Mektoub 2023 registration opens and what do you know?! I’m registered and excited to go next year ALL OVER AGAIN! Now the real question is- who’s coming with me?! I hear there are still about 5 spots left. Or if you can’t make it all the way to Africa next year, maybe *just* maybe we can bring a little bit of the Maghreb to the Midwest… more on that SOON!
Okay Okay, I’ll stop enticing you about things in the future.
I am certainly aware that I owe all of you a delicious Moroccan Spiced Coffee recipe (its worth the wait, promise). I haven’t forgotten and I know you haven’t either but before we jump back in time a couple of months, can we just have this moment to appreciate that when I make this coffee, I’m simultaneously taking myself back to the Mandala Society in Essaouria AND geeking out imagining my own personal coffee service, brewed with the spice Melange itself… I have watched DUNE more times since coming home from Mektoub than before I went… wonder what that’s about… ANYHOW …
First let’s go to Ourika!!
Let’s talk a bit about that riverside tajine magick, shall we?! I mean, I could have just sat next to that river ALL DAY. Heck, I would have been happy to just look out the windows as the bus rode up the mountains ALL DAY. Ourika was absolutely glorious. It’s a mountain village where the road is lined with pottery and the river rushes crystal clear and ice cold with melted snow from the peaks of the Atlas mountains. sigh
Our first stop was to a local home that displayed some of the ways the Berber people in the area have lived for centuries. The mint tea, wood-fired flatbread with honey, fresh butter, and olive oil were so simple and flavorful. I could easily eat that for breakfast several times a week, if not daily, to be sure.
Lunch in Ourika, though, that was quite literally an adventure.
Seriously! It even began by crossing the river on an Indiana-Jones-style rope bridge! (I opted for the slightly-sturdier nearby version with metal framework and it still made me nervous!) Once we made it to the other side we scattered along the riverbank and shopped with some local Berber merchants while we waited for lunch. Khadijah whipped out a cone and did some masterful work, furry friends were made, shiny things were purchased and there was more mint tea - poured like a local Moroccan by Melanie!
The french fries (yes, fries.) were rough cut, still hot and perfectly salted. (best. Fries. ever.) The tomato salad was simple and perfect. Fresh flatbread is always a good thing and OMG those olives. –This is where I take a brief moment to tell you that the little dish of olives served before pretty much *every* meal is something that I still think about and crave regularly. Those that have seen that “30 to 40 olives” meme will understand why I chuckle to myself in agreement every time I see it now. The olives in Morocco are the freshest, most complexly flavored olives I’ve ever eaten and I still regret not bringing some home with me.
After nibbling on all of the olives, the piping hot plates of tajine arrived! Chicken or veggie, beef, goat, or lamb, tajine was to be had in all of its glorious forms in Morocco. I mostly stuck to veggies or chicken, but I surely ate my share of it! Its hard to say which was the ‘best’ tajine I had, but the meal by the side of the river in Ourika was hands-down the most unforgettable for the ambiance alone. (and those fries!) I think each of us enjoyed a peaceful moment by the river (and a nap on the bus) before we were back in Marrakech for henna class.
And now for a tasty pick-me-up!
Remember this? Those of you who follow my Instagram will remember my reminiscing about sitting in Essaouria, nibbling glorious avocado toast with the ‘owner’ of the Mandala Society. Several of you online and in-person have told me how excited you are to try the Moroccan Spiced Coffee I’ve been raving about and I’m excited to say the moment has arrived!!
I chatted briefly with the lovely Fatima, who works at the Mandala Society in Essaouira (you know, the beautiful hand model in my post), about bringing home some of the blend for my fiancé. She explained that they didn’t have any for sale because the spices were freshly ground and brewed with the coffee. YES PLEASE! She was also kind enough to share with me a handful of the spices in their recipe to get me started at home.
Hearing this my incredible travel companion, Caryl, mentioned a pre-mixed blend she’d had that you can add to your grounds pot-by-pot. But being someone who happens to have a well-stocked spice cabinet- including cardamom and saffron from Morocco!- as well as a person who finds grinding fresh spices to be a bit of a sensory thrill, I opted to try something different. The local spice shop down the street from my house didn’t carry anything either so…
I found myself scouring the depths of the internet to find a recipe that would replicate my magickal moment in Essaouira. What I ended up finding were a variety of spice blends, added to coffee in different proportions, suited to taste. One blog didn’t give a recipe at all, but rather listed a handful of suggested spices which even included sesame seeds and black peppercorns. Some say to serve with or without cream, with or without sugar. It’s pretty much as Khadija said consistently during Mektoub: “As you like”. —A very typically Moroccan answer, it turns out.
The recipe I have ended up making several times is the one that follows, generously shared with permission from Safa at Moroccan Zest. The only difference when I make it is that I add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the entire batch and I make it in my glass or ceramic French Press, depending on my proportions. And of course, I use local Cultiva beans.
I still wish I had a carafe as rustic and beautiful as the one at the Mandala Society (another item for next year’s shopping list!). For now, I have had fun serving it in the little glass and silver cups I managed to fit in my carry-on. I hope you get to try this amazing aromatic treat and enjoy it as much as I have been! You can find a link to the original recipe from Safa here.
Moroccan Coffee, Spicy & Traditional recipe
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
For making a 1-pound batch of Moroccan Coffee
1 pound (450 g) ground coffee beans
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
2 tsp anise seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground star anise
½ tsp ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
In a dry bowl, mix the ground coffee with the spices and herbs then store the mix in an airtight container. This will preserve the aromatics and allow them to deeply infuse your coffee.
For making 4 servings of Moroccan coffee
Fill your Italian coffee maker base with 10 oz (300 mL) water
Put 2 tablespoons of your Moroccan coffee mixture in the filter of your coffee maker.
Close the coffee maker and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, until all the coffee transfers to the top chamber
Enjoy hot, with or without a sweetener, with or without milk.
Yum!
Please let me know what you think if you try this at home. I hope it brings you a little escape from your ordinary routine. And I must say that there’s something SO satisfying about slowing down to grind those spices in your mortar & pestle if you have one. MMMMmmmmMMMMmmm….
I’m off to go work on more details for my upcoming event THIS OCTOBER. That’s all I can say for now, but if you’re anywhere in driving distance of Lincoln, I’d mark your calendar for October 14-19 if I were you! This is going to be big. I’ll have more details for you officially on June 1st!
Oh! And if you’d like to keep the travel luvfund going, my “tips for trips” motto has never been more appropriate! You can help me get to Mektoub next year by helping me pay for my trip directly by following this link. Thanks to those that have already helped me chip away at the total! Every little bit helps and I’ll never forget your generosity. Until next time!
