In my latest episode, "The Pleasures of Fasting," I gushed about chebakia; the cookie / pastry that is intimat
ely associated with breaking the fast during the month of Ramadan in Morocco. It is maybe the most difficult Moroccan sweet treat to make. In the attached clip you'll hear Mehdi Menouar, owner of Meska Sweets, a Moroccan bakery/patisserie in Englewood, NJ, share the high level steps involved in making chebakia from scratch. I'm going to try it. In the right mood. At the right time...
In my latest podcast episode, "Pleasures of Fasting," I talk through a recipe for a soup that is a staple in Morocco during the fasting month of Ramadan. Here is the recipe for this vegan harira.
ALI'S HARIRA
In a big stock pot add:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped celery leaf – the stuff hidden behind the stalks
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of salt
Sauté above in 1 tbsp olive oil until golden
Add 1/2 cup dried lentils
Add 1.5 qts vegetable stock
Add a can of chickpeas
Add 32oz crushed tomato (big+little can)
Cook until lentils are tender
Stir 1.5 tbsp flour into warm water then add to soup
Done
Salt to taste
Serve with lemon wedges
In my "Chocolate Frontiers" podcast episode I mentioned that ruby was acknowledged by the FTC in late November, 2019, as a new classification of chocolate, to be savored alongside dark, milk, and white. Well, the first product to be launched in the U.S. - that I've seen so far - made with this rose-colored chocolate, is ice cream. Those decadent Magnum bars. More brands will follow, no doubt.
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