This is my second time making hachis parmentier. The last time I made it, I didn’t have a proper oven; this time I did. Hachis parmentier is the French equivalent of Shepard’s Pie minus the vegetables. The dish consists of ground beef in between layers of mashed potato. It’s then topped with a crusty layer of gruyere and parmesan cheese. Doesn’t sound like Shepard’s Pie anymore, does it? History: The dish’s name comes from Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a promoter of potato as a food source. He conducted several publicity stunts to make the potato popular. Parmentier would host dinners with potato…
I never thought I would enjoy a beet salad like this. With the exception of canned beets, beets have never had a place in my kitchen. In my opinion, growing up in the city makes you scared of trying whole foods. But this Moroccan beet salad has made me want to start experimenting with beets.
The tagine pot, a symbol of Moroccan food and culture. On top of its beautifully hand-painted designs, the tagine pot does a great job in trapping aromas and flavors in stews. These yummy stews, made of chicken, beef or fish, are also referred to as tagines. So, in simple terms, the tagine can either be the pot or the dish.
As quick and simple as this recipe may be, it is still a staple of Moroccan cuisine. The feggous (cucumber) and tomato salad can be the basis to create different salads or can be eaten as is with bread or another dish. I decided to take this recipe from La Maison Arabe’s Moroccan Recipes book. However, I didn’t follow every step of the recipe. For instance, I did not seed the tomatoes since I felt it would make the salad juicier. This is all a matter of preference of course.
Ah couscous, the one dish that reminds me of Al Maghreb. A popular dish in North Africa, couscous consists of little balls of durum wheat semolina. It is believed to have been cooked by Berbers as early as 238 to 149 BC. Today, the popularity of couscous has made it’s way to France. Although instant couscous takes a few minutes to make, the best way to make traditional couscous is steaming it in a couscousiere. You can add different ingredients including zucchini, pumpkin, lentils, and carrots. Pair it with a tagine and a spoon of stew poured on top, you’ll…
