A taste of Morocco, in your kitchen perhaps?

We know you were all salivating reading Lindan's post about her time spent in Morocco. Lucky for us, she is a kind and generous soul, and she has shared some of the recipes that she prepared while enjoying cooking classes there. If you care to try your hand at preparing them, just click here to download a complete list of recipes for a typical Moroccan feast! There is one catch though - we may not be dining with you, but we certainly appreciate visuals. So please, post some photos of your creations to our Facebook page. Enjoy!

This week's classroom: a Moroccan kitchen

I’ve been in Fes for the past 10 days running from morning til night and finally sitting down to write something. I was traveling with such a fabulous group last week – 7 friends from Wisconsin travelling together who loved to cook and eat, and also loved our riad (little hotel) and everything about Fes. Of course I think it’s impossible not to love Fes.

Shopping with Lahcen Beqqi

Our first cooking classes were with Lahcen Beqqi. The first morning we went to the souk to shop for ingredients and then straight to the kitchen to make harira, zaalouk, chicken b’steeya dates rolls. For our second class we made choukchouka, and okra salad, a great couscous with vegetables (and lamb) and a cream b’steeya for dessert.

Camel butcher shop – they display what they sell

We spent our last two days cooking with Danielle Mamane, co-author with Kitty Morse of cookbook – The Scent of Orange Blossoms - Sephardic Cuisine from Morocco. After spending two fabulous days cooking with her, she invited us for Shabbat dinner and my group (none of whom is Jewish) loved it.

Lamb Tagine

We cooked in her garden – salads, including fried eggplant, twice cooked roasted red peppers, and tomato salad with preserved lemons and then cooked meatballs (cinnamon onion sauce and another meatball dish seasoned with the traditional Moroccan spice mixture) ras el hanoot (head of the shop). For dessert we made almond and walnut macaroons and dates stuffed with almond paste. Danielle also made a number of other dishes – in case any of us were hungry. Nobody is ever hungry on cooking trips!

Cooking with Danielle Mamane

Fes is the most highly populated medina in the world (about 300,000 residents) and Fes el Bali (old Fes - the 9th century) and Fes el-Jedid (new Fes -12th century) are fascinating to explore.

Buying spices to take home

The entire medina is a labyrinth of narrow streets that can only be explored on foot. Donkeys and mules are the only means of transportation – and lots of handcarts delivering goods from place to place.

In a few days, I’ll show you some of the sights of the medina.

In the kitchen at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Although I’ve lived my entire life here in Canada, I had never been to Alberta until now. I’m staying at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel to be precise, which is in my opinion, a fairy tale castle. The scenery around here isn’t the only thing that’s spectacular – all it takes is one meal at the hotel to see that the cuisine here is fit for a king. So when the chance came up to meet the hotel’s Executive Chef Martin Luthi, you can bet I jumped on it. I’m even more thrilled to learn that we’re able to bring in a camera to capture what happens behind the scenes in the kitchen while they prepare a dinner for 650 guests!

Come with us as we take a peek!



Once the filming is done, I have the opportunity to chat with the chef for a bit. I’m impressed by the fact that Chef Luthi has been with the hotel since 1974 - he’d originally planned to stay only a year to work and learn the language, but loved it and decided to stay. I can’t say that I blame him. After discussing his background for a bit, we get to one question he found to be quite unique. It was passed along by my fellow blogger and a chef-in-training, Carrie, whom I excitedly tweeted as soon as my interview was confirmed. She wondered if the Chef had any guilty pleasures – you know, something you would never guess he enjoys. Although it’s not odd at all, I find it charming to learn that Chef Luthi loves comfort food just like the rest of us. And to him, that means the rösti and veal loaf that he grew up on in Switzerland.

Since I’m a little star-stuck by the chef, I ask if there are any celebrities he was excited to cook for. I’m thrilled to learn that he loves Robin Williams as much as I do, and am wowed as he shows me photos of himself with Alec Baldwin in the hotel kitchen. But his favorite celebrity meeting wasn’t a Hollywood A-lister, it was former astronaut Eugene Cernan and I have to agree, that’s pretty darn cool.

Later on, while I sit among the group of 650 guests enjoying the evening’s meal, I have a whole new perspective on the process it took to create it. And when we get to the Intermezzo course and the ice globes filled with champagne granité are brought out, there isn’t a person in the room that isn’t amazed by the chef’s work of art.

A special thanks to Sophie Bujold who captured a great shot of the intermezzo course.

Want to spice things up? Visit a market!

If variety is the spice of life, then spice is what gives our everyday existence meaning and purpose.

As a chef or a home cook, there a few things more powerful or versatile in our arsenal as a good spice cupboard. Take cumin for example. Its pungent flavour will add depth to a chili, or a familiar earthy tone to a curry. The seeds can be whole, toasted, or ground, and are a staple in every cuisine from Mexico to the Middle East, to India and even Portugal.

Or how about another familiar spice: cinnamon. It’s the smell that reminds of sticky buns hot out of the oven, or a sprinkle on your latte. But it’s also a great addition to game meat or a pot of slow-braised beef short ribs.

Reading about my fellow blogger Lindan’s trip to the Istanbul Spice Market has me a little envious, since it’s one of the oldest known spice markets in the world. After all, my own collection of spice-filled mason jars, probably far exceeds the traditional spice rack one would expect, filled with such treats as star anise, ajwain seeds for Indian cooking, and cardamom seeds for my family’s Pulla recipe.

But what other vacation spots have noteworthy markets? How about Marrakech Bazaar, in Marrakech, Morocco, where you’ll find carts overflowing with spices and dried fruit, among vendors of kebabs and kafta.

Or if you’re in Mexico head to Oaxaca’s market where you’ll not only find fine Mexican chocolate (the bitter kind, not the candy), but an interesting variety of munchies. Dried grasshoppers anyone?

It seems like no matter where you go, markets seem to be a place that reflect local culture better than anywhere else. They’re a way of life for the locals, but for tourists they open the doors to wonders. Even here in Canada, the Granville Market in Vancouver which has a heavy Asian influence (I actually found whole turmeric root there) and where you can get your Dungeness crab steamed and ready to eat, or Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market, a mainstay since the days of seaway imports via Lake Ontario, show who we are, the cultures we share and where we came from.

Markets may lead you to spices, but they are the roots of any culture.

The pilgrimage

Today we tend to think of the pilgrimage in an Islamic context and Mecca has become a synonym for any destination of abounding interest. However, there have been pilgrims as long as there have been gods and Delphi, Lumbini and Jerusalem have all seen there fair share of foreign worshippers.

There are also secular pilgrims. Some people have a passion and my particular obsession is Burgundy. The hills of the Cote d’Or shelter some of the finest Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs on earth. They also have a disproportionate number of good restaurants.





Burgundy is one of those places you have to see for yourself. It doesn’t make sense that two wines that come from the same grape variety planted twenty yards apart could taste very different. You understand when you are there. Different soils (it looks like a patchwork quilt), different aspects (some get more sun than others) and different techniques are just some of the reasons.

A little while ago, my wife, my dog (Cedar) and I took the pilgrimage. We rented a car and drove down to the little town of Beaune via Champagne. What? Took my dog? Yes. I was living in the UK at the time, so we all took a road trip. Europe is very dog friendly and she came everywhere with us. In fact, she sat at my feet at the Hostellerie La Briqueterie, although I now see their website say no pets allowed. This might not be a coincidence.

Back to wine. We rented a gite inside the city walls and used it as a base. By day we focused on producers, vineyards and lunch. Night was entirely devoted to finding the perfect dinner.


Domaine de la Romanée-Conti creates some of the greatest burgundies and greatest prices. The photo is evidence that we were there. This is one of my greatest holidays and now I sell Louis Jadot burgundies for a living. So find your passion and follow it…and take the dog if you can.

A cooking lesson in Sicily

Well, here I am, eating my way through another of my favourite places. I’ve been in Agrigento, Sicily for two days now, long enough to have forgotten airports, a plane full of crying babies, layovers that went on for way to long – and waiting four hour suntil everyone arrives and we can start our 2-1/2 hour drive to Agrigento. Anyway, all that is behind me.

The drive isn't so bad when the scenery is this beautiful

I’m at Fattoria Mose in Villagio Mose (just outside of Agrigento) and all is well in my world. Dinner is just over when we arrive but Chiara Agnello has kept the chicken with red wine and rosemary and risotto with mushrooms and eggplants warm for us. It would be wonderful even if we weren’t hungry – and we won’t be for the rest of our stay.

Pasta vongole - just another of the fabulous meals I enjoyed!

I’ve been coming to here for 5 or 6 years now and every visit is like coming home. The farm has been in Chiara’s family since the 18th century and she and her partner Ernesto are warm and welcoming hosts. The farm, organic since 1986, produces olives (and olive oils) almonds, pistachios, oranges and lots of other fruits and vegetables.

All smiles in the kitchen

During the week, Chiara (and Ernesto) will teach us to cooking Sicilian dishes – the fish is Ernesto’s department and Monday morning we drive 30 km to Porto Empedocle to the fish store. Sicilian food is simply prepared using only the freshest, in season ingredients. At the Casa del Pesce, the only fish and seafood available is that caught each morning.

Selecting the day's seafood at Casa del Pesce

Today we want ingredients for a seafood “stew” – octopus, baby squid, very small shrimp, mussels and clams. Each of these in cooked individually, chopped small, a few sliced green olives added and then drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. We also have a fabulous pasta vongole and a spada pesca – a lightly breaded swordfish. It’s all incredible and we leave clutching recipes.

Today's ingredients

Tomorrow we’ll do eggplant dishes with Chiara and Wednesday we’re on the road to Piazza Armerina to the Roman Villa and to Caltigirone – a town famous for ceramics.

Columbus, Garlic and Wine: now that’s Italian, California-style

While we feast on turkey for Thanksgiving this week-end, our friends in the US are celebrating Columbus Day. One of the oldest and most elaborate events is in San Francisco where the Ital-American community pays homage to Christopher Columbus with a week-end long celebration that includes a Grand Ball on Saturday night and a procession of floats along Columbus Street from Fisherman’s Wharf to North Beach on Sunday. My mom and I had the good fortune of ending a tour of the California Coast in San Francisco on Columbus weekend a few years ago. And although the scenery along the coast was breathtakingly beautiful, our most vivid memories were of the ‘procession’ with its floats recreating Columbus' voyage, Queen Isabella and her court and of course, no Italian procession would be complete without the statue of the patron saint and the ‘Madonna’ (the Virgin Mary).

But the best part of the parade were the people. The Italians, most of them second or third generation from the southern regions who like my family emigrated in order to find a better life, were born and bred Californians yet they were undeniably Italian. Among the bands, the rosary and the loud conversations, it was incredible to experience the liveliness of the day.

But like any Italian celebration food and wine are vital. So, as the procession winds down in North Beach it’s time to eat and drink. The narrow, winding streets in North Beach are reminiscent of some Italian cities; most of the restaurants are small and intimate and take no reservations. My mom and I were lucky - we snuck in just as the procession was ending so we managed to get a little table in a restaurant overlooking Washington Square. We enjoyed an incredible meal, simple yet hardy and the most memorable dish was the fresh baked sourdough bread smothered in locally grown roasted garlic. The flavour was sweet, smooth and buttery. I have tried to roast garlic at home but it has never tasted the same, probably because the garlic is not as fresh and supple as the California variety.

California produces the majority of garlic grown in the USA - 87% or 200,000 tons per year. Gilroy is the Garlic Capital. The small city is located in the San Francisco valley and a place full of Italian immigrants who were mostly poor farmers yet they brought with them their love for the land and their traditions. Today the area is full of garlic farms large and small and of course wineries. So although the California Coast is certainly a must for first timers, for me the ideal California vacation is a week-end of roaming around the San Francisco Valley area visiting small vineyards, buying locally made cheeses, and having picnics in some idyllic spot feasting on fresh baked bread.

Fall Harvests

I'm piling on the sweaters, and socks, as the temperature is dropping in Toronto, and all I can think of is warm bowl of curried roast squash soup.

Fall is the season for comfort food. It's when I make chilis and stews, and hearty-stick-to-your-ribs soups.

But it's also harvest time. Apples, pears, plums are all ready for the picking now, along with a variety of squash, pumpkins, beets, Brussels sprouts and more. A pick-your-own apple adventure often leads to an afternoon of pie baking or better yet, caramel apples. And the smell of chestnuts roasting in the oven remind me that winter is just around the corner. The wine regions of Niagara and more recently, Prince Edward County host their festivals this time of year too as they begin to harvest the last crops before ice-wine season.

But as winter settles in over the next month or so, Canadian Bon Vivants who enjoy that fresh-from-the-farm experience will have to look a little further abroad. In Crete, for example, November is the time for the olive harvest. Imagine being able to walk up to an olive tree, heavy with fruit and being able to pluck it off with your own fingers from the low-lying branches, before ending your day with a freshly caught feast of seafood off the Greek coast. Talk about a foodie paradise.

Although personally, I might be more tempted by the warmer climes of California where the Napa Valley is still bursting with fresh figs and dates. Pair some of those with a hunk of soft cheese, a great loaf of bread and a bottle of wine and you've got an instant picnic to go, just don't forget the corkscrew!

And as fabulous as that sounds, I really need to just get a warm bowl of soup to fight off this cold I’ve been battling. I think I know just the kind I want too…

Don't cry, go to Argentina!

As the days get shorter and gloomier in the northern hemisphere especially in most cities in Canada. It leaves most of us depressed and wishing for spring again. Well the good news is that in South America spring is just beginning. A country on my wish list is Argentina. Everything I read and feedback from all my friends who have travelled there is that it is an incredible, diverse country with so much beauty. If you have ever had the pleasure to meet anyone from Argentina you will notice that they are extremely proud of their country to the point that they tend to compare every other place they visit to their country but nothing lives up to their expectations…

Okay so maybe I am being a bit too harsh on Argentinians, but they have every reason to be proud of their home. Buenos Aires is one of the most sophisticated cities on the continent and one of the most affordable when it comes to travel. Then there is the region of Mendoza in the Northwestern part of the country. This open country where ‘gauchos’ still roam the land and herd cattle is also well know for it’s wines, Malbec is the region’s best known but other varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Tempranillo. In Argentina beef rules. ‘Parrilladas’ or grilled beef is the most popular dish. The fresh air, breathtaking scenery and bounty of locally produced food make it so easy to abandon your palate and enjoy lots of wine and red meat. The saving grace is that there are great ways to burn off the calories. Bike tours of the vineyards and countryside are the best way to discover small areas of this vast region. This also gives you an opportunity to get to know the locals and truly experience Argentinian culture. And, of course an even better way to work out the calories is to spend the night dancing tango.