A fresh look at Moraccan cuisine
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Don't call her a chef. She is a cook. And Moroccan food is not spicy. It is spiced.
Wolfert is also emphatic that her latest cookbook — “The Food of Morocco,” released this month — is not just an updated version of her first cookbook, “Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco,” released in 1973 and still in print.
During the past four years, “The Food of Morocco” has morphed into an entirely new book with a raft of fresh, previously uncollected recipes, a chapter on cooking essentials and a guide to sources.
“I understand so much more than I did then,” said the 73-year-old Wolfert from her home in Sonoma. “I wrote seven more books, so I learned a lot.”
The new cookbook, published by HarperCollins' Ecco Press, is an ambitious tome that was four decades in the making and could become the definitive guide to Morocco's cuisine, culture and people.
Because Wolfert lived outside Tangier from 1959 to 1976 for a total of seven, intermittent years — she has been welcomed into home kitchens with open arms. Since she left, she's returned to Morocco seven times to visit far-flung corners of the country.
Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Preparing a feast? Get some free expert advice at Williams-Sonoma in Baybrook Mall
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, Who lives in Pasadena and works 12-hour shifts at a chemical plant in Deer Park, said he's "a master at frozen dinners and cereal for dinner."
"I'm not very kitchen savvy, so everything is new for me," Garcia said. "At work, we all take turns cooking for each other, so I've had to recently step up my game."
Thanks to the classes, he now knows how to prepare a pork stew and homemade mashed potatoes ("using some unconventional potatoes") and has learned about basic wine essentials, including how and why to use a wine aerator (it filters air through the wine and allows it "to breathe," which increases aroma and enriches taste).
He said he plans to take additional classes.
"It's fun and informative. The hosts are pretty laid back and enjoy what they do," he said, adding it's also a great way to meet new people who share a common interest and "learn a little about food. Who doesn't like that?"
Upcoming classes are:
Thanksgiving sides and stuffing: 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, and 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14. Turkey is clearly the star of the Thanksgiving production but don't underestimate the importance of its co-stars: the sumptuous smattering of side dishes. The session covers the basics of preparing entremets that demand to be front and center, including non-traditional ones like herbed quinoa, a nutritious and quick-cooking grain, and red rice stuffing.
Source: Houston Chronicle