Approach cooking, and love, with audacity. CONTENTS PREFACE MOROCCAN CUISINE HISTORICAL FOOD THE MAGIC OF SPICES COMMON INGREDIENTS SPICE BLENDS VEGETARIAN DISHES & SIDE DISHES MEZZE MEAT & POULTRY SEAFOOD & FISH BREAD, BAKED GOODS & DESSERTS INDEX PREFACE We leave on a day in September. We’re a diverse group of people meeting at Arlanda Airport. There is my wonderful photographer, Tina, with her family: Boris, a three-month-old with a brand new passport, proud big sister Olga, and daddy Oskar. And then there is my patient husband, Ove, who is also the graphic designer of this book, and our good friend Peter, an interior designer with lots of knowledge about Morocco (thank you Peter for sharing your contacts). The more adventurous and less conventional, the better. That seems to be our motto. When we are given the choice, we pick camping stoves, simple environments, and heavy lifting over fancy photo studios, delicate porcelain, and trendy food. On this trip, there will be a few challenges, but also a lot of laughter. It’s not the most organized trip we’ve made, but that makes it all the more charming and enjoyable. Our first day of adventures is finally upon us. There is a knock on my door. But not literally because there are no doors here. Tina peeks at me from behind a curtain, whispering to see if I’m up. I’m already awake, obviously. We’re staying in the oldest part of Marrakech, right next to a mosque, and the muezzin starts his day by calling the city to prayer before sunrise. We’re headed out to watch the city wake up for the workday before it gets too hot. It’s easy to get lost when you’re new to the city and not fully awake, but fortunately for us, strangers help us find our way. This is how we spend our days in Morocco: we wake up early each morning, explore the city, and then we start the cooking. Working in an environment filled with kind and helpful people and amazing ingredients is an invigorating way to jumpstart imagination and creativity, and a perfect delight for our taste buds. The evenings are filled with pleasant activities, such as visits to the marketplace at Jemaa el-Fnaa square. At dusk the barbecues are lit, tables and benches are put out, and the whole square is transformed into a meeting place where everything centers around food. For a small fee, you can try all sorts of wonderful dishes and be surrounded by street life, barbecue smoke, and the buzz of people socializing. Behind the square hides a labyrinth of little alleys that make up the street market. It is often packed with people, donkeys, mopeds, and stray cats. Visitors It is often packed with people, donkeys, mopeds, and stray cats. Visitors purchase spices, leather, brass, silver, fabrics, ceramics, mosaics, rugs, and slippers. With everything in one delightful area, it’s no coincidence that chefs, decorators, and designers are all turning their attention to Morocco for inspiration. Moroccan culture truly makes an impression on everyone. The fragrances, the flavors, the colors. The stands selling olives, pickled lemons, and pastries. The spices arranged beautifully like art. All of this creates an inspiring image. Of course I fall in love with it all! In Sweden, where I’m from, we are used to spices packed tightly into sterile, fragrance-blocking glass or plastic containers. We barely know what a vanilla bean or a cinnamon stick look like. The pepper is preground and the salt has a brand name. To us Swedes, spices like saffron, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom are associated with pastries and Christmas. Dried fruits are also strictly a Christmas treat to us northerners. Little boxes of dates and figs are arranged on platters with mixed nuts, to gather dust all through the holidays. In Morocco, the spices are put to use in different ways, and that inspires me. This book is an expression of my love for Moroccan food. I’ve taken all my favorites, explored and experimented with them to create what is finally Morocco—my way. So come along and join me on a truly exciting food journey! In Morocco, the kitchen is the women’s domain. Most women still spend all their time in the home, and lots of it cooking. There is a sense of affinity here—the women talk, laugh, and tell stories. MOROCCAN CUISINE THE FLAVORS, THE FRAGRANCES, THE COLORS The roots of Moroccan cuisine lie in the simple food of the nomads. It’s been altered by adding spices, and influenced by the fingerprint of all the different cultures that have passed through the region. It is an exciting mix of African, Oriental, and European influences. The ancient Mediterranean cultures, the nomads, the Turks, and the French all left their imprint. It is a colorful cuisine that breathes romance and brings to mind the tales of the Arabian Nights. You can practically taste the mysticism of Arabian culture. It’s a treat for all senses and a paradise for the food lover. Let yourself get swept away by the piquant smells of an exotic world. First and foremost, it is the spices, the dried fruit, the almonds, beans, lentils, couscous, and the olives that stand out and give Moroccan cuisine its charm. A new food experience waits at every corner; just follow your nose and you’ll find your way. The many fragrances at the bazaar spread through the streets. The spice stands with their beautifully displayed spices in vivid colors: Saffron, cinnamon, cloves, cumin. . . . Can you smell them?