It’s Sunday morning and I’m hungry. I remember that I have some super fresh eggs from Cure Organic Farm, from just down the road. I think to myself, shall I scramble them? Over easy? Poach? Yes! I say to myself with that smile that knows just exactly what to do. …
Tfaya, or onion confit (seen in the photo under the chickpeas), is the crowing glory to any Moroccan tagine or couscous platter, and a great accompaniment to any roast. So easy to make too!
A story about Western women in an ancient community hammam. Some hammams are chic, some are anticeptic. Some are raw and real.
— This story was written by Peggy back in 2010, but it gets brought up each time we visit the hammam in Morocco. We hope you enjoy it once more.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I leave you with a recipe for warm and spiced Moroccan squash soup. May it feed the fires of love and family around the table, with your friends or by yourself. May you be nourished and may we all give thanks for the opportunity to be alive and living a good life.
I arrived in Morocco the first time at midnight in springtime. I was traveling with two women friends. We drove the long dark highway to the coastal town of Essaouira, known as old Mogador. Seagulls welcomed us as we walked the dimly lit pathway to our hotel in the wee hours. We fell into a deep slumber and awoke to birdsong, Moroccan pancakes with honey and the aroma of sweet mint tea. Instantly, I fell in love with Morocco and that beginning has only been the doorway to which all other delights have spilled.
Cumin, ginger, cinnamon, saffron – poetic spices that not only give flavor to food, but tell a story. Spices are travelers themselves, having crossed deserts and sailed on ships, they were coveted, used for trade and medicine. They tamed wild meats and aided digestion. Salt was as good as money. Spices have been a valuable flavorful currency worth their weight in gold as a precious influence on cultural identity.
“Travel through India with Peggy and you’ll learn how to make samosas, pickles and parathas at their sources; you’ll visit markets with knowledgeable cooks; and you’ll walk through fields of cumin and fennel.” Food & Wine, written by Tina Ujlaki October 2015 Read more.
“Cucina e amore…” says Piero. Cooking is love. The wood-fired ovens are burning here at La Cucina al Focolare – Cooking by the Fireside, the original crown in Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures. We are in the Florentine hills of the Arno valley, outside of Florence surrounded by olive gardens and a stone’s …
Behind the bar on any given day or evening, are a pair of clever wine lovers, better known as foxes. Le volpi e l’uva (The Fox and the Grape) is tucked on a back side street in Florence, across the Arno river not far from the Ponte Vecchio. It’s is my …