Middle Eastern Cooking . . .

[Aymerlu 3]

What is the spice used in the mashi that makes it so spicy hot??? I LOVE the stuff, but every time I have ate it I end up in the bathroom the rest of the day.

[Jasman0717 9]

[cbd2cai 0]

What is the spice used in the mashi that makes it so spicy hot??? I LOVE the stuff, but every time I have ate it I end up in the bathroom the rest of the day.

hmmmmm, I don't remember the maHshi that I had was particularly HOT spicy-wise. But that probably depends on the individual's recipe preferences. I checked a couple of cookbooks various versions of maHshi and it lists spices as pepper, cinnamon, allspice . . fairly basic. I guess you could always add some chopped peppers . . which is something that Ahmed likes (and I am putting pepper plants into my garden in hopes of having some fresh ones for him, LOL).

[Together4ever 1]

What is the spice used in the mashi that makes it so spicy hot??? I LOVE the stuff, but every time I have ate it I end up in the bathroom the rest of the day.

Red pepper and cumin....

woot!

[doodlebugfor_u 0]

Do you girls prefer mashi with eggplant, cabbage leaves or grape leaves?

[Together4ever 1]

Do you girls prefer mashi with eggplant, cabbage leaves or grape leaves?

I LOVE it with grape leaves but also like it with cabbage.

[cbd2cai 0]

Do you girls prefer mashi with eggplant, cabbage leaves or grape leaves?

Koosa (Zucchini) is my favorite, but I like the cabbage too (at least the way my egyptian friend's sister made them). I have had years of the grape leaves variety from Greek cooking (dolmathes), which I like and will probably learn how to make because Ahmed prefers this type.

I really like eggplant in all kinds of ways, but I haven't had maHshi with eggplants . . . so that is something else I need to try. But this weekend, I am making Moussaka with lamb, yummmm!!

Edited April 15, 2006 by cbarrosmostafa

[honeyblonde 0]

Catherine,

I think you are the one that asked me what seasonings Moroccans use, and which peppers specifically. So far I've learned that you use olive oil to cook all meat. With chicken you should use the yellow colorant - immitation saffron or the real thing if you can afford it, and that fresh grated ginger is used with meat much more than cumin, which I prefer. As for peppers, I think I saw just about every variety I was aware of in Taza and some I didn't know. I do know Abdel loves the Jalapenos, but prefers the Habaneros. Thank goodness Habaneros grow really good down here so I can put some in the garden this year and keep him happy.

Abdel also has discovered he loves coleslaw but I think we put too many carrots when we made it. I guess I should have looked for a recipe first. I have 7 shoeboxes of them categorized and a few more boxes not sorted, so it really isn't that hard to find one, I've just gotten to where I normally don't need one to cook any more.

[kerewin21 2]

I made bastilla once, and I don't know if I ever dare do it again. It's a lot of work!!!! I just made it with chicken though, not pigoeon

A really good book I got from the library and am planning to buy eventually is called "The Great Book of Couscous" by Copeland Marks, it has food from all the Maghreb

[cbd2cai 0]

Catherine,

I think you are the one that asked me what seasonings Moroccans use, and which peppers specifically. So far I've learned that you use olive oil to cook all meat. With chicken you should use the yellow colorant - immitation saffron or the real thing if you can afford it, and that fresh grated ginger is used with meat much more than cumin, which I prefer. As for peppers, I think I saw just about every variety I was aware of in Taza and some I didn't know. I do know Abdel loves the Jalapenos, but prefers the Habaneros. Thank goodness Habaneros grow really good down here so I can put some in the garden this year and keep him happy.

Abdel also has discovered he loves coleslaw but I think we put too many carrots when we made it. I guess I should have looked for a recipe first. I have 7 shoeboxes of them categorized and a few more boxes not sorted, so it really isn't that hard to find one, I've just gotten to where I normally don't need one to cook any more.

Thanks, Liz,

I didn't know they used ginger in Moroccan food., but I really like ginger in baking and it is used a lot in Chinese cooking too . . . so I guess it is something else to think about trying.

OK, back to the garden center to get some habaneros. I checked my pepper plants and discovered I had forgotten them. I have some really hot fresh habanera salsa that I bought at whole foods the other day . . . reaaaaallly hot. But quite tasty!

Oh, do you use harissa?? I have some here because I was trying some Turkish recipes and I just noticed that the cookbook I have mentions harissa for Moroccan food.

[honeyblonde 0]

I haven't used harrisa yet, but I think I might have some. I noticed a bottle in my herb & spice pile the other day I had forgotten I bought and now that you mention it, that might be what it was. We're still trying to get our house back in order after renovation. Abdel cleaned out cabinets and washed their contents all day today, as well as cleaning under the stove and scrubbing the kitchen floor. Hopefully tomorrow we can get the baker's rack back in there and then I will finally be able to really cook again. The plates and cups are now back in the kitchen and that felt so good tonight - no running to the living room for them.

I spent the entire day writing a paper for school and doing laundry (the real thing, not the "other" laundry). I'm so glad this semester is almost over so we can take a little break. We're going to need another honeymoon just so we can get some rest after all the renovation and cleaning.

I was surprised about the ginger too, but then again, Abdel is from northern Morocco and the Orient's influence is strong there. His sisters love to belly dance, but they call it "Oriental" dancing. I love to cook asian food too, so I tend to mix the two types of cuisine a lot. Abdel loves it too, so he doesn't complain.

Tonight we had probably the easiest dish in the world to prepare - Barbecued Boston Butt. For those that eat pork it is a real treat with no work. You just throw the hunk of meat in the crock pot and let it cook on low for 16 to 24 hours. Then just remove the meat, drain off the grease, shred the meat back into the pot and pour in a couple of bottles of your favorite barbecue sauce. Serve on buns and you're done!

[Aymerlu 3]

What is the spice used in the mashi that makes it so spicy hot??? I LOVE the stuff, but every time I have ate it I end up in the bathroom the rest of the day.

Red pepper and cumin....

woot!

HOLY SMOKES! I added cummin and red pepper so some koshary I made tonight and WHOA BABY! I'm no fire!

[MrsAmera 41]

A cookbook that I like is "Moroccan Modern" I don't have the name of the author right here but it's really great. The author is Moroccan and cooks in Australia. Some of the stuff is a little too gourmet, but it has great explainations of all the "different" ingredients and I've found that it helps when I need to look for substiutions to things I can't find around here. Yesterday I made the tagine with eggs and kefta - and for the first time Youssef said "wow honey this tastes just like at home" YAY!! And tonight I made tagine with chicken and he had the same reaction - I must be picking up something

[UmmSqueakster 54]

If anyone is looking for superb spices, check out Penzeys. We're lucky enough to have one in town and every time we go, we're like kids in a candy store. My husband claims he doesn't like to cook, but when he smells the store, he gets ideas for dishes popping into his head.

Edited April 16, 2006 by rahma

[honeyblonde 0]

Oh, do you use harissa?? I have some here because I was trying some Turkish recipes and I just noticed that the cookbook I have mentions harissa for Moroccan food.

What exactly is harissa and where do you get it? I looked at the bottle I was talking about and it is Garam Masala or something like that - for Indian cooking. Now you have me wanting to go out and buy some harissa.