Hi Friend,

It has been awhile

It was summertime here in Canada, and I took a small break to spend some time with my sons (when they were around, which wasn’t much!) and to launch another project.

We are back, and I am excited to share: the latest podcast episode — A Journey Through Morocco, the IMK podcast supper club, a simple recipe for an Israeli omelette, what books I am reading as I start to marinade in anticipation for an upcoming trip to Spain and a YouTube series that I think you will love (if you are not already watching it). Let’s get to it.

Eps 41: Journey Through Moroccan Flavours with Siham Lahmine

You won’t find this depth of information in many places, unless you go to Morocco and speak with a local like Siham. We talk about everything from how to travel in a muslim country during Ramadan, how the role of women in Morocco is changing, the flow of meals in a typical household, tips for travellers that you can’t find except from a local (how to behave respectfully in a home) and much more. Enjoy!

Siham shares her recipe for Chicken Tagine

Within the podcast episode Siham shares some great tips for making the tagine, and this recipe can be made in a traditional tagine or a pan. You can find the recipe here

An Invitation to the “In My Kitchen Podcast Supper Club”

I am still editing the podcast episodes myself, and as you probably know that is a piece of the business I should be outsourcing. BUT, I truly love doing it. I will let it go, so that I have more time to roll out other initiatives like cooking with you and our podcast guests online.

The reason why I love it, is I get to really listen to the content and I personally think our content is the best there is in terms of exploring culture through food. Our content brings perspective to the table and much more - because of our podcast guests. Editing this episode, an idea came to mind that I am going to do and I invite you to do the same.

This is an opportunity to really savour food and story.

Invite some friends or family over, have them listen to this episode in advance, just like you would a book for book club. Prepare Siham’s Tagine recipe, either together as a group or have it in the oven ahead of time releasing those Moroccan scents. Gather together around the table, share the dish and share your thoughts, questions, reactions to this episode. I find it always helps to have on person guide this type of experience. Keep it casual, one thing I have learned doing the podcast show, is to come prepared but let the conversation flow some real gems come out unexpectedly.

Podcast Supper Club questions to help guide your convo:

• What surprised you most about this episode?

• If you have been to Morocco, did you experience any of the practices, behaviours, foods Siham described?

• If you are going to Morocco did this episode introduce you to some foods, drinks, places you want to experience?

• Which part of “eat from your triangle” felt most meaningful, respecting boundaries or sharing generously?

• The odd-number dates at Iftar, do you keep any small rituals that shape how you gather? What are your thoughts around the reason for the odd number?

• Where did you hear courage or leadership in how Siham built her path? What stereotypes did her examples quietly undo?

• From the episode, what specific behavior will you adopt next time you’re a guest when travelling?

• Siham brings guests into family homes. What would an “open-door” version of hospitality look like in your life?

• Which element of the tagine felt like the soul of the dish: chermoula, preserved lemon, olives, or time? Why?

• What questions were left unanswered?

Keep this doable, if cooking the tagine is not in the works, you can savour the podcast over mint tea.

If getting together as a group, is not going to work out, try using these questions to reflect back on the podcast after you have listened to it.

Israeli Omelette

My friend Andrea (AJ), who I first met when we both started working at a sports marketing company over 25 years ago, visited me from Israel this summer. AJ married a lovely man and moved to Israel 20 years ago. This is the kind of friend, where it is like no time has gone by during our annual visits. On this recent trip, AJ made us a delicious Israeli omelette. I am sharing it with you below, it is simple and if you want to scale it just double all the ingredients each time you add two more eggs.

AJ’s Israeli Omelette

2 eggs
3 Tbsp finely chopped herbs (coriander and parsley, or mint, dill etc)
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Salt and pepper to season

• Whisk the eggs together and add a little salt and pepper

• Add the herbs and onion to the eggs

• Heat the olive oil in a small pan on med heat

• Add egg/herb mix, and let it cook, it will become a deep brown on the underside. Once it is a deep brown turn the omelette, tip: place a tray or plate over pan, and turn pan over so omelette is now on the plate, slide the omelette back into the pan.

• Cook the other side and then serve. AJ served ours on toast and made 3 omelettes separately as she said it is important to have the right ratio of egg mix to oil.
  
  For those of you have who have participated in Leila’s Iranian Kuku Sabzi experience, you will see this is a very similar dish. As Raymond (IMK host) always says….”food knows no boundaries”.

Book Recommendation:

The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

I love reading a book set in the place I am visiting. I am off to Barcelona and Mallorca soon, and I discovered this book. Normally if I can find one sprinkled with recipes even better. This one has nothing to do with food, but the writing is poetic, easy to follow and has me already strolling down La Ramblas in Barcelona.

What I am watching

Yes, I have been watching Somebody Feed Phil, Anthony Bourdain and some random British fellow on YouTube from the 80’s. It has been hard to find food-focused shows based in Mallorca, alot of the Spanish food-focused shows are based in San-Sebastian, with good reason. I have given up and gone back to following my travelling friend: Itchy Boots. If you love travel, or are a motorcycle enthusiasts you will love this YouTube series, my Mum got me on to Itchy Boots. Here is an episode when she was in Pakistan about a month ago. Let me know what you think!

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Happy Travels and Happy Cooking!

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