Max’s Kitchen: Live and Active Cultures

Despite the name, this recipe is guaranteed to be delicious and, even though it may sound gross, you’ll find a gorgeous dish with all appetizing ingredients. By the way, I’m adapting the recipe style of this forum from now on: No longer will I transcribe formulaic instructions. This style, which must be followed on pain of death (or at least unpleasant results) really doesn’t appeal to me anymore. I realize that, although ubiquitous, writing in this way is an inefficient, stifling way of teaching about food and cooking. The current recipes featured in cookbooks round the world (emerging from the food writing of the late 19th and early 20th centuries) are dated; they inhibit expression in the kitchen and mute creativity. It is my opinion that such a style of only instructs kitchen novices on how to follow instructions, to say nothing of real cooking.
Ask a ‘cook’ to make a roasted chicken , and they might pull it off with the help of Mr. Pepin. Ask them to make a simple soup sans the help of Escoffier and they flub the dish. This will not stand. We are not training soux chefs, but legitimate gourmets. I want the world to find itself with an army of cooks, combating everything from hunger and poverty to bad taste and food stigmas. The first step: help people make things on their own. It is my job to foster a passion within my readers so that the kitchen does not feel like work, but instead becomes and inviting warm environment suited for art, joy and love. And yes, this may sound hokey and idealistic and perhaps a little more then one can chew, but goddamn it, that’s how cooking can make me feel, so why wouldn’t I want to spread to proverbial love? Hence the new recipe style. I hope you enjoy.

Hearts and Kidneys

This recipe features two powerhouses of the pantry: artichoke hearts and kidney beans. They are both CHY (Cheap, Healthy, Yummy), which places them on the list of non-negotiable essentials in the kitchen. Additionally, exposing kids to exciting, healthy ingredients like these in the midst of Halloween could potentially combat the negative aspects of candy-gorging (perhaps it could even piggyback on the positive reinforcement introduced in the trick-or-treat exchange, thereby promoting health conscious food choices from an early age…one can only hope). With the addition of sun dried tomatoes (pass it off as raw flesh or bloody tongue/innards/tendons/etc), the gory promise and subsequent surprise of this dish is sure to entice at any age.

1-2 cups of artichoke hearts (depending on your preference. For ease, just use 1 jar of prepackaged hearts, they usually come in 14 oz cans)
1 16 oz can kidney beans (or alternatively, use 2 cups freshly cooked)
2 tablespoons oil (use any oil that isn’t raw [like extra virgin olive oil], because they have a low smoke point [which means that they acquire off-flavors at even low heat, so are best used with cool dishes or added at the end of cooking]. Best bets are things like peanut oil, regular olive oil or canola oil [nut oils are good, but are very strong in flavor, so mix with an equal amount of neutral oil {the lighter in color, the more neutral the oil})
2-4 sundried tomatoes, cut into thin strips (again, quantity [and even thickness] are up to you)
2-4 cloves of garlic, smashed with the side of a knife and cut into little pieces (anti-vampiric, you know)
2 tablespoons acid (you can use anything from white wine, to grapefruit juice to flavored vinegars. Now the acid levels in each of these varies slightly, from the least acidic being wine, to juice, to finally vinegar. For wine, you can use up to 1/4 cup if you wish [but you of course dont have to], but as you get up to vinegar, I wouldn’t use more than 2 tablespoons])
~Salt (Don’t worry, you know how to salt your food. So if this dish is 4 portions, just pretend like you’re salting your food 4 times)
~Pepper (same thing)
~Herbs/spices of your choosing (What works well: nutmeg, parsley, mint, chili, paprika, coriander [both the herb {cilantro} and the spice])

-Place a pan over medium heat (halfway up on the heat dial), and wait for it to heat up (about 1 minute). Add oil, artichoke, and beans and cook, stirring every once in a while, for a couple of minutes (the edges of the hearts should just barely start to turn brown). Add the other ingredients and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid in the pan is nearly gone, about 5 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!

The cool thing about this recipe is that it can be adapted to any taste.
You can leave as is for a great side dish or entree;
For a casserole, pour the mix into a casserole (both the dish and the container share the same name), top with cheese (maybe also some nuts and breadcrumbs) and bake in a 30 degree oven until golden brown;
For a dip or sandwich spread, just blend up in the food processor with a big spoonful of yoghurt (up to 1/2 cup) or other dairy (like jalapeño cheese), maybe some black pepper or other choice of spices (suggestions: chili, nutmeg, mint, parsley);
For a salad, let the mix cool (Alternatively, you could just mix the ingredients without cooking) and toss it in with greens, seasonal veg and herbs, or even chicken or tuna salad (bonus: no need to dress the salad!).
You could even use it as a sandwich stuffing or turkey stuffing (with the addition of equal amounts breadcrumbs and herbs/cheese). Let these ideas inspire you. Be creative! Never be discouraged, even a failed recipe is a potential option for a creative dish of a different color. There’s nothing wrong with a failed experiment, so don’t be afraid to mess up! The successes will far outweigh the mishaps. Happy cooking!

PS: I know this is currently really messy/disorganized. I know that I want to change my style, but I’m confused as to how to do it…So for a while this site will be my R&D center until I feel comfortable with a better way of writing. Thanks for sticking with me during this transition.

So for a short history of halloween:
The roots of today’s Halloween can be traced back many centuries to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (SAH-win).  Derived from the Old Irish “sam”, meaning summer, and “fuin”, meaning end, the festival was literally a holy day that took place between the seasons.  Falling on the 1st day of the Celtic New Year (coincidentally November 1st), it was, as most autumn festivals are, a celebration of the harvest.  The reverance of nature emerging through Samhain allowed for an engagement in social relations, centered on foodl however, from a simple feast of overabundance, the form of the ritual soon changed.  Mentioned as the focal point of fables, the festival became connected with the otherworld and supernatural, a time where the entrances to the otherworld are open.  Spirits were said to go through these openings, and travel in the human realm.  A practice soon evolved to pay offerings to wandering spirits, in order to keep them from causing harm to the material world. In consequence, the food-centrist appeal of Halloween continued, this time channeled through food-gifts to the unknown.  Eventually, a ritual was created which personified and paid tribute to otherworldly beings; ethereal spirits began to be imitated by costumed men.  They would travel through the town collecting offerings of seasonal foods and baked goods (sound familiar?) 
            The pagan ritual of Samhain continued unabated for some time before its meaning was transformed once again, now by the hand of Christianity.  Around the 5th century, missionaries utilized the festival to co-opt pagan Irishmen into their religious community.  They marked the festival All Saints Day, and attributed the supernatural implications of the event to Christian ideology.  The Celtic underworld became associated with the Christian Hell, fairies and spirits were identified as fallen angels and demons, and all naturalistic celebration of the harvest was replaced with praise to saints masterminded by Pope Gregory the 1st, who is known to have declared, “Rather than try to obliterate the native peoples’ customs and beliefs, use them” (Santino 7).  This philosophy changed the religious sentiment of the holiday from pagan to Christian.  The former themes of nature, the supernatural and the unknown were muted, to be replaced by themes of morality and piety.
            Over the centuries the holiday continued, but as it spread to America, it became a day to measure yearly tasks and chores, marking crop schedules, harvest times and planting regimens.  Such a harsh environment was the New World that time could not be spent devoted to celebration, and so Samhain became a lost ritual.  
As we know today, the tradition did not die completely, for in the 19th century, a surge of immigrants from escaping the Irish potato famine came to America; thus resulted a restoration movement.  Halloween again transformed, this time restoring the primary themes of the harvest and transition.  Children took on the roles of the spirits, and the holiday began to look a lot like its modern counterpart. (sorry, I suppose this is a bit longer than a ’short’ history. I’ll make it up to you with a freaky recipe)

So these recipes over the next week are meant to include little chefs. All of the recipes are Halloween oriented and guaranteed to have foodies both young and old spending nights at the stove. There’s no better time than Halloween to introduce children to the joy of cooking; think about it, what better way to get kids interested than using ingredients like fake blood, ‘worms’, ‘dirt’ and ‘maggots’?

So here in the Country of the setting sun, I find myself often longing for the biting embrace of fall. The scents of spices in the air as I walk through the medina don’t compare to the smell of home. Sure, the stratosphere is heavy here with the perfume of a thousand caravans, but absent are the markers of october. Where are the apples, the root vegetables, the leaves turned orange by ginger. Foliage wafting along the grass with the grace of ballerinas? Where are the acorn thieves, I ask you, and why do I still hear the chirping of cicadas and crickets well into the night; why can I not see my breath in the morning? And why are the genies, demons and monsters imprisoned in stories here? I miss children becoming possessed by folklore and parading the streets, ancient tales in the flesh, floating to my door demanding offerings. Of all the magic that is fall in the northeast, I think I miss halloween the most.
But enough complaining, what am I going to do about it? I suppose the only thing I can do: make up spooky recipes to get me through the long summer (as opposed to the long winter of R.R. Martin). As for dressing up/becoming possessed…

BOO!

Tagine (moroccan stew cooked in a conical terra cotta steamer [or more often these days, in a pressure cooker]), the national, indigenous, and prolific dish of morocco, can be found everywhere from the high atlas to the deep sahara. Although ubiquitous throughout the country, it varies infinitely depending on both region and time of year. In Marrakech (marrakch), you’ll find lamb and dried fruit; in Rabat, chicken and potatoes; in Fez, goat and vegetables; in Essouiara, fish and olives. Truly, tagine captures the vogue ideas seasonality and locality; how better to expose the trend-crazed western world to real indigenous north african food?
However, tagine every day, although tasty, can become a little boring. So I’ve adapted it: instead of stewing something like chicken and prunes in a savory broth to be eaten messily with hands and hobz (bread), I’ve contained the whole mess in a novel container. I hope you enjoy!

“Tagined” Apricots

24 dried apricots
1 tablespoon argan oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
1/4 cup of red olives, pitted and diced
1 tablespoon ras el hanout (morrocann spice mixture similar to curry powder) Interesting fact: each hanout mixes it’s own ras; often the hanout with the most locals is the best bet for the most authentic/abundant mix
12 oz boneless (sorry purists, trying to make it healthy) chicken, skinned and cut into tiny pieces (or better: goat if you can get it)
~breadcrumbs mixed with ground almonds and cinnamon
1 cup chicken stock
~cilantro

-Preheat oven to 300 degrees
-Split apricots almost all the way lengthwise, to stuff later, and set aside
-Place a saucepan over medium heat, and saute onion, carrot and olives in argan oil until translucent and just starting to brown around the edges, about 4 minutes.
-Meanwhile, season the chicken with ras el hanout (you can use a mix of saffron, chili and cinnamon as a quick replacement), and add to pan.
-Continue cooking chicken and vegetables over medium heat until the edges of chicken just start to brown, about 4 more minutes.
-Turn off heat, add breadcrumb and almond mixture and stir to combine.
-Meanwhile, pour stock and cilantro in a casserole dish (this is meant only to moisten the apricots and add the smell of the herbs in cooking. The liquid should just cover the bottom of the dish)
-When mixture is cool, spoon into apricots, being careful not to overstuff (the apricots should close if gentle pressure is applied), and add to casserole dish.
-Place in oven and cook until apricots are soft, about 20 minutes.
-Serve over rice or with an abundance of bread, and as always, enjoy!

So it’s been a while since I’ve updated: I’ve been really busy with moroccan culture, sickness, and classes. Everything from . But I haven’t neglected the food. Although my appetite has waxed and waned, i have continued to be surprised and pleased by the cuisine here. My staple for times of stomach upset is a simple solution: crunchy chickpeas. What they do is take dried chickpeas, salt them, and roast them just like almonds. At twilight and dusk, all down the medina, you can smell the hanouts (the 7/11s of morocco) and the fragrant, earthy smell of roasting nuts and beans. Definitely worth the plane ticket just for that.
Speaking of sickness though, I have an elementary recipe that’ll antioxidize any illness. Inspired by our SIT chef, Brachim, this is sure to please.

Tart Oranges with Cinnamon and Rose Water

5 oranges
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons rose water (strong stuff)
1 tablespoon cinnamon

-Cut the skin off the oranges, leaving only the pulp (do the by slicing off the top and bottom of the orange, then running the knife along the peel until it, along with the membrane, is cut off)
-cut oranges into wheels and toss with lemon juice and rose water
-Lay out onto plate, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve (delicious with a creamy milkshake or icecream)

Find in camel spit
hot hands scraping callous-bear
back in dire magellan straights give a
dam up the river.

stream of consciousness water
Tuareg blue desert
leaves tracks orange fall on hallow’s
ev’en though I SIT
3000 miles across the pond.

fish jafar ways from home-
sick of missing strike-out on worth-
while the piper plays his tune-
into the wild back africa.

to tea drinking on the beach
whale arabian knights drive
horses and battle vestments of
lies down with the wolf were-
bear the brunt of poetic genie-
us with wishes for orange fall the chord-
ate mammals from long ago
keep company and magic

carpet sandy the eyes of Allah-
din of stories told in the ears of
sleeping cobras and medina monkeys.

Recipe:

Amazigh (info-post OTW) Zaalouk

Zaalouk- a spiced eggplant dip, may have been the dish I most feared upon entering the country (besides klia, but that’s another post!). Never much a fan of the vegetable, I was wary of s spread made with it, assuming it would highlight all of the textural aspects that so put me off. However, bread, the staple served in vulgar abundance at every meal, soon lost it’s appeal for me; transforming from a comforting homey presence at meals to a bland stomach filler. One night, sick of the taste of hobz (bread in darija), I reached for the only thing available, Zaalouk. I took a tentative bite, and was overwhelmed with a a delicate balance of garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, and pleasingly, eggplant. The combo not only worked, but it convinced me to give this much maligned ingredient spotlight in a recipe. Enjoy!

1 medium eggplant, poked with a fork a few times (the males [actually a misnomer, the fruits dont have sex, but it is easier to label them male and female as opposed to seedy and not-so-seedy] have fewer bitter seeds, check by looking at the bottom of the vegetable. There is a dimple on the underside of the eggplant. If it is round, the plant is very seedy; if oval shaped, the plant is meatier with fewer seeds)

6 tomatoes, chopped roughly

1/2 medium onion, julienned (cut into strips about 1/4 inch thick)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves (about 1 tablespoon) garlic, minced

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon saffron

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder, such as piment port or harissa powder

-Grill eggplant over medium heat, turning occasionally, until outside is charred and inside is mushy, about 15 minutes (alternatively, you could roast in oven at 475 degrees for 20 minutes). Then, squeeze inside out of the peel and set aside.
-Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute onions and tomatoes in olive oil until edges start to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 15-20 minutes, adding water if the mix begins to dry out and stick to the pan.
-Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

This Poem Contains the Word ‘Nigger’

So here I stand-still. Building the will to swallow truth served
By the father of fables. He is tiger’s apprentice; a back alley anthropologist who’s called nigger.
He is black, black as hunger. Black as lungs, eyes, skies, the love between the thighs-black as light.
I know the new world prophet. Nigga black as angels. He spins stories in the recording studio of his neighbor’s
Hood life liturgy. The preacher’s beat-blessing: box the lost melodies.
He sings jabali to the ancestor rhythms of mortar and pestle, djembe and water-tells tales of glock wars and worries of fatherhood, because his fairy tales
Were orphans.
The nigger is keeper of myth, peddling preserves of the tar baby and bald ass nansi. Of the nappy headed ho carving tracks in the footsteps of the drinking gourd.
A rabbit ears poet paying rent-to-own in caste-iron system of selling, and being home-celled.
And the last of the ghosts of prose, with flows that spit vicious,
Literature of Fitzgerald’s young money, Thoreau’s moment of clarity, and Baldwin’s America, though dumb-it-downed, a bard under the radar-nigga’s face pearly-white lies pleasure, but his soul hides deeper treasure.
The nigger is not chained by age, but enframed as a page in the books that he secretly reads. But nigga’s voice isn’t there.
So to share his colored wealth, he mixes word:
A pop-a-cap culture chef brewing a recipe for enlightenment.
Stewing, simmering in the night: mint-spiced to make the truth easier to swallow for when we build the courage
To eat.

And speaking of eating…only 3 more days of fasting. Last night was Laylat al-Qadr, the 27th of Ramadan. This night, called the night of decree, night of power, night of destiny, refers to the evening when the prophet Mohammed is believed to have received the Qu’ran. A night of great energy, Muslims dress up and briefly dance through the streets in a beeline for the mosque. There, manyy stay up all night praying, offering, and doing charitible acts. Others visit relatives, revel in the streets and color each other with henna. Though not allowed in the mosque itself, I was privileged enough to see the festival in the medina. The brilliant colors, lights, aromas, sounds and foods of the medina normally do not even compare to the mardi gras festivities of last night. Chrildren and adults alike paraded about in new jilabas, stopping on their way to the mosque to get food, take pictures, and scope members of the opposite sex. Spontaneous altars sprouted everywhere and the air was thick with the fumes of incense. Taken up in the excitement, I sat down at a cafe to practice anthropology. I ordered Cahua (coffee) but declined the 1/4 cup of sugar and heavy cream that is the norm here. Sipping my coffee, I noticed a young couple enjoying what looked to be bread and…could it be? Amlou. I asked the waiter and he confirmed, that yes, my suspicions were correct. Immediately, I ordered a serving and sat, waiting impatiently for my prize. I had been on a quest to find this delicous almond, honey argan oil dip since my arrival. Sweet and nutty, this simple dip may as well be called ambrosia. It has so much complexity from the argan oil, but is not overwhelmed by the burnt-pumpkin seed peanut butter taste of it. As I sat enjoying my first (and eventually second) helping of this simple staple. I had one of those weird contended moments that makes all right with the world. And then the amlou was gone and I returned to feeling like a sock in the underwear drawer.

Amlou:

1 cup almonds, roasted
1/2 cup argan oil
1/4 cup honey

-Grind almonds in food processor until smooth, about 4 minutes. Then, slowly pour in the oil and honey and serve.

So it’s finally happened; I’ve been struck by the lightning that is abroad sickness. Overseas, it’s inevitable that the native bugs with be enticed by the exotic american body, taking up a residence at their convenience. I thought that after two weeks native, I would be immune; suffice it to say, this was merely wishful thinking. During my war against invaders of my body, I could think of nothing but how to settle my stomach. All of the support of my kind fellow students would do nothing to smother the fire in my body. Water, ginger, medication… they only seemed to make the enemy forces stronger. Dehydrated, crippled and senile, I reach, in the throes of death, for my last resort, a ubiquitous Moroccan foodstuff known as acir, or juice. In this country, juice is made by blending fruit, vegetables and/or nuts along with milk and a sweetener like honey for a pleasing concoction not unlike a light, refreshing blend of milkshake and essence of fruit. But I digress…the second this sweet nectar touched my lips, I immediately began to feel better. After downing half a glass, my constitution improved to the point where I stopped hallucination. After the whole glass, I felt like I had slept for a week. Truly, this medicine from the moroccan kitchen saved my life-at least that’s how it felt at the time. So without further ado, I present my variation of of this refreshing brew.

Moroccan avocado-banana juice

1 avocado, scooped and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 large banana, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yoghurt or skim milk
2 tablespoons honey or like sweetener

-Blend ingredients in food processor or blender until very smooth. Serve chilled with a garnish of fresh mint.

Moroccan carrot-orange juice

2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces and microwaved for 3-4 minutes and left to cool
1 large orange, peeled
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon honey or like sweetener
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

-Blend ingredients until smooth. Serve cool.

Every evening, at 6:53, pious moroccans (and naive students) gather around the table in anticipation of ftour. The has been spent fasting, studying and praying (and often, sleeping until 3-4), and anxious locals are ready to break their ramadan fast. The table is lined from one edge to another with everything from Cebakiah (a sesame-honey cookie) and dates to eggs, flatbreads (melloui, msemen, beghir) Sellou (toasted sesame seeds, almonds, flour and sugar), warm honey and american portions of mint tea (Not to worry, many of these recipes and more are on the way). I reach past these amouse bouche to the crowning achievement of the Moroccan ftour, a huge soup bowl filled with the heavenly soup known as harira. This magically-spiced blend of beans, grains, tomatoes, and varying local additions is the ideal way to reexperience food. Spicy, thick, hearty, earthy..the flavors blend in the mouth to slowly massage away the gnawing pain of hunger. If not for this stew, I would not last one day of fasting.

Sound divine? Well hold your horses, you’ll find my attempt of the recipe below.

Haute Harira

Estimated Time-about 2 1/2 hours, mostly unattended
Servings-8

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 lb of lamb, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, seasoned with salt, pepper and vinegar (optional but traditional)
3/4 cup dry lentils, washed
3/4 cup dry chickpeas, washed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 28 oz can tomato puree
3-4 cups of stock (use more for thinner soup)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2-2 tsp of piment port or other chili powder, according to taste
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
1/2 cup chopped parsley
~salt
~freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten lightly (optional)

-Saute onions, celery and lamb if you are using over medium heat. When onions are transparent, about 5-6 minutes, add beans and continue to saute until vegetables are the color of cider, another 2 minutes.
-Reduce heat to low, deglaze with lemon juice (pour in juice and scrape off the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a spoon or whisk) add tomato, stock and spices and cook, covered for 2 hours.
-5 minutes before serving, add rice, parsley, seasoning and more lemon juice or chili to taste. Optionally, slowly pour the eggs in a constant stream while whisking. This will thicken and enrich the soup, and is traditional, but far from necessary.
-Serve along with rustic bread and mint tea. Enjoy!

Location: Rabat
Greetings from Morocco! I must say, this country is gorgeous; rustic, earthy, and very, very colorful. It’s ramadan now, and every night the city comes alive with infite sights, sounds and smells. Venders are selling figs, dates, prickly pears, fresh orange juice, nuts, beans, pastry, goat-smoked for hours-, smelts, pineapple, mango, fresh goat cheese, raisins, flour, copious amounts of mint tea, chiles, spices…and the air is saturated with the smell of it all. I’ve been fasting the past few days, and plan to continue through the mardi gras month that is ramadan. Though it makes me daydream of 17 pound wheels of cheese, I suspect the food-already incredibly delicious-tastes better because of the prohibition. Last night I had an incredible salad with preserved lemons (a staple in morocco), argan oil (another staple), chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers and greens, coupled with a tagine (a stew cooked in a cone shaped ceramic vessel) of olives, green beans, potatoes, more preserved lemons and cheese, and a dessert of creme caramel (the french influence on the country no doubt.)
Tonight’s dinner consisted of a bean stew w/ tomatoes that tasted like pureed minestrone, a tagine (surprise) of zucchini , beans and olives, and a dessert of frozen vanilla yogurt…I’ll post up some rabat-inspired recipes soon, but right now I have to digest (literally and physically) all that the city has to offer