A Moroccan supper
I learned a lot of things making this meal. The first thing was just how wonderful a resource the internet can be and how many dedicated cooks there are who are publishing about food with no hope of recompense. With the exception of the babaganouj, which I have made most of my life, everything I made was made to a recipe I got off the internet. Every single recipe was good. I think I might even consider every recipe I used my “go to” recipe for the item any time I make it again.
It amazes me that one can buy these somewhere
Spanikopita made into individual triangles was delicious, even if I set the smoke alarm off three times with burning butter that dripped onto the oven floor. If my baking sheet had had sides, like a jellyroll pan, that wouldn't have happened. I'm sure there would have been some smoke, but not the little smudge pot that formed and smoked all through all the cooking I did. Fortunately, all the real cooking was done when I made the spanikopita, with only the heating of the bread and the carved meat left to do.
I love dried fave, but these are even nicer
Broad Bean (fava) salad, or Bessara, was a revelation. It is absolutely delicious and how much healthier can you get than something that is mostly cooked dried beans? The zataar I made to go on top of it is so good I have made it again today so I can use it on my Christmas Dinner vegetable offering. That site is an Australian cookery site, another country worth checking out culinarily.
a family favorite among i miei
The babaganouj, another food with many spellings, was made as I always make it and served as I always do. It was the one familiar recipe on the table. Just roast two large eggplants/aubergines, well-pricked with a cooking fork, until they are soft and cooked. Remove them to a colander and peel as soon as you can touch them. Use a knife to crisscross the flesh into small chunks and leave it to drain for a while. In a large bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of Sesame Tahini (in Italy buy this at an Arab butcher shop) with 1 teaspoon of salt and the juice of 1 lemon (you should have grated the skin off this for the zataar) mixing it together with a fork. It will swell up and turn pale. If it seems too stiff, add a bit of cold water. Add the flesh of the eggplant and mix well. Spread onto a plate, and drizzle olive oil over it. That plate of babaganouj is garnished with a few strips of roasted red pepper.
I did not take a photograph of the lamb because it looked like every leg of lamb I have made and published here. The flavor, on the other hand, was incredible. I just loved what chermoula does for lamb, and I am a lamb lover anyway. In order to make the chermoula I had to make harissa, and that was fabulous, too. I plan to make it all the time and keep it in the fridge in small quantities.
The cous cous was a simple vegetarian style, just homemade broth and cous cous from the store with the addition of green beans. I dotted the top with buttons of butter as my Moroccan hostess had done when I ate with her.
The galaktoboureko was every bit as good as it looked. I must say, however, that I'd try it without the syrup another time. There is something a bit more amazing about custard enclosed in a crunchy pastry than custard enclosed in damp, sweet leaves.
Tilda attended the party, too
The required stories were all vastly amusing, the company delightful. The longest night of the year was never shorter. I woke up the next morning with the thought that we are now climbing toward spring, and I was happy.
