Ingredients

• 1/4 c. turbinado sugar
• 1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (use the good stuff)
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 lb. blueberries, rinsed (4 c.)
• 1 3/4 lb. plums or pluots, sliced (4 c.)
• 1/4 c. tapioca starch
• 9" pie pan with pie dough, along with 6 extra strips for lattice
• 2 tbsp. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 1 lg. egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp. sugar

Preparation

Make the filling: Combine the first five ingredients. Whisk until the mixture forms a wet paste, then add the fruit and starch. Toss with your hands until thoroughly mixed.

Remove the crust and lattice strips from the fridge. Using a small offset spatula, spread the cream cheese across the bottom of the pie pan. Layer the fruit mixture on top, making sure not to mound it in the center. Dot the filling with the butter cubes.

Weave the lattice strips across the top and finish the crimped edge of the pie. Put the assembled pie into the freezer for a 15-minute rest.

Preheat the oven to 450 degreees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pie on the sheet, brush the lattice and crimped edge with egg. Sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is evenly golden brown. Lower the temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the juices are bubbling in the center.

Remove the pie to a wire rack to cool for 4 to 6 hours and serve.

one of mom’s cookbooks

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp. red pepper flaks
• 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil, plus more as needed
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 c. + 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 6 tbsp. roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• rind of 1/2 orange, in 2" to 3" strips
• 1 lb. ground chicken (or pork)
• 10-12 oz. ramen or udon noodles (pref. fresh)
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped chives

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, combine pepper flakes, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the 1/2 c. oil, peanuts, and orange rind, shaking the pan occasionally, until the peanuts are golden and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour the contents of the skillet over the red pepper mixture (it may splatter) and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and press down into a single layer. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, without stirring, occasionally pressing down, until the bottom is browned, 5-7 minutes. Break the chicken up into small pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 1-2 minutes more.
4. While the chicken cooks, cook the noodles according to package directions, until chewy but not soft. Drain and toss with a bit of sesame oil.
5. Remove and discard the orange rind from the chili oil. Off the heat, add enough chili oil to coat the chicken, scraping up any browned bits. Add noodles and toss, adding more chili oil to fully coat. (If you don’t use it all, you can store it for two weeks in the refrigerator.) Top with chives and serve.

NYT

Ingredients

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter (1¼ stick), melted and cooled slightly, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 cup/180 grams finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup/165 grams packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 cup/240 milliliters canned pumpkin purée
• ½ cup/120 milliliters buttermilk
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/150 milliliters maple syrup
• ¼ cup/15 grams pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter the parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup melted butter, the egg, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, buttermilk and ½ cup maple syrup. Fold in the dry ingredients. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and smooth out the top.

4. Top evenly with the pumpkin seeds. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup.

5. Transfer bread in the pan to a wire rack. While the bread is still warm, brush the entire surface with the butter-maple mixture. Remove the cornbread from the pan using the overhanging parchment, and cut cornbread into pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NYT

Ingredients

• 3 kg of lamb (shoulder or leg of lamb)
• 1 soup spoonful of sweet red pepper
• 1/4 coffee spoonful of hot red pepper
• 1 coffee spoonful of cumin [GM: + 1 of corriander seed]
• 1 pinch of safran
• salt
• 1 soup spoonful of lemon juice
• 50 g of smelted butter
• 5 soup spoonful of olive oil
• 1 glass of water
• [GM: 4 to 5 cloves garlic]

Preparation

Clean and drain the meat, mix the ingredients in the previous order, except for water which will be used to water the meat.

Remove the skin when necessary, tap deeply the fleshy places, mass the meat with that mixture, leave it impregnate if possible for 2 hours

Pour water in the oven plate, place the fleshy side of the meat in the plate of the oven, using a little fire for a long cooking of 2 hours, every 1/4 an hour, water the meat with its own juice, add water if necessary, when almost cooked, return the meat to cook the other side

Serve hot either the met in complete or in individual plates with salad leaves.

The website of the government of Morocco, printed out by my grandmother on November 22, 1999

The Harira is the national soup.

During 30 days of Ramadan, every house prepares this perfumed soup, imprenating the streets of its scent at the sundown

It is eaten along with dates, or honey sweeties (Chabakkia, briouats with almonds and honey).

There are many varieties of this soup, but the classical one is the following. It should be prepared in two times:

1. Bouillon (Bubbling)
2. Tédouira.

Ingredients for Bubbling

• 250g of beef or muton meat cut into little pieces
• juice of 1 lemon
• 4 or 5 little fleshy bones
• 500 g of whole litthe onions
• a half coffee spoonful of safran (half natural and half artificial)
• 1 coffee spoonful of pepper
• 1 butter walnut
• 250 g of lentil
• salt
• 1 & half liter of water for the bubbling

Preparation

Cook the lentil in salted water, darin the juice of 1 citron. Put it apart. Cook the other ingredients in an under cover saucepan on a little fire, after boiling, remove the onions when they are cooked to keep them complete.

1 hour past, verify that meat is cooked then remove it fron fire, put the lentil and the onions in the same container.

Ingredients for Tédouira

• 1 bouquet of coriander
• 1 bouquet of parsley
• 1 kg and a half of moulded tomatoes or 1 box of concentrated and mixed tomatoes in 1 litre and a half of water
• 2 litres and a half of water
• 1 3/4 filled cup tea of lemon juice
• 1 butterwalnut
• 200 g of flour
• salt

Preparation

Boil water with the moulded or concentrated tomatoes, add butter, then boil for quarter an hour, add the bubbling juice over the meat, lentil, onions, ect…in the saucepan.

Out of fire, put the mixed flour in 1 litre of water, while shaking it fast to avoid having clots. Put it back on fire, then shake the mixture till boiling.

Add the parsley and corrainder cut to little pieces or crushed with mortar with the necessary quantity of salt for condiment.

Dilute with 1 liter of water, and pour into the marmite, keep shaking (we can also crush them in a mixer full of water). Verify the condiment and remove it from fire when the soup is very hot.

The harira should be velvety, not thick.

N.B. We can replace meat by the fellings of chiken.

The website of the government of Morocco, printed out by my grandmother on November 22, 1999

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving
• 3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 cup finely diced celery (about 3 stalks)
• ½ cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts (2 to 3 scallions)

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth, then add the dill and parsley and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and using a fork, lightly mash about ⅓ of them. Add the celery and scallions and toss.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with more dill and parsley and serve. (If you’re not serving the dish immediately, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.)

NYT

Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• 1 pound tomatillos (about 9 medium), husked and washed
• 3 medium green bell peppers, halved and destemmed
• 1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 jalapeño, split lengthwise
• 6½ cups chicken broth
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt
• 3 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1 large bunch cilantro (leaves and tender stems), roughly chopped
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ⅓-inch cubes
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced into ⅓-inch cubes
• Cooked white rice, for serving

Preparation

Toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds in a medium pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the sesame seeds start to turn light golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender and pulse until sandy, scraping the sides and stirring as needed. Set aside ground seed mixture.

Set the broiler to high. In a large sheet pan, arrange the whole tomatillos, halved peppers, quartered onion and halved jalapeño, cut sides down, in an even layer. Broil until the skin of the vegetables is soft and blistered, rotating the pan as needed, 6 to 8 minutes.

To a large pot, add the chicken broth, chicken thighs and the blistered jalapeño, bell peppers, onion and tomatillos; bring the mixture to a boil over high. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer it, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes.

While the soup cooks, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the minced garlic and 2 teaspoons salt and fry just until golden, swirling the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside in a medium bowl. Add the scallions and cilantro to the broth. Purée the broth in a blender, or directly in the pot using an immersion blender.

Add the garlic mixture to the large pot with the soup, along with the potatoes, carrots and the ground seed mixture. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender and the soup thickens.

Using two forks, pull the chicken into small chunks or bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken back into the soup to warm it, and add more salt to taste.

To serve, scoop cooked rice into a small cup and invert it into a bowl; surround with soup. The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

NYT

Ingredients

For the Topping:

• 4 tablespoons / 55 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
• Flour, for dusting
• ½ cup / 110 grams light or dark brown sugar, packed
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 8 medium apricots, rinsed and dried (about 1 pound)

For the Cake:

• 1 cup / 130 grams all-purpose flour
• ½ cup / 55 grams almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons / 85 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup / 135 grams granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup / 120 milliliters whole milk

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the topping: Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt. Spread the brown sugary mix in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
2. Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Arrange the apricots, flesh-side down, evenly over the bottom of the pan.
3. Prepare the cake batter: Add the flour to a medium bowl. Sift in the almond flour, then use your fingertips to break up any clumps that don’t fit through the sieve. Add the baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine.
4. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium until combined and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
5. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then ½ of the milk, mixing to combine. Continue alternating the additions of flour and milk and mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl, just until all is combined. (Make sure not to overmix during this step.)
6. Spread the batter in an even layer over the apricot halves. Bake until the cake is set and doesn’t jiggle when shaken, is golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
7. Remove pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. With the cake still in the pan, turn the pan over onto a serving platter. Wait 1 minute, then remove the pan. This cake is excellent warm, but it’s also delicious at room temperature.

NYT

Ingredients

• ¾ cup/177 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
• ½ cup/118 milliliters Earl Grey tea, or use coffee, dry red wine, orange juice or water
• ½ cup/50 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/135 grams all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring tea or other liquid to a simmer, then turn off heat. Whisk in cocoa, cinnamon and salt until smooth, then set aside to cool.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, olive oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat for about 3 minutes. Reduce speed and pour in cocoa mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Gradually beat in flour and baking soda until just incorporated.

4. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until the sides are set but it’s still slightly damp in the center, 35 to 45 minutes. A cake tester should come up clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it. Transfer cake pan to a wire rack and let cake cool completely in pan.

NYT

Ingredients

for the sauce:

• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons cognac

for the dish:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces lobster meat, diced
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• White pepper
• 4 prepared vol au vent shells
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preparation

1. For the Orange Cognac Sauce: In a medium saucepan over high heat combine the orange juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat until nearly evaporated. Add the stock, heavy cream, and cognac. Boil for minute, remove from the heat, and set aside.

2. For the Lobster Vol au Vent: Preheat a saucepan over high heat until very hot. Add the olive oil, then the lobster meat, mushrooms, shallots, tarragon, and white pepper, to taste, while stirring to combine ingredients. Add 1/2 cup of the Orange Cognac Sauce and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce to a simmer.

3. Spoon reduced mixture into prepared shells, drizzle with remaining orange cognac sauce, and garnish with parsley leaves.

Food Network