Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco | Ghillie Basan | Simple recipes for wonderful food

Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco | Ghillie Basan | I love the food photos....

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Tagine: Spicy Stew...

	Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco Ghillie Basan Ryland Peters & Small, 2007 - 64 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Few meals are more satisfying than a hearty tagine--the rich, fragrant Moroccan stew that is served from its own elegant cooking vessel, also called a tagine. Meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables are simmered gently in the steam of the pot's conical lid, and the food, deliciously flavored with spices and fruit, remains tender and moist. In Ghillie Basan's collection of aromatic tagines you will find some of the best-loved classics of the Moroccan kitchen, such as Lamb Tagine with Prunes, Apricots, and Almonds, and the tangy Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Lemon. Also included are less traditional but equally delectable recipes for beef and meatball tagines. If you enjoy a succulent fish dish, you can try Monkfish Tagine with Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, and Olives, or Red Mullet with Lemon and Mint. For vegetarians there is a varied choice, from a sweet, syrupy tagine of Yams, Carrots, and Prunes to a summery dish of Artichoke Hearts with Peas and Saffron. *Every recipe includes suggestions for accompaniments and side dishes. *The perfect introduction to the distinctive tastes of Morocco.

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Simple recipes for wonderful food

If you own a tagine, you need this book. If you don't own one, you are missing out. They are a great way to cook and the food is simply beautiful. If you love Mococcan food then this recipe book is a must have.

I love the food photos....

I have always loved Middle Eastern meals and have developed a fondness Moroccan food and all it's specialized cookware in particular. And cooking it and collecting the cookbooks. I am in the process of collecting all cookbooks from this author for the simple reason that you often hear "You eat with you eyes also." "Ghille," of Turkish descent understands this and her cookbook photos with the help of a series of professional photographers not only help you see your "goal" in a dish that may be brand new to you but they inspire you to try this dish as many of these photos will make you salivate with anticipation. And there is a picture for each dish. Visuals are an important feature I consider when determining which cookbook to purchase. Cooking starts long before you make a list of ingredients to purchase. Ghille instills a visual "crave" anticipation before the delightful aromas and tastes of the food are experienced. I like "prolonged anticipation" when I cook. Her cookbooks continue to get better.

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Delicious things.

We've been picking out a tagine or two to prepare each week... and so far all have been absolutely delicious! Because some of the items must cook slowly to enhance the flavors, I imagine it would be difficult to overcook anything-- yay for me! There is a middle eastern market near my house where I have been able to get some of the unique spices and ingredients. I have also found there are plenty of spice retailers online if you don't have access to such a market near you. The book admits there are some not-so-traditional tagines included, like the creamy shellfish tagine. Totally delicious, however. There was one recipe with saffron in the title, but saffron could not be found listed ANYWHERE in the recipe. I found that perplexing. Still, I rate this book 4-stars as it has brought new culinary delights to our table and tummies!

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Perhaps this would be more popular if it were called "Simple Stews"

This is an extremely nice set of recipes, all of which were designed to be cooked in a tagine. The title's implication is that if you aren't serious enough to buy one of the conical cookpots, this probably isn't for you (the way a Waffle Cookbook expects you to own a waffle iron); but I have zero problems cooking these dishes in an ordinary chicken fryer, and I can't see that I'm missing anything. (Mind you I wouldn't *mind* one of those pretty tagines, but it hasn't become a necessity yet.) Basically, these are stews or braises... which sounds much less intimidating and exotic, doesn't it?

If you own a general Moroccan cookbook (I have and like Cooking at the Kasbah, plus I've read a few others) you'll certainly find a few tagine recipes, but most of the overview cookbooks stick with a few standards. (Unfortunately for me, that usually means lamb and/or olives, neither of which we eat.) With 25 tagine recipes in this collection, obviously there is a wider range, and not all of them will make you point and say, "Oh, I need to go to the middle-east market to make that!"

For example, the recipe I made so far -- spicy chicken tagine with apricots, rosemary and ginger -- uses ingredients you can find at your local grocery store. It was also breathlessly easy to throw together for a midweek supper: saute onion, rosemary, ginger, chiles; throw in a cinnamon stick; brown the chicken thighs; add a few more items (such as dried apricots and a can of tomatoes) and simmer for 40 minutes. Serve with couscous. I won't need to tell you to smack your lips and say, "Yum!"

A few recipes do call for typical Moroccan ingredients, such as the chile-spice paste call harissa (which you can buy in gourmet markets, if you don't feel like following the author's recipe) and preserved lemons (also available in gourmet markets, though they're *really* easy to make if you happen to find a decent price for a bag of lemons).

There are 6 lamb tagines (such as one with quinces, figs, and honey), 3 beef tagines (one has beets and oranges), 3 chicken, 4 fish, and so on. The 6 vegetarian options don't turn me on all that much (though "baby eggplants with cilantro and mint" sounds good), so I wouldn't encourage a vegetarian to buy this book. Every recipe has a photo of the finished dish.

Overall, though, this is a nice little cookbook -- and you don't have to buy any hardware before you invest in it.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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