Hello everyone,
It has been over two weeks since we came back from our five weeks of travelling around the world, eating, drinking and having a good time. If you followed my Instagram posts, you would know that we literally did a round the world trip, starting in Morocco, then Italy, Cuba, South America and then back across the ocean to New Zealand and finally home to Australia.
Anyhow, I am over it now and ready to tell you all about our holidays, starting with Morocco.
Our first stop was in Casablanca. We took the advice of our friends who have been to this city before not to spend more then two days and that is what we planned. We landed at the airport in the middle of the night and went straight to our small boutique hotel, Hotel and Spa Le Doge, situated within walking distance of the Old Medina.
It was furnished and styled in a true Art-Deco fashion
with plush sofas and curtains, beautiful stained glass windows, a spiral
staircase covered in red velvet and brightly painted rooms, each was decorated
in its own distinctive style and was given a name. Ours was painted
emerald green and called La Tempica.
Breakfast was served on a terrace on the top of
the building which provided a sweeping view over Casablanca. After
breakfast, we set out on foot to visit the Old
Medina (traditionally the old walled part of a North
African town), one of the "must see" places in Casablanca.
As we entered the main square of the Medina
through one of the multiple entrances, it felt that as if we had stepped into
the world of 1001 Arabian nights. We were deafened by the noises coming
from the donkeys tied up to the posts everywhere, shop-keepers selling their
wares, loud sounds of motorbike horns coming from the riders dashing up and
down along the narrow and winding paths on full throttle and above all these
noises, the overpowering voice calling believers to prayers coming from the
mosque's loudspeakers which can be heard all over the city.
The next few hours we spent zigzagging up and
down narrow streets looking at the historical and monumental buildings,
watching women choosing their fruit and vegetables spread in abundance on the
tables of the market holders, smelling the exotic spices and sampling the dried
figs and apricots, marinated olives and locally baked bread.
"
IF YOU ASK ME WHAT WAS THE MAIN REASON
WE CAME TO MOROCCO, I WOULD SAY ITS FOOD
"
By lunch time our senses went into complete overload and we decided to leave the Medina and have lunch at the famous Rick's Cafe, designed to recreate the bar where Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman met in the movie classic, Casablanca.
The lunch gave us much needed energy to continue our explorations so we set our feet to the other landmark that is a "must see" while in Casablanca, Hassan II Mosque. It is the largest mosque in Morocco and 13th largest in the world, its beautifully ornate minaret stands tall to 210 meters and the tallest in the world. Its other distinctive feature, though totally unrelated to the religion, is that it is one of not many mosques in the world that opens its doors for non-Muslim visitors, however you are not allowed to wander inside on your own so we joined the English speaking guided tour that which takes place few times a day.
The following day we took a cab to the Quartie Habous, a small village lined
with shops and eateries, where French influence is blended with the traditional
Moroccan way of life projected in the architecture and design of this area.
After strolling through the artisan markets of
the Quartie, we stopped at lunch in
one of the well known restaurants called Resto
Zayna for a delectable Moroccan lunch.
followed by the sublime pastries that we bought at Pattiserie Bennis Habous. I really have
a sweet tooth for good pastry and when I first walked in into this sweet
heaven, I was mesmerised by the aromas coming from the shelves covered with
trays and trays of pastries that literally had just come out of the oven in
front of our eyes. I wanted them all, luckily for me I just had my lunch
and wasn't feeling very hungry, so instead I settled for a small box of
samples. Needless to say, they were divine.
As we were leaving Casablanca the next day, we
decided to have an early night and had dinner at the La Jasmine restaurant at out
hotel. We started with a mezze, a collection of small
dishes that tantalise your taste buds and enhance your appetite, followed by
traditionally cooked meat dish and a trio of refreshing ice-cream to share.
If you ask me what was the main reason to come to Morocco, I
would say my love for Middle Eastern food. I love the smell of spices,
the vibrancy of colours and most importantly, the spices and the taste of the
dishes of this region and quite often cook them myself to the delight of my
family and friends.
On this note, I would like to share with you a recipe Moroccan Lamb Stew. This dish is full of the exotic flavours of the Moroccan souks that will fill your kitchen with wonderful aromas and put happy smiles on the faces of your fellow diners.
You can find this recipe
and many more in MY COSMOPOLITAN KITCHEN,
a collection of dishes from all over the world, inspired by my travels,
experiences and the multicultural diversity of Australian food and which, with
great delight, I would love to share with you.
Enjoy!!!
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