Marrakesh: and a tale of Peacock Pavilions & Moroccan recipes in Food & Wine Magazine

Dear Friends,

There's a 12 pages feature in the January 2013 issue of Food & Wine Magazine on a special Moroccan dinner party I hosted at Peacock Pavilions, with friend and chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza fame (the first Moroccan restaurant to receive a Michelin Star).  (Pinch me!)

Recipes! Inspiration! Magic!  Oui.....

It was a night to remember.  The food was so very beautiful and so very delicious. And I was thrilled that it was styled with my collection of dishes and cutlery as well as patterns I stenciled from Royal Design Studio. 

Silky Eggplant Soup with Baby Peas and Radishes 

Toasted Farro and Scallions with Cauliflower and Egg

Braised Squid with Chermoula, Olives and Pine Nuts

Pick up a copy of the January Food & Wine Magazine on your newstands and throw your very own Moroccan dinner party!  It's a perfect way to take up that New Year's resolution, Spend more quality time with the friends and family you love (and if that's not your New Year's resolution, maybe it should be!).

Many, many thanks to the uber-talented team that helped put the story together: Writer Gisela Williams, Photographer Lisa Linder, Photography Assistant Rita Platt, Food Stylist Susie Theodorou, Assistant Food Stylist Camillia Baynham  and of course, Mourad Lahlou (You can also purchase Mourad's cookbook, Mourad: New Moroccan right here.)  

With love from an olive grove in Marrakech,

          Maryam

PS Also check out this story by the adorable and stylish Brittany Cobb about Peacock Pavilions and Moroccan Design in the Dallas Morning News.

Marrakech: and a tale of Christmas in Morocco or anywhere

My parents -- one from Iran and the other from New York -- weren't and aren't particularly religious. So when I was young, I didn't spend a lot of time in mosque or church. That said, growing up, Christmas was always an important holiday in my home.  My mother possesses a prodigious number of ornaments, and we loved trimming the tree. Christmas meals were always memorable and after gorging ourselves, my family and I sometimes headed to midnight mass at the Unitarian church down the street -- mostly to steep ourselves in the candle light and singing. 

It's easy to forget about Christmas in Marrakech, especially if one runs a little inn, like we do.  It's high season, after all, and travellers are flocking to the red city.  But -- although it makes lousy business sense -- we are closed at Peacock Pavilions. Because, after all, some things are more important than business.  

So I'm wishing you a very happy holiday season from France {and Switzerland}.  We're here with our best friends and our collective passle of children.  We'll be heading to Verbier to ski, drink too much egg nog, and generally make merry.  

It feels like Christmas.  

{And lest you think I have forgotten the Christmas spirit, Moroccan-style, I sourced hundreds of Moroccan lanterns for the holiday windows in all of Tory Burch's stores.  Pass by and take a peek, if there's a store near you. I think they look very festive:-)}

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Marrakech: and a tale of my jewelry

I was sitting in a Marrakech cafe having lunch.  As I walked across the patio a hand reached out to grab my arm.  It was a a French designer I knew.  He smiled and said, My friend asked who the woman was with the beautiful rings.  Apparently, that woman was me:-)

And so, I thought I'd show you some of my jewelry stash...

organized in sterling silver boxes....

and stored in a snake print jewelry case from Zara Home and in vintage Moroccan hammam bowls...

The sterling flower brooch is from Bouvier.

The gold & silver scarab ring is from the Azza Fahmy Nostalgia collection.

Bracelets by Liz Manyan & Stephanie Allman.

Necklaces from vintage Sudanese glass beads.

Old heavy Moroccan Berber bangles.

My collection of dangly sterling silver earrings from Bouvier.

Antique talismanic rings from Yemen and Tuareg agate rings from Mali.

Bronze Egyptian bird ring & labrodorite ring.

Leather wrap bracelet & tortoise cuff from Tory Burch.

Rings stored on hand etched mannequin hands, sold HERE .

 Would love to hear tales of your jewelry.  Do tell...

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Marrakech: and a tale of a J Crew shoot for Madewell at Peacock Pavilions

They arrived at Peacock Pavilions, 18 of them --a crew from the UK, from Japan, from Canada, from the US.... and, well, from J Crew.... (Can it be?  Pinch me!) 

With their cameras....

and with their huge screens set up in our olive grove...

They were at Peacock Pavilions to keep a watchful eye on their model, Alana...

And watch her they did....

There was hair....

And there was makeup...

And by the light of the moon, by the light of the stars...

Alana was transformed.....(but I can't show you those pictures.  You'll have to wait for the Madewell April lookbook....)

Suddenly Madewell gave a whole new meaning to what it is to be in  Marrakesh by design....

Special thanks to the adorable Tara Rehak from J Crew!

PS New stock of gorgeous Moroccan handiras (wedding blankets) and Beni Ouarain carpets in Red Thread Souk.  Check it out!