Marrakech: and a tale of Thanksgiving at Peacock Pavilions

Oh just because we live in Morocco doesn't mean that we don't celebrate Thanksgiving.  

And so it was that invitations were made...and the Peacock Pavilions kitchen was abuzz....with good food.

We gathered in the salon where a fire was roaring.

There was a late harvest cocktail and appetizers:

* pears wrapped in prosciutto and arugula, with shaved parmesan drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette

* white bean paste crostini with black Hawaiian sea salt 

* mini zucchini cakes (zucchini, toasted bread crumbs, scallions) with a dot of spiced yogurt 

Then we moved to the Peacock Pavilions dining tent and friends filled their plates....

 

We sat at low tables that had been dressed for the occasion.

We dug in...

The menu included:

*2 kinds of turkey, one smoked and one slathered with organic honey, and two accompanying gravies & cranberry relish

* Roasted pumpkin with sage brown butter sauce (made with pumpkin from our garden instead of squash)  

* Mashed potatoes with crispy shallots (We added roasted garlic as well as toasted garlic.)

* Sauteed parsnips with dates and spiced yogurt

* Roasted brussel sprouts with garlic and onion 

* Green bean and roasted red pepper salad in a sherry vinaigrette

* Wild rice with mushrooms

We went around the table and gave thanks, all 20 of us.

We were thankful for friends & family, a freshly elected president and even a book that had been published.  We were also grateful we weren't living in Gaza and our hearts went out to families living in conflict.....

One 13 year old boy was thankful there were girls in his class....

While another thirteen year old was grateful that we had evolved from homo sapiens to be the very people we are today...

And after the gratitude there was....dessert:  

* pumpkin pie made from scratch (no canned pumpkin here) with whipped cream

* apple tart with vanilla ice cream

And tea, of course.

Why we ate so much that even the fancy dogs that had been invited for Thanksgiving could barely roll out the door....

Happy Thanksgiving to you no matter where you live today and every day....

PS  Merci to Michelle, Alexia, Bob, Lise and Kimo for all their help in making this Thanksgiving so delicious and pretty.  You all are swell.

Cairo Kitchen: and a tale of where to eat in Cairo Egypt

I was born in Cairo to a mother who made food only from scratch. Nothing from boxes, nothing from cans, nothing with tiny print on industrial packaging.

just. good. food.

And so when I heard about Cairo Kitchen from friend and author Rawah Badrawi, I thought that perhaps it was the place for me.

I was right.

The restaurant itself is small but charming with a sea of tiling, a beautiful tin ceiling, a terraced seating area, and darling red stools.

But let's talk about the food.  The menu is simple and very reasonably priced.

Everything lovingly prepared in colorful, happy casseroles...

dished out by chefs who seem genuinely pleased to see you....

You can have a lemonade with a splash of rosewater or perhaps a hibiscus juice.

Can food taste cozy?  Apparently, yes....

No wonder some of the clients have a hard time controlling their enthusiasm....

Cairo Kitchen

118, 26th July Street, Entrance on Aziz Osman Street
Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt.

Phone: 0227354000

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Marrakech: and a tale of night life or where to have a drink in Marrakech

Dear friends,

It's my birthday today.   I'm going to celebrate with friends later this week.  But for now, I thought I'd share a few images from recent evenings in my hometown: at So (sponsored by the darling girls at Madame à Marrakech) and at Bo & Zin.  These are good places to have a drink & listen to music if you're in Marrakech. 

So Night Lounge
Rue Haroun Errachid,
Hivernage. Marrakech

+212 656 515 009

Bo & Zin

3.5 Km, Route de l'Ourika

Marrakech

+212 (0) 524 388 012

xo

Maryam

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London: and a tale of Bill's or a style of your own

I was thinking about how easy it is to lose ourselves and to look like others.  How immersed we can be in our tear sheets, Pinterest images, and Etsy surfing, copying "looks", recreating interiors, and remaking crafts.  How all this inspiration can provoke a dull sameness, and all this sharing lead to a sort of viral handmade factory production.  The truth is that a tweak here or there doesn't make it your (or my) own.

So today here's to calling forth our ideal selves.  To a you that is really you, and a me that is really me, if only a bit shinier, more creative and more generous.

                                                              Let's all dig deep.

PS On BlogTour with Modenus, Sponsor Mr. Steam took us to Bill's for breakfast.  Sort of like a styled stage set but somehow homey and original. I liked it.

Bill's

13 Slingsby Place, St Martin's Courtyard WC2E 9AB

8am-11pm Mon-Fri; 9am-11pm Sat; 9am-10.30pm Sun

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