the best razor clams: a cinnamon tinged country

 razor clams It’s pretty rare to see razor clams at a fishmonger. Even in France. So when I saw them in the central Market in Casablanca, I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Look she has couteaux (razor clams)! Lets get some.” They hadn’t had any the day before. “We’ll take 12 couteaux.” Zoubida counted out loud…

Sqala: mise en bouche

  The Kemia Mauresque, were actually a selection of cooked vegetables that the waiter told us were Moroccan salads. All served cold. Artichoke (farthest away) with tomato was delicately spicy. Tender artichokes. Seemed generally typical of Mediterranean cuisine, something the southern Italians might do. The sautéed spinach with candied lemon (2nd farthest away) was much…

Mosconi-a ray of Italian sunshine in the Grund of Luxembourg

The Grund has something of a Latin feel to it. The Latin quarter of Luxembourg. Winding little streets-if only a few of them. Small houses. People walking around. Somewhat of a night life. And a true taste of Italy…. Da Mosconi is not just any Italian restaurant. It is a vibrating expression of the place…

Recipes for Port: Tuna steak with black Italian rice, spices and cherry/beetroot sauce

    We cooked the black rice* with salt and pepper and then incorporated curcuma, cinnamon and mild curry.  Into the rice we also added some cherry/beetroot purée that we had made (just pitted cherries, cooked beetroot and a little water to thin it out). We pan seared the tuna with salt and ample black…

Recipes for Port: Pan fried Calves liver with cherry and beetroot sauce

    We pan fried small portions of calves’ liver with salt, pepper and olive oil. We kept the heat high enough to get the outside of the liver crispy (bitterness) on the outside and keep a soft rare center (sweetness). We took the liver out of the pan and deglazed the pan with old…

Recipes for Port: Salad on a spoon: Sardines, melon and cherries

    Sounds wild, I know. But it works like a charm. The sardines are a tribute to Portuguese tradition. (And they do grow a lot of cherries in Portugal, I don’t know about melons…) Fresh sardine fillets cut into 1inch/1 inch squares pan fried with ample amounts of salt and pepper. They should be…

Recipes for Port:Sautéed chicken gizzards with baby spring potatoes and boiled beets

            Gésiers with potato and beet Use either confit gizzards or  gizzards that have been cooked for a long time. The gizzards must be really soft and really cooked so that their sweetness comes out. The spices we used were: Cinnamon, cumin, ginger powder, curcuma, mild curry, salt and pepper. The key to the recipe…