I posted this appreciation last year and the sentiment remains—my mother is strong and resourceful —she inspires me and I think of her often.

In the Muslim world we have a saying, “Paradise is at the feet of mothers.” What I love about my mother is her sense of humor—she is always cracking jokes. She’s a good storyteller, and whenever I go back home I discover a little more about my own family just by drinking some mint tea with her.

My mom is one of the strongest women I’ve ever met.

At the age of 14 and almost illiterate, she married my dad and had four kids. They divorced when she was 23, and my mom lived a dozen years in poverty while she was learning how to survive. She taught herself how to count and write, and even learned the profession of tailoring and embroidery.

She turned down marriage offers from other men, even though they were capable of supporting her financially. Her experience made her a strong and independent woman. And throughout all this, she kept telling jokes and sharing her good sense of humor with others.

One thing I remember about her is that she always keeps a small jar of pure honey stored away, and another jar of Zamzam water from Mecca, the holiest city of Islam. Doctor Mom has always believed that a spoonful of honey can literally save a sick person’s life. The holy water is there to drink or wash a part of your forehead when you’re dying  – or think you are! The way I look at it, it’s the best hospice program you can ask for. But I say, if you want to live longer in Morocco, take a spoonful of honey and skip the Zamzam water!

This is a great opportunity to show your support for those living with HIV/AIDS in our community. On Thursday, April 26, Kous Kous will donate 25% of our sales to The Center’s HIV/AIDS services and prevention programs. Dining Out for Life is an annual dining fundraising event that raises money for AIDS service organizations.

Nearly everyone knows someone whose life has been touch by HIV/AIDS. Dining Out for Life is a national event with a local focus. All the funds raised will stay in our community to help those who need it the most. Won’t you join Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro on Thursday, April 26th as we help to support this important cause?

To whet your appetite, here are a few of our delicious Moroccan dishes (there are many more items to chose from on menu pages), all made with love and the finest ingredients:

• Chicken Kabob:Char grilled chicken skewers with ginger, garlic and fresh herb marinade
• Shrimp Kabob: Shrimp skewers, tomato Sharmoula sauce
• Beef Kabob: Filet mignon skewer with ginger, garlic and fresh herb marinade
• Merguez: Grilled, spiced Lamb sausage with a ginger garlic butter sauce
• Veggie Berber Tagine: Slow roasted seasonal vegetables in a tomato paprika and ginger marinade
• Vegetarian Stuffed Tomato & Bell Pepper Tagine: Sweet corn, rice and green beans, roasted in a Moroccan tomato sauce
• Chicken Tagine: Braised in garlic, ginger and saffron sauce, with olives, and preserved lemon
• Berber Lamb Shank Tagine: Slow braised with saffron, cumin, garlic, preserved lemon, and seasonal vegetables

And much more!

Ask  your family and friends to join you for dinner and wine or cocktails at Kous Kous this Thursday night.

Let’s raise a fork to support The Center’s HIV/AIDS prevention programs and services and those living with HIV/AIDS in San Diego.

We’ll see you at Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro & Lounge!

Lemons, a key ingredient in Moroccan cuisine

At Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro & Lounge, we are excited to welcome spring and warmer weather.

It’s a great time to get out, stroll around our unique neighborhood, Hillcrest, and stop in for a delicious specialty cocktail, like our house favorite, the Moroccan Kiss, along with one of our delicious tagines, kabobs, or something from our new Moroccan Feast menu.

We’ve added a new option to our Moroccan Feast line-up just in time for spring, the Surf and Turf.

All Moroccan Feast menus are prix fixe and served family-style for a group—whether large or small.

Grab a few of your closest friends and family for an impromptu dinner party and join us at Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro and Lounge—we look forward to sharing delicious Moroccan food and great stories with you soon!

Celebrate Romance, Moroccan-style at Kous Kous

$45 per person

~ Appetizers ~
Small plate platter (with grilled pita)

Zaalouk, Roasted Eggplant flavored with cumin,
olive oil, and lemon preserves

Shak-Shouka, Roasted tomatoes and marinated bell peppers

B’stilla, Moroccan filo pastry filled with Saffron Chicken,
rose water and honey-glazed almonds

~ Main Dishes ~
Served family style

Whole wheat cous cous, tossed in thyme preserved butter and
garnished with caramelized raisins and garbanzo beans

Chicken Tagine, Braised half chicken in garlic and ginger with saffron sauce,
green olives, and lemon preserves

Berber lamb, Slow braised with saffron, cumin, baby carrots and green beans

Fish/Seafood, Roasted Tagine style in our tomato “sharmoula” ragout

Saffron rice

~ Dessert ~
Orange blossom vanilla bean custard, honey-glazed strawberries, and truffles

The pot itself is made of two parts; a round, shallow dish similar to a pie dish, and a cone-shaped lid designed to keep condensation in. The moisture kept inside the tajine creates a slow-cooking environment with tender, fall-apart meats and juicy vegetables. Pots are typically constructed of heavy clay, although some manufacturers are now making them of cast iron or aluminum. The tajine pot is used over a stovetop or in the oven. When the meal is ready, the lid is removed and food is eaten straight from the dish.

As a meal, the word tajine refers to a Moroccan stew made with poultry, lamb, goat, or fish, or sometimes a combination of meats. Other tajines are entirely vegetarian, but all are seasoned with a wide variety of spices and other flavorings, such as preserved lemon.

At Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro, we have a number of delicious tajines on the menu. Come and visit us today and we will be happy to make a recommendation or tell you more about this important cultural dish!

The blossoms on Seville oranges. Image courtesy of Feminine Things.

Among the many wonderful scents and flavors you’re likely to experience in Morocco is orange blossom water. This common ingredient in Arab and Mediterranean cooking can either be made combining distilled water with essential oil from orange blossoms (aka neroli oil), or from the water remaining after a steam distillation to produce an essential oil. This second product is known as a hydrosol and has several therapeutic and household applications.

Because it is extremely fragrant, a little orange blossom water goes a long way in cooking. Orange blossom water is commonly used in Moroccan desserts, and it can also take the unpleasant taste out of hard drinking water. When entering a host’s home, guests are sometimes given a jar of orange blossom water to wash and freshen their hands before sitting down to a cup of hot mint tea.

Commercial brands of orange blossom water. Image courtesy of Gourmet Warrior.

In Morocco, orange blossom water is called ilma zaghar. A few uses for this wonderful ingredient are:

~ flavoring drinks from tea and coffee to cocktails

~ baking into pastries and cakes

~ scenting creams and custards

~ drizzling over fresh fruit

Please join us for our signature cocktail, the Moroccan Kiss, which features a whisper of the delicate orange blossom water. You’ll fall in love!

High altitudes and a dry, sunny climate make Morocco an ideal growing region. And unlike other parts of northern Africa, proximity to the Atlantic prevent the vines from becoming too hot. It is believed that Phoenicians first brought winemaking to Morocco, and many of those wines were exported to the Roman empire. Later, French colonists perfected the trade with their expertise in large-scale viticulture.

Morocco contains five winemaking regions over 30,000 acres of vineyards, with Meknès as its capital. Primarily known for reds, Morocco produces about 75 percent Carignan, Cinsaut, Alicante and Grenache varietals, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Rosé and vin gris account for about 20 percent, and the remaining white grapes include Clairette, Muscat, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc.

At Kous Kous, we carry a number of Moroccan wines, including one of my favorites, CB Initiales Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine pairs perfectly with our beef tajine, grilled Merguez sausages and stuffed tomato and bell peppers. Our importer, Exotic Imports LLC, describes this wine as “dark in color with garnet hues. Bright green tinged (pepper/herbs), black fruits with black cherry and cassis and slightly sweet oak. The wine is firmly tannic, well balanced and tightly wound with an old world charm.”

references: Wikipedia, Marketplace, Travel-Exploration

The famous tree-climbing goats of Morocco

If you travel to the south of Morocco, you’re likely to see some strange trees growing there. Or rather, some strange tree inhabitants. The trees are argan, and their unlikely companions are goats.

Because food in this region is scarce, the goats have adapted to climb the argan trees for their bright yellow, olive-sized fruit. After the goats have digested the fruit, they expel pits which contain kernels that are ground to produce a highly valuable, nutty argan oil.

A plantation of argans, photo from Wikipedia Commons

These ancient trees date back to the earth’s Tertiary Period, 1.6 million years ago. They live to be around 150-200 years old, and grow in few other places in the world. Unfortunately, overgrazing by goats and chopping by local people for firewood has cut the number of argan trees to half of what it was 50 years ago. But their preservation is now underway, thanks to the 10,000-square-mile UNESCO-protected Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, located between the Atlantic and the Atlas Mountains.

Berber women producing argan oil in the traditional method, photo from Wikipedia Commons

The Berber people have had a longstanding relationship with argan trees, using them for animal feed, oil, timber and fuel. Today, argan oil is still extracted by Berber women through traditional methods, and the majority of oil sold commercially is produced by the UCFA (Union des Cooperatives des Femmes de l’Arganeraie) women’s collective. This and other collectives provide healthcare, education and other forms of vital support to the community. They also plant new argan trees to ensure continued economic growth and development for the Berber people.

Argan goats are quite fearless!

On a large production scale, the almond-shaped argan kernels are collected not from goats, but during May-August, when there is a ban on grazing. Exported oil is pressed using sanitary, modern methods. When argan seeds are roasted, the oil has a number of culinary purposes. It is used for dipping bread, drizzling over couscous, and dressing salads, meat and fish. Unroasted oil, rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, is a valuable cosmetic. It is used to make massage oil and anti-aging cosmetics as well as treat skin diseases.

Sources: Wikipedia, New York Times

What is referred to as mint tea or ataiis actually Chinese gunpowder green tea that is steeped with mint leaves and sugar. It is served in ornately decorated glasses rather than traditional Western teacups or mugs, and Moroccan teapots are usually made of brass or silver.

The ritual of mint tea preparation involves several steps, and Moroccans take great pride in steeping the best cup of mint tea. A little bragging and friendly competition is not uncommon! After the pot has been warmed, the tea and mint leaves rinsed and steeped, and the sugar dissolved, the tea is poured from the pot into a glass, then back into the pot, about three times to perfectly distribute the sugar.Three servings of tea often come from one pot, and each serving gains a unique character from the length of time the tea and mint leaves have been steeping together.

A famous proverb on these three steeps of tea goes

The first glass is as bitter as life,
the second glass is as strong as love,
the third glass is as gentle as death.

When you visit Kous Kous, be sure to ask for a pot of mint tea to round out your meal and eat like a true Moroccan! For the more daring, we also offer The Scheherazade- hot mint tea spiked with brandy.

Sources: Wikipedia and others

Photos courtesy of Cilantro Online, gourmandise, and National Geographic.