It's funny how sometimes life intersects in the most unusual ways. Last month - it was my turn to select the cooking theme for May's BITE gathering. Several weeks ago I came across a recipe for Chicken B'stilla, which then became the inspiration for May's Morocco. Not long after choosing this, my book group selected the story The Tenth Gift, by Jane Johnson. A good portion of the novel takes place in Morocco and Moroccan food is woven abundantly into the tale. All of this was pure coincidence - but a very pleasant one. Add to this another coincidence - two of the food blogs that I enjoy reading (and you will find on my side bar) happened to focus on Morocco the very day that we had our dinner - check out Crepes of Wrath (5/21) and Global Table Adventure (5/21).
From my last BITE write-up, you may recall my sincere disappointment with the photos that I took of our Malaysian themed food. Sadly - I'm not sure that the pictures below show much improvement - though truth be told, I didn't do anything but "hope" for better pictures. Also - I realize that attempting to take mouth-watering food shots while dishing it up, chatting and getting ready to eat is probably not the best time to do it. I think that I need to plan the occasional dish outside of BITE to prepare and photograph, and to accept that the BITE photos are really just an attempt to capture the wonderful dishes that everyone has made. In reality, we are not a cooking show, but a group of fun-loving women who enjoy cooking, laughing, talking and eating!
And so - another delicious meal! My Chicken B'stilla really was wonderful - so different - somehow chicken and cinnamon-sugar just don't go together in my mind - but in this dish - delicious! My son devoured the leftovers when I got home! Ellen came prepared with kebabs right off the grill. Her Moroccan Chicken Kebabs were wonderfully spicy and her Moroccan Vegetable Soup with Chicken and Rice, while with a bit of heat - was very light and spring-like.
Chris brought three different dishes with her. The first was a cold eggplant dish - I need to get the recipe - nice and tangy! Next she had Couscous with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon Juice -a lovely taste, texture and color! Her final contribution was a delightfully light and fresh Moroccan Carrot Salad.
For dessert, Tierney, after contemplating a couple of different recipes, chose Moroccan Orange Cake, with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and a sprig of fresh mint - a delightful ending to a delightful evening spent in delightful company! All of the recipes can be found in this post, but also on my side-bar on the right under "Pages".
Next month - Antigua!!!! Dessert suggestions are welcome!
Oh, this sounds so yummy! When I read this and looked at your pictures, I got really hungry ... (here it is only afternoon, so I have to wait a bit ;) )
ReplyDeleteAnd I like them, too, this - positive - coincidences of life. I have another one for you: You wrote about your disappointment with your food photos (although I think they look very yummy)and I took a workshop in Food Photography at the Hive last weekend :) So I can tell you, that I think food is one of the most difficult things to take pictures of... I could have never imagined how difficult it is to take a good picture of a donut! (I made hundreds that day, I think) :) What I also learned is that you need much of light - daylight. Not to mention time and silence. A real utopia whith chattering, hungry ladies ;)
So, don't worry, Tracy! They are really good!
And, as mentioned, made me really hungry :)
PS: Thank you for your lovely comment! I am really happy to have you read my blog!
And sorry for this long comment ... :)
Thanks so much for your words of encouragement and support! I just know that trying to do worthwhile food photos while gabbing away with friends is not the way to go! I know that your comments about light etc. are so true - with time I hope to show some improvement - but I'm not going to worry about it too much! I too, am happy to have you reading my blog - we have such nice exchanges!
DeleteOh, the music is such a nice touch - I should have played some before we sat down for dinner...next time.:)
ReplyDeleteBetween the kebabs, eggplant and your chicken dish, I ate like a queen all over again the next night! This is truly a special gathering and I feel honored to be a part of it. We always have such interesting conversations over wonderful new dishes. Next month will be like eating on a tropical island - I can hardly wait!