Mishmash Melange: riding on the marrakesh express

Would you know we're riding

on the Marrakesh Express

Would you know we're riding

on the Marrakesh Express

All on board that train

Colored cottons hang in air

Charming cobras in the square

Striped Djellebas we can wear at home

never take your spices for granted....five colorful spices for the chicken - paprika, cumin, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon

I have not visited Disney World in over twenty years. When I did visit, Epcot was my favorite park. I was very intrigued by the cultures and cuisines of other countries. My most favorite then and I'm sure it would still be now was Morocco. I have always been a person who enjoys color and where would can you see more color than Morocco. In the foods, the fabrics, the tiles, the markets, the clothing, the spices.

Yesterday I was trying to decide what to make for dinner and Moroccan chicken came to mind. I googled a recipe which I will share here. I have prepared many theme dinners in the past. Mexican, Greek, French, Irish, German and Italian. I usually go all out and have every dish reflect the theme, set the table and play music from that country. But I've gotten a bit lazy and don't look that great in a belly dancer outfit anymore so yesterday I just went with my main dish being Moroccan and the rest of the meal somewhat fall themed. While we ate the TV blared news in the background instead of sweet, mysterious Moroccan music and we ate at the ugly kitchen counter instead of at a nicely set table. But the food we dined on was delicious.

tangines

Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives

2 t paprika
1 t cumin
1 t ginger
1 t turmeric
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t sugar
pepper to taste

Mix the spices and rub 4 lbs of chicken thighs and drumsticks with the spices. Place in a tangine which I don't have so I placed them in a clay cooking pot of Southwestern-looking origin which I do have.

Add 3 garlic cloves (chopped or pressed), an onion or two cut in chunks, 1 c chopped green olives, 1/2 c raisins, 1/2 c chicken broth and preserved lemon peel (which I did not have so I used a teaspoon of dehydrated chopped lemon peel). I suppose fresh lemon peel would have worked also.

Cover and bake as long as you like (but at least for 2 or 3 hours) at 325 or 350 degrees.

ready for consumption

I also made Pumpkin Marscarpone soup....at least that was my intention but the marscarpone that I had in the refrig had been opened a week or so ago and when I went to use it, it had a little mold growing on top of it. I used ricotta and a little brie instead. It was still delish but nothing like it would have been with the marscarpone. So here goes...

Saute a chopped onion in a soup pot with a little pancetta. Add a can of pumpkin, a cup or two of chicken broth, a teaspoon of thyme and I blended a peeled boiled potato with a little chicken broth and added this as a thickener. Heat altogether and add some marscarpone. Nutmeg and ginger could be used instead of thyme. I went with thyme.