wester's Reviews
7 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 7Sort by: Title 
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Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco
By Paula Wolfert
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1987
Apple Milk Drink (Sharbat) : page 326
Lovely sweet drink.
"Sweet rosewater milk drink" would have been a more appropriate title - the rose water is very prominent and the apple is hardly noticeable. I will try replacing the sugar with a banana, I think that would be nice too.
useful (0)
Beef Tagine with Cauliflower : page 265
Not bad, but won't bother with this again.
The spices smelled really good when starting the cooking, but in the end result they were barely noticeable. I suspect spices and aromatics will have to be doubled, at least, and/or be re-added near the end of the cooking.
And why try to "lightly brown" a cauliflower without adding any oil? Even mixing it a bit with the meat might have helped it brown.
useful (2)
Coffee Ras el Hanout : page 327
If you already have ras el hanout, this is a nice twist on coffee. If you don't, I wouldn't bother making it just for this recipe, although it is a nice spice mix and maybe you should have it anyway.
useful (3)
This was lovely. The method is very simple: poach some lamb meatballs in a broth of spices (and onion and parsley). The meatballs don't even need to be browned. I hadn't really expected much, but it all comes together brilliantly. The meat juices mix with the spices and the lemon that's added at the last moment to make a golden, mildly spicy and very well-balanced sauce. Definitely a keeper.
I did not bother with the re-grinding of the meat mixture - I like my meatballs a bit chunky anyway. I used quite a lot of cumin in the meatballs (the recipe says "to taste") - a full teaspoon.
Start the sauce first - while it's cooking there is plenty of time to make the meatballs.
I tried this with beef too, but I definitely prefer the lamb.
To color the meatballs evenly, it is advisable to turn them once.
useful (5)
This was good, and my husband loved it. However, I don't think I am going to make it again, as the Meatball Tagine with Spices and Lemon on the very next page is both easier to make and much tastier.
If you do want to make it, I would recommend increasing the spices.
useful (3)
Orange and grated carrot salad : page 85
Nice, sweet, fragrant, but a bit one-dimensional. It wants some other spice to give it depth - I just haven't worked out yet which one. Coriander improved it, and I'm going to try cumin as well.
useful (1)
Preserved Lemon and Black Olive Salad : page 84
This was my first encounter with preserved lemons, and I'm sure it won't be the last. They are quite interesting, a salty marmalade with a whiff of washing-up liquid - all in a good way.
That said, I found this salad very overwhelming, more of a relish than a salad. It needs food that is sturdy yet neutral to balance it. Maybe it would be more of a salad if I were to add some fennel...
useful (1)