A l’approche de l’Aïd, les recettes de pâtisseries orientales  fleurissent sur les blogs! c’est souvent des petites oeuvres d’art de minutie et de précisions! Un ravissement pour les yeux avant les papilles!

Pour fêter le qualification des verts au mondial 2010 !!

pour préparer l’Aïd el kébir!!

Ou  juste  pour le plaisir, voici  ces quelques gourmandises pour nous mettre dans l’ambiance!

Mchekla aux noisettes

Noeuds  aux amandes

Kefta aux amandes et noix

Makroud  b’nekkache

Baklawa au noix nouveau look

Et comme un bonheur ne vient jamais seul, je tiens à vous annoncer la naissance d’un nouveau blog:

Last weekend Izzy’s friends Harry & Jack came over for a play date and some dinner – like a 2 year old dinner party – how civilised I hear you say? Well not so much but it was fun! Harry & Jack were joined by their Mum’s Emma & Pip (and later on their Dad’s), and also Aunty Amy & Uncle Daz. So all up 8 adults and 3 kids – hhhmmmm what to cook? Something tasty but kid friendly. I had illusions about making a dessert but this did not eventuate so a quick trip to M & S was in order.  Afterwards we bundled up and took a stroll down the road to watch the fireworks. Izzy was not too sure and took a while to convince that the big bangs were OK – she did pretty well considering I was well into my teens and still you couldn’t have convinced me to go outside and watch fireworks!

One of my favourite cuisines is Moroccan – I love the flavours (big fan of cumin!) and the mix of fruit (raisins, dates, apricots) in savoury dishes. Tagines & Couscous is a winning combination and there are so many adaptations that you can find one to suit whoever is coming to dinner!

I decided on a fish tagine that featured in the latest issue of Delicious, a tagine of kefta meatballs with tomatoes and eggs and finally, couscous with roast pumpkin, raisins & almonds. Seemed to all go down well and not alot leftover so that is always a good sign!

Easy Fish Tagine (courtesy of Delicious magazine – December 2009)

Serves 4 (I made 1 1/2 times the recipe so enough for 6)

Ingredients:-

4 x 150g sustainably sourced  skinless cof fillets

500g waxy new potatoes

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil (I very rarely use the full amount of oil, especially if using non stick pans)

2 green peppers, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

5 tomatoes, roughly chopped

100ml vegetable stock

100g pitted green olives

Lemon wedges & fresh coriander, to garnish

For the marinade:-

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

4 Tbsp lemon juice

2 large garlic cloves

1 small bunch fresh coriander

1 tsp salt

Whizz the marinade ingredients in a mini food processor or grind in a mortar and pestle until smooth. Rub half over the cod, cover and chill for between 20 mins and 1 hour.

Meanwhile boil he potatoes in a pan of salted water until tender, drain, then cut in half lengthways. In a shallow casserole over a low heat, fry the garlic in the oil for 1-2 minutes. Add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining marinade and the vegetable stock. Season well.

Place the potatoes in a big non-stick frying pan with a lid. Top with half the tomato mixture, then with the fish, then add the remaining tomato mixture. Scatter over the olives, cover and cook over a medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Garnish with lemon wedges & coriander to serve.

Tagine of Kefta meatballs with tomatoes & eggs (courtesy of Julie Le Clerc – Made in Morocco)

I love the eggs on top – sounds like it won’t work but it does!

Ingredients:-

700g lamb or beef mince (my preference is lamb)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

olive oil for frying

tomato sauce (recipe to follow this one)

4 eggs

1 Tbsp chopped fresh marjoram or parsley

Combine mince, garlic, spices & fresh coriander in a bowl and knead or pound until smooth in texture. Season with salt & pepper.

With damp hands, mould 24 walnut-sized portions into balls and set aside on a tray.

Heat oil in a large frying pan and fry meatballs until golden brown all over (this will need to be done in 2-3 batches). Place meatballs in the base of a tagine or a casserole.

Pour tomato sauce over browned meatballs. Bring to the boil, then simmer on the stovetop or bake in an oven heated to 180C for 20 minutes, stirring once to prevent sticking.

Break eggs in to the sauce and continue cooking for 5 minutes until eggs are just set. Scatter with marjoram or parsley and serve immediately.

Tomato sauce

Ingredients:-

400g can tomatoes, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp liquid honey

1/2 cup hot water

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, season with S & P to taste.

Izzy & her dinner party guests Harry & Jack

Couscous with roast pumpkin, raisins & almonds (courtesy of Julie LeClerc – Made in Morocco)

Ingredients:-

1/2 large pumpkin or butternut, seeds and skin removed

olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, peeled & chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups couscous

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

1/3 cup fresh coriander

Preheat oven to 200C. Cut pumpkin into 2cm cubes and place in an oven pan. Drizzle with a little oilve oil, season with S & P and toss well. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once during cooking, until pumpkin is tender and golden brown.

Meanwhile 2-3 Tbsp live oil in a large saucepan and cook onion and garlic over a moderate heat for 5-10 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add stock and bring to the boil.

Stir in couscous, then remove pan from the heat, cover and leave to steam for 10 minutes to soften. Remove covering and fluff up couscous with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine couscous with raisins, toasted almonds, coriander and hot pumpkin and toss well to serve.

A Moroccan Feast!

Tortilla Española

Kefta Meatballs / Roasted Red Peppers

Grilled Bavette / Chimichurri

Japanese Crudité Bundles / Soy Sesame

Black Olive Tapenade / Flat Bread

Event day! My boss graciously allowed me to leave the office early in order to do some last minute prepping and setting up. The campaign office doors are supposed to open at 6 pm. At precisely at 6 pm sharp and not a second later, supporters start filing in while I’m still setting up.

The trays and platters are filled a placed in the reception area, the menu and ingredient list displayed, napkins laid out and extra toothpicks ready at one’s fingertips. Little by little people start crowding around the food table, shaking hands with the man of the hour – M. Karim Boulos, and mingling amongst them.

Around 8 pm the crowd starts to dwindle and the trays become emptier. With this event I not only had the opportunity of meeting many interesting people but was showered with compliments. *blushing* 

120 tortilla cubes, 180 meatballs, 100 bavette skewers, 100 crudités bundles and 25 hours of labour later, the event can be deemed a success!

The campaign office doors opened, people were fed, people met, posters went up… the campaign is officially underway! 

An immense thank you goes to everyone who supported and helped me over that week, especially my better half who himself was busy with his own campaign prep. Most importantly, thank you Karim for giving me my first catering gig!

Sit back, relax and grab a glass of wine because this is going to be a long one, quite representative of how my prep week felt.

Wednesday at 5 pm, the night before Karim Boulos’ Campaign Launch event, I am rushing out of the office and over to the grocery store to pick up the last of the ingredients needed.

At 5:30 pm, I’m flaring up the BBQ to char the red bell peppers, roast the garlic, sear the bavette and cook the kefta meat balls.

Two hours later, help finally comes to the rescue! Together we start chopping, mixing, blending and skewering the various ingredients.

At 10:30 pm, the kitchen looks like a huge mess and we finally take a moment to sit and relax while the tortillas cook in the oven. Wine in hand, tired and exhausted from being hunched over cutting boards, blenders and food processors, we sit back and proudly glare at the result of our labour neatly packed in their respective plastic containers, ready to be prepped onto their serving trays. By 11 pm Layla heads home to catch some well deserved sleep but if she hadn’t offered to lend a hand (and a sandwich) I would have been up much later than I was.

At 11:15 pm, there is only one thing left to do: cut up the cucumbers, carrots, yellow bell peppers and scallions into juliennes, to have them ready to be wrapped in nori just before the event.

At 1 am, I’m lying in bed exhausted yet restless… still planning how the event will unfold later that day….

Tortilla Española, makes one

• Eight eggs
• One onion, chopped
• Two potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (about 1 cm)
• One chorizo sausage, cubed (about 1 cm)
• ½ tbsp paprika
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Begin by steaming or blanching the cubed potatoes until barely tender. You want the potatoes to hold their shape. If they start to break up they are overcooked. Strain, pat dry and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, the paprika, salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle some olive oil in a medium oven-proof skillet and bring up to a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent. You do not want the onions to brown. If they start gaining color, turn down the heat. Add the chorizo and potatoes, sauté a couple of minutes. Combine into the bowl containing the egg mixture and pour into the skillet. Cook until the bottom barely starts to set. Transfer skillet to the oven and allow the tortilla to cook through, about 30 minutes.

Remove the tortilla from the skillet by flipping it onto a plate (plate the plate over the skillet, then flip). This can be served hot or cold, in pie slices or cubes. Makes a great brunch or aperitif!

For this event, I needed to make three and I chose to serve the tortilla cold in bite-sized cubes, no dip necessary.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip, makes four cups

• Eight red or yellow or orange bell peppers
• Two tomatoes, blanched, peeled and cored
• One head of garlic
• ¼ cup olive oil + a few extra drizzles here and there as needed
• Salt and pepper 

On the grill or in the oven on broil, roast the peppers whole until skin is completely charred. Remove from grill or oven, put in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to cool before removing the skin and seeds. 

Slice the top of the heads of garlic, place on a piece of aluminum, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap it all up with the foil and throw it onto the grill or oven. Let the garlic cook for at least 30 minutes or until the cloves sweeten and caramelized. Remove from grill and allow to cool. 

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Score the bottom of the tomatoes with an X and drop into the pot of boiling water. Blanch for two minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the tomatoes and immerse them into a bowl of ice cold water. At this point the skins should peel off easily. Remove also the core and put into the food processor. 

Place the skinned and seeded peppers into the food processor, squeeze out the roasted garlic from its skin into the food processor, add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. If the mixture appears too thick, feel free to add more olive oil. Thickness of this dip depends on how you like it. You can also make it extra thick and use it as a spread. 

For this event, I used this recipe as a dip for my Kefta meat balls.

Chimichurri, makes about two cups

Let’s take a little trip down south, to a small place called Argentina. It the condiment used for all types of grilled meats. Used as a dipping sauce or a marinade, chimichurri is at the epicenter of Argentinean asados – aka. barbecue. After a few trial and errors I have come up with my own combination for chimichurri, one that is reminiscent of my many culinary experiences in Latin America.

• One bunch parsley, about 2 cups
• One bunch cilantro, about 2 cups
• Three garlic cloves
• One red hot pepper, finely chopped
• One lemon, juiced (about one tbsp)
• One cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

In a food processor, mix together the parsley, cilantro, olive oil and lemon juice. You want the mixture to create a smooth blend. For the hot pepper, I recommend finely hopping it by hand so that it doesn’t get lost into the mixture. Don’t forget your latex gloves for this part!

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. This mixture can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days but don’t forget to let it come to room temperature before serving since olive oil tends to congeal when cold.

For this event I grilled up some flank steak simply seasoned with salt and pepper, thinly sliced it and skewered bite size pieces onto a toothpick. I served it cold with the chimichurri as a dipping sauce. Chimichurri is great as a marinade or condiment on just about anything: beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, veggies…

Japanese Crudités Bundles

Crudités are always a staple snack food for any sort of event. There is a reason they have stuck around for so long, they are crunchy, healthy and foolproof, but who says you have to stick with the old fashioned carrots and celery with ranch dip. In an attempt to make things more interesting without adding too much complexity I decided to give it a Japanese twist.

For this recipe use a variety of raw vegetables that can be easily julienned into about 3 inch strips. Combine a variety of colors to maximize visual appeal. Create bite-size bundles and wrap it together with a strip of nori – seaweed paper normally used to make sushi. Mix up a dipping sauce and you’re ready to serve! Although this requires a little prep time, it is still a very simple dish that brings a lot to the table. People will be impressed, I promise. Here are the ingredients I used to put this dish together:

For the bundles: carrots, cucumbers, yellow bell pepper and scallions, all julienned and wrapped in a strip of nori. The nori is delicate and susceptible to moisture so try to work with dry hands, moistening your finger only to make the end of the strip wrapping stick together. You can use clean and dry scissors to cut the sheets of nori into strips. Play around with different sizes to see what works best for wrapping. Unfortunately these bundles cannot be prepared too much in advance or else the nori will get gummy and unpleasant.

For the dipping sauce: four parts soy sauce, one part sesame oil, one part mirin, hot pepper sliced horizontally (use as much or as little as you want), a few pinches of sesame seeds. Mix all ingredients together.

Black Olive Tapenade, makes one cup

• One can of black olives
• One garlic clove
• ¼ tbsp anchovy paste
• One small bunch parsley
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Pepper to taste

Strain the olives but preserve the liquid, it will come in handy if the mixture needs to be thinned out. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and mix until coarsely blended. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Adjust thickness of the tapenade by adding some of the preserved liquid. Serve with crackers or any type of bread.

Don’t forget to check the cans of olives at the grocery store and make sure you’re buying the pitted kind. Or else you will end up like I did on Wednesday night at 9pm, spending over 30 minutes removing the pits from each individual olive. Thanks to my lovely friend Layla who generously offered to help with the catering prep work and provided Boustan sandwiches, we got a dis-assembly line thing going and finished in no time.

If ever you are faced with the unfortunate task of having to remove pits from olives, grueling as it sounds, there actually is a trick to doing this easily. Using the flat part of a chef’s knife (it’s the large one with a wide blade), press down on the olives. This should slit the olives and enable the pit to slip out easily.

An immense thank you goes out to Layla for not only helping with the prep work, but also for providing good conversation, great company and lots of fun!

This is the part I like to refer to as “What the hell have I gotten myself into?!?!?!”

In the past couple weeks I have been volunteering – aka supporting my better half – in the municipal electoral campaign for M. Karim Boulos as City Councilor for the district of Peter-McGill. In the midst of helping with translations, doing door to door drop offs of reusable shopping bags for a “plastic bag free Montreal” and simply lending a hand here and there, the discussion of the Campaign Launch event came up. On a whim, the words “I’ll cater your event for you!” slipped off my tongue before my brain realized the implications of what I said. 

Before I know it my inner planner kicks in to high gear and I’m sending out menu items for a cold cocktail buffet. With the menu feedback I am also given the following parameters: there will anywhere between 60 to 100 people attending, the cocktail is this upcoming Thursday at 6pm, less than 6 days away, and there is no available budget. At this point, the inner planner slips into near-panic mode. I have never ever performed anything even close to this kind of reception. I’ve had prepared many 5 course dinner parties for 10 or more people, I have prepared eggs Benedict for more than 15 people for Jon’s birthday, but this kind of magnitude was way beyond my experience. I had no idea how much to prepare, how many dishes to present or how to manage with zero budget. 

I decided to set a menu with items I was comfortable with and had previously prepared on more than one occasion. Of course, my creative side likes to show its colours in these types of situations so I came up with a different take on the fool-proof and oh-so-boring crudités platter and ranch dip: julienned veggies wrapped in nori served with a soy sesame dipping sauce – aka. Japanese Crudités Bundles. 

Hell bent on getting this accomplished properly, I armed myself with my menu, ingredient list, shopping bags and headed to the market for my first round of shopping. Cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers (red and yellow), hot peppers, lemons, parsley, cilantro, scallions, garlic, 3 kg of Kefta meat = $45. Next stop is the dollar store for supplies. Napkins, toothpicks, tongs, plastic serving platters = $11.85. Final stop is the grocery store to pick up the menu’s staples. Eggs, potatoes, onions, chorizo, bavette (or flank steak), nori, sesame oil, soy sauce, black olives, anchovy paste, olive oil = $72.37. 

Total cost so far is $129.22. Whoohoo! Mission one accomplished! I must keep reminding myself that I am not feeding a meal to these people, simply providing a little something to nibble on while they mingle, and assuming only 60 people show up then $2.15 a head is not a bad deal! 

In any case, after the food prep frenzy I will have a better idea of what individual portions will look like. 

Here is the final menu that will be featured at Karim Boulos’ Campaign Launch event, this Thursday, September 17^th, 2009: 

Tortilla Española

(eggs, potatoes, chorizo, onions, paprika, olive oil, salt and pepper)

 Kefta Meatballs / Roasted Red Peppers

(Halal Kefta meat / red bell pepper, tomato, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper)

 Grilled Bavette / Chimichurri

(beef / parsley, cilantro, hot peppers, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper)

Japanese Crudité Bundles / Soy Sesame

(nori, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, scallions / soy, sesame oil, hot peppers, sesame seeds)

Black Olive Tapenade / Flat Bread

(black olives, anchovy paste, garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper / courtesy of Arouch)

Kefta tagine is a relatively popular dish in Morocco both in homes and in restaurants.  It’s even been found on menus at Moroccan restaurants in America…okay, well at least the one we go to in Silver Spring, MD!  Small seasoned meatballs are cooked in a spicy sauce, and sometimes it is topped with eggs poached right on top of the dish.  It is a really simple recipe that doesn’t actually require a tagine to make, even though it is a tagine dish.  I’m not a huge fan of our metal tagine, but I do use it for this dish because the lid helps with cooking.  When I made it for my parents last lunch in Morocco, my mother said it was the best thing she ever ate!

I cook for a somewhat picky eater, two if my brother-in-law is around.  I try to stick to basic recipes so that they’ll eat it, and I even learned some of my recipes from my brother-in-law.  I mastered this recipe early on in my stay in Morocco, first learning it from him and cooking it several times our first summer here.  My husband is also a creature of comfort and will eat the same thing over for days in a row so I’ve had plenty of practice, and of course put my own spin on it. I haven’t made this recipe in a while, but since we needed to refresher from the same ol’, same ol’, I made it for dinner last night. 

I know my brother-in-law’s recipe can be considered authentic Moroccan since he is Moroccan, but I wanted to try a version found in the cookbooks, namely those of Paula Wolfert and Tess Mallos.  They add a few more spices to the sauce itself, as well as seasoning the kefta.  I decided to take both of their recipes and combine it with my recipe and see how it came out.  Below are two versions of the recipe; the first is the tried and true version.  The second is the recipe I tried last night along with notes for future versions.

Kefta Tagine 1
Serves 2-3
Cooking Time: 10 minutes preparation, 30 minutes cooking time

 Ingredients

•  ½ pound ground beef (lamb, chicken or turkey)
• 4 tomatoes
• ½ onion
• ½ green pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small chili pepper or ½ teaspoon harissa (optional)
• 1 ½- 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 ½ – 2 teaspoon hot paprika
• Dash yellow colorant or pinch of saffron
• Small handful fresh parsley
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3-4 eggs (optional)

Grate tomatoes in a medium sized frying pan, skillet or tagine.  Chop onion, pepper, garlic, and chili* (if using) finely and add to pan.  If using harissa instead of chili add it to the pan as well.  Chop parsley and add it with dry spices and a little bit of salt and pepper to the sauce.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, covering with a lid if you have one. 

Roll ground beef into small balls (about 1 inch round).  Add meatballs to the sauce once it’s reduced a bit and return lid to pan.  After about 7-10 minutes, turn the meatballs around in the sauce so they can be coated in the sauce on both sides and cooked evenly, about 5 additional minutes.

If using eggs, crack them over meatballs and sauce and poach until firm.  Covering the dish help the eggs to cook through quicker.  Garnish with a little cumin, salt and pepper if desired.  This dish is usually served and eaten directly from the tagine or pan.

*If using a chili pepper, remove seeds and membrane to reduce heat level.  Sometimes removing seeds and membrane from half of the pepper will give a medium heat.

Kefta Tagine 2
Serves 2-3
Cooking Time:  20 minutes preparation, 30 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

 Meatballs:

• ½ pound ground beef (lamb, chicken or turkey)
• ½ small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon hot paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin

 Sauce:

• 4 tomatoes
• ½ onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon hot paprika
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh parsley

Chop onion and garlic for meatballs very finely.  Add to ground beef along with the rest of the spices and mix well.  If you have time, put seasoned meat in refrigerator for an hour or two before cooking. 

For the sauce, grate the tomatoes, onion and garlic into a frying pan, skillet or tagine.  Add parsley and dry spices and mix well.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cover with lid for about 15 minutes.

Roll ground beef into small meatballs (about 1 inch round).  Add meatballs to pan once sauce has reduced a little bit.  After about 7-10 minutes, turn the meatballs around in the sauce so they can be coated in the sauce on both sides and cooked evenly, about 5 additional minutes.

If using eggs, crack them over meatballs and sauce and allow to poach until firm.  Covering the dish help the eggs to cook through quicker.  Garnish with a little cumin, salt and pepper if desired.  This dish is usually served and eaten directly from the tagine or pan.

Kitchen Notes:

The guys seemed to like the new version as much as the old version, or rather they didn’t comment that they didn’t like or notice something different.  It was delicious but lacked a bit of the heat I was looking for.  The cinnamon really adds a nice flavor in the background.   I think in the future, I will continue to season the meatballs like in the second recipe, as well as add the cinnamon to the sauce.  I would also be a little more heavy handed with the garlic, cumin and paprika in the second recipe, but I usually follow measurements the first time I’m following a recipe.  The second recipe calls for the addition of cilantro which is hard to come by in my neighborhood, so I omitted it but would add it when it’s available.  Also, I would add harissa as was also called for in the second recipe, but I didn’t have any on hand.   In the first recipe, the green pepper also add a depth of flavor that I like, but I wouldn’t include it in the second recipe as I don’t think it would work as well with the rest of the flavors.

Voici un plat qui me rappelle ces beaux jours de mon enfance. Vous savez, l’enfance, cette époque où on se souciait de rien, où on pensait encore que la vie était merveilleuse, que tout irait comme sur des roulettes. Ces dimanches ensoleillés où on déjeunait en famille. Le doux plaisir de faire la grasse mat’ réservé au dimanche et lui seul (oui, on allait à l’école le samedi jadis) rendait ce jour de la semaine délicieux. On pouvait dormir jusqu’à 10h (!!!!), on allait jouer dans le jardin (à cette époque où il servait vraiment de jardin) avec une balançoire qui avait des sièges , on s’inventait des vies imaginaires, avec mes chères cousines, notre jeu c’était “la craneuse” (Ma pauvre Asmaa était toujours obligée de faire la craneuse qu’on détesterait parce qu’elle cranait devant le beau gosse imaginaire du jeu!). Pour mes ptits frères c’était le jeu des deux copains (hahahaha), chacun sa vision du monde hein… Enfin, c’était une époque merveilleuse. Et, à cette époque, le dimanche midi, on mangeait le fameux “Bayd o jelbana” de maman ! Bayd o jelbana signifiant “oeufs et petits pois”. On adorait ça ! D’ailleurs, personne n’a le droit de détester (eh oui!) On le dévorait souvent avec des frites et de la tcharmila dial maticha alias chakchouka. C’était un peu le menu McDo de chez nous ! (en nettement plus bon selon moi)

Voici donc la recette du “bayd o jelbana” !!!!!! (roulement de tambour….)

Pour 5 personnes :

6 oeufs

1 boîte de petits pois, soit environ 250g

L’équivalent en pomme de terre en dés (250g ou 4 pdt), pour être sûr, vider la conserve de petits pois et remplissez la au fur et à mesure que vous coupez vos pommes de terre, vous obtiendrez la quantité qu’il faut.

Sel,  1 cuiller à café ou plus de poivre, 3/4 d’une cuiller à café de piment d’espelette, 2 cuiller à soupe de coriandre et persil plat hachés, un peu de paprika pour la couleur, quelques tomates cerises pour la déco

Pour une variante avec de la viande, faites revenir 200g de viande hachée avec un demi oignon émincé, sel poivre et un peu de coriandre ou persil (facultatif). Vous l’ajouterez à la préparation.

1. Eplucher les pommes de terre, les couper en petits dés et les cuire dans une casserole avec de l’eau salée. Une fois que la fourchette peut se planter dedans, retirer, égoutter et réserver.

2. Dans un saladier, mettre les pommes de terre, les petits pois, la viande si vous voulez, les épices et herbes, et ajouter un à un les oeufs (en les cassant à part pour pas tout ruiner avec un oeuf pourri!). Mélanger pour bien incorporer les oeufs.

3. Huiler un moule à cake et y verser la préparation. Décorer de quelques tomates cerises si vous aimez. Enfourner une bonne demi-heure à 180°. Pour vérifier la cuisson, planter un couteau, s’il ressort sans “pâte”, c’est cuit !

4. Servir avec une petite salade. Vous pouvez ajouter quelques gouttes de tabasco en le dégustant, c’est un délice !

Aujourd’hui je prépare cette recette (sans viande) sous forme de petits cakes pendant la période scolaire, ça me fait un déjeuner délicieux à emporter, rapide à faire et surtout trop bon !!!

Les quantités sont pour un tajine d’environ 300g de poulet.

1 oignon, 1/2 poivron vert, 1/2 poivron rouge, 1 petite boîte de champignons en morceaux

Sel, 1 à 2 cuiller à café de poivre (selon les goûts), 1/2 cuiller à café de gingembre, 1/2 cuiller à café de paprika doux, 1/2 cube de bouillon au poulet ou l’idéal serait 1 cuiller à café de curry, 1 cuiller à soupe de persil&coriandre finement hachés (si vous n’avez que l’un d’eux ça marche aussi, ou sans ça marche aussi !)

Mixer votre chair de poulet (l’idéal serait des blancs de poulet sans peau). Y ajouter les herbes, les épices, une cuiller à café d’eau et malaxer le tout. Façonner des petits boulettes ou des petits palets (si ça colle au main, mouiller la paume). Verser une cuiller à soupe d’huile + une de beurre doux ou margarine dans votre poelle. Y déposer vos keftas et laisser cuire en couvrant, à feu moyen jusqu’à presque cuisson (on va dire ça comme ça). Quand c’est presque cuit, y ajouter l’oignon et les poivrons en fines lamelles, puis en dernier les champignons égouttés.

Servir dans un plat, avec du riz ou de l’ebly, ou juste avec du pain. Ou, pour les actifs, préparez le en sandwich pour la pause déjeuner ! Un peu comme le sandwich aux saveurs fajitas.

Bon appétit !

Voilà un plat dont je ne me lasserais jamais… De délicieuses pâtes fondantes nappées de la sauce aux oignons… De la kefta au parfum de poivre et de coriandre… Mmmmmmm rien de gras, y a tout ce qu’il faut : féculents, viande et les légumes on les prend en accompagnement.

Pour 2 personnes :

Environ 200g de viande hachée

1 oignon jaune

1 cuiller à soupe de coriandre fraîche

Sel, poivre, cumin, piment d’espelette

Colorant alimentaire “idéal”, paprika

200g de spaghetti (complet)

1 cube Kub Or (Maggi)

Peler et couper l’oignon en 2. Hacher finement la moitié, l’autre moitié sera coupée lamelles et cuite dans une casserole à part. Pour cela, mettre 1/2 cuil à café d’huile dans une petite casserole, disposer les lamelles d’oignons, saler et poivrer. Laisser cuire à couvert pendant 7-8 minutes. Mélanger la viande, les oignons, les épices et la coriandre, former des boules de kefta et les placer sur une poelle avec un fond d’huile (1cuil à soupe). Cuire à couvert en les retournant une fois. Pour les pâtes, suivre les indications sur le paquet, il suffit juste de saler légèrement et ajouter un cube de KubOr (Maggi). Disposer les oignons confits sur les keftas, déposer la kefta avec sa sauce sur les pâtes, ou mélanger dans la poelle, selon les goûts. Servir et dévorer !

Voilà, bon appétit !

My squeeze walked in holding a bright blue icepack to her very swollen cheek. “I’m OK” she said, I think. Seems the rather sizable crown that started wobbling suddenly the night before was sitting on top of a very cracked molar. Or used to be.

The dentist prescribed “warm liquids” for the entire weekend. Yeah, fat chance in this house. “Think pasta with ground beef” came the request through a mouthful of cotton. We’d had vegetarian lasagna only the night before, so I saw no point in going in that direction.  A batch of shu mai was called for – packed with ginger bite and scallion crush, soft enough to chew easily, firm enough to be fork split. For my sweetie, magic in a bowl.

Sunday’s usual pizza got bumped for something a tad less crunchy.  Neither of us wanted more beef but she’s not up for anything requiring more chewing. It’s time for ground turkey. It’s time for meatballs.

Turkey Kefta with Sweet Onion and Raisin Sauce
Serves 4

4C Vadalia onions, thinly sliced vertically
1/2C raisins
1 3/4t salt, divided
1t pepper, divided
1t Ras el Hanout, divided (see recipe here)
14.5oz low fat chicken stock
1/2C parsley, finely chopped
1/4C bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4lb ground turkey
1/4C almonds, slivered

Combine the onions, raisins, 3/4t salt, 1/2t pepper, 1/2t Ras el Hanout and the chicken stock. Set aside.

Combine everything else except for the almonds in a large bowl and mix well. Use your hands to form small meatballs (smaller than a ping pong ball).  Set aside.

Place the onion mixture in a dutch oven. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring now and then.  Place the meatballs on top of the onion mixture, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

I usually serve this over couscous, but grains such as barley, quinoa or bulgar.  I would usually add a green veggie like steamed broccoli, but not tonight…too much crunch.

Kent McDonald is a Certified Personal Chef, living and working in Phoenix, AZ. (c) All Rights Reserved 2009

Une petite vidéo d’un snack célèbre de la capitale, pour son kebbabiste dansant. Vous connaissiez les restaus japonais où le serveur vous prépare vos noix de Saint Jacques en les jetant partout et en tapant avec ses couteaux…alors laissez vous transporter et vivez la même chose pour la préparation de votre kebab. Appréciez la technique.

via : Kebab frites

Je ne suis pas muslim, mais respectueux des tranditions, dont je tiens à souhaiter une bonne fête de l’Aïd El Kebir à tous les musulmans du monde.

C’est la fête la plus importante de l’islam, durant laquelle on sacrifie notamment un mouton.

Ca me fait penser au guide des meilleurs grec frites ^^ :

d’ailleurs www.kebab-frites.com dont je vous parlais sur le sujet des meilleurs kebabs est devenu plus complet, notamment sur Montpellier. J’apprécie le boulot

Je fais suite à un reportage diffusé à plusieurs reprises sur M6 où l’on diabolise le Kebab. Or, il faut savoir que je suis un très grand dégustateur de Kebabs. Je dirais que j’en ai mangé dans plus de 10 villes différentes, dans plusieurs pays (notamment en Europe de L’est où ils sont fameux) et je ne compte pas m’arrêter là !

Bien sûr, certains snacks sont vraiment immondes et vendent de la vraie merde…suffit d’avoir le coup d’oeil rapide pour voir si c’est fiable ou non. Attention aussi cependant aux chaines de fast food kebab, où le Kebab n’est plus artisanal et perd donc toute sa saveur.

Bref, il existe un blog qui représente une vraie mine d’or pour tous les amateurs. En effet, il se veut être un véritable guide des kebabs de la capitale et sa banlieue (parait-il que le 129 de St Denis est le n°1). Ils sont tous notés, tout y passe : service, prix, qualité, gout, frites, etc…tout ça accompagné de photos.

Sinon, il y a kebab frites qui référence l’ensemble des kebabs de France. ( ça reste malheureusement pas trop fourni en commentaires pour l’instant)

In the mood for a quick, easy, and extremely tasty dinner? Have I got the meal for you. It’s got meat, it’s got potatoes, it’s got vegetables. I’d seen Dianne’s parmesan roasted rosemary potatoes this morning, and knew they were going on the menu. They’re a classic combination; what goes better with potatoes than rosemary? And roasting, simple as can be. The chef and I had discussed having hamburgers, but would the potatoes go? Of course!! Fancy-schmancy “fries.” I was in.

But then he took a left turn at hamburger and ended up with kefta patties. Easier, and more flavorful. He combined ground beef with a handful of chopped onions, some chopped garlic, a bit of olive oil (because the beef was not very fatty, but it added a lot of taste, too), some garam masala, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, and fresh dill. Quick and easy. Shape them into patties, toss them in a very hot skillet while the potatoes are baking, et voila: DINNER. Add a crunchy green salad and have a seat at the table.

the essence of simplicity: sliced potatoes, sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh rosemary, and parmigiano reggiano. YUM.

after 25 minutes in a 425 degree oven - cue the angelic choir!

kefta patty topped with a slab of tasty tomato, and those great potatoes

I’m telling you, it’s a lot of bang (taste) for a little buck (effort). And it takes almost no time, even better. I wish I’d taken a picture of the kefta patty inside – a shot of the middle, a bite on a fork, whatever – but I ate it too quickly. Sorry.

from Mediterranean Street Food, pp. 166-67.

My summer project of learning to grill over a charcoal fire continues. Eating all the lamb in freezer also continues. Both goals have combined to send me back to the cookbook shelves for further ideas. I noticed this one, which has lain unopened for a few years now. The title is what made me buy it. I love buying things to eat from vendors in the cities around the Mediterranean Sea where I’ve spent time. But I have to admit I can’t remember if I’ve ever before cooked anything from this book. In any case, I decided to divide the pound and a half of ground lamb in half, cook Helou’s Morrocan keft tonight, and try her Lebanese kefta or Claudia Roden’s kefta tomorrow night. A weekend-long workship on grilling ground lamb.

Planning for tonight’s meal led me to a grocery that I’d heard about, doubted its existence and only discovered yesterday. Now that I’ve found the Mediterranean Market in north Sacramento, I can’t believe I’ve lived here eight years without it. It’s the only place in Sacramento I know of where you can buy various kinds of olives and French, Bulgarian, Greek, or Egyptian feta in bulk. The butcher is halel. It’s also the only store where I’ve seen fresh lamb tongue and sheep’s testicles.

I’ll never despair of finding obscure Middle Eastern spices again. Helou calls for a Moroccan spice combination called ras el-hanout. It was dumb of me not to write it down, because of course by the time I found the store on Fulton Ave, I’d forgotton exactly how it went. Fortunately, a fellow customer at the cash register where I asked about it helped out. In addition to correcting my pronounciation with a laugh, he said it was just the Moroccan Arabic word for Allspice. I have a feeling not Allspices are Allspices, so even though I had allspice at home, I bought twenty-five cents worth.

Helou’s recipe:

1 medium onion, quatered

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

8-10 mint leaves

1-2 Tblsp marjoram leaves

2 lbs ground lamb, preferably from the shoulder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp ras el-hanout (optional), available at Middle Eastern markets

salt

bread

tomato and onion salad

Preheat the broiler to high or start a charcoal fire.

Put the onion and herbs in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the ground lamb, spices, and salt to taste. Mix with your hands until evenly blended.

Divide the meat into 24 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and wrap it tightly around a long skewer, preferably a flat one, squeezing the meat up and down to form a sausage 4 or 6 inches long. Pinch it quite thin at each end. Prepare the rest of the meat in the same way.

Cook the brochettes under the broiler or over a charcoal fire for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until done to your liking. Serve immediately with good bread and the tomato and onion salad.

The way I did it:

I liked the promise of Helou’s spices, so I followed her instructions — almost. Since the man in the market translated ras el-hanout as “allspice”, I decided to dispense with the allspice. How do I know Anissa Helou knows what she’s talking about when it comes to spices in Arabic? One allspice dose is enough.

But when it came to the meat, I followed the legendary Claudia Roden, who in a little contribution to Splendid Table here, recommended turning the meat into a paste in the food processor. So, I did that.

No doubt about it, the processed onion, herbs, and ground meat becomes a paste. I added the spices.

When it came to squeezing the meat around the metal skewers, things got a little tricky. Anissa and Claudia don’t tell you that the meat squeezed on metal skewers will fall off very easily. You’ve got to treat the kefta as if they were fragile. I got the meat wrapped around the skewers, but then I rolled them on to a cutting board to carry out to the grill. When it came time to put them on the fire, I had to carefully roll them, nudge them off the board on to the grill. But I’m getting ahead of myself

I made a hot fire of coals, which I spread over half of the bottom grate. I then put the upper grate on so that the grill ran perpendicular to the half-filled bottom grate of coals (see image above). When the coal had died down a little, I put the skewers on perpendicular to the grate (again see image above). I’ll tell you about the peaches in a minute. Two minutes on each side for the kefta was plenty. I let them rest a little longer, because I was dealing with the peaches, and I regret it. The trick, I know see, is to get them off before they dry up. Kefta apparently dry up rather quickly. After 4 or 5 minutes, I took them and the peaches off.

The peaches. My peach tree has turned out to be a magnificent beast. It produces deep yellow, firm-flesh, sweet fruit. Right now, I have a lot of them. So, I found a quick recipe for a reducation sauce on line that I used. I’ll give the proportions I used. You can double them.

While the coals are burning in the chimney, cut one peach in half. Squeeze lemon over it.

In a small saucepan, reduce on medium high heat the following ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup brown sugar

the juice of 1/2 lemon

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Reduce to a syrup. Take out to the grill. When you’ve put the kefta on the grill, put the two halves hollow side down on the grill on a cooler part of the grill but still near enough over the coals to feel the heat. When you turn the kefta, turn over the peaches and brush them with the reduction. Let them grill for a minute or two longer than the kefta.

Last thoughts:

I see now that the important point is to avoid drying out the kefta. I’d also slightly adjust the spices upward, except for salt. Maybe it does need an extra kick of allspice. On the other hand, maybe all those spices are overkill. The only spices Claudia Roden calls for are parsley and onion. Maybe she has a point. I’ll consider that tomorrow.

J’aime beaucoup les tajines et Monsieur Epicuria étant né à Casablanca, j’ai en plus un large coup de main en cuisine quand je me mets aux fourneaux. J’ai trouvé cette recette sur le site cuisine marocaine mais j’ai modifié deux trois trucs parce que je trouvais que ça manquait un p’tit peu d ‘épices et de goût. J’ai donc ajouté du citron confit, du cumin et de la cannelle et mis beaucoup plus d’eau que suggéré. Résultat très satisfaisant

Pour 8 à 10 personnes

Ingrédients:

- 700 g de viande de boeuf hachée
- 1 petit oignon haché
- 2 c. à soupe d’huile
- 2 c. à soupe de coriandre hachée
- 2 c. à café de cumin (x2)
- 1 c. à café de cannelle (x2)
- 1/4 de c. à café de noix de muscade
- 1/2 c. à café de curcuma (x2)
– 1 c. à café de sel – 1/2 c. à café de gingembre (x2)
- 500 g de fèves écossées
- 500 g de petites pommes de terre (j’ai pris des rattes, fameux !)
- 2 oignons nouveaux émincés
- 1 petit bouquet de coriandre- 8 cl d’huile
- Sel, poivre
– Le jus d’1/2 citron
- 1 petit citron confit

Préparation :

1-Dans une poêle sur feu doux, faites dorer l’oignon haché dans l’huile.

2-Dans un récipient, Préparez vos boulettes de Kefta en mélangeant la viande hachée avec les épices, la coriandre et l’oignon doré (cela dit au passage, avec de la viande d’agneau, je pense que c’est encore meilleur). Si vous avez un peu de pain, je vous conseille vivement d’en mettre dans les boulettes, cela les rendra moins sèches. Confectionnez des boulettes pas trop grosses et réservez.

3- Enlevez la peau des fèves si cela est nécessaire. Pour ma part, j’ai pris des fèves surgelées et j’ai laissé la peau, c’était parfait. Avec des fèves fraîches, il faut être plus courageux ! Pelez les pommes de terre dans la foulée. Dans une marmite sur feu doux, faire revenir les oignons nouveaux (ou des échalottes si vous n’avez pas d’oignons nouveaux) émincés dans l’huile pendant 5 mn.

4-Ajoutez ensuite les boulettes de kefta, laissez-les dorer en les retournant délicatement puis retirez-les. Versez de l’eau (à hauteur des pommes de terre que vous mettrez par la suite) dans la marmite et portez à ébullition. Ajoutez alors les épices (les mêmes donc que pour les boulettes), le bouquet de coriandre, le petit citron confit coupé en petits morceaux et les pommes de terre.

5-Couvrez et laissez cuire 10 mn. Ajoutez les fèves et les boulettes et continuez la cuisson pendant 15 mn. Lorsque les légumes sont cuits et la sauce un peu réduite (mais pas trop), ajoutez enfin le jus de citron et retirez du feu.

En plus, c’est encore meilleur réchauffé !

In my post just before the holidays, I shared a framework to help marketers think about how web analytics contributes to data-driven marketing effectiveness over time. Marketers agree that they want to deliver more relevant and timely communications, establish a two-way dialog, and generally be more customer-focused and integrated, but many are struggling to make positive progress. Use the framework to understand understand the maturity of your data-driven marketing practices. Then define your objectives and timeframe for making incremental progress. In this post, I want to discuss how marketers can use their placement on the framework to define the key requirements for their web analytics tools. I work with an awful lot of firms out there that are not getting the benefits that they should be out of the technologies that they purchase. Why? Well, I think one key reason is that they are overly aggressive in their expectations of what they will achieve and over what time. The result is a lot of wasted technology — and wasted time.

If we were more realistic about what we are trying to achieve (i.e., the business outcome) with our web analytics tools then I believe our learning curve around how to effectively understand and leverage the data would actually accelerate. Why? Because we wouldn’t be constantly struggling with the technology. The free tools on the market are getting better and, while they are not sufficient for marketers that are beyond Stage 1 maturity, they will meet the needs of many. Here is a starting point to help you get beyond vendor eye candy and align functional requirements with business objectives:

Stage 1: Site analysis

Key questions you need to address:

• How many visitors are coming to my site?
• How are visitors using my site?
• How are visitors finding my site?

Core functional requirements:

• Visitor analysis
• Referrer analysis (pages and keywords)
• Strong library of parameterized “out of the box” reports

Comments on the market: These capabilities are table stakes to enter the web analytics market and most of the solutions out there do a reasonably good job here. Expect a more limited library of reports and more limited customization features from the free tools.

Stage 2: Site optimization

 Key questions you need to address:

• How can I increase site visibility?
• How do content and taxonomy influence desired action?
• What would improve site navigation?

Core functional requirements:

• Path analysis
• Page and scenario drilldown analysis
• Drop-off analysis
• A/B and multivariate testing

Comments on the market: This is currently an area of focus for leading vendors in the market. The once-standalone optimization players – like Offermatica (acquired by Omniture), Kefta (acquired by Acxiom), and Optimost (acquired by Interwoven) – have been acquired and other vendors are looking to add these capabilities through acquisition or organic development. Given current client emphasis on customer experience management, expect this to continue to be an area of hot competition in the near future.

Stage 3: Segment targeting

 Key questions you need to address:

• How can I logically group site visitors?
• How can I target visitor content by segment?
• How can I leverage site learning in other communication?

Core functional requirements:

• Segmentation model templates
• Ability to persist segments
• Ability to create dynamic segments and apply them historically

Comments on the market: Leading web analytics vendors like Coremetrics, Omniture, Unica, and Visual Sciences (acquired by Omniture) offer segmentation capabilities but this is an area where vendors differentiate.

Stage 4: Individual customization

 Key questions you need to address:

• What is the best content for an individual based on prior site interaction?
• Should I reach out to an individual customer NOW?

Core functional requirements:

• Individual visitor profiles retained over time
• Ability to match profile to current visitor context – in real-time
• Ability to unify profiles when visitor identifies

Comments on the market: A few leading vendors are really just starting to focus here. Omniture’s recent acquisition of TouchClarity is a good example. Unica is also working on integrating it’s web analytics and campaign management modules in a meaningful way. But, overall, the vendors are just getting started at figuring this out.

Stage 4: Integrated marketing

 Key questions you need to address:

• How are customers using online and offline channels in the buying process?
• How can I optimize online and offline interactions?

Core functional requirements:

• Calculate and retain key profile metrics
• Track metrics longitudinally
• Open data model and facilitation of extracts to other systems

Comments on the market: Today, you’re mostly at the mercy of your internal IT shop when it comes to the level of data integration sophistication required to help marketers in large companies integrate their activities across channels. Some firms call upon their interactive agency, systems integrator, or database marketing service provider to help. But, each approach has its challenges. It may make you feel better to know that no one has nailed this one and that gives us all something to aspire towards. At the end of the day, I believe that if the web analytics vendors want to be part of the solution then they need to hire (or partner) with database marketing gurus in order to make real progress.

Monde de merde…

Ouais, je sais… Vous aussi vous pensez que le titre en jette un max, hein, façon adolescent furieux en pleine crise de rebellion ! Je savais que vous aimeriez. D’ailleurs, j’ai tout cassé dans ma chambre, c’est pour dire !!!!! Même que TF1, ils veulent que Pascal, le Grand Frère s’en mêle !!!!!!!!

Whaouuuuuu !!!!!

Bon merde, et tout ça pour en venir où ?

Et ben, tout ça pour vous dire, que depuis, j’ai réussi à me trouver un nouveau dieu à idolâtrer bêtement en gloussant sur du Mickaël Youn !!!!! Il est encore plus beau que Wayne, encore plus fort, encore plus puissant que quand l’éxécuteur défie l’empire du kung-fu !!!!

Et qui sait, aujourd’hui, il est peut-être plus fort que Bruce Lee hier !!!!!!!

Les 3 salopards !!!

Et là, c’est byzance. C’est “Midnight Express” dans une cage de projectionniste, un massage du Rambo local cadeau. Voilà un cinéma receleur de moustachus karatékas, du superhéros en veux-tu en voilà, de femmes aussi belles que des loukoums, d’une langue à coucher dans le métro, et autant d’ambition qu’un plat de kefta réchauffé au micro-onde !!!!! Bref, c’est le kif !!!

“The greatest enjoyment for Hakki, is to skin little children.”

En plus, le cinéma turc, c’est tout un tas d’idées pour les parents qui sauront plus trop quoi faire après le DVD de la petite sirène. De quoi pouvoir les décomplexer quand ils voudront fouetter leur progéniture trop remuante !

Cüneyt Arkin, THE GODFATHER

Parce que le cinéma turc, c’est plein de héros qui ressemblent à Alain Deloin, oui parce que Alain, mais seulement de loin, de nounours en peluches zarbis, qu’on ira décapiter dans un dernier saut de trampoline, de ninjas qu’on embroche comme du poulet et des gunfight aussi crépitant que chez John Woo…

Ouais, le turc, c’est Hard !!!! Le turc, c’est in !!!!! Les méchants prennent cher et Tarantino peut aller se rhabiller…

Ouais, Cüneyt Arkin, je t’aime !!!!!!!

Cüneyt Arkin – The Godfather

Quelqu’un sait dire “va niquer ta mère” en turc ???

Ma femme et moi étions au Marché Jean-Talon, ce midi. Toujours agréable, surtout la semaine. Il y a moins de commerçant, mais l’ambiance est excellente. Beaucoup plus calme, beaucoup moins de «m’as-tu vu?» plateausiens, des commerçants plus décontractés et moins vendeurs sous pression…

En quittant le Marché, j’ai décidé d’aller nous chercher un chocolat chaud chez Chocolats Privilège. Très différent de celui de Juliette et chocolat (mon préféré), bien meilleur que celui de la très chrômée Suite 88. Coût? Un gros dollar, TTC. Le chocolat chaud est dans un gros thermos Bunn-o-matic, on se sert soi-même. Les tasses (en styrofoam) sont seulement de 8 oz., à l’oeil, mais c’est suffisant pour moi.

Ce qui me fait dire que plusieurs commerçants du Marché ont bien compris le principe. C’est une petite expérience, toute simple, pour un dollar. Oh, bien sûr, on peut se faire du bon chocolat chaud à la maison, pour moins cher. Si on achète un contenant de poudre de chocolat. Mais, l’idée, c’est de profiter de la vie à son maximum. Quand on n’a pas d’argent (ce qui est essentiellement mon cas), on se débrouille comme on peut. La petite tasse de chocolat m’a procuré autant de plaisir que beaucoup d’autres choses dans ma vie qui ont coûté autrement plus cher. Oh, il y a des choses qui ne m’ont rien coûté et qui étaient encore plus agréables. Mais c’est pas vraiment une question de rapport qualité/quantité/prix. C’est le rapport plaisir/prix. Plaisir à peu de frais. Simplicité volontaire, objecteurs de croissance, Simple Living…
Au Marché, nous avons aussi dégusté de très bonnes saucisses de gibiers (1$ chacune, toutes petites mais succulentes) et d’excellents sandwiches maroccains (kefta et merguez). Tout compris, ça nous a coûté moins cher que deux repas chez McDo et nous a fait autant plaisir qu’un bon souper.

Bien que tout coûte plus cher qu’avant, se nourrir à Montréal peut être une expérience très agréable, même pour ceux qui ont très peu d’argent. Il y a beaucoup de choses qui nous manquent (comme une épicerie Whole Foods!), mais on peut très bien se débrouiller.