June 16th

Today awoke and readied. We left around 845 to get to Marrakesh Gate of the medina. There we met Fatima, she is going to teach us about some Moroccan cooking!! That's right we are taking a cooking class! We are joined by another woman from Tunisia. We loaded up into taxis, and headed to her local market. Arriving we were asked about what to make. We four all decided on a lamb tagine and vegetable couscous. First, we went to a vegetable/fruit stand. She got carrots, sections of cabbage, and pumpkin, eggplant, some small squash-type vegetable, turnips, some large bean pods (she did not know English name, but they were color of lima bean, size of butter beans), tomatoes, two green peppers, one red pepper, and one honeydew. Next shop, the butcher. She got a lamb shank, and some ribs; and had him chop them up, bone and all. Next place herbs. She picked out all fresh coriander (what we call cilantro), parsley, and mint. Move one to the red onions stall. She picked a bunch of these, a whole kilo=2.2 lbs! Next we went to a spice shop. Here she bought turmeric, raisins, almonds, and prunes. Lastly, we went to a pastry shop, She bought an assortment. The patisserie owner gave us all a shortbread type cookie, gratis! This is when we found out it was the Tunisian woman's birthday!! We passed on happy greetings and explained it was my birhtday two days ago. 🙂

Anyway, we went to her apartment/home and got started. We cleaned, chopped and prepped all those vegetables! Started the lamb tagine – it will take two hrs! Started the veggies boiling, added grated tomato (without skin) at the end of cook time. Cooked down most of onions, caramelizing them, to which she added the raisins and small bit of honey. Steamed the couscous over the veggies. Plated couscous, with all those veggies next and some broth, topped with sweet caramelized onions and raisins. Lamb cooked down to pull apart tender, with raisins and stewed prunes sprinkled over it, and the blanched and toasted almonds mounded over all this!  [I forgot the spices she added: turmeric, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, fresh coriander and parsley minced, salt and pepper to the lamb with sunflower oil (not olive oil); to the veggies – whole fresh coriander and parsley bundled up, with tomato puree to made vegetable broth, and salt and pepper; to the onions and raisins she added turmeric.] We then sat and enjoyed.  WOW!  It was amazing!!! Fatima's sister joined us, but there was enough for two or three more. Then we had mint tea and cookies with the melon, and with this class ended. We thanked her immensely!!

Now we are in a food coma as we left and took a taxi back to our apartment. Took a siesta!!

At 4:10, our realtor guy showed up with the refrigerator worker. He had to replace part of coiling on back of frig by brazing with our stove's propane tank. He fixed it, yeah!  Jeff went out and got me a Coke and just bread to eat with our olive oil and spices.  This was all we needed for supper as we were still full from lunch.

Very good day!