The sun sets on Ramadan 2011
At 19:52 last evening, the cannons on the hills above either side of the Fez medina fired three times, signaling the end to Ramadan....
A Moroccan gift of ‘beldi’
Soon after my arrival in Fez last month, I came down with a nasty summer cold. A medina friend came to the rescue, concerned...
Shopping in the last week of Ramadan
The morning is still, a silence broken by the flutter of wings as birds wheel around the minaret of our neighborhood mosque. A gentle...
Ramadan summer in the city
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to...
Notes from Ramadan, at View from Fez
It's 2:00 am and I am jolted awake by the firing of a cannon, followed by the deep bong of a drum and a...
Moroccan fruits: plums, peaches and prickly pears
Plums hold a place of honor in my Moroccan kitchen. The purple-skinned ones, with tart flesh, take time to ripen fully, so have time...
Couscous memories make the best (Moroccan) memories
Couscous symbolizes happiness and abundance, according to some culinary anthropologists. In Morocco, to be invited for the Friday mid-day meal means "Join us for...
Sweet countdown to Ramadan
Halwa Chebakia is a Moroccan sesame cookie which is folded into a flower shape, fried and then coated with honey. It's very popular in...
Couscous and camaraderie in Morocco
My advance copy of Lonely Planet's forthcoming food anthology arrived a week ago, and it’s an edifying read. The thirty-eight stories are set around...
Remembering Morocco
I learned to make tagines, bread, and salad at the proverbial knee of several Moroccan home cooks and one very good Berber chef, Lahcen...