RAKASA

He's beautiful!! Mabrouk!!!! Mother is doing fine, I assume... and MIL must be beside herself to be here for this joyous occasion! Happy Birthday Michael Naseem!

Moroccan Preserved Lemons (Moroccan Jewish style)

6 Lemons (quartered, but left intact on one end)

1/4 C sea salt

2 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp coriander seeds

Fill lemons w/ salt & close again. Arrange them in jar, putting salt & spices in b/t lemons, push them down to express the juice. If the juice isn't enough to cover add more lemon juice. Leave the jar in a warm place in the kitchen, shake the jar daily for abt 1 month.

**I usually double this recipe b/c we use them so often - but that does last us abt 4 months.

Thanks Noura! Where did you get the recipe from?

strangely enough out of an Armenian cookbook one of my Armenian clients gave me. This lady has quite an array of interesting ethnic foods in there. She, herself, is Armenian, though.

omg chris rock is so freakin' hysterical on the comedy channel!!!

We're watchin it too!

He's hilarious!!! "She got pump fat comin' outta her pump!"

OMG!!! the b'stilla was soooooooooooooooo good! It really came out well and hubby loved it - he even said it's just like in Morocco, no different . It wasn't difficult, just a little time consuming, but well worth it!

lol i make the plain ones!!!! but the ones w spices are good.... bay leaf etc.....

I just posted my Preserved Lemons recipe in the "Sultan's Kitchen" thread up top.

We cheat. We buy the jar of preserved lemons for $3.99 at our local Arab market. There are usually about 10 lemons in there and it lasts us a month or two.

we are even bigger cheaters. We use fresh lemons. We have access to plenty of perserved lemons, but Idir insists fresh is better. I can't tell the difference

wow... I *can* tell the difference. I'm not sure I'd say one is better, tho, b/c they're so totally different. Preserved lemons just add a different taste than fresh.

Baked Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients:

Jar of Grape Leaves (I get this big jar and just keep it in the fridge..they're from California)

1 lb ground lamb

1 cup jasmati rice

1/2 onion chopped

2 lemons

1 pinch tarragon

1 tsp Emeril's Southwestern Essence

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper

*note...I put down 1 tsp for the spices but I just shake until I think it's enough. I think it's "about" 1 tsp...i'm so bad at that!!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a casserole dish with olive oil spray.

Cook the rice and cool according to package instructions and let cool. (normally boil 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, simmer for 20 minutes)

Mix in a medium bowl, ground lamb, spices, chopped onion and cooled rice.

Lay out the grapeleaves, vein side up on a large surface area. Cut the stem with a kitchen knife so nothing is protruding from the leave.

Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and put it on the part of the leaf the stem was that you cut off. Roll up, folding sides as you roll and place in casserole dish.

continue until you run out of the mixture.

Pour the juice of the 2 lemons over the stuffed grape leaves.

Cover casserole dish and put in oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Enjoy!

sounds yummy - just to clarify: I'm assuming you've precooked the ground lamb... yes?

nope. It's raw when it's stuffed in the grapleaves and cooks in the oven.

thanks!

Baked Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients:

Jar of Grape Leaves (I get this big jar and just keep it in the fridge..they're from California)

1 lb ground lamb

1 cup jasmati rice

1/2 onion chopped

2 lemons

1 pinch tarragon

1 tsp Emeril's Southwestern Essence

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper

*note...I put down 1 tsp for the spices but I just shake until I think it's enough. I think it's "about" 1 tsp...i'm so bad at that!!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a casserole dish with olive oil spray.

Cook the rice and cool according to package instructions and let cool. (normally boil 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, simmer for 20 minutes)

Mix in a medium bowl, ground lamb, spices, chopped onion and cooled rice.

Lay out the grapeleaves, vein side up on a large surface area. Cut the stem with a kitchen knife so nothing is protruding from the leave.

Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and put it on the part of the leaf the stem was that you cut off. Roll up, folding sides as you roll and place in casserole dish.

continue until you run out of the mixture.

Pour the juice of the 2 lemons over the stuffed grape leaves.

Cover casserole dish and put in oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Enjoy!

sounds yummy - just to clarify: I'm assuming you've precooked the ground lamb... yes?

lol i make the plain ones!!!! but the ones w spices are good.... bay leaf etc.....

I just posted my Preserved Lemons recipe in the "Sultan's Kitchen" thread up top.

We cheat. We buy the jar of preserved lemons for $3.99 at our local Arab market. There are usually about 10 lemons in there and it lasts us a month or two.

No one has them here! I've looked at several Arab markets. I did find some online, but figured it was just easier to make my own.

lol i make the plain ones!!!! but the ones w spices are good.... bay leaf etc.....

I just posted my Preserved Lemons recipe in the "Sultan's Kitchen" thread up top.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons (Moroccan Jewish style)

6 Lemons (quartered, but left intact on one end)

1/4 C sea salt

2 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp coriander seeds

Fill lemons w/ salt & close again. Arrange them in jar, putting salt & spices in b/t lemons, push them down to express the juice. If the juice isn't enough to cover add more lemon juice. Leave the jar in a warm place in the kitchen, shake the jar daily for abt 1 month.

**I usually double this recipe b/c we use them so often - but that does last us abt 4 months.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...tml?rsrc=search

edited to add: you'll probably want to use chicken rather than pigeon, unless you just love pigeon of course.

this recipe is totally different than what I used.....

Happy Saturday I am off work and dancin around. Yea I said it, I'm smiling and dancin. Bought a new CD for my car, a pink house for my fish to hide in. Oh and some killer black shoes with a HEEL! Can ya believe it? Chunky and black, kinda goth like. These may be the shoes for for the concert.

Hope you feel better doodle

Whats bstilla again? I should know this.

I think wine is icky. (I'm more of a Corona w/ lime and salt kinda girl) Don't ask me how I know.

Jackie

It's yummy chicken in phyllo pastry... images are kinda small - sorry

I'm trying my hand at making chicken b'stilla today! Hope it comes out good!

how did it turn out? i always make the "chicken bisteeya" recipe on foodtv.com it is emerils recipe. i think it is so amazing. everytime i make it for a dinner party people rave and rave and go nuts over it. i have served it to moroccans and they felt it was authentic - it is a sure thing and turns out every time. i do use more layers of phyllo then he calls for - and i also add toasted pine nuts inside, i forget if that is part of the recipe or just something that i do. i love pine nuts.

It's not finished yet... I'll update later. I just finished making the "insides" of it and it tastes yummy. Everything else is ready to be made, just waiting till later so it's fresh when the hubby wakes up & is ready for dinner. These graveyard shifts for him suk for me! Anyhow, I'm going to run out shopping for window treatments (woohoo... how exciting!) and finish it when I come back later.

I looked at many recipes, but ended up trying to make one out of "Cooking @ the Kasbah" by Kitty Morse. Funny you mention your husband is Moroccan Jewish - the preserved lemons I make are what my husband calls the "Moroccan Jewish kind". We both love them!!! The other kind sounds so plain.

I'm trying my hand at making chicken b'stilla today! Hope it comes out good!

JP how was your get-together? Hope you had a good time. I know what you mean about locking up a personality. I didn't realize I had morphed into a serious, work & come home person. I forgot how to have fun in the process. Now, I laugh, really laugh at things.

Today was filled with shopping for the perfect shirt, didn't find it tho. I did find some cutie pajamas and more pink stuff for the house. I even put pink things in the fish tank. (totally clashes with my orange fish)

Thanks again to everyone that posted here to keep me company. It's all appreciated.

Jackie

Pink and orange are fabulous together!!! Are fish colorblind? Have fun Jackie!

OMG.... I'm still trying to catch up! I'm only on pg 15 - I know what I'll be doing tonite .

OH!!! and where's my friggin' greencard??? They promised - oh wait, maybe I have to send in some paperwork??? What do we do?

Why have I never heard of this guy? Is he famous?

I've never heard of him or JA before but if they flip Jackie's switch *this* much, I'm all for them!!!

I generally don't wear perfumes, but I do love pure essential oils. My two favorites are Al-Oud & African Sandalwood, both of which I got at this great "perfumery" in Mombasa, Africa.

Glad to see your all still around to cheer me up and enjoying the jokes and hot dudes. Keep it coming.

Jackie

waiting for good news from Malarie B)

4 more days ........

My observation is that most women here actually don't think Charles is a problem, because they have pretty low standards when it comes to what they will take from men. He makes sexist remarks and many women come in and post laughing smileys, as one example. He posts the popcorn smiley in threads that are heated, which in fact, is a passive aggressive attempt to fuel the fire, while at the same time he posts condescendingly "I see nothing has changed in MENA." Which is it? He wants to watch the show or he wants to admonish people and be "above" the arguing? He calls a woman his own age "dear" because he knows it's condescending, yet he argues "she started it" when called on it, all the while insisting his own behavior is above reproach.

Not to mention the "b!tch" cartoons, "Midol" pics AND SUCH.

Absolutely. The problem is that there are women who still find things like that amusing.

I'm sure now I'll be accused of burning bras and not shaving my armpits...

don't shave.... have them waxed! it's much better and lasts longer.

Jackie, is your Arabic Dish receiver only useable in Chicago area?

Simo sat me down recently and told me we needed to have a serious talk. Ok, I thought. I must be doing something that is really bugging him (it's usually me that wants to have the "serious talk"). So he tells me we need to get a good TV and either a satellite or cable with some Arabic channels! Soon!

So much for the serious talk! I thought it was going to be some big emotional issue, and he just wants his Arabic TV and futbol.

Any suggestions? I know that Dish Network has an Arabic package, but I don't think they have any Moroccan channels on there (or European soccer, for that matter). Sometimes Simo will find 2M (Moroccan channel) on the computer, but sometimes it is not available. And he is positively addicted to watching Egyptian comedies (many are available for free online).

Ramadan IS coming...

Carolyn, we have a friend in Chicago who sent us a pre-programmed dish to LA and we had it installed and it works fine. We also have a DirectTV dish for everything else. For about one or 2 months we had the Arabic pkg on Direct TV, but it sucked and cost too much for how few stations we got. We *do* get 2M on this satellite as well as many other channels.

for whatever it's worth (probably not much) I'd, personally, prefer to end everyone's pain sooner rather than later and get his pouting azz outta there - this can't be good for you or your kids.

I *do* understand you wanting to give this a final chance - but I also know from staying in a miserable relationship far too long previously, making the final decision is the most agonizing part... once the decision is made and the break is made, a huge weight is lifted and life can go on in a better direction.

Just my 2 cents.... I do, however, support whatever your decision may be. I just hope you end up being happy and well treated.

Good luck getting through this week (and then some).

JUST STOP IT, PLEASE...

GET YOUR OWN ACCT, SO WE DON'T HOLD ALL YOUR BS AGAINST MIREYA!

a ring on my finger, a ring in my nose, a ring in my belly, a ring on my toes!

Omg-Jackie I just noticed your new ticker. Can you give us a hint at least????

B)