Baking weather

Stormy weather, tropical rain, strong wind and rainbows in Rabat. Dads driving up with their kids to find the golden treasure at the end of the rainbow. Skies coloured in different shades and changing quickly. Flooding water in the streets. Girls playing first soccer games. Wintertime and sunshine, spring flowers along the roads.
Goats eating the leaves of the palm trees in our street, chickens in the fresh air and kids from the shanty town who like to walk up with the car hoping for something. Cleaning up in the backyard, bringing toys over to the kids in the street. I remember, the wooden kitchen stove once was a birthday present for one of my girls. Now it has finally found a new destination. Her birthday is later this week. Breakfast will be in Morocan style with crepes from Zineb. The rectangular shape and the fried crust make the Moroccan crepe, while served with honey, a birthday favourite. I think there is a resemblance with these Moroccan crepes and the ones we ate in the southern part of China, Guilin, together with Solange and her grand parents. The fried crust with small bubbles and the taste is very similar. We bought the crepes at a small local outdoor bakery and savoured them filled with warm chunks of apple and cinnamon . Her request is small pâtisseries from the French bakery Le Notre. Solange has her favourites in this fancy French shop: 'mille feuilles'.

Although I will make some home made cookies with jam, the birthday treat will be original from her home country French.

Fresh market & homemade

Slow food. This  is what makes life here in Rabat in a kind of a way comfortable. Shopping is still an underdeveloped activity. And that is, in today's context - the planet, the thoughts of sustainability - not bad at all. Doing my groceries here in Rabat, became a much more relaxed activity than it was back in Europe. The number of shops is limited, the choice of products so much less than in the average European supermarket.
At the same time the fruit and vegetable stands are so many, so we are just at the right place for vitamins and healthy food. Good food, real food.

Slow food is available whenever you are ready to feel healthy. You can't get annoyed by all the colourful food. Fruits and vegetables at almost every corner.Today we celebrate the three kings: Epiphany. A homemade brioche. Who will wear the crown? Life is richer when you see your kids having a good appetite and tasting the taste of real food. Education is the miracle word.
The brioche succeeded wonderfully and to explore new recipes with our Moroccan girl is a real adventure. She happens to be a fabulous cook and together we'll visit all local food places in the area. Yesterday was our first excursion.

She took me to a vegetable store in real Moroccon neighbourhood, we were to late for the local market, so that's for next friday, and we picked lots of different vegetables. The first strawberries from the Northern part of Morocco. The girls were so excited to taste the gorgious sweet red fruit. I am thinking now about this project in a way to explore the flavours of the region. Creation of recipes and of course all peanut and nut free. Making and testing recepis and writing them down on the blog.

Detox

Detoxification. From the west to the east. In Paris and in New York. What is wrong with our holidays? The message is cristal clear: we need to clean, heal and relax our bodies after the break. We had some good dinners during our holidays in Europe. The girls enjoyed nice dishes and delicious desserts together with their friends. It was a mix of American and European food. Traditions were shared and everybody could add something from his food wishlist to the menu. Solange could eat it all. The recipes were home made and peanut and nut free. No medication need for Solange this year. No need for detox. One friend really tries to cook with the products of the local market. This is getting an important topic. Thinking green and eating green and taking care of your daily need of 5 to 7 portions fruit and vegetables makes life rather colorful. Look for bright colors and you know you are eating the right vitamines. Life becomes so easy just by visiting the local vegetable and fruit market during the twelve months of the calendar of 2010. I am already looking for some nice recipes with lemons as my lemon tree is giving us a lot fruit this year. We will leave the good chocolate from Switzerland for a while, we had a few. But so far no need for detox. Water, tea, a good night rest and a laugh a day will keep the doctor away.

Food thoughts for 2010

Just at the beginning of a new decade, a brand new year. Ready to launch lots of new energy in this blog adventure and in starting up projects about food and local cooking when coming back to Rabat tomorrow. We´ll be waiting for a family member who will stay with us for some time. He will need special food and is allergic for a range of stuff. I will study clearly his afflictions and in close contact with him I am ready to focus for a new plate of flavours and recipes that will suit him the best. Even more challenges in the kitchen with two people in the house with their specific allergies.
Foodprints, food thoughts, coaching parents and kids about good food and fine fingerprints about allergies. This is only the beginning of 2010.