http://www.faduelos.com/Moroccan_Mufleta_Recipe.html offers the mufleta recipe in metric measure.

http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/passover/recipes-pesach/mufleta-recipe-mofleta-moufleta-mimouna.html offers information about Mimouna, and a recipe for mufleta. Notice all the variations of spelling for tasty crepe like treat.

My interest is in the food that is served because it is the central theme of Mimouna. What can one expect to find on a table in a Moroccan home on Mimouna? Without doubt there will be mufleta. Now don’t confuse this with muffaleta, the bread, you’ll find in New Orleans. Mufleta is more like a crepe, smeared with butter and slathered in honey. Besides them being delicious the big deal about Mufleta is that for eight days no bread, only matzot, has been eaten in a home that keeps Pesach. So the eating of Mufleta, which contains yeast, is a sign that Pesach is over.

Here is a  list of some of the foods you would find on a Mimouna table.

1) Live fish – placed on a plate with a bed of lettuce and vegetables.

2) A plate of flour – decorated with seven green bean pods.

3) A tray of flour – scattered within it are seven gold coins and in its center a full cup of oil.

4) Milk jugs – around them are lettuce and vegetables.

5) Sheaves of grain – scattered on the table.

6) Trays of fruit – oranges, apples, almonds and nuts.

7) Honey and butter wafers.

Zaben – white almond nougat.

9) Marozia – fried raisins decorated with nuts.

10) Mazun – jam made from grapefruit, oranges, turnips, carrots and beets.

11) Dates – stuffed with nuts and marzipan.

12) Mufleta – crepes dipped in honey and butter.

You probably noticed how many of those foods are sweet, but may wonder why. Sweets are not just tasty, but also are a sign of the prosperity the Jews began to enjoy once they were freed from slavery in Egypt. Mimouna in my opinion is the celebration of the sweet taste of freedom. Now who in the world cannot understand that?

The rules of Passover are universal to all ethnicities within Judaism. The customs vary from one region to the next, so one might find certain foods on the Sephardic Seder table that would not be found on the Seder table of an Ashkenazic Jew.

Below is an excerpt explaining the rules and the customs of Passover. It was excerpted from http://www.aish.com/passlaw/passlawdefault/All_About_Kitniyot.asp

“The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz during all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3).

“Chametz” is defined as any of the five grains — wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye — which has come into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. This is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Which brings us to the category of prohibited Passover food called “kitniyot.” Sometimes referred to generically as “legumes,” this includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

The Smak (Rabbi Yitzchak of Korbol) explains that products of kitniyot appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot was prohibited.

The Beit Yosef (Rabbi Yosef Karo, 16th century, Israel) notes that since regular grains may become mixed together with kitniyot (apparently due to changes in crop cycles), one may inadvertently come to eat actual chametz.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one’s possession (hence the custom of “selling chametz”). On the other hand, it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it — not for eating — but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community never adopted the prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where a Sefardi family could be eating rice on Passover — whereas their Ashkenazi neighbors will not! “ Many Moroccans do not eat rice on Pessach, but Tunisian Jews do.

On our Seder table there was salada madbucha which is a cooked tomato salad. We also enjoyed Morrocan carrot salad, spinach salad, baba ganoush (a cooked eggplant dip), ful salad, Moroccan beet salad, Moroccan pepper salad, Moroccan hot pepper salad made from Jalapeno peppers, and Zuchini and Potato salad.

Our Moroccan recipe contributor is known for the spicy foods she and her family love, so there was plenty of heat in these delicious authentic Moroccan foods we enjoyed during the Seder.

The soup was the traditional Moroccan soup of passover made with fava beans and meat slow cooked so that the meat melted in ones mouth. This is where those customs come into play because the Sephards will use beans during Pessach. The entree was Moroccan fish tagine. This was a new Moroccan fish tagine I had not had before, made with Tilapia and covered with a tomatoe puree.

As I reviewed the salads I realized another cooking term which one needs to know for authentic Moroccan cuisine is ful, which are fava beans. You might also see it spelled foul, as in foul medamas.

It is always a wonderful meeting of the minds when this group gathers because we are so similar in some ways and so very different in others. The most rewarding part of the evening is always the enjoyment of the food by all. South America meeting North Africa at the table was a great success.

On the grill was Vacio, Skirt Steak, Goat Ribs,  and Argentine Chirizo.

My contributions to the evening included, a Salmon Tagine with colored bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro. For the salads I prepared Moroccan carrots, hummus be tahini, beet salad, tahini.

I added boiled corn with cilantro as the Costa Ricans do, and a sliced tomato and onion salad with cumin.

Ironically the Asado chef ate the Moroccan fish tagine, and the “honorary” Moroccan chef ate the Asado.

I skipped the goat despite the care with which is was prepared, but those who chose it nibbled the bones until there were no scraps left.

Since oregano is banned from my spice shelf (my partner is alllergic to it) our Asado chef chose to rub it with dry rosemary, sea salt, white pepper and a bit of cumin to bring out the flavor of the goat.

For dessert our guests nibbled on orange confiture and some eggplant confiture I’d done for the Moroccan cookbook. It was their first exposure to the Moroccan confitures and they were delighted with the flavors.

Next post I’ll share with you another menu I recently prepared as I cook the dishes that will be featured in the authentic Moroccan cookbooks.

Perhaps one key to the health and longevity enjoyed by the Moroccan people for centuries can be found in their food.

Certain herbs and spices are key to Morrocan cooking. In those herbs modern science is finding health benefits that are now being integrated into the modern world and diets of the more health conscious. As Western Medicine becomes less trustworthy and less affordable people are turning to their kitchens and spice racks for help with what ails them.

For instance the following herbs and spices which are commonly found in Moroccan recipes hold great healing powers. Oh and they are a delicious addition to almost any recipe. I used a July 2007 article by Sharon Palmer, RD entitled Top 10 Culinary Herbs and Spices: Flavorful and Functional found in the professional dietitian’s journal Today’s Dietitian Vol. 9 No. 7 P. 36 as the basis for this post.  Each of the herbs below are used constantly in authentic Moroccan recipes. The following is directly excerpted from that article.

• Curcumin, the Super Spice
  One spice that is reaping much attention is curcumin, which is found in turmeric and curry powder. The components of turmeric and curcumin and related compounds called curcuminoids appear to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, with potential activity against cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic diseases.3

“Curcumin seems to be a very good anticarcinogen. It is linked to reduced susceptibility to cancer with a decreased occurrence of leukemia and cancers of the prostate, breast, and colon, which is most intensively studied. We know that it promotes wound healing because it is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory,” says Greg Cole, PhD, associate director of GRECC (Geriatric Research, Education & Clinical Center) Research at the Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center and associate director of the UCLA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

“It appears to be very helpful in the process of inflammation in the diseases of aging, including emphysema, diseases of the cardiovascular system, congestive heart failure, gastrointestinal issues such as colon cancer and irritants, and Alzheimer’s disease. There’s no question it can work as an antioxidant. The National Cancer Institute decided it was worth studying extracts of turmeric enriched in curcumin, and it appears that it is pretty safe at reasonable doses. What we don’t know is how much to take and the treatment window. We don’t have clinical trial data to say this is what you have to do.”

• Cracking Into Nutmeg
  Within the apricotlike fruit of the tree myristica fragrans lies a kernel. The dried covering of that kernel yields the fragrant spice nutmeg. According to Low Dog, nutmeg displays bactericidal activity toward Helicobacter pylori and Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7. In addition, animal studies demonstrate antidepressantlike activity. But nutmeg lovers need to be cautious, as 1 to 2 ounces of nutmeg have been known to cause prolonged delirium and toxicity.
• Sweet, Sweet Cinnamon
  Cinnamon, the seasoning that’s as comforting as grandma’s apple pie, has been studied not only for its antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial effects but also for its role in insulin activity. Cinnamon’s active ingredients are polyphenol polymers, which scientists think may act like insulin. In three trials involving 164 patients with type 2 diabetes, researchers evaluated the efficacy of cinnamon supplementation. Two of the studies reported modest improvements in lowering blood glucose levels with cinnamon supplementation in small patient samples, while one trial showed no significant difference between the cinnamon and placebo in lowering blood glucose levels. Researchers concluded that cinnamon has a possible modest effect in lowering plasma glucose levels in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.4
• Hot Pepper
  There may be a host of health benefits in the heat of pepper. Cayenne pepper (ground red pepper), which gets its name from the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, is a concentrated source of capsaicin, the powerful phytochemical that gives chiles their heat and appears to have chemopreventative activity. Data also suggest that the major capsaicinoids of peppers target a variety of pathways involved in cancer development and inflammation.5 Low Dog reported that capsaicin and its relatives are also powerful analgesics.
• Fields of Garlic
  The perceived health benefits of garlic, a species in the onion family, have long been passed down through the generations in many cultures. Garlic contains substances now being studied for their anticancer effects, including allicin, allixin, allyl sulfides, quercetin, and organosulfur compounds. There is some evidence that consuming one half to one full clove of garlic daily may have a cholesterol-lowering effect of up to 9%. Also, 7.2 grams of aged garlic extract has been associated with anticlotting (in vivo studies), as well as modest reductions in blood pressure. However, a new National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that consumption of garlic, in any form, did not reduce cholesterol levels in patients with moderately high levels.
• Exotic Ginger
  Ginger, a mixture of several hundred known constituents, including gingerols, beta-carotene, capsaicin, caffeic acid, curcumin, and salicylate, has a long history of medicinal use that dates back 2,500 years. Today, it is being studied for numerous uses, such as an aid for pain, nausea, and vomiting. According to Low Dog, dried ginger may be efficacious for nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy with little risk of harm, but there have been contradictory studies for efficacy in motion sickness and chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting. Some compounds in ginger have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In addition, ginger exhibits cancer preventive activity in experimental carcinogenesis. Epidemiologic data suggest that populations consuming foods rich in polyphenols such as ginger have lower incidences of inflammatory disease.2,9
• Cool Mint
  Peppermint, one of the most widely consumed single-ingredient herbs in teas, has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. The phenolic constituents of the leaves include rosmarinic acid and several flavonoids, such as eriocitrin, luteolin, and hesperidin. The main volatile components of the essential oil of peppermint are menthol and menthone. Peppermint has significant antimicrobial and antiviral activities, strong antioxidant and antitumor actions, and some antiallergenic potential. Some animal model studies show a relaxation effect on gastrointestinal tissue, analgesic and anesthetic effects in the central and peripheral nervous system, immunomodulating actions, and chemopreventive potential.10

For an explanation of the sources she used visit the article at http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/tdjuly2007pg36.shtml

In my next post I’ll share the health benefits of some of the common ingredients in traditional Moroccan recipes to give you a more complete idea of how healthy Moroccan food is and why it looks and tastes so delicious.

Something called a Tagine, also spelled tajine. These are special conical clay pots which are glazed to retain the heat and moisture making the food tender, while retaining the flavors and natural juices of the ingredients.

You can find some great pictures of tajine (both the food and the cookware) on Flickr

Take a look at the new information we posted there because many of the herbs and spices, and even the teas will play a part in our How to Cookbooks project.

http://www.squidoo.com/healing_herbs_and_spices

Below is a short list of some terms you will want to be familiar with related to Moroccan cuisine.

1. Confit – preserved
2. Confiture – preserved with sugar
3. Merguez – a spicy sausage
4. Tagine – a dish you eat cooked on a low fire with very little liquid
5. Tagine – a dish you serve and cook the stuff you eat called tagine in

One of the other things that is fascinating is the way that spices and herbs are used in many ethnic cuisines for health reasons.

Since I have always be fascinated by alternative forms of healing, and since food and cooking has always been a passion of mine I connected those two things on a new lens on Squidoo.

I’ll be including a great deal of the information on the How To Cookbooks site but I wanted to make that information available to as wide an audience as possible. That is the reason for the Squidoo lens.

Take a click over there when you have the time and see what else I’m working on related to this project. Healing Herbs and Spices

We doo () and here’s the link to our lens

http://www.squidoo.com/howtocookbooks

Oh and today I attracted the way for us to provide you with printed versions of these wonderful cookbooks we are creating. I’ll save the details of that for another post once we’re farther along with the project. But suffice it to say we’ve got a bunch of surprises in store for you.

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