For my birthday (back in March), David took me to Napa Valley, one of the many travel destinations on my bucket list. It was a wonderful birthday getaway, just the two of us. We toured multiple wineries and participated in wine tastings at each one.
One of the tasting destinations was at the Alpha Omega Winery – St. Helena, CA. We were blessed to be “paired” with a wine educator by the name of Mo who is from Morocco (Northern Africa). Not only did Mo educate us on the wine that was included with the tasting experience, but he also shared some of his culture with us. What life was like growing up in Morocco, the customs, and the food.
To this day, Mo cooks’ healthy Moroccan meals with his family sometimes utilizing a tagine pot. The more he talked, the more fascinated we became. Mo left quite an impression on me as someone who loves to cook, and enjoys different ethic foods, I had to learn more about tagine cooking. So much so, we started researching tagine cooking, recipes, and pots. David found one that I just had to have, and the timing was perfect because our son (AJ) didn’t know what to get me for my birthday. Unbeknownst to me, David suggested to him the tagine pot that we found.
Tagine Pot
A tagine (ta zheen) pot is a type of earthenware pot native to North African culture. They are slow cookers with round bases and low sides that are used in ovens and on stovetops to make foods like meaty stews.
This past weekend, I finally had the opportunity to use my tagine pot for the first time and I was not disappointed. I made a Moroccan Lamb Tagine (stew). I served it over a bed of garlic herb couscous, with a side of collard greens. The lamb was so tender, and the seasonings and spices packed a flavorful punch, add to that the other ingredients such as chopped carrots, onions, garlic, dates, and honey that brought a bit of sweetness to the dish. It was quite delicious!
This dish is enough to feed four and quite filling. You can serve it with khobz (Moroccan bread) or good old-fashioned cornbread if you wish.
Mo is someone that we’ll never forget, he made our experience both educational and enjoyable!
David, Mo & myself