Posts Tagged ‘Alili Morocco’

My Thanksgiving Menu

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of attending a friend’s Thanksgiving celebration at her New York home. It was my first Thanksgiving dinner; the humble tradition of food and family and friends is distinctly American and I loved it! At that first celebration, there was a rather large turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, and a lovely green bean dish with pine nuts sprinkled on top. I brought a bottle of French Bordeaux.

This year, I’m back in Paris for the American holiday, but I already have in mind a dinner for my own family here -we won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving like my American friends, but I love the tradition of sharing a long, savory meal with my closest and dearest, so I’ll be doing it nonetheless. Here’s what’s on my menu:

Starter: oven goat cheese and honey crostini, which features my own stash of Alilli Morocco lavender honey.

Main Course: Duck Confit with oven roasted semi-sliced potatoes, each with a side of black truffles. My duck confit has a secret ingredient that my family can never quite name, but they love nonetheless: Nutmeg! A tiny bit of freshly grated nutmeg gives it “un je ne sais quoi”…

Oven Sliced Potatoes

Salad: Red and Gold beet salad, with fennel, and a lovely Alili Olive Oil, with fresh squeezed lime juice and fleur de sel.

Dessert: Ricotta Lemon Cheesecake.

Enjoy your holiday! Oh, and don’t forget the little dishes of ultra healthy argan oil for dipping bread.

5 Summer Gifts that Don't Melt!

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Summer is here! Ah, the picnics in the park, the days at the beach. The invitations for barbecue and the birthday parties. But what is appropriate to bring or send?

Chocolate is a tough gift to send in the Summer, because it’s much more expensive to pack with ice and send overnight. For that reason, other types of gift become much better suited for the occasion:

1. Try Cookies instead of chocolates. They satisfy the sweet tooth, travel well and can be stored.

2. Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate are a crowd-pleasers and can be kept for enjoyment whenever the mood strikes.

3. Condiments. For a tasty change, try Harissa or Tapenade on hot-dogs and burgers.

4. Nuts. Always a welcome gift and great for parties.

5. Books. Really easy to pack and send and great choices for cooks and foodies. And, ours are even signed by the authors!

Emily Bakes Shortbread Gift Box

Emily Bakes Shortbread Gift Box

Amedei Hot Chocolate

Amedei Hot Chocolate

Alili Morocco Authentic Harissa

Alili Morocco Authentic Harissa

Moroccan Food & Facts

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

We thought it would be fun to introduce a new honey and olive oil Master by sharing a few interesting facts:

  • 1375 picholine olives go into a bottle of Alili Morocco olive oil.
  • Olive is ubiquitous in literature. For Roman poet Horace “olives, endive and smooth mallows provide sustenance”.
  • Honey dates back to 2100 B.C. at least, mentioned by Babylonians. Honey has been used to make cement, in polishing and varnishing works, for medicinal purposes and as a currency.

This provider of super healthy Moroccan food deserved our attention and got some from Florence Fabricant, the celebrated New York Times Food writer, who gushed about their honeys, noting the floral notes and distinct flavor profile: “earthy,…unusual,… floral”.

After making you travel to Morocco and salivate, it’s time you laid an eye on this gorgeous collection of Mediterranean food here.