Welcome to the latest newsletter. Having been lucky enough to be in Marrakech a few weeks ago, I'm brimming over with ideas and inspirations on a Moroccan theme, some I have managed to get on to the site, but plenty left to go.
I have lots of information and ideas that I hope to share with you in this newsletter and the next few. I hope to make these newsletters a bit more frequent, and send one out every couple of months.
In this issue I will continue with the theme of taking a different room each newsletter and sharing some ideas to give it a Moroccan feel. This time it's bathrooms: not necessarily your first choice for a Moroccan make over but read on...
I also have a great new recipe for you to try. This dish is comfort food Moroccan style; it may sound a bit strange, but give it a go and you will be hooked.
Finally, I want to tell you about the many changes and additions to the site.
Moroccan Bathroom
If you are like me, your bathroom is often the room given the least attention (yes, I have done shells and bits of rope for the seashore look, and white and navy for the boaty theme) whatever you do to this tiny room, it just looks like your old bathroom: no amount of squinting through the steam will change it.
A Moroccan bathroom could be the answer. Arches, pillars and the colours of the hamman are all possible with a bit of imagination (and possibly a bit of help from your handy Andy).
I will start with the easy bit: colours. Go bold, go for deep turquoise, burnished orange, deepest pink, softening the look with ragging a lighter colour on top if you fancy, and bright shiny accessories. A camel bone mirror and a traditional Moroccan lamp, and you are most of the way there.
Changing the shape and dimensions of your bathroom, without the need for a major building project or moving, is often a wish. I came across some fantastic ideas for transforming your bathroom on my last trip and felt I had to pass them on.
Add arches along the edge of your bath, using moisture-resistant MDF, and your room will take on a completely new dimension. Paint them the same colour as your walls and your same old bathroom is no more. There is something terribly exotic about arches and columns in a bathroom. The columns can be made using the same MDF or some plastic drainpipe: paint it the same or create a marbling effect with some pale colours. This will take your bathroom to another dimension without breaking the bank. Of course, if you have the spare cash and are really sure you are going to like the effect, having the arches and pillars built would be fantastic: but at least with the cheap option you can change it all again in few years.
I have some pictures on the site of some of these bathrooms; have a look here and be inspired.
Food
Meatballs with tomato and eggs
I will admit this doesn't sound the most tantalising of dishes, judging by its title alone, but this is comfort food Moroccan style. It's fairly quick and easy to do, but tastes fabulous.
I first ate this dish in Marrakech, while the rain hammered against the glass and the wind blew (I thought "I'm in Africa in May, it's not supposed to rain", oh and it was cold). This dish was just what was needed to lift our flagging spirits.
Ingredients
Serves 6 (easily reduced)
For the meatballs:
750gm (1 1/2 lb) minced lamb or beef
1 onion
finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt &
pepper
a pinch of chilli powder to taste
1 teaspoon of ground
cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground
cumin
sunflower oil for frying
For the tomato sauce:
2 onions chopped
2 tablespoons of olive
oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
750gm (1 1/2 lb) tomatoes, peeled and chopped
(I used tinned)
1-2 teaspoons of sugar
1 small fresh chilli pepper seeded
and chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley
3
tablespoons of chopped coriander
6 eggs
You will need a large shallow pan or pot that can go on the table. In Morocco the cooking is finished in a shallow earthenware tagine, which goes on top of the fire (although we do not recommend placing our tagines over a direct heat source).
1. For the meatball, mix all the ingredients together, except the oil, and knead into a soft paste (I whizzed the onions, herbs and spices until chopped finely and then added the meat and gave it another quick whiz: it saved all the chopping finely).
2. Roll into marble-sized balls and fry them briefly in batches in shallow oil, shaking the pan to colour them all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
3. In a large shallow pot, which you will bring to the table, prepare the sauce. Fry the onions in the oil until soft. Add the garlic, tomatoes, sugar, salt and chilli pepper and simmer for 20 minutes until reduced.
4. Add the parsley and coriander, put in the meatballs and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Break the eggs over the sauce and cook until the whites are set. Serve with plenty of warm bread.
A Face Lift
With Maroque rapidly approaching the grand old age of two, we decided it needed a bit of a facelift and swap around, and of course lots of new content.
One of the main ideas I have been working on is a 'get the look' section. These are rooms in different Moroccan styles to inspire you. Over the coming months I will try to source the items in the rooms to help you create the look in your own home. I have gardens, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and a collection of pictures with traditional Moroccan lights in situ. Have a look and see what catches your eye...
We have also introduced a 'how to' section where we have gathered all the useful bits and bobs. I will be adding tagine use and care, and how to use your hookah pipe in the next few weeks.
The food section is an area that I am hoping to expand over the coming months, adding new recipes and expanding to dinner party ideas, spices and more.
We have added some new tabs to the web site to assist you in finding things, and also introduced a site map to let you see at a glance what we have and where to find it.
Thank you for your continued support, I hope you find the newsletter interesting, please pass it on if you think anyone else would find it useful. If you have any comments, ideas, suggestions... I would love to hear from you. Please email info@maroque.co.uk
Kind regards
Julie Woodard
Maroque