Thursday March 11, 2010 Healthy Moroccan Cooking

Event report

 Casablanca Restaurant, 7 - 9 PM
Cooking Demo By Chef Samir Labriny 
Moroccan Academy Cuisine
Location:  1504 King St. Alexandria, VA 22314
To reserve your space call Samir Directly at 571-594-3737

Or send an email to:  labriny@yahoo.com,

 Topics
Use of herbs and spices in healthy Moroccan cooking
the compositions of meals in morocco
the health benefits of Moroccan cuisine

Menu:

Eggplants Salad, Lentil Salad, Warm spinach salad
Chicken with lemon and olives & Vegetarian Tajin
Couscous with root vegetable

  Nomads, called Berbers, were the first inhabitants of Morocco over two thousand years ago.  They used local ingredients, such as olives, figs, and dates, to prepare lamb and poultry stews.  Over time, traders and conquering nations introduced new foods and customs.  Among These peoples were the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans.  However, the strongest influence on native cooking was the Arab invasion in the seventh century A.D.
The Arabs brought with them new breads and other foods made from grains.  They introduced spices including cinnamon, ginger, saffron, cumin, and caraway.  They also introduced sweet-and-sour cooking, which they had learned from the Persians.  Moors from Andalusia in southern Spain also influenced Moroccan cooking.  The pastilla, or bisteeya, a popular pigeon pie in Morocco, was originally a Moorish dish.  In modern times, the French and the British contributed to Moroccan cuisine.
Morocco, unlike most other African countries, produces all the food it needs to feed its people.  Its many homegrown fruits and vegetables include oranges, melons, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, and potatoes.  Five more native products that are especially important in Moroccan cooking are lemons, olives, figs, dates, and almonds.  Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the country is rich in fish and seafood.  Beef is not plentiful, so meals are usually built around lamb or poultry.
Round Moroccan bread is eaten at every meal.  The Moroccan national dish is the tajine, a lamb or poultry stew.  Other common ingredients may include almonds, hard-boiled eggs, prunes, lemons, tomatoes, and other vegetables.  The Tajine, like other Moroccan dishes, is known for its distinctive flavoring, which comes from spices including saffron, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and ground red pepper.  The tajine's name is taken from the distinctive earthenware dish with a cone-shaped top in which it is cooked and served.  Another Moroccan dietary staple is couscous, made from fine grains of a wheat product called semolina.  It is served many different ways, with vegetables, meat, or seafood.
Sweets play a very important role in the Moroccan diet.  Every household has a supply of homemade sweet desserts made from almonds, honey, and other ingredients.  Mint tea is served with every meal in Morocco.  

 Avent report:

Moroccan Cuisine Academy

Healthy cooking demonstration
March 11, 2010, a 20/20 event of the Washington Moroccan American Club

   Location: Casablanca Restaurant, Alexandria Virginia

  Presenters:

By Chef Samir Labriny

 My goal in promoting "Healthy Moroccan Cooking" is simply to give people a new way of looking at food preparation and ingredients in relation to health issues and diet in today's world.

Many of us go through life thinking that it is normal to gain weight solely because we are getting older. This is a myth. We tend to eat foods that increase our chances of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and many other diseases simply because we have not been taught to associate foods with the way we feel.

When Hassan Samrhouni offered me the opportunity to educate people about healthy Moroccan cooking back in September of 2009 as part of the Washington Moroccan American Club's 20/20 events, I immediately accepted.  I created a presentation that would encompass both the simplicity and the diversity that is Moroccan cooking, while also emphasizing the importance of eating healthily.

 I empathized strongly with Hassan, because I have always believed in the following two statements: "Your body is your temple, so keep it clean," and "Healthy minds reside in the healthy bodies."  Being given the opportunity to help other people understand the importance of eating healthily, I could not turn it down.

 The following week I sent Hassan guidelines for my cooking class, pictures of dishes I have cooked in the past, the logo I had created for the Moroccan cuisine academy, and the names of the dishes I was planning on teaching.

 On March 11, 2010, we had our demonstration. We had such a great response that the room could not even hold all of the students that wanted to attend; what was originally planned to be a demonstration for 50 people turned into a demonstration for 65 people.  The entire two hour demonstration was filled with fun, information about healthy Moroccan cooking, and professional techniques. We talked about regional cuisines and authentic dishes, and I covered a few quick recipes for some delicious meals. 

 The audience was involved in the demonstration the whole time.  They were most intrigued by how much the Moroccan cuisine has to offer in promoting a healthier life style. Vegetarian dishes were also introduced, as well as advice on the best methods to ensure a quality meal.

 When the demonstration was over, we held an open forum for questions and answers.  Afterwards, the evening came to an end with a spectacular dinner cooked in front of the audience's eyes.  The event was also covered by Moroccan media, with journalists and reporters attending.  They interviewed many participants and audience members.

 My goal, aside from highlighting the health concerns mentioned in the beginning of this article, is to make our community aware of these health risks. The diet in our homeland is a lot healthier, but we are so busy with our daily tasks that we do not think about eating healthily. Very seldom do we enjoy a prepared meal.  Instead, we resort to premade meals or fast food.  I wish to educate our community on the risks they face by not eating healthily, as well as provide them with the tools they need to change their eating habits.

 The second point that I want to mention is that most restaurants do not have your health in mind when they are preparing your food.  Rather than providing a healthy meal, most meals served by restaurants are already semi-prepared, placed in fridges, and then fully finished when ordered. Very rarely is restaurant food cooked "a la minute," and we are the ones that suffer for the restaurants' convenience.

 I would also like to mention the opening of the Moroccan Cuisine Academy in Morocco. This is the school that I opened last year in Marrakech. The Academy's curriculum is very specific, focusing on healthy Moroccan cuisine.

 I want to use cooking to help bridge our cultures and to help people benefit from the best aspects of both cultures.

 By: Samir Labriny

WWW.CUISINEOFMOROCCO.COM