Day 9 was our departure to the south across the Atlas Mountains to Agadir, the start of our new itinerary. But first we got to spend the entire morning at Lotus Chef Cooking School learning how to make Moroccan bread, salads, and of course, tagines! Then we got to eat our masterpieces.
Lotus Chef Cooking School is staffed by women who are divorced or widowed and would otherwise find it very difficult to provide for themselves and their families and men who also support this mission. You can tell by their dress that they are from different tribes or villages.
The all important tea ceremony to welcome us.
Almond cookies to accompany the mint tea.
Common ingredients in Moroccan cooking: turmeric, cumin, saffron, cinnamon, paprika, preserved lemon, orange flower blossom water, parsley, cilantro, garlic, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini to name a few.
Making the bread.
Baking the bread in a straw and mud oven.
The piping hot finished product!
Upstairs to our cooking class. We each had our own station with closed-circuit TV to watch our teacher.
I got a front row spot!
Chef demonstrates a vegetable couscous.
Our turn to make a chicken tagine with lemon and olives.
Spices first.
Then chicken, onion and the important fermented butter (smells like Parmesan cheese and tastes delicious!)
On goes the lid.
Basting.
Voila!
Making a tomato rose to garnish our tomato-pepper salad
Ta-da!
Plating the Zaalook salad made with eggplant.
Carrot-raisin and cucumber salads--too cute!
Lunch is served!
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