DIY Moroccan Breakfast (and raise money to Kick Cancer's Ass while you're at it) )

Cancer Research UK is a charity very close to my heart and this year they joined up with Stand Up To Cancer UK to raise money.

As I am rubbish at running and have tapped my friends once too often with fundraising pages, I wanted to do something this year that would bring the people I care about together and do something nice for them (while cheerfully fleecing them for money for the charity of course).

Well, I love breakfast and they love breakfast so I figured I would host a 'Kick Cancer's Ass Brekkers'. The idea is simple:
Long suffering friends show up
I make breakfast
They decide how much they would have been willing to pay for the meal in a restaurant
They give me that amount for charity
For every pound they donate I donate 1 too

Simple isn't really my middle name and so I decided to spice things up with a theme. As we have recently returned from Morocco (see Morocco...one part Marmite and 10 parts Magic) and having lost my heart to Morrocan breakfasts, it seemed perfectly logical to me that we should try to recreate one of those glorious breakfasts for our friends.

You might have noticed that a 'we' has snuck in at this point. The other half of 'we' is the long suffering Mr Beedub. An erstwhile frequent flyer on my breakfast missions for this blog, he is also a far, far better breakfast cook than I am. He might also possibly (and this is just a possibility) be more practical than I am and his reaction to my cunning plan was sceptical to say the least.

Was it really sensible to invite 8 people to our apartment when we only have 5 chairs? How likely were Moroccan pancakes to work when we have never made them before AND we don't own a scale? Why was I insisting on serving so many different things at once?

I on the other hand was completely relaxed (and focused more on the table setting truth be told than the actual food). I also had a genius idea to invite our friend Yankee Abroad who is a wizz in the kitchen and male solidarity all in one, so I knew he would jump in to help and keep things calm.

In case you feel like hosting your own Moroccan breakfast (and I highly recommend it), it's simpler than you think. Here's what we did and served...

Me:
Setting the Table
This is the fun bit and not only adds to the opulent Moroccan theme but also keeps you out the kitchen. 
It's really easy - take a beautiful table cloth (white linen is common in Marakech Riads) and add colour with roses and colourful glasses and plates (blues and reds are very Moroccan)

I have a lebanese hookah pipe and I used the blue glass base as a vase for the roses and then scattered additional rose petals all over the table

Freshly squeezed orange juice :
An essential part of the experience as freshly squeezed uber sweet orange juice is a signature of the Marrakech markets.
After 10 years of owing the damn thing I finally used my electric squeezer and it rocked - I don't recommend doing it by hand for that many people unless you are a rock climber with wrists of steel 
I used about 16 oranges for 8 people

Morrocan Mint Tea: 
This is a must and if people haven't tried it before they will love it
1 bag/ large bunch of mint (take the leaves off the stalks)
1 Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea bag (if you are in the UK Sainsburies have actual Moroccan Green tea Bags - easy peasy)
If your guests like sweet tea add some brown sugar to taste
Brew it altogether in a large pot with approximately 700ml of boiling water
Serve in small glass mugs if you can find any or use small tumbler style glasses

Mixed berries:
1 punnet each of blueberries, rasberries, strawberries and blackberries
Top with sprigs of fresh mint
Serve with thick greek (in the absence of Moroccan) yoghurt drizzled with honey on the side

Pastries
I chose almond croissants which were the closest I could find to the ones in Marrakech, but maybe cheat a little and try and find a Moroccan bakery in your area

Mr Beedub
Obviously he did all the technical tricky stove juggling things while I fannied about with berries and roses...

Moroccan Pancakes:
There is no point beating about the bush, ours didn't work, but I firmly believe it was because we don't have a scale and we had poor yeast. I have included 2 recipes to choose from...may the Moroccan pancake fairies be with you... 

Beghrir (semolina pancakes)Taken from the 'Moroccan Bible' (at this point I resist making the obvious politically incorrect joke)
Makes 30
3.5 cups (875ml/ 29.5 fl oz) lukewarm water
2.5 teaspoons (10g/ 3/8 oz) dry yeast
600g (1 lb 5 oz) fine semolina
3/4 of a cup (110g/ 4 oz) plain flour
1 tablespoon (15g/ 0.5 oz) baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon orange-blossom water (20ml/ 3/4 fl oz)
Combine 0.5 cup (80ml/ 3fl oz) water and the yeast in a small bowl.
Sift the semolina, flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture, remaining water and orange-blossom water and stir to continue.
Pour the semolina mixture into a food processor and blend for 2 - 3 minutes to create a smooth, cream-like consistency. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 20 - 30 minutes, until bubbly
Preheat a small non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat. Pour a small ladle full of batter into the pan and slightly rotate the pan to create an even disc. Turn to the heat down to medium and cook on one side for 1-2 minutes, until the bubbles have popped and the pancake is cooked through. Remove from the pan using an egg flip and set aside under a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Msemen (square pan fried pancakes)
Cheekily taken from this website which has great demo pics
Msemen Recipe from About.com Moroccan Food

Eggs:
see Grazia's Brunch In Bed Recipe
These are soooo delicious and although not strictly Moroccan they use Labneh which is a lebanese yougurt which compliments the other flavours perfectly.

You could do any kind of scrambled egg concoctions as we had several different varieties while we were in Morocco.

The result...

So even though the pancakes ended up being emergency american style rescue ones from our friend Yankee Abroad, the breakfast went down singing hymms AND I raised some lovely money for charity.

A Sunday well spent if you ask me...

PS it would only have been more perfect if we owned a dishwasher and 3 more chairs

In case you's like to donate some money to this fantastic cause too: Donate to Stand Up To Cancer

Morocco...one part Marmite and 10 parts Magic

Since I was old and stupid enough to invest every spare cent I have on travelling, I have held a mental list of top 10 of places I have to make it to come hell or high water. Morocco has managed to hold steady in the top 5 for years and so it seemed entirely the most appropriate place to escape to after 5 months of living, sleeping and breathing the London Olympics.

 

I'm not sure that it's the same for everyone, but as much as I had dreamed of Morocco for years, I was completely unprepared for the complete assault on your senses that is Marrakech. I found myself caught in the middle of a mad Marmite travel experience -  swinging wildly between feeling an ecstatic 'Iloveithereandamgoingtobuyabookstoreandneverleave' and a traumatic 'howmanymorerightandleftturnshaveItakenanddeargodwillIevergetbacktotheRiadsafely'.

 

As this is Blog is about breakfast and I am a woefully crap travel writer, I'll cut a few corners and cut to the chase - one of the main reasons that my love for Morocco was ultimately requitted after an 8 day rollercoaster of ups and downs, was because of the breakfasts.

 

We were lucky enough to move between three wonderful Riads and in each one of them, breakfast was so much, much more than a 'rate includes' afterthought. Carefully chosen location, simple, fresh ingedients and a refusal to rush are things you come to expect and love from a Riad Breakfast. It's about as far from a Holiday Inn 'Breakfast Pig Trough' as you can get.

 

Marakech

Riad Enija

The Gods of Breakfast and Travel must have been watching over my Googling when I found Riad Enija. It sits in the middle of the Marrakech Medina (old city) like a glorious peacock of an oasis amongst the sweaty mayhem that is the souks and the Djemaa El Fna Square.

 

If you're very smart (or just lucky like I was), you'll accept the offer from the Riad to arrange an airport pickup. The trip in a 30 old year Mercedes is a fantastic treat and a good place to dust off your rubbish French. You also get escorted through the souks which is worth every dirham - getting lost with a wheely bag on your first day definitely doesn't rate as a 5 star Tripadvisor activity.

 

So first you need to suvive your entree to the souks. And then you arrive. At a tiny wooden door in a very shady looking alley. And just when you think shit shitety shit, the door opens and you meet Ahmed. Ahmed is the most marvellous host who along with Latifa, take care of you like royalty.

 

Breakfast is no exception. The first amazing thing about breakfast in Riads in general, is that you are not a slave to anyone else's clock. You simply wake up and head to the kitchen, stick your head in and say 'feed me'. Even if the skinny old cockerel on the Riad wall crowed hours ago, you will still get a smile and freshly made deliciousness.

 

The second remarkable thing particular to Riad Enija is that even though there are 15 rooms, if you don't actively seek out the other guests, you would never have to see anyone except Ahmed and Latifa. Riad Enija comprises 3 different beautiful buildings each with their own spectacular courtyards. And a roof terrace with a breathtaking view over Marrakech.

 

For breakfast and dinners, beautifully laid tables strewn with rose petals are set in private corners of the main courtyard, hidden from each other by a jungle of greenery. A cheerful fountain and some obligatory Marrakech purr-ey cats provide a breakfast soundtrack. Oh and it turns out, some shagging tortoises.

 

The food is simple. But wonderfully tasty. Everything is brought to the table and you can sit as long as you like. You get a choice of mint tea (really refreshing) or freshly brewed coffee. My daily highlight was the sweetest most delicious orange juice I have ever tasted. As luck would have it, next to spices and Evil Eye jewellery, freshly squeezed orange juice is one of the most popular things sold in the souks, so you can drink as much as you like every day.

 

Each day the line up is similar, but with its own unique twist. A basket of various warm breads, a different pastry and one of three different types of Moroccan pancakes, perfectly gooey brie and youghurt. As an add on you could order a so called Moroccan omlette - essentially a very tasty egg dish with fresh tomatos, onions, herbs and chili.

Moroccan pancakes deserve a special mention as they are really unique. There are three different types all semolina based. Beghrir - lovely soft semolina based pancakes best eaten with a buttery honey mixture; Msemen - delicious square almost savoury pan fried pancakes and a hard salty crunchy one that I couldn't find a name for. Mmmmm. 

We quickly realised that feasting like a King at breakfast means you can skip straight past the Queen and lunch and comfortably survive until a Princely dinner on a Riad Breakfast.

Essaouira

Villa Maroc

 

After three glorious days in Marrakech, we headed East to the coast to Essaouira, the proudly weatherworn ancient port city formerly know as Mogador. On first arrival, Essaouira appears a bit shabby, but don't be deterred, it is a charming place with an interesting art culture and moreish seafood. It's also a thousand times more relaxed than Marrakech and you get hassled far less.

I wasn't as bold with my Riad choice for Essaouira and went with the most commonly and well reviewed - Villa Maroc. Villa Maroc is the Jen Aniston to Riad Enija's Angelina - not as darkly beautiful, but still lovely.

 

They are well known for their good food and are one of the Riad's which offer cooking courses with their chef. Being the lazyass that I am, I wasn't energetic enough to participate, but would definitely do so if I manage to squeeze in another trip to Morocco amongst the rest of the top ten destinations.

 

Villa Maroc breakfasts include many of the Moroccan favourites served at Enija with three differences...

 

#1 a yummy fresh fruit and nutty, honey yoghurt dish

 

#2 the coffee is served out of bowls a Les Francaise (which for some unknown reason makes coffee taste delicious to the power of 10)

 

#3 it's served on the roof terrace and happily, the seagulls unlike the souk traders leave you alone

 

As well as fantabulous breakfasts at Villa Maroc, I can highly recommend a mission to Sidi Kaoki - a wild surf spot 30 minutes South of Essaouira. I reckon if you got up early enough for an early morning surf, the surf club shack at the beach would serve a pretty damn awesome dawn patrol brekker.

 

While staying at Villa Maroc, we discovered that the owners had recently bought another Riad, in the countryside about 20 kilometres inland from Essaouira. It sounded interesting and we wanted to experience some different scenery so we jumped in our almostsureitwasAhmed'sfriendsactualpersonalcarandnotarental Renalt and hit the road.

 

Ounara

Les Jardins de Villa Maroc

 

After nursing the clapped out Renault up 2km of rocky road to the house, we had no idea what to expect. It turns out that not only had we hit upon a paradise, but even better, we were the only people staying there.

Les Jardins de Villa Maroc is a converted farm house with nothing around but acres of olive trees, one donkey, three cats and a wonderful manager.

 

We loved it so much there we decided to stay in and eat dinner . Most Riads serve dinner as well as breakfast and in fact, most guide books tell you that the best place to experience authentic Moroccan food is in the Riads.

 

This was completely the case for both dinner and breakfast which were both prepared by the manager using his mother's recipes. As we arrived, probably the only thunder storm of the year rolled in and we had the unique expereince of being in the middle of nowhere, in complete darkness in a storm. As rain and temperatures below 15 degrees are such a rarity, it seemed cause for celebration and a fire was lit and both our breakfast and dinner were served in the cosy lounge.

 

I can highly recommend a game of Backgammon before breakfast. Whipping someone's ass definitely works up a hunger.

 

Morocco well and truelly earned its place in my top 5 favourite places to visit and as a place for lovers of breakfast, it might even have snuck into Number 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Riad Enija

Riad Enija Website

Villa Maroc

Villa Maroc Website

Les Jardins de Villa Maroc

Les Jardins de Villa Maroc Website 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

A little slice of sanity...Towpath, Regents Canal

So its been awhile.

I am not sure I even know how to find fooddescriby words after being stuck in an Olympic Stadium/ Culinary desert for 4 months.

But on the basis that two amazing things happened this morning, it feels like the right time to dust this sucker off and post an entry...

1st amazing thing: The sun decided to make an appearance (if you live in Spain you won't realise just how amazing this is during the wettestbritishsummerinhistory)

2nd amazing thing: I said fuckit and decided to take my time and go for breakfast with a friend before another Sunday working.

I can't take any credit for finding this little slice of sunny london morning heaven. That would be down to Melissa. My only contribution for the morning was managing to find car keys and sunglasses and wallet, which on its own is a major accomplishment for me at the moment.

If you have read any of my other posts you will know that for me, a key criteria for a great breakfast place is that it must serve breakfast until late. Pah to those early morning joints which stop serving at 11am! Basic reason being I am a lazyass that has no interest in getting up early on Sundays. Today I broke my own rules and so we showed up at 9am which was probably an hour too early for this chilled out, zen gem which was clearly still recovering from a crazy busy Saturday (chef was AWOL to go to the local fresh market to buy eggs and stuff).

Nevertheless - the coffee was still great and even though we weren't in the mood for all the lovely fruity/ health breakfast options they could offer until said chef returned, we were in the mood for the uber delicious, cheese oozing Toasty at the bottom of the chalkboard.

If I had to go there again, I would invest in a gigantic hangover first, because that Toasty could easily be medically classified as a sure fire remedy for Itchy Scratchy hangovers. If not hungover or having pulled in there after a 10km run. you could easily share one.

I have no clue what other breakfast things they offer there (I got the feeling that the chef decides every morning what he feels like making and can find fresh ingredients for in the market), but if the toasted cheese is anything to go by, what ever pops out from that counter will be good.

I should also mention that just sitting canal side with a coffee is fantastic. If I didn't have to work I probably would have ordered a glass of wine. Or a Mojitto. There are exuberant spaniels. A lemon tree. Ducks. Strange semi naked boat dudes. Dude in his nightshirt. And many many other interesting people to chat to or just watch the world cycle by with.

So next time you wake up on the weekend and the sun is shining, head East. Check the chalkboard and make a wish...

Towpath
Regent's Canal towpath,
between Whitmore Bridge and Kingsland Road Bridge
N1 5SB
Transport Haggerston rail or 67, 149 bus
How To Get There

What's Brunch in French? Le Brunch...mais oui

So when you're a few days off from a birthday that is definitely on the wrong side of 35, in my book there is only one thing to do:declare a 4 day long weekend of birthday debauchery.

On day 2 of said weekend, I was woken from a Jaeger infused coma at the dawn of crack by Mr Beedub. I quote: 'Surprise! Get dressed Numnuts, your suitcase is packed and there's a taxi waiting'.

Waking up early seriosuly itchy and scratchy: not so much. Surprise trip to Paris: much! There is nothing I love more than surprises. Except maybe waking up in a beautiful city, in a 5 star hotel to icing sugar snow on a Sunday with the whole day free to go exploring. And find Brunch.

Having been introduced to the Marais District last year by the good Princess Fiona, I knew that was just where we needed to go to find good coffee and Brunch  served with a little twist of Paris on the side. And I was right. Within minutes of jumping off the Metro (Hotel de Ville stop), we landed up exactly where I had hoped we would...surrounded by gorgeous cafes, quirky shops and a stone's throw from the Pompidou.

After buying a pair of gloves for the ever so slightly ill prepared Saffa (moi naturellement), we wandered into Rue Vieille du Temple and found quite possibly my favourite Brunch discovery. Ever.

Except for a small chalkboard outside we would never have known what lay await inside Des Gars dans la Cuisine if it wasn't for the queue of tres sexy, funky Parisians that we tripped over on our way past .

Inside, it was rammed with even more attractive Frenchies,but happily a very jovial (if slightly spitty waiter) managed to shoe horn us into a teeny french ass sized table for 2. Even more happily, the menu was headlined Brunch, swiftly followed by Coup Mimoso and Bloody Mary. Oui!

I love their concept for Brunch: You can choose between Brunch De Gars (hamburger) or Brunch Bio (scrambled egg, salmon, cheeses and bread) and then additionally you get fresh juice, tea or coffee, a bucket of mini pastries and amazing breads as well as your choice of dessert (well really, pancakes, fruit, muesli or cheesecake).

We had one of each. Plus in the spirit of Day 3 birthday debauchery I threw in a Coupe Mimosa (translation: le champagne avec orange juice). The food was fanbloodytastic. The only draw back was that I was so full by the time I had made my  way through pastries, salmon and scrambled egg, not to mention unbelievable french bree with fresh baked bread, that I literally could only squeeze  in one pancake. While I was busy attempting to Harry Houdini my pancakes, Mr Beedub was mesmerised by the scenery...wall to wall supermodel types. See, something for everyone!

We even met our neighbours doing a bit of pass the Salt and Pepper up and down 3 tables a few times. Much fun.

Such a perfect way to start your day of meandering the Marais. It would also be a really fun place to roll into with a big group of friends after a Paris night out :The Bloody Mary's? Looked Bloody Marvellous.

Des Gars dans la Cuisine
72 Rue Vieille du Temple
75003, Paris
Website
How to find it

Note from Beedub: If you are in Paris definitely dedicate a day to Marais District - there's so much to see and do

East or West Green Eggs and Ham are Best

It's been awhile since I got my A into G and went in search of a good egg, so this morning's venture into Nottinghill was long overdue...


My mate Fee is always good at finding good 'uns and today was no exception. It turns out one of Shoreditch's little gems has recently taken the Central Line East and opened in Nottinghill.

I'd already heard great things about  Pizza East and when Fee told me that they a. doBrunchnotjustpizza and b. have Green Eggs and Ham it was pretty clear we were onto a winner. Having been weaned on Dr Seuss, I have spent most of my adult life looking for Green Eggs and Ham. A few years back, Fee and I found avery delicious version in L.A. (Huckleberry Santa Monica) but sadly as a quick flip to California on a Sunday isn't something I can manage every week, I was pretty damn made up to find them on my doorstep too.

So Pizza East Portabello then. It's just exactly my kind of place. Quirky decor. Unbelievable tummyrumbling smells. Ok so on some tables the stools are a bit weird and make you feel like you're sitting on the loo, but do a shuffle and find the comfy ones and you're sorted.


Fresh, squeezed juice. Tick. Although we missed the breakfast menu, there is an all day brunch menu. Tick. Although the menu doesn't fill a page there are some crackers. There was no chance of me having anything other than Green Eggas and Ham, but I did notice Avocado on  Toast with Chilli and a damn fine suasagey thing being delivered to the table next door.

In case you missed the Huckleberry review maybe I need to explain Green Eggs and Ham...basically perfectly poached organic eggs served on serano ham and english muffins, drizzled with a fresh basil sauce and zingy rocket. I'm not sure my 4 year old self would have liked them, but my thirty something self sure as hell did!

Coffee is good too.

As we noticed the most unbelieveable roast being prepared while we were there, not only will I be going back for brekkers soon, I plan to do a Sunday lunch. Oh and maybe a hangover Pizza too...

Pizza East Portobello

310 Portobello Road

London

W10 5TA

tel: +44 (0)20 8969 4500

Website
How to Get There