The table was set early for the purposes of taking the photo. There were more dishes that I did not have time to photograph. I'm am exhausted at the moment and will post recipes later inshAllah.
Obviously the plates and setting are not Algerian. Some of the plates are Korean celadon. We had this at my in-laws place.
These are some of the ingredients I cooked with today. I bought them at a local Middle Eastern market. The prices are very good. Sometimes I get a great deal, other times I'm reminded "you get what you pay for". The store occasionally carries produce from smaller farmers.
I also try to purchase vegetables and fruits at the local farmer's market. There are many in Los Angeles County, one that is only about 2 miles away from where I live.
The game plan for cooking alot of Algerian dishes is to go to the market and see what's available. High quality ingredients are still only as good as the cook. Common ingredients can be elevated by a very good cook. I know the trend in professional cooking is using the best available ingredients, but if you plan on being a professional you have to know how to cook poor ingredients as well. Otherwise you will be a slave to your ingredients and when they are sub-par you will be too.
Algerian cooking is all about depth of flavor. It may comes as a surprise to some, but the cooking in the Sahara and the bled (countryside) of Algeria are more than just meat on sticks. Okay, sometimes it is a whole lamb on a stick for a mechoui.
I wrote a little bit about the sort of ingredients we have on our family farm in Setif. It's beyond free range or organic. It is whole, pure food, wild ingredients that speak of the earth and the whims of nature. For those blown away by pre sale lamb from Brittany, a lamb from my family farm in setif that's grazed on the wild greens of the mountains is a whole other experience.
I washed and trimmed all of my vegetables first. Afterwards I decided what to make. It's difficult to do alot of cooking during the day and then sit down to post about it in a timely manner, especially during this month. Stay tune for more...
Algerian savory pastries range in sizes and shapes from triangles, little logs, longer thinner fingers, slender cigars, half moon briks, crescent shaped cocas to humongous moon shaped pastillas.
These are briks with a potato filling Brik b'il Batata. I also used the same filling to make little boureks, braewats or samsas.
Continue reading "Algerian Briks, Braewats, Samsas and Boureks " »
This is a very simple, homey cake. It's heavy and very filling. The interior is moist and the crust is chewy. Traditionally it's made in a tadjine.
There are versions of this cake that are baked or made like a halwet (halva).
Continue reading "Khobz Mbesses, Algerian Semolina Cake with Eggs, Gateau de Semoule aux Oeufs" »
Another dish for Ramadan. Actually all the recipes on my site are suitable for Ramadan.
This is a very easy dish to make. It's one of those slow cooked all day dishes that are found in Algeria. It's very flavorful and satisfying.
Some cooks will leave a dish like this on the stove or fire all day long, until everything is meltingly tender.
Continue reading "Djej M'ammer b'r-roz, Algerian Chicken Stuffed with Rice, Poulet Farci au Riz" »
Sweet meat dishes are another Ramadan specialty. This version is unctuous and sweetened in layers with caramelized vegetables, dried fruits and honey. But it is not cloying when eaten in the proper quantities with other dishes to refresh the palate.
I have been omitting serving sizes intentionally. If an Algerian family of twelve has three lamb shanks, well then that's feeding twelve mouths. If an Algerian family of four has three lamb shanks, well then that's feeding four mouths.
The Algerian way of eating is always communal. A sense of sharing and consideration is inherently built into this concept.
I am aware that I have been presenting alot of meat dishes. I mentioned early on that the Zadi family ate much more meat than is typical. The Algerian diet for the most part is composed of whole grains, legumes and vegetables much more so than meat.
During the month of Ramadan every evening the fast is broken with dates and water, lben or milk or with fruit and nut drinks usually followed by a nutritious and invigorating soup such as harira.
These are the ingredients for one version of harira. There are many others. I will try to post as many as I can eat from now and through Ramadan
I won't give quantities for this recipe. You want to cook Algerian dishes, think like an Algerian. We cook intuitively and creatively with what we have. A shopping list with measured ingredients is unheard of. We go to the market or souk we buy what's available, sometimes that means just piles of onions and squash. You don't have lamb? Use a chicken. You don't have any meat? Omit it. Yes, there are versions with no meat. You don't have eggs? Omit them from the recipe.
This is a very satisfying and easy to make soup. It's nutritious and full of strong, simple flavors. As with most Algerian dishes there are endless variations of chick pea soup. This the first in a series that I will post.
It might come as a surprise to some that Algerian cuisine has a large range of vegetarian, vegan and whole grain dishes. Most seem to be more familiar with meat and chicken dishes. But that is not representative of the diet. My family ate an unusually high amount of lamb and beef compared to most.
Continue reading "Djouaz el Hummus, Algerian Chick Pea Soup, Potage de Pois Chiches" »
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