THE KASBAH CHRONICLES FREE edition
November 2024: en français and in English, persimmons, auction of Kitty's vintage Moroccan items, musings, Happy Jour de Merci Donnant and Thanksgiving too, have you made your preserved lemons?
THE KASBAH CHRONICLES
Dear friends and followers (now over 2200!) on Substack
Musings
FINALLY: KITTY IS SELLING, at long last...Just click on the link included to view or bid on Vintage Moroccan artifacts, rugs, textiles, handcrafted Moroccan copper, antique English and French language books, and much more. You can always email me directly for more details.
CLICK NOW TO VIEW MY ITEMS ON THIS SITE!
A Journey Through Time: Moroccan & French Art & Antiques Auction
https://www.auctionninja.com/essentia-endeavors/sales/details/a-journey-through-time-moroccan-french-art-antiques-auction-9.html?Page=2#items
About the Sale: “This auction is not just a sale; it's a journey through time. Experience the allure of Morocco's rich culture and the elegance of French heritage as you bid on these captivating pieces—featuring a curated collection of Moroccan and French art and antiques. From painted birds on Napoleonic era plates dated 1802, to the intricate style of handcrafted Moroccan treasures..”.
Please feel free to share this newsletter and this auction link with your friends. I will list more items soon.
The intricate vintage copper powder horn listed is often worn by tribesmen participating in a display of horsemanship called a fantasia. … comme celui ci! See below!!
Photos of horsemen from wikipedia
This is just the start! I am cleaning out chests, drawers, and cupboards. It’s time to find new homes for our family treasures..
Links of interest
Have you made preserved lemons as Xmas gifts yet?
Seasonal recipes using persimmons and pomegranates
Recipes for a healthful Thanksgiving
Kitty’s article in winedineandtravel.com: A visit to Le Cordon Bleu campus in Lima Peru (p. 139)
Le Cordon Bleu, Lima/wdt/scotland/
Musings:
Merci and thank you for reading the Kasbah Chronicles. Some of you have followed me on various platforms for over 12 years. For that, a grand merci.
Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and it is my favorite American celebration. I love the symbolism of it, and of course, I love to prepare and serve the food... I am doing it this year, with the help of longtime friends, and two young marines from Camp Pendleton. Some military personnel are left with nowhere to go on this special day...so I am welcoming two to my table.
I will, of course, explain this uniquely American day to my French speaking readers by repeating another favorite: Art Buchwald’s hilarious article on Merci Donnant. (Sorry for the repetition, but it is sooooo a propos and soooo funny.) You will find it on the web here…
Here it is: The dinde is dandy, so let's give thanks By Art BuchwaldLe Grande Thanksgiving Nov 18, 2011 · One of the most popular columns of longtime Washington Post humorist Art Buchwald involved his attempt to explain Thanksgiving to the French.
I woke up today to a beautiful, bright, sunny Southern California Day and I thought of my husband, Owen, who left us almost two years ago, and I couldn’t believe how fast time has gone by. So to you all, a trite message: Carpe Diem, make the best of it!
My shoulder is healed.. so no more “organ recitals” from me until next year, Inch Allah!
Another cause for celebration: My persimmon tree is LOADED with square shaped FUYUS. I almost hate to pick them, they look so pretty on the tree..
My daily dessert: Persimmons in orange juice
4 Fuyu persimmons (NOT heart-shaped HACHIYAS) , peeled, and diced or sliced like an apple.
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 2-inch piece of fresh gingerroot, peeled
One cinnamon stick
Place the ensemble in a saucepan, cover with a lid, and stew 20 mns. Let cool, the juice will thicken. Refrigerate. Serve over yogurt or ice cream.. or not..
Let’s not forget another seasonal fruit: POMEGRANATES
Once my husband, Owen’s, favorite breakfast:
Serves 1
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup couscous
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (from good old Trader Joe’s)
Sugar, if desired
Buttermilk or almond milk
In a small saucepan, bring the butter, water and salt to a boil. Add couscous in a stream. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool and fluff with a fork. Mix couscous with pomegranate seeds and sugar, if using. Serve with buttermilk.
And look at what popped up in one of my pots: A SAFFRON CROCUS!
Did you know you can purchase saffron crocuses at your garden center? I purchased a few bulbs last year, stuffed them in a random pot, and promptly forgot about them. Yes, they are crocus sativus—you can pick the stamen, only you’ll need 70,000 to gather a pound of the world’s most expensive spice!
REMINDER:
My Meyer lemon tree is loaded with just the right sized fruit: the size of a golfball. Preserve some now and they will be ready for the end of the year holidays.
HOME MADE PRESERVED LEMON MAKE GREAT XMAS GIFTS! Pair a jar with one of my cookbooks (wink!) I can ship a copy of Mint Tea and Minarets and you add the lemons. The best ones are no larger than a golf ball. The recipe is in a number of my SUBSTACKS, in ALL MY MOROCCAN COOKBOOKS, and you can watch me demonstrate how to make them on YOUTUBE:
Kitty’s Preserved Lemon Dressing
Makes about 1/3 cup
Scrape the pulp from a preserved lemon and discard the seeds. Return the rind to the jar for another use.
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or grapefruit juice
5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon preserved lemon pulp, seeds removed
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Chinese rice vinegar or MILD vinegar
2 teaspoons ground cumin (or more)
a pinch of salt to cut the acidity
Blend ingredients until emulsified.
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It’s not too late to order a copy of one of my books:
Mint Tea and Minarets: A Banquet of Moroccan Memories
and
Bitter Sweet: A Wartime Journal and Heirloom Recipes from Occupied France
I can ship out signed copies in time for a holiday gift —my French great grandmother was a serious baker: chocolate cakes, carrot cake like no other and many bredele, Alsatian Xmas cookies! Log on to my website, www.kittymorse.com. Pay via Paypal.
Book trailer for Mint Tea and Minarets
IN the PAID version (thank you subscribers) of this Kasbah Chronicles (sent separately) you can expect aportion of this newsletter and :
Childhood recollections of the fabled LA MAMOUNIA hotel in Marrakech
Recipes:
Turkey stuffed with Couscous and Figs
and
Cassolita (my great grandmother’s butternut and caramelized onions)
From Bitter Sweet: A Wartime Journal and Heirloom Recipes.
Blanche’s Croissants aux Amandes/Almond Crescents
as always
Bismillah and Bon Appétit
So good to hear from you, Kitty! I'm so glad you are feeling better and back to writing. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for the inspiration of The Kasbah Chronicles!