Moroccan Lamb Tagine With Pomegranate and Cherries

The rain was pelting down and the 30mph wind kept my umbrella turned inside out. The walk of a few blocks to Boston's, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum left us soaked. Coming inside we heaved a big "Ah-h!" as we shook off the wet chill. My next door neighbor, Kate and I were looking forward to our 1:00 lunch reservation in the museum's restaurant before we walked around this little gem of a museum. Our table overlooked the outside courtyard where the fall leaves swirled in the wind and rain. The waitress brought menus and one of the choices, Lamb Tagine with couscous, seemed so warming and appealing. That it was...and memorable. Kate and I finished our lunch and started our walk around the museum. Since the largest art theft in history happened here in 1990, the museum is under constant watch. Picture taking is strictly forbidden, so I have no photos to share of this opulent collection....except....I did take one of a plaque in the bathroom when no one was looking!!Translated: Think much, Speak little, Write nothing. This plaque with the French Provençal saying is from the Stewart collection and is now proudly displayed while you wash your hands!

After taking in 3 floors of magnificent paintings, tapestries, furniture and artifacts, we braved the storm again to head back home before rush hour traffic started. Kate drove and since her nickname is "the human GPS", I had no worries! When we arrived back home, I found a case of pomegranate juice on my steps that the generous folks at POM Wonderful sent to me. It was like a friendly face at the door. Pomegranate juice is a favorite with my family. The sweet and tart flavor and health benefits just make us happy. And those shapely bottles from POM are so cute! H-m-m-m....Lamb Tagine for lunch...pomegranate juice at my door....I must figure out a recipe with pomegranate juice and Lamb Tagine. I googled, I experimented and....voila! This recipe came out so well that I just couldn't put my tasting spoon down. The balanced combination of sweet, savory, spicy and hot was addicting. The list of spices is long, but many are a staple in the kitchen. This is a wonderful dish to prepare ahead to be ready when guests arrive or for a robust dinner by the fire. I didn't have the tagine pot to make it in, but Kate did. She has a beautiful hand painted pot that she loaned to me. Really all you need though, is a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid. And....a good hearty appetite!


Lamb Tagine with Pomegranate and Cherries

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound (meaty) lamb shank
3/4 pound lamb stew meat
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil), cut into slivers
1/2 cup dried cherries (unsweetened)
3 fresh figs, cut in half
1 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, (I used Pom Wonderful)
1 cup chicken broth
a few sprigs of fresh mint, snipped for garnish

Combine the paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cayenne pepper, and lemon zest in a large zip lock bag and shake. Add the lamb, shake the bag to coat it with the spices and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. In a large heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, heat the oil over medium high heat and brown the lamb. Lower heat to medium and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Stir and continue cooking until the onion is translucent. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes, cherries, and figs. Add the pomegranate juice and chicken broth, while gently stirring. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2-2 hours until the lamb is tender and falling off of the bone. If the sauce needs thickening, simmer with the cover off until slightly reduced. Remove the meat from the lamb shank and return to pot.

Serve with couscous and garnish with snipped mint.
Serves 4.My friend Lisa Magnuson of the Providence Wine Observer offered suggestions for a complementary wine. Her first thoughts were, "a ripe cherry Pinot Noir v. a rustic one. A big jammy Shiraz might work too, but it may over power it. Carmenere has softer tannins like a Merlot." I had a Pinot Noir with it and loved it.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Pomegranate and Cherries recipe (pdf)

Men With Mussels, Curried Mussels That Is

There is a restaurant in Paris called Academie de la Biere, or literally translated, The Beer Academy. It sounds like the ultimate Man Cave, but it is a fun restaurant with half as many beer choices than days on the calendar! Now there's a thought! The long tables are often filled with young men as they "study" the choices at the Academie! You can click on the pic to see the many beers to choose from. I'm not a beer drinker and always look for recommendations, since some of these beers are from Belgium micro breweries. Sometimes you may even be given a sample before committing...what's not to like about that? If you can't decide, you can always default to wine. And then there are the mussels and frites...mussels meunière, mussels moutarde, curried mussels...and even m-m-m-more choices. If you are lucky you have a friend beside you who likes to share!! I always look them over, making sure to only eat the ones that open, since all it takes is one bad one to send you to a place you don't want to go to!Yesterday I went to my local fish market and bought 2 pounds of Prince Edward Island mussels. I wanted curried mussels and thought I'd add some coconut milk to give them a different punch. With Asian undertones they don't taste like their Parisian inspiration, but they are delicious alone as a starter or as I had them, with linguine.

Curried Mussels With Coconut Milk
(I adapted this from an epicurious.com recipe and changed some of the ingredients for my taste.)

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder*
1 1/2 cups dry white wine**
1 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 3-4 inch piece lemon grass, sliced lengthwise
2 small bay leaves
2 pounds mussels, cleaned, scrubbed and debearded
sea salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*The quality of the curry powder defines this this dish, so use the best you can get.
**I chose a Chardonnay for its fuller flavor that works well curry.
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add coconut milk, wine, lemon grass and bay leaves; simmer 10 minutes. Add mussels. Increase heat, cover and boil until mussels open, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, place mussels in 4 bowls (discard any mussels that do not open). Boil sauce until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes or more. Season with salt and pepper; discard bay leaves. Spoon sauce over mussels. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Serves 4.

Click here for tips for cleaning mussels.
Curried Mussels With Coconut Milk recipe (pdf)

For The Birds, Rose Crème Brûlée

Sometimes series of events seem connected and not really coincidental at all, as in my week of Rainbows, Diamonds, Trust and Fortunes. The following week, I was presented with a much less dramatic and much more fun set of coincidences. In the 1920's Carl Jung introduced his Theory of Synchronicity, to explain such events. My son Zac, who is a very pragmatic engineering major, usually quotes the Baader-Meinhof phenonenom as a reason. Whatever the reason or theory, I am still fascinated when certain sets of coincidences occur. For instance, take my day in Paris a few weeks ago. I love birds and roses, so naturally I take notice when I see them, in whatever form. But, I can't tell you how many times I have been in the St. Michel RER stop and casually enjoyed the mosaic on the wall as you exit, but never really took conscious notice of the bird form. My friend Laura took a shot of me walking past this lyrical art.We then exited and crossed the river towards Notre Dame, and it really wasn't anything unusual to see a flock of birds flying and enjoying the afternoon by the bridge. I snapped a pic and we then carried on to discover an event in front of Notre Dame heralding a giant white dove! The wings flapped in the gentle breeze as we stood beneath it.

This couple looked on....somebody should've told them not to feed the pigeons!

There were some lonely late blooming roses that were mainly remarkable in that they were still in bloom. It was a Sunday afternoon and the service was just beginning in Notre Dame. This gray bird at the entrance almost seemed to be part of the architecture. The late afternoon sun streamed in through the Rose Windows giving the inside of the cathedral a warm glow.

It doesn't matter what religion you practice or don't practice, as the choir sings and the music plays, the all encompassing spiritual presence can be strongly felt. Feeling full of light, we left and walked along rue Chanoinesse to go by Au Vieux Paris, a restaurant that my friend Debbie wanted to point out. Yes, charming faux birds graced the front!

We didn't eat there, but enjoyed the old world ambience. Ambling along toward Isle St. Louis, I was telling Debbie and Laura what I'd learned about Herkimer Diamonds through my Rainbows, Diamonds, Trust and Fortune experience the previous week. We crossed the street and looked up to surprisingly see this sparkling mineral shop. Giving each other an astonished and knowing look, we went in.

"Do you have Herkimer Diamonds?", I asked. "Bien Sur", was the reply, and I was shown two magnificent examples. O-o-o-K, so I guess there are more chapters to this story yet! After a very satisfying dinner on Isle St. Louis, we were reflecting on our day of birds and roses and on the amazing Rose Crème Brûlée with our meal the night before. I've never had a flaming Rose Crème Brûlée, and following the oohs and ahhs, we were stunned by the shape the dancing flame displayed!

Rose Crème Brûlée

(adapted from Paula Dean's Crème Brûlée)


2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-1 teaspoon rose water*
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3-1/2 cup raw turbinado or brown sugar

*Diane's notes: 1/2 teaspoon gives a subtle yet hardly discernible rose flavor. Increase the rose water up to 1 teaspoon to your preference of rose flavor. I prefer just a hint of rose flavoring.


Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a heavy-bottomed medium non-reactive saucepan, heat cream with vanilla bean over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring to ensure it does not burn; do not let boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla bean, or save for another use. Strain cream through a fine mesh sieve (if using vanilla bean). Add desired amount of rose water.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar. Add about half the cream mixture, a little at a time, to the egg mixture, whisking until well blended. Then pour the egg mixture into the remaining cream mixture. Stir until completely blended.

Pour the custard into 4 (9-ounce) or 6 (6ounce) ramekins or custard cups. Place the dishes in large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the mixture is set in the center (it should still wiggle when shaken). Carefully remove the dishes from the baking pan. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. Let crème brûlée stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.
Divide 1/3 to 1/2 cup turbinado or light brown sugar in a thin, even layer over each custard, covering it completely. To caramelize the sugar, light a culinary propane torch and hold it so the flame just touches the surface. Alternatively, it may be caramelized under the broiler.

Start at the center and spiral out toward the edges of the ramekins until the sugar melts and lightly browns. If the sugar begins to burn, pull the torch away and blow on the sugar to extinguish the flame.
Garnish with a fresh rose petal. Serve immediately.
Makes 4-9 ounce or 6-6 ounce servings.

Rose Crème Brûlée recipe (pdf)

As I was writing this I got a call from my friend, Christine and we were discussing the Rainbows, Diamonds, Trust, and Fortunes post. Knowing me well, I discovered she thought I was making a play on words with the Joan Baez song, "Diamonds and Rust". After listening to it, I was chilled by the lyrics and the synchronicity of them. Another chapter added as the beat goes on.....Thanks Christine for yet another new layer to those events.

BOO!!

Along with the passing out of the Halloween candy, I always bake Ghost and Black Cat Sugar Cookies. I'm not sure how scary they are, but they are a welcome treat.

In my neck of the woods, Halloween is taken seriously. My town sits next to Salem, Massachusetts, that is infamous for the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690's.

In contrast, Witches seem to be embraced in our current era, as can be seen all through the city. Is that Samantha from "Bewitched"?

Walking through Salem yesterday though, I can't attest to what happened to the witch that this hat belonged to! It did just rain......

During Halloween, beautiful Salem Common takes on a carnival type atmosphere, complete with fried dough stands and costumed partying. Every town is a little different in their celebrations.

Back in my Marblehead Old Town neighborhood, trick or treating can be like being on a movie set. The star studded movie, The Witches of Eastwick, was partially filmed just a few blocks from my house. This time of the year, neighbors here set their own scenes. On crisp Halloween nights with a full moon it feels otherworldly. Angry Pirates,

creepy spiders,

with their webs,

dancing ghosts,

untimely deaths,

and far reaching mail slots are just a few of the settings.

I'm not sure if I'd want to walk through Marblehead's Historical Old Burial Hill on a dark Halloween night,

but on a sunny October afternoon overlooking the harbor, it is a place for reflection and reverence.

Revolutionary heroes and prominent historical figures are buried here and marked with headstones that speak volumes. And if you look hard enough, you might even see a visitor. Happy Halloween!!

Thanks Zac!

Brigitte Cookie Cutter (used for "BOO! cookies)

Recipe for Rolled Sugar Cookies (pdf)