B'Stilla

When I have a free day in the kitchen, my menu is often comfort food driven.  As much as I love classic American comforts like mac and cheese, chili,rotisserie chicken, and potpie, I also enjoy seeking out new comforts.  Easier said than, done, however, as part of the comfort of a lot of comfort foods is that they do not often require a big trip to the store, or a long list of ingredients. There are often not enough hours in the day for home cooked meals, let alone comfort food full of foreign ingredients

#teamdarkmeat

top dusted with sugar and cinnamon

My new job has afforded me a wealth of new holidays, including Veteran’s day. I had no plans for the day because I didn’t even know I had it off until a few days before, so I had the entire day to do as I pleased as I had assumed I would be at work.  Besides going for a run, the only thing that I really wanted to do was cook. I had time to go to the store and pick up new ingredients and not take shortcuts, how lovely.  Anyone that enjoys food, and more importantly cooking, knows there is no greater comfort than spending a day without rush or pressure in the kitchen.

This recipe appeared in the most recent issue of Saveur.  Saveur is one of my favorite places for finding new foods from different cultures because the accompanying articles are beautifully written and outline in detail the cultural significance of foods.  They often include meals that are served in regular homes, not just restaurants or for purposes of luxury travel bloggers.

When I came across this recipe, it was like Alexander Siddig was standing next to Ryan Gosling (there was a roast turkey recipe in the issue that as also a contender for the day) and I decided I would rather have a bit of fun and go with the former.

I purchased my first jar of Ras el Hanout for this recipe. A Moroccan spice blend, every blend is a little different. I contemplated making my own blend, as I had a lot of the spices on hand, but I also looked at the date on a lot of those spices and ended up completing a purge of my spice basket before I started cooking (I couldn’t believe how many times some of those jars had moved with me).  Ras el Hanout translates to “top of the shop”, and is very similar to curry. It can contain upwards of a dozen ingredients, including clove, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and fenugreek.

the filling

I followed the Saveur recipe pretty closely as it was the first time I made it and I always try to do it unless I find comments online that consistently say double this, or reduce that. I did double the ras el hanout, and added a little extra saffron and red pepper flake, because I more or less always double the spices. Also, I just want to say, with all the “skinny taste” and weight watchers crock pot recipes out there that call for boneless, skinless breasts, or extra lean ground beef, nothing feels more bad ass than walking into WF and purchasing a 3.5 lb package of bone-in, skin-on thighs (again, I was feeling more Siddig than Gosling on this day).  #teamdarkmeat.

finally got a piece of the pie

http://www.saveur.com/article/kitchen/not-so-humble-pie

The B’Stilla was elegant, and a stunning centerpiece for the table especially once it was dusted with sugar and cinnamon. I would make this again for a special occasion, when I want to treat a friend… or for Alexander Siddig.