A Night With The Pasha

While a pasha refers to the governor of a city or province in Morocco, in San Francisco it best describes Jalal Takesh, the amiable owner of Pasha restaurant, a traditional and elegant Moroccan eatery in the heart of the city. A group of friends accompanied me on a recent visit to Pasha, and to say the mood was festive is an understatement. A belly dancer (pregnant, no less!) appeared before we had even ordered our meal and proceeded to enchant us with her rhythmic swaying and athletic grace. Her prop, a live snake, wasn't quite as charming, but maybe that's because the snake was mere feet from our table. In short order, half the restaurant was up on the stage, gyrating with the dancer and having a ball. My hungry gang of six finally ordered "A Royal Feast" and anxiously awaited the real performance.
Our meal began with a series of small plates, among them hummus, a pleasing chick-pea puree seasoned with sesame paste, falafel (fried patties of crushed beans) and a tabbouleh salad flavored with parsley and cracked wheat. Standouts among these plates were the bisteeya, a wonderful rendition of the classic savory/sweet pie and piyaz, Mediterranean white beans in a slightly tangy marinade. The bulk of our feast was made up of heartier dishes, six in all, including lamb with honey, almonds and raisins as well as chicken with honey, onions, raisins and sesame seeds and a sublime hare with paprika, tomatoes and onions. The traditional chicken with pickled lemon and olives was also served, as was a couscous topped with a medley of vegetables which were seasoned with a cumin cayenne sauce. By the time glasses of mint tea arrived, we were ready for bed, sated as can be.
Dining Moroccan-style is a feast for the senses, and at Pasha, the food is well worth your while, especially if you're in a party mood. Pasha, 1516 Broadway, San Francisco (415) 885-4477. Dinner only; "A Royal Feast" is $26 per person, minimum two persons.

Mechoui

Mechoui is an Arabic word meaning "roasted on an open fire" as opposed to oven-roasted. This can apply to a variety of foods, such as vegetables (Salad mechouia, for instance, made with roasted peppers, tomatoes, etc.), but mostly it refers to a whole lamb spit-roasted outdoors. In Algeria, Mechoui is considered as an appetizer and is traditionally served at the beginning of a feast. It is eaten with fingers. The host serves himself first, then tears out pieces of the crispy skin and offers them to the guests. He may then dig inside, and offer the kidneys to the guests of honor, or pieces of filet and ribs.
The Mechoui versions from Morocco and Tunisia are quite different. The lamb may be cooked outdoors, but in a manner similar to Polynesian "kalua pig", or cooked in an earthenware dish. Hence, there is no crispy skin, which makes it much less attractive to aficionados

harira

Harira is the national soup. During the thirty days of the month of Ramadan, every household prepares this perfumed soup that fills the streets with its aroma every day at sundown. It is eaten accompanied by dates or honey cake (chbakias, briouats with almonds and honey…) There are many variations of this specialty, but this is the most traditional.

6 Moroccan tea

Moroccan tea culture (Arabic: اتاي‎ - Ataí) is defined by the way tea (exclusively green tea) is prepared and consumed in Morocco, where it is widely consumed with food. The tradition is also spread throughout North Africa, parts of the Sahel, and southern Spain. Tea occupies a very important place in the Moroccan culture and is considered an art form. Morocco is one of the biggest tea importers of the world.
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[edit] Origins
It is believed that tea was first introduced to Morocco in the 18th century, and began spreading through Morocco in the mid-1800s at the time the trade between Morocco and Europe started flourishing. It is reported that Sultan Moulay Ismail received many bags of tea and sugar as gifts and recompenses given by European envoys in order to release European prisoners.
The main Moroccan tea provider remains China. According to the Moroccan trade ministry, Morocco imported more than $56 million worth of Chinese tea during the first half of 2006. Morocco is considered the first importer of Chinese green tea worldwide. [1]

[edit] Preparation

Moroccan tea being served. It is poured from a distance to produce a foam on the tea.
The method of preparation of Atai is relatively complex compared to methods used elsewhere. A large quantity of hard sugar cones or lumps (5 tea spoons for every spoon of tea) is used, and fresh mint is also an essential ingredient.
Tea is cleaned with boiling water before being dried, this removes dust from shipping and supposedly makes the tea less bitter. Tea and boiling water are combined, and may be boiled further for several minutes. After that, sugar and mint are added and mixed into a teapot with a long, curved spout. The sugar may also be combined with the tea and water in the first infusion, rather than with the mint after brewing. Using a traditional curved spout allows the tea to be poured into tiny glasses from a height of approximately half a meter to form a foamy head. It is then returned once or twice to the teapot for a good mix.

5 Dessert

Sweets aren't always served at the end of a Moroccan meal, but when they are, it might well be one of the following: "gazelle's horns" are a croissant-like pastry which is stuffed with almond paste and topped with sugar, while honey cakes are pretzel-shaped pieces of dough which are deep-fried, dipped into a piping-hot pot of honey and then sprinkled with sesame seeds.

4 Bisteeya

Bisteeya is a type of sweet and savory pie common in Moroccan cuisine. It is made from an outer layer of puffed phyllo dough enveloping a filling of shredded chicken, ground almonds, and spices. The most traditional variant uses pigeon meat rather than chicken; alternate fillings such as shrimp or fish are also becoming prevalent.