Coochi, Coochi, Anticuchos! Peru, Part Two

Grilled mystery meats over an open wood fire pit...yummmm! During our trip to Peru, we loved the small Anticuchos cafes. Never knew what meat they were grilling, but here's a great recipe I came up with to remind me of my first Anticuchos. I used chicken instead of the traditional Beef Heart, but it's still delicious!

PERUVIAN CHIMMICHURI ANTICUCHOS
(chicken skewers)

4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup soy sauce¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves peeled
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika can be used)
dash of cayenne1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

AJI VERDE SAUCE RECIPE
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 avocado
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup water
2 aji amarillo peppers or jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and diced (keep the seeds if heat is desired)
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pound chicken breasts flat, making sure the thickest part of the chicken is the same thickness of the narrow, skinny end. Set aside. Blend chicken marinade ingredients in a blender or processor. Pour marinade in zip lock bag and place chicken in marinade for one to eight hours. Remove chicken and pat dry before grilling on a medium high heat.Grill breasts for about three to five minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees. Blend all aji verde sauce ingredients in a blender. Serve with anticuchos. Oh...aji amarillo peppers can be found on line. Google aji amarillo and you'll find on line grocers sellings these by the pound. They are not hot, but more fruity and complex!

If life hands you limes, make cebiche! Peru-Part One

Yes, cebiche is spelled correctly...at least if you are in Peru. I had to ask my Spanish speaking husband if there was a typo on the menu of our cliff side cevicheria in Lima, Peru. We say ceviche, they say cebiche, either way, it's so darn fresh.

As we sat on the third floor of a ceviche cafe with a birds eye view of the Pacific, if the ceviche was going to be half as amazing as this panoramic view of Lima's jagged coast, my palate would be happy as a clam!

In this photo of the local scallops, you'll see they still have the rich roe still attached...yum. Nothing is wasted in Peru. In the markets and cafes, organ meats, tongues and other odd parts are all marinated, grilled and consumed. I know for our Western palates, this may seem unsavory, but once you try it...it is sinfully delicious. My favorite treat was the Beef Heart Skewers, or Anticuchos. As you walk by these street-side carts, the smell of wood fired skewers lures you to try just a bite. Then another bite, and then another bite.

Peruvian Cebiche Mixta

1/2 pound sea bass or corvina, cut on the bias, 1/2 inch chop

1/2 pound fresh sea scallops, chopped

1/2 pound small raw shrimp

1 quart water,

1 sweet red onion, sliced very thin

1 aji amarillo, rib and seeds removed (jalapeno can be used)

1 clove garlic

Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Rinse fish in cold water and drain thoroughly. Place chopped fish in a ceramic or glass bowl. Soak onions in a quart of water for about an hour to take the bite off their taste. After an hour, rinse and drain the onions thoroughly.

Smash aji, garlic, and pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and make a paste. Place paste in with fish, lime pepper, and cilantro. Let marinate for 10 minutes. Served with shaved onions on top. Enjoy!

GAMBAS AL AJILLO-Shrimp kissed with Garlic love!

Sometimes simplicity says it all. Garlic, shrimp and sherry. The Spanish know how to treat shrimp right. The key is buying the right shrimp. Lucky for me, I live on the Gulf Coast and the large pink shrimp are sweeter than pie! This is a great appetizer served with warm crusty bread. Enjoy!

GAMBAS AL AJILLO

· 1 lb fresh gulf pink shrimp, 25 count to a pound
· 4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
· 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
· 1 tsp red pepper flakes
· 2-3 oz dry Spanish Sherry
· 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
· 3 tsp chopped fresh parsley
· 1 lemon for juice
· 1 Baguette
.
Serves 4 as an appetizer
The shrimp can be peeled first, before cooking them if you prefer. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan and sauté garlic and red pepper flakes for about one minute. Lightly brown the garlic, very slowly.

Add shrimp and turn heat to high. Add lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink and curl – about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.

Move over Hot Dog, Satay is on the Way!

Balinese Street Food was one of our culinary highlights of our trip to Bali. Like our street-side American addiction to hotdogs, gyros and corn dogs, Balinese have their satays, fritters and soups.

There are many recipes for satay...pork, shrimp, chicken or beef, but my choice of protein is the skirt steak. Skirt is fatty and flavorful and easy to bite off when your trying to be a lady at a cocktail party. Hope you all enjoy the recipe. It's even great if you don't put the meat on a stick!

Beef Marinade:

1- 1 ½ lb. skirt steak (or flank steak)
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 T chopped cilantro
1 T curry powder-yellow
(or) 1 Tablespoon curry paste from Asian Store
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander

Place beef in shallow dish with marinade. Marinade for at least four hours and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature before grilling. Preheat medium-hot grill or preheat the broiler. Cut beef against the grain and thread onto pre-soaked bamboo sticks or metal skewers. Grill for about one minute each side. The sugar in the marinade will burn quickly, so keep an eye out on your skewers. Serve immediately. Preferably with a spicy peanut sauce!

Singapore Sling! The Great Changi Escape

On an eight hour layover in Changi International Airport in Singapore, we took quick showers in the Airport spa and slinged over to the local outdoor market to grab some authentic Singapore grub. On our escape, we sampled bits and pieces of classic street food, but our favorite were the shrimp and pork dumplings. I made a close version for a party and everyone raved! If they only knew how easy they were! I served them with a Plum BBQ sauce and Sweet Thai Chili sauce.

SHRIMP DUMPLING
Makes 16 to 20 Dumplings

1 cup raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped finely
1/2 cup ground pork
1 tablespoon soy sauce
7 water chestnuts minced finely
2 scallions minced
2 teaspoons dry white wine
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg white beaten
24 round gyoza or wonton wrappers.

Mix all ingredients in small bowl or in food processor. Spray steamer with cooking spray or line with parchment slit with holes or a banana leaf. Bring water to a medium-low heat and simmer. Stuff each dumpling with about a tablespoon of ingredients. Fold over the wonton wrapper to form a triangle. Arrange dumplings about ½ and inch apart so steam can circulate around the dumplings. Turn heat up to high and cover. Steam dumpling until they are cooked, about six minutes.

Make Mine a Moroccan Mint Tea

A three hour shopping mission through winding mazes of souks in Marrakech can do real damage to pale winter skin and Michael Kors sandals. As my shopping high began to melt from the hot North African sun, I realized what I really needed a cold iced tea to take my attention away from the annoying orange grit rubbing between my toes and tingeing my new sandals.

My husband and I looked for the first café in sight to sit and regain our strength and will to walk back to the hotel. As we sat and tried to order an iced tea, we learned there was no such thing as iced tea, but the waiter recommended hot Moroccan Mint Tea. Ugh. Hot tea was just what we needed on a 105˚ day.

But alas! When in Rome (or Marrakech) do as the Romans do. At first sip, the warm earthy, herbal concoction actually started working its magic. The aromatics of the mint, health properties of the green tea and the sugar were just the right elixir to stir our spirits.

To Moroccans, Mint Tea is a symbol of hospitality and friendship. After experiencing various modes of travel throughout Morocco, it’s no surprise this drink is a given in a spirit of benevolence. In the Moroccan countryside, a seemingly simple trip to a friend’s house in a nearby town is usually made by either mule, horse drawn cart or an unconditioned car from the 1970’s.

A dark brew of Green tea is the actual base of the famous Mint tea. The show begins as the hot tea is poured from high above the tea cup from an hand-hammered sliver teapot with extra-long spout. The height and drama of the pour ensure a frothy cap to the tea which Moroccans prefer.As the hot liquid fills the glass, fresh sprigs of mint infuse the tea with their fragrance and liquid.

In the Moroccan version of hot tea, tea cups are replaced with jeweled toned glasses, about four inches high, adorned with elaborate and ancient gold leaf designs. Cone or cubes of brown natural sugar are served on the side to add for your desired sweetness.

As a person who doesn't actually like mint, I like this tea! As we finish our second serving of mint tea, I realize I am feeling refreshed. I am not noticing my burnt shoulders as much and feel ready to trek my way back into the souks. Perhaps now that I am refreshed, I can find that perfect shade of orange slippers!

MOROCCAN MINT TEA

6 fresh mint sprigs plus extra for garnish

3 teaspoons green or black tea

3 tablespoons sugar

4 cups water
Boil water and combine mint and loose tea and sugar in the teapot. Let steep, stirring once or twice, for 3 minutes. Pour tea through a tea strainer into tea cups to serve. Garnish with remianing 4 sprigs of mint.

Farmer's Market Bounty: Zucchini, Corn and Basil Soup

Well, our Peru trip was cancelled so it’s one more month grounded in Florida. No tears, but I am longing to dig into my first bite of roasted guinea pig. So, to make the most of being home-bound, I have been scouring our local farmers markets since our produce is at its peak right now. Lucky us! When I first moved to Naples, Florida, I missed touring the polished and prestigious Union Square Farmers Market, chock full of yuppie farmers and their expensive heirloom vegetables and products. Here in Naples, you get local farmers, doned with flip flops and "real" trucker hats peddling their modest harvest on Walmart card tables.

So, after my latest overly ambitious farmer’s market visit, as usual, I bought too much produce and my edible findings were starting to look tired and pathetic. My sad and dented zucchini were begging to be cooked. Bored of the usual grilling and sauteing, I thought a soup may be just the answer. Scanning my fridge, I saw I had all the basics…sweet Florida onion, garlic, stock and a basil plant. Oh, and don’t forget the Florida Bread and Butter Corn. I almost put in some roasted red peppers I just grilled off the other day, but something made me want to keep this soup very simple and monochromatic.

I usually don’t groove on monochromatic food. There’s something so Attica about a plop of washed out food that’s staring at me with its pathetic pallid face. I guess it’s just in my head that a kaleidoscope of color on my plate ensures the taste will please my palate. Even when I develop recipes, I try to inject color for interest and instant glamour. It’s just like wearing red lipstick when I go out at night or when my husband wears his good watch on one of our dates, you somehow feel more finished and special.

Studies show that color can whet one’s appetite. Just think of the clown-like colors of fast food logos: Red & Yellow, Red & White, Red, White and Blue and so on. Thanks to savy Madison Avenue marketing researchers, you will never see taupe and tan “Golden Arches” announcing the dollar menu is just a drive-through away. When marketing food, color rules.

But I’ve changed my mind about my tendencies towards color after this soup. Its glowing greenish tones subtly sparkle against a white bowl -sorry, my digital camera doesn’t do it justice- and it is simply elegant. The natural sweetness of the locally grown zucchini, corn and basil are almost dessert-like at first bite. My adoring memory of Tangy Tomato or hearty Minestrone soups is shattered with this refreshingly naturally sweet soup.

2 large Zucchinis, sliced thinly
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, halved
Olive oil
Pinch Cayenne
Pinch Nutmeg
4-5 leaves of basil
2 cups beef or chicken or vegetable stock (beef broth add a richness, it’s what I used)
1 cup light cream or half and half or milk
2 ears of sweet corn, cut off the cob raw
Kosher salt/fresh ground pepper
Optional: zest some Parmesan on top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place zucchini, onion, garlic tossed in olive oil on cookie sheet. Roast the vegetables for about ½ hour or till you start to get a little color on the bottom of the zucchini. That “color” will add additional flavor you’ll appreciate later on. If you are really in a rush, put all the veggies in the broth and boil till soft, but that’s a last resort idea.

Next, place your roasted veggie mixture into a Cuisinart or blender. You can even put this mixture in a bowl and use an immersion blender. Add the cayenne, nutmeg, basil, broth, milk into your blending device and pulse until the consistency you like. Silky smooth is the way I finished mine. Pour this mixture into a sauce pan and add cut corn. Cook for about five minutes and taste for salt and pepper. When serving, shave some Parmesan and a sprig of basil to finish the plate off.

NYC: Back from Brain Surgery

So why the sudden stop in my blogs?

In January, right on the eve of my birthday, I had brain surgery at Sloan Kettering in NYC to remove a tumor from my pituitary gland. The good news, the tumor was benign and because the tumor was the size of a lentil, they went through my nose instead of my cranium for the surgery...yippee! After only a couple of complications post-op, I am ready to go now! Thanks to all who sent their well wishes and prayers...it worked! (and many thanks to Dr. Tabar and her glorious staff!)

So get ready....I'm back!

Feel more Warma with a Chicken Shawarma

No need to navigate the dusty, winding pathways of Marrakech’s souks or the bustling streets of commerce and chaos in Beirut to get this famous Middle-Eastern chicken sandwich. As foreign as a Shawarma sounds, it’s just a distant cousin of the ubiquitous American- style grilled chicken sandwich. From McDonald’s to your favorite corner pub, there’s nothing like a piece of grilled chicken breast slathered with honey-mustard sauce, topped with lettuce, tomato and pickle on a buttery sesame seed bun. But if this combination has begun to bore your taste buds, look East, way East, to find new inspiration for your passion for poultry.

Shawarma is basically a casual Middle-Eastern street-food sandwich stuffed with slow-roasted marinated Beef, Lamb or Chicken wrapped in a pita or local flat bread, doused with local relishes and savory chickpea and sesame sauces. Don’t fear you have travel to an unknown part of town to explore an exotic ethnic grocer where no one speaks your language and you feel you need the secret password to enter..

Almost any local grocer supplies all the accoutrements you’ll need to replicate this recipe in the comfort of your home. For example, instead of the soft sesame bun, they prefer a fresh baked pita. A spiced yogurt dressing and chickpea sauce replaces our American preference for honey-mustard sauce and last but not least, lettuce and tomato are swapped for a refreshing and crunchy cucumber-mint salad. Traditionally sweet seasonings such as cardamom, allspice and mace are combined to season the chicken rather than the usual salt and pepper on the American version.


Chicken Shawarma
2 Boneless-Skinless Chicken Breasts (pounded to an even thickness, sliced into strips)
or 4 Boneless-Skinless Thighs (sliced into strips)
½ teaspoon Cardamom
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
½ lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup plain yogurt
Pinch salt/pepper
4 Pitas

Place Chicken Breast in Ziplock type bag with all the above ingredients and marinate overnight or at least 4 hours. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Cucumber Mint and Tomato Salad
½ cucumber, peeled, chopped into small cubes
½ tomato, chopped
2 green onion sliced thinly
1 sprig mint, chopped
1 sprig parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch kosher salt
pinch pepper

Chickpea - Tahini Sauce
1 cup chickpeas
½ cup tahini
1 clove garlic, mince
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped roughly
¼ cup water

Blend all above ingredients together in food processor or blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shrimp Cocktail with a Tuscan Twist

On a recent trip to Tuscany, I found new love for sundried tomatoes. So, in order to find new ways to feature this tangy-sweet condiment, I added it to cocktail sauce for my famous Rosemary Shrimp with Sundried Tomato Cocktail Sauce. And just to guild the lily, I add mascarpone cheese to smooth out the consistency.

So for those dinner guest of mine that have been begging for this recipe, feast your eyes on this! I've simplified the recipe so your not measuring teaspoons of horseradish, worcestershire sauce and so on....

I love serving these in my mini asian soup spoons from New York's Chinatown. Just put a dollop of sauce on the bottom, a shrimp perched on top, then a small slice of lemon for garnish. Voila!

Shrimp Marinade:

1 lb. large cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, chilled

1 sprig rosemary, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pinch salt and fresh ground pepper

1 lemon zested

2-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Sundried Tomato Cocktail Sauce:

1 container cocktail sauce

1/2 cup sundried tomato in olive oil, diced

1 8oz container mascarpone cheese

Kosher salt/fresh ground pepper

Marinate cooked shrimp in a ziplock baggie for at least one hour before serving. If left overnight, the EVOO may congeal, so leave out at room temperature before serving.

Mix ingredients for the Cocktail sauce. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Enjoy.

BBQ in the Dark- Belize Adventure

From St. Louis, to Memphis to Chapel Hill, you can't count the number of BBQ joints who claim they have the best BBQ. But in my experience, you really have to travel to where the Southern Cross shines to experience the best BBQ ever.

It was our first time to Belize. My husband and I agreed, if we stayed at this swanky seaside hotel, we'd have to balance our bugdet by eating at small local eateries. While the rest of the hotel guest dined by candlelight at the hotel's pricey oceanfront restuaurant, we opted to eat at only the local cafes. Our local fishing guide for that day recommended this place called Jabaru. (The Jabaru stork is the official bird of Belize, or so we were told.) So after a long day of fishing, we were staaaarving. Always looking for a way to save a coin, we peddled over there with tummies grumbling on the bikes owned by the resort.

We promptly found our Jabaru...a glorified open air "lean-to" with tin roof and picnic tables for communal dining. We were so excited. This was our kind of joint! To the left, there was a massive black steel drum grill, obviously where their famous BBQ was prepared. In front of us was a bar packed with locals perched on bar stools swigging Belikens, the local Belize beer. We found our utopia.

After our thirty second assessment, we placed our order for their famous chicken and a round of Beliken's and local rum drinks to get things started. Just minutes after we ordered, we see the heavy set chef lumber over to the massive drum to light the charcoal. Hmmm. This is going to be more fresh than we thought. Even the charcoal is lit to order. Another half hour later (no joke) they start to put the chicken on the grill. So in our deliriously famished minds, we thought that worst case scenario, the chicken would hit our plates in forty minutes or so. Nope. TWO hours later, the chicken was removed from the grill and brought to our table for our consumption.

I guess we would have been really pissed off if we were back in the States, but the combination of Belikens and the promise of fantastic BBQ staved off our grumpies! Besides, we've never seen a chef tend to BBQ like it was their first born child. Every ten minutes, the chicken was turned, re-arranged and tenderly basted.

At first bite, we realized why waiting for this BBQ chicken for three and a half hours was well worth it. It was the most tender chicken sauced with a scant of tangy-sweet BBQ sauce. It had such amazing balance and flavor, too much of it would have overshadowed the moist, sweet chicken that was probably just caught that afternoon in their back yard (lots of chickens running around that town!).

So bellies full, smiles planted on our faces from realizing we just ate the best BBQ of our lives, we realized the consequences of our three hour chicken...it was completely dark. Now, we are in Belize, not New York. There are no street lights, cars or any other source beside the stars to guide us back to the resort. So like the idiots we are, we decided to trust our navigation to the shimmer of the moon.

Unfortunately, there was not even a thin sliver of a moon on this warm Belize night, so once we got on our dirt road to head back on our bikes, we realized the only thing guiding us were the five second flashes of lightning. A lightening bolt would flash, and we would have only seconds to learn whether we were heading towards the mangroves or to the swamp on our left. Our vision was blacked out otherwise. And I mean black. As I could feel my pulse in my throat and a possible lizard-skinned something jumping on my calf, we both realized the dear price we had paid for the best BBQ of our lives.

So in retrospect, I'm not sure if our opinion was glorified by the memory of our elevated endorphins from the harrowing bike ride or maybe our post meal swing in a hammock by the ocean where we stared at the Southern Cross with bellies stuffed with chicken. Well anyway, we recommend a trip to the Jabaru BBQ Grill for yourself if you are ever in Southeastern Belize..and by the way, spend the $20 on the cab driver if your going at night!

.

Home for the Holidays: Sage and Sausage Stuffing

Well, I am so sad to say, but won't I won't traveling to New York City for Thanksgiving. Tim, the husband, will be on a trip, so I'll be staying close to home doing cooking segments for Fox 4 Rising every Monday. They have me all November cooking up twists on traditional Thanksgiving recipes. I know in my family, it's a federal crime to tweak any family recipe, so it willl be interesting to see if any other television veiwing family follows the same code of cooking.

In December, I plan to feature Christmas recipes as well as cocktail/holiday open house recipes. I'll be having my own holiday open house party, so I'll make sure I keep you all posted on what I'm serving up!

I know my blog is dedicated to travel and eating, but what happens when a devoted, wanderlust cook is grounded? They cook. So one of my most requested Thanksgiving recipes that is not my own can be found below. Nana's famous Sage and Sausage Stuffing. This one is for the mechanics of Trans States Airlines I fed a couple years ago and still ask for this recipe. Here you go guys.

NANA's SAGE and SAUSAGE STUFFING

1 Bag stuffing bread cubes or 2 baguettes (long French bread), stale, cut into 1-inch cubes (the boxed bread cubes can be used, but not the same!)

1 pound ground pork sausages, (tube of Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage)

1 large onion, dice (about 2 cups)

5 stalks celery, diced

6 to 8 branches fresh sage, coarsely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon ground sage

2 cups turkey or chicken stock
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

OPTIONAL ADD-INS: Add chopped apple, dried cranberries, sautéed mushrooms, sliced fennel for a different variation.

DIRECIONS:
Brown sausage meat, breaking up meat into pieces about the size of a quarter. Transfer meat from skillet to large bowl, using a slotted spoon. Add onion and celery to the skillet and cook till just soft. Place mixture in bowl with sausage.
Add bread cubes and sage to the bowl. Toss in stock and melted butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Generously butter a 16-inch baking pan. Spread the mixture in the pan and dot with more butter.Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The top should have a nice golden brown crust.

Mercat de la Boqueria-Barcelona's Bounty

Whether your a foodie or just a tourist in Barcelonia, the Mercat de la Boquería is a must see! Colorful piles of fresh caught seafood, local fruits and stinky cheeses are artfully displayed in this tin roof warehouse market. Locals peruse the aisles stocked with their familiar ingredients used in Catalan dishes, while tourists point and giggle at juicy pig parts and wiggly sea creatures.

As you cruise the market stalls, you come away the knowledge Spainiards respect thier animals more than any American could ever claim. Every part of the animal is reserved for cooking when butchered...and don't ever have doubt that there is a Catalan family recipe that has been passed down for centuries for pig neck stew or pickled cow tongue.

Our favorite stalls are the artisan cheese and charcuterie shops. Manned by proud shopkeepers ready to slice a generous sample off a ham leg or a wheel of cheese, these charcuterie peddlers hold full knowledge that with just one taste of their edible wares, you are drawn into buying whatever you are tasting. So maybe you succumbed to the lure of pork fat, but what's better than taking your day's score to your hotel room for an afternoon respite with a bottle of Rioja.

Morocco: First Meal in Marrakesh

Ok....so it was on a whim. Blame it on a glimpse of a "cheesy" tourist poster promoting Morrocco that hung in a Madrid travel agency window. Tim and I were already vacationing in Spain, a well studied trip, much like our other vacations. Hours spent on the web, in book stores and libraries to study what to do, what to see and what to learn about the basic customs of the country we were about to visit. But enter....the "wild hair" moment. Yes, I did it. I admit it was my idea to go to Morrocco last minute. My husband Tim was the usual willing accomplice. Within an hour, our plans to Catalonia were nixed and we were set on a Royal Air Morac flight with other sun seeking Europeans the next day.

As we entered our "five star" hotel, aka, the little Beirut Bed and Breakfast, we soon realized, the star system was a bit skewed in Africa. As I drew the curtains in hopes to reveal the bustling markets of Marrakesh or maybe even a skyline traced with the roofs of Riads, at first look at the hulled out empty buildings, dust devils swirling in the red-dusted abandoned roads, we quickly re-named our hotel a "little Beirut". Use your own imagination.

Can I redeem myself at this point? Of course, food can do this, the true great redeemer. But I did remember that some of the tour books I peaked at in the Madrid airport said dinners and nightlife didn't start till about 10pm or so, but goodness, at 7:30 we are starving. And if the scenery outside our window was any indication of how the hotel restaurant food would taste, I was ready to explore the city.

Heading the call of our grinding stomachs and promise of pigeon pie, we piled into a Marrakesh cab. We tell him to drop us off at the infamous Djemmaa el-Fna market square. RIght off the bat, we see a gorgeous restaurant entrance, luring our growling guts to the exotic tastes inside. As we enter the front foyer, it's dark, there's no host, noo music, no life at all. We find stairs to our left. What the heck. We climb them hoping to find the thriving Marrakesh nightlife we heard about.

So now we are on the roof of this Riad restaurant. We finally see something familiar. A bar lit by flickering votive candles. Thank, goodness, we didn't just walk into someones house! A local, possibly a line cook, bar -back or "busser" blandly greets us and says to sit. We sit. Alone. Not one other guest. At this point, my heart starts to pound. The heavy-duty quite starts to really unravel my nerves. Then, from the looming minuet in the distance a haunting, chilling chant from the Imam starts pouring out to all those who know, it's the last prayer for the night.

Who were we to know...I just wanted some really good lamb tagine. So after a few minutes of holding my husband's hand so tightly, it turned white, the chanting stopped and the feeling we were intruding on someones private religious ceremony started to ease.

Then it happened. People started to arrive. Party by party, dining guests filled the rooftop restaurant, their smiling faces revealed by the flickering candles on the tables. Good news, my hunger comes back. Fear has subsided and the usually sounds of glass wines clinking and forks hitting porcelain soothe the hair standing on the back of my neck.

So now comes the lesson. You leave for a third world country, not originally on your travel itinerary and no one at home knows where you are. This is when you realize you really should have spent the $14 on that tour book and the $20 on a phone call to your mother. I will say though, this was one of the best meals in my life. Fear must heighten the sense of taste! The cinnamon spiked tagines and slow roasted vegetable made every cultural mistake well worth the panic!