Breakfast With Maryam At Peacock Pavilions
Sadly, a cyber breakfast only. I'd like nothing more than to be hanging out in Morocco with Maryam. I can only imagine my day. I think the moment I awoke I would walk lazily rush to the window to look gaze dreamingly at the peacocks under the olive trees in the grounds of the Peacock Pavilions. Perhaps I would shower and dress, perhaps I would feel very relaxed and wander out in my nightie, to sit in the morning sun and eat my breakfast off Maryam's pretty blue and white dishes . I'm sure I'd feel relaxed with Maryam as my hostess.
How I found Maryam shows the power of the internet. Reading Brett one day I came across a comment from Jennifer . I surfed in and enjoyed the writing and so another blog was added to my reader. Back in July 2007 Jennifer mentioned Maryam on her blog. I remember leaving the comment "I want Maryam as my best friend" - she lives in Morocco, she is building a guest house and she loves to shop.
....and yet another blog was added to my reader. Now it feels as if I have known Maryam forever.
When she asked so nicely for breakfast suggestions I was more than happy to help. She is a very busy blogger girl and she'd rather be shopping than spending the day in the kitchen so this menu can be prepared beforehand and assembled in the morning.
Breakfast At Peacock Pavilions
Yogurt Cheese with Macerated Apricots and Almond Ma'amoul with Mint Tea
Yogurt Cheese is also known as labnah.
Line a sieve with a layer of clean muslin . Pour a 1kg pot of plain yogurt into sieve and leave in fridge for 48 hours. Liquid will drain away leaving a soft cheese.
Variations: For this recipe leave plain but it can be flavoured with herbs and garlic or cinnamon and honey. Some recipes stir in a teaspoonful of salt before draining. I don't bother.
Macerated Apricots
Place 150 grams dried apricots in a wide bowl with 1/2 cup sugar and cover with cold water.
Leave on bench for 48 hours. Apricots will absorb water and plump up. Strain apricots and reserve.
Put apricot liquid into a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil making sure all sugar crystals have dissolved. Increase temperature and boil until syrupy and reduced.
Pour back over reserved apricots.
Variations: add other dried fruits as desired. Add more sugar for a sweeter version.Or for a softer fruit you could stew the apricots.
Almond Ma'amoul
150 grams plain flour
125 grams soft butter
2 tablespoons rosewater
50 grams flaked almonds
Place flour in bowl, add butter and rosewater and mix to a paste.
Take teaspoonfuls of dough and roll into a round ball.
Flatten between palms and dip one side into flaked almonds.
Place on tray lined with baking paper.
Bake at 180C for 12 minutes.
Leave on tray for 2 minutes before removing to cool on rack.
These can be stored in the freezer and brought to room temperature before serving.
Variations : replace flaked almonds with chopped pistachios or pine nuts. Because there is no sugar in the dough these taste rather nice with a glass of beer.
To serve - spoon yogurt cheese into bowls and spoon apricots on top. Alongside add the Almond Ma'amoul.
For extra sweetness and crunch serve with honey and roasted pine nuts.
I tasted my first real mint tea at L'Institut de Mondu Arabe in Paris. The real thing is so much nicer than the teabag variety we buy in our shops.
Moroccan Mint Tea (from Claudia Roden's Middle Eastern Food)
1 1/2 tablespoons green tea
a handful of fresh mint (mentha viridis variety)
150 - 180 grams lump sugar
Heat the teapot. Add the tea leaves and pour a little boiling water over them. Swirl around and quickly pour the water out again, taking care not to lose the tea leaves. Add mint and sugar, and pour in about 1 litre of boiling water. Allow to infuse for 5 - 8 minutes, then skim off the mint that has risen to the surface. Taste and add more sugar if necessary.
Of course you do know I have peacocks in my yard too. Well in the park next to our apartment building actually. This one played dead when he heard my camera.
The park fence is designed with a peacock theme.
I think the blogger girl would like the peacock shadows.
Maryam did a little shopping for me recently. Come back in a few days to see what she bought. Please hurry Mr Postman.
Yum! The great thing about that yogurt is that it's even good with nonfat yogurt...
I love your blog, Barbara. I posted a review of it in my Sidebar Reviews. It'll be up for a few days.
I'm working on my yellow recipes...
Posted by: Sue | March 14, 2008 at 02:02 AM
Oh my goodness, Barbara - that breakfast looks amazing. And just to think that you have a peacock connection so close to you?! How lucky. Those shadows are gorgeous.
We should both be so fortunate as to go to visit Maryam some day in Morocco...
Posted by: Jennifer Jeffrey | March 14, 2008 at 02:39 AM
what a lovely breakfast! I hope the postman will come soon!
Posted by: kat | March 14, 2008 at 03:24 AM
Beautiful presentation. I have reead a few posts about making cheese from yogurt. I made a batch of homemade yogurt last weeeked. With the next batch I will now make the cheese for sure!
Posted by: courtney | March 14, 2008 at 12:25 PM
This is beautiful, Barbara. Love your breakfast and your birds! The ma'amoul are intriguing--can you think of anything more familiar that would compare to these? They seem hybrid, cookie/cracker.
Posted by: Rosemary in Utah | March 15, 2008 at 02:01 AM
Yum! I love labnah and make it quite often to spread on toast and bagels as a substitute for cream cheese.
Love your peacock photos and the gorgeous glass with the mint tea... everything looks just SUPER!!
Posted by: Bron | March 15, 2008 at 07:00 AM
This post is so delicious....! Eeek, this is DEFINITELY going on the Peacock Pavilions menu!!!
Thank you so very much, Barbara!
Posted by: maryam in marrakesh | March 15, 2008 at 07:07 AM
Sue - Thankyou.I'm looking forward to your yellow recipes.
Jennifer - thnak you and thank youf or introducing me to Maryam. Reading her blog is a highlight of my day.
Kat - thank you,I'm sure it will be this week.
Courtney - thank you. I make it quite often as a spread.
Rosemary - the dough is usually wrapped around a sweet mixture of dates and nuts and served on a tray with other sweet treats.
Bron - thank you. I like labnah with lemmon curd on toast. I love the glasses too and often use them as water glasses on the dinner table.
Maryam - thank you. It was a pleasure to create a special breakfast for you. I only wish I could be there to enjoy it.
Posted by: barbara | March 15, 2008 at 07:50 AM
I am here by way of the lovely Maryam.
What a beautiful and delicious looking breakfast. I too, hope to eat that very thing sitting and watching the beautifully plumed peacocks.
Posted by: Karen Cole | March 15, 2008 at 08:23 AM
The apricots and the almond biscuits look delicious. Also loved your Morroccan tea glass - it is the peacock of glasses!
Posted by: Cakelaw | March 15, 2008 at 08:33 PM
Wonderful blog...glad I stumbled across it !
Posted by: Adla | March 15, 2008 at 09:28 PM
Well, I think with your breakfast and talking of how you imagine Peacock Pavilions to be, you've roped a number of other people into wanting to go there, too. Including me.
Posted by: Meg | March 16, 2008 at 04:21 AM
I actually plan to eat this breakfast this year. I am going in the fall come hell or high water!!!
You are a genius. I have no patience to make labnah. I wonder if you can buy it??? The recipe looks and sounds divine.
I followed the link from Maryam's btw.
xox
Posted by: Gillian | March 16, 2008 at 07:01 AM
Oh my goodness! I need another blog to bookmark like I need another hole in my head. But, via Maryam's as well, here you are, and bookmarked you have been. Reading your Port Douglas post had me drooling on the keyboard. I would go back to that piece of paradise in a heartbeat for the food alone. We live in California, and en-route home from visiting dear friends in New Zealand one time we stopped over and discovered PD. I believe I feasted on barramundi five times in five days, at five different little world-class cafes along the main street there -- each presentation being more delicious than the one the night before. I will thoroughly enjoy rummaging around in your archives! And, like many others, I hope one day to enjoy "your" breakfast at Peacock Pavilions. Until then? Yogurt cheese I can do in California!
Posted by: Carroll | March 16, 2008 at 08:06 AM
That first photo keeps me coming back to look at it again and again. Those apricots are so luscious, and I can almost taste the Almond Ma'amoul.
Thank you for such a beautiful presentation.
Posted by: tangobaby | March 16, 2008 at 08:14 AM
Karen - Thankyou. I'm sure whateve Maryam serves will be delicious.
Cakelaw - thankyou, Peacock of glasses - great description.
Adla - thank you and I like what you are doing over on your blog.
Meg - Perhaps I'll meet you there someday.
Gillian - thankyou. I'll lookout for a report on your blog.
Carroll - I'd like to have eaten out more in PD but our hosts prefered to eat in. I did get to eat Barramundi though and Ocean Coral Trout.
Tangobaby - thankyou and today I was out looking for a copy of Cinema Paradiso;)
Posted by: barbara | March 16, 2008 at 02:57 PM
Guess what! I just made labnah too! Talk about blogger synchronicity :) Flavored it with oregano and chili...
That is a wonderful breakfast to have!
Posted by: joey | March 17, 2008 at 02:09 PM
Will post about it soon! :)
Posted by: joey | March 17, 2008 at 02:19 PM
I am a fan of Maryam's blog and this cyber breakfast took my breath away. Soon, Peacock Pavillion will open. I need to get myself there this year...
Posted by: Yoli | March 17, 2008 at 03:23 PM
Joey - sounds delish, I look forward to your post soon.
Yoli Thank you, I think Peacock Pavilions will be full of bloggers for months:)
Posted by: barbara | March 17, 2008 at 10:05 PM
To think that both my parents were born in Morocco and I have been there only once as an infant...:( This breakfast is scrumptious, just as Maryam's blog!
Posted by: Tartelette | March 18, 2008 at 04:33 AM
Delicious sounding recipes - but I had to comment after seeing the pics of that beautiful park fence. What a wonderful work of art. Do you know who made it?
Posted by: Renate | March 20, 2008 at 01:28 AM
This is a beautiful post! Who doesn't love a beautiful breakfast! The almond ma'amoul were calling out to me when I saw your pictures. I'm vegan so I don't eat dairy and decided to make a vegan version of them. I must say they came out great. (I did make a few changes though.) You can see a picture of them here:
http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=58042
Thanks for sharing!
~Kim
Posted by: Kim | May 05, 2008 at 07:22 AM