Excitement is in the Air

Here it is, almost 3am, and I have the largest, busiest 48-hours ahead of me. I can't sleep. My mind is racing on all that needs to get done, for the 4th time. I am a man of lists. I believe in writing everything out so I don't forget a thing. And I wrote that list out yesterday and have looked at it a few times. I can't stop playing over in my mind the next 2 days. It's going to be fun and exciting, yet very exhausting.

I have a group of 14 college students coming in from the University of Wisconsin to stay at the house for 2 nights and take 2 cooking classes on Wednesday. Tomorrow is the day of shopping, last-minute straightening, and little to-dos. They then arrive around 5pm to get settled. If I were part of this group, I would love to do what they are about to do:

*Horse-drawn carriage around town
*Dinner at a fabulous restaurant overlooking part of the city
*Learning how to make Chicken Tajine and Harira (traditional tomato soup)
*1/2-day trek out to Volubilis (Roman ruins from 2000 years ago)
*Hang out with a bunch of friends on the roof of the house overlooking the city
*Breakfast at a cafe that serves incredible juice

All the little details are almost done. It's just mustering up the energy to see them in and run 2 cooking classes on Wed. Each group of 7 will cook lunch/dinner for the other group that travels out to Volubilis.

In the midst of it all, hope to try and take a pic or two that I can post. Already have the pose in my head, just need to execute it.

Prepping for a Class

The open-air market is such a fun place to be. Getting jostled by the masses, bargaining for vegetables, trying not to step on the hungry cats. It's such an adventure to daily get your groceries. Wanted to give you a glimpse into the shopping routine right before a cooking class begins.

Before I ever even think about entering into the chaos, I need to take some time at home or in my car to write out my list. Once I am surrounded by the noise, my brain doesn't think in an orderly fashion, but more about survival. So first is the ever-important LIST.

My first and main goal is to get them working on the CHICKEN (if that's what's on the menu.) I head over to the chicken stand and pick out my nice, plump 2 kilogram chicken that's lively running all over the place, and then quickly walk away. I choose not to watch as they do what they do to it in order for me to take it home.

Little tip: If you ever go to an open-air market in the hopes of purchasing some meat, chicken or fish, and you have the choice between some with flies on it or some right next to it without flies, TAKE THE STUFF WITH FLIES. I know it sounds crazy, but that is much fresher than the other stuff. If the flies wouldn't eat it, then neither should you. But make sure to wash it real well before cooking it.

As they are prepping the chicken, I then head back a couple of stalls to my main VEGETABLE guy. (There are over 30 vegetable-vendors in this specific market, and I chose this guy a long time ago cuz he seems very honest and genuine.) I take a look at his onions/tomatoes/bell peppers/eggplants/ etc. I am always looking for the freshest ingredients for our customers to cook with. It's hard to believe that I pay 55 cents for over 2 pounds of onions and less than a dollar for that same amount of tomatoes.

Next comes the freshest of MINT, CILANTRO & PARSLEY. These greens make the class smell so good and the tea taste heavenly. I could not do without these things. Then I head over to my little corner store to pick out my apricots, garlic, olives, walnuts, ginger, etc. This is what I call my MISC. section of shopping.

Finally, it's back over to the chicken guy to pick up my purchase. I am so glad that I don't have to chase a chicken around my backyard and do all that preparation myself. I am not a violent guy whatsoever and am thankful that there are other people to do that dirty work in my stead.

Oh...I almost forgot about going by the bakery to get some of those very tasty COOKIES that are a necessity at the beginning of every single class. You cannot consume the tea at the beginning without adding more sugar to the equation in the form of sweets. Ain't nothing like getting the party started off on the right foot.

Busier & Busier

Now that the rainy season is over and tourists are packing their bags to come this way, the business just keeps getting more clients. The last 2 weeks were by far the busiest we've seen since we started. During that time, we held 6 different cooking classes. Yea, we've had a good number of classes before in a short amount of time. What makes these different are the number of people in each class. We had a couple of classes with 2 or 3 people, but we also had 3 classes with 6 or more people (one of those being the previously mentioned class of 13).

At the same time, as a side note, we held the 14th Annual St. Patty's Day Fajita Party in which we served over 80 folks some great Fajitas. What an excellent party! We had so much fun consuming Mexican food and celebrating the Irish! We asked everyone what they would change or enforce in regards to driving laws! I personally would allow driving on the sidewalks, primarily because most nationals walk in the streets. Often I carefully pass scores of people and glance over to see an 8" wide sidewalk completely empty. If I were there, I would be home by now!

The Youngest, yet the Biggest

There is something about teaching the next generation. It's very enjoyable and rewarding. I say this because yesterday we had our youngest and largest class to date. Two families in our city brought their children to the cooking school to take advantage of a local holiday and no school. All told, there were 5 adults and 9 kids present (not including staff). One of the kids was only a few months old, so he technically didn't count as a client. But the other kids that took part were between the ages of 3 to 16 (some of the younger ones ate the cookies and drank the tea, but they took part.)
First and foremost, not a single one of them burned, cut or maimed themselves. That was probably my biggest concern as 14 people all started piling into my place that already had 4 folks waiting. On top of that, Nisrine did an amazing job handling all the noise and chaos that comes with that many people, regardless of age.


On to the class. We chose a dish that would be very hands-on and enjoyable. And it's one of my wife's personal favorites: Bourmash and Miliwi. This specific dish is similar to Chicken Tajine, but it has a very special spice in it called "Ras Al-Hanut." This is a 40-blend spice that lights up the air. Another special about Bourmash is that it is served over the Miliwi (a bread-like pastry with flour and semolina).

As you can see in some of the pictures, every one of the folks got their hands dirty as they had to roll out the dough. We partnered them up on stations since the most we can accommodate at once is 8.

And then we trekked up the winding stairs to our new Frosh sitting area covered by the new tent. It was such a glorious and beautiful day as everyone of them consumed their grub and enjoyed the view of the city.

Final Renovations

We have finally gotten to our final project on the house: making a sitting area on the roof for people to enjoy the weather/scenery while eating a fabulous lunch that they prepared. It's also an ideal place to smoke a cigar, if that is something that you enjoy doing.

So this past weekend was spent tearing up all the ugly colored cement and replacing it with traditional roof tile. Then repainting the walls on the roof to cover up all the splattered cement particles. That part of the project is done and I had the wonderful opportunity of lifting around 65 buckets full of tile 3 floors up to the roof. That was my upper body workout for the week.

The final part left of the final renovation project is having my tent made and sitting area prepared. This should take a few more days, but by the end of next week, I will have a roof "living room" that I can be very proud of. The next thing I need to find is a personal waiter to bring the coffee and tea.

As soon as that gets done, I will paste some more pictures. Then you will definitely want to come over just for the view.

More Recent Guests

As you know, I enjoy people. I love hearing their stories and getting a better idea on their backgrounds. I like to laugh and tell of some of my own experiences. At the same time, I am very introverted and get worn out by the end of each class. Often I come home exhausted to a confused wife. "How are you so tired? Nisrine did all the teaching and Adil washed all the dishes. What did you do? Walk some food up to the roof?" Those extroverts will never understand how much energy it takes for people like us to talk.

But what's really funny is that I love my job. I love meeting all these new people. I hope I always have a job that is directly related to people. Even though I have to muster all my energy before each and every class, I wouldn't change a thing.

At 5:00AM, I will try and remember some of our more recent clients.

** Riad Reviews - We have some friends living in a neighboring city that run a business called "Riad Reviews." This web-based profession allows them to gather reviews from guests at riads all over Morocco and post them on Riad's individual sites. If you are interested in coming this way and are looking for Riads Fes or maybe Riads in Marrakech take a look at their site to hear what other folks have had to say: RiadReviews.com

** First-time Bastilla makers - We had our first bastilla making party a couple of weeks ago with a repeat customer. His girlfriend was visiting and they came for a class. Nisrine was itching to make this dish, so we got after it. If you have never eaten bastilla in your life, add that to your "Bucket List."

** Pumpkin Patch in downtown L.A. - One lady just visited us who owns a Pumpkin Patch and Christmas Tree lot in the middle of Los Angeles. I was so fascinated with that idea that it was hard to focus on Moroccan culture and history. Obviously her visit came in February and not in November!

** Basketball Coaches - Pictured are 5 basketball coaches from North Carolina that were interested in taking a cooking class. They did an amazing job preparing Couscous with Chicken while not making Nisrine feel like the shortest person in the world.

There you have some of my more recent clients. Everyone has a story. And I love getting to know people and learning from them some of the things that they have learned in their lives.

It's all about Advertising

This is one of the most important things for any type of business. You need to get your name and your product into other people's minds. That's all there is to it. Sell your product!!! And anyone that has ever started and operated a small business knows that it takes a while get on the radar.

Whether it be from word of mouth, relationship, free postings, trades with other businesses or full-on paid advertising, the goal is to bombard as many people as you possibly can with your business concept and strong reviews from previous clients.

The goal during our first year of "Savor Morocco" has been to get word out from Casablanca over to Fes and in the surrounding villages. There are many ex-pats here always looking to do something new and fun. Plus, since Morocco is an amazing place to visit, many of the ex-pats have visiting family and friends.

Another incredible advertising tool that I have recently embarked upon has been Trip Advisor. Travelers love to look at sites like these as they are planning their upcoming trips. I looked at the section "Attractions" for our city and only saw 2. The Roman Ruins and the shopping area called the Medina. How can we get anyone in our city if there is nothing to do.

Because of that, I contacted the people at the site and requested to advertise under that section. If you have a moment, take a look at what several of our recent clients have had to say about their experience at "Savor Morocco":

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293735-d1308553-Reviews-Savor_Morocco-Meknes.html

In the last couple of weeks, we have already have a few folks contact us after hearing about the experience from this site. There is really nothing better than free advertising, except maybe some free BBQ.

Contentedness

Am I dealing with not being content with what I am doing, or do I have an entrepreneur-type spirit and am always thinking about creative business ideas that could work? I love this business. I love meeting new people and teaching them some amazing recipes, as well as this great culture. I love what I am doing and the opportunities that will come with this business. I love filling my map with push pins from various places throughout the world where my customers fare from.

But my mind seems to always keep roaming to various new ways to make money. I believe that God has given us an ability to be creative and the means to be so. I really do believe that we can do many of the things that we want to do. And I love creating opportunities to provide jobs for other people.

What are some things that I can do here? A fried chicken stand, Putt-putt Golf, portable Snow-cone carts with cookies and drinks, a recycling center, community center ... and my mind keeps thinking about ways to impact this country and provide jobs.

I love to dream ... but for now, I will keep being faithful in my job and try to grow it into a very successful business.

Eggplant Salad Recipe

I have been known to be really generous in my life at times. I guess if I have a chance to receive or experience something special, then I really want those in my life to have a chance to partake. No one should go without. I guess my momma raised me well. Plus living in this culture helps to draw that out in people.

All that to say, I am passing along the recipe to one of our cooking school's most popular dishes, Zaalouk. It seems as if every other class, we have customers itching to make this. It consists of eggplant, tomatoes, garlic and lots of spices. My wife and I love to eat it since it is so healthy, depending on how much Olive oil you want to put it.

Hope you enjoy making it yourself. If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact us.


ZAALOUK
yields: 4 servings

2 Med. Eggplants
2 Med. Tomatoes, diced
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. Cumin
2 Tbs. Tomato Paste
Salt to Taste
Sprig of Parsley to garnish
Fresh Bread

1. Roast eggplants over open flame, turning often until skin turns flaky and grayish in color. Remove from heat. Cut off vine and remove charred skin. Place in bowl and mash with fork.

2. In saute pan, add olive oil, tomatoes and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add spices and mix thoroughly.

3. Add eggplant and mix together. Cook over low heat for a few minutes, stirring often.

4. Add tomato paste and combine well.

5. Remove from pan and serve in bowl immediately. Top with sprig of parsley and serve with fresh bread.

Branching Out

Recently, I have embarked on a new adventure that was a vision of mine when the business got started: teaching other people non-Moroccan food. We have a great facility and the means to reach more than just tourists. I enjoy cooking and I have the patience it takes to be a teacher. Putting those 2 together helps me expand the business and build stronger relationships with some of the Nationals.

Our first "guinea pig" class was a success last week. I had 2 "very rookie" guys standing in front of me and we set out to make a fabulous Home Country meal. The dishes were:
Fried Chicken Nuggets and Steak Fingers
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Butter-Basil Corn
Three Dipping Sauces:
Spicy Wing Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Sweet Honey & Soy Sauce

The best/challenging part of the entire class was that we did everything in ARABIC! Needless to say, I learned a few new words that day that I haven't heard on the streets. Words like: to batter, the skin of potatoes, to fry, etc..

By the end of the class, I was making my mental menu of the next 6 gatherings that we will have. Obviously we will touch on some Italian, some Mexican, maybe some Chinese, but also thinking about Lebanese. Not only am I trying to teach them how to cook, but I too want to challenge myself with some new dishes.

2008 - Year-in-Review

This has definitely been a fun and adventurous year. So many things have happened that I need to write them out in order to remember them. We started out the year having already seen around 30 different places, still not knowing if we were going to rent a place or buy one. I felt so much pressure to have a location in order to obtain our residency card. So I went out and found a nice little room to make into an office to have an address to be able to fill out my papers to get my residency so I didn't have to take my family on a 5-hour drive to Spain for a weekend just to get out of the country to enter back in (that's a long sentence for ya!)

Only 3 weeks later, I took a local friend with me to look at some places. The next morning he ventured out on his own and had found the ideal place for us before noon. In some ways, that still is very sickening. Me = 6 months of seeing 40 places. Him = 2 hours of seeing 3 places. We now have a location for the biz that we never imagined having, plus being locked into a year long contract on another office. Covering your bases.

We then spent the next couple of months renovating the place (new tile in the kitchens, toilets and showers in each bathroom, heavy duty glass roof to replace the dark blue plastic covering and some touch-up paint.) All in all, it was a very easy renovating session, being highlighted by lowering a bathroom 6 inches to make the toilet fit a little better.

The beginning of May saw our very first cooking class with 5 guinea pigs (3 of whom were my sisters.) The next class was a month later with 3 more "testers" (1 of those being my wife.) Then I felt like we were ready to open the doors to some real customers.

We really aren't sure how we got off to such a great start considering our website wasn't operational until October. But somehow we managed to coax a good number of people to our school and log 20 classes in our first 6 months. Still pretty shocked about that. At the same time, we worked hard on all of our decor and ammenities and have gotten our Guest House fully functional (all that remains is authorization). Can't wait to start advertising that for our guests.

As you can read below, we have had some great clients learn about the culture and cuisine of our country. This past month, we welcomed folks from the US Embassy in Morocco and the Congo. It's always great getting your foot in various doors.

Day 2 of 2009 has already seen our first class and the arrival of a shipment of cookbooks. The calendar is starting to fill up for the cooking classes as well as for the Guest House. I can't remember the last time I entered into a new year with as much excitement and expectation as I am this year.