Fez

It was a cold and blustery night. Trash bags were being blown around by the wind, similar to the that trash bag scene from American Beauty. Prospect Avenue was dark and mostly deserted. I felt like I was in a scene from a film noir movie. Too bad it wasn't foggy, otherwise it would have been perfect. Fez's storefront is tiny, it's very easy to walk right by the restaurant if you're not looking too carefully. I stepped into the restaurant and was immediately engulfed in warmth and delicious smells. The walls are painted a dark orange/reddish color and adorned with Moroccan-style lamps and wall sconces.

I started with the Harira soup:














Harira is a tomato-based soup chock full of lentils, chickpeas and long-grain rice. It came piping hot and was the perfect way to warm me up.

Next came the Tilapia Tagine:






(Where was the tall conical lid that come with tagine dishes?!)






The fish came with tomatoes, carrots and potatoes in a light and tangy lemon sauce. The fish was incredibly tender and flakey. Although the flavors of tagine weren't incredibly strong and more subtle, it was still very satisfying.

Every time I have Moroccan food I think of the meal I had during my trek to the desert near Marrakech. We were staying in bivouacs in the middle of a desert, our tour guides (who looked about 18) pull two bunsen burners, a big old pot, raw carrots, potatoes and onions out of their rucksack. I was a bit skeptical - can a decent meal be made without a kitchen and decent cooking utensils? The tagine our tour guides made was ridiculous - it was probably one of the best meals I've ever had. I ate until I thought I was going to throw up. Anyywayyys...sidebar.

Fez is a great choice if you're looking for a light, but filling meal. I liked the Harira soup so much that I decided to make it myself! It's a really simple soup, you basically throw all the ingredients into a big pot, stir and simmer. Just like the story of Stone Soup! Perhaps if the Israelis and Palestinians could join forces to make Harira together, each taking turns stirring the soup...oh look, the Iranians are here to add their own contribution to the soup....and oh my, is that Kim Jong Il here to add some kimchi to the pot....and of course good 'ol Condi Riz-ice is there overseeing the whole operation....then there would be peace in the Middle East.

Recipe for Harira Soup:

Ingredients -
2 16 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of chickpeas
1 cup of lentils
1/2 cup of long-grain rice
1 can of chicken stock
4-5 cups of water (depending on if you like your soup thick or thin)
a few bunches of flat leaf parsley
2 medium-sized onions
salt

Directions -
Sautee the diced onions for a few minutes, until the onions become translucent
add the drained chickpeas, sautee for another few minutes
add the can of of chicken stock
After the chicken stock has come to a boil, add the salt, 2 cans of tomatoes, water, lentils, rice, chopped parsley to the pot
simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until the lentils are tender
add additional parsley at the end, salt to taste
Stir in few tablespoons of lemon juice give to give it an extra tang

The original recipe I used called for saffron threads, but i didn't use any since it is way too expensive. The soup came out fine without the saffron.