Every year I go vegan for about a month. My strongest temptation during this time is desserts. I thought this year I would start my vegan cleanse by having a satisfying sweet on hand to combat my cravings.

This recipe from Paula’s newest book, The Food of Morocco satisfies my sweet tooth, and it is so easy! 5 ingredients, 30 minutes, and you have a tasty, vegan treat. Her recipes are often accompanied with a story of how they came to be. This recipe can be traced back to Toledo, Spain, just before the inquisition. The people of Toledo fled to Tetouan, an important refuge city for Spanish Jews near Tangier. From Tetouan it became popular in French cuisine by way of Paris. With the help of Paula’s book, it has now found its way to Hutchinson, MN. Continue its global journey…

I always love the recipes I create from Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking book. I recently followed her recipe to make the Moroccan spice blend, La Kama. I made a huge batch and split it up as gifts for my fellow Clay Coyotians. It turned out wonderfully, as expected. Tom has been using it for everything. He suggests using it to compliment mild dishes. He especially likes it on his eggs. I think it would be a wonderful addition for the hummus recipe I recently listed. I just received a Clay Coyote tagine for my birthday, and I am looking forward to creating a meal with this blend. I hope to share that recipe with you. Please feel free to submit any ideas, recipes, or questions you may have.

“La Kama spices are similar to the more famous ras el hanout (which literally means “top of the shop”) in that its formula varies from cook to cook. Some ras el hanout mixtures contain as many as fifty different spices, others just ten or twelve. A Good La Kama recipe may be made with just five, as shown here.” – Paula Wolfert, Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

La Kama is a Moroccan tagine seasoning mix. It is originally from Tangier, and is very different depending on the creator. This recipe contains a few spices you might not be able to find at your local grocer. Paula makes suggestions for substitutions, but I would not recommend doing that. I went to www.kalustyans.com, and purchased from their online store. They have a wonderful selection. I ended up buying a few of their unique curry blends as well.

-La Kama-

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon finely ground pepper

2 teaspoons ground Ceylon or Mexican Cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cubeb berries

(crush berries to a powder in a mortar)

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Combine the ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, cubeb berries, and nutmeg and transfer to a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Store in a dark place and use with in 6 months.

Paula Wolfert’s Moroccan Dessert “Truffles” with Dates, Almonds, and Apples

Moroccan Spice Mixture: La Kama

-La Kama-