Weekly Dinner Party: Casual Moroccan

This week's dinner party was a pretty casual affair. I made a simple Moroccan-style menu using many of the same staple ingredients purchased for last week's Turkish party. I had a light cold, so it was nice to take it easy.

Menu

• Appetizer: Imported dolmas 
• Chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives
• Mograbieh (a type of Istaeli couscous) pilaf with chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, onion and citrus peel
• Mixed green salad with cucumber and tangerine 
• Dessert: Peach and blueberry galette

I cooked the chicken the night before. It does save time the day of, but more importantly it gives the flavors of the tagine time to really settle in. Mmm, preserved lemons have such a unique flavor. 

Guests arrived shortly after 7:00 and we sat down to eat at 8:00. 

I had the table set with red and white linens and blue china. The chicken and pilaf both came out so well - especially considering my half-hazard attention to recipes. 

Great group of guests this week: two people new to the city and a former colleague and her boyfriend. 

For dessert, a lovely hand-made fruit tart and glasses of hot mint tea.