A seductive aroma wafting from a nearby food stall reminds me that I have a lunch date . Moroccan hospitality is famous and an invitation to dine with a family is never to be turned down . Any local cook will tell you that the best Moroccan cuisine is eaten at home , lovingly prepared by the lady of the house .
“ Welcome my friend , come , my home is your home ,” says my host Taleb drawing me into his home . I follow him down a labyrinth of passageways and up a flight of stairs and into a spacious salon . The walls are decked out with intricate woodwork , colorful zellige tiles and graceful archways , and the floor is covered in beautifully woven Berber rugs and carpets .
Mint tea is traditionally served before and after a meal , and today is no exception . The tall silver teapot packed with fresh mint leaves , tea and sugar duly appears on an antique silver serving tray , and after the tea has brewed for some minutes , Taleb makes a ceremony of pouring the fragrant golden liquid from a great height into small decorative glasses .
Taleb ’ s wife , Nahmiah and his two daughters serve the first course of lunch : a sumptuous salad of oranges , cantaloupes , carrots , Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar . The unlikely marriage of these ingredients is simply delightful . When there ’ s a guest in a Moroccan home , the women may not always eat with the family , but allowances are made when visitors arrive and Nahmiah joins us for lunch .
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