Taste of Tomato and Cinnamon Brings Memories of Morocco

Washington, D.C., in June is usually warm, a prelude to the steamy summer ahead. But this year it brought a few cool nights. Dreary rain put an end to the plans my husband and I had for grilling dinner. So I had a chance to use my new Dutch oven months before I expected I would.

What to make? In the freezer, I had leftovers from a roast chicken. On my shelves, there were cans of tomatoes and chickpeas. I had a box of currants, and most important, spices needed for an impromptu attempt at Moroccan stew. Bit of paprika, cumin, ginger, and cinnamon. Well, more than a bit of each, and a good shake of that last one.

The blending of cinnamon and tomatoes in the sauce reminded me of visiting Morocco in 2007. In a post for my first blog, Lookingaroundabit.com, I wrote about our favorite restaurant in Marrakech. Sitting among tables filled with construction workers, my husband, David, and I split a clay pot of lamb with onions, carrots and potatoes. This dish is called tagine, named for the cone-shaped pots used to cooked it, as shown in the photo here.

We paid less than $5 for our tagine and a pot of mint tea. The waiter gave us a fork…