For years now, I’ve had this idea that Morocco would be the perfect place to spend Christmas. Years ago I’d been fixated on Paul Bowles’s novel The Sheltering Sky. And while I have no interest in wandering lost in the desert, the prospect of spice markets, sandstone walls, maybe a holiday hammam has always seemed alluring. More recently, the double helping of Yves St Laurent biopics out this year (the photo above is of the Majorelle Garden, which St Laurent and Pierre Bergé purchased in 1980) – has reanimated my fantasies of tented banquets in desert oases.
We’ve all heard the old saying, “Those who can’t do, teach.” I say, “Those who can’t go, cook.” So sometimes I find myself taking a basic idea – like a standard soup – and flavoring it with daydreams. As the weather turned from summer to fall, and the semester hit me like … a desert sandstorm?
I had holiday plans … plans to study machete fencing in Haiti, aspirations of returning to Thailand – this time to volunteer at Elephant Nature Park … and the old dream, Christmas in Morocco. There is a lovely spot in Philadelphia called Down Dog Cafe. They serve an elixir, although they do not call it that. It’s a kind of smoothie: almonds, dates, saffron, almond milk, a touch of spice. It’s both cool and frothy, light yet nourishing.
The idea: Morocco, Down Dog’s almond date smoothie, breakfast …
Chia Paradise Pudding
- Take 2 tbsp of chia seeds and soak them in a cup of coconut milk (almond, cashew, they all work and impart their own subtle flavors)
- Throw in a pinch or two of saffron (saffron needs to be stewed or soaked), a dash of cinnamon, maybe 1/4 tsp of vanilla, something sweet like date sugar or jaggery if you wish
- After 15 or so minutes, add a few drops of orange flower or rose water (be sparing, 1/8 tsp could overwhelm it)
- Shake and refrigerate overnight
- In the morning serve over fruit – I used raspberries, but consider dates and sliced oranges for the full effect
More soon …
Related Links
BodyGuruBlog 
thank you for linking my blog to this post 🙂 fabulous pictures
Very weird. I was just staring at a bag of chia seeds wondering what to do with them. Will be awesome to wake up to something so delicious. And, now I want to paint our house blue and put fabulous green vases by the driveway.
Kris, this is a thin pudding, almost like a rich cream sauce. If you want it thicker, use 3-4 tablespoons of the seeds. I like mine pourable, but I have seen very thick versions in stores.