Chef Impersonator Is Now in Print

This is the happiest blog post of my life. So far.

My dream of actually doing something with my passion for food and cooking has finally come true. In June of this year I became the new Food Columnist for Fort Worth Texas Magazine, the city's glossy monthly magazine. 

It's an absolute dream come true for me. And here's a bit about how it happened. I'm sharing this to encourage all of you to do what you love, and love what you do. And take steps every single day to move toward that dream. It works! Really~

If you're interested in the whole story, just scroll down to the bottom of this post. I hope it provides some inspiration to others who've been thinking and praying and dreaming of doing something special in the world of food.

Here's my very first food column - Mediterranean Flavors.

So here's the story:

I started Chef Impersonator way back in 2009 with the humble intention of trying something new. I loved to cook. I took photos of food everywhere I went (much to the dismay of my significant others). I wanted to share home recipes. So I started to blog. I posted pretty irregularly most of the time, but somehow I knew I wanted to try and do something with my deep and abiding love of food. 

Then back in 2012, together with my sister Sandy, I sent an entry to a Bobby Flay show about Home Cooks, and low and behold, I never heard a word. You can see my entry here in this old post - Dear Mr. Bobby Flay. 

Time passed and all the while I was posting food pics and recipes and restaurants and travel musings to Facebook and Twitter and my blog. In 2013, I decided to attend my first food blogger conference, BlogHerFood, in Austin, TX. I had a BLAST. And I found myself attending all the workshops on food photography and I thought - This Is It! I've found my passion. I'm going to become a great food photographer. I'd always loved to take photos, and I always had a pretty good eye. So I came home, bought a professional Nikon D5300 camera and a macro lens, took some classes and starting shooting food (all the while posting my pics and recipes and rants about food). 

Then in late 2013, I heard about a casting call being held for yet another Food Network home cook competition show. So I dropped everything and created my entry, Moroccan Lamb Tagine. My food was fabulous, but again, no call-back. 

And here's where the miracle occurred. 

A Facebook friend of mine who runs the local culinary school had posted a shot of a dish she made and I decided to call her to talk about taking some pictures for her. I told her all about my background and love of food, and she told me she was retiring as food columnist for the magazine and that they were filling the spot that week! So I dropped everything and called and emailed the editor and associate publisher, who I actually have known for some time. They scheduled me to come in and talk. I poured my soul into my preparation for that meeting, and guess what? I got it. 

So the moral of the story is GO FOR IT. Take steps, no matter how small, to move toward your dream every day. Shed all that FEAR that keeps us from trying new things, and just do it!.  Nancy

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

We traveled from Spain to Morocco a couple of years ago and I fell in love with the rich flavors and exotic spices used in cooking traditional Moroccan food. I've tried a few different recipes and even made up my own, but this recipe for Moroccan Lamb Tagine from allrecipes.com is one of the best Tagines I've made. It has a lot of ingredients, but after making the Ras El Hanoud, the traditional Moroccan spice blend, and marinating the meat overnight, the rest goes fairly quickly. If you don't have time to marinate overnight, 30 minutes to an hour will do.

If you love cooking exotic fare, be sure to buy a traditional Tagine. The conical cover of the vessel allows the juices and flavors of the meat and vegetables to circulate and enhance the flavor of the dish. You'll be tempted to open the top to peek, but don't do it until at least halfway through the cooking time. I waited 1 1/2 hours before opening the top to check on it.

I've used store-bought Tagine Spice before, but take the time to make the spice blend yourself. The result is a complexity of flavors that only comes from making it from scratch.

I'm happy to report that of all the spices in the list, the only one that was not in my pantry was the Cardamom. Making this recipe also gave me the chance to clean out old jars of spices I've had for a bit too long. You should replace spices in your pantry after about 2 years.

To serve, bring the Tagine to the table. Your guests will love this exotic presentation, and your home will be filled with its fragrant aroma.

Enjoy!

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

INGREDIENTS

For the Ras El Hanoud (Moroccan Spice Blend)

2 Tbsp. Paprika

¼ tsp. Tumeric

½ tsp. Ground Cumin

¼ tsp. Cayenne

1 tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Ground Cloves

½ tsp. Ground Cardamom

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

½ tsp. Ground Ginger

Pinch of Saffron

¾ tsp. Garlic Powder

¾ tsp. Ground Coriander

Other Ingredients

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes – or 3 medium sized lamb shanks

2 medium onions, sliced

5 carrots, peeled and sliced into ½ inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. freshly ground ginger

1 lemon, zested

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. cornstarch (optional)

1 Tbsp. water (optional)

10 dried apricots

Pine nuts

Parsley sprigs

Directions

1.    Place lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder and coriander. Mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

2.    Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the lab, and brown well. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger, continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, apricots and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fork tender.

3.    If the consistency is too thin, you may thicken it with a mixture of cornstarch and water during the last 5 minutes.

4.    Garnish with pine nuts and parsley and serve with couscous.