When Tariq Ibn Ziyad swept through Spain in the Muslim Conquest of 711 he used an ingenious milito-culinary trick. As some Christian emissaries were engaged in talks in his camp, he had the bodies of those slain in battle cut up and thrown into a cauldron. While the Christians weren’t looking he switched the bodies of men with ordinary meat. Then he fed the contents of the cauldron to his men. When the Spanish king heard that the Muslims were cannibals they basically surrendered on the spot.

Now, I’m hoping that in this war between Moroccan and Spanish food I won’t have eat any people, just fine Mediterranean food.

I launched my first raid on Kiosk in East Harlem. It is a small Moroccan place on 116^th with an outside that looks more like a deli that a restaurant. The décor on the inside was pretty flawlessly “Middle Eastern restaurant”, though. The furnishings were sufficiently festooned with tassels and Bedouin style knick-knacks, the murals were well done and the Arabic music was charmingly understated (albeit Egyptian).

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No Comments | Posted on December 7, 2011 | Categories: Chelsea, Dining, From the Blog, Harlem, Manhattan

tags: Chelsea Hotel, Kiosk, Moroccan Cuisine, paella, Raphael Cormack, revisionist history, Rogue Plates, shisha, Spanish cuisine

There’s no better way to connect with friends than over shared food and drink. So I learned last Saturday night on my visit to El Quinto Pino, a regional Spanish tapas bar with an urban feel. If you’re not familiar with Spanish cuisine, tapas are small appetizer dishes designed for sharing, and typically served between the hours of 9PM and 11PM. Located in Chelsea at the corner of W 24^th and 9^th Ave, El Quinto Pino serves up these Spanish nibbles at somewhat moderate prices ($6-10 per plate).

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1 Comment | Posted on November 21, 2011 | Categories: Chelsea, Dining, From the Blog, Manhattan

tags: breakfast for dinner, El Quinto Pino, Emma Imber, sangria, Spanish cuisine, tapas