Modern Moroccan kitchens are heavily influenced by the French and have no need to envy their international counterparts. In the kitchen of my Casablanca friend, Zoubida el Gharbi, there are all the modern conveniences – a refrigerator, a freezer, a four-burner gas stove with twin ovens, a sink, set in colourful tiled counter tops, and shelves of glowing bottled preserves, but I noticed that the khlii – the sun-dried meat that was used to flavour the lentil salad included in our selection of appetizer salads – was kept in the larder without benefit of refrigeration, and the two tagines that we were to enjoy for luncheon – chicken with lemons and olives, and lamb with glazed quinces and artichokes – were being cooked in aluminium saucepans on charcoal braziers on the floor!
