Cafe Clock is pleased to announced several exciting new additions to our menu. Working in harmony with the kitchen staff, Mike has further enhanced the list of unique offerings available at the cafe. First up is the delicious Pumpkin B’sarra. This dish provides welcome warmth for those cold winter days in Fez. Fresh pumpkin is...
Scorpion House – Now open for private parties Perched upon a hillside overlooking the sacred town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun and the Roman Ruins of Volubilis, Scorpion House is the private retreat of Mike Richardson. Mike, the proprietor of the popular Café Clock in Fez, is now sharing this special venue by appointment only....
The date and orange cheesecake is as much a Clock classic as the camel burger. 250g oat or digestive biscuits crushed 100g butter, melted kg mascarpone cheese 180g sugar 250ml fresh cream 5 eggs ½ tsp salt 5 oranges, zested 10 dates, cut into slivers Preheat the oven to 200ºC Line a 22cm cake...
Award-winning author Tahar Ben Jelloun paints a vivid picture of Casablanca in this article for The Daily Beast. His unique perspective as a Moroccan residing abroad allows him to see both the beautiful and the ugly, and thus transport readers to this magical city. If it were a book, it would be badly written...
Every year on the 6th of November Moroccans celibrate an event known as “The Green March”. The Green March was a monumental effort that liberated the Moroccan southern provinces from the yoke of Spanish occupation. What Is The Green March? The Green March was a strategic mass demonstration in November 1975, coordinated by the...
Take a look at the Moroccan calendar; it’s chock-a-block with numerous Morocco festivals & events, both secular and religious. Being a predominantly Islamic country, it is quite expected that there would be an abundance of Islamic festivals in Morocco. The Eid Al Adha Festival of Sacrifice, Morocco is one of the most important of the...
Cafe Clock is pleased to offer Tango lessons beginning this Saturday night, October 22nd. Keeping the spirit of the Fez Dance Festival, we are presenting four special nights featuring an Argentine instructor. The cost is 30dh for each session, and the schedule is: Saturday 22/10 – 18h00-19h30 Sunday 23/10 – 16h30-18h00 Tuesday 25/10 - 18h00-19h30...
Fez is my place and I love walking along its paths. Grand boulevards and narrow alleys alike reveal the soul of this active city and its people. Dodging motorcycles on the sidewalk and speeding cars when crossing the street is all part of the Fez experience. But every month or so I allow myself...
This is a fabulous looking dish that you can either serve individually, or pile into a heap to make pavlova as they do in Australia. It’s sold at the Clock during pomegranate season from October through November. You could of course adapt to suit any fruit or berries that are in season. For the...
The fifth annual Fes International Dance Festival is running from this Tuesday, October 18th, until Saturday the 22nd. Featuring dance troups from all over the world, this event is a wonderful addition to Fez’s cultural landscape. Hosted by the Al Houria Complex in the Ville Nouvelle, dancers from Hungary, Iran, Belgium and Morocco will...
Cafe Clock is hosting a photography exhibition from 15th October to 15th November entitled “Footprint of Friends all over the World”. This is the work of two young, talented photographers – Omar Chennafi (Morocco) and Robert Harrison (USA). The exhibition reveals myriad journeys, as the two photographers have captured images of disciples traveling towards their pilgrimage...
This salad was inspired one balmy evening in October when Mike and I had snuck off to the Batha Hotel for a drink in their courtyard. As we sipped our gin and tonics I saw the most amazing pomegranate tree I have ever seen, its branches literally dripping with crimson fruit. It must have...
Cafe Clock is pleased to present a special night of music on Saturday, October 15th. Peace Corps volunteer Socorra Camposanto will be performing at six pm, and will be joined by other musicians. Her style is a mix of folk and blues, covers and original compositions. This concert is free and open to everyone....
This blog post is courtesy of Benjamin Frost, whose highly entertaining Frost Report chronicles his wonderful adventure with his girlfriend at the Cafe Clock cooking school. Through tears, I gripped the knife. My task was simple and it had to be done… I took a deep breath, closed my eyes tightly then plunged...
This salad really couldn’t be simpler and its peppery, citrusy flavours go exceptionally well with fish dishes like baked mackerel with preserved lemon salsa verde (p. X). Café Clock preserves their own capers when they come into season in September, but you can get them easily in any supermarket. 2 large, double-handfuls rocket, watercress...
Morocco’s new constitution stresses the importance of protecting human rights, especially those linked to cultural diversity, said, on Friday in Rabat, a UN expert in cultural rights. Farida Shaheed, a UN independent expert in cultural rights, commended the constitutionalization of the Amazigh as an official language in the country and “the allocation of...
Sumac is a Middle Eastern ingredient that comes from the dried ground berries of a shrub called Rhus coriaria. As a spice it is a pretty purplish-red colour with a tart, faintly lemony tang. 500 g cooked, drained chickpeas 2 red peppers 1 red onions, sliced 1–2 red chillies, sliced 1 tbsp red wine...
Fez – The Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez has announced that it will set up a science museum in the next three years, which is expected to enable the city to become a hub for large-scale socio-economic and tourism development. In order to preserve Morocco’s natural heritage, a science museum will...
This salad was inspired one balmy evening in October when Mike and I had snuck off to the Batha Hotel for a drink in their courtyard. As we sipped our gin and tonics I saw the most amazing pomegranate tree I have ever seen, its branches literally dripping with crimson fruit. It must have...
Having just arrived in Fes and having eaten just about our fill of traditional Moroccan food in Meknes the night before, we wanted somewhere tourist-friendly and a bit quirky to eat. Our guide book suggested Café Clock as an excellent option so we took our rumbling tums off to the medina for lunch. Having heard that...
Morocco will take part in the 9th international Euro Arab Film Festival, to be held on October 23-30 in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (northwestern Spain), said organizers. Over thirty films from Morocco, Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, the Unites Arab Emirates, Egypt, France, Spain and the USA, will vie for awards in various categories,...
Lailat al Qadr, the Night of Power, marks the night in which the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by Allah. Muslims regard this as the most important event in history, and the Qur’an says that this night is better than a thousand months (97:3), and that on this night the angels descend to earth....
Washington – Morocco took the 35th Kansas City’s Ethnic Enrichment Festival by storm with an amazing stand, bringing a vibrant array of cuisines, folkloric song and dance to the middle of America . The Moroccan stand showcased a wide range of rich and impressive cuisine and authentic, traditional shows of music and dance,...
The Clock serves this refreshing salad with barbecued meat dishes and couscous. The bright flavours really wake up your taste buds. 2 oranges, peeled and desegmented by cutting between the pith and the flesh to remove the sections 50 g meaty, black olives, stones removed 1 tbsp argan oil 1 tsp sweet paprika ½...
“Some cities are open books waiting to be discovered, but the ancient medina jealously stows away its charms” Fez. You might love it or hate it, but indifference is unlikely. You’ve never seen a place like Fez. Think of the medina as one huge treasure-hunt, a life-size labyrinth to lose yourself in, and don’t...
A just-out review of our Clock Book by renowned food writer Kalle Bergman who is the Editor In Chief at Honest Cooking. He has a lifelong obsession with simple and honest food, and he spreads the gospel wherever he can. His writing has been featured regularly in Los Angeles Times, Serious Eats and The...
This salad goes brilliantly with fish and chicken dishes, and it’s special enough to serve as a light lunch for friends. 2 fresh fennel bulbs, well cleaned with the tough outer leaves removed Juice of half a lemon 1 tbsp argan or walnut oil 50 g walnuts 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp butter 2...
The wonderful article by our great friend and ‘Clock’ regular Rose Button on the experience of fasting during Ramadan as seen on our favorite Fez blog ‘A View From Fez’ I am sitting and watching the sunset over the city of Fez. I have always thought this is one of the most beautiful times,...
This is a simple time table for prayer time during the Holy Month of Ramadan in the Fes Medina. It also shows the time of breaking the fast “Maghrib”. Prayer Schedule August 2011/ Ramadan 1432 Date Day Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha 1 Mon 3:56 5:30 12:27 4:11 7:22 8:51 2 Tue 3:57...
Cafe Clock wishes its staff and you a blessed Ramadan may Allah accept from us and you. Cafe Clock will be open throughout Ramadan from 9am – 11pm serving great food and drinks all day. A Ftour ( break of fast) buffet will be serving up many Ramadan favorites for 50dh per person – join us!!! Ramadan menu: Juice/milkshakes Dates Briwat...
This is my “slaw”-inspired variation on the candied carrot salad so popular in Morocco. This instantly makes you feel light, healthy and raring to go. 200 g grated carrots 50 g shelled pistachios, lightly toasted 2 tsp Ras al Hanout 2 tbsp argan or nut oil 1 lemon, juiced ½ inch fresh ginger, grated...
One of the great pleasures of visiting Moulay Idriss Zerhoun is to admire the spectacular view from the hill above the sacred town. Seen from on high, it appears like a jewel of an Islamic city and the Roman ruins of Volubilis can be glimpsed on the plain beyond. However, usually travellers make only...
No matter the medium, technique or format, the value of the canvas is found in the event it creates and the emotions it brings. At the intersection of Arabic calligraphy and contemporary painting currents, Mhamed Mrani, in his own words “plays with colours in order to extract the poetic spirit so keeping dreams alive....
If hummus is the quintessential dipping sauce of the Middle East, aubergine salads and purees are the showcase of Morocco. This dish is smoky, silky and creamy and perfect for vegetable crudités or flatbreads. It’s also a really good side dish to serve with grilled lamb chops, and works just as well cold as...
This is an interview by Suzanna Clarke from The View from Fez with Khalid Belhaj ,who is working at Cafe Clock Administration, about Fez Download (Moroccan culture and language workshop) “A new workshop offers visitors to Fez an insight into Moroccan culture. When tourists first arrive in Morocco, they can feel overwhelmed by the...
This week sees one of the largest and most important pilgrimages in Morocco. The beautiful white-washed town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoune is only an hours drive from Fez and less than half an hour from Meknes. For many centuries it has been a place of pilgrimage, thanks to its tomb of the city’s...
Beetroot is a wonder food, packed with antioxidants, and in Morocco is believed to cleanse the spirit and ward off the mischief of the jinns. It comes in various guises, the Clock does a particularly good one for all the contrasting tastes and textures. Traditionally this dish would be sprinkled with icing sugar and...
Fans of popular art will be thrilled to hear that the 46th Marrakech National Folk Arts Festival will start on June 29 till July 4, according to an announcement Wednesday in Casablanca by the organizers. If the folk music lovers want to get some entertainment, “Palais Al Badii” and at “jardins de l’oliveraie Bab...
The Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival celebrates the music of the Gnaouas, the product of a mystic tradition with branches as widespread as Haitian Voodoo and Brazilian Candomblé. Performers include the best local and international musicians of the genre. A picturesque port painted in blue and white, Essaouira is a travellers’ favourite and...
This soup is a spring-time variation on the classic split pea b’sarra although it does take a bit more work. Broad beans are abundant in Morocco in the late spring and this is one of the nicest ways to eat them. 1 kg broad beans, shelled 1 kg peas, shelled 1 mild white onion,...
After nearly 4 years of helping to manage Cafe Clock, Max is striking out on his own. Actually, he and his wife, Kaoutar are planning to work together. Yes, that’s right. Max will no longer be crunching numbers on table #6, answering questions from staff and suppliers, or working in the kitchen because he’ll...
Paris – Marrakech will host, on June 8-12, its first international humor festival dubbed “Marrakech du rire”, with the participation of eminent stars of the One man show, upon the initiative of the Franco Moroccan comedian Jamel Debbouze. Over 120 prominent comedians from all over the world will take part in the festival...
Roasting the garlic for this hot, winter soup gives it a rich, velvety texture and a sweet nutty taste. It’s an unusual starter to serve before a roast leg of lamb mechouia style (p. X) and harissa roast potatoes (pg. X). If you are freezing it, do so at stage 5 before adding the...
With anticipation I waited to make the journey to Moulay Idriss with my dear friend Omar for the “opening party” of Scorpion House, Mike Richardson’s and Robert Johnstone’s new venture, clung to the side of a mountain, I had heard from the Fassi locals! A short train ride plus short grand taxi ride plus...
Rabat – “My message is Salam (peace in Arabic)”, said Yusuf Islam, who is in Morocco to give a concert on Monday night to the delight of the public of the 10th edition of Mawazine Festival, one of the largest and most prestigious live music shows in North Africa. by Ahmed El Jechtimi “I...
PRESENTATION OF THE FESTIVAL The Festival Mawazine Rythms of the World is back for a 10th Edition –one that is particularly rich in culture, music, and exchange. Rabat will be receiving artistic jewels throughout the festival, which is scheduled to take place from today, May 20 through 28, 2011. The Capital will not only...
