Cooking School

Learn to cook traditional Moroccan food in the heart of the medina
with Clock Kitchen. Fez’s first dedicated cooking school.

Dance

Belly Dance with Saida. Private lessons by arrangement

Calligraphy

Discover the sacred art of calligraphy with master
Mohamed Charkaoui.

Fez Download

Let us introduce you to Moroccan culture, customs and language
with Khalid. In 1:30hrs you will wow your way round the souks.

Henna

Give your hands a fancy look with a beautiful henna tattoo.

Oud

Learn to play with master musician Mohamed Semlali. Oud provided.

Djemmbe

Wild Djemmbe rhythms with Yassine. Djemmbe provided.

Jam Session

Every Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm Jam @ the Clock with
Mohammed Jocker. All Musicians Welcome

Clock Football Club

Friday @ 5pm in Batha Sports Complex .Speak to café manager for  details. All welcome

If in Cafe Clock ask manager for details otherwise call/email using details below

Art Exhibitions

Selected Prints from Habibi A group of prints from the graphic novel.

Cinema

Monday @ 6pm Jannat Directed by Kunal Deshukh, Emraan Hashmi,
Esha Gupta and JManish Chaudhary.The movie is in Hindi with English
subtitles (free)

Thursday@ 6pm Million Dollar Baby Directed by Clint Eastwood
with  Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman.The movie is in
English with French subtitles. (free)

Concerts

Sunday Concert @ 6pm

Nomad Fusion music with djemmbe hajhouj & percussion (20dh)

“Oh! Oh old medina… weighed down by burdens, as ancient as history… submerging in the worries of the neglected, the endless dreams of the young, and the lifelong miseries of the old…”

You meet them in the narrow alleys of the old Medina- four, six or twelve year olds, playing games or simply learning their very first letters of the idleness alphabet.

They play by craftsmen, their clothes full of mud and dust. They go back and forth to their houses- not larger than one room the whole family shares; a room that  is transformed into a space for cooking, eating, sleeping and walking into the path of life in a place full of hope, despair, dreams and aspirations- the old Medina .

Halima, for instance, is a thirty-two year old lady whose husband is a craftsman, barely having any work to do: “there is not much to be done. We run out of work- this is the era of machines. We can’t keep pace with all these changes” he would say.

Halima, not very much pleased with her husband’s poor income, tries to make up for that by providing for her family of seven members. She takes temporary jobs; cleaning houses, cooking in weddings and parties during summers, doing the dishes at local hotels, etc…

Now, Halima works for a bakery store; she leaves the house very early in the morning not to come back until 11 p.m., exhausted and worn out. Once she gets back home, she feeds the kids, puts them to sleep in hopes of getting some rest.

During the day, her youngest son walks the streets barefoot and in dirty shreds. Her ten year old daughter takes care of her younger brothers. Sometimes, they would all sit at the large door of the very big house where numerous families live, probably thinking of how else their life could have been and making scenarios for the future.

Halima’s elder son is a really gifted painter, but this is something he will most likely forget about once he gets his baccalaureate and discovers that his parents cannot afford sending him away to pursue his studies. Then, he would walk on his father’s shoes, thus becoming a craftsman, incarnating the same faith- the same misery.

The old medina is the oldest part in the city of Fes. It is where the oldest university in the world “Al Quarawiyin” located.

As you go around you discover its tiny twisted roads, its old buildings, and the huge walls insisting on carrying the burden of history on them. This part of the city is full of paradoxes. You find the very poor, and the very rich. Recently, foreigners took notice of its potentials, so they started investing in Riyads; that is, the medina’s old houses most of which are now transformed into guest houses, receiving tourists who are in search of mystic experiences.

On the other side, you find the same big old houses shared by ten families, each occupying a small room, consisting a shelter for hearts that are strained by poverty, hunger, neglect but who are nonetheless full of goodness and hope.

By Fadoua Bakkali

Morocco World News

Fez is featured in this Telegraph article, and Cafe Clock gets a mention as well. Natalie Paris visited our beautiful city and came away very impressed. She discusses sights, dining, and accommodation.

The short hop to Morocco is a cultural exchange like no other – just over three hours’ flight time in return for sunshine and a vivid shot of Arabian exoticism. Fez is the country’s oldest imperial city, a time-worn centre for culture and learning, with colourful tiled palaces and centuries-old souks.

Ibrahim and the stars.

This past Sunday afternoon Cafe Clock staff and patrons were treated to a special visit from a few members of Fez’s championship winning football team, Maghreb de Fes (MAS). The players came to enjoy the Clock’s great food and lovely terrace after a dramatic Saturday night victory over local rivals WAF. Word of their presence spread quickly through the medina and the neighborhood was buzzing with excitement. Cafe Clock employee and MAS superfan Ibrahim Sadik was delighted to meet the players, and posed with them in the above picture.

All of us here at Cafe Clock are thrilled that our special guests enjoyed their Fez platters and Moroccan pastries. Hopefully the future will bring more MAS victories and more celebrations at Cafe Clock.

 Abdeljalil with the MAS players.

Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) magazine has just published an article on Moroccan tourism. They believe the country will see considerable growth this year, due both to the large number of natural and cultural attractions the country offers, as well as the forward thinking work the authorities have done to attract more tourists.

Morocco is set to reinforce the contribution of tourism in its economy through attracting more tourists the British magazine, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) wrote in its latest edition.

“Attracting travelers to Morocco is not difficult, given its array of natural attractions and reputation as a cultural hot-spot,” wrote the FDI.

“The country’s government is not resting on its laurels, and has launched a plan to pull in more tourists, and in doing so attract more foreign investment and create more jobs,” underscored the magazine.

To highlight the importance of tourism in Morocco’s economy, FDI used figures released by the Organization for Economic Development and Co-operation making the point that tourism is Morocco’s largest foreign exchange earner, the second biggest contributor to GDP, and the second largest single job-creating force, responsible for about 400,000 in terms of direct employment, and considerably more in terms of secondary employment.

“Year on year, the industry has continued to grow – albeit with hiccups. In 2010, there were 7.9 million tourists visiting the country – a 12% increase on 2009’s figures, when the global financial crisis impacted the tourism industry,” wrote the same source.

Morocco’s tourism sector is “certainly strong enough to withstand any glitches in the long term – and the Moroccan government is committed to a long-term plan,” added the FDI, pointing to the Vision 2020 which aims notably at doubling the number of annual foreign tourists, tripling the number of domestic tourists, and creating hotel facilities to the tune of about 200,000 beds.

Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 10 AM at ALIF Riad

(Meet in front Hotel Batha, 9:30 AM)

Please bring your five best photographs on a USB to share with the group.

We will continue to talk about the Women’s Photography Project, and develop a schedule for project implementation.
This is in preparation for International Women’s Day on March 8, 2012.

Contact:
Omar Chennafi
0659661502
alifphotoclub@gmail.com

The Floor

When you come to Café Clock, you have a variety of seating options. Depending on your mood, you can always find a place to match it. What’s your preference … cushions, a low stool? Maybe a small sofa — or perhaps a straight back chair? There’s even a throne or two! Take your pick.

Feeling a bit voyeuristic? Sit on The Floor and you can watch the world go by and in the early morning hours you can watch the kitchen set up for the day. Sooner or later Ismail will come in, toting large bags of fresh fruits and vegetables. Souad will survey the kitchen contents and place orders for chicken, lamb and camel. Cooking school participants arrive and get ready for a day of shopping, baking, cooking and eating. Suppliers and workers come and go as The Clock is always adding some new feature and making improvements. Tourists, locals, expats and students wind their way into the café and settle in to eat, chat, surf the net, inquire about cultural events or make new acquaintances.

The Balcony

Climb the stairs to The Balcony if you’re looking for a bright, airy space where you can peer down at the activities below or lose yourself in thought as the mobile of instruments suspended from the halqa slowly spins before your eyes. Peer into the sky above.

If you’re part of a large group, there’s alwaysThe Red Room with long tables to accommodate a party of twenty.

The redroom

There’s The Library for more intimate gatherings or quiet study — and off to one side is The Mansoura Room; another cozy corner for thosewho enjoy their privacy.

The Terrace

Looking for views and a bit of fresh air? There’s the incredible Garden Terrace with enclaves of seating and great vistas of the medina. The climb up the stairs is well worth the effort. Once you emerge onto the sun-filled terrace one of the most magnificent minarets in the medina stands right before you. And should Muslims wish to answer the call to prayer, there is the beautiful designated Prayer Room just below the terrace.

Climb to the topmost point onto The Eyrie and imgine you are atop a camel, traveling through space and time. The Garden Terrace is both intimate and expansive.

Mansoura Room

So whatever your mood, Café Clock has a spot waiting for you. Sit, lounge, work, sing, study, eat, drink, recoup, visit, do business and enjoy.

Your table awaits…

Bhalil is the beginning of the  Middle Atlas mountains and many of the locals are Berber. Donkeys are the preferred mode of transportation in this tranquil town where many natural wonders await you. With a rich history and extraordinary natural features, Bhalil is located at the foot of the Jebel Kandar, and this magnificent peak offers visitors spectacular views  of the town and the landscapes that embrace it. Lush, green valleys, a sparkling river and fertile land create awe inspiring views from this hilltop, while the streets of Bhalil are lined with artisans who produce traditional and exquisite crafts to admire and purchase. The entire town has an extremely laid-back atmosphere to it. Residents are easily recognized by their clothing. The younger women of Bhalil wear a Djebella, while older women wear ihafs or tarfs on their heads that cover their entire bodies. The men also display head wear referred to as Razzas.

One feature of Bhalil that stands out from other cities is the fact that there are still a few cave-houses that are in use. Guides will be able to take visitors on tours of these homes, which only differ from normal houses by their location. Cave homes are also divided into rooms, with the bedrooms generally being located on the second floor; but unlike conventional homes, cave houses are able to keep the scorching summer heat out, as well as the icy winter chill. Home owners take much pride in their cave homes by comfortably furnishing the interior. However, visitors will have to look closely to not to pass a cave home by, as they can be hidden from the outside. Visiting Bhalil can be a very rewarding experience, and travelers who enjoy exploring destinations that are off-the-beaten-path should not miss out on Bhalil.

Olives are one of Morocco’s many riches and in Bhali the ritual of the olive harvest has remained pretty much unchanged for centuries. Villagers, armed with long sticks to tap the olives out of the trees and donkeys to carry the load, set off before sunrise and work until sunset. For a delightful look at the process of producing olive oil in Bhalil, check out the following video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8LsfG4mnxI&feature=related

The ‘CineClub’ of the Faculty of Science and Technology of Fez is planning on Wednesday, April 27 their 7th edition of  celebrating cinema. The film shown will address the theme “Morocco and the fight against corruption” -  guests of honor will include officials of TLC (MCC) and filmmakers, including those who worked on the feature film “Hadi W Touba”. The film will be followed  by a conference dicussing the topic of transparency in Morocco.

An party will be held on the evening at the party room Bahja 2 to wrap up in style the days events.

Café Clock is proud to sponsor a lunch for the organizers,

producers and director of the movie “Hadi W Touba”

More info about the movie: http://mabladi.blogspot.com/2010/09/film-marocain-hadi-wa-touba.html

Tickets for the day can be purchased at Café Clock or direct with the chairman of the ‘CineClub’ on Ali: 06 68549174 – Yassir: 06 79 44 76 50
 



1. Tara, what first attracted you to Morocco?

It was total chance actually. I was at the Hay book festival in Granada and met an author there called Tahir Shah (The Caliphs House, In Arabian Nights). He told me about this guy who’d abandoned a successful career at the Wolseley in London to come an open a café selling camel burgers in Fez. I was fascinated and booked a ticket to go take a look about a week later. The whole place got under my skin pretty much immediately – going into the Fez medina for the first time is like stepping back 2000 years – and it becomes almost like an addiction. If you like it, it calls you. You have to keep going back.

2. Tell us about the cuisine there.

What I loved so much about discovering food in Morocco is that there is still so much that hasn’t been discovered. We all know about tagines and couscous, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much variety and diversity, but it’s little known outside of certain regions, or even towns and villages, and most of it you need to eat in somebody’s home. Some of it is reserved for special occasions like r’fisa – a chicken, lentil and fenugreek stew that is served to women after they’ve given birth, and sometimes as a special meal mid-way through Ramadan.

Then there’s the street food, again lots of obvious stuff such as you see in the night market in Jemma el Fna in Marrakech, but also lots of less obvious things like the hot, boiled snails or steamed chicken stuffed with coriander scented vermicelli that are both specialties of Fez. There’s a guy called Tami near the Café Clock who does the most amazing beans (lobia) and lentils, but they are not on his menu. You have to ask for them, but they are always bubbling away on his stovetop and I often stop there for lunch.

For me Moroccan cuisine is one that is on the brink of discovery, rather than something well established and that makes it incredibly exciting.

3. What are your favorite Moroccan ingredients and what are they used for?

That’s a difficult question. I love the spices and nowadays it’s the thing that everybody asks me to bring back for them, but there are certain ‘guidelines’ you need to consider. For example I never buy the spices that are heaped up in gloriously pretty cones on the street. After that much exposure to the air and sun they taste of sawdust. The best spices are freshly ground in the Herbalists found in all but the tiniest of towns. Generally I buy them whole and grind them at home though.

I find something new every time I go to Morocco. Last time I was in Fez I was at my regular herbalist . I was sold some extraordinary lemon cumin. The cumin is planted between lemon trees and picks up the scent and oils. The cinnamon is also fabulous, as is the Fenugreek, which is almost impossible to get in Spain.

There is virtually no dish in Morocco that doesn’t come with its own set of spices. It has a richness and almost regal appeal to it that we lack in Europe. Most commonly they’ll be cumin, paprika, dried ginger (never fresh), turmeric, coriander and fenugreek.

I also love the preserved lemons (I have three recipes for different types in my book), which add a distinct, unmistakably Moroccan flavour to dishes like the chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives. There really is no substitute for preserved lemon and that makes it very special.

Similarly, smen is an aged, fermented butter that is used in lots of Moroccan dishes. It’s a little bit musky and cheesy and not to everyone’s taste (I’m not mad about it when used with a heavy hand), but in the hands of great cook it is sensational. At the Souk Kaat Smen (the honey and smen souk) the special breakfast is a hot baked khobz (bread) smeared with honey and smen. It’s eye-opening and something everyone should try if they go to Fez.

Finally, the Argan Oil from just south of Agadir is pretty special. Even in Morocco it’s very expensive, and it’s a bit like a walnut or almond oil in taste. Nutty, a little sweet almost like vanilla, and you can use it all on its own as a dressing. You don’t need to add anything else. I have a recipe in the book that combines oranges, fennel, capers and Argan oil, but at home I use it on all sorts of things. It’s also a wonderful dinner party trick: serve hot bread with Argan for dipping instead of olive oil. People are always wowed by it.

So it’s all these amazing discoveries that make Moroccan food what it is, and I’m discovering new things every single time I go there. Because for the most part you can’t get camel meat, or smen, in Western markets, it remains quite a secret cuisine too. I like that.

4. Is Moroccan cooking similar in any ways to Spanish cooking or Mediterranean cuisine in general?

Certainly in Spain there are lots of crossovers. The Moors occupied the Iberian peninsula for around 800 years so their culinary influences continue to be very prevalent. In Catalonia for example where I live, you get lots of dishes that combine meat and fruit like the classic goose and pears. That’s something that’s almost certainly grown out of Moroccan tagines, and Andalucia, particularly in terms of their cakes and pastries, uses lots of Moroccan flavours.

All round the Mediterranean rim you get variations on a theme – everyone has got some kind of bean dish for example, some sort of ‘hummus’ whether its made with chickpeas or fava beans, the Moroccan soup harira and the Italian minestrone aren’t worlds apart, but there’s always something that defines each country or region. That’s when it gets interesting.

5. Is quality wine made in Morocco?

Curiously enough it is. And more to the point it’s getting better all the time, though the truth is there’s an awful lot of rubbish too.

There are two key wine growing areas, the biggest being just outside of Meknes (about an hour from Fès) where you’ll find a number of Bordeaux winemakers who basically got sick of the stifling rules and regulations and came to Morocco largely so they could dance to the beat of their own drum. I like this maverick approach – it’s very Moroccan in many ways – there are no rules, so they plant what they want, make it how they please and they are having some really interesting results.

One winery that stands out in particular is Volubilia and a winemaker named Christophe at the Domaine de la Zouina. It’s a Hacienda style property with 155 hectares of vineyards in the middle Atlas, while Christophe is, as my friend Gail at Fez Food puts it: ‘a farmer with mud on his boots, soil in his blood and wisdom of one who lives daily with the challenges, rewards and setbacks Mother Nature offers.’

He makes a sensational gris (my wine of choice in hot Moroccan summers) and the kind of reds that would get Robert Parker salivating. Boozy fruit bombs that keep you warm on cold winter nights.

6. Your new book “Clock Book: Recipes from a Modern Moroccan Kitchen” is gorgeous, how did it come about?

When I went to meet Mike (the man making the camel burgers in Fez) I immediately decided to do a story on it. It was completely on spec, but I thought it was a no brainer. His chef, Tariq, took me deep into the medina to meet the camel butchers, they made their ‘secret, aphrodisiac’ kefta mix, we took them back to the Clock and cooked camel burger together. It was a real surprise. Lean meat, a great flavour vehicle rather than something strongly flavoured in and of itself, tender, and held its shape really well. In fact, I can’t think of a more perfect burger meat.

I did the story and sold it, amazingly, to Conde Nast Traveler. I thought maybe it was a bit off the wall for them, but they really liked it. After the article came out in February 2009, Mike called me and said, ‘we want to do a cookbook, and we’d like you to do it.’ So that was that really, I started going to Fez regularly to research recipes for the book.

7. What were your main inspirations (people, places, dishes) for the book?

Well, first and most importantly the team at Café Clock. Mike (owner), Max (manager), Tariq (chef) and Souad (chef) especially were supremely open in letting me come in for weeks at a time, observe, ask endless questions and throw in my own two cents worth from time to time. They also sourced recipes for me that are not served at the Clock – like the r’fisa – that I wanted to include, guided me through the markets, introduced me to stallholders and basically became my Moroccan family in many ways.

We created quite a lot of new recipes especially for the book and a lot of these came from street food that I saw on my travels. Many of the dishes I recreated back home, so they are inspired by rather than 100% authentic – the Moulay Idriss ginger lemon chicken is a good example. And the oven roasted tomatoes tossed in preserved lemon and served as a salad with mint and goats cheese was largely a result of seeing all of these things in the medina one summer morning and putting them together.

I love that Morocco is a still a culture of public ovens so you take your bread to the ferran, and you might take a terracotta urn – a tangia – filled with spiced meat to cook slowly in the embers of the hammam for several hours while you go about your business. I’ve tried to adapt this slow cooking method for western kitchens too.

Finally I took inspiration from other countries and cultures. My version of harira (the classic Moroccan soup) is served with big handfuls of herbs and lemon wedges as pho is in Vietnam.

It’s a fresh, contemporary take on traditional dishes and that really is what the book is all about. On the whole it’s quick, easy, light and bright. I realize that most people don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen so most of the recipes can be done in about 30 minutes, or at least can be prepared in 30 minutes and then forgotten about in the oven for a few hours.

8. One Moroccan dish you couldn’t live without?

I’m addicted to b’sarra – the local split pea or broad bean soup – that is traditionally eaten for breakfast. There’s a stall I go to in Fez near the Bab Boujloud that does a great one. It’s served in rough terracotta bowls with khobz and bowls of ground chilli, cumin and argan or olive oil, for sprinkling on top. Nothing sets you up for a busy day quite so well.

I’m a fan of street food anywhere in the world. There is a chickpea pie that comes out on wooden carts at completely random times through the medina (I’m still desperately searching for the recipe for it), I already mentioned the steamed chicken stuffed with vermicelli, which I like as a sandwich from a hole-in-the-wall drizzled with chilli sauce if I don’t have much time. If I do have some spare time the Café Amal, near where my little house is, does sensational spit roast chicken stuffed with coriander and chilli paste. They push it right in under the skin and serve it with chips and a yogurt dressing. I have it at least once a week when I’m in town (now the book is finished, I’m working on the renovation and planning my next book – or actually there’s three of them bubbling away in my mind).

Tara, we are planning our trip over to Fez!

See Tara´s Insider Tips on where to eat and sleep in Fez and Marrakech, Morocco here.