UWEC Grad and Moroccan Cooking Expert Appears On Netflix Show
Amanda Mouttaki's first passion is traveling. Her second is sharing recipes.
Do you ever daydream about moving to another country and immersing yourself in that culture? Amanda Mouttaki had that desire.
After her first international trip to Greece, she realized she had been bitten by the travel bug. At age 20, she met her future husband on a vacation in Marrakesh, Morocco. They married, and he relocated to the United States. (Amanda graduated from UW-Eau Claire and she and her husband lived in Eau Claire for a few years.)
After living in the U.S. for 10 years, they decided they were ready to return to Morocco for a year, so their children could learn Arabic and discover the traditions their father grew up with. One year turned into two, and then two turned into seven.
Travel is her passion, but Amanda’s second love is sharing amazing food recipes. She loves making connections with people all over the world and researching new places and different types of food.
Travel is her passion, but Amanda’s second love is sharing amazing food recipes.
Amanda said she began her website, MarocMama.com, to “share first-hand experiences about living in Marrakesh.” She also began a blog for food-loving, adventurous travelers who want to engage with people and places on a more authentic level. Amanda and her husband realized it was hard for foreigners to find authentic Moroccan food in Marrakesh because most Moroccans eat at home, and some of the restaurants that cater to tourists aren’t typical of Moroccan cuisine. They assembled a group of restaurants that locals gravitate to, and, along with the food tour, they offered stories about Moroccan language and culture.
The success of their business led to a recent appearance on the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil. Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, stars in his own culture and cuisine travel show. Season three dropped May 29, with the first episode set in Marrakesh. Amanda and her husband introduced Phil to three of their favorite foods: trid – a savory chicken, onion, and lentil dish served on a bed of shredded pastry, featuring fenugreek seeds, saffron, and a few other spices; a filling sardine sandwich; and sfinge – donuts that can be served with an egg between the layers.
The qualities that Phil loved best about Morocco are the same two Amanda has been inspired by: the generosity and hospitality of the Moroccan people. Those intimate friendships are the evidence that she is indeed living out her dream.
You can find Amanda’s website at marocmama.com; the recipes for the food Phil tried as well as a quintessential Moroccan dish, tajine, are featured there as well.
