Morocco with Einat Admony

Salam alaikum! Welcome to Marrakech, a city that rises from the desert and sits at the crossroads of Europe and Africa. Marrakech has a romance all its own, and rich culinary traditions to thrill every palate. After settling in, we’ll reconvene in the late afternoon for a welcome dinner to remember: on a rooftop terrace overlooking Marrakech’s carnival-like medina, the rythmic sounds of the snake charmers’ mezmar horn sounding from below.

Dinner is hosted by The Spice Lab, who make it their business to track down rare and unique spices from the souk, the traditional Moroccan marketplace. Einat’s deep knowledge of regional spices will help with the crash course in local tastes, including the famous Ras El Hanout, a bespoke ‘head of the shop’ spice mixture of rosebuds, orrisroot, belladonna berries, Chinese cinnamon, and cardamom. As the evening sky turns harissa red, we’ll raise our glasses in toast to Einat and the many adventures to come.

Surrounded by a 10-mile wall built from clay taken from the Red Sea, Marrakech is known as the Red City. Starting on foot, we’ll explore the archaeological wonders that abound here, like the thousand-year-old Koutoubia Minaret—the area’s oldest mosque—and the mysterious Saadiam tomb complex, a necropolis of gilded honeycomb muqarnas (decorative plasterwork) and mosaic-lined chambers. Einat, who also happens to be a stand-up comedian, will be lively company as we take in the enchanting Majorelle Gardens, a dreamy sanctuary filled with exotic botanical specimens from the far corners of the world and a labyrinth of crisscrossing alleyways and vibrantly painted buildings.

After lunch, we’ll earn our place in the souk, haggling like pros with lantern vendors and applauding street acrobats between bites of impeccably grilled sardines. Then we’ll get elbow-deep in spice during a hands-on cooking class with Einat. Hosted by an organization dedicated to empowering disadvantaged local women, our culinary masterclass is also a lesson in the healing power of food—a feast for the belly and balm for the soul.

In the evening, we’ll retire to our hotel’s terrace for a cocktail made with herbs and citrus from their garden, or just drift off in a sumptuous bed as the sky turns dark, and sleep is well-earned.

Fine wine may not come to mind when you think of Morocco—yet think again. Today we’ll take a scenic drive up to Essaouira via the Val du Argan Winery. With the help of a hard-working dromedary named Goliath, the vineyard’s master winemaker has done the impossible and coaxed Côtes du Rhône grapes from the desert. Passion like this comes through in the glass, and along with Einat, we’ll sample a few of the winery’s top blends and sit down to a vineyard lunch.

Buoyant from our garden-fresh spread, we’ll head next to an argan oil producer, where we’ll  learn firsthand about the time-honored methods for producing this versatile product. Argan oil has been used for centuries in Morocco as a traditional medicine and skincare staple, and Einat will walk us through its myriad of uses in the kitchen. Nutty, creamy, and ever so slightly toasted, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a fresh salads, couscous, and other Mediterranean staples.

After a day filled with artisanal innovation, we drift on the tradewinds over to our boutique hotel at the art-filled Salut Maroc.

Today is ours to bask in the Atlantic sea breezes or shop for local crafts like thuy—traditional Moroccan wood carvings—as we explore the back alleys of Essaouira’s historic medina. Or walk along the ramparts, and marvel at the blue rowboats of local fishermen at work catching dinner. Essaouira is filled with hidden treasures, just what you’d expect of a port town and former pirate hideout.

In the evening, we’ll reconvene for a unique culinary experience on the beach, where we will be treated to one of the country’s great delicacies: fish pastille, a pastry brimming with Moroccan olive oil and stuffed with seafood fresh from the ocean. Gather around as a local expert and Einat  will walk us through the preparation, offering insights into the dish’s origins and flavor profiles.

We’ll wander back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, we depart for Casablanca.

After rousing ourselves with a Moroccan mint tea or cardamom-scented coffee, the scenic coastline drive to fabled Casablanca awaits. Made famous by the film of the same name, Casablanca is all intrigue and cultural crosswinds. We’ll check into our hotel and head to the Hassan II Mosque, the seventh-largest mosque in the world. Erected at what seems like the world’s end, it balances on the ocean’s edge, blending the tradition of handcrafted marble with a retractable roof—a modern wonder steeped in ancient building methods.

The best is yet to come: tonight Einat will bring all her generosity and experience to bear on a traditional Moroccan Shabbat dinner, which we will have a hand at creating in a Sephardic cooking class. Einat’s heritage propels so much of the cooking that has made her famous, and it will be a true delight to experience it first-hand.

As we lick our plates clean, Einat will walk us through the differences between Moroccan and Israeli Shabbat dinners, while keeping the mood festive and joyful, before heading off to the Casablanca Four Seasons to see if we can spy Humphry Bogart fawning over Ingrid Bergman at the bar.

On a panoramic ride to Fes, we will break at Moulay Idriss Zerhoun and the Roman ruins of Volubilis, which gets its name from the Berber word for oleander, a flower that grows wild in abundance on the surrounding hills. A partially excavated archaeological site, Volbulis is history revealing itself through the sands of time as local archeologists uncover ruins of this 1st-century Roman settlement. With preserved floor mosaics, a basilica, and bath-houses, if we listen hard we can almost hear the voices of the past speaking to us.

We’ll lunch at the private residence of Mike Richardson, long-time restaurant owner and resident, eating truly locally while looking over the scenic wild-flower dotted hills. With his immersion in Moroccan cuisine, who knows what we’ll try, but you can be sure the gourmet meal will incite your taste buds and leave you blissfully content for the short remaining jaunt. That means Fes, Morocco’s cultural and spiritual center, is just around the bend.

We’ll check into the Palais Amani hotel, and dive right into Fes’ medina, or pamper ourselves at the hotel’s traditional hamman spa.

Fes was for centuries the ‘Athens of Africa’ and gathering place for the Islamic world’s brightest minds. It’s still a cultural and culinary beacon; its 8th-century walled-in medina is the most magical in all Morocco, beautifully stuck in time with donkeys pulling carts along narrow, cobbled lanes, and intricately wood-carved doorways renovated after the city was named a Unesco World Heritage site.

Ever intrepid, we’ll explore the labyrinth of passageways, visiting souks and market stalls, mixing with local artisans like goldsmiths, glassblowers, and leatherworker and move on through a heady mix of  street food like dried meats, piquant sardines and creamy fresh goat cheese. Later, a calming tea house awaits, offering refreshing mint tea.

Today is dedicated to wonder and creation. We make our way east to Ribat El Kheir at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, where the panoramic vistas scrub the sky—a place of the Berbers, a tribe unconquered for thousands of years. Here, we will visit a women’s association and learn the millennia-old secrets of hand-rolling couscous. Einat, whose reputation was built on this humble but delectable staple, will contribute her tips and infuse the day with her spirit, before we cook and eat our creations at lunch. A taste of rural Morocco, we’ll observe a donkey-powered olive press and enjoy an olive oil tasting with the proprietor.

Back in Fes, we will raise our glasses at a farewell feast in an open-air Moroccan riad. It could be traditional fare, from khli’i (beef ribs seasoned with salt, cumin, coriander, and oil); or less spicy Zaalouk, a traditional Moroccan salad made of eggplant, tomatoes, garlic flavored with cumin, paprika, and coriander. Either way, the cuisine will be fresh, of-the-moment and an exquisite way to toast our journey together.

Alas, our time together has come to an end, but our hearts and bellies are brimming with Morocco. We’ll bid farewell to Einat and our fellow Modern Adventurists and transfer to Fes airport.