5 days in Marrakech

Ana jay. This is what I repeated as we reluctantly left Marrakech after 5 magical days. I refused to say "bis lama". "Ana jay" is Arabic for "I will return", whilst "bis lama" means "goodbye".
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I came to learn these words in a different context. It was day 3 of our stay and we were sitting eating breakfast, discussing with our hosts, Edwina & Taoufik, what we would cook in the day's cooking class. With Edwina's guidance we chose 15 dishes and then set about writing the shopping list. We then had to rewrite the shopping list in Arabic so that when we went to the market Y & I could ask for all the food. When we went to buy all the fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, preserved lemons, butter & milk we would say "afak atini ..." (please may I have) and then "bis lama". But when we went to ask for pigeons, chickens, calamari, sardines, and wakha pastry, we put in our order and then said "ana jay" as we would continue on with our shopping leaving the fishmonger to gut, clean and fillet our seafood, the butcher to grab a pigeon or chicken from the pen, kill and pluck it, and the pastry man to make us a pile of wafer thin pastry - we would then return to collect our goodies.
We spent 5 days staying at House of Fusion (until recently known as Riad Merdoudi) in Marrakech, Morroco. The house was bought by Australian (& mad leopard print wearing) Edwina, about 10 years ago. She spent 4 years renovating the house (and the care & attention she has lovingly bestowed on it is obvious), and has been running it as a riad for the last 5 years. Edwina works alongside her Moroccan husband, Taoufik and locals Mohammed and Kaltoum. These people with whom Edwina has surrounded herself are very special, and you don't feel like you're staying in a house with "staff", but rather a tight knit family, who all share the same intention of making your stay there memorable. Taoufik & Mohammed are the kindest, most charming gentlemen anyone could wish for - a far cry from the men offering you 20,000 camels in the souks.
Edwina loves Morocco, so much so that she desperately wants her guests to love it too. To achieve this she will go to any lengths to ensure your visit is special in every way. Unlike other riads, Edwina won't send you off with a guide she's hired, or off on a "cooking course" to watch the maids at another riad whip up a tagine, or into the desert with a driver, or following a dodgy map in your Lonely Planet guide. No, no, no - Edwina & Taoufik will drive you into the Atlas Mountains themselves, they'll make a picnic and enjoy it with you by the banks of the river in the desert before having a quick chat with the caretaker of the Tin Mal mosque and showing you the best spot inside from which to take a photo. Edwina will lead you through the streets of Marrakech, showing you the best place to make purchases, the hidden away cafes, and the way to the Badii Palace. Edwina will arrange for your hammam in her house, so when you've been scrubbed by Kaltoum to within an inch of your life and had a relaxing massage or facial, you need only stagger to the nearest plush couch in your robe and drink one of Edwina's legendary mohitos, rather than braving the hustle & bustle of the streets.
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We're planning to return to stay with Edwina & Taoufik, and they are going to take us further into the desert, to cook with Mohammed's Aunts in their village, to cook & stay in the village Taoufik's family is from, to take a cooking class with a French couple they have found who grow their own vegetables and to take any other opportunity to cook and eat.
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Now, back to the cooking class. Y researched and planned this trip for my 30th birthday, and she found House of Fusion on the internet. Y was attracted to this riad because of their intensive, hands on cooking classes, which leave all others (which are mainly demonstrations) for dead. When Y showed me this review by guests who had had to take a break from the fast paced cooking, I knew it would be just what I wanted.
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The day of the cooking class was one of the best, food related days I can remember. We started at 8.30am discussing the dishes, writing shopping lists and learning Arabic over breakfast. Armed with this new knowledge we were then able to visit the market and interact with the sellers and see all the produce. We walked home through the streets carrying all our provisions, feeling like locals. Most of the remainder of the day was spent cooking with Edwina, Taoufik, Mohammed and Kaltoum.
Mohammed taught us to make sweet mint tea (above). We made a gorgeous spice paste for our sardines and aubergines and then took them to the community oven with Mohammed so that they could be cooked in the wood fire oven with the local people's bread (below, heading to the oven). We made this gorgeous tomato jam which was the base of our Berber omelette (below).
We sat down to a delicious lunch to enjoy the berber omelette, aubergines & sardines, We then kept cooking in the afternoon. Here's some of what we did: