This must be an extremely local dish

[moroccangirl]

Tagine with Asian squash. I never knew it was one of DH's favorite dishes. My SIL made it while we were visiting. So I tried it last night. I knew the basic things I had to put in, beef, onions, tomatoes, squash, ginger, garlic. I just want sure of the spices. I called my mom and SIL but they didn't answer. So I started anyways. It was meh. We ate it, but it was nowhere near what is was supposed to taste like. And I say it must be an extremely local dish because it is in zero of my Moroccan cookbooks and nowhere online.
I think one thing I messed up is I should have used Roma tomatoes, and I didn't seed the tomatoes. I know you learn by trial and error, but I hate messing dishes up. And I do it more than I'd like. I'll try it again next week maybe.

I posted awhile back that I was oversalting food. I haven't been doing that lately. Last night DH said the tagine needed more salt so I said YOU put it in then.

[Run Amok]

I was actually going to say that salt might have been a problem. A lot of times when something comes off as "meh" to me, it needs a lot more salt. Also, sometimes more spices than I think.

[moroccangirl]

I was actually going to say that salt might have been a problem. A lot of times when something comes off as "meh" to me, it needs a lot more salt. Also, sometimes more spices than I think.

This was probably it. I used fresh ginger and garlic and probably didn't use enough. I'm always worried I'll put too much. Other spices were turmeric and cumin. I should probably triple what I put in, and use the correct tomatoes.

Are Roma tomatoes sweeter than the big ones?

[Run Amok]

Tomatoes are tough. They are usually pretty good this year but I'd rather skip tomatoes (or used canned!) than use a crappy one. I like to get the little grape tomatoes or the on-the-vine ones because they tend to be better.

I pretty much fall into the category that there almost isn't a "too much" when it comes to a lot of spices- especially when you're mixing things like garlic, ginger, cumin... They only work if you can taste them. If they are too subtle, I actually think weird notes can float through to the finished product. I often double/triple the spices called for in recipes and then sometimes add even more than that.

[moroccangirl]

I emailed the chef of a popular Moroccan restaraunt in Atlanta and asked him how to make the dish. Even his was different!!! I'm just going to have my SIL make it again when she's here and i'll watch her.