Why do Spaniards cook meat with raisins and capers? So today we clue you in to a well kept secret about Latin cooking—  Morocco!

Spain is just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco, and used to have title to territory there.  Carmen’s former mother-in-law was Moroccan Spanish, and taught her a lot of recipes.  They often combine sweet and savory in meat dishes, so our Picadillo (popular in Cuba as well as Spain) contains ground beef with onions, raisins, olives and capers.

If you love the combo (like I do, I sometimes have it three meals a day) wait till winter and taste the Carne Guisada, Moroccan beef stew.  It’s cooked with prunes or apricots plus the savories, and wow, is it out of this world!