Zitoune's Alain Bennouna Has a Lot on His Plate

Alain Bennouna, chef/owner of the Moroccan-food restaurant Zitoune, will open Olivia Bistro in Manhattan's East Village in late September. The new restaurant will give him "a chance to show I can cook more than just Moroccan food," Bennouna said. Olivia Bistro will serve Mediterranean food and French-influenced dishes.

Bennouna  appears always to be ready to take up a challenge. Once, when a customer asked for more than one belly dancer to entertain at his birthday party, Bennouna hired 20.

Along with Mediterranean fare, Bennouna will put a few of Zitoune's popular dishes on the Olivia Bistro menu, such as duck b'steeya, sizzling fresh sardines, and whole baby lamb mechoui (intended for a group of eight or more people).

The Olivia Bistro menu will offer large tapas, such as braised seafood ($15), honey-spiced quail with blueberries ($14), seafood couscous ($15), and crabmeat burger ($14.50). A small tapas list includes fried eggplant with Asiago cheese ($6.75) and fried goat cheese with honey ($6).

Cooking  classes resume after summer recess

Bennouna will resume monthly cooking classes at Zitoune on Monday, Sept. 27 after a summer recess, but this class is fully booked. To accommodate the overflow, the first class will be repeated on Oct. 4. A few openings remain for registrants. With these sessions, Zitoune's cooking school begins its fourth year.

At these sessions, students spend about two hours in the kitchen with chef Bennouna preparing a three-course Moroccan meal. The group  sits down for dinner at around 9 p.m. As a general rule, classes take place on the first Monday of the month unless it occurs on a holiday. The cost is $85 per person.

The menu is usually set about two weeks before the class is held, and prospective attendees can call to find out what will be prepared.

Bennouna has chosen the menu for the Sept. 27 and April 4 classes: 

• Appetizer: Harira soup (a festive Moroccan beef soup with saffron, tomato, lentils and chickpeas)
• Main course: Classic lemon chicken tagine (slow-cooked chicken with lemon confit, green olives and saffron, served with steamed couscous)
• Dessert: Homemade Moroccan crepe filled with fresh fruit, dipped in spiced honey and served with blackberry ice cream).

Meals prepared at classes held earlier this year included:

• Appetizers: Duck b'steeya in a crisp phyllo casing with almond, cinnamon, saffron and powdered sugar; calamari; shrimp cigars
• Main courses: Lamb or red snapper tagine; lamb shank; and couscous el Fassi with onions, raisins and chickpeas
• Desserts: Raibi (Moroccan yogurt) and crepes.  

Overseas cooking tour planned for November

Bennouna will give cooking classes during a seven-day culinary trip to Morocco departing in November that combines cooking lessons, visits to local marketplaces and sightseeing in and around Marrakech. The tour members will participate in the preparation of authentic Moroccan dinners on three evenings using ingredients purchased the same day at the market.

Visits by motor bus are included to Ouirgane in the heart of the Berber country and to the seaside resort of Essaouira-Old Mogador. Ouirgane, a 90-minute drive from Marrakech, is located in the foothills of the Atlas mountains and has quaint villages and fruit orchards. Essaouira offers sandy beaches, stunning ocean views and remarkable architectural sights. The schedule includes free time for independent sightseeing in Marrakech.

The departure date is Nov. 25, 2010, if traveling from New York City. Transportation to and from the airport in Marrakech is provided. The tour starts in Marrakech with the welcome dinner on Nov. 26. 

Meals included are breakfast each day, one lunch and three dinners. The cost per person is $1,650 for double occupancy; the surcharge for single occupancy is $350.

Zitoune will also conduct a one-hour belly dancing class on Monday, Sept. 20, suitable for beginners.  Light appetizers, finger food and wine will be served. The cost is  $35 per student.

Olivia Bistro's address is 424 E 9th St,, New York, NY 10009.

Zitoune is located at 1127 W. Boston Post Rd., Mamaroneck. It is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday (11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.); dinner Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.), Friday and Saturday (5 p.m. to midnight); and brunch Sunday (11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). 914-835-8350. www.zitounerestaurant.com.