Tagine marries fruit and veggies to wonderful end

By Emily Nunn | Chicago Tribune reporter
August 27, 2008

Despite the enormous culinary strides Americans have made in the last 50 or 60 years some perfectly modern people still don't think fruit and vegetables should be allowed in the same dish. It's probably a habit left over from the TV-dinner generation: Fruit cocktail goes in a bowl on the side, fully segregated from the overcooked green beans.

But the truth is that many people love the combination, most eat it without even noticing it, and the lovely effect sweet and sour fruits have on savory vegetables is a classic that goes back thousands of years.

If ever there was an excuse to let fruit touch vegetables, the ancient Moroccan tagine (also the name of the beautiful conical cookware used to prepare it) is surely one of the best. This 21st Century version from "Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes," by Marie Simmons, is a sumptuous stew of chicken, prunes, tomatoes, onion, honey and earthy spices.

Chicken tagine with prunes and tomatoes
(followed by recipe)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-chicken-tagine-27aug27,0,7526556.story