Top Chef con Ricetta

“STRISCIA LA RICETTA”… RAJAE BEZZAZ. la scatenata inviata di ” Striscia” parla di sè e del suo “cous cous” preferito.

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Rajae Bezzaz, a native of Tripol, Italian by adoption.
She is known as the special (and unstoppable) correspondent of the popular Italian TV show “Striscia la Notizia”.

The interview
Hi Rajae! Ready for the interview? We will talk about travel, food and … who knows.
Honey, I am always ready …
When you are free, how do you like to spend the weekend?
It depends on the moment and my state of mind, I definitely can’t miss my daily training, I need to train especially because it increases my concentration and allows me to perform at work and beyond. So even if I travel for the weekend, I make sure that I have what I need to train. Being a “correspondent” requires more energy than it may seem …
Any favorite destinations?
I like to visit Italian areas that are little known to the general public, I love Medieval villages surrounded by nature and small villages where you can breathe Italian history, culture and tradition. I love visiting museums and if I could I would spend whole days inside. Because you never stop learning, knowing and growing your culture and let’s not forget … I have a weakness for discovering local culinary delicacies.
Which car do you drive? I drive them all, I have no problems, but I don’t own one. I prefer to rent it when necessary and pollute as little as possible.
What was your favorite trip?

My favorite trip is the one I haven’t done yet … I like to think that there is a place in the world unknown to me, a place that will give me emotions more than any other; the fact that I still have to visit it keeps the positivity high and the desire to go on my way.

Which place would you like to visit that you haven’t visited yet?

I would like to visit Perito Moreno Glacier, in the National Park, in the southwestern part of the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. A typical feature of Perito Moreno is the “ice bridge”. Lake water erosion on the ice dam creates an ice bridge between the advancing glacier front and the lake shore. I would love to admire with my own eyes these natural wonders that unfortunately are slowly disappearing, it would be a journey into nature, the real and breathtaking one.

Perito Moreno
A particular culinary experience?

I really enjoyed the food in the heart of Africa: we went there to shoot a service and we shared the food with many people, some very poor but who offered us what they had and even if they were not complex dishes with expensive ingredients, they were cooked very well with many spices, full of flavor and lots of love. Food is a message of dialogue and love.

Il cibo messaggio di dialogo e amore .

Do you like discovering the cuisines of the world? Always, in all my travels I have always wanted to taste the local food obviously paying attention not to order dishes containing some ingredients that are not allowed by my religion (Islam) such as pork. Sometimes I miss the atmosphere and the scent of my native cuisine. Morocco is the kitchen of my home, the scent and flavors of my childhood.

Tipici piatti marocchini

 

And how are you in Italy? Well, it certainly cannot be said that in Italy there is something missing in terms of food … Italian cuisine is recognized all over the world as one of the most complete both for its nutritional values ​​and for the unique flavors that change from kilometer to kilometer . Here the variety of dishes is infinite, their history goes back thousands of years and the encounter between tradition and innovation always makes it spectacular.
Your very first memory in the kitchen?
My grandmother, I watched her do what I thought were magic with all those dusty and colorful spices, when she allowed me to help her I was happy to learn her secret recipes and watched her enchantedly make incredible dishes with what she had available. the colorful spices.
A foreign cuisine that you would like to know?

I would love to visit Japan to taste real sushi. In Milan there are many restaurants serving this typical Japanese specialty and certainly the quality is high but the experience in a real sushi bar in Tokyo is at the top of my wish list.

Un Sushi Bar a Tokyo
How much ‘green’ is there in your diet?
Healthy and balanced diet that can support my busy and energetic life. As “green” as possible. From all points of view, starting with the packaging of the foods themselves.
Can you tell me about your “fish couscous” recipe?
It is a dish that blends and unites two cultures to which I am very attached: the Arab and the Italian. I am often in Sicily for work and, when the weather permits, I go to eat this exceptional couscous sitting in front of the sea in Mazara del Vallo. If you want, I’ll give you the recipe, it is a version of mine that is particularly fast in preparation, suitable for people with little time to cook (laughs) … a bit like me. 
A QUICK FISH COUS COUS RECIPE

Couscous ai frutti di mare

First of all I prepare a vegetable broth with carrot, onion, courgette and a tomato that is sufficient for the quantity of couscous I want to use. Usually I set myself with an amount equal to that of couscous. In a saucepan, I prepare a sauté with chopped garlic and extra virgin olive oil. I add (prawns, mussels, scallops, clams, etc) the mixed seafood that I like the most I leave it to flavor for a few minutes. I blend with white wine and let the alcohol evaporate. I continue for a few minutes on a high flame and finally add some chopped peeled tomatoes. Add salt, sprinkle with chilli and cook for about 15 minutes.

i frutti di mare misti che più mi piacciono

In the meantime, I put the couscous in a large bowl, soak it with a drizzle of oil and mix it well. I bring the broth to a boil and pour it over the couscous which must rest for at least ten minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and it will increase in volume. tajine, typical terracotta pots I shell the couscous with a fork and add it to the seafood sauce in my tagine (a typical terracotta pot). I mix it and let it rest for a few minutes to make it flavor. At the end I sprinkle abundant chopped parsley and serve.

Yallah, have a great lunch  …