Move over, crock pot: tagines, the terra cotta cooking dishes with the conical tops that symbolize Moroccan cuisine like nothing else can, are the original slow cookers.  The tagine stew that derives its name from the pot in which its cooked takes hours to make properly, allowing enough time for all the flavors to blend perfectly, and for the meat to simmer slowly until it’s falling off the bone.  Tagine cooking is still de riguer for rural Moroccans, now only making an appearance in urban areas for special occasions.  In the cities, pressure cookers are often utilized to avoid the time commitment required for tagine cooking.  Nonetheless, the tagine isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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