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[ I made Chicken with Moghrabbiyah last night. The recipe comes from Hanou's "Middle Eastern Street Food." I was interested in trying the dish as I had a package of Israeli couscous in the pantry and I had been looking for a dish that included the couscous and chickpeas. After reading the information on this thread, I began to question whether the couscous in my pantry could be substituted for the mograhbia in the recipe. (please note - this ingredient is spelled many differrent ways and I am sticking with the shorter spelling!) The Israeli couscous is an instant cook couscous. The method in the recipe called for first soaking and then steaming the moghrabia. Wanting to be as authentic as possible, I decided to visit a local Lebanese grocer. There, I found a package of moghrabia - the pearls of couscous notably larger than what I had at home. I decided to use the Lebanese moghrabia for my first attempt. Here is a photo of the two brands and a photo showing the size of the pearls: The different brands Note the different size of pearls. The Israeli couscous is a "toasted pasta specialty" The dish is not complicated, though one does go through a number of pots and pans. In addition to soaking the chickpeas overnight, you must cook the chicken in a large casserole, soak the moghrabia and then steam the moghrabia, turn the moghrabia out into a large skillet and saute it along with te cooked chickpeas and onions and the top this mixture with the cooked chicken. Here are some photos: The spices are cinnamon (obviously!), 7-spice blend (available at mid-east markets), caraway and gound pepper. The soaked chickpeas are in the back The moghrabia post steaming The finished dish I loved the spice combination as it reminds me of a similar dish we make that includes rice with meat, pine nuts and almonds. This is topped with poached chicken sprinkled with cinnamon. The couscous had a unique texture - I probably should have steamed it a bit longer. It had a very chewy bite to it that contrasted nicely with the chickpeas. My husband did as the Lebanese do and wrapped his up in khubz (bread). He is a starch hound. If I make this dish again, I will try the Israeli couscous just so that I can compare the texture.

In Thomas Keller's book, Bouchon, he says the patissier used to bake the macaroons on damp newspapers. The moisture would steam up and keep the batter moist as it baked. In the April 2001 issue of Saveur, they featured a macaroon recipe adapted from Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen. He recommends piping the dough into 1" rounds (Keller says they should not exceed 3" or be smaller than 1 1/2" or they will be too chewy). Gisslen recommends letting the piped batter rest on 10-15 minutes. Keller recommends letting the piped batter sit for 1-2 hours before baking to allow a skin to form. I guess it all depends on where you live - how humid it may be outside, etc. I have made one batch of the Herme's chocolate macaroons, and I forgot about the drying time tip. The sheet that had been sitting on the counter waiting for the first sheet to come out of the oven definitely turned out better.

Any suggestions on how to add the raspberry flavor to the batter since I cannot zest a raspberry?

I tried "moh-grahb-ee-ya" and it worked fine . The halal market does not carry it, but a small Lebanese grocer here does - picking it up tomorrow (if it is different from what I have on hand) I found some online as well Kalyustans

Good idea - I will try that. Before I make an ass of myself at the halal, could someone help me with the pronunciation?

From what I have read, most macaroons get their flavorfrom the filling rather than from the cookie. My plan is to add food coloring to the pastry (a touch of red in this case) and then fill. To fill the macaroons, I was hoping to make a flavored buttercream - perhaps adding a bit of seedless raspberry jam. I assumed adding straight jam would probably make the macaroons dissolve.

Thank you, Chefzadi. The method in the recipe I am using calls for first soaking and then steaming the maghribiyya. My package of Israeli couscous must be the instant variety, as it says one only need to pour boiling water over it and then let it rest for 10-15 minutes. I am going to go ahead and brave the dish with Osem brand and see how things turn out. If I like it this way, I am going to check out our halal market here and see if they carry another variety.

My dear mother-in-law, who makes the world's best biscuits, stuffed cabbage and fried eggplant, but who has a tremendous fear of "undercooked" meat. For the Thanksgiving turkey, she will rise at 3 AM to put the bird in the oven. By the time the poor thing comes out of the oven, it is a dry as shoe leather. One year, the bird IMPLODED it was so dry. The jar of gravy could not save it.

I found this blurb that explains what I have in my pantry: "WHAT? Pearls of marketing wisdom. Following in the tradition of pasta shaped and/or marketed like grains (think Italian orzo and rice), Israeli couscous is technically not related to the staple carbohydrate of the Mahgreb called couscous. Invented in the 1950s by the Tel Aviv-based firm Osem, Israeli couscous is extruded (like ordinary pasta) and toasted to dry (like Jewish farfel). The result, when cooked, is a chewy, buttery carbohydrate that is shaped more like pearls of tapioca than actual couscous, and that has, over the years, become a staple in Israel. To make matters more confusing, traditional African couscous is often mistakenly referred to as a grain. In fact, it is a method of treating durum semolina (the same wheat used to make pasta), that produces small granules, which are then steamed several times and fluffed. WHEN? May 19, 2000: Michelle Bernstein, The Strand" If I want to make the moghrabbiyeh, I am going to have to do some more shopping!

I will be making some treats for the teaching staff at my daughter's school and I want to include some chocolate free ones for the rare few who do not like or cannot eat chocolate. I am considering flavored marshmallows (I can get passion fruit and blackberry puree) or better yet, French macaroons. As for the latter, what flavors? I would love to make some that are pink. What filling to make? Any other suggestions for sweet finger foods?

Chicken and corn chowder with addition of habanero and a little pimenton. On epicurious, Jan and Micael Stern list their picks for top ten soups in America best eats: soup

Absolutely beautiful. Did Chihuly design the art glass? It looks like we finally have a French patisserie right here in the USA. I wish I could produce such works of art.

I booked our hotel reservations today. I attended this festival several years ago, but did not get a chance to shuck my own b/c my children were younger and not willing to allow me the pleasure. Now, my 16-year-old daughter, who loves raw oysters, is raring to go! We plan on returning to one of our favorite haunts, Bowen's Island, if the weather permits. While I agree this is very basic fare, there is not much that can beat sitting on that deck looking out over the salt marsh during sunset. I think we will try 39 Rue de Jean for dinner, since they have burgers for my difficult 13-year-old. And no visit to Charleston would be complete without breakfast at the Bookstore Cafe.

My mother-in-law was born in Palestine in 1940 to a Palestinian father and an American South (South Carolina) mother. Her family relocated to the States in 1948, moving to Lynchburg, VA. My mother-in-law's family often mixed her father's Middle Eastern dishes with Southern classics. To this day, Christmas dinner will most likely include kousa mahshi, fried eggplant and lahm bi ajeen alongside candied sweet potatoes and country ham! My husband's friends certainly thought his family was strange. No one in Grand Forks, ND had ever seen tabouli and they would never cook with yoghurt. Ms. Wolfert, do you have the book A Taste of Palestine: Menus and Memories by Aziz Shihab? The author gives many wonderfully rich stories alongside his recipes.

Are you kidding - my kids walk around wearing their "vote for Pedro" t-shirts and asking for "ques-a-dill-as." Yes - others loved this film, too. Favorite foodie films: Like Water for Chocolate, Chocolate, The Big Night. Also loved Notting Hill (remember the chef-friend who's restaurant failed and the dinner party?) How about the food scenes from Nine 1/2 Weeks with Kim Bassinger and Mickey Rourke?

two cappucinos and a slice of applewood smoked bacon. The kids got cream gravy made with said bacon drippings and all was served over toast.

Here is what Helou says: "Moghrabbiyah, which means 'North African" in Arabic, is the Lebanese version of couscous, althouh the grain is much bigger, more like m'hamssa, the large grain couscous. You can buy it freshly made, when it is at its best, or dried, in which case you need to soak it before steaming." The list of ingredients, in addition to the chicken and moghrabbiya, includes baby onions, chickpeas, 7 spice mix, cinnamon - but no raisins. This recipe sounds similar to a Lebanese dish my husband's cousin makes that we call Mary's Dish because we do not know the proper name. In this dish, rice is mixed with browned ground beef and onions flavored with cinnamon and then this is topped with pieces of chicken, toasted pine nuts and almonds, and more cinnamon. Edited b/c the "b" key on my laptop keeps sticking!

In Anissa Helou's "Mediterranean Street Food" there is a recipe for "Chicken with Moghrabbyeh." Hanou defines moghrabbiyeh as the Lebanese version of couscous with a much bigger grain. I have a bag of "Israeli" couscous in my pantry. Can this be substituted?

I am sure I am all alone here, but I absolutely detest adulterated mashed potatoes. Folks are adding all kids of things to spuds these days: chipotles, roasted garlic, goat cheese..even pears! YUK! Simple mashed potatoes, IMO, are there to catch the juices/sauce of the entree --think pasta. If you want mashed poatotes with cheddar cheese and roasted chiles, then make THAT your entree.

Make Harira - a wonderful Morrocan soup with lamb and chickpeas Harira

I'm with you, Munchymom. The new Earthfare is over 11 miles away from my house. Most of the natural food items carried by the store can be purchased at Talley's or The HomeEconomist. The Fresh market's cheese selection has improved greatly over the years. And while I love D&D's cheese department and selection of cured meats, I have, on ocassion, been greatly disappointed by a cheese that had been wrapped in plastic too long. I purchased a baguette from the bakery at Earthfare yesterday and it was not good. They did have some nice looking cookies and other dessert items that I did not try. I was in Talley's on Tuesday and I noticed they are gearing up to compete with EarthFare. They set up a table with soups and grain dishes for free samples and had many more items to taste than usual.Items I saw in the meat case at Earthfare that I have not seen elsewhere in Charlotte: hangar steaks, fresh quail and fresh rabbit! In the seafood case there were lovely fresh pompano. Earthfare is a bog boon to the folks who live is South Charlotte. Those of us who live closer to Uptown wait impatiently for Whole Foods. I fear that by the time they get around to breaking ground, other similar store will have established a strong hold and they will change their minds.

Saeco Espresso Machine I have been using a Delonghi Bar 42 machine for 2 years now. I do not grind my own, but use Illy coffee. I have enjoyed my homebrewed cappucinos, but am ready to move up the scale. Owen suggested I start grinding my own, and I am considering buying the Rancilio Rocky. However, for $699, I can get this combo unit. For $100 more, I can buy the Rancilio combo from Aabree. Any experience with the Saeco version?

Today was the grand opening of the new EarthFare here in Charlotte. I loved the store - wonderful selection of cheeses, prepared food options, and organic meats. I even saw Niman Ranch pork (though not the famous bacon). I would have liked to have seen more seafood and perhaps fresh duck as well as bulk spices. However, having this store in Charlotte beats the heck out of driving to Winston-Salem for Whole Foods.

If we are baking potatoes, we throw in 2 or 3 extras to put in the fridge. When ready, heat some bacon fat in a heavy skillet (or fry up some bacon and save the drippings) cut up the potatoes (make sure to leave the skin on) and fry until crisp. There is nothing better than potato skins fried crispy!

We made Salmon with Scotch Bonnet-Herb Sauce and Onion Toasts last night. The recipe is from the October Food and Wine. The dish was delicious - my SO served it with a side of steamed white rice. However, a meal is not complete to me unless there is a vegetable. What would you serve that does not compete with the sauce?