couscous

[M. Lucia]

Wow, I've learned so much from this thread.

Moughrabbiyeh is indeed the large Lebanese version of couscous, and the name is also synonymous with a particular dish involving baby onions and chicken or lamb (it is one of my favorites and Ihope it is what FoodMan was referring to).

Annisa Helou writes that "the grains made from flour and salted water are the size of small beads, about 1/4 inch in diameter."

My experience is that you can substitute Israeli couscous for moghrabbiyeh, though the Israeli version may be a tad smaller. I have some I got at Kalustyan's, you can see their list of couscous types here

Maftoul is indeed the Palestinian/Jordanian version of large couscous, you can see it here.

In my experience, a tagine/dish involving couscous encorporates meat and spices, the couscous is not served seperately. I have also had sweet couscous made with fruit, spices, and sugar.

I also found Clifford Wright's site about couscous.

I was first introduced to couscous by a friend at camp who called it "the amazing chia pet food" because of the way it puffed up. I have enjoyed different types of couscous for years, but never considered making it myself. Now I'm inspired!

Thanks so much, and I look forward to learning more.

[Wolfert]

In my experience, a tagine/dish involving couscous encorporates meat and spices, the couscous is not served seperately. I have also had sweet couscous made with fruit, spices, and sugar.

I'm not sure what dish you had. A tagine is not only a stew of meat, poultry, vegetables or fish, it is the name of the dish it is cooked in. I am not familiar with couscous being served inside a tagine . Do you remember wHere you had this?

Here's the skinny on steaming couscous versus following the package directions.

One pound of couscous makes about 6 cups following those directions

Steaming couscous will produce up to 18 cups tender lovely grains.

Microwaving it easily turns couscous back to puffed wheat.

If you are on a diet couscous prepared as directed on the package is a Godsend. You can eat lots of it and let it swell in your stomach!

[chefzadi]

For better or worse Algeria was the most "French" of the three Maghreb countries. There is certainly a French flair for presentation. This is probably why the Algerians often serve couscous and tajines the way do, seperately. I spent alot of time in the city of Oran. The Spanish influences there are apparent. It was actually founded by an Andulusian and ruled by the Spanish between 1509-1708. Algerian spiced Paellas and Algerian spiced Bouilliabaisse are eaten there. And yes they are called Paella and Bouilliabaisse.

When Ms Wolfert mentioned Biskra I immediately thought of dates.

[bloviatrix]

In Algeria couscous is also called ta’am, which means “food”.

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I have found this discussion to be quite interesting.

Coincidentally, in hebrew the word ta'am means taste (relating to food) or flavor.

[Wolfert]

When Ms Wolfert mentioned Biskra I immediately thought of dates

And they are the best dates. Now, why don't we find someone to import them? You can hold one up to the light and see the pit and the flavor is so intense without being sweet.l

And when you mentioned Oran, I remembered that is where I first tasted the pied noir dish of pickled fish and vegetables called scabetch.

My husband and I had crossed over from OUjda, went on to Oran for lunch, and then to Algiers for the night. The following day we went down to Biskra to use the town as our base for research. (I remember the women were completely covered burka style, only one eye could be seen. )

My husband was tracking down the life of Isabelle Eberhardt, the early 20 th century journalist whose extraordinary life encompassed an enormous range of experience. As a journalist she followed the French army into the Sahara, insulted the great and the famous, spent sleepless nights in rapturous mystical prayer. When she died in a flash flood in the autumn at the age of 27, she was reputed to have slept with most of the foreign legion. I was in ain sefra at her grave on the anniversary of her death. My husband planned it that way!.

In every town there is a street named after her. I believe this is the same in the Algerian quarters in France. Is this true?

Edited January 15, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[chefzadi]

Yes the dates. I still dream about them. The last time I had them was in France. A happy coincidence, my brother had just come back from Algeria with dates still on the branch. I thought of bringing some back to LA with me but everytime I pass through US customs I am bombarded with questions regarding food, "Do you have foie gras, sausages, etc?" Anyway so I called US customs and asked about importing Algerian dates, simple enough, they need a sample batch, test, pass, done. But that was 7 years ago. I'll post when I follow up with this.

I don't recall seeing any streets named after Isabelle Eberhardt in the Algerian quarters in France. I just don't pay much attention to street names. I'll have to ask my friends over there and get back with an answer.

[Wolfert]

Here is a picture of a couscous "basket" that I purchased in the town of Sfax for 3 dollars.

It is very similar in size, shape and color to one used in the Sicilian town of Trapani where they make fabulous fish couscous. There is a very special way of curing the wet couscous with spices. Anyone out there know the method?

Edited January 16, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[chefzadi]

Beautiful photographs. I saw the one with the Spanish fly as well. Thank you for sharing them with us.

$3.00?!? You should have haggled more!

Edited January 16, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[andiesenji]

I finally found where my housekeeper had put the canisters of couscous I buy at the local middle eastern store.  I buy in bulk as they sell it loose, by the pound. 

One type is the regular, pinhead size, golden in color.  Another is one that they have labeled as "maftoul" (at least that is what I wrote down on the receipt so I would remember it". 

It is like little beads, ranging in size from pinhead size to the size of a BB.  It is a tan color and actually looks slightly toasted.  It is much smaller than the "Israeli" couscous or the Moughrabiah which is the size of a pea or larger. 

I like the flavor, it has a deeper flavor than regular couscous, almost like a brown rice and seems to have some flavoring in it, when I taste it plain. 

The ingredients or grain source is not listed in the store and we have a bit of a language problem when I try to ask what things are made from.

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Where do you get Middle Eastern groceries in LA? I usually go to the Pakistani store on Vermont Blvd for spices and couscous. I finally found a really good kefir at an Iranian market. They sell bulk couscous at Whole Foods. My favorite packaged brand so far is Rivoire & Carret.

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I live up in Lancaster and we have a great little market (Saving Land) that has lots of unusual produce, often at great prices (Meyer lemons 69 cents a pound, Persian "baby" cucumbers, don't recall the price, tiny pears that are perfect for candying whole, green almonds in season, etc., as well as many staples, spices of the middle east as well as Indian spices and staples.

Unfortunately it is a long way from you.

Have you tried in the Glendale area and the East Los Angeles area next to it?

I have friends who live in Burbank and shop down that way. They are in Egypt now and will be gone another few weeks, otherwise I would ask them. They are archeologists and are there with a film crew to record exploration of some newly discovered tombs.

[M. Lucia]

Sorry for being unclear, I was referring to an earlier post about how tagines are served. Although the couscous is cooked separately (not in a tagine dish), I have always had the tagine (stew) served over couscous.

I love dates, and I have never heard of the dates you mention. We always considered "red" dates from Jordan and khalasah dates the best.

[andiesenji]

I have to confess that I often use couscous in a totally non-traditional way, paired with foods from other cultures.

One of my favorite Asian dishes is orange chicken, very spicy. I think it tastes better with couscous than it does with rice.

I have also paired it with Mexican foods, Indonesian foods and regional American foods.

I think it is far too versatile to limit its use to the traditional middle eastern table.

A couple of weeks ago I made a version of Ayam Panggang Klaten, from Java, chicken in a coconut milk/nut sauce that is fairly spicy. It is cooked until almost all the liquid has been reduced and the sauce is very thick and creamy.

It is very good with steamed rice, but with couscous it is sublime.

I should add that I began doing "fusion" cooking long before anyone ever mentioned the term.

Edited January 16, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[chefzadi]

I've heard of Clifford Wright before coming to this forum. But I've not read his writings. Anyway, after seeing him mentioned a few times in this thread, I did some googling and found his website. I did a keyword search on Algerian cuisine. He confirms things that I've said in this thread. But he also mentions a few things that I would not consider "typical" of Algerian cookery. In the second paragraph of the link I will provide below he states that Algerians mix in melted butter and cinnamon into semolina couscous. The statement is made within the context of distinguishing Algerian style couscous from Tunisian style couscous. I've only seen cinnamon added to semolina couscous for a limited number of sweet dishes in Algeria. The addition of cinnamon to the semolina couscous for savory meals would be a regional and very limited addition. Algerian semolina couscous is not characterized by or distinguished by the addition of cinnamon.

http://www.cliffordawright.com/recipes/kaskasu.html

Btw, he also talks about Israeli couscous in the first paragraph.

[chefzadi]

I have to confess that I often use couscous in a totally non-traditional way, paired with foods from other cultures. 

One of my favorite Asian dishes is orange chicken, very spicy.  I think it tastes better with couscous than it does with rice.

I have also paired it with Mexican foods, Indonesian foods and regional American foods.

I think it is far too versatile to limit its use to the traditional middle eastern table.

A couple of weeks ago I made a version of Ayam Panggang Klaten, from Java, chicken in a coconut milk/nut sauce that is fairly spicy.  It is cooked until almost all the liquid has been reduced and the sauce is very thick and creamy.

It is very good with steamed rice, but with couscous it is sublime.

I should add that I began doing "fusion" cooking long before anyone ever mentioned the term.

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In the culinary universe I would put couscous next to rice in terms of versatility. We all have our own culturally and intellectually defined cut off points for "authenticity". As for myself couscous served with dishes outside of the realm of North African cookery is heresy. But the first time I tried kimchi pancakes I told my mother in law that they would taste better with cheese. My wife's family gasped and looked at me like I was sick.

[Wolfert]

North African cooking is blessed with so many recipes for couscous and for serving it.

I love the traditional couscous recipes best---couscous with favas and buttermilk; couscous with seven vegetables; couscous cooked with wild greens and peppers; couscous with Lamb Confit and Greens; barley couscous with lamb and Chard; barley couscous with favas and buttermilk; and couscous with pomegranates, orange and cinnamon.

What I like is that they employ ingredients that have traditionally complemented one another and that , when combined, create a flavor different and more pleasing then when served on their own. Until I've tasted all the great couscous dishes of the world, I plan to keep away from dipping into fusion couscous.

I am intrigued by sophisticated kitchen techniques and if a way can be found to make steaming easier (it isn't hard but people do groan) I'm game to try it.

I also wear the hat of a French South West cook and I am very enthusiastic about preparing duck confit with the technique of sous vide. Something I've been learning about on another thread.

Edited January 16, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[andiesenji]

I do love the traditional couscous pairings. However I am so fond of couscous that there were times when I wanted some for a meal but did not have the necessary ingredients for preparing a traditional meal. So, rather than forego having the couscous, I simply prepared it and had it with something else.

I didn't deliberately try to bastardize the food, I simply made a substitution that I found to be most enjoyable.

I was born and raised in a portion of the south where sometimes you hear someone say "we never serve that with that" - however in my grandfather's home, we had a large extended family, half from England, half from the American South, his cook was a Gullah woman from the Carolina lowcountry and he had spent time in India and Egypt in the early part of the last century and had come to enjoy those foods also. The selection of foods was extensive and often unusual. Neighboring farmers considered us "furriners" and rather odd and I don't think any of them were ever very comfortable when visiting.

I learned to make mustard, the way my granddad liked it, when I was about 10 and still make it that way.

His cook learned to cook curries and other foods he discovered on his travels.

I don't recall having couscous as a child, it may not have been available commercially in that area at that time (1940s). However we did have a lot of rice and pasta, including orzo and a homemade pasta which was forced through a potato ricer and cooked while very fresh.

Growing up in such a household resulted in my being rather adventuresome when it came to food.

[chefzadi]

I do love the traditional couscous pairings.  However I am so fond of couscous that there were times when I wanted some for a meal but did not have the necessary ingredients for preparing a traditional meal.  So, rather than forego having the couscous, I simply prepared it and had it with something else. 

I didn't deliberately try to bastardize the food, I simply made a substitution that I found to be most enjoyable. 

I was born and raised in a portion of the south where sometimes you hear someone say "we never serve that with that" - however in my grandfather's home, we had a large extended family, half from England, half from the American South, his cook was a Gullah woman from the Carolina lowcountry and he had spent time in India and Egypt in the early part of the last century and had come to enjoy those foods also.  The selection of foods was extensive and often unusual.  Neighboring farmers considered us "furriners" and rather odd and I don't think any of them were ever very comfortable when visiting. 

I learned to make mustard, the way my granddad liked it, when I was about 10 and still make it that way.

His cook learned to cook curries and other foods he discovered on his travels. 

I don't recall having couscous as a child, it may not have been available commercially in that area at that time (1940s).  However we did have a lot of rice and pasta, including orzo and a homemade pasta which was forced through a potato ricer and cooked while very fresh. 

Growing up in such a household resulted in my being rather adventuresome when it came to food.

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Of course Andie. That's why I mentioned the part about Korean Kimchi cakes and cheese. I still think it's a brilliant idea! And in defense of my case I have to mention that I've seen kimchi pizza in Seoul and Los Angeles.

As for your earlier comment that you were doing fusion long before it was called fusion. Couscous as we know it today wouldn't exist without the Berbers, the Arabs, spices from India, tomatoes and peppers from the new world,etc. It's culinary evolution.

In my household we eat Algerian, Korean and French food. Who knows what great fusion dishes my kids will come up with they grow up? We already have a few favorites. Boeuf aux carottes cooked with just a little bit of soy sauce and garlic (a cross with Korean braised shor ribs) and it's delicious. We make Scallop spring rolls with spicy aioli. In France Algerians finish a meal of couscous french cheeses and pastries....

Please keep being adventuresome... The most important thing about food is that you enjoy yourself.

[Wolfert]

As a food writer, I have always loved dishes about which a story can be told, a story, perhaps, about why and by whom a particular dish is cooked, or relating something about the place where it is served. It puts the dish in context and makes it come alive. It is a bridge I create with my readers.

On the other hand, II totally understand where you are coming from. And, it does seem appropriate as new products such as couscous become available, to delve into them, explore their possibilties, and enjoy them as you wish.

[andiesenji]

I am intrigued by sophisticated kitchen techniques and if a way can be found to make steaming easier (it isn't hard but people do groan) I'm game to try it.

I also wear the hat of a French South West cook and I am very enthusiastic about preparing duck confit  with the technique of sous vide. Something I've been learning about on another thread.

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I love kitchen gadgets and appliances and am always happy to try something new. I have or have had just about every kind of electric rice cooker on the market. I have the aforementioned copper couscousier and a stainless steel one with a magnetic bottom that works on my induction range. I also have a charcoal-fired cooker/steamer that is vaguely like a Mongolian hot pot only has more parts and is larger. It can only be used outdoors and is somewhere in my storage building. I have used it to cook rice at picnics and other outdoor food events.

I have made duck confit in the traditional method and had planned on using the legs from a Rouen duck this past week to try the sous vide method which I too have been following. However I ended up simply roasting the duck and rendering the fat, which was considerable, compared to other ducks. I had part of one breast and it was very good, darker meat than other ducks. My housekeeper took the rest of it to school to share with her classmates and apparently they were enthusiastic about it. (She is in design school half-days.)

Even though I no longer have family at home, I still love to cook and love to try new things.

[hazardnc]

I was born and raised in a portion of the south where sometimes you hear someone say "we never serve that with that" - however in my grandfather's home, we had a large extended family, half from England, half from the American South, his cook was a Gullah woman from the Carolina lowcountry and he had spent time in India and Egypt in the early part of the last century and had come to enjoy those foods also.Neighboring farmers considered us "furriners" and rather odd and I don't think any of them were ever very comfortable when visiting.

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.

As a food writer, I have always loved dishes about which a story can be told, a story, perhaps, about why and by whom a particular dish is cooked, or relating something about the place where it is served. It puts the dish in context and makes it come alive. It is a bridge I create with my readers.

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.

[Wolfert]

Yes, I do have the book and I treasure it. One of my favorite stories is the'walk to Bethlehem"

[chefzadi]

Sous vide is my preferred method for cooking duck confit. I did alot of sous vide preparations when I was working in France. I was thinking of volunteering to do the Sous vide tutorial here on egullet. But I don't have the time. It can be rather time consuming to translate the methods and equipment from French to English.

But the topic does remind me of vacuum packed "instant" couscous I saw in France. I never used it for obvious reasons. But I'm finding that there is some resistance to steaming couscous 2-3 times from some of my students. They readily admit that it's vastly superior to the packaged directions on the boxes but some of them don't have the time or don't want to spend the time.

Has anyone tried the boil in bag type of couscous? If so, how does it compare to the packaged variety prepared according to the directions on the box? Is it available in America?

[Wolfert]

Tunisia has a huge repertoire of couscous recipes. This attractive and spicy onee is most unusua and delicious. It is also easy to prepare.

You make a rich and robust sauce, mix it with the couscous, and steam it altogether. The easy part is you don't need to turn it out mid cooking. You just steam the couscous until it is perfectly cooked.

http://paulawolfert.com/recipes/tun_cous.html

Edited January 17, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[andiesenji]

As an interesting side note, I just got the February issue of Sunset magazine and on page 78 is a recipe "Tagine in no time" subtitled "A rich Moroccan stew –in half an hour."

By Emma Smith, it is a recipe for Moroccan lamb chops to be served over couscous or have a baguette on hand. Also includes mention of harissa.

I thought it was interesting that just when we were having this discussion, a recipe would be printed in this magazine.

O.T. In addition there is an article with lovely photos, of a garden at the Benziger Sonoma vineyard, Glen Ellen, not far from you.

Edited January 17, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[Wolfert]

Emma is the enemy.

Edited January 18, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[andiesenji]

It certainly seems a bit simplistic. How can the subtle flavors develop in such a short amount of time?

It takes me much longer just to prepare the ingredients for this type of dish. The cooking takes much longer.