Conference turris::cooks

    I think you could get by with a variety of "generic Middle-eastern"
    dishes - hummous (various spellings!), falafel, almost anything
    made with lentils :-), couscous. Check you're local library if you're
    in a town with over 10K people in it - there's usually a wide variety
    of cookbooks. Sorry - no recipies at hand.
    
    -Scott
    

     OK, I'll give my couscous recipe.  (Couscous is a grain that is
     almost like a combination of rice and pasta; the term 'couscous'
     usually refers to a lamb or hen stew that is served over the cooked
     couscous grain.):
     
     Take 5-7 lbs. of lean, cut-up stewing lamb (or 3-5 lbs. if it's off
     the bone), and brown it in oil in a dutch oven or similar heavy
     stewing pan.  When the lamb is browned, add 3/4 of a bottle of red
     wine, and let the wine boil down for about 4-5 minutes until you can't
     smell alcohol any more.  Then add 1 small turnip (cut in 2" pieces),
     two handfuls of dry (unroasted) chick peas, 3 or 4 large carrots cut
     into 2"-pieces), a large white onion (sliced), 3 Tb. tomato paste, 6
     cloves of garlic (crushed), a lot of cayenne pepper, and enough canned
     beef bouillon to cover (about 3 cans).  Bring to the simmer, cover,
     and cook on top of the stove for 3 or 4 (or more) hours. 
     
     A half-hour before serving, ladle some of the stew liquid into two
     small saucepans.  In one saucepan, add 3 or 4 tsp. of cayenne pepper,
     and let that simmer; this is called "le pique".  In the other
     saucepan, add 1 and 1/2 handfuls of raisins; this is called "the
     raisins".  In yet another saucepan, cook the couscous (grain)
     according to the directions on the box.
     
     To serve, pile the cooked couscous grain in the center of a large
     (mammoth) serving plate, and put the lamb stew all around the cooked
     grain.  Put le pique and the raisins in smaller bowls.  In Morocco,
     people will eat all this stuff with their fingers; I prefer forks
     and knives.
     
     --Don

    Hi.  I once went to a Moroccan dinner party.  We ate on the floor,
    without silverware!  The food included MidEastern chicken (stuffed
    with raisins, tomatoes, apricots), lamb, spinich salad.  My favorite
    was a chicken puff:  puff pastry filled with cooked diced chicken,
    cinnamon, onion, raw egg, and chopped almonds.  This was topped
    with sugar and baked until the dough was done.  It sounds rather
    disgusting (with the onion and sugar), but it was delicious!
    
    Have a great time at the party and please pass on the recipes!
    
    Robin

    I know the party is over by now, but I found a bunch of Moroccan
    and other North African recipes - for next time?
    
    Harissa
    
    Harissa is a hot pepper sauce of North African origin.  It is
    traditionally used to accompany couscous.
    
    2 T crushed dried chili peppers or cayenne
    2 t ground cumin
    2 t caraway seeds
    2 cloves garlic
    1 t salt
    
    Combine the ingredients ans grind them together in a pestle and
    morar, blender, or food processor.  Store the harissa in a clean
    dry jar.  Use directly from the jar when adding to the couscous
    stew.  To make harissa sauce for serving in a small dish as an
    accompaniment to the finished couscous, cook the harissa with 2-3
    T olive oil over a low heat for 5 minutes.

    Anchovy or Sardine Fingers
    
    Serves 4 to 6.
    This North African dish is quick to prepare and tasty.  Serve it
    as part of a selection of mezze (hors d'oeuvres).
    
    1 T finely chopped fesh mint or parsley
    1/2 t grated nutmeg
    1 small can anchovies or sardines in oil
    fingers of toasted bread
    freshly ground black pepper to taste
    black olives, halved
    
    Combine the mint or parsley and the nutmeg.  Drain the oil from
    the fish and then roll them individually in the parsley or mint
    and nutmeg mixture.  Place them on the fingers of toast, sprinkle
    with pepper, and finally garnish with olives.
    

    Lentil Soup (Shourabat Adas)
    
    Serves 6.
    2 c lentils (red, brown, or green), washed
    5 c stock or water
    1 medium onion, finely diced
    1 medium carrot, sliced
    1 t ground cumin
    juice of 1 lemon
    salt and black pepper
    2 T olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
    1 large onion, thinly sliced
    lemon wedges
    
    Put lentils in a heavy pot with the water or stock, add the diced
    onion and carrot, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover,
    and simmer for 1 hour or until the lentils are very soft.  Blend
    the mixture or push it through a sieve.  Return it to the pot and
    add cumin, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Return to
    a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.  Heat the oil in a frying pan and
    saute the garlic for a minute or two.  Add the onion and fry until
    it is golden brown.  Serve the soup in bowls and top each one with
    a portion of the browned onions and garlic.  Serve a side dish of
    lemon edges for extra lemon juice if needed.

    Harira
    
    Harira is a Moroccan soup made from mutton or lamb, vegetables,
    chickpeas, and grains.  It is eaten all year round but traditionally
    each day of Ramadan at sunset.  Ramadan, the ninth month of the
    Islamic calendar, is a time when all practicing Moslems fast from
    sunrise to sunset and the first meal of the day needs to be
    substantial.  For devout Moslems the harira is prepared without
    meat during Ramadan, and a recipe for meatless chickpea harira follows
    this one.
    
    Harira with Lamb and Chicken
    
    serves 8 to 10
    
    4 T olive or semsame oil or butter
    1 lb stewing lamb or mutton, cut into large cubes
    1 small boiling chicken, cut into 8 pieces
    2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
    2 medium onions, finely chopped
    1/2 c chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained, or 8-oz can cooked
    chickpeas, drained
    8 c water or stock
    1/2 t each: turmeric, powdered ginger, coriander seeds, and cinnamon
    salt and black pepper to taste
    1 lb ripe tomatoes, quartered
    1/2 c lentils, washed
    2 T finely chopped parsley
    1/4 c rice, washed
    2 beaten eggs
    juice of 1 lemon
    lemon wedges
    cayenne or hot pepper sauce
    
    In a large heavy frying pan heat the il or butter and lightly brown
    the lamb or mutton cubes on all sides.  Transfer them to a large
    pan and repeat for the chicken pieces, garlic, and onions.  Add
    the chickpeas and water or stock to the pan.  Stir in the spices,
    salt, pepper, tomatoes, and lentils.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce
    the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes.  Add the parsley and rice and
    cook a further 20 minutes.  Remove the chicken pieces from the pan.
     Skin them, separate the meat from the bones, and put the meat back
    in the pot.  Adjust the seasoning and bring to a boil again.  Reduce
    the heat and set to simmer.  Whisk the beaten eggs and lemon juice
    together and slowly whisk it into the soup to form strands of egg.
     Serve the soup immediately with lemon wedges and cayenne or hot
    pepper sauce for those who like hot dishes.
    
    Chick-Pea Harira
    
    serves 6 to 8.
    
    1 1/4 c chick-peas, soaked overnight and drained
    1 diced medium onion
    1/4 c butter or vegetable oil
    1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
    1/2 t turmeric or saffron
    1 t ground cinnamon
    salt and black pepper
    1/2 c rice, washed
    3 T flour
    2 eggs, lightly beaten (optional)
    juice of 1 lemon
    
    Put the chickpeas, onion, butter or oil, parsley, turmeric or saffron,
    and cinnamon ingredients into a heavy pot and stir over a medium
    heat for 3-4 minutes.  Add 8 c water and bring to aboil.  Cover,
    reduce the heat, and simmer until the checkpeas are cooked (about
    1 hour).  Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the rice.
     Return to a boil, reduce the eat, and simmer until the rice is
    cooked (about 25-30 minutes).  Now, beat the flour and 3/4 c water
    into a smooth paste and stir into the soup.  Continue cooking, stirring
    occasionally, for a further 15 minutes and then remove the soup
    from the heat.  Adjust the seasoning, add water if needed, and,
    if you wish, stir in the lightly beaten eggs, which will form strands
    and thicken the soup.  Add the lemon juice and leave the soup to
    stand for a few minutes or until the egg is cooked.

    Fried Egg Pastries (Brik)
    
    4 sheets filo pastry (buy it frozen)
    4 T butter, melted
    4 small eggs
    1 small onion, finely diced
    1 T finely chopped parsley
    salt and black pepper
    oil for deep frying
    lemon quarters
    
    Brush each sheet of filo pastry with melted butter and fold it into
    a 5-inch square. Break one egg into the center of each square and
    sprinkle over it some onion, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
     Fold one corner of the square to the other to form a triangle and
    seal the edges.  Use more melted butter if needed to get a good
    seal.  Repeat for each sheet of filo pastry.  Heat the oil to 400
    oF and deep fry the pastries one at a time, turning once, until
    golden brown (about 2-3 minutes).  Drain on absorbent paper and
    serve with wedges of lemon.
    
    The pastries may also be shallow fried in a heavy frying pan.

    Tagines
    
    Lamb and Paricot Tagine
    
    serves 4
    
    4 T butter
    2 lb lamb, cut into 2 inch cubes (you can also use chicken, or a
    mixture)
    2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
    1/2 t turmeric or saffron
    1/2 t ground coriander
    1/2 t ground cumin
    1/4 t groun ginger
    salt and black pepper
    cayenne (1/4-1/2 t for mild seasoning, 3/4-1 t for hot)
    2 medium onions, fonely sliced
    1 c dried whole apricots, soaked overnight
    juice of 1 lemon
    
    
    Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and add the meat.  Cook, stirring,
    over moderate heat until the meat is browned on all sides.  Stir
    in the garlic and spices, and season to taste with salt, pepper,
    and cayenne.  Cook a further five minutes and add half the onion,
    the water the apricots were soaked in (but NOT the apricots), and
    enough further water to cover the meat.  Bring to a boil, reduce
    the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is
    tender.  After 45 minutes add the remaining onion.  Add more water
    as needed, but the sauce at the end of the cooking period should
    be thick.  When the meat is tender add the apricots or other fruit
    and continue cooking until the fruit is soft but not disintegrating.
     Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
    
    Kofta (Meatball) and Vegetable Tagine
    
    serves 4 to 5
    
    1 lb lean lamb or beef, finely ground
    1 small onion, finely minced
    2 T finely chopped parsley
    1 T finely chopped fresh mint or 1 t dried mint
    1/4 t cayenne
    1/2 t ground cinnamon
    1/2 t groun cumin
    salt and black pepper
    4 T butter
    2 medium zucchini, thickly sliced
    2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
    1 1/4 c cooked chickpeas or other beans
    2 large tomatoes, skinned and quartered
    4 eggs (optional)
    
    Combine the meat, onion, parsley, mint, spices, salt, and pepper
    in a blender or food processor and mix to a smooth paste, or do
    it by hand with the back of a wooden spon.  Form the mixture into
    1-inch diameter balls.  Melt the butter in a large heavy frying
    pan and saute the meatballs until they are nicely browned all over.
     Add the vegetables and enough water to just cover.  Season to taste
    with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat, cover,
    and simmer until the meatballs and vegetables are tender and the
    liquid reduced to a good thickness.  Remove the pan lid to thicken
    the sauce if necessary.
    
    If you like eggs, break them carefully and separaetely over the
    top of the meatballs and vegetables and ook gently until they are
    set.

    Roasted Lamb Moroccan Style
    
    Serves 6
    
    (veal may be used instead of lamb)
    
    3-4 lb shoulder of lamb, boned, trimmed of excess fat
    1 lemon halved
    salt and black pepper
    1 t paprika
    2 t ground coriander
    1 t ground cumin
    2 cloves garlic, put throgh a garlic press
    4 T butter, softened
    
    Preheat the oven to 350 oF.  Open the shoulder up and rub both sides
    with the lemon halved.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper all over.
     Combine the paprika, coriander, cumin, garlic, and butter and mix
    into a paste.  Rub this into the meat.  Tie up the shoulder, and
    bake it uncovered in a shallow baking dish in the preheated oven
    for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and well browned.

    Lamb with Prunes
    
    serves 4
    serve with rice
    
    2 T butter or olive oil
    1 1/2 lb lamb, cube
    1 medium onion, sliced
    3 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
    1/2 t turmeric or saffron
    1 cinnamon stick broken into 1-inch lengths or 1 t ground cinnamon
    salt and black pepper to taste
    1 T flour
    water or stock
    1 1/2 c prunes, soaked in water and pitted
    
    Heat the butter or oil in a heavy pan and brown the lamb cubes all
    over.  Remove the lamb to a plate and set aside.  Fry the onion
    and garlic in the same pan in the juices and fat left by the meat
    until lightly browned.  Add the turmeric or saffron, cinnamon, and
    seasoning, stir well, and saute for a few minutes.  Stir in the
    flour and cook a little longer.  Slowly mix in 2 1/2 c water or
    stock, return the meat to the pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat,
    and adjust the seasoning.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until
    the lamb is nearly tender.  Add the prunes, cover, and simmer for
    a further 10 minutes.

    Lamb with Lemon Juice
    
    Serves 4.  Serve with rice and salad.
    
    4 T olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
    1/2 t ground saffron or turmeric
    1 t ground coriander
    pinch of ginger
    1 1/2 lb lean lamb, cubed
    1 medium onion, chopped
    2 lemons, quartered
    salt and black pepper
    1/2 c olives (optional)
    
    Combine the oil, garlic, saffron or turmeric, coriander, and ginger
    and stir the lamb in the mixture until each piece is coated.  Transfer
    the whole to a heavy pan and just cover with water.  Add the onion
    and lemon, season to taste with salt and pepper, and bring to a
    boil.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until the
    lamb is tender.  Remove the lamb to a plate with a perforated spoon.
     Reduce the sauce to a thickness of your liking.  In the meantime,
    cover the olives (if used) in cold water in a small pan and bring
    to a boil.  Drain and repeat the process.  Put the lamb and treated
    olives back in the reduced sauce and heat through, stirring.  Adjust
    the seasoning.

    Chicken
    
    Chicken with Chick-Peas
    
    Serves 6.
    
    1 roasting chicken, about 3 lb
    1/2 c butter or olive oil
    3 medium onions, finely chopped
    1/4 t cayenne
    1 t turmeric
    4 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
    juice of 2 lemons
    1 1/4 c chick-peas, soaked overnight and drained
    salt and black pepper
    2 T finely chopped parsley
    2 T raisins (optional)
    
    Clean the chicken inside and out with a damp cloth.  Heat the butter
    or oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or saucepan (big enough
    to hold a whole chicken) and stir in one-third of the onions and
    all of the cayenne and turmeric.  Gently fry them, add the chicken,
    and fry it, turning, until it is nicely yellowed all over.  Add
    the garlic, lemon juice, chick-peas, and enough water to just cover
    the chicken.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bring to a
    boil, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.
     During the last half hour of cooking add the remaining onions,
    the parsley, and the raisins.  Toward the end of the cooking period,
    adjust the seasoning, and if the cooking liquid is too thin, leave
    the lid off the pan to reduce it.  Serve with the chicken cut into
    pieces and the chick-pea sauce poured over the top.
    
    Chicken with Olives
    
    Serves 4.  Serve with couscous or rice and lemon wedges.
    
    1 c black or green olives, or a mixture
    1 chicken, about 3 lb, cut into serving pieces
    1/2 c olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
    1 small onion, finely sliced
    1 t ground ginger
    1/2 t turmeric
    salt and black pepper to taste
    juice of 2 lemons
    
    Cover the olives with water, bring to a boil, drain, repeat, and
    set aside (this reduces their bitterness).  In a heavy frying pan
    or casserole dish fry the chicken pices in the oil until lightly
    browned on both sides.  Add the garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric,
    salt, and pepper, and continue frying for a further 5 minutes. 
    Turn and move the chicken about during this time.  Add 2 c boiling
    water and cover the pan or dish tightly.  Simmer gently until the
    chicken is nearly tender (when a skewer pushed into the chicken
    meets a little resistance and draws a slightly pink juice).  Remove
    the lid, add the olives and lemon juice, and continue cooking uncovered
    until the chicken is tender (when the skewer meets very little
    resistance and the juice is clear) and the sauce is quite thick.
    
    Spicy Stuffed Chicken Moroccan Style
    
    Serves 6.
    
    1 3-4 lb roasting chicken, or 2 Cornish hens, about 2 lb each
    salt and black pepper
    1/2 c butter
    1 small onion, finely chopped
    1 c rice, washed and drained
    4 T chopped walnuts or almonds
    4 T raisins, washed and drained
    1/2 t ground ginger
    1/2 t cayenne
    1 t cinnamon
    1/2 t nutmeg
    1/2 t saffron or turmeric
    2 c water or chicken stock
    
    Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with salt
    and pepper.  Set aside in a cool place.  Melt half the butter in
    a heavy frying pan and saue the onion until it is just softened.
     Stir in the rice, walnuts or almonds, and raisins and stir-fry
    over a moderate heat for 2-3 minutes.  Combine the spices and add
    half the mixture together with half the water to the frying pan,
    season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well.  Bring to a
    boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.
     Meanwhile in a heavy casserole dish melt the remaining butter and
    brown the whole chiken all over.  Allow the rice mixture and chicken
    to cool a little and then stuff the checkn and secure the openings
    with skewers.  Reserve any stufffing left over and serve it warmed
    up with the chicken.  Put the chiken into the casserole dish.  Combine
    the reamining water and spices and bring to a boil.  Add the mixture
    to the dish, cover, and simmer over a low heat for 1 1/2 hours or
    until the chicken is tender.  Add more water as needed.
    
    Chicken Tagine
    
    Serves 5-6.
    
    1 chicken, about 3 1/2 lb, cut in pieces
    2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
    1/2 t turmeric
    1/4 t ground ginger
    2 T olive oil
    salt and black pepper
    4 T butter
    2 medium onions, sliced
    1 c chick-peas or other dried beans, soaked overnight, drained
    1/2 t paprika
    1/2 c olives (optional)
    2 T chopped parsley
    juice of 1 lemon
    
    Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels.  Combine the garlic,
    turmeric, ginger, and oil and rub the mixture into the chicken.
     Season the pieces with salt and pepper and set aside for 1 hour.
     Put the chicken, the butter, and half the onion in a large pan
    and just cover with water.  Bring to a boil, add the chick-peas
    and paprika, adjust the seasoning, cover, and simmer for 1 - 1 1/2
    hours or until the chick-peas and chicken are almost tender.  Add
    more water if needed.  Meanwhile cover the olives with cold water
    in a saucepan and bring to aboil, drain, and repeat the process.
     Add the olives, remaining onion, and parsley to the an and continue
    cooking.  When the chikcne is tender remove it from the pan to a
    hot plate and keep warm in the oven.  Reduce the sauce to a moderate
    thickness.  Serve the chicken with lemon juice squeezed over and
    then the sauce poured over.
    
    Chicken, Rice, and Orange Pilav
    
    Serves 4-6
    
    2-3 lb boiling chiken, cut into 6 pieces
    salt to taste
    2 medium onions, thinly sliced
    1 c thinly sliced carrots
    4 T butter or oil
    shredded peel of 1 orange
    1 t ground cardamon
    1 t ground cinnamon
    1/2 t turmeric or saffron
    1 c long-grain rice
    salt and black pepper
    
    Put the chikcne opices in a saucepan, add 3 c water and salt, and
    bring to a boil.  Skim off any foam that forms, reduce the heat,
    cover the pot, and simmer until the chicken pieces are almost tender
    but not to the point where the meat is falling off the bone.  Remove
    the chicken from the pan and cur off the lean meat.  Discard the
    fat, skin, and bones.  Reserve the stock in the pan.  In a large
    frying pan saute the onions and carrots in the butter or oil until
    the onions start to brown.  Stir in the orange peel, spices, and
    rice and season with salt and pepper.  Stir and cover with the contents
    of the frying pan, and spread the mixture evenly.  Bring 2 c of
    the reserved chicken stock to a boil and pour it into the pan. 
    Cover and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes or until the rice
    is tender and all the liquid is absorbed.  Place a warm serving
    dish upside down over the casserole and invert the rice and chicken
    onto the serving dish.

    Couscous with Sweet Moroccan Sauce
    
    Serves 4
    
    1/2 c butter
    2 medium onions, diced
    1 T cinnamon
    1/2 t saffron or turmeric
    1 t ground ginger
    4 T pine nuts or almonds
    1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
    slat to taste
    2/3 c sugar
    1 1/2 c raisins, soaked in hot water and drained
    1 lb couscous
    
    Melt the butter in a heavy pan and saute the onion until it is just
    softened.  Stir in the spices, nuts, and seasoning, and cook, stirring,
    for 2-3 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 c water, sugar, and raisins and bring
    to aboil.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
     The sauce should be quite thick; if not, remove the cover and reduce
    the liquid over a moderate heat.  Meanwhile prepare the couscous.
     Place the couscous in a large bowl and gently sitr in 2 c cold
    water.  Immediately drain it away and allow the wet grains to stand
    for 10-15 minutes.  As they swell up, rake them with your fingers
    to break up any umps that form.  Steam the couscous over boiling
    water for 30 minutes, or until tender.  Pile the cooked grains on
    a serving dish, make a hoolow in the top, fill with the sauce, and
    serve.

    Spiced Lamb and Chick-Pea Casserole
    
    Serves 4.
    
    2 T olive oil
    8 oz lamb, cubed
    2 medium onions, diced
    1 lb ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 8 oz canned tomatoes,
    chopped
    1 T chopped parsley
    1/2 t ground coriander
    1 t ground ginger
    1 t ground cinnamon
    1/2 t turmeric
    3/4 c chick-peas, soacked overnight, drained
    3/4 c lentils, washed and drained
    salt and black pepper to taste
    juice of 1 lemon
    2 eggs, beaten
    
    Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and brown the lamb on all sides.
     Add the onion and lightly saute.  Add to tomatoes, parsley, coriander,
    ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric, stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
     Stir in the chick-peas, add 4 c water, lentils, salt, and pepper,
    and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour
    or until all the ingredients are tender.  Stir the lemon juice into
    the beaten egg and gently beat the mixture into the stew with a
    fork to form strands of egg.  Remove the pan from the heat and serve.

    The following recipe is from a friend's middle eastern cookbook,
    and it does have a middle eastern name but I can't remember what
    it is. I call it eggplant-chickpea stew over couscous. Also, there
    is a note in this file on morrocan food which has some more couscous
    recipes.
    
    Eggplant-Chickpea Stew:
    
    1 eggplant,peeled and cut in 1/2" cubes	1 onion
    2 Cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can)     	1-2 Tbs OLIVE oil
    1 16-oz can tomatoes or equivalent in fresh, puree, or paste (I
    have made it with all variations and it comes out fine).
    salt and pepper                                
    
    Chop onion and saute in OLIVE oil until soft (It must be real olive
    oil because the flavor makes the dish, even though there isnt much).
    Add peeled, chopped eggplant and a little water. Cover and cook
    until eggplant is almost soft, add tomatoes and chickpeas (and salt
    and pepper), cook until eggplant is done. Serve over couscous. Its
    very simple but it is very good. If you are using canned tomatoes
    and canned chikpeas, you probably won't need any salt. I also add
    some of the cooking water or canning water from the beans.
    
    Eryn Utz

    I stumbled across this after seeing the later note asking for cous-cous
    recipes.  The "puff pastry thing" in .5 is called a bourack, at
    least in Algeria.  Two good books are: (spelling freehand) Paula
    Wolfert's Cous-Cous and Other Good Food From Morocco, and Irene
    Day's The Moroccan Cookbook.
         

    See note 249.  
    Here's another couscous recipe for you:
    
    3/4 lb each zucchini, white turnips, carrots, onions
    1 red or green sweet pepper
    2 T oil or melted butter
    1 3-1/2 lb chiken, cut into serving pieces
    1/2 t ground cinnamon
    1/2 t ground cumin
    1/4 t turmeric
    3 T honey (optional)
    (salt)
    pepper
    1/4 c raisins
    1 c drained canned chickpeans (garbanzos)
    2/ 1/2 c quick-cooking couscous grain
    3 T butter
    
    Trim ends off zukes, cut into quarters lengthwise, and cut into
    1 1/2 inch pieces.
    Peel turnips and quarter, then cut into 1 inch pieces.
    Trim and peel carrots and cut into 1 inch lengths.
    Peel onion and cut into quarters, then into 1-1/2 inch cubes.
    Core an dseed pepper,and cut into 1-1/2 inch squares.
    Heat onion in kettle and add onion; cook 5 minutes.
    Add chicken and cook until outside is not raw.
    Add 5c water or broth, spices, honey, (salt), pepper; bring to a
    boil and cook 15 minutes covered.
    Add zucchini, turnips, carrots, pepper, raisins, and chickpenas,
    and bring back to a boil.  Cover and cook 15 minutes.
    Meanwhiel, bring remaining water to a boil in a saucepan.  Add the
    grain and return to a boil.  Let simmer 2 minutes, then remove from
    heat.  Cover and let stand 10-15 minutes.  OR: follow directions
    that came with the couscous.
    Stir butter into grain.
    Serve chicken stew (use as much of the liquid as you like) over
    the grain.
    Serve with harissa, if you like.

    
    
       I have a very similar recipe as in rep -1 but I add eggplant,
     two to three chopped tomatoes, and some kind of winter squash for
     veggies. I also add stew beef, lamb shoulder, and precooked hot
     sausage for meats. I also prefer to precook the chicken so the
     final dish isn't as greasy. Another good trick is to cook the 
     semoule <couscous grain> in the cooking liquid from the stew. 
     Semoule by the way is the right term for grain and not couscous.
     Couscous is the name for the entire dish but that's a very small
     point. To cook the semoule use equal measures of dry grain to
     liquid. Put the semoule in a pan and add the boiling liquid cover
     the pan tightly and remove from the heat. It takes about 5 minutes
     to cook and fluff with a fork before serving. Remember the grain
     swells about three times the dry size so use a big enough pan.
     
      I also prefer to serve the raisins on the side but if you
     do that soak them in the cooking liquid for 30min or so before
     serving. I also use saffron instead of the turmeric which gives
     the dish a much better flavor. Finally if you can't find or don't
     feel like making the harissa use sambal thinned with alittle of
     the cooking liquid. If you haven't guessed couscous is a personal
     favorite of mine. 
    

We have couscous at home quite regularily and have a home-grown
recipe that we like.  If you've got a LARGE clay baker try this.
We don't measure much of anything, so this is pretty "free form".
This dish makes lots of leftovers.

Soak the clay baker.

1 roasting chicken, 3-4 lbs.
Some potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks.
Some carrots, cut into chunks (we love carrots and
so use a full bag, but you might not like them as much)
Some onions, peeled and cut into chunks (We like onions
too, and so use lots of them.)
A can of chick peas.
A can of mushrooms.

Put the chicken into the roaster, and pile the
vegetables around it.  Our chicken ends up smothered,
just barely visible. Try to keep the chick peas underneath
the other veggies, as they tend to dry out a bit.

Pour a cup or two of a dry white wine over everything.

Bake covered in a 400 degree oven for about two hours.
The chicken will almost fall off the bones.

We serve this on top of couscous prepared as follows:

Remove a cup of liquid from the bottom of the clay baker
that the chicken was roasting in.  Also, remove a few of the
cooked chick peas, a small amount of the onions, a chunk or
two of carrot, and a couple of small bite-sized pieces of the
baked chicken. Heat all this back to the boiling point, but
don't cook any longer than that.

Put the hot liquid (and carrot/onion/chick-pea/chicken pieces)
into a bowl and add a cup of couscous. (We use
the small boxes of couscous; is that what everyone else uses?)
Make sure that the couscous is covered by the liquid. Cover
and let it set for maybe 10 minutes.

In a frying pan melt a stick of butter.  Cook the couscous
in the butter, with constant stirring.  When you pour the
couscous into the pan they will be in a big clump, but the
cooking breaks them up.  They're done when they kind of sag,
sort of like moist brown sugar does.

We like to mix some hot sauce with this.  I suggest the cooked
red-pepper sauce (I think it's called sambal oelek), as it gives
it a real zing.

Enjoy,
  Rich

    Recipe needed. I am looking for a Moroocon recipe
    called Pastillon. 
    
    
    Pastillon can be sweet or savory. It is absolutely the most delicious
    dish that I have eaten!
    
    Kind regards,
    
    
    Catherine 
    
    

My wife is getting ready to host a Moroccan dinner and was wondering if you can
use a sieve or steamer instead of a couscousiere to cook couscous?

Jim

I have a box of Near East couscous and I think I can cook it normally!
I haven't tried it yet...

Karen

    You don't need to steam American-type couscous - in fact, you hardly
    even need to cook it at all.  You mix in boiling broth, take it off the
    heat and cover it, and then fluff it up a few minutes later, and it's
    all done.  It's GOOD, too.  I don't recall ever having had authentic
    couscous, so I'm not sure how authentic it tastes.
    
    /Charlotte

    .28 is correct.  If you're using whole grain couscous, you need to add
    a little more water to the pot and let it stand a little while longer
    (and I've found that its better not to add any oil/butter to the broth
    when cooking the whole grain couscous).  Normal couscous is as easy as
    following the directions on the Near East package.
    
    FYI: Its a heck of a lot cheaper to buy your coucous in bulk than in
    the little near east boxes.  But I cut out the side of the near east
    box and leave it in my couscous jar so I remember the ration of water
    to couscous!
    
    Dana

Does anyone know the name of a good Moroccan Cookbook?

I have looked in the book shops here but they don't stock them so I will
probably have to order one, and since I hate ordering a book I haven't 
seen, I was wondering if someone had any suggestions.
 
Thanks,
    Peter

P.S. (ISBN number might be useful if you know it)