Margaux, I listened to this over breakfast. What a beautiful way to start the day. Thanks.
Stray thoughts: unlike French, in Spanish, receta means both prescription and recipe.
In Algeria, couscous is cooked differently. You need a very large flat-bottomed bowl. You do indeed pour in some water and oil, (Algerian olive oil is like nothing you've ever smelled or tasted) but then you mix and mix and mix and transfer it to a couscousière, a kind of double boiler. You let it steam and check it. Poke a whole in the middle, and if steam comes up, it's ready to transfer once again to the bowl, where you lay it out and break it up with a wooden paddle. Pour in more water and mix it gently, (careful, it's very hot) then transfer it back to the couscousière. This happens three times at least, or until the couscous is soft all the way through. The sauce, vegetables and beef are cooking in a separate pot, of course.
I love watching the people of Tizi-Ouzou make it. Their hands have knowledge of the ages, and the movements are mesmerising.
Food is hope. Yes, indeed. I pray for the people of Gaza. :)
This is marvelous. Thank you.
thank you for reading!
Margaux, I listened to this over breakfast. What a beautiful way to start the day. Thanks.
Stray thoughts: unlike French, in Spanish, receta means both prescription and recipe.
In Algeria, couscous is cooked differently. You need a very large flat-bottomed bowl. You do indeed pour in some water and oil, (Algerian olive oil is like nothing you've ever smelled or tasted) but then you mix and mix and mix and transfer it to a couscousière, a kind of double boiler. You let it steam and check it. Poke a whole in the middle, and if steam comes up, it's ready to transfer once again to the bowl, where you lay it out and break it up with a wooden paddle. Pour in more water and mix it gently, (careful, it's very hot) then transfer it back to the couscousière. This happens three times at least, or until the couscous is soft all the way through. The sauce, vegetables and beef are cooking in a separate pot, of course.
I love watching the people of Tizi-Ouzou make it. Their hands have knowledge of the ages, and the movements are mesmerising.
Food is hope. Yes, indeed. I pray for the people of Gaza. :)
thanks so much for listening and sharing thoughts and tips. the various ways of cooking couscous is what i love the most about it.