OT: oops not a good advert

[Rod]

... and Pringles.

Are we getting a problem in tenses here? "People didn't expect..." and "... are for sale ..."? Cross purposes?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That's probably because most peel them then fry, roast or make mash with them with adding flavourings. Much easier to tell the different tastes if simply washed in their skins then boiled.

[Derek Geldard]

And cauliflower stalks.

Derek

[stuart noble]

Then covered with an equal amount of butter...

[Bruce]

Couscous is just another pasta shape. It has the benefit of being very easy to prepare - pour on very hot water, stir and wait a few minutes. No additional heat needed. It shares with other forms of pasta the ability to take on almost any flavour.

I like to flavour it with mild curry powder and add some dried fruit (e.g. sultanas) at the same time as the hot water. It is delicious, easy and quick as well as healthy.

What's not to like?

[The Natural Philosopher]

I think butter and fruit is excellent. SWMBO also uses pine nuts toasted, and often vegetables fried up as well. Peppers if roasted and peeled go well, and olive oil is a great alternative to butter.

One nice disk is mutton, or oldish lamb,diced and fried up with a few onions, then stewed in dried apricots with a bit of brown sugar, nd some spices..cinnamon and possibly nutmeg, maybe corainder, accompanied by couscous.

Serve with fresh roasted sweet peppers..

[stuart noble]

In theory, but it does seem particularly tasteless.

It has the benefit of being

I think dried fruit is the key. Some of those North African dishes are well tasty, but I suspect they steam it to stop it going mushy. I wonder why it's generally preferred to pasta in the Arab world

[Rod]

Texture/mouth feel. Flavour (lack of). Smell. The things that get put with it (in the UK, at least).

I do agree that it sounds as if it *should be* quite similar to pasta (which I do like), but somehow it just ain't.

Maybe it is easier to transport on a camel without it breaking up?

[Bruce]

It is identical to pasta - identical ingredients, primarily durum wheat. Just a different shape, that's all.

As for the flavour and smell, it doesn't have any of its own. The smell comes from whatever you use to flavour it.

[Mary Fisher]

I like it and it's versatile as well as being easy.

Mary

>

[Mary Fisher]

...

I've never steamed cous cous and I don't know anyone who does - including Africans.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

It DOES! If you can't smell it I suggest that you have a physiological problem :-)

Mary

[The Natural Philosopher]

Mushy? thats down to uising just enough water and standing it long enough to fully absorb it, and a light dusting of olive oil, same as pasta.

[stuart noble]

No need for a couscousiere then

[Mary Fisher]

A WHAT???

Doesn't sound African to me ...

[Rod]

I do agree - my nose says it has a distinct smell. But people do vary for lots of reasons.

[S Viemeister]

_North_ Africa.

[Bruce]

Pasta doesn't smell. And couscous is just another shape of pasta, so why would it smell when pasta doesn't?

[Rod]

Dry pasta or couscous has very little smell. However, once there is sufficient moisture around it, there is IMHO a distinct smell. Not strong, but definite. And, again IMHO, couscous and pasta smell different to each other.

[Bruce]

The couscousiere is a steamer for cooking couscous. It is of North African origin. The word is derived from the Arabic 'couscous' with the "iere" ending suggesting French for a cooking vessel - much of North Africa having been colonised by France.

Most of the couscous we buy in the UK is processed. It has already been soaked, rinsed and steamed. It is then dried and packed ready to be rehydrated by the addition of the correct amount of hot or boiling water. After about 5 minutes, the water has been absorbed, and the couscous grains can be teased with a fork to produce something that is a very close approximation to couscous made by the traditional method.