The Couscous Chronicles


Book Description




The Couscous Chronicles


Book Description

Azzedine Downes moves between cultures, places, and time in this wryly comedic, at times mysterious, and always curious memoir of a lifelong nomad. The best strategy was to drink tea, smile, and enjoy the frustration of not knowing where the story leads. If time is endless, why rush to the point of a story? Now an international leader in the fight for animal welfare, Azzedine began his career as a volunteer teacher and later was appointed to leadership in the U.S. Peace Corps. An American Muslim with Irish roots, he's a natural cultural shape-shifter, immersing himself in the cultures of Morocco, Eastern Europe, Northwest Africa, Israel and his native United States. Along the way he befriends the glue-sniffing shoemakers of Fez, becomes the de facto manager of a traveling break-dance troupe, dodges bullets on his daily commute, and finds himself cursed over a feast of couscous gone very, very wrong. But his most powerful story recounts Azzedine's marriage to an elusive girl from Tangiers. Arranged after only two meetings their love story ultimately spans continents and withstands language barriers, international intrigue, and one very antagonistic State Department bureaucrat. A labyrinth of tales as complex as its namesake dish, The Couscous Chronicles is for anyone who believes that the only real failure is to remain unchanged and in place, that true love is always a blind leap, and that a good story over a cup of tea holds the power to change one's destiny.




The Couscous Chronicles


Book Description

Make movies in the Peace Corps? Richard Wallace did just that. Fresh out of college and packing his film production degree, he wanted to travel. In 1977, he joined the annual deployment of trainees to Morocco's capital city of Rabat, learning French, some Arabic and the nuances of Islamic culture. Richard's job post: a media team for the Ministry of Agriculture, producing training films and printed materials for farmers. Sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer with a new job to tackle, he was challenged to assimilate into the Moroccan way of life. Associations with his female roommate and co-worker, plus a steady parade of visitors, proved both entertaining and educational. This memoir relates the adventures a bunch of ambitious, curious and mostly dedicated twenty-somethings would experience, living and working among a population so unlike their own. For Richard, trips to many small towns expanded his impressions of his adopted home. The sights, the banter, the flavors of Morocco are vividly captured during Richard's excursions. Highlighting his account are the favorite memories recalled by volunteers in his 1977 class, all cherished personal examinations and life lessons -- unforgettable moments -- cemented in their minds. The Couscous Chronicles delivers a lighthearted behind-the-scenes look at life in the Peace Corps, capturing volunteers' efforts to make a contribution to one of America's longstanding allies -- as JFK's ambassadors of peace.




Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous


Book Description

What is Jewish cooking in France? In a journey that was a labor of love, Joan Nathan traveled the country to discover the answer and, along the way, unearthed a treasure trove of recipes and the often moving stories behind them. Nathan takes us into kitchens in Paris, Alsace, and the Loire Valley; she visits the bustling Belleville market in Little Tunis in Paris; she breaks bread with Jewish families around the observation of the Sabbath and the celebration of special holidays. All across France, she finds that Jewish cooking is more alive than ever: traditional dishes are honored, yet have acquired a certain French finesse. And completing the circle of influences: following Algerian independence, there has been a huge wave of Jewish immigrants from North Africa, whose stuffed brik and couscous, eggplant dishes and tagines—as well as their hot flavors and Sephardic elegance—have infiltrated contemporary French cooking. All that Joan Nathan has tasted and absorbed is here in this extraordinary book, rich in a history that dates back 2,000 years and alive with the personal stories of Jewish people in France today.




Flavors of the Sun


Book Description

A comprehensive guide to vibrant Middle Eastern ingredients, with more than 120 recipes that let them shine, from James Beard award winning Sahadi's market in Brooklyn, New York. Sumac. Urfa pepper. Halvah. Pomegranate molasses. Preserved lemons. The seasonings, staples, and spice blends used throughout the Middle East offer deliciously simple ways to transform food—once you know how to use them. In FLAVORS OF THE SUN, the people behind the iconic Brooklyn market Sahadi's showcase the versatility of these ingredients in over 120 everyday dishes, including starters, salads, soups, family-friendly meals, and desserts. With sections devoted to recipes boasting Bright, Savory, Spiced, Nutty, and Sweet accents, it offers inspiration, techniques, and intensely flavorful ways to use everything from Aleppo pepper to za'atar with confidence. Throughout, "no-recipe recipes" help build up your flavor intuition so you can effortlessly incorporate any of the featured spices, condiments, and preserves into your daily repertoire. 120 RECIPES WITH A PUNCH: From an updated take on nachos and mac and cheese to a spectacular pistachio cheesecake and tahini-enriched brownies, FLAVORS OF THE SUN features dozens of the store's most-requested dishes as well as Sahadi family favorites. Simple yet loaded with flavor, these recipes will inspire you to make these distinctive Middle Eastern ingredients essential components of your pantry. OPTIMUM VERSATILITY: Each section addresses a specific flavor profile and offers a set of essential ingredients for achieving it along with helpful tips on how to use them separately or in combination. Look-and-cook mini recipes provide even more ideas for using distinctive ingredients like tahini, Aleppo pepper, and preserved lemons to give a fresh new spin to everything from salad dressings to cocktails. EXPERT KNOWLEDGE: Family owned, Sahadi's has been a beloved resource since its founding by Abrahim Sahadi, an immigrant from Lebanon, more than 100 years ago. Now welcoming a fifth generation into the business, the Sahadi family's authentic imported goods and exhaustive knowledge continue to inspire local chefs and adventurous home cooks to taste and explore the diverse world of Middle Eastern spices and sundries. FOR FANS OF PLENTY: Much like PLENTY, this cookbook dives deep into core ingredients and provides intimate insights into flavorful spice blends like dukkah, berbere, ras el hanout, shawarma spices, and more. Each ingredient profile includes an informative buying guide so you can build your pantry like a pro. Perfect for: home cooks to seasoned chefs; fans of PLENTY; JERUSALEM; SHUK, and ZAHAV; Sahadi's loyal customers; those interested learning about spices and new ways to use them in everyday dishes




Mourad: New Moroccan


Book Description

A soulful chef creates his first masterpiece What Mourad Lahlou has developed over the last decade and a half at his Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant is nothing less than a new, modern Moroccan cuisine, inspired by memories, steeped in colorful stories, and informed by the tireless exploration of his curious mind. His book is anything but a dutifully “authentic” documentation of Moroccan home cooking. Yes, the great classics are all here—the basteeya, the couscous, the preserved lemons, and much more. But Mourad adapts them in stunningly creative ways that take a Moroccan idea to a whole new place. The 100-plus recipes, lavishly illustrated with food and location photography, and terrifically engaging text offer a rare blend of heat, heart, and palate.




The Great Book of Couscous


Book Description

Recipes from North Africa for couscous, a form of cracked wheat steamed and eaten as a cereal or with meat, vegetables, fruit or nuts. Also includes sections on Jewish cooking of the region.




#EATMEATLESS


Book Description

Make a difference with every meal: eighty recipes to help you go meatless—or just eat meat less. For the health of humankind, the environment, and the animals that inhabit it, the Jane Goodall Institute presents a collection of recipes to illustrate the how and why of vegan eating. Crafted especially for curious cooks looking to incorporate healthier dietary practices and those interested in environmental sustainability, these eighty recipes gives home cooks the tools they need to take charge of their diet and take advantage of their own community’s local, seasonal bounty. Along with colorful food photography, quotes from Jane Goodall interspersed throughout transform this vegan staple into an inspiring guide to reclaiming our broken food system: for the environment, for the animals, and for ourselves. Whether you’re interested in reducing your family’s reliance on meat or in transitioning to a wholly vegetarian or vegan diet, this book has the information and inspiration you need to make meaningful mealtime choices. Dr. Jane Goodall, a longtime vegetarian and a passionate advocate for animals, invites us to commit to a simple promise with her campaign #EatMeatLess.




Cooking at the Kasbah


Book Description

Presents a collection of recipes for traditional Moroccan dishes, and provides information about the culinary customs of the country, the rituals of the Moroccan table, and the techniques, ingredients, and equipment of Moroccan cooking.




Healthyish


Book Description

“Take the hassle out of healthy eating with this new release from expert recipe developer Lindsay Maitland Hunt. A guilt-free guide to nutrition.” —Real Simple For anyone on the move, working long hours, and trying to eat a bit more healthfully, Healthyish offers 131 satisfying recipes with straightforward instructions, using as few pots and pans as possible, and ingredients that won’t break the bank. Not to mention, you can find the ingredients at your everyday grocery store (no garam masala or açai berries here!). Emphasizing balanced eating rather than fad diet tricks, Lindsay Maitland Hunt includes guilt-free recipes for every meal of the day, from breakfast to snacks to dinner, and yes, even Healthyish treats, such as: Banana-Avocado Chai Shake Peanut Butter Granola Salty Watermelon, Feta, Mint, and Avocado Salad Miso-Butter Toast with a Nine-Minute Egg Pozole with Pinto Beans and Queso Fresco Spiced Chicken and Chickpea Flatbreads with Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki Single-Serving Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookie Designed for novices and experienced cooks alike, Hunt’s meticulously considered recipes offer crowd-pleasing flavor profiles and time-saving tips and tricks, and her vegetable-centric dishes, with an occasional dash of meat, dairy, and decadence, are showcased in vibrant, mouthwatering photographs. Destined to be an everyday kitchen essential, Healthyish is a call for simple ingredients, food that makes us feel good, quick prep, and even quicker cleanup, so we all can enjoy what’s most important at the end of a long day: getting back to the couch. “This is THE cookbook for the modern generation . . . you’ll be turning to this book for decades.” —Sarah Copeland, author of Instant Family Meals