I say pasta
Husband says grain

What do you think?

Oh, man! Grain is winning!!! WTH??? It's pasta, I tell you! PASTA!

What is Couscous? http://www.cliffordawright.com/history/couscous.html

Couscous is one of the staple foods of the Maghreb (western North Africa). Coucous is made from two different sizes of the husked and crushed, but unground, semolina of hard wheat using water to bind them. Semolina is the hard part of the grain of hard wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum), that resisted the grinding of the relatively primitive medieval millstone. When hard wheat is ground, the endosperm--the floury part of the grain--is cracked into its two parts, the surrounding aleurone with its proteins and mineral salts and the central floury mass, also called the endosperm, which contains the gluten protein that gives hard wheat its unique properties for making couscous and pasta--that is, pasta secca or dried pasta, also called generically macaroni. Couscous is also the name for all of the prepared dishes made from hard wheat or other grains such as barley, millet, sorghum, rice, or maize.

Pasta

I put grain - and I love couscous

I always thought it was a pasta

err i think our couscous is different in brazil

Really?
Here is what I am talking about (Ingredients: Precooked medium grain semolina):

It is SOOOOOOO good!!!!!

I think there really are two different versions of couscous, which leads to the confusion.

"Couscous is the separated grain of the wheat plant. When dried and milled, it becomes semolina flour, which is what pasta is made out of. However, as a grain, it makes a terrific rice substitute that has the advantage of being more flavorful (nutty with an interesting texture as long as it is not over cooked) as well as about five times quicker to make than rice."

However, I've bought couscous that was MADE from semolina flour; ie: a pasta.

Really. Here's an example:

We call Cuscuz Paulista, the recipe has tomato sauce, water, corn oil, chicken sauce, green pimento, red pimento, hearts of palms, peas, red pepper sauce, 2 eggs, 2 cans of sardine, green olives, and finally yellow corn flour. It's called cuscuz because of the yellow corn flour than when mixed with boiled water becomes like a pasta. Well that's the best i can explain this recipe in english

either way, I like potato better!

Grain, grain....
Love couscous....

Actualy you're both right!

Couscous (called maftoul in Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories), is a food of the Maghreb. This dish, with a name derived from Maghreb Arabic kuskusu, which is from Tamazight seksu, is a food which consists of grains made from semolina which are about 1 mm or 1/16th inch in diameter (after cooking).
Couscous was traditionally made from the hard part of the hard wheat Triticum durum, the part of the grain that resisted the grinding of the relatively primitive millstone. The name is also used for prepared dishes made from other grains, such as barley, millet, sorghum, rice, or maize.

Couscous is traditionally served under a meat or vegetable stew. The dish is the primary staple food throughout the Maghreb; in much of Algeria, eastern Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya it is simply known as ta`aam طعام, "food". It is popular in the Maghreb, the West African Sahel, in France, in western Sicily's Trapani province, and parts of the Middle East. It is also very popular among Jews of North African descent, but has a Berber origin.

In the United States couscous is known as a type of pasta, probably reflecting the influence of Sicilian immigrants. However in most other countries it is treated more like a grain in its own right. It is particularly valued for its rapid preparation time.

what the hell is couscous?!!!

me too..

grain definitely!!

A pasta made from a grain.

1 cup couscous
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
1 green bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into large chunks
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup pitted black olives

Prepare couscous pasta according to package directions, using chicken broth for liquid. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet combine the wine, oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon cumin and garlic; mix all together and add chicken. Simmer over low heat until all liquid has evaporated and chicken juices run clear, 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove chicken from skillet and mix in a large bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green onion and couscous. Garnish with a few black olives per serving

Delicious! Oh How I love Couscous.

WOW! This is interesting! Definitely NOT the couscous I am talking about... It sounds good except for the sardine part! Ewwwwww.... I really think I would like it, because I like all the ingredients you have listed (except for the sardines, of course).

Thank you for the recipe! I've never actually experimented with couscous. I just prepare it according to the directions on the package and we have it as a side dish.
I don't eat chicken, so I am thinking of substituting chicken broth with veggie broth, and substituting chicken with something else (mushrooms, perhaps). I can't wait to try it Thanks again!



It's PASTA!

Thank you
My husband still thinks that couscous is a grain. He says that it is basically flour (grounded grain) and flour is closer to grain than pasta. *sigh*

I have made it as a cold salad without meat as well. Throw in some sugar peas, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, bits of whatever veggies you like. Toss it with a bit of olive oil. Good stuff.

mmmmmmmmmmmmm, couscous! Love it. It is a pasta made from a grain.

Meriem

yeah... i miss my mom's cous cous already, is it friday yet???????

i thought it was a porno i saw in college..and the video was grain(y)

Here is the 'Cuscuz' from Northeast of Brasil.

It is basically cooked with salt on steam, and served with coconut milk or butter... You can cut it, but still looks like grainy flour, but doesnt fall from the spoon... Hard to explain in english...
They usually have it for breakfast and anytime you want. My grandma and my mom likes to have it in the afternoon with a good cup of coffee.
Yummy!!! My grandma is from Northeast and usually makes it for us on Sundays... Dang!!! I miss it, even knowing how to do it, its not the same as my grandma...
And I think its a grain...

Carol

Coz, G. Dubya said so!

Grain [ 23 ] [45.10%]
Pasta [ 22 ] [43.14%]

Hmmm... a compromise is needed

Got it

Grasta

dang Carol we should start trading recipes

Demorou!!!
Make a Brazilians recipes thread and we can do it!!!
Did you ever try cuscuz nordestino??? I like both Paulista and Nordestino...

Carol

epa! Let's do it. No i haven't had nordestino, actually the only one i know is that paulista one, and i'm not even paulista I think cuscuz is more like a nordestina food right?

I love this idea!



That looks really good! Yum!

both

i was wondering the same thing when i was in algeria hahahah what is it? cos i have no idea. i would guess it is grain