Last night I went to another really fun and unique event at LS’s house – she throws the most wonderful themed parties. This time each person chose a country of the world to represent. We dressed up as a woman from that country, someone famous, historical, or an everyday citizen; and also brought a dish from the region. I was representing Morocco (inspired by my Arabesque cookbook by Claudia Roden).
Couscous with Spring Vegetables and Sweet Potato Salad
We enjoyed a lovely “cocktail hour” and as each “ambassador” arrived she was announced with her character’s name and nation. This was an automatic conversation-starter, along with the various costumes we had assembled for ourselves. Dinner was a buffet of all the ethnic dishes we had brought, and we were seated at a long, elegantly decorated table with the appropriate flag at each delegate’s place. After we’d all been seated and begun eating, LS kicked off the speeches. Each of us had prepared a short monologue about our characters – facts about her life and her native country. This was so amusing and educational. We had a Welsh housewife, a warrior princess from feudal Japan, a French author, a Scottish immigrant to Canada, Helen of Troy, Queen Esther, an American Suffragette, the president of Costa Rica, an English Quaker quilter who was responsible for spreading the art of quilting to Australia by sending supplies with female prisoners, a Muslim woman from Western China, Grace Kelly (Princess of Monaco), Corrie Ten Boom, and many more.
I decided to invent a character for myself, using information from Claudia Roden’s book and the interwebs, and talked about running a Moroccan restaurant with my family in the city of Fez. I explained the basic elements of Moroccan cuisine – its many influences from surrounding regions, the spices commonly used, and the traditional process for making couscous by hand-rolling ground semolina in order to coat it with flour.
To prepare today’s comercially-produced couscous, Roden describes how to steam it in the oven. I ran a little short on time getting ready for this party, so I just did what I usually do – throw the couscous into boiling liquid, remove from the heat, and let stand 5 minutes. It was a bit clumpy so at some point I will try the approved method and attempt to get it lighter and fluffier. I’ve noticed that the recipes in Arabesque call for a LOT of olive oil and/or butter, so I’ve reduced that by half in both of these recipes. For the sweet potato salad, I made it before as instructed, by simmering the potatoes in liquid, but they simply turned to mush. I personally feel that roasting vegetables is the best way to get maximum flavor, so I tried that this time and it was delicious.
Couscous with Spring Vegetables
Adapted from Arabesque by Claudia Roden
2 1/2 cups couscous (I used whole-wheat)
4 cups chicken broth
14 oz fava beans (shelled weight) (Note: I had trouble finding these, either fresh or frozen, so I used frozen edamame/soybeans. Not very authentic but still delicious and protein-rich)
12 oz pkg frozen artichokes
14 oz frozen petite peas
4 green onions, sliced
4 T butter or extra-virgin olive oil
A generous amount of chopped fresh herbs: flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, and mint
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the frozen artichokes, and set a timer for 6 minutes. After 1 minute, add edamame. Stir. When the timer goes off, add the peas, turn off the heat, and stir well to thaw the peas. Place a colander over a large metal bowl, and drain the vegetables, reserving the broth. Move the vegetables to a covered dish, add 1 T butter, the green onions, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine, until the butter is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover the dish, and set aside.
Measure the broth and add water if necessary to get 3 3/4 cups. Return the broth to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, cover the pot, and move it off the stove. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in 3 T butter and fluff with a large fork or wooden spoon.
To serve, pile the couscous on a platter, and top with the vegetable mixture.
Sweet Potato Salad
Adapted from Arabesque by Claudia Roden
1 onion, finely chopped
3 T olive oil
2 medium orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (aka “Yams”)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
salt
8 – 12 green olives
1 preserved lemon
Juice of 1 small (fresh) lemon
2 T chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Saute the onion in 1 T olive oil until deep golden-brown. (I cook them over medium heat, stirring often, until they start to color, and then turn the heat down and let them gradually brown, stirring occasionally, while I’m preparing the other ingredients.)
Preheat the oven to 400.° Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into diagonal wedges. Place in a large bowl, drizzle with 1 T olive oil, and sprinkle with the spices and a generous amount of salt. Toss to coat, and spread in a single layer on a foil-lined or non-stick baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes or until tender. Move to a covered dish and set aside.
Chop or slice the olives, and place in a small bowl. Rinse the preserved lemon well to remove excess salt, chop finely, and add to the olives. Add the fresh lemon juice, 1 T olive oil, and herbs. Stir to combine, and add to the dish of sweet potatoes along with the sauteed onions. Stir to combine. Serve at room temperature.
